My Soul Has Been Blessed

Sunday's services were absolutely spectacular. Bryce, thank you for being an instrument used of God. This young man just sets himself aside and lets God have HIS way and for that I am thankful. One thing I can honestly say about Bryce Allard is that when he steps into the place of leading in praise and worship, he does it with his whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. This young man holds nothing back when it comes to worshipping God. He is an inspiration to me and he blesses my soul.

The songs of praise opened up the windows of heaven and my soul and I began to worship my God. My soul was so thirsty and hungry for the touch of my Master's hand. I just wanted to bask in His presence. That's all I wanted to do. That was my main purpose of going to service on Sunday, to sit at His feet and love Him. I didn't want to ask him for anything, I just wanted to love my God and feel Him near. I wanted to feel His hand holding mine. I wanted to lay my head upon His shoulder and dance with Him in the spirit for He is the lover of my soul. I know that when I am in His arms that everything is alright. He has everything under control. I love Him so.

Tabitha Popoy, girl you were awesome! Continue letting God use you like He is doing. Continue to yield to His spirit like you are and there is no telling what heights He will take you to. I have been so blessed the last three times you have signed. It has been because of the spirit that you have done it in. Total surrender unto God!!! Keep that humble spirit and you will be blessed. I love you. You are a Jewel Divine.

How Do They Do It?

This coming Sunday will be three weeks that I have missed service. How do people survive without attending the House of God on a regular basis? My soul is literally starving for the PREACHED WORD of God! My girls have shared with me the messages that their pastor's preached and I have eaten it up as they talked.

My youngest daughter lives in another town, therefore attends a different church. When she would call or come to see me in the hospital she would share the church services with me, knowing how much I was missing church. My oldest daughter attends the same church I go to and she would come home or into the hospital room and say "Oh mom, pastor preached another awesome message." Then she would share it with me. I sit here and cry because it does my heart so good to see where my girls have come from and how far they have grown in the Lord.

As I would lay there and listen to them and watch them as they spoke about the message and see their eyes light up about the word they heard, it did my heart so good. My cup runneth over with joy to see them so in love with God and His Word. Just the way they spoke with such emotion about the message they heard makes me know they are really getting it deep in their hearts.

I went into the hospital on Feb. 3 for a simple gallbladder removal. The surgery went well. Two days later I began to have complications breathing. I went to the ER and was put on meds for 5 days and didn't get any better. I went back to the surgeon for my post op follow-up and he said everything concerning the surgery was great but my lungs sounded horrible so he admitted me to the hospital. I had bronchial pneumonia.

I spent a lovely 6 days in the hospital. The first 5 nights I had the room to myself so it wasn't to bad. The last night there I received a roommate. Was she ever a winner! She came in from dog bites. She was praying for her dog and trying to bless it and I guess the dog did not want to be blessed because it attacked her viciously and really did a number on her. She spent most of the night talking and yelling at people who were not even in the room. She literally carried on conversations with these so called individuals. Yep, I wanted out of there like quick. Then at one point she came over to me and proceeded to tell me that she was going to lay hands on me and bless me. This was right after she had had a fight with someone who was not even in the room. I politely told her "No thank you, I have already been prayed for and My God had heard those prayers. But God bless you anyway." She then began to tell me that she knew me and who I was. That she knew my eyes. I just said, "Oh really? That's nice" Yes, I was really glad the doctor let me go home because I didn't want to continue on in that room that's for sure. I could tell you more but it would probably make your toenails curl. I don't know if it was the meds by I.V. that finally made me well or if that lady literally scared the sickness out of me but I am finally home now and doing much better. LOL!!! No, really it was the Hand of God that came down and touched me and I am so thankful to finally be home and on the mend once again. I am sooooooo looking forward to Sunday when I can once again attend the House of God.

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Psalm 100:4

"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." Psalm Psalm 23:6

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." Psalm 27:4

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." Psalm 122:1

Be Happy

Nehemiah 8:10; "...for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Whatever Your Situation - Don't Lose Your Praise

This past Tuesday, I went in for surgery. While I was waiting to be taken in, Kellie, my youngest daughter, was with me and we were talking and she pulled her bible out of her purse and began to read Psalm 4:8; "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." When she read that verse to me, I had such a peace come over me. I began to relax and all my anxiety slipped away. I even turned over and took a nap as I waited for my turn to come for surgery. When they came for me and took me into the surgery room I felt no anxiety at all. Next thing I knew I was in recovery and feeling PAIN! Praise God I was still alive and kicking. LOL!

I spent the next three days at Kellie's when I got out of the hospital because everyone around my house is sick. Kellie shared a song with me and this testimony. She said, "Mom, you know there is one thing you have taught me that I am thankful for. Never lose your praise! No matter how hard the path you travel or whatever the battle you are fighting, DON"T EVER QUIT PRAISING GOD. That is where you will find your strength to carry on." She went on to tell me that when she had left the church and strayed from God, that the one thing she never quit doing was praising God. She told me that she continued to give God the praise for the things that He did for her and provided for her in her life. Kellie believes that is the reason she is back in church today. I know from talking to Kerrie, my other daughter, that she too, gave God praise for the things that He did in her life as well, when she had strayed from God.

This conversation made me think of the scripture in the bible, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." Psalm 150:6 The key words here are EVERYTHING that hath breath. It doesn't matter whether you are serving God or not. If you have breath then you need to Praise the Lord. He has done mighty things in your life and He deserves your praise. If you are serving God then so much the more because He has delivered you from a world of sin. We, each and everyone of us need to praise the Lord everyday of our lives. In the good times and the bad.

I know there have been times that I have heard people say, "Why do they have their hands lifted? What are they praising God for? They don't live right!" Next time you hear someone make that remark, remind them of this scripture, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." Psalm 150:6. I like that word "LET".

The following is the song my daughter shared with me. Scroll down and click on where it says POP-OUT PLAYER. When that opens up, then hit the play button and listen to the song. You can minimize the screen and scroll down and read the words along with the song if you want too. I just thank God that I can be blessed by my children. It really touches my heart so. For that, I praise God.

I Never Lost My Praise by Tramaine Hawkins

I've lost some good friends along life's way
Some loved ones departed in heaven to stay
But thank God I didn't lose everything
I've lost faith in people who said they cared
In time of my crisis they were never there
But in my disappointment, in my season of pain
One thing never wavered, one thing never changed

I never lost my hope,
I never lost my joy
I never lost my faith
But most of all, I never lost my praise

My praise still here,
My praise still here

I've let some blessings slip away
When I lost my focus and went astray
But thank God I didn't lose everything
I lost possessions that were so dear
I lost some battles walking in fear
But in the midst of my struggles, in my season of pain
One thing never wavered, one thing never changed

I never lost my hope,
I never lost my joy
I never lost my faith
But most of all, I never lost my praise

Praise, Praise, Praise, Praise, Praise
Most of all, I never lost my praise

My praise still here,
My praise still here