For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.  Ephesians 5:8

I have never been one to like darkness. I don’t like to drive in the dark, I don’t like dark rooms. As a child I always had my teddy bear and a night light.  Today I have teddy bears all around my room and I still have a night light of sorts. There is the light illuminating from the digital clock. There is light flowing in the through the doorway from the kitchen. There is even a small glow of light from coming from the Wii, the cable box, my electric toothbrush in the adjoining bathroom and from my cell phone.

  In the world there is much darkness; the darkness of sin. Jesus said ,”I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12.  We have a responsibility to this Light. We are commanded to “Bear witness of the Light that all may believe.” Jon 1:7.

A light cannot be overtaken by darkness, but darkness can be overtaken by light.  Walk into a room of absolute darkness. Light a candle in one corner of the room. That light can be seen throughout the room. As christians it is our duty to be “the light of the world” in Matthew 5:14.  Now with that candle burning, try to make the darkness distinguish it.  You cannot do it.

Your good deeds done in the name of God will make others praise Him according to Matthew 5:16. It is not our job to save people, that is Christ’s responsibility. It is our duty to bear witness of Him that is the way, the truth and the life (Matthew 14:6).

Take your teddy bear and your candle and be reminded that we are not trapped in darkness.

And God will generously provide all you need. 2 Cor 9:8 NLT

A recent post by Victoria Gaines at Windows to My Soul got my mind whirling.  She talks about a friend asking for prayer and making a long list of needs.  Victoria comments we must focus on Him alone.  It reminded me of a simple action of my grandson one day and reminded me of how I forget to focus on Him.

Weston wanted an ice cream treat, and being a good grandma I agreed.  I went to the freezer to get his treat but in the meantime he had started to play a game of spin around. I was holding out the ice cream for him to take but he didn’t see me. He wasn’t looking at me. He was busy spinning and reciting the ABCs.

I wonder how often do we do that to God. You need something and you pray for it, then you turn away from God’s face. You start to worry, you fret. You wring your hands and start looking for ways to solve the problem yourself. (I know this scenario very well, I have experienced it numerous times first hand).

In the meantime God is waiting with His hands out, offering you the resolution. But you can’t see that offered hand because you are busy worrying. 

I am reading the Max Lucado book “ Every Day Deserves a Chance ” and he repeats a phrase I have heard on many occasions. “When you worry you do not pray. When you pray you do not worry.” You cannot do both at the same. Are you spinning around in circles reciting your list of unmet needs?  Or are you standing in His presence ready to receive His gift?

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Phil 4:19 KJV

To get your copy of Max Lucado’s book and help support Bear Witness, click on the link below.

Every Day Deserves a Chance Doesn’t every day deserve a chance to be a good day? An opportunity? A shot? A tryout? An audition? A swing at the plate? After all: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” But what of those days when traffic snarls, airports close, friends forget, and spouses complain? Or divorce days, final exam days, surgery days, tax days, or even days when the cemetery dirt is still fresh? “Yes, every day,” says best-selling author Max Lucado. In Every Day Deserves a Chance he unpacks Jesus’ delightful formula for upgrading each of your days to blue ribbon status: saturate your day in Jesus’ grace; entrust your day to His oversight; accept His direction. Grace. Oversight. Direction. G-O-D. The perfect prescription for filling your day with divine power and giving every day a chance.

 

 

Technorati Tags: struggles,max lucado,every day deserves a chance,God,Jesus,Christ,christian,worry,pray,bearyann,grandson

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 2Cor 1:3

I suffer chronic back pain that on occasion makes it difficult to move.  As this condition has continued I have learned more and more that no one on earth can truly comfort me. I can cry in my husband’s arms when the pain is extremely high but the comfort he can give me is very limited. Others who see me during these times try to say the right words but those words are often more discouraging.

One day I was in extreme pain. As I lay in bed and cried into my pillow holding tight to my favorite teddy bear, I prayed for comfort. I could the hands of Jesus on my back, offering the comfort that only He can give.

Today I found a wonderful post at "Windows to My Soul", a blogspot entry, that was very encouraging. She reminds us that true comfort can only come from our Lord and Savior. Click here to view her post.

I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my permanent promise to you and to all the earth.  Gen 9:13

Minneapolis is certainly not the first place I would volunteer to go to in February, but I am certainly glad that I did.  After spending two days at the Mall of America sharing in the many demonstrations, activities, and fun shared with the people of Knit-Out 2008, we headed back to Kansas City.

Driving back to Kansas City was slow as snow blew across the road and there were icy patches, but Reed is an excellent driver.  I was intrigued by the rainbow that was off to the right and visible each time the snow cleared. I believe it was a sign from God guiding us safely home. It was a beautiful site emerging from the stark white of snow blowing until we could barely see. The rainbow continued to follow us until we passed through the storm. A reminder God is with us always.

We arrived, tired yet energized. Here are some Iowa sky pictures of the trip home.

There was a disciple named Dorcas who was always doing good    Acts 9:13

Tara Lacher  learned how to knit and her caring heart took over.  She picked up some pink yarn, knitted a scarf and sent it anonymously to a cancer friend. From there she sent pink scarves to people she read of in her local newspaper or heard about through friends and others. Each one was sent without her name mentioned, given completely out of love.

One day a friend learned of her friendly actions and word made it to the local newspaper. An article was run about her and others joined in the scarf making. All scarves are pink and go to cancer patients.  Word spread of her selfless act. One patient at the local hospital was receiving her chemo therapy when she asked the nurse about her scarf." I know I should be getting one, do you have any idea when it will be ", she asked.

Tara later found out she had cancer. A pink scarf was needed by the scarf lady. Following treatment Tara is now cancer free and has has formed a non-profit corporation "Hands to Heart" as she continues making scarves.  She has received many notes of thanks for her pink scarf, including one from Elizabeth Edwards, wife of John Edwards.

I found Tara’s enthusiasm for life to be infectious. She was such a pleasure to be around. It was interesting she only knew the knit stitch, but by the time Georgia took her under wing during a night of knitting following the Knit-Out sessions she could do a stockinette stitch with great ease.

For more information or to donate a scarf, check out the web site at http://www.mypinkscarf.com .

be rich in good works, be generous, ready to share with others.  I Tim 6:18

While strolling the Mall of America this weekend during Knit-Out 2008 I had the pleasure of meeting Judy Johnson of the Mother Bear Project.

Hand knitted or crocheted bears using a pattern offered at their site, motherbearproject.org, are made and embellished by caring crafters and then shipped to children. According to their website over 25,000 bears have already been distributed worldwide.

As an added feature, notecards are available with pictures of children holding the bears they received. On the back of the card is a picture of the person who made the bear holding it.

Mother Bear Project holds no religious affiliation as it is reaching the arms of children all over the world, some of which hold their own affiliation. This is an act of loving kindness with no strings or other message included. Only the message of love.

Judy (pictured above with two project bears and also holding my friendly bear Purl) was an exciting woman with an obvious passion for the children these bears touch.

If you would like to obtain the pattern to knit or crochet one of these precious bears you can order one from their website. Unable to knit or crochet but you want to help? Funds are needed as is beary expensive to ship to the receiving countries. You can be a Bearnabas by supporting this worthwhile cause.

For more details, check out the website at  www.motherbearproject.org .

Check out my other weblog at www.bearyann.com for more pictures and details about the Knit-Out 2008 weekend.

I finally have reformatted and completed the Knit Bible Study Book 1.  Here you will find 7 lessons including scripture and word pictures. Links to free patterns to correspond to each lesson and ideas for thought and prayer throughout the week.

The digital format is in PDF format. You will need a PDF Reader to view the text.

The cost of the study is $5.00.  Purchase of the PDF study gives you permission to make up to 15 copies for use with your study group.  Please purchase additional downloads for further duplication.

Click on the BUY NOW button to pay via paypal.  The PDF study will be sent via email, usually within 24 hours.

Watch for Book 2 and further knit studies to be released soon.

…he now showed them the full extent of His love.  John 13:1

Valentine’s Day is a national celebration of love featuring flowers, candles, jewelry and other gifts.  Not everyone feels that love. Today you may know someone in need of a special expression of love in a "Valentine from Jesus".  Bearnabas Bear comes with a special red ribbon, a box a chocolates and a scroll letter of love sent from Jesus.

What greater love than this, that Christ died on the cross, bearing all our sins, conquered death and rose from the grave. He lives eternally. He is preparing a place for you. He has not forsaken you.

An excellent idea for a single mom, a widow, or someone just in need of a reminder that no matter where they are in life and what valleys they may be walking through, they are not traveling alone. A "Valentine from Jesus" is a great way to express your love and encouragement to another.

You can purchase "A Valentine from Jesus" by clicking here.

..anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.   Mark 10:15

I love the Christmas season. My favorite part of Christmas is the look on children’s faces as they watch in awe the stories of Santa and the way their faces light up when they talk about how wonderful Santa is and what terrific gifts he is going to bring them.

When you look at this child’s face you see such excitement and faith in this man called Santa. Rich or poor there is a period of time in a young child’s life when they are convinced Santa is real and nothing will stop him from delivering gifts all around the world in a miraculous fashion on Christmas Eve.

I remember the year my daughter asked “mommy, why doesn’t Santa Claus visit poor people?” That year she put money in the salvation army red pots every times she saw one. Alas, we all grow up and that awe and wonder and absolute faith in Santa disappears when we realize there is no such thing as a man in a red suit who loves all the children all around the world.

It is with this same innocence we are asked to put our faith in Jesus. We are asked to accept him “like a little child” (Mark 10:15). Christ wants us to look to Him with the awe, trust and wonder we put in a fat man in red suit. But there is one big difference. That fat man in the red suit is just that, a man in red suit. He doesn’t travel around the world with reindeer and deliver gifts to all children whether rich or poor. Jesus is God. He came to earth to be born and walk among the people, He was betrayed by one whom He loved dearly and beaten and crucified. It doesn’t end there. He defeated death and rose from the grave. Jesus is alive. He is preparing a place in heaven where we will spend eternity with Him. He paid the price for our entry into heaven by his sacrificial act of death and resurrection. There is price we must pay. We must accept that Jesus is the living Son of God and confess our sins. We must repent and seek to follow Him. His life and His love are everlasting.

This Christmas it is my prayer that in the midst of all the gifts, the wrappings, the parties, the cards and all the festivities involved that you will seek the reason for the season. Jesus Christ.