When I am unsure of something I pray about it, the feeling I get in my heart guides me in my belief!!!!

Hello to all, and happy Friday:) Boy has this week been an emotional roller coaster for us, I have awakened this morning feeling positive and allowing God's bountiful beauty to control my emotions...I have two praise reports of answered prayers this morning that I am going to share and then my thoughts on a story I read on facebook and the controversy that ensued over it. I pray your day too is filled with time to sit and take in the wonderful gifts that God is giving, the gentle sway of the trees as HIS breath rushes through the leaves, the amazing sunrise that is filled with colors that only HE can produce, the amazing song of the birds in the heavenly choir that He is directing and the fresh smell of goodness and HOPE that I am taking in as I sit here writing to you!!! Thank you Father God for always, Always, ALWAYS, blessing me with your love and your "gusto" when I arise looking at all the new day has to offer! 

Several days ago I asked God to give me a sign as to our impending move, I asked HIM if we are doing the right thing, if we are on the right track, if we should be going ahead with our plans to leave Utah, my home for 20 years and Wayde's for 37. The place where his two sons live and will continue to live? That evening as we were coming home from picking up supplies a sunset arose that was unlike any we had seen in a very long time. My favorite colors are salmon and purple and let me tell you the sky was ablaze with both...it was so vibrant that it took my breath away, the Holy Spirit washed over me, I became covered with goose bumps and tears sprang to my eyes and gently rolled down my face...it was as if God were saying to me..."DAWN, this is for you, this is your sign, this is validation that you are doing what I am directing you to do...work hard and make this happen" I was so filled with HOPE and FAITH that was ready to conquer the world...the next day however had me wondering if I could make it happen, we are still short on the funds we need to get us there and to get situated....Yesterday was such a hard day for me, everything seemed to go wrong....I cried off and on, became anxious, and began to question if we could make this reality and worried as we are in limbo at the moment...satan was around every turn just trying to discredit all that I am doing, trying to make me feel unsure of our plans, trying to make me feel unsure of my abilities...trying to foil the entire plan...I turned to several people who have been such a part of my spiritual being, friends that lift me up when I am down and friends that help me open my eyes to what really is going on....Once again I hit my knees and asked God to show me that we would not be defeated, that we would not lose, that we are winners, that he has given me this talent to paint and he is sending to me people who will be instrumental in getting from point A to Z. I asked God to hit me in the head if he must to help me push negative thoughts from my mind and focus on the positive. I went to sit on the porch where Wayde has been doing all of the sanding and painting of my boards when lo and behold a hummingbird came so close to me I could see his little eyes, he stopped right in front of me, barely 12 inches, and just seemed to hoover there as if saying..."DAWN, I am with you, I am here for you, and I will not let you fail" I was so over come with God's spirit that I began to weep and had to go to bed and seek rest....I know it was my sign as we have had no hummingbirds this entire season and have had their feeder full since April...I know it was my sign as Wayde was painting and the smell was so strong, yet still the hummingbird came and nearly perched on my shoulder, I know it was God getting my attention as the little bird would not fly away until all of my focus was upon him and even my movement did not deter him from making sure I was seeing him...I know that we are on the right track, I know that the house would not have come so easy, the perfect house for my little paint company, the perfect house in which to tend my grandson, the perfect house for sitting in the yard and enjoying God's beautiful creations....it was as if the house is just ready for us...We are close but so far away in making this move a reality...what do they say "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades?" but today we WILL see positive actions and we WILL be making that move on the 5th, God is by my side, HE is the wind in my sails and I am going to make it, We are going to make it, WE WILL be on our way the 5th of August!!

I ready this story on Facebook the other day and shared it on my page...all of a sudden I was barraged with ridicule as to the validity of it!!! Does it really matter if the man in the picture is the minister of who the story speaks, does it really matter if the minister's name is false? Does it really matter that we look at pictures of Jesus Christ, there are more than I am sure I have ever seen and many are different, done by different artists..but still we worship HIM, we see HIS pictures of HOLY we do not doubt if that is HIM, we do not get upset and become nasty over the fact that someone has put a picture up for us to see, for us to pray to, for us to give the highest of honor....we see it and we believe it!!! I believe every word in the bible, I was not there when it was being put into place, I was not there to know if some mortal man wrote it and presented it as the word of God, there  is controversy there yet, still I believe...The messages in the bible are for us to gain knowledge from, it is filled with promises that I model my life after, I try to live according to the tenants of the gospel so that when I take my last breath I can be lifted to paradise, are we really sure there is a paradise? No, we can only attest to what we read in the scriptures but still I believe!!! So no matter if this picture of the man is the actual minister or not, no matter if the name is the true name of the minister or if it is made up...the fact still remains in the message of the story!!!! "the golden rule" if I may...how we treat others is the lesson, how we respond to those who have less that we do, how we share God's love...that is what this story is all about,,,,,,I hope you will read it and that a spark of the HOLY SPIRIT arises in you, a spark that will open your own eyes to the way you are living your life and if there is room for change, if there is need for change, if there is a call for you to make changes...that YOU will! YOU are loved:) 

Pastor Jeremiah Steepek  transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service....only 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food....NO ONE in the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit n the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him. 

As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation........"We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek"....The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.....The homeless man sitting in the back stood up.....and started walking down the aisle.....the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him....he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment....then he recited

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning...many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame.... he then said....Today I see a gathering of people......not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples...when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week.......Being a Christian is more than something you claim. I'ts something you live by and share with others.