What's Wrong with Me?!
healing service? We read from the Bible where God/Jesus did miracles of healing on people.
People were healed blindness and from paralysis. They were raised from death back to life.
They were even freed from demons. (A miracle is something that God does directly; it is
something that is supernatural.) After reading from the Bible, we prayed specifically for healing.
They needed some volunteers, and since my shoulder had been hurting for about three
months, and a chiropractor could not heal me, I raised my hand to volunteer. It is not like I
have cancer. I just had a sore shoulder. If the prayers did not work, I would not be upset.
Four people prayed specifically that God would heal my shoulder. They prayed, “In the
would be for Fred’s ministry work if you would heal his aching shoulder.” “Please do it,
fix it very soon.”
After about ten minutes of prayer, we took our seats. They asked us volunteers if our
pain was gone. My pain in my shoulder was still there. Another volunteer, a woman who
also had a sore shoulder, had little or no pain anymore.
I wondered, “what is wrong with me!?” For the next seven days, I continued to
personally, specifically pray for my shoulder. I wanted to see God heal it, for my faith in
him. I also thought much about “strongholds” in my life that could be getting in the way of
shoulder pain was still there but it was good that I had worked against some wrongs, some
and over time it healed completely. Thank-you my Heavenly Father. May I write, “our
Heavenly Father?” If you do not know it, God is interested in adopting you into his family
too, as his child. --- www.peacewithinreach.com Fred Wilgenburg
Do you want peace that will not go away? Check this out.
(Open the links on the left sidebar under Check Out Our Other Ministry Sites. The full PeaceWithinReach booklet can be downloaded for free.)
"Letters from Home" by Mark Schultz
Heads up: An inspirational, heart-tugging, tear-jerking music video in honor of our veterans. May God bless all or our soldiors who seek to bring freedom to us and others around the world!
"Help me overcome my unbelief!"
In my work, occasionally I meet people on the street who are drunk or high on drugs and not thinking clearly, and who actively live in ways which dishonor God. (Not saying any of us live perfectly.) Sometimes at that moment, they want me to pray with them, and for them. Though I usually pray for them, I tell them first that God will listen to our prayers when our thoughts are focused on Him and when we truly want His will for our lives.
When we pray, it can also be helpful in focusing on God by seeking out a quiet place, such as a room where we can be by ourselves to avoid distractions. Some people close their eyes and hold their hands together to avoid distractions. Some people kneel on their knees or even lay prostrate on the floor to pray, out of humbleness before God. Others fast from food to help them focus on prayer. Do what allows you to best focus on God. ---www.peacewithinreach.com by Fred Wilgenburg
Do you want peace that will not go away? Check this out.
(Open the links on the left sidebar under Check Out Our Other Ministry Sites. The full PeaceWithinReach booklet can be downloaded for free.)
"Stop the World" by Matthew West
Heads up: Helps to put things back in perspective. To stop trying to live without the LifeGiver.
"Frustrated, I cut the night short"
In my job of directing the Center of Hope, I lead a Sports Night for young men. Some of the guys frequently are in trouble with the law. They have become my friends. At Sports Night we keep it simple --- 2 hours of competitive basketball and 10 minutes of “men talk.” They are real serious about basketball, and “unserious” about men talk in which we talk about relevant life issues and we pray.
A few weeks ago, I expressed frustration as 
several of them just started leaving after they got their share of playing time. I was frustrated that they did not respect my desire to have the “men talk” which I worked hard at preparing. Out of frustration, I cut the night short.
They felt bad, and I felt bad, so the following week went much better as we both apologized/made up. You see, in my perspective on life, God has awesome, unique plans and a purpose for each of my friends. In my perspective, God loves them and has a great place in this world for them, far beyond the “drop-out” attitude that so many of them have grown up with, and have, and the alcohol and drug use, and the sleep-half-the-day-away in order to party-all-night-attitude.
But also in my perspective is the Center of Hope’s ministry verse, I Corinthians 3:6 of the Bible --- “I (Apostle Paul) planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow into a plant.” I disrespected God’s place in the person’s life. Another way to illustrate that is that we as people are the nursing staff who do the prep work, but God ultimately is the heart surgeon. Out of my care for my friends, I mistakenly disrespected where they are in their life journey, and I went and laid out my personal expectations for them. So, my perspective remains the same, but I need to adjust how I live out that perspective. It’s a work in progress. Yeah, we’re still having our “men talk” but I’m more careful to seek out relevant topics, and to let them talk.
Do you want peace that will not go away? Check this out.
(Open the links on the left sidebar under Check Out Our Other Ministry Sites. The full PeaceWithinReach booklet can be downloaded for free.)
"Starry Night" by Chris August
Heads Up: Enjoy the awesome Creation pictures. A quote I've read is, "peace is seeing a beautiful sunrise and knowing who to thank." In the song we are challenged to "give our lives to the Only One who gives (us) everything." Yeah, ultimate peace is to see something amazing, and to personally understand that it's not just by chance, but there's a creator, and a maintainer of it all.