Greetings and Salutations,

    Well, now, then, in our neck of the woods we have SUNSHINE. 

    As the sun came over our hill from the east it was faced with extremely DARK clouds across our valley – however, the sun has won out, for now and I see a lot of blue sky with some high light clouds.

    Doesn’t do much for us down here though, it is 28 degrees in the shade and I am not sure it is much higher in the sun – gotta get my weather stuff set up when things clear up so I have a better handle.  The old one gave up, Carla got me a new one, but didn’t get it up yet.

    Now, not complaining, we need to have the snow melt slowly; a real positive Carla mentioned was that, at least where we are, the ground is not frozen, so as the snow melts it goes into the ground not down the street, again, as long as it is slow.

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Isaiah 40:29-31  KJV  “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

    The world, thanks to satan, has come up with a number of different ways to be strong, not just physical strength but mental, without having to admit God has anything to do with it.

    I have been told that only wimps are ‘religious’ because they don’t have the ability to overcome anything.  They use ‘religion’ as a crutch when they should stand on their own two feet.

    I have been told that to improve myself I must look within and concentrate on being a better person using a variety of techniques to accomplish that, all I need is within me.

    God only helps those that help themselves.

    There are other statements, that in of themselves, are just as false, but that isn’t what I am concentrating on right now.

    We do have natural abilities that when used can be built upon by practice, guidance and time.

    We do have a lot of inner-strength that carries us through each day and we often don’t begin to use all we have.

    I read recently about the fallacy of that very thing.  When faced with challenges, we should draw from the depths of ourselves what is needed to fight them.

    I may have a lion within me, but I still don’t want to face and fight a tribe of lions coming at me by myself.

    However, we can gain strength to overcome when we rely on God to be that strengthening agent. 

    As Christians we face an enemy every day of our lives.  While we may do all right ‘most of the time’ we need God to give us the protection necessary to protect us and defeat him.

1 Peter 5:7-9  KJV  “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

⁹ Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

    We are facing an enemy, in America, that is far more resilient than any we have yet faced.  He has gathered together people in power to work on his agenda, bring others into the ‘fold’ and to defeat the nation and the Christians that are living here.

    We cannot defeat this enemy on our own.  While we can be used of God, if we do not have the power of God we cannot defeat the enemy.

    Oh, we can quote scripture but it is being twisted and changed to the point that what is good is evil and what is evil is good to the point that unless we can really explain it and not just have sound bites it is almost meaningless, satan makes sure of that.

    I am not saying it doesn’t have an impact, but it is being marginalized as much as possible by satan.  God will use His Word but it is a lot more effective when a Spirit led and filled Christian is using it.

    God may not call us to be a spokesperson, or leader, but even if we are not we can ask God to empower those that are and continually hold them in our prayers.

    We may hate to ask for help, for we are told it is a sign of weakness and we also feel that way, so we struggle with our problems and do ‘the best we can’ to defeat them.

    We don’t need to; there is nothing wrong with saying I can not do this alone, despite what others may tell us.

God is here to assist us and to take help us through the most heinous battles and make us stronger and more powerful to deal with them than we ever can on our own.

    Not always does it turn out like we want, we may pray for a person’s infirmities only to have them pass away; we may pray for a positive outcome only to have it turned the other way; God uses us and these situations to show His glory if we but let Him.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10  KJV  “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

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.

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.”

    When we are personally ‘strong’ we try and do things in our own strength, but when we realize that we are not strong enough we can then allow God to work within us and we will overcome our weakness whatever that may be.

Later, Art (-: