Praise the LORD!!!

Today starts an adventure that I've not ventured
into in the past. This morning I received an email from a sister in
CHRIST that was a word in time. It was impressed upon my heart to share
it with others. After asking and receiving permission, here it is. I
pray everyone will be impressed by the SPIRIT that is within this
message!!!


Dear Loving Family in Christ,
It has been many days since I spoke to you all. My
heart is heavy with LOVE for ALL of you, and yet, I have neglected
you. Please forgive me for I surely DO LOVE YOU!! In all the things
which keep my body busy, here on earth, even to the point of
exhaustion, my soul cries out and yearns for your love, your spiritual
love and any input from you I can receive. Alas, I already know, your
lives are busy, as well. So, I am asking ALL of you, to never forget
how much I truly love you. It is my relationship with you, which gives
me great strength and much hope, for everlasting life. Fortunately,
for ALL of us, we have come to rely on our FAITH in GOD and not, in
man. Of this, we must ALL be thankful!!!

Our God, so many, many years ago, LOVED us so much
more than ANY man could ever even try to LOVE us!! I thank Him and
praise Him, every single day for His Great Love, as I know, you do. We
are ALL so very blessed by this!! We must ALL take comfort in the
Love and Power of God!! And, as we struggle here on earth, through
each and every day, we must KNOW we are not struggling alone. Right
there, within our grasp, is our Lord Jesus!! So many times during my
day, I actually reach my hand out to my side and clasp His hand in
mine. If others could see this, they would think I was crazy. If any
of YOU saw this, you would see faith. Praise God!! God, in all His
power, could have been such a snob or He could have not cared at all,
forcing us to go through our lives without a single friend. But He did
not do this, for WE have a FRIEND IN JESUS!!! THANK YOU, JESUS!!! We
never walk alone, even when it feels like there is NO ONE there!!
Isn't it WONDERFUL to KNOW this??? It sure has been a COMFORT to
me!!! Because man will always let us down, even when they do not want
to let us down. Like me, for instance. Is it that I want ALL OF YOU
to think I do not care? NO!! I DO CARE!! Am I there for you? NO!! I
am not!!! But, JESUS IS THERE!! ALWAYS!!! ALL WAYS!!! And, He is
there through GOD, His Father!!! Ultimately, it is our GOD who is
THERE for us all!! Praise God!! He sends to us, His Son, so we will
ALWAYS have comfort and a FRIEND who never leaves our side!! In ALL
the wonders of ALL the world and ALL creation, God LOVED US!!! WOW!!
Isn't that amazing???? US??? We are only one grain of sand on a beach
of many acres, and He knows ALL the grains of sand, each and every one
of them!!! WOW!! Not only does He KNOW them, but He chose to LOVE
them!!! Folks, THAT is AMAZING!!! And, you know what's even MORE
amazing??? He ALREADY KNEW I would be sending this email to ALL of
YOU!!! He KNEW THIS!! WOW!!!

So, to sum up this email, I just wanted you to know
that I have not forgotten you and I still LOVE you ALL very, very much
and BIG!! Also, You are ALL gifts from God, sent to me for
encouragement, enlightenment, and understanding of His ways. Even as I
have encouraged some of you, I have found many blessings in doing it.
Surely, God knew you needed those words of encouragement, at the time I
was "inspired" to write them. We are ALL here to help each other
stand in rightousness, to uphold that which is good and that which is
GOD!! My prayer is that each and every one of you, will be blessed, in
KNOWING the GOOD our GOD wants in our lives. Obviously, this is ALL
HE WANTS for us!!! Often, we feel as if the whole world is against us,
yet we still have FAITH, don't we? THAT is the key!! There are
prayers we pray, which may never be answered in our lifetime, but GOD is
listening. His Great Plan is already laid out/ already designed. We
take Comfort in this. Even as we see so much suffering around us, we
must KNOW our GOD is in control. In His great design, He wanted us to
"feel", to "suffer", to "cry".......and all the while, we should have
GREAT HAPPINESS and JOY in KNOWING He Loves us so very much!!

Please remember, I DO LOVE YOU!! But, most
importantly of all, keep your faith, keep your eyes on the sky above
you, KNOW our GOD still LOVES YOU even in your struggles. I shall
delight in YOUR BLESSINGS!! For GOD has PROMISED us these BLESSINGS!!

Here are a few examples:

Genesis 49:25
Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee: and by the
Almighty, who shall BLESS thee with BLESSINGS of heaven obove,
BLESSINGS of the deep that lieth under, BLESSINGS of the breasts, and
of the womb:

Deuteronomy
28:2 And all these BLESSINGS shall come on thee, and overtake
thee, if thou hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Proverbs 10:6
BLESSINGS are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the
mouth of the wicked.

Proverbs
28:20 A faithful man shall abound with BLESSINGS: but he that
maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

Ephesians 1:3
BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
BLESSED us with all spiritual BLESSINGS in heavenly places in Christ:

And MY FAVORITE because I "listen" to nature, and
see ALL CREATION giving PRAISE TO OUR LORD every single day of every
year, without asking for anything. Praise to Our Lord with tears of
gratitude!!

Malachi 2:2
If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory
unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon
you, and I will curse your BLESSINGS: yea, I have cursed them already,
because ye do not lay it to heart.

And, as to this GREAT LOVE I have for You ALL, and
that YOU have for ME??? Here's yet another scripture for you, as we
all hold each other up!!!

Romans 12:10
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour
preferring one another;

That is why we can't get enough of our
FRIENDSHIP!!!

Love to You ALL!!!!
Your Sister in Christ,
Debra, Debi, Momma, Aunt Deb, Feather in
Wind...yadda yadda yadda (lol)

Published with express permission of the author, Debra Sartelle

Rev. Marshall Barth

Vine of
CHRIST Ministries

Remember that if you need someone to pray for you, you can email our
prayerline at: prayers@vineofchrist.org