The Master's Hands
By Dot McGinnis

The same hands that bless you...break you.

"Bring them here to me, he said. Taking the five loaves and the two fish And looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, And the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied ..."
Matthew 14:15-21

When the little that we have Is brought to the Master (given to Him, Blessed by Him, broken by Him), Our little, then, becomes more than enough And is able to sustain and satisfy those in need.

Lord, I've presented myself to you, Given to you all that I have, all that I am, And you've blessed me so abundantly Lord, Far beyond my wildest dreams.

And now the breakings begun ...Oh, Lord! The breaking; Help me never to resist the breaking.

© by Dot McGinnis
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/

"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen" 1 Peter 4:11

A Dream Come True
By Malla Beardshear

For the last week a beautiful little girl, has been haunting my dreams, her dark hair and big dark eyes so beautiful, I finally prayed about it and I was urged to think about helping her. My husband Jeff told me he didn't think we could afford anything more above our tithing.

This morning as we walked into church the usher handed us an envelope and inside was a card and inside the card was $45; we still don't know who it is from. I looked at Jeff and he said, “Ok, if your little girl is there, you can do it.”

I whispered to him, "It is $20. a month."

He smiled and said, "If she is there we will make a way to give $20 more above of our regular tithe."

After church I went into fellowship hall, and there she was on the poster board, the very little girl in my dreams! She is so beautiful! I am so excited about her! I can feel she is going to be special, maybe a teacher one day.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He WILL give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4 KJV

That Gift of Doing Unto Others...

We went to a wedding in August. It was a good way to finish up a quiet summer for my husband and me. This was Tom’s family. He hadn’t seen most of them for over 17 years. It was about time.

As much as we wanted to attend the wedding (which was down in San Francisco), we had no idea how we could afford the trip. Tom had a week’s vacation coming so we weren’t worried about that. But taking trips (even short four-day trips) cost money, and we did not have the extra funds for a trip. But the Lord knew how much we wanted to be at this more or less family reunion. And he chose to make a way for us HIS way.

We decided to trust him to get us there and back safely and at a low cost to us so we committed ourselves to the trip. Then about four days before we were to head out, an envelope arrived with cash in it. The Lord had somehow laid it on someone’s heart to send it our way, and they were compelled to obey the Lord’s direction. We were in awe, yet we knew it was a gift from the God and God alone.

The Monday before we left on our trip, another envelope arrived in the mail from out of state. Someone had been reading the Psalms and God had placed it on this person’s heart to send some funds our way, and they didn’t know why but just felt it necessary to be obedient.

All we could do was praise the Lord for his goodness and grace. We were able to take the trip comfortably, provide a nice gift for the wedding couple, and leave and return with a tank full of gas.

The wedding and reunion were both a wonderful success and blessing. My husband was thrilled to be able to reunite with family and the hospitality and fellowship we shared with our friends (who took us in) was fantastic.

We’ve come across several situations like this in the last 35+ years of our Christian lives. God sees a need, he brings the answer according to his will and ways, and we just enjoy the miracle by thanking him and praising him for his kindness spread through wonderful instruments of his goodness...our brothers and sisters in Christ.

God is so good and we give him all the glory.

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Insasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Matthew 25:40 KJV

"RECIPE SHARING"

From the Kitchen of...
Mildred (of SING)

Do you have a RECIPE that you would enjoy sharing? Send it to us here in the Hearts for Christ Ministries Comments Section or e-mail direct: info@heartsforchrist.org. We will be thrilled to pass it along to our readers.

Sharing Hearts One with Another... The following letters are excerpts from the correspondence Hearts for Christ Ministries has been receiving. We hope you will write in as well. Dear Hearts For Christ: How can I handle people who are constantly talking negatively about God? People who criticize His existence and power. It is really hard to work around people like this. I can't take it! Mattie Dear Mattie, Thank you for writing to us at Hearts for Christ Ministries. It can be rather difficult to be in a situation as you have described and keep yourself from responding defensively to someone, especially when they speak against the Lord. Each circumstance is going to be different and the Lord may lead you differently with each person/situation that you encounter. It is important to have a continuous open "line-of-communication" with the Lord. He knows the exact situation you are experiencing and He will comfort you, guide you and equip you along the way. Psalm 31:1-3 "In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge (strength) A fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name's sake, Lead me and guide me." Each work environment has its own regulations. Therefore, if you do not have permission, for instance, to display a card on your desk that has an encouraging scripture, then it may be possible to keep one inside your desk drawer or perhaps in your pocket to be able to glance at for encouragement or re-assurance. Also it is helpful to be able to draw support from your local church prayer line or a women's Bible study group. If you are not involved in either of these, ask the Lord for an opportunity to come forth, He will show you. At times the situations we are placed in can seem unbearable or overwhelming, but we have to remember that the Lord is there with us every step of the way. Some ways to help you stay focused upon Him: Are you able to carry a pocket Bible with you to read on your break or lunch hour? Worship music can also be a useful and powerful tool to help us, are you able to listen with a walkman while at work? If not, perhaps you could listen to worship music during your lunch hour or your break, as well as a Bible study tape or a local Christian radio station. These suggestions will help to keep your focus on the Lord and encourage you throughout the day. Whatever the situation or circumstance, the Lord desires for us to be that example and a light to others around us, just as Paul spoke of in Philippians 2:14-16 "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life...". Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." We hope these suggestions were helpful or gave you some ideas to dwell upon and connect with the Lord to encourage you in your day. The Lord is faithful to us in each and every encounter we are confronted with, do not grow weary in doing good, dear sister. Our Ministry Team will be lifting you up in prayer. He is Faithful, Hearts for Christ Ministry Team Dear Hearts for Christ, Just to say thank you so much for your site especially women of the Bible, it is excellent and easy to read, also it is giving me more hunger to read Gods word. Thank you so much for your hard work in making this possible for people like me. I am passing it on to family and friends. God be with you. Vicky Dear Vicky, Oh, how our hearts were encouraged as we read your email to us at Hearts for Christ Ministries! It is truly amazing just what the Lord will show us when we take time to study His Word and just as you have shared, as we do, we hunger for more! May He continue to show you His wonderful treasures hidden on each page! We are so blessed to know that the Lord is touching you through the studies and that you are sharing them with others. This is exactly what we desire to happen! We give Him all of the glory, honor and praise for all that He does! Thank you for writing to us. In Christ, Hearts for Christ Ministry Team

Are You Ready to Share with Us? What is the Lord doing in your life today? Do you have a question, an experience, or a victory in trial you would enjoy sharing in a future newsletter? Send your comments and inquiries to "Dear Hearts for Christ." Article Submissions and Testimonies should be sent to Shirley@heartsforchrist.org. No names will be included without permission, and the editor reserves the right to edit submissions.