My Easter Devo for you, The Bleeding Parent

 We pray on Saturdays for those who have lost loved ones to death, it seems to hit close to home for many. The most unnatural thing in the world they say is burying your child , although Jesus was an adult at the time of His death, to Mary, He was her baby, yet also her Savior.

 Lord, send your strong Father arms of comfort to those who are grieving.

Though they are worn, give them new strength and vision for life. Give them the hope to press on and the ability to have joy again.

The Bleeding Parent

“Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother, for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also) that the hearts of many may be revealed.” Luke 2:34-35

            Mary was a young girl at the time she conceived.  She learned early what it meant to be a bleeding parent.  One of the first prophecies spoken to her was Luke 2:34-35.  As a mother, her natural impulse would have been to shelter, nurture and protect her son.  We cannot forget that although Jesus was God in human form, He was bone of her bone and flesh of her flesh.  Her womb was the first home for the king of kings.  Her body pushed him out.  With each contraction, His destiny and our salvation drew nearer.  She bore pain for Him, that He would bear our pain and sins.

             She watched and pondered, not even knowing fully it was He of whom was spoken, “He is a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.  And we hid as it were, our faces from Him.  He was despised and we did not esteem Him.”(Isaiah 53:3)

He went from son to Savior as she watched Him dying for her at the cross.  We forget sometimes that He was born for the cross.  She went from being His mother to being His child as He became a bleeding parent for her.

Prayer: Lord, you know how much we would like to hide at times from the pain of life, especially when it involves our children. Help us instead to help steer them to the blessings that are in our daily lives and the Season before us.

Thought for the Day: Sometimes as parents we bleed for our children when we see them go through painful situations.

Prayer Focus: Families in pain during the holidays.

Donna Collins Tinsley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc

Looking for Jesus at Christmas

Many of you who know me, know that at the Christmas season I am on a mission. A search for Jesus amidst the commercialization of the celebration of our Lord's birth. I sometimes just want the holidays to be over with, it gets so sad sometimes. We need to remember that old saying, "Jesus is the reason for the season."

Usually the first thing I search for is a Christmas message to send out or post. Just when I think that well has run dry the Lord gives me something to share and hopefully bring the focus back to the true meaning. Thank You, Jesus, I do have that ready to send.

I was asked to be a part of Let's Go Ministry Motel Church and that is how I got out of a bad "funk" as in "I don't want to do Christmas this year," to a restoration of joy and peace.

I had only committed to two mornings, but found as I met people on the streets of Daytona that I was drawn back to the Travel Inn for at least a little bit each day. Meeting Fay and Jon and the guys from New Beginnings Ministry was an added bonus to my finding Jesus. He is there for sure!

Jed and his team were interviewed by the News Journal and some awesome things took place each morning, meal outreach and night. I was humbled and honored to be a very small part. If I can do it, anyone can. My husband, Bill, came on Saturday and he said later that he admired people that can go up to just anyone on the streets; he actually thinks I have the "gift." Well, if so, it just came, wrapped up in Motel Church, so thank You Jesus for adding a bonus to my Christmas, a gift that keeps on giving as we pay forward our blessings and hope.

My heart was moved by the people we saw on the streets and I am reminded once again, they are someone's sons or daughters.

Jed Lindstrom is who has the real gift of evangelism and I am grateful that he shares his gifts with so many people in the streets and also to the Body of Christ. May the Lord bless him with all he needs to continue to go forth. Let's Go!

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20121204/NEWS/312049940

What is the Constant Image in Your Mind? Let it be Jesus

They say the battle is in our minds and that is so true. We give our problems "free rent' sometimes and we need to realize that those lingering doubts, concerns and worries will only bring us down. We really do have to think on the good things of above or we will go under. Love, hope and prayers, every day in every way to all that visit this page. We hope your prayers feel safe and uplifted here.


I have a lot of devotionals that haven't been published, so at times I will post them online:
A Constant Image

In the front of my mind
In the back of my mind,
To the left and to the right,
There’s an image of a man on a cross. (by Dallas Holm)
These are the words to a song written by Dallas Holm that really moved my spirit. This is how I want to live my life, with the Lord in the front of my mind and in the back of my mind. As I go to the left or the right, may his image never leave me. May this picture in my mind help me to walk differently in the world I live in. I need to walk worthy of the calling God has put on me. Let me walk in a way that would not shame the one who is my Lord and Master. Jesus was born in a stable---yet He is the King of Glory.
He lived a simple life. He amazed His mother, confounded his neighborhood, (could anything good come from Nazareth?) called together a group of outcasts to disciple and write about His story.

He carried a heavy cross on which He was crucified for my sins and yours, years before we were ever conceived. He knew what pain was like. He understood how it felt to be rejected by friends and family alike. He wept. He understood what it was like to lose a loved one. But for the joy set before Him, he endured the cross. That joy was giving life to us.

Prayer: Lord, please keep the picture of what You did on the cross for us, ever before us.
Thought: What I allow myself to think on may control my day for good.

Focus: The Cross of Christ and his compassion towards His body of believers.

Scripture: For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Galatians 6:14 The Message
Donna Collins Tinsley

Project Surrender is not an Elvis song:)

Project surrender had a great start today as six of us gathered to hear Jed Lindstrom's vision concerning what it means to do street ministry and going out in power and strength of the Holy Spirit. It involves surrendering our wills, our plans, our agendas, our pride and even our time as a sacrifice to serve those in our community.

A definition of surrender means "to relinquish possession or control to another, to submit to the power, authority, and control of another." If we have given our lives over to the Lord there can be degrees of surrender, first as we accept Him, then as we yield more fully to that love and touch of the Father's hand.
We are very blessed to have someone with the gifts and the joy that Jed has to lead us on in this Project Surrender. Maybe you don't know if this is for you? I didn't really myself, but I know that the Lord has shown Jed that there will be offsprings of ministry as well as impartations, healings and many coming to the Lord through what may have seemed like small beginnings. I hope to be a part of that and hope that you may want to be a part also. Some of us will be behind the scenes praying, some will be more bold and step out to tell their story.
Two scriptures about small beginnings are:
"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin..."(NLT Zechariah 4:10) and Job 8:7 ESV says "And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great." A key verse that Jed used was Rev. 12:11 which says "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." That verse has always been a favorite of mine.
You may not feel gifted, wise or outgoing enough but the Lord also says that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. So if you choose to surrender to this call you will be equipped by Jesus.

May the Lord continue to bless Project Surrender every day in every way and may the Spirit be bold among us, shining forth to our community.

Contact Jed at jedlindstrom@letsgoministry.com if you are interested in joining us:)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.431143490260558.91387.117878034920440&type=1

Christmas and The Gift of Prayer

Christmas and The Gift of Prayer

 It is said in the Bible that the only thing that is saved in Heaven from earth is our tears and our prayers.

Love, Hope (whose name is Jesus) and prayers is something I sign off with often on Facebook or in letters to others. It’s not something I can wrap up, or you can see visibly but I have to believe the gift of prayer is worthy of giving this Christmas and throughout the year.

Maybe you think it doesn’t take much effort, but the time involved in taking your needs, hurts and family situations before the Lord each morning may involve more than you realize. I was so blessed this year when a noted author, speaker and benefactor of scholarships to many told me that he would commit to pray for a member of my family for one year. I am touched with his gift to me, someone he barely knows, yet he could see that the burden I had for this one needed sharing. I am very grateful that he was so willing to be a part of my life in this way. Tears fill my eyes each time I think of this gift to me. Yes, it is priceless.

Things got even worse during the year for many months and I so wished the mercy of the Lord would come and make all things good for the one we were praying for. It hasn’t happened totally but I can now write this prayer partner and say, “Thank you for the gift of prayer you gave me for my brother. Things are better."

When I first walked into the Port Orange Winning Women Bible study taught by Anita Smith over 20 years ago, I was desperate for help and fellowship.  I had one child holding onto my pants and one in my arms and I sat in the back as my kids weren’t used to going to a nursery. I was so welcomed that day that I knew I had found my home, “my tribe.” During this time I felt that these women held my arms up as helpers held Moses’ arms during times that his own strength was failing. By prayer and fellowship my battles have been won as I listened to the Word of the Lord and acted on it.

It could be said that we are never so tall as when we are before the Lord on our knees. One reason I believe the gift of prayer is so important is I know there were many than prayed for me though-out the years. And sometimes I get prayer requests from others that I can literally feel the pain of the one reaching out for prayer. As a mother, I can feel a mother’s pain as she weeps for her children, as a daughter I can relate to how someone such as me can fail so miserably at life yet be extended mercy from the Lord. One thing I have asked the Lord to do is to remind me often of where I have walked in my life and remember to think of the painful shoes that others may be walking in. Shoes that He, my savior walked in first that we might have life and love

So this year my gift to you will be the gift that I treasure the most from others. Prayer. It is the gift that keeps on giving as we all pay it forward for Christmas.

May your Christmas be full of Jesus and love!

Blessings, Donna Collins Tinsley 2011

A Decidedly Different Christmas Message: “You’re Such a Mother!” Will be posted on http://thornrose7.blogspot.com/, Somebody’s Mother Online Prayer Support Group, The Addict’s Mom, Fractured Families, Friendshipline Ministries, GRG, Women United in Prayer, Prodigal Hope and my other support groups that I treasure probably tomorrow.