Lead Me to the Cross

Sometimes God ministers to us on a quiet, whispering level.  Last Friday I was having quiet time with God.  I was sitting on my living room couch, just enjoying His presence.  My spirit was still searching for answers and was troubled. So many prayers had gone up for my daughter Sadie and still she was sick. Two trips to the emergency room and numerous trips to doctors still left us with questions.  Thursday night, Sadie complained that her stomach hurt and started shaking. This time it was accompanied with anxiety and tears. Every episode would plant more seeds of worry in my mind, even though I knew God had healed her.  My faith was being battered by what I was seeing, not what was unseen.  What I was "seeing" were the symptoms that kept returning.

Friday morning as I sat in the quiet Presence of the Lord that surrounded me, I had a picture in my mind. I know that the picture came from God to give me faith.  I saw myself standing before the Cross, with Sadie in my arms.  As I looked up and saw Jesus, I told Him, "Lord You gave me this child.  She belongs to You. You formed her. You know what's wrong with her. I can do nothing. This one is for you Jesus." The scripture came to mind from Isaiah 53:5.

 

 "But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him and By His Wounds We ARE Healed!"

 

 It was at this moment I saw one tiny drop of blood fall on Sadie. At this moment God increased my faith. I knew that He had truly healed her.  I knew she was going to be completely made whole.
 I felt encouraged. I started to feel the scripture of Hebrews 11:1  rise in my heart that says "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  I started seeing the evidence of things not seen in my mind. I started seeing healing and not the symptoms.

Mid-morning after the quiet time, the symptoms started again.  I immediately prayed over Sadie and started speaking words of Faith. I prayed for a physical and emotional healing.  It was moment by moment that I kept believing.  Miraculously, we made it through the whole weekend without any more symptoms. 

I had come to the end of myself and my solutions. It required getting alone with God, closing out the world and finding Him waiting. I found HIM with hands outstretched to give renewed faith, hope and healing.

I want to encourage you today. Whatever you are going through, God is ready to help you through it. Jesus wants to give you healing, strength, peace and renewed hope. Place your worries and cares at the foot of the cross.

Jesus is waiting for you.

                                                                                                                  --Jennifer Jones

Trust

My lack of blogging over the past few months has been a result of staying busy with homeschooling my children and caring for my six year old, who has been battling illness. 

June of this year my daughter Sadie started getting sick.  It generally happened on the weekends.  We prayed and believed God for total and complete healing.  Every 10 days starting the end of June through this month, Sadie was sick.  We ended up in ER twice, and they admitted her to the hospital both times due to dehydration.  We tried everything we knew to get fluids in her and to keep her hydrated. Everything she took in, even water, came back up. 

The doctors checked her blood, did an endoscopic procedure, and an upper GI. They were clueless.  Her mysterious illness still hasn't been diagnosed.  The symptoms point to abdominal migraines. So what are we doing?  We are trusting God.  Last Friday, the symptoms started returning. Sadie was feeling nauseous and trembling.  I told her, "Sadie, lets pray right now." We were in the middle of the parking lot of a Mall--I didn't care.  We prayed and immediately the symptoms passed.  The whole weekend was spent in prayer, each time a symptom would manifest itself, we would pray. 

The 10 day cycle was broken this past weekend.  I believe God is going to give Sadie a complete healing.  It's difficult to trust God sometimes when we are dealing with sickness in ourselves or with our loved ones.  It can be exhausting, faith draining and stretch us to the extreme.  It's at these moments, we have to TRUST. Everyday is another step of FAITH. The strength my not be in me, but the LORD is the strength of my life and my HOPE.

 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart." Psalm 73:26
 

 

 

 

Unveiled

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."

He. SEEs. YOU.

Think about it. Let it soak into your soul. He sees YOU.

He has been watching YOU all along.

When God looked through the window of creation, His heart skipped a beat.

It was YOUR face that HE saw through eternal time and space.

Through a sea of human faces and souls...

He. Saw. YOU.

Why would He see US? Why would HE love us, imperfect dust created humans?

His hands formed us. His blueprint planned our lives. No accidents.

Eyes of pure love and mercy saw...US?

Why would He care about a tiny heartbeat in a womb, born a sinner to a fallen world?

Why would he care to carry us in HIS hands? Write HIS love on our hearts?

Lord, remove this veil from our hearts so we can see YOU the way YOU see US!

That we may see and know Him in His glory and majesty.

 Know the suffering of the cross---that was for US.  Know that He is our God, our HEALER, our REDEEMER.

See HIM through the obstacles. See HIM through your suffering. See HIM and know He's working all things together for your good because...

 He. Loves. YOU.

--Jennifer Jones

The Prayer Quilt by Jennifer Jones

I wrote this poem today, in honor of my mom's birthday.  Happy Birthday Mom, I love you! --Jen


Tenderly she rocked,
As she rocked she prayed,
With each and every breath,
A prayer quilt  stitch she made.

The baby oh so small,
Held her finger oh so tight,
Mom whispered prayers to God,
To keep her angel through the night.

Months turned into years,
Her girl now held her hand
Her backpack on her back
At the front door she would stand.

And there the quilt would grow,
With prayers for God to guide,
To keep her child at school,
And forever by His Side.

Each night Mom's cover of prayer,
Kept angels by her kid,
At the dawn of each new day,
New mercies God did give.

Now her daughter's grown,
But she still has this quilt of prayer,
That Mom prayed ore' her life,
It goes with her everywhere.

Now at night her Grown-up girl,
Stands by her daughter's head,
She bows her head and prays,
"Lord, put your angels round this bed."

So the quilt's an heirloom dear,
Passed on from Mom to Me,
The precious quilt of prayer,
Of Protection, Faith and Peace.

The cradle will rock on,
The quilt stitches now begin,
As a mother whispers prayers,
And God listens once again.
                                           
---Jennifer Jones