Intercession + My Weakness

I have been praying for years.  My mother taught me how to pray when I had nightmares as a child of just 3 or 4 years old.  Although I did feel somewhat adequate in my own prayer life where no one else heard me but God, I still feel quite inadequate praying in front of others.  In an emergency if someone asked me to pray, I would drop all of my fears and pray.  Yet by my early 50’s I still felt quite skiddish about praying out loud around anyone else.

While living in Palmetto, FL, a BFF was living at Christian Retreat (Christian Retreat.org) and I attended some conferences there at the Family Church.    

At one Billy Burke conference (billy Burke.org) a lady asked for prayers for herself as an intercessor.   Billy told others who thought they were intercessors to claim the prayer that he was about to say for themselves.  I had not yet seen myself as such but prayed, asking the Lord if I should claim this prayer and I believe he told me to claim it.  All of us who claimed this prayer for ourselves outstretched our arms towards him.  As I held my arm out, it was though I could even see a lightning bolt come from Billy, up through my outstretched arm to me and I hit the floor.  “Obedience”.  This has happened to me more than once when I followed what I thought the Lord was telling me to do.  Powerful prayer and I was still on “cloud 9” regarding it when I got home.  I can still “see myself” standing in front of the mirror talking to God.  I was telling Him how weak I felt regarding prayer and He said to me “that’s when I am strong.”  

*2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 

May God bless you through my writing. If He has especially touched you in any way, please leave a comment below. Your comments are so very encouraging to me to help me to keep writing. Also, click on the “Uptweet” button on the above right and share! I pray you will keep coming back. I fully believe that my writing is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so if I am writing, there is someone that needs to read it! Maybe it’s you? Also, please be sure to share any questions you might have with me and if you would like to keep them personal (just between you and me) please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at juliana.pace@gmail.com. If I don’t know how to answer you, I will may every attempt to refer you to someone for more information. Thanks and may God bless all your days! 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS & JUST BEING THERE!

Wanting to thank you all for your prayers whenever I holler.  It is so comforting to know that I have so many awesome friends/family that will come to my aid at a moments notice.  And, I know you all know that I am a firm believer in the power of prayer!  I also want to let you know that I am still quite positive about this whole thing and all of the physical issues that I’ve been going through.  After 16 years of being handicapped with all of the issues that I’ve been through, as I am improving, I think I’d be upset if my body didn’t react....LOL!  I am getting better and Satan can’t lie to me and tell me that this is all a negative thing!  What Satan means for evil, God means for good!  I just covet your prayers during this whole process, if you don’t mind?!  

I walked into Celebrate Recovery on Monday night, after missing Cardiac Rehab due to hours of back pain, little sleep, and fighting traffic, etc... and the worship leader mentioned the fact that we should be worried if Satan isn’t attacking! 

AND, some of you know that I’ve been in belief that God has called me to Celebrate Recovery and mostly to jail/prison ministry.  I have been looking and questioning for some time and do ya know?  This is the first church that I tried to go to for CR after our move here and I could not even see the church (another Satan thing - GPS issues) and I just found out yesterday that they do CR jail ministry!  Hallelujah!  I’m already corresponding with the minister in charge.  Fighting our way through the battlefield just makes us stronger...Satan is a lying fool!

Email share:  “Juliana, Praise the LORD!!! What an amazing testimony.  You have gone through so much, and your trust in the Lord has kept persevering no matter what!!! Please call me so we can talk about the jail ministry...”

HALLELUJAH!

“I can do ALL THINGS through Christ Who strengthens me.”  Phil. 4:13

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28

THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS - KEEP 'EM COMIN'

I just want to thank everyone for their thoughts & prayers!  I had a lack of motivation for not just days or months but for years...14 to be exact.  I am living one day at a time and feeling like I have reserves to call upon daily.  My faith is His faith...my strength is His strength!  I have this constant KNOWING deep down that I am stronger than I've been in years and so much faith...I hardly know how to act!  God is so awesome!  I can't even imagine how I will feel a year from now???!!!  And, I'm believing that this will not only continue but will keep increasing!  

*1 Thessalonians 3:12  "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,"  2 

*Corinthians 12:10 "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  And I could just keep shouting!  Hallelujah!

May God bless you through my writing. If He has especially touched you in any way, please leave a comment below. Your comments are so very encouraging to me to help me to keep writing. Also, click on the “Uptweet” button on the above right and share! I pray you will keep coming back. I fully believe that my writing is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so if I am writing, there is someone that needs to read it! Maybe it’s you? Also, please be sure to share any questions you might have with me and if you would like to keep them personal (just between you and me) please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at juliana.pace@gmail.com. If I don’t know how to answer you, I will may every attempt to refer you to someone for more information. Thanks and may God bless all your days!

GOD IS ALWAYS WORKING ON ME

For the last 2 weeks I still had His presence with me but I felt like my ears were plugged up, like I couldn’t hear Him for some reason.  In reflection over the last few months nothing seemed to fit, every door that was opened seemed to be abruptly closed.  I had no clue what was going on!

Then Sunday morning I went to church alone (hubby changed to nights and just can’t make it to church after 2 hours of drive time and 12 hours of work – I totally understand and I believe that God does too – and maybe even God’s way of getting me alone away from home where my mind is clouded with all that is contained in our duplex.)  Only minutes into worship it all started coming to me – this was a time for me and Him.

At the beginning of the year I was praying about what direction to go with my learning.  The word “Strength” came to me several different ways and then I started on a combination art/writing journal for myself to do a study on His strength, God’s strength!

*2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Most of you should know that prior to this I have been involved in 13 years of recovery and healing from a stroke and CNS Vasculitis that put me in bed for 2 ½ years.  BUT for all those years there have constantly been certain things improving YET it has seemed that every time that I gained my own physical strength something happened even to the point of having the bad fall in 2012 that took me mostly out of commission for several months. (I will be elaborating on this more in a chapter of my book “A Mosaic of Me”)  I have come to realize after years of getting up and falling down and getting up and falling down, that it is not my own strength that I need to seek after but God’s strength in my weakness!

SO, in church that morning I know He was showing me that it was time to take a break from constantly pursuing a ministry to others and to take some time to minister to myself.  This is not an easy pursuit as I am not easy satisfied with the mundane and working on me has always seemed like just that and I’ve mostly always been satisfied to learn of me WHILE pursuing a ministry to others.   So, I covet any prayers that you may say for me.  I know I will also be going through changes with my art and only He knows what’s next since we are not 100% sure of our living arrangements at this time either!! 

I need to be able to have time to get up, spend my day with Him while going!  Having my focus away from the rest of the world BUT on God and in turn on strength,
GOD’S STRENGTH! 
ONE DAY at a TIME, OF COURSE!

May God bless you through my writing. If He has especially touched you in any way, please leave a comment below. Your comments are so very encouraging to me to help me to keep writing. Also, click on the “Uptweet” button on the above right and share! I pray you will keep coming back. I fully believe that my writing is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so if I am writing, there is someone that needs to read it! Maybe it’s you? Also, please be sure to share any questions you might have with me and if you would like to keep them personal (just between you and me) please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at juliana.pace@gmail.com. If I don’t know how to answer you, I will may every attempt to refer you to someone for more information. Thanks and may God bless all your days!

BE STILL AND KNOW (Draw Near to God and He will draw Near to you) + Addition

*Psalm 46:10a “Be still, and know that I am God;”

*James 4:8a “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

I think there are many of you out there that can relate to Psalm 46:10 that God seems to use in all of our lives at one time or another. I have been one to have a life full of this more so than some others. Even when doing what we view as being right, good, and a correct thing to do at the time, God may think otherwise. This is one of the main reasons why having a personal relationship with Him is so important. To know when it is right time to do what is right.

This morning I was feeling rather hum drum as I have been so often lately. I have been haunted, poked on, knocked around by Satan and the threats of my future being lived in a more advanced handicapped state. This is not me. I’m normally a person who dwells on what I can do, not what I can’t do yet there are those who seem to think that the way that I operate in this world to the masked, internet eye that I must be 100%, without flaw, no medical issues, etc. to perform because I do not complain which has helped to feed upon past doubts in myself. Recently I’ve even struggled with suicidal thoughts just to escape that future aging ideation that has been plaguing me. Some days are good but some have been depressing and horrid!

This morning I was going about a routine of something I knew had needed done and I THOUGHT this was right to do. I packed my husband’s lunch for work and in doing so I realized I had some kinked up, sore spots from some recent exercise I had started up again. I ate some chips while preparing them for my husband’s lunch since I needed something in my stomach to take some Ibuprophen. This didn’t work! It wasn’t nearly enough to take the Ibuprophen on and I became very nauseated to the point of not even being able to do anything but get into the recliner. In realizing that I would be there for a little while it crept into mind that I wanted to watch the episodes of a TV show that were piling up on the DVR. As I watched this program unfold I watched the dialog of a lady up against some tough competition but a friend told her about an unsquashable bug that helped her to realize that as long as we know that we are unsquashable, we are able to push forward, working for what is right. And I heard in that still small voice from the Master Himself that I had no worries, before it gets too tough, He will take me home! And I started bawling!

*Phil. 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”

*1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
It is not by my will but by His that I am able to move forward one day at a time, knowing even that through being sick has helped to silence me enough to listen! By this Christ has strengthened me to become someone that He has use for!

There are many who I have told what God has shown me in my heart that the world has disabled me but God enabled me. It is by Him that I am able to not concentrate on what I can’t do but what I can do in Christ Jesus!

*Phil.4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy— meditate on these things.

Only God knows why God does things or lets things happen.  Even through sick He can bring pure JOY!

*Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

May God bless you through my writing. If He has especially touched you in any way, please leave a comment below. Your comments are so very encouraging to me to help me to keep writing. Also, click on the “Uptweet” button on the above right and share! I pray you will keep coming back. I fully believe that my writing is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so if I am writing, there is someone that needs to read it! Maybe it’s you? Also, please be sure to share any questions you might have with me and if you would like to keep them personal (just between you and me) please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at juliana.pace@gmail.com. If I don’t know how to answer you, I will may every attempt to refer you to someone for more information. Thanks and may God bless all your days!

He Just Keeps it Coming – Romans 8:28

*Romans 8:28 (NKJV) “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

And, I want to see that in a different Bible version!

*Romans 8:28 (The Message) “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

 

We had an Evangelist at our church last week and I was able to be there the first evening of it.  For the first time in literally years I felt more comfortable in my skin.  I even felt thinner!  I was just having an awesome time during worship!  I felt ecstatic…”Yay God”! 

 

And the next day I awoke, knowing that God was showing me that it was time.  After 2.5 years in bed, numerous healings, and 10 years of recovery, He was showing me that it’s time.  It’s time to get back out in the world again.  Hallelujah!  I’ve been ecstatic!  I don’t think anyone could know how that feels unless they’d been there!  And, I’m out there with so very much more freedom in my heart! 

 

Thank and Praise the Lord!  I just shared with someone most of what I've been doing lately in black & white and I shocked myself!  Ya think?  The world disabled me but God enabled me!  Praises and prayers for His ever ongoing strength and provision!  And, I shared:  "I play Scrabble & Draw Something and nothing else (with Facebook friends) no time! Did you know I am an artist and a writer? I'm writing my 2nd book. I have 2 pages on Facebook and I write 2 blogs, too? I'm now a Youth Leader and in 2 groups of Celebrate Recovery per week!"  Didn't even add in the housework and all the selling I'm doing on E-Bay right now on top of caring for myself!  OH MY!

I'm ADD, this is how I roll - an hour here, 2 hours there.  Much more productive for me than an 8 hour day doing one thing.  This is what He made me for!  Romans 8:28 Sometimes it's darkest before the dawn, ya know?

I haven't shared much lately but I just thought of a good one to share.  I love it cause it's what I've felt since I rededicated my life to the Lord in 1988 and I've shared this sentiment numerous times...enjoy:

May God bless you through my writing. If He has especially touched you in any way, please leave a comment below. Your comments are so very encouraging to me to help me to keep writing. Also, click on the “Uptweet” button on the above right and share! I pray you will keep coming back. I fully believe that my writing is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so if I am writing, there is someone that needs to read it! Maybe it’s you? Also, please be sure to share any questions you might have with me and if you would like to keep them personal (just between you and me) please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at juliana.pace@gmail.com. If I don’t know how to answer you, I will may every attempt to refer you to someone for more information. Thanks and may God bless all your days!

When I am weak, He is strong

So then after my hubby was off to work I sat down to read my daily Bible reading that I get from www.Biblegateway.com (they come in my e-mail so not easy at all to miss reading along with getting through the new testament in a year). 

To share a bit from the past, not long after we moved here the Lord spoke to me and told me that He was going to lift me up (no clue what all that entails and certainly up to God and His will).  I told Him that I would be so concerned about being big-headed about it.  Repeatedly "when I am weak, then I am strong"  has come to my mind over the years about so many things.  Then when I was prayed for at a Billy Burke meeting as a prayer warrior I talked with God after getting home and part of the conversation was telling Him that I felt so weak in the area of prayer and He told me that's why He is strong.  Then this morning a part of my reading was:  2 Cor. 12: 7b-10:  "Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (NIV Translation)

I have read this many times but never in this translation and only this chapter set aside.  God’s word is so very alive and important in our lives.  Confirmed even more to me about why things have happened in my life in the way they have.  He is forever working His good in our lives when we trust in Him! 

Just thought I'd share the song that just came on while listening to my computer playlist:

May God bless you through my writing. If He has especially touched you in any way, please leave a comment below. Your comments are so very encouraging to me to help me to keep writing. Also, click on the “Uptweet” button on the above right and share! I pray you will keep coming back. I fully believe that my writing is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so if I am writing, there is someone that needs to read it! Maybe it’s you? Also, please be sure to share any questions you might have with me and if you would like to keep them personal (just between you and me) please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at juliana.pace@gmail.com. If I don’t know how to answer you, I will may every attempt to refer you to someone for more information. Thanks and may God bless all your days!

Finding God's Strength - 2009

This morning I read a devotional about strength, mostly God's strength VS human strength and I had a revelation. It had a quote in it from Margaret Thatcher: "Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't." And, my thoughts went back to a time a couple of months ago when a friend shared with me that she thought I was one of the strong ones, but I no longer saw this in myself. Before I got sick in 2001, my husband and son used to tease that if I got mugged, they felt sorry for the mugger.  I rather agreed with it. But, when I got sick I felt that I lost that somehow. But, just now I realized that anymore it's not I who I see as strong - it's God in me. And, this devotional goes on to say "***You can have a quiet strength that comes from knowing who you are in God." And, I realized that is how I've changed.  Praise Him from whom all blessings flow! I'd much rather rely on His strength than in mine!

***From the Checklist for Life for Women (no author listed).