Psalm 139: 13-16 13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Two weeks ago God blessed our family with another little baby girl. We are all so thankful that she was full term and that her mother is doing well after a bit of a scare the day after delivery.

Aren’t babies grand? I know how thrilled I was with each birth day of my granddaughters. They mean the world to me.

I had a good mother and I have some fond memories of her. She took very good care of me. She taught me all the fundamentals of dressing, table manners, how to act in public and how to respect my elders. She had my best interest at heart. My daddy however was a very different personality. He expected me to act like a lady, but he extended his expectations of me. He taught me how to have compassion for others and how to build friendships. He taught me what I had to accept, opposed to it or not. He taught me what I did not have to put up with and how to stand my ground. Right was right and wrong was wrong and treating people the way God expected me to treat them was always the best way.

When I was ten years old, it was my turn to go to the farmers market to pick out the Christmas tree. Daddy and I went together. He stepped back and let me get the one I wanted. He picked out a little tree top tree about three feet tall and bought it. I was so excited about my choice I didn’t ask any questions about the little tree. When we got home, all of my siblings hated my tree. They said it was the worst tree ever. I was so upset. I cried and cried. I loved the tree. They kept pointing out its false and soon I was wishing I had not chosen it to bring home.

Meanwhile, daddy had a plan. He was gathering tiny Chrisrtmas ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree top. He called me into the room with him and said he wanted me to help him decorate the very small tree. We did and it was lovely. Next door was an older lady, Mrs. Rhodes. She lived alone and her children did not live close by and seldom visited her. Daddy told me to take the tiny tree over to her. He said that when I saw the joy it brought her, I would no longer be upset about the tree I had chosen and I would see its beauty once again.

I loved Mrs. Rhodes. I would visit her regularly and we would drink a coke together and walk along in her flower garden that took up her entire back yard and talk. I don’t remember one conversation we had, but I must have enjoyed them because I kept going back to visit. Her home was grand to me. It had a foyer that was opened up with dark hardwood flooring and a huge winding staircase off to the left. The hand rails were massive and made of the most beautiful wood. I always wanted to go upstairs to see what was up there, but never asked if I could, as that would be bad manners. I still sometimes wonder what it looked like up there. There was a large living room just to the right of the front door. Straight ahead was the kitchen. It was wide and narrow. Everything was always tidy and very clean. To the right of the kitchen was a screened door that lead to a porch. The only thing I remember being on the porch was a refrigerator. It stayed filled with Coke-A-Colas in the glass bottles. I still remember Mrs. Rhodes washing the bottle before she would open it to give to me. She was my friend.

I put on my coat and got the tiny tree and walked up the sidewalk and to Mrs. Rhodes front door. I knocked on the door and when she opened it I said “Merry Christmas” and she smiled the biggest smile I had ever seen. She thanked me and hugged me. She was so happy. My heart was so full. I think that was the first time I felt the effects of doing for others. It was marvelous. I headed homed home grinning from ear to ear.

Daddy knew I would be gone for a while as I always spent a good while with Mrs. Rhodes. I was so happy when I got home. Then I saw my tree in the living room. Daddy had made my siblings put the lights on the tree so I could see it lite up when I got home. They all apologized to me and told me the tree was not that bad and the decorations would make it beautiful. (Daddy had apparently had a talk with them.) Daddy was right. When I saw my tree all lit up, it was definitely the most gorgeous tree I had ever seen. My heart was already so happy. Nothing could change that. This is probably my most favorite childhood story although I had many happy memories with my daddy.

I hope you have good childhood memories. They by far outweigh the bad ones. The spankings, the chores, the quarrels. Good friends can be family too, but you will never have this kind of closeness with them. You will never have the bond of that of family, however it can be a very strong bond. It is so important to build that relationship with our children. God made them. He did not give them to us. He loaned them to us and expects us to raise them well and in His influence. That’s what my daddy did.

Now to sound like a total hypocrite. I have been and I am currently estranged from some family members. It breaks my heart, but remember how I said my daddy taught me what to allow and not allow in my life. Well there were things I could not allow. Do I wish things had not gone in that direction? You bet I do. Through it all, I never stopped loving anyone. I just had to make choices and I know they were the right ones. Do I know those relatives still love me? I sure do. They also had their reasons to let our separation continue. God will work it out. He always does. I don’t have closed doors. I have always left them ajar ready to reconcile. They will stay that way forever. They will stay that way because “They are family”.

Here’s to all the little babies in the world. Let love and peace surround them. Let God build his hedge of protection around them.

Dear Father,

God I thank you for family. I thank you for memories. I give you all the glory for a childhood that I loved while growing up. I pray for the children of today and the children of the future. I pray they will have good lives and grow up knowing you.

Please forgive me of my sins and have mercy on my soul.

In Christ Jesus,

AMEN

God loves you and so do I. Please join me in praying for all issues that are attacking us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

Please come back to this site next week. Please let me hear from you and invite your family and friends to read and pray along with us. If you have enjoyed reading my blogs, please click on the “LIKE” button and follow along with me on a weekly reading. Thank you for your support. I enjoy sharing my thoughts with you.

Sue Whaley – Huntsville, AL

Your Thought for the Week…Are you guilty of sending personal messages to your internet friends yet never sending up a personal message through prayer to your Father in Heaven? Did you pray this week? A lot, a little bit? Not at all? I need to pick it up. God loves hearing from me. I will do better this week.

Hello to my Friends in Christ,

Another week has past and God has taken excellent care of me. My oldest granddaughter has started sending me personal messages via Messenger. They absolutely thrill me to the bone. Sometimes she will share something that has happened in her life or send me a funny emoji. Other times it’s just a “HI”. I love ALL of them. First of all it let’s me know she is thinking about me. In addition to that she wants me to know something that is important to her. Did you get that? SHE WANTS ME TO KNOW. Oh what a joy that is. I text back and we always end on a positive note. She is an absolute precious soul and I have the honor of being her Potsie. Yes, Potsie. That is what all of my granddaughters call me. Maybe someday I will share why. (Teaser)

Thinking about my love for this I was reminded that God wants us to communicate with him. He loves when we speak to him as our friend. God likes to talk to us also. Remember when he spoke to Moses? He would speak to him just like a true friend.

Religious leaders had him in front of them but they didn’t know who he was. They certainly would have wanted to talk to him if they had of realized he was standing within their reach. (ref: John 2)

I have posted 2 Chronicles 7:14 a few time since I started this blog. I think it motivates me to behave, to pray and to encourage others to do the same. We need to humble ourselves, seek his face, and turn from our wicked ways. Then he will hear us and forgive us. We must do this as individuals and as a nation. God will hear us. He will heal our land.

Think about this. He will heal our land!! I know I want our land healed. I want people to praise God. To show their love by serving him, praising him and thanking him.

Before Jesus Christ, God spoke to us through prophets. Now he speaks to us through Jesus Christ. That is so comforting. JESUS CHRIST WANTS TO TALK TO ME. I am honored every time he sends me a message. A personal message. My heart is so pleased and my mind is so at ease. When a message comes from God and you are a believer, it is such a joy to hear from him. God speaks to us through his word. If your heart is in God he will speak to you with every word you read. I’m always amazed how he will point me in the direction that shows me the scripture that is related to the answer I am seeking. It’s not often that you will flip the Bible open and find the word that is meant to answer you. God says to seek his word.

If we really understand that God wants us to talk to him, shouldn’t we look for ways to communicate with him throughout the day? Reading God’s word and praying to God is all we need to build a relationship with him. Isn’t anything worth having worth working for? It’s never too late to start.

Would you love to hear God’s voice? You can. (John 1:1-2) God’s words come to us through his son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus says, John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

John 15:15 “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

God listens to us and whispers to us as we go day by day. In times of trouble he draws nearer to us and his voice is clear and strong to hear. He will show you the way!

If you have never had a close relationship with God or had one and can’t seem to find your way back to him, maybe you could do what I did. I just felt like God wasn’t hearing anything I said. The truth was, he heard me, but I had to work for his trust. I started reading a devotional every morning. I was often amazed how it would reflect on what I was currently going through in my life. I think you will find by reading a page or two everyday your heart will be hungry for more.

If you do not yet know Jesus as your Lord and Savior you can ask him into your heart. Pray to God. When you know that he is, tell him you believe. Ask him to come into your heart. Ask him to forgive you of your sins and tell him you will turn from sin and trust in him. Tell him you believe he died for your sins and that on the following third day he arose from the grave and ascended into Heaven to be with his Father. He will know you are confessing your sins and your love for him and your salvation will be guaranteed. Oh what a glorious day.

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” Ephesians 1:13

The word gospel means “good news”. The gospel is the “good news” about salvation. Salvation is about being saved.

John 3:16-18 16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Dear Father,

I truly come to you now praying for you to touch the heart of those that never understood what comes after salvation. For those that have fallen and distance has made its way between the two of you. And for those that are now believing and want the salvation that you offer. Let them know how important prayer is to build a relationship with you. Each prayer strengthens the subjects we discuss with you. Each prayer generates an answer to that prayer.

God please, use this blog to help strengthen someone’s relationship to you.

Lord, I love you. I pray you will forgive me of my sins. I thank you for your Mercy and Grace.

I pray all of these things Lord in Your Sweet and Holy Name.

AMEN

God loves you and so do I. Please join me in praying for all issues that are attacking us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

Please come back to this site next week. Please let me hear from you and invite your family and friends to read and pray along with us.

Sue Whaley- Huntsville AL

When was the last time you held something close to your heart? Something that relied on a decision made by you. Something that would make a difference in your life. Maybe make a difference in you family’s life? How did you handle it? Did you wring your hands and worry about making the right decision? Did you let your emotions rule your decision? Did you take your friend’s advice into consideration? Did you discuss it with your spouse? Or did you not worry at all and just make a rash decision?

Um-hum… Did you consider taking it to God? Did you consider leaving it in God’s hands? Did you consider being quiet and listening to God speak to you?

God is our father. He is our very best friend. To the widow he is our husband. Don’t you think it stands to reason that he would be the one with the best solution to any and all of your decision making?

Today’s blog is a simple reminder of where our best interest lie. Who holds our interest close. I’m not giving examples. We just need to consult God in all that we do.

Here why:

1 Chronicles 10:13 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance.

Habakkuk 2:19 Woe to him who says to wood, “Come to life!” Or to lifeless stone, “wake up!” Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”

Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.:

Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

John 16-13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only on what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Leviticus 19:31 Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

Proverbs 16:9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

Proverbs 1:5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you an teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Psalm 37:23-24 23The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; 4though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

Proverbs 3:5-6 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 25: 4-5 4Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. 5Guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Dear Father in Heaven,

Father I come to you today, humble and satisfied, convinced and assured that you are the one truth in my life. That you are not just willing to lead me in all that I do, but that you want to lead me. You want me to have a Godly path in front of me leading me to know the diffenence in being lead in truth and being deceived. I come to you knowing you are my father, my father’s father, and that you love me. I come to you knowing that you are my husband, ready to defend me and that you are my best friend and that your intentions for my life are only the best intentions.

How could I possibly come to you knowing all of this and yet lack faith? I cannot Lord. Therefore, please know that I want you to lead me, to guide me, to talk to me, to push me from one side to the other. I want to hear your voice behind me.

I may have to step out in faith in search of your plan. That will be okay, because your word tells me you are here to guide me. How could I possibly dispute that Lord? How could I possibly think I had the right answers for myself or my family Lord without considering coming to you first. Your word is clear and plain spoken so I cannot misunderstand.

I am coming to you now, Lord, asking for your guidance in all that I do. Asking that I not forget the abundance of scripture that tells me, you are the way, the truth and the life. Fill my heart with love and desire to stay close to you in all that I do.

Please forgive me of my sins.

I Christ Name I pray,

AMEN

God loves you and so do I. Please join me in praying for all issues that are attacking us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

Please come back to this site next week. Please let me hear from you and invite your family and friends to read and pray along with us. As God’s children, we can make a difference through prayer.

Sue Whaley – Huntsville, AL

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. Proverbs 19:9

Hello Everyone,

Let’s take this week to concentrate on the effects of lying. It seems to me that if we need to repent from any sin that lying would be the logical place to start. Blessing flow from God all the time. Just think how awesome life could be if we would obey him. Sin comes in all forms. Where do they start. I believe they begin with lies. Maybe not a lie you have told someone, but with a lie that you have told yourself. Maybe a lie Satan has told you. Do we believe our own lies? I think so. At least just after the onset of a lie. I think after we have lied to ourselves about anything, we begin to at the very least try to justify it. Sometimes we might say to ourselves that it is crazy to think that lie is the truth. Then we dismiss it as though it never happened. Never taking responsibility for it. Never tying to repair the damage it may cause or the damage it has already caused.

What about the little white lie? How harmful could those be? “I only told it to make her feel better.” “I told her that to pick up her spirits.” “I wanted her to feel like she fit in.” Humm… Isn’t that God’s job? Doesn’t he want her to come to him to feel better, to have her spirits lifted and to help her to fit in. Then what if he doesn’t want her to feel better just yet? What if he doesn’t want her spirits lifted at this time? What if he has a better group of friends for her instead?

There really is not a good reason to lie. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said. The truth is always easy to remember.

What do lies lead to? Do they lead to other lies that will reinforce the initial lie? Of course they do. About four lies into it, you can no longer remember the original lie. What exactly are you defending? They may start out with “good intentions”, but good cannot come from sin. If your personality is that of the peace maker, then make peace. You will never say, “I was only trying to help” when you know help does not begin with deception. What about when the time comes that you decide you need to ask to be forgiven for all of those “little white lies?” Do you honestly think you will remember all of them? We can always ask God to reveal our sins to us so we can ask for forgiveness. Those little white lies add up quickly though.

Telling these lies of smallness only make it easier to tell the larger lies. Have you ever noticed that the more you lie, the easier it becomes to lie? Oh yeah, it does. Take it from someone who used to lie a lot. Once you get trapped in a lie, well that is the beginning of the end. You no longer can have a relationship with the one(s) that the lie was about or the one(s) that were affected by your lies. You start burning bridges. You tell yourself that it doesn’t matter. Oh, but it does matter. It matters more now than ever, because you know that YOUR lies were the cause of the burning bridges.

Now your reputation is catching up with you. People no longer believe anything you say. Why should they? Loneliness is your only friend. You try to make friends that don’t know your past. Then you lie to them and the cycle continues. The only way out is to confess your sins of lying to God. Apologize to the ones you have wronged and STOP LYING.

Now, I ask you. Where does the “Little White Lie” have a positive influence? Everything starts out small because it wants to grow. We have to stop it. We have to be trustworthy in order to benefit the ones we love and the ones at a distance. We have to stop lying so as we reach out to others we reach out with a genuine desire to be the best we can be for the ones that need us. We have to stop lying if we are going to set the examples we want others to follow. We have to repent and ask God to forgive us and change us. Let’s start now.

Dear Father,

Lord, I have sinned. I have lied so many times I cannot remember even the reason for my lies. I continue to lie. I lie to make others feel better. I now understand that is not my job. I can make people feel better without lying to them. I can find the good in people and recognize it and watch that grow. I lie to impress others. I don’t have to impress anyone but you, Lord. I lie because I am hurt about what someone said about me and I have to lash out with lies about them. Revenge is yours Lord. Pick one God or pick them all. It doesn’t matter. A lie is a lie and there is no good reason for me to lie. Please forgive me Lord and deliver me from this sinful habit of mine. I may not lie often, but relying on a lie for conversation, or thinking my lie will impress someone or lying with malice in my heart is not pleasing to you. I ask you to please help me to overcome this sin. I give you all the credit and glory for answering my prayers. I know you are the one Living God and I Praise You. Please let me continually feel your presence in my life as a reminder of where I have been and where I desire to be.

I pray these things in your Sweet and Holy Name,

AMEN

If you prayed this prayer, God is very proud of you. He has listened to you and is working in your favor. Don’t give up on yourself. Remember, there is no such thing as a little white lie. There are only lies.

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:5

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Exodus 20:17

God’s work is done in the truth. Ours should also be done in the truth as we are to grow in his likeness.

God loves you and so do I. Please join me in praying for all issues that are attacking us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

Please come back to this site next week. I am sorry I did not post yesterday. My week was so full and I wanted to give God the recognition he deserves so I felt it necessary to delay this post one day. Please let me hear from you and invite your family and friends to read and pray along with us.

Sue Whaley – Huntsville, AL

Dear Friends,

I hope you all had a great weekend. I enjoyed teaching my 3rd grade Sunday School class and our worship service at church yesterday. If you aren’t currently attending a church, I can tell you this, you are missing out on some of the best days of your life.

I am still continuing my story from two weeks ago. I don’t really understand why I am sharing so much of my life. Maybe because in part God is helping me get my feet wet on creating a blog. ” Write what you know” has always been the way to start it seems, so I suppose that is what I am doing. At any rate, I am doing what God has laid on my heart. I hope each one of you will see His hand in my work.

Now, three years have passed and my ten year old second grader is diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. I don’t feel comfortable sharing the details about this, but I can tell you this…my son is brave and definitely not a quitter or a complainer. God has had His hand on him every day since and has pulled him through a lot of pain and suffering. I thank God for that.

Ok, moving on, in April of 2000 my husband went to a conference at the University of Alabama and was gone a couple of days. After being home a few days he brought my attention to some scaly skin in and around his sideburns. It kept getting worse and spreading. Then there were spots on his back and chest. Before we knew it he was covered in scales. He went to the dermatologist and found out he had a virus that in the “old days” was call “Red Man’s Disease”, but now had the complicated name of “Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris”. It was so uncomfortable and itchy that he could not work. His skin was literally falling off his body, one flake at a time, but in massive quantity. While he laid in bed freezing the skin on the bottom of his feet and the palms of his hands thickened so badly they cracked open and bled. It hurt him to walk and it was difficult for him to even hold his eating utensils.

One morning, weeks later, he had had enough of staying home. He forced himself to dress and he put tennis shoes on to wear to work. I went to work a couple of hours later than him and would take our son to school. That particular morning I started out the front door and down the four steps leading out of the house when my left foot slipped. I tried to catch myself with my right leg and the results were horrendous. I twisted my right knee. It popped so loudly and down I went. I yelled for help, and my son came, but I was in so much pain and couldn’t use either leg to help me move. My left ankle was sprained and I had no idea what had happened to my right knee, but I knew it couldn’t be good.

Using my elbows, I managed to drag myself from the outside steps onto the living room floor. My son called his dad to come home. He could not help me. It hurt him to put any weight on his feet and his hands couldn’t grasp me to pull me up. So…we called our volunteer fire department. Two firemen men came to my rescue. They picked me up and sat me down on one of my kitchen ladder back chairs. They carried me that way to the car. I worked for a Chiropractor so that was where we headed. I thought I could get x-rays taken. By this time, I was so swollen x-rays would not show anything. About a week later a friend drove me to Birmingham to a sports orthopedist. He said I was still too swollen and sent me home to ice my knee for a couple of more weeks. Meanwhile, my husband is back in the bed with chills and feeling rotten. This virus usually took five months to run it’s course. It was in the third month.

Thank God for friends and church members bringing meals every day and being so faithful to run to the store for things we needed. Our son was sixteen now and the youth minister came to get him to take his drivers test. We needed him to be able to drive.

Now to find out what is wrong with my knee! X-rays and MRIs showed what the doctor referred to ask a “freak break”, (of course), I thought. It seemed that a chunk of bone had broken off and that the ACL ligament was attached to that chunk. This caused the ACL ligament to fly out. Now it’s time to schedule surgery.

This part is still fuzzy in my mind, but I remember my friend taking me to the hospital. I have no idea if I spent the night or came home immediately. Anyway, all is well at this point. I’m on crutches, using ice to reduce swelling and going to physical therapy.

Four days into this, a deacon from our church picks my husband up to go back to the doctor. He had packed his suitcase in hopes of being admitted into the hospital so he could get some relief. He kissed us good-bye and off they went.

I was a steady smoker. God had been dealing with me for about four years to stop. I tried to a few times, but was never successful at it. This morning God had really been present in my mind and heart and every time I would light a cigarette he would make me feel guilty and aware of every puff I took. Finally, I said, “Look God, You know I have tried to stop smoking and you know I can’t, so if you want me to stop then you do something about it.” I had never spoken to God that way before or since. Then I decided to get a bath.

Bathing was the most difficult thing for me to do, but it had to be done. I had to wrap my leg and put a stool in the tub so I could sit down . Stepping into the tub was quiet difficult too. I had only been in the tub a few minutes and I heard the phone ring. Then my son knocks on the bathroom door. “Mom, it’s the hospital in Birmingham. They said they need to speak to you right away.” I covered myself with the shower curtain and he brought the phone to me. “Mrs. Whaley, This is _____ a registered nurse at Birmingham East Hospital. Your husband has been brought into our emergency room and we need you to come here as soon as possible.” ” What’s wrong,” I asked “Well, I’m not sure, but your husband has had some sort of brain injury.” she replied. “A stroke?” I asked. “Just please come to the hospital as quickly as you can”, she repeated. I sat in the tub while I called a friend to ask her to drive me and my son to Birmingham. It was about a ninety minute drive. She was there in about an hour and we were on our way. My son was in the front seat and I was in the back seat with my leg extended. We were all trying to have small talk, but I knew I was not going to get promising news from the doctors.

Upon arrival, I took a couple of puffs of a cigarette and put it out at the door. The deacon met us at the door. Everything was so solemn. A few minutes later I was met by his doctor. It was a female doctor. I’m not even sure what kind of doctor she was. As some of the staff were getting me a wheelchair to sit in she began to tell us that my husband had suffered a severe stroke. It seemed he had had a stroke of the right side of his brain, one on the left side of his brain and one in the brain stem. The shock of my life. I asked to see him and went into the room on my crutches. He could hear me. Every time I spoke to him, he would extend his arms and legs as far as he could as if to say, “I’m sorry.” There was a male nurse in the room with him and he asked me if I wanted to take his suitcase. Then he told me he had only packed clean underwear and his Bible. I’m not sure what happened then. The next thing I remember was sitting in the wheelchair outside his room and telling my son that his daddy was not going to make it out of this.

Next, I remember being outside. Still sitting in the wheelchair. I had to call my thirty-five year old stepson and tell him the news. He as a very sick man with OCD and an alcoholic. He was at his mother’s house with his mother and stepfather. His mother answered the phone. I told her the tragic news and asked her to pass it on to my stepson. A few minutes later I asked my son to go inside and bring me my purse. I needed a cigarette. His back was propped against the outside wall and fell to his knees. His daddy was dying and his mother wanted a cigarette. I looked straight at him and said, “Nevermind son. I will never smoke another one.” In that instant, God delivered from my addiction to cigarettes. I cannot explain it.

We waited through the night and next day for friends and family to come and say their good-byes. Then at 8:00 p.m. my husbands life support was removed. I sat by the bed unable to even stand so I could hug him. I asked how long it would be before he passed and was told that if he was already gone and only the machines were keeping his body functioning that he would be gone within twenty minutes or he could hang on for a day or two. At exactly twenty minutes, my husband was gone, this was July 18, 2000. They said the stroke was unrelated to the virus.

I suppose the funeral and burial was a usual one. I remember all of the intersections being blocked for the funeral procession by police and firemen. It was about a thirteen mile stretch. Flags hung at half staff at City Hall where he was employed and a wreath hung on their front door.

Many things were a wash out to me while other things were vivid. I remember going to Walmart and watching people walking around as if nothing had happened. I wanted to scream, “Don’t you know my husband is dead?!!!!”

I remember thinking I had killed my husband by talking to God the way I did that morning. Of course, I know I did not. God did use that time to help me to stop smoking though. And believe me, I felt his power.

If you have ever lost a spouse, you know the pain. You know how I feel at this moment. What is left to say?

Well I can tell you this. God carried me through every step I took. I thank him for that.

Dear God,

Thank you Lord for watching out for us in times of loss. The sorrow is so great. The pain is so real. The days and weeks and months that follow without memory of any given day. The years that we just mutter through in anguish and total heartbreak. The loneliness, the heartbreak, the heartbreak. oh Lord, the heartbreak. Had it not been for you our minds and bodies would have never survive.

We love you Lord. We praise you and give you thanks for your steadfast faithfulness.

We ask you Lord, to please bring others to your side Lord. How horrible it would be to lose a loved one and never have the reassurance of your Love, Compassion and Strength. Lord, even worse than not having you in hard times, is not having you when our time comes to leave this world. Please God, convict hearts to be with you. Rebuke Satan from interfering in their lives. Let them hear and believe that you are Lord or Lord and King of Kings. Let them believe that you died on the cross to save them from their sins. Let them repent from their sins and accept you as their Lord and Savior.

Thank you Lord for the opportunity to write this blog. Please use it to help someone Lord. Even if it is only one person. Please let these words be of help to someone.

I pray all of these things in Your Sweet and Holy Name,

AMEN

God loves you and so do I. Please join me in praying for all issues that are attacking us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I hope you will return for more next week and pray for me as I try to deliver God’s message to you. Please feel free to contact me, comment on the blog or click on the like button.

Sue Whaley-Huntsville, AL

Phillipians 4:12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do all things thorough Christ who gives me strength. James 1:2-4 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Last week I shared that I had been abused by my first husband. That was a hard time in my life. If only I had listened to my mother when she told me she thought he had meanness in him. Oh, the things that mothers know. Have you ever thought about Mary’s motherly intuition? ” “Jesus Turned Water Into Wine” was the lesson I taught my third grade Sunday School class last week. Unknowingly I was to use it in my blog this week. As you enter a relation, keep an open ear for opinions from your mother There is wisdom there. This scripture is full of motherly intuition. John 2:1-12 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus’s mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4″Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water, so they filled them to the brim. 8Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet,” They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he call the bridegroom aside 10and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guest have had too much to drink, but you have saved the best til now.” 11This, is the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. 12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

How many of you, like me had not noticed the motherly intution that Mary felt for her son? This really touched my heart. And now, God has used it through my battered circumstances over fifty six years ago to bring this message to you. AWESOME!! PRAISE GOD!!

Now to continue where I left off last week. I married the man I told you about. You know, the one that was so much older than me. The one that loved me no matter what my past had brought into our relationship. I have to tell you though, I did tell him he could hit me once. I had no control over that, but he would NEVER hit me a second time. Of course, I never felt threatened by him, I just had to say it. I suppose it was my ticket to doing whatever was necessary to protect myself. He was a very good man and together we had one son.

On the morning of my twenty-ninth birthday I woke up early to my phone ringing. When I answered it I heard my sister on the other end singing “Happy Birthday” to me. We talked for a few minutes. After I hung up I went into the nursery to check on my precious ten week old baby. His diaper was wet. I started to take his sleeper off when all of a sudden his back arched backward. His eyes rolled back into his head and he stopped breathing. I picked him up and began patting him on his back. I ran to the living room with him and rolled him over on my lap and began patting his back and was continually saying, “Come on baby, breath baby.” I started to pray. I never needed God so badly in my entire life. It must have been God that lead me to put my finger in my baby’s mouth. His tongue was pressed firmly to the roof of his mouth. I forced my finger between the two and pushed his tongue down and I heard him gasp for breath. His body began to relax. I reached for the phone and called his doctor and my husband. Upon arriving at the doctor’s office my husband was already there. I had done nothing to myself and frankly had not even given it a thought. My hair wasn’t brushed. My face was covered in tear moistened mascara left over from the day before. No telling what my breath smelled like. Frankly, I am surprised I remember to get dressed, but none of that mattered. My son was all I could think about. After an examination and my description of what took place that morning the doctor determined my son had had a convulsion. Praise God he never had another one. I can tell you with all certainty that God intervened with the miraculous actions of by baby taking that breath of air. It was God and only God that brought the wisdom to me to put my finger into his mouth. Oh, when I think back to that day, I still feel the panic and relief and I still thank God for saving my son’s life.

Seven years later at our church revival he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. He has been a faithful servant to him. He is now thirty-four, married to a Christian lady and has three little girls, all of which have accepted Christ as their Savior.

That same year, I found out I was a Type 1 diabetic. My entire family was affected by this disease. I remember feeling like a liability to them. So much money that was needed for my family was going to be spent on medications and doctor visits. I had no idea how many times I would wake up in the hospital recovering from low blood sugar. It is a difficult disease to manage. Don’t ask a doctor, ask another diabetic. All these years have passed and I have suffered from some diabetic complications, but God has kept me alive and I am able to enjoy life with my family and friends.

There is more to come. The struggles of our family and the faithfulness of our God. Please focus on all the ways that God interceded and because of that I am able to share my story with you. Please return here next week for another continuation of this blog. God bless you all.

Dear God,

Please be with all those seeking your help through troubled times. Let them feel your presence and know that you are God, the only living God that can and does answer prayers. Let them know you want to hear from them. In fact you command them to pray.

Jeremiah 29:2 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Mark11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Psalm 17:6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

God please forgive me of my sins and use this blog to glorify your name.

In Christ Name I pray,

AMEN

God loves you and so do I. Please join me in praying for all issues that are attacking us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

See you next week.

SueWhaley – Huntsville, AL

I’m on a quest to let you know how God protects us, even from ourselves. How he never leaves our side. How he loves us no matter what. I have been learning and back sliding all of my life. I think now is the time God wants me full time. He knows me so well and knows how easy it is for me to become overwhelmed. He is presenting everything to me that I enter into this blog one baby step at a time. I thank him for that. I am learning his word and I am more aware of his presence in my life right now than I have been in some time. Bare with me while I try to share and point out ways and reasons God has moved in my life.

I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of fourteen. I am now sixty-four. Oh wow, I almost wish I had not revealed that. Fifty years have past since I decided my heart wanted God to be my life time leader, protector and friend. I was so in love.

As a new Christian I remember the exuberance of it all. God loved me and my life was going to be awesome because God would never fail me. I loved him so much!!

Then after high school I married an abusive man. It was a horrible experience. A life I was not at all familiar with. I could not understand how someone that loved me enough to marry me could also be so violent. God gave me the willpower to leave that life, but so much emotional scarring had already left marks that would be with me, in some respects, forever. The beatings hurt physically, but with them came the emotional devastation. My married life was short, but oh how I still remember the words said to me. I was fat. I heard that almost daily. (I weighed about 125 pounds.) No one would ever want me. He was the only one stupid enough to have married me. I was stupid. He was embarrassed by my looks and actions. There were many more words filled with anguish and disrespect.

There were nights that he would sneak outside and scare me through the windows. On Saturdays I would get up and strip the sheets off the bed and put them in to wash, sprinkle Comet in the bathtub and bathroom sink. Fill the kitchen sink with any dishes that needed to be washed, put the vacuum cleaner in the living room. I tried to cover all bases because I knew I would not be cleaning the room he wanted me to be cleaning when he arrived home. Inevitably, I was right almost every Saturday. He would come in the front door, walk through the house yelling and cussing and then… the beatings. He would chase me around the house with a butcher knife, laughing and oh how he enjoyed every second of seeing me crying, begging him to stop. Strangest thing was, I still loved him. I just knew I could do something to turn him back into the man I loved.

Only God could change a man like that. God granted me the willpower to get up and walk out. Oh, I don’t take credit for that alone. I called home for help. We were living in Mobile, AL and my family was in Atlanta, GA. My brother-in-law and my brother came to get me. It was a good combination. My brother-in-law was my comfort. He said, he would bring me back if I wanted to come, but I needed to get away from him so I could think clearly and make the right decision. My brother on the other hand, then an Atlanta police, found him at work, gave him the talking to of his life time and told me I was leaving, just plain leaving. Obviously, they were both there for me. They wanted me to be in safe hands and they provided them for me. I did go home and stayed with my parents and after a few months I began divorce proceedings.

For the next few years, I went through something called the Abused Wife Syndrome. I had no idea that was what I was doing. I just thought I was the person my ex had convinced me to be. I didn’t keep my promises, I lied a lot, I disrespected my parents and siblings. I wrote bad checks, I drank way too much and I had unmeaningful relationships. I was a mess and didn’t care. I was absolutely convinced that I did not deserve anything, I would never be worth anything and that no one would ever want me. Quite frankly, it is a wonder I didn’t end up dead. I remember wishing I was dead. I remember the two nights that I called the suicide line. The people on the other end were very concerned, but they didn’t know me. They couldn’t possibly understand what I was going through. The second call I made though must of had some impact on me. I remember hanging up the phone and all of a sudden the scripture Psalms 23 became so clear in my mind. 1The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. That was what I needed. No, I did not change in an instant, but I did have the Lord back in my heart and I did know that he was the my hope.

Then one day, I met a man that was thirty-nine years old. I was a young twenty-four. Yes, fourteen and a half years my senior. I told him about my past and he hated it for me, but it didn’t stop him from loving me. I signed up to volunteer at The Council for Battered Women in Atlanta, GA. They welcomed me with open arms. What I did not know that was about to happen was probably the best thing that could have happened to me at that time of my life. The CBW told me that they loved when battered women wanted to volunteer because we knew that life with truth. We could empathize and have compassion for others like us. Then she said, “The only thing is, you will have to be counseled first.” ” Oh good grief”, I thought. “How embarrassing. I don’t want anyone to know how I failed at my marriage and all the things that lead up to it. I just want to help anyway I can.” I did not share those thoughts. Instead, I agreed to her plan and immediately started forward. I did not know how forward I was about to go. I was counseled until I understood that no one deserves to be beaten. ” NO ONE“!! I actually believed that very quickly and began to feel better about myself. Then the role playing began. I had to act out occurrences that were relevant to my marriage instead of pretending in my role playing. I was participating in my life role playing. How healing that was and how quickly I realized that God was working in my life to help me heal. With each role play, I became stronger and my self esteem started to increase. Finally, I was given a volunteer job.

I was put on the schedule to operate a domestic hot line. I went through training before actually manning the phone which I did from home all through the night. I learned to listen. It was important to hear everything possible in order to assess the situation at hand. Sometimes there was little or no time for listening. Women would call in imminent danger and I would need to find them an immediate safe house. Being able to help meant so to much to me, but after nearly a year it had taken its toll. I began to have nightmares with my ex-husband playing the main role. They were terrifying. After I receive a call from a middle aged lady that felt her husband had just left the house to get a gun to come back home to kill her and I did not have ONE bed available for her to spend the night, I knew I could not go on. She told me her husband was a judge and the police would not come to help her. I wanted to say “Come here, I will give you a place to stay.” but that was forbidden. Every day I looked for an article in the newspaper saying that a judge’s wife had been killed. I could no longer continue working the hot line. I did take groceries to the shelters on special occasions so families could share a meal. Soon, I put that life behind me. On two occasions after that I saw young ladies with that recognizable expression on their faces of pure fear. One was alone and the other with a small child. Both times I stopped and asked if they needed help. I explained that they did not have to share anything with me. I just wanted to help if I could. As bad as I felt for them, I remember thanking God that he was allowing me to offer help instead of being the one that needed help.

Have you been or are you being abused by your husband/boyfriend?

Currently, I am not involved in a hot line or a safe haven, but I can tell you a couple of things you can do to help if you feel threatened. Pack a bag with a change of clothes, underware, toothbrush and paste, hair brush, cell phone, car keys and money. Put it somewhere that you can grab it quickly and run. If you have contact numbers or address where you can receive help, memorize them. Know them as well as you know your own. Don’t leave them anywhere to be found. Pray for God’s divine intervention to help you to safety.

Dear God,

Oh Lord, you know these women’s situations. Please Lord, speak to them with love, authority and understanding. Lead them to safety. Heal their hearts and let them know they are not at fault. Please, please, let them avoid the battered wife syndrome, and instead let them find you and lean on your understanding and your ways for their lives. Let them have family and friends that will not try to judge them, but will uphold them. God, they are so vulnerable. Protect them, Lord. Allow them to be free from fear and to be secure in their own skin. Dear God, We will give you all the praise and glory and will let it be known to others how you came to our rescue. We love you Lord.

In Christ Name I Pray,

AMEN

God loves you and so do I. Please join me in praying for all issues that are attacking us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

Join me next week with more of I’m Just Getting Started (continued)

Thanks for reading and please feel free to share with your friends.

Sue Whaley-Huntsville, AL