Have you ever had someone hurt you so badly that you wanted to seek revenge? So many times in my life people have hurt me or my family and I wanted to lash out. The sad part most of those times I was only hurting myself having that anger bottled up inside of me when the person who had hurt me went on in life without a care. I realized I had to give it to God and he would take care of it. Sometimes that is so hard to do but I promise you when you do give it to your Father in Heaven, peace will fill your soul.

Romans 12:19-21 KJV

¹⁹ Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

²⁰ Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good

1 Peter 2:23 – Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously:

Romans 13:4 – For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil

Mark 11:25 – And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses

1 Thessalonians 5:15 – See that none render evil for evil unto any [man]; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all [men].

Leviticus 19:18 – Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] the LORD.

Proverbs 24:29 – Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

 Peter 3:9 – Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

This morning as I was reading the Bible it was layed on my heart about Christians lifting each other up. I love meeting with my church family as we lift each other up by words and prayers. I also remembered a time when I used to take my Dad to the Veteran’s hospital for appointments and we would have to wait in ling lines for the shuttle buses. We would ride the shuttle buses together to the hospital and back again to the parking deck. One of my best memories is on one of those times as we waited for the bus a older gentleman ,a lady and I all started a conversation about the Lord! Then as we boarded the shuttle my Dad was helped on with his wheelchair and I grabbed a seat with the gentleman who I had talked with in line. Found out he was a Pastor and he told me of all the trouble he had fallen on days before then. We just started having the best time talking about Jesus. We were quoting scripture and then a man in front of us joined in. What a memorable uplifting experience.

When we are feeling down or have problems uplift each other in prayer, actions and words.

Matthew 22:36-40 KJV

 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

James 5:16-KJV

¹⁶ Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Hebrews 3:13 – But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Proverbs 27:17 – Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Romans 14:19 – Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Have you ever had those moments in life where you were so weak that you felt like you couldn’t go on? I have faced trials in my life and it was only with the help of God who gave me strength to fight through whatever obstacle I was facing. What is weighing heavy on your shoulders today? Let God give you that strength that you need.

Joel 3:10

“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.”

Isaiah 41:10 – Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

2 Corinthians 12:10 – Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9 – And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Ephesians 6:10 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might

I was doing my bible reading this morning and the verse, Luke 12:7 -” But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Jumped out at me and I found some great scriptures and facts about hair. It is so amazing that God knows us inside and out to even our hair!

Matthew 10:30 – But the very hairs of your head are all numbered

Luke 21:18 – But there shall not an hair of your head perish

Proverbs 16:31 – The hoary head [is] a crown of glory, [if] it be found in the way of righteousness.

2 Samuel 14:26 – And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year’s end that he polled [it]: because [the hair] was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king’s weight

Fun facts about the hair:

The average person has 100,000 – 150,000 strands of hair

On average, you shed around 50-150 strands of hair a day.

Hair is the second fastest growing tissue in the body after bone marrow

A healthy strand of hair can stretch an additional 30% when it’s wet.

For it to be apparent that you’re balding, you would have to lose 50% of your hair.

A single strand of hair can support up to 6.5 pounds of weight. That means a whole head of hair can support up to 2 tons!

Growing your hair out? For the average person, it will take about 7 years to grow your hair to your waist and 3 years to grow it to your shoulders

Research shows that hair becomes drier with age

Each strand of hair can contain traces of 14 different elements (including gold).

 All of the hair follicles you’ll ever have were formed when you were a fetus (at 5 months)

Hair contains information about everything that has been in your bloodstream, such as medicine, drugs, minerals, and vitamins.

. The most common hair color in the world is Black, and the rarest is Red (1% of the population).

If a man never shaved , his beard would grow to over 30 feet in his life time.

The story of the woman who annointed Jesus is found in all four gospels. Two gospels having her annointing his head and the other two his feet. She took some expensive perfume and annointed him. Her tears wet his feet and she dried them with her hair. Some that was there with Jesus got mad because she did this but Jesus was quick to admonish them. What an amazing story and testimony of this faithful woman.

Matthew 26:6-13-King James Version

⁶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

⁷ There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

⁸ But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?

⁹ For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

¹⁰ When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.

¹¹ For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

¹² For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.

¹³ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

Mark 14:1-9-King James Version

 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

² But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

³ And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

⁴ And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

⁵ For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

⁶ And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

⁷ For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

⁸ She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

⁹ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Luke 7:36-50-King James Version

³⁶ And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.

³⁷ And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

³⁸ And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

³⁹ Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

⁴⁰ And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

⁴¹ There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

⁴² And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

⁴³ Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

⁴⁴ And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

⁴⁵ Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

⁴⁶ My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

⁴⁷ Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

⁴⁸ And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

⁴⁹ And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

John 12:1-8-King James Version

 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

² There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

³ Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

⁴ Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,

⁵ Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

⁷ Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

⁸ For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always

Do you ever have doubts as a Christian? I know I do. Thomas doubted when the other Disciples told him about Jesus appearing to them. Thomas then got the name as “Doubting Thomas” through history. But after Thomas seen Jesus for himself he believed.

John 20:24-29- KJV

²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

²⁵ The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

²⁶ And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

²⁷ Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

²⁸ And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

²⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed

It was on my heart today of how we take things for granted. Our lives we take for granted when so many are in bad health and are dying. The electricity we have to keep us warm and the water we have to drink. Watching on the news how so many had lost power and water from the winter storm that gripped Texas made my heart ache for them. Our daughter and her husband lost power for several days and it made us feel so helpless living so far from them and not able to help them. All we could do was pray. I know the feeling of not having electricity and water when we lost it for weeks during Hurricane Katrina. I know how it feels to not have food because I grew up poor. I drove to my Parents grave yesterday and passed people walking or riding bikes in the cold. We take for granted the vehicles we drive, the food we have when so many has nothing. I left my beautiful plant out in cold weather not too long ago and when I did bring it back inside it had nearly died but today I seen new growths sprouting on it and I was reminded of how we take for granted our spiritual life as well. If we don’t nurture it our hearts will grow cold. We should be thankful for all of our blessings that God gives to us without ever taking anything for granted.

Exodus 23:25 – And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Psalms 107:1 – O give thanks unto the LORD, for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Colossians 3:17 – And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

I had an emotional time yesterday as I moved some of my Parents furniture over to our house. I teared up thinking about them. Yesterday was three months Dad had went to Heaven and this month makes ten months for my Mama. My Dad’s birthday is tomorrow and he would of been 82. So I was even more emotional from all of that and having my Mom’s chair she sat in, and my Dad’s bookcase and other pieces that they loved. I noticed a Valentine’s card as we were in the middle of moving their furniture here and it was a card I had given them years ago when I lived in Mississippi. The tears really did come after that but it was like a message sent from God and them from Heaven. It gave me peace♥

God is always aware of our grief, our pain, troubles and despair. He lets us know just by the simplest of things that he knows and he is there. May you feel God’s love on this special day of love.

This story from the bible was of a desperate Dad who had did all he could do to help his son who had been demon possessed since he was a child. Jesus said unto him If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Matthew 17:14-20 KJV

¹⁴ And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

¹⁵ Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

¹⁶ And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

²⁰ And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you

Mark 9:17-25 KJV

¹⁷ And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

¹⁸ And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

¹⁹ He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

²⁰ And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

²¹ And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

²² And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

²³ Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

²⁴ And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

²⁵ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

Luke 9:37-56 KJV

³⁷ And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.

³⁸ And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

³⁹ And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.

⁴⁰ And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

⁴¹ And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

⁴² And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him

Have you ever had friends that would do anything to help you? This amazing story out of the bible tells of four men who wanted to help their paralyzed friend. They had heard about Jesus and how he had healed the blind, lame and demon possessed. Here they carry their friend on a bed which was probably a mat to the house where Jesus was teaching. But when they get there it is so packed they cannot get through. The houses in those times had stairs on the side of them to get to the roof so here the four friends carry their friend up to the top of the roof and make a hole in it big enough they can let their friend down through it. Roofs were made of probably clay and sticks so they would of had to break through it. Jesus sees the faith of the men letting down their friend and he tells the man he is forgiven and heals him. What an amazing story! The friends didn’t give up when they seen the crowd of people but made another way to get their friend to be healed by Jesus.

Matthew 9:2 KJV

² And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee

Mark 2:4-5 KJV

⁴ And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee

Luke 5:18-20 KJV

¹⁸ And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.

¹⁹ And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.