As God Has Shown Me I Share Freely With You
By Carol Dee Meeks

Across the miles of my life, I've recently learned that I need to slow down and make a detour. I'm sure I've turned people away from accepting Jesus into their heart and acknowledging Him as their Lord and Savior. Arguing about God's Word has dulled their desire for salvation.

Over the years, I've wanted some of my family members and friends and co-workers to accept Jesus into their heart so badly that I became an unwelcome and unfriendly pest. I can look back now and realize that my pious manner was not Godly. As I learned more of God's Word and desired the same for them, my boasting my knowledge over them hardened their heart, and perhaps, took a longer added curves for them to accept Christ.

Acts l:8 tells me that I am to be a witness for God's Word. At this stage of my life, my type of witness needs a change. My anger when a loved one doesn't accept God as their Savior when I think they should is not right and adds distance for them to have the change of heart needed.

God doesn't pressure me, why do I pressure them?

I'm learning that I can still take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way; but, I need to plant the seed in love with a genuine and sincere heart; step back, and shower them in prayer. It may take months, even years for them to accept Jesus into their heart, but anger and pressure does not get the job done. I'm also learning that God exercises patience with me, and that's how He expects me to act toward them.

Prayer changes things, and God's love changes people. I pray for this change in me so the distance shortens and the curves are not so sharp.

Prayer is Powerful, Exciting
By Carol Dee Meeks

I'm finding late in life that prayer is a journey. We have to learn to pray, because prayer is essential for a daily work with Jesus. In Mark 11:23, it states that we "shall not doubt in our heart that what we are praying for will come to pass, and we shall receive it." The key is to believe we will receive that which we ask for, if we keep our eyes on Him. So, our attitude targets the goal. The goal is met in His timing and in His way. This matures our faith.

I recently attended a workshop on prayer. The speaker looked like the son of Billy Graham, and he showcased vim and vigor for our Lord as Mr. Graham does. He made a statement that startled me.

He said, "We should pray our children and grandchildren to heaven."

I'm sure I sat straighter in my chair. I had not heard an expression like that.

Then, he added, "We should be as passionate to pray for the souls of our children and grandchildren as we are to pay our monthly mortgage."

"Wow," that made sense to me, and since the room was filled with Senior Citizens, there were lots of heads nodding in agreement.

I left the workshop with a fresh, renewed excitement. The speaker suggested that we keep a journal. When we are met with a petition, we should write the prayer request in the journal and date it. He also told us to pick a time of day, a certain place to meditate and pray, and start our time with Him with a sincere and genuine heart. This brought to my mind Psalms 51:l0-11. It asks God "to cleanse our hearts, and release a new attitude (there's that word again) within us. To not take away the Holy Spirit from us nor take His presence away from us." When we feel that our petitions have been answered, then date the journal as such. Compare how long some prayers take and how short some prayers take to be answered.

In this new prayer life, I've learned that God does always answer. He may not answer the way we have prayed or as soon as we want, but He always answers. Sometimes, this process of waiting and God showing His sovereignty, brings us blessings. Blessings, because we are the one that can be changed. The situation we are praying for may not change, but we do, and that is the blessing. For to be drawn closer to our Savior, and to grow into His image, (which a powerful prayer life can do) is His heart's desire.

In a study by Beth Moore, I've also learned that He wants us to ask Him for blessings to be bestowed upon us. If we do not ask Him, we do not receive. "Jesus desires us to be happy and full of joy," Beth harps on this over and over.

What a joy to have completed this study for it came on the rim of the workshop I attended. In John 14:12-16, it offers additional insight into the success of our prayer life. This verse tells us we are to pray believing we will receive so that God will be glorified. And then when we receive what we have been praying for, we are to give Jesus all the glory. We are not to brag and exalt ourselves. I believe this is the real lesson on prayer. We give Jesus all the glory, and we thank Him, on our knees, that He is a God that we are allowed to serve and trust. We praise His name because He takes care of those who trust in Him, and those who bow their heads and pray to Him.

Putting it all in Perspective

The year 2004 brought us a different kind of Christmas season. I'm glad we know that there is a more important reason to celebrate than to be thinking of gifts and goodies and those shop till you drop days. Jesus brings it all into perspective. I won't even write you about all the changes we have been through in the last couple of months.

Some of you know we sold our home, our lovely little farm. The day we had to move out we had no idea where we were going with our dogs and cats till our new piece of property finished its own escrow. I have spent a lot of my time in Matthew lately, reading about the birds of the air, the lilies of the field ... all that God takes care of His way and how He will take care of His us as well. But it is in times such as these that one has to fight the tendency to say,"Why?" or "When?" or "What shall we do?" God knows. He always brings me back to one of my favorite scriptures... I have many!

"Fear thou not, for I am with thee. be not dismayed, for I am thy God, i will strenthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
Isaiah 41:10 KJV

Let's put it into perspective once again. What is the reason for this season regardless of the time of year in which we find ourselves? We all know that in Christ our lives WILL all work out. It is easy to tell others to keep looking up and to keep the faith. Now it's our turn to practice it.

This season is when we give glory upon glory to our wonderful Lord for coming to this earth to save us from ourselves. As we move into the new year, we know He has gone before to prepare our way and to help us walk in it.

I'm glad we know that there is a more important reason to celebrate than to be thinking of gifts and goodies and those shop till you drop days. Jesus brings it all into perspective.

A Blessing In Disguise
By Joan Clifton Costner

As told to me by my husband.

Milly was sixteen, my youngest sister. She always seemed more vulnerable to us since she was the last baby girl. We never quite gave up and let her grow up.

I was active in a very fundamental church with lots of no, nos. Especially for the women. I coaxed Milly to come to every revival and to church services where she felt uncomfortable due to the fact that as she "grew up" she was like any teenager, interested in trying a little lipstick, painting fingernails and toenails. It was 1946 and everyone was thankful and perhaps a little frivolous because the war was over.

I had two sisters who looked so much alike people often mistook one for the other. Del (Deloris) was the other sister.

When I would get them to church they would sit rigidly in the pew and it would not be long before I would see Milly begin to scratch at the nail polish on her fingers. All around the ladies sat with their hair up in a bun, no polish on their nails, no makeup, plain dresses. My sisters were beautiful and that alone made them stand out. They were going on a double date and I, being married by that time, was engrossed in family life and the worry of aging parents.

About 9:30 p.m. someone knocked on my door. "Where are your sisters? Do you know?" I didn’t. "Come down and see if this is your sister - there’s been a terrible wreck."

I began to tremble and followed them to the car. They drove to the mortuary. A train had hit the car. Both of my sisters should have been in the car, but they had found only one. I stared at the body before me thinking, "It’s Milly,...no, it’s Del...no, it’s Milly"...

I must have been in shock, for I just couldn’t seem to be sure. It was a terrible moment in life. I thought about Mom and Dad - Dad so sick with heart trouble, Mom had already given up two babies. I wondered where we would find my other sister.

It was Milly. At a rural railroad crossing, they had picked up one of the boys, so there were three of them in the car. The train drug the car 900 feet down the track.

Our little town was stunned. Three teenagers dead in such a horrible wreck.

After the funerals were over, one of the ladies in my church walked up to me: "Well, it’s too bad, but she is in hell." I gasped. How could anyone say a thing like that? Because she wore fingernail polish and had beautiful hair over her shoulders - a little lipstick?? I turned and wept. Maybe the weeping was for my sister, but it was also for the unfeeling person who could say such a thing at such a moment.

Late that night, everyone was asleep, I went to a room alone and knelt. Oh, God, she couldn’t be in hell! She was too precious to us! It was enough just to imagine the moment of the wreck. I travailed in prayer. Again and again I begged God just to let me know she was alright. I wept, I prayed, I wept again. After awhile I seemed to be out of my body. I don’t know if it was a vision or what, but I saw the wreck. The train was coming, the light on the front of the train bearing down. Milly’s face was terrorized and she threw her hands up to her face and said, "Lord, save me!" Then it was chaos - the light swirling crazily around. The whistle stopped and all was silent for a moment.

The scene changed. Green velvet grass like a park, a beautiful day, a winding path...two figures - I could see her happy face, but the tall figure beside her - I couldn’t make out the face - but I knew who He was! They were walking hand in hand up the path. They were happy. Milly was happy. Thank You, God, Oh, thank You!

We were a long time getting over that tragedy, but I will never get over that scene. And I wonder if the dear soul who was so great at judging could ever imagine the blessing I received because of her unfeeling remark. Would I have ever travailed in prayer so long and fervently? Would I have ever received the vision had it not been made?

It was a long time ago, for now I am in my eightieth year and I still can call up that scene. If I were a painter I could paint every emerald grass blade in the meadow, every beautiful flower. If I were a composer I could make the music, duplicate the glorious bird calls - but the peace in my soul is still there, and I know it is possible to receive a blessing when it is given in disguise.

Praise God from Whom ALL Blessings flow!

"How can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? He giveth songs in the night".
Esther 8:6

"RECIPE SHARING"

From the Kitchens of...
Lisa and Mildred

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: We had privilege to visit your site and came to know about your ministries among the women of all nation. We here in Nepal do the work of evangelism and church planting. Other program and ministries we do are in women, youth, children and publication. How we can come near to your ministries? We would like to know more about your desire to serve the women of Nepal. Nepali women desperately needs the ministry of women. We are praying to God for this ministry in Nepal. Pastor Reuben and wife, Rita Dear Pastor Reuben and Rita, Thank you so much for your email to us here at Hearts for Christ Ministries. Our primary focus is to meet the needs of women to encourage them in their walk with Jesus Christ. It would be wonderful if Rita would like to join our internet prayer and ministry team. She can read more about our ministry at: http://heartsforchrist.org/introduction.htm. If she is interested, she can then fill out a co-labor form: http://heartsforchrist.org/colaborcontact.htm. Our Team would also lift up your ministry in Nepal and it would be wonderful to help each other in that respect. For the Bible tells us we are to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). May you and your ministry receive blessings from above as you continue your outreach in Nepal. In the Lord's Service, Hearts for Christ Ministry Team Dear Hearts for Christ, Please pray that God will touch my body and my life and give me a spiritual, emotional and financial miracle. Thank you. Donna Dear Donna, Dear one, we are so sorry that you are experiencing such hardships. When our burdens seem overwhelming, our heavenly Father is waiting to take our burden. It can be hard to try to rely upon Him when we don't see any solutions coming forth. In those times, He is saying to us "Trust me, my child, trust me." 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, 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." Psalm 17:6 "I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech." He is our Refuge and our Strength, He enlightens our darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29-34 "For You are my lamp, O Lord; The Lord shall enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, And sets me on my high places." He hears His childrens' prayers and you can be assured that the other sisters on our ministry team will be lifting you up. May you holdfast as you begin to see His will unfold, His good, pleasing and perfect will for you (Romans 12:2). 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.