He IS Able

Sit in Silence and a He IS Able Blog Card Set Give Away Winner!

2012-02-24T12:27:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week, and is looking forward to a God-filled, enjoyable weekend. I hope you take the time to get quiet and spend time just between yourself and the Almighty One.

_____________________________

I have a beautiful writing to share from Quiet Moments in the Presence of God. This book is published by Bethany House. It is called:

Sit in Silence

"For God alone my soul waits in silence, from Him comes my Salvation. He alone is my Rock and my Salvation, my Fortress; I shall never be shaken."

(Psalm 62:1-2)

"Silence is golden when you desire God's presence. It closes down the racket made by urgent schedule and full agendas. With those noises dismissed, you have a clear channel. Silence enables you to hear with your heart as God speaks from His.

Sitting in silence in a quiet place gives God a chance to bless you. In the only one of Phillips Brook's hymns to survive the test of time, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," a line in the third stanza reads, "How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!" As you wait and watch in silence, God touches you with the blessing of His presence.

Silence beckons you into intimacy with God. God's best gift, the gift of Himself, is often given in silence."

"When the lamb broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets." (Revelations 8:1-2)

______________________________

May you, in your silence, hear the wisdom of our blessed Lord.

______________________________

And, now let's find out who is to receive the He IS Able Blog Card Set Give-Away! The number of cards and envelopes to be given away, was decided by random drawing. The number of cards is 2 (two). And, the person who left the only comment--besides those of us who work on the blog, and are not eligible--is not going to believe she was chosen again! Here is her comment:

"Well... I am a bit behind in my blog reading! I am quite taken by the first part of the devotional which says that "so many people are confused about what love is. We love pizza...." and so on. I use the word "love" so casually, just like is stated - "I love pizza, rubber stamping, singing, etc.". My goal is to replace the word "LOVE" with enjoy where it is more appropriate, and save "LOVE" for God and the people in my life."

By seamom on Happy Valentine's Day--The Way Our Father Sees It on 2/17/12"

Congratulations to Seamom! If you would like to receive your 2 cards and envelopes...and I hope you will. Simply email me at tracistarkweather@gmail.com by Thursday at midnight--this will let me know that you would like the cards. Sadly, if I don't receive your mailing address in this email, I will not be able to send the cards/envelopes...and they will go back into the He IS Able card stash. It is our hope that these cards will be used to share the love of Jesus Christ with family, friends, or even people you don't know!

Now, if you would like to be a possible recipient next week, simply leave any comment by Tuesday, the 28th at midnight. I hope you will be here on Tuesday. I have some very interesting information on one of the rare names associated with Jesus. God bless!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

Big Announcements!

2012-02-21T21:04:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

There is so much going on! I am so glad to hear from so many of you in the comment section--thank you so much! I want to tell all of you, and many of you already know...but some may not...that I am disabled and have fibromyalgia among other things. I am in pain, on strong medication, and exhausted all of the time. I don't tell you this for pity. I just want you to realize why I have missed so many posts of late, and why I haven't been in the art room very much. Some times it hurts to just type.

So, I have come to a new decision, and I pray that you will continue being our dear guests. I will only be posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, unless I can, and feel the Holy Spirit moving me to do so. Now, don't worry. We will still have the He IS Able Card Set Give-Away each week.

Please leave a comment by midnight on Tuesday evenings (later hour), I will take all of those comments and randomly choose one. The writer of that comment will have their name announced...and if you leave your blog name and URL in your comment, I will include that in the announcement on Thursday! The recipient will have until Tuesday, Midnight to email me with your Name and mailing address! If you don't...the cards will go back in the He IS Able card stash.

Your prayer requests, left in the comment section, will still be prayed over. I feel it is our responsibility...to carry each other's burdens. I pray that this blog will continue to be a place to come and learn more about Jesus and our relationship with Him, to encourage each other, to share art, to share how you stay close to Him, and to make friends, and share the Gospel with others! That includes anything you would like to share on the blog also. Share with us--that's what makes things interesting. This is a way I serve the Lord...you can too!

I missed posting last Wednesday...so no one was chosen to receive the
He IS Able Card Set Give-Away. So, on Thursday, I will choose 2 winners to receive 1-5 cards and envelopes. The number of cards will be chosen randomly...just like the recipient.

If for some reason, you will not be visiting this blog because we are switching to Tuesdays and Thursdays or any other reason, please consider subscribing by email on the top of the right hand blog side. You will receive this blog on the day it is posted. That day's post will come in an email form. It is super easy to unsubscribe any day...you click on the word that reads "unsubscribe." If you want to get to the actual blog post, just click on the title that will be on the email. I think this is a great idea for everyone to do. That way if you confuse your days, you will find the post in your email. You don't have to do any searching and waiting for the blog to open. It's like receiving the newspaper at your front door, open to your favorite page.

I will leave you today with a few Scriptures about loving each other. Have a blessed week...stay close to Him--He loves you so much!

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us." (1 John 4:11-12)

_______________

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment."

"And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)

_______________

"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)

I hope to see you all here on Thursday! God bless!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

Happy Valentine's Day--The Way Our Father Sees It

2012-02-14T09:29:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

Happy Valentine's Day! This isn't in the traditional sense, this is a Valentine to us from our Lord. This column was reproduced with permission of the people of "Today's Word with Joel and Victoria Osteen." It is full of wisdom.

I still suffer from this terrible migraine, and I can barely see the screen. But, I hope you will look at your relationships with other people, and see if you and they describe love as it is described below. More importantly, do you live it that way? Where can you best improve on how you love? And, how you are loved. Take the description, line by line and see if that is how you show your love and the love of Christ to others.

I thank you for your prayers as of late. And, I know Joan is starting to mend also. Please let us know if you have a prayer request. We are honored to pray for you. Aren't we each supposed to carry each other's burdens? Yes, we are! This is one of the ways that I like to do this. You may want to think about it.

Also, I have been replying to each comment...in the comment section. So, if you have left a comment, please be sure to look back in that section and see how I have replied.

It seems that Google is cancelling the Followers portion of the blogs. If you enjoy this blog, you may want to sign up as soon as possible. I will make a manual list of the emails that are listed on your Blogger's Profile, and keep you up to date anonymously when we post.

What would be even better would be for you to put your email in the subscription box on the top area of the right side of the blog. If you do this, it will send you an email copy of each post. You will usually want to click on the blog name on the subscription so that you can enter the He IS Able blog's Weekly Card Set Give-Away! You will be randomly chosen from the comments, and then the number of cards 1-5 will be randomly chosen each week also! You can also leave prayer requests, pray for others, or leave your thoughts on the post...or on anything on your mind.

I am going to be in the process of making many cards with Scriptures on the cover for our future give-aways. I would love it if you would let me know your favorite Scripture...from anywhere in the Bible...and I will make a few cards with it on it. That way you have a good chance of receiving the card with your favorite Verse on it when your name is drawn and announced on Wednesdays! Just leave a comment, question, prayer request in the comment section before Tuesday 8pm to be eligible. *I can currently only mail cards to Continental US addresses. We LOVE the rest of our guests, but I can not afford the postage on my own. We are glad EVERYONE is here! If you are interested in making cards with a Biblical theme, Verse, images you decide...please put them in a plastic bag, include an envelope for each card and mail them to:

Traci Starkweather

116 Colyer Drive

Longwood, FL 32779

USA

______________________________________

And, now the column by Victoria and Joel Osteen:

The Greatest Love of All

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love”

(1 Corinthians 13:13, NKJV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

In our culture today, so many people are confused about what love is. We love pizza, movies and sports, but we also love our family or spouse. If we look to the Word of God, we see God’s definition of love. First Corinthians 13 tells us that “love is patient and kind. It does not envy, nor boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It does not seek its own way, is not easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not rejoice in evil, but rejoices in the truth. Love believes, hopes and endures. Love never fails.” This is how God responds to us, and this is how we should respond to the people in our lives — with patience, kindness, hope, humility and love. Scripture tells us that God is love, and His character never changes!

Today and every day, know that God loves you with an everlasting love. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He is for you and has a good plan for you. Receive His perfect love today and let Him transform you from the inside out. His love is the greatest love and will last throughout all eternity!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for loving me. Thank You for doing a work in my life. Help me to be more like You. Help me to see others the way You see them and respond in love because You are love. I bless You and honor You today in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

Winner Announced! Info on a Blog Hop! And a Card by Traci!

2012-02-08T15:16:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

I have some exciting news to share right away. You may have heard about it. There will be a blog hop along with Stampin Sisters In Christ starting February 9th through the 13th, there will be great projects and many prizes along the way. You may copy the design below and share it on your blog.

___________________________

I want to share a card I sent out early this week. It is a sympathy card. I like how it came out, until I started distressing it. Here's a guideline: ALWAYS add the distress ink to the edges of the paper...BEFORE attaching it to the card! LOL! I'll get back to this in a moment or two. LOL!

This is the cover of the card. A friend sent me the Spellbinder's cut piece of vanilla paper. I just LOVE this Spellbinder's shape. I just wish I knew which one it is. I'd love to buy it. I have looked at so many websites and can't find it anywhere! If you know the name of it, please let me know. Then I attached a piece of my favorite lace ribbon to the vanilla piece. The ribbon has some beautiful sparkle to it...in a gentle way--not too heavy. I wish I had the spool it came on, so that I could get more. Sorry.

The Scripture is stamped in SEI ink. It is called rose petal. I love their 1" stamp pads, and the colors are exquisite! The Scripture is a stamp from the Our Daily Bread Designs (ODBD) set called Scripture Collection 3. There are seven assorted Scriptures in this one set! I used one of my favorite Scriptures on the card.

"Be Strong and Courageous.

Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged.

For the Lord your God

will be with you wherever you go."

(Joshua 1:9)

I added two Champagne Rose colored Prima flowers to the front. And then dabbed the center of the roses with the SEI ink. Usually, roses are darker in the center. It was at this point that I decided that the beautiful pink dp paper should be distressed around the edges with the SEI ink. To bring the darker color out a bit. THIS WAS A MISTAKE I WON'T MAKE AGAIN! LOL! It is very difficult to use a pad of ink and mark up the inside edge while they are attached to the base! Maybe it is a skill I have yet to acquire? I don't think so. I think I will just think things out a bit more before gluing them down...and do my distressing in this style before hand. I ended up with ink on the ivory paper. But, it was the best I could do, and I wanted to get this card out right away.

This is the inside of the card. The image of the praying hands, and the Scripture are stamps from the Our Daily Bread Designs. This set is called "Lift Up Our Hands." It has the praying hands and four Scriptures.

"Let us lift up our hearts

and our hands

to God

in Heaven..."

(Lam. 3:41)

I chose this Scripture for the inside. I added another Prima rose and a row of medium sized pearls by Hero Arts across the top. They were a great price. I used the left inside panel to write my personal thoughts. I think I like this card.

_____________________________

And, now we should announce the

Winner of the He IS Able Blog Card Set of the Week!

Congratulations go to... Chrissy D.

Here is her comment:
Praying a special blessing for you and your family!

By Chrissy D on on 2/2/12

Chrissy, you have won a set of 3 Cards/Envelopes!

Please email me at tracistarkweather@gmail.com to let me know that you saw this announcement and you would like to receive the cards. Please include a snail mail address, so I can mail them out to you. Our Mission Statement is: "Sharing His Word, His Love, His Gift of Salvation through Cards." It is our hope that you will use these cards to do just that! Share them with someone you know who needs to know about the love of Christ Jesus, or even leave one with a stranger! Help share in the Great Commission! Spread the Word of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. And, Chrissy, thank you for your prayers.

Prayers are always welcome. As a matter of fact, Joan and I pray for any prayer request left in the comment section. As a matter of fact, we are looking for others to join us in praying for others. If any of you are interested...all it takes is a commitment to pray for a certain amount of minutes a day or a week. Any amount. You tell us how much time you can spend praying for others, and Joan, our Prayer Team Leader will find the need that will fit your amount of time available. Please leave a message in the comment section, or email me at my email address above, and we will be in touch with you. Thank you.

Just so everyone knows, Chrissy is a very creative woman. She has a blog called "Creating with Chrissy." She makes such wonderful cards, you should see the different ways she makes her cards...she knows how to make cards with such amazing folds, and uses the best stamps. You really should stop by and visit. You will be blessed, I am sure!

Thank you to each of you for visiting. I am hopeful that you will share your opinion about how I could make the 2nd card that I shared on Tuesday look better. I hope that you will share your thoughts with me in the comment section. God Bless!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

"Cards by Traci"- Christmas 2011

2012-02-07T15:08:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday. I went shopping for one of my Grandson's upcoming birthday party on the way home from the doctors and lifted a box that was much heavier than it looked. Those of you who have been here for a while know that I have a disability that stems from my back and impacts other areas, too. Well, I lifted this box, and let me just say...I am ready to sleep because I am taking every medication that I am allowed to take. My back is hurting very much. I told you I would share some cards...so share I shall...

This is one of the Christmas cards I sent out. Yes, Christmas! I saved the photos, but thought I never even took any! LOL The base of this simple card is SU! olive cardstock. I then used my pad of My Mind's Eye "Lost and Found Christmas" papers. Gorgeous papers with a Distressed look to most of them. I used a template to cut the design paper in a wide scallop edge and attached it with a glue tape gun. I used Hero Arts Gold Embossing Powder for the sentiment...and if you want shiny writing-- theirs is the best, in my opinion! I have several different gold powders from different companies, but they have a more matte look to them. I don't know what company made the beautifully ornate "Merry Christmas" stamp. The bow matches the sheen of the words. The ribbon is from Better Homes and Gardens Floral and Nature Crafts. It ties so easily, it laid rather flat. So on some of them, I attached a gold star "crystal" in the center of the bow. I'm sorry about the lighting. I can see here that the greens don't match well. They did in real life. These were so easy to make...and that was a good thing. Because I didn't really start popping them out until about the 2nd week in December! LOL

I made this card in two different base colors, SU! ivory and SU! white. I used a fabulous "Dream Weaver" metal die cut. I didn't use it that way, I used it as a template to color in. First however, I embossed some by hand--on a light table with a stylus. It took forever! I don't know what happened. It was as if I forgot that I have a Cuttle Bug that embossed...or that I have Embossing Powders that emboss. Or, if I only wanted to color them with markers...I didn't even need it embossed! Have you ever had a few days like that? LOL I ended up using the "Dream Weaver" piece as a template. I used SU! olive and always artichoke markers on the leaves. I used Stickles Red for the berries, and Stickles Gold on some of the leaves to add a bit of highlighting to it. After this point, I outlined with a very thin black pen, every detail on the card. The Holiday Greetings is part of the die cut. So, I just traced the letters.

I will not suggest you ever try this way of making cards. It completely ruined the markers I used. The metal cut up every nib, and I can't use those markers again. It was also so very time consuming, without the finished-polished look. Granted, I made some mistakes.

What would you have done if you bought that Die Cut, and wanted to use it as the focal point of a card? I send A2 cards, and it fits that exactly. I am asking for suggestions to try out for an A2 card. I have most materials on hand. I would LOVE to see what ideas you come up with. I really appreciate your suggestions. I have just passed my 2 year anniversary of making cards, and I don't see any improvement even though I have added so many items to my art room.

Thank you so much for sharing your creativity with me. I am excited to hear from you. The only way I will get better is to learn from others. I watch techniques on blogs...but it is YOUR opinion I would love to read today!

Don't forget to leave a comment before each Tuesday at 8pm to be eligible to win that week's He IS Able Blog's Card Set of the Week. The recipient will be randomly chosen, and the number of cards/envelopes will be randomly chosen also. You could win anywhere between 1-5 cards each week! God Bless! And, thank you SO much for being here.

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

World Cancer Day...

2012-02-04T00:02:00.002-05:00

Hi Friends~

I wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow is an important day. So that is the reason for this extra post. Please visit this site The Fight Breast Cancer Site. When you get there, click on the large pink rectangle. When you do, the sponsors on the page will make a donation to help others get mammograms if they need the financial help. It costs you nothing! Now this link is for fighting Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Awareness this day is to create awareness for all types of cancer. You will also see some tabs at the top of the screen that read: The Hunger Site, The Literacy Site, Veterans and several other important causes. It will take you less than 30 seconds to click on each tab, and then click on the colorful rectangle on the page. Take a moment and read how you are helping so many important organizations just by clicking. I do this every day that I am on the computer...have for years. It is a great thing to do. And, it is a great way for your children (if allowed to use the computer), to do a random act of kindness every day! They, or you, will be helping the less fortunate, the sick...

Please pass this message on today...

Saturday February 4, 2012 is World Cancer Day - I'd Appreciate it if you will forward this request .

A small request.. Just one line.

Dear God, I pray for a cure for cancer. Amen.

All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it's
Only to one more person. Or in memory of someone you
know who has been struck down by cancer or is still living with it...

A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle...

Please Keep This Candle Going!

Please let us know you visited the Fight the Breast Cancer Site or that you kept this candle going on your blog, email or another way in our comment section. Feel free to list any prayer requests, especially for people impacted by cancer. We will be honored to pray for you!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Praise Him First Thing and A Winner of 4 Cards Announced!

2012-02-02T19:10:00.002-05:00

Hi Friends~

I hope you are enjoying your week. As I stated in the last post, I am still feeling rather disconnected from God. I don't know why. I just feel alone, although I know that is not true. "He will not leave nor forsake us." I still have not made it into my art room, so I do not have any cards to share yet. Hopefully, I will on Monday...which by the way, will be my next post.

The Winner of this week's He IS Able Blog's Card Set of the Week is...

Shelly Schmidt!!!!!

Shelly, please email me to let me know you do want these 4 cards! Please reach me by Tuesday at 8pm...which is the deadline to leave a comment for next week's random drawing of the recipient and the number of cards/envelopes. tracistarkweather@gmail.com

I would like to list some wonderful Scriptures below...I hope if they are not already some of your favorites, they will be after reading them.

"Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength;

We will sing and praise Your power."

(Psalm 21:13)

"Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.

You have filled my heart with greater joy

than when their grain and new wine abound.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O Lord,

make me dwell in safety."

(Psalm 4:6-8)

"Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteousness

With favor You will surround him as with a shield."

(Psalm 5:11-12)

"O sing unto the Lord a new song:

sing unto the Lord, all the earth!"

(Psalm 96:1)

I hope you will join me...and before you get out of bed, before your feet touch the ground...Praise the Lord! Sing a song, say a prayer, list 5 adjectives that describe His faithfulness...praise is a personal thing. Do it as you believe He would like...from the heart!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

How Do You Stay Near to Him?

2012-01-31T17:59:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

I want this to be a place that you can visit to be encouraged, or you may learn something from the Bible. Perhaps you can make friends through the comment section. I want you to have your prayer needs lifted up when Joan and I pray over them.

Yesterday, I received some news from Cathy Kraft. Her dear mother has gone to be with Jesus. She has been suffering in the hospital, and Cathy and her husband have had one of the most challenging years I have known of. Her husband's Mother, Lillian passed away a few months ago. She left updates in the comment section, and we prayed -- often. Now, they face the passing of Cathy's mother, with-in a few months of her mother-in-law's passing. I worry about the toll it has taken on Cathy and her family, and of course, I only share this with her permission. I ask that you please pray for them. They must be so tired. They have had so much to endure lately. Please join us as we pray that they find comfort in the Lord, Jesus the Christ. That they will seek Him when lonely and heartbroken. For He is the real Physician.

Just last night I was reading a book by my Pastor, in it it said that when we think of the Great Physician, we usually think of Him healing physical pain only, when He of course, can cure emotional pain, sadness or loneliness. If anyone wants to send them a sympathy card, or a card to share something uplifting and beautiful, something full of His love, then please email me, and I have permission to share their mailing address, or you could send your card to me, and I will mail a large amount of cards at once. Which ever you prefer. I like the idea of many cards reaching them at once. We will need to work quickly. It doesn't need to be a "deep" sympathy card per se...often a Scripture that you love will be one that brings them joy and peace also. Here is my email. Please contact me if you need their address...or if you are going to send a card to me and I will mail them all off at once. tracistarkweather@gmail.com

____________________________

The day before last, Dave and I went to an art show that also had Gospel music, and I was singing along, enjoying the crowd of people, praising the Lord! I woke up at 2:30am that morning, and I kept saying, "Thank You, God for ____." And, I would fill in the blank. It went on for two hours. I felt so close to Him...as if I was sitting right there before Him, thanking Him for everything in my life.

I really don't know what to say...but I want to be honest here. I want this blog to serve Him. And, I want to be honest with you. The last day and a half I feel completely disconnected from Him. I don't know why. And, I have been praying, confessing when needed, I watched a great movie, Seven Days in Utopia, reading His Word...and I don't feel connected. So, today, I am coming to each of you. I am asking if you ever feel this way, and what you do to be closer to Him. I do have one thing going for me. Make that two. I know I am a Child of God, and I know that even though I don't feel near to Him...I know He is right here with me. I would really appreciate hearing from any of you. And, I am sure you will be helping someone else at the same time.

I appreciate your being here today. I'm sorry it's such an unmotivating topic.

I pray your comments are encouraging for each of us. A winner of the He IS Able Card Sets of the Week will be announced on Wednesday! Leave a comment by Tuesday 8pm to be eligible!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Announcing...

2012-01-25T20:52:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends~

Let's hope that I can get the spacing on this post even today. I hope you read the post from yesterday. It spanned from Friday through yesterday. Please take the time to read it, and comment, if you would like. I really poured my heart out in it, and then shared Joel Osteen's point of view from his daily column.

Today, however, we have An Announcement to Make! Today, we want to let you know who won the He IS Able Card Sets of the Week! It was so wonderful to see so many comments from the past week...and how many of you shared how God has changed your lives since you asked Him to become your Lord and Savior. I love to read about how your lives have changed. Thank You, Jesus for changing our lives to be more like you! It is so encouraging to read your stories. How about sharing one of your favorite Scriptures? I have so many. It depends what is going on in my life. I think my all time favorite is from Joshua Chapter 1. "I will be with you, as I was with Moses, I will not leave nor forsake you." Just think of how He was with Moses...through so many things...in so many serious situations...and yet, He was faithful. He IS always faithful. I LOVE that about Him.

All of the comments were entered in a random drawing. Then a number was chosen from 1 through 5. The number of cards going to this week's recipient is...3 (three). And, the recipient is known as the "Queen of Grunge" and makes amazing pieces of art...including cards. The "Queen of Grunge" is also known as Gerrie Johnnic. Congratulations, Gerrie! Just email me at tracistarkweather@gmail.com and send me your mailing address. This let's me know that you do want to receive these cards...otherwise, back into the card stash they go. Be sure to contact me before Tuesday evening at 8pm. Which is also the same time to leave a comment to be eligible for next week's drawing!

Here is her comment:
"Ohhhh GF, so handsome and so serious! Next photo I want to see a smile. I am so happy he is doing good and that you got to visit and see everything. I know you are exhausted, and need some rest, take time for yourself!

By Gerrie Johnnic on 2 Card Winners Announced...and introducing my son,... on 1/18/12"

Gerrie, thank you for this comment. It is about the photo of my son, Airman First Class Simring, and I think he is quite handsome, also. LOL I may be biased. This photo was shared in one of last week's posts.

OK--I kept this short, so you would have time to read yesterday's post. Please share your thoughts about it. I want to take a moment and thank Joan, our Prayer Team Leader. Not only is she the Prayer Team Leader, besides myself, she is currently the only member! That is why we are now looking for people who are willing to pray for any amount of time. Joan prays with such a devoted heart, and is dedicated to each of you...whether you have ever asked for a prayer request/need or not. She loves to pray...and does it all through-out the day. So, I hope you will feel blessed as she lifts you up to our Lord, Jesus the Christ! Perhaps you will feel moved to join us in prayer. You tell Joan how often you are willing to pray, or how long a week. and she will give you a prayer request to fit your time amount given.

God Bless! I will be here on Friday, and I hope that you will also!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Who are YOU? Find Out What Pastor Joel Osteen's Answer Is!

2012-01-24T17:42:00.007-05:00

Hi Friends~

Well Folks, as you will read, I wrote this at the airport on Friday…and I meant to send this on to my blog set-up when we got to our dear relative's home. But, no….The plane was late because the weather was horrendous…snow, frozen rain, ice, sleet…all in one ride. We got there so late, that I am just getting a moment now to try to send this up.

I hope you are ready to enjoy this weekend. I can not believe we are going from 70-80 degree weather…into cold, sleet, snow, frozen rain for the next few days. The reason we will overcome these terrible conditions? Because we love our family. And, we will have an opportunity to visit several family members on this trip.

For those of you who know that Josh is at his Technical School. He started classes and Physical Training (I'm not sure what the "T" stands for) this week. And, is waiting for 2 dorm inspections and 2 open inspections (when they inspect you and your uniform.) Once he has passed 2 of each inspection, he will be allowed off base on weekends. I wish he could come home for the weekend. But, you have to be within a certain number of miles…and we don’t make the cut! Both , Dave and son are doing fine although I think I miss him more now than when he was in Basic Military Training. I know that I probably won't see him until December. There is a possibility we will be able to get together for a few days in May. As a side question, if any of you have family or friends in the Air Force, I have been shown an amazing website that tells about everything. They answer every question, for free, of course. So, let me know if you would like the website, I wish I had known about it before Basic Training started.

One thing that I have really learned since becoming disabled with a back and neck injury about 14 years ago, is that many people started conversations by saying, “Tell me about yourself,” or "What do you do?" Well, at first it would bring tears to my eyes every time. I went from being a retail store manager, and a preschool Director before that…to what? A disabled blob that rests on the couch, because it hurts too much to do anything around the home? Should I have answered, “I am disabled?” No, I was afraid for their pity. Answer, “I just stay home?” That seemed like a false statement--though true. I wasn’t staying home because we are wealthy and I want to eat bon-bons by the pool. (We don't own a pool.) Not like that at all. Answer, “I am a Mom and a Wife.” To me that is what I have always wanted to be. And, I love it. But, many people are also Mom’s and a spouse…and they do important work. Some people believe they are what they do. Once I wasn’t earning a living, I felt that I was a “No one.” Which is FAR from the truth.

It took me a long time to really let my heart know that it wasn't what I did that was important...and I still visit that dark place now and them. But, I am a Child of God, a wife and a mom. But, I didn’t think that was the appropriate answer when people asked me that question, and honestly, I wasn’t brave enough to say it at the time. The Lord has blessed me with more courage over these years. Especially when it comes to reaching others for Him. I have found that courage mostly through this blog, and the people who I have come to know who encourage me…as I hope to encourage you. And, through your emails, comments, prayer requests I have made wonderful friends who are as close as any family, and together we have each grown in our walk with the Lord.

Pastor Joel Osteen wrote a wonderful column the other day…on this topic. I want to share this column with permission, from Today’s Word, Pastor Osteen’s daily column. Here it is word for word. I just LOVE the Scripture that Pastor Osteen used for this column. We will be looking at it again soon. I have it taped to my computer table. However, right now, I am sitting in the airport waiting for our plane, which is late due to the bad weather where it came from. EEK! I repeat: “I Am Trusting God in Everything!” "I am Trusting God in Everything!"

Don’t Confuse Your What With Your Who

By Pastor Joel Osteen

Today's Scripture

"I will praise You, for I am fearfully

and wonderfully made; marvelous

and Your works, and that my soul

knows very well."
(Psalm 139:14 NKJ)

__________________________________________

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Have you ever noticed that when you ask someone “Who are you?” a lot of times they’ll say, “I’m a salesman.” “I’m a minister.” “I’m a coach.” “I’m a teacher.” Many people find their identity in what they do. The problem with this kind of thinking is that people identify themselves with their negative habits and strongholds, too. I hear people say, “I’m an alcoholic; I just can’t beat it.” No, that’s not who you are, that’s what you do. But if you keep thinking that way and talking that way, it will become so ingrained on the inside that you’ll convince yourself that it’s true, and it will keep you from rising higher.

One time somebody told me, “Joel, I’m a drug dealer.” He was embarrassed by it. He didn’t want to live that way. I told him what I’m telling you, “That’s not who you are. If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then who you are is a child of the Most High God. It’s time to start acting like it because you have a destiny to fulfill.”

As a believer, you are the righteousness of God in Christ! You are the head and not the tail! You are an overcomer! Today, embrace who you are in Christ and don’t ever let your performance change your identity.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Father God, thank You for who You are and for who You’ve made me. I declare today that I am the righteousness of God in Christ. Help me to keep my identity in You and glorify You in all that I do in Jesus’ name. Amen."

— Joel and Victoria Osteen

_______________________________________

Well, We are Finally Home!

This one blog post has been drawn out over days! I couldn’t get to a wi-fi area in the airport, because the fog in Baltimore was so thick, it took us a long time to get there…and we almost didn’t catch the flight!YOU are important to me, I apologize for not finding a way to get this posted…but now I have, and WOW it is long! Hang in there please.

I loved looking at your comments that have been left this past week...thank you for sharing! I just took a look.If you haven’t left a comment in the past week…please do so before Tuesday night…tonight 8pm Eastern time.If you do this weekly, you may be randomly chosen to receive between 1 and 5 cards. This is weekly and the recipient is announced on Wednesday's.

Why 1-5? Because that number will be randomly chosen also.We want to share these cards with you, so that you may easily share the love of God, your love for God, or a loving hello with someone who needs to hear about the love of Jesus Christ…or just a word of encouragement.

Thank you so much for being here. My goal for this week? To get into my art room and make some cards with the Our Daily Bread Designs stamps I bought during their huge sale during December. I hope to have some paper craft to share with you at the end of the week.

So, tell us about yourself in the comment section!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

p.s. I apologize for the spacing and changes in font size on the post. I have worked on trying to fix it for well over 4 hours. I want to get it posted...thanks for hanging in there with me!

God is So Good! And, We Have 3 Card Winners!

2012-01-18T17:50:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday Everyone~

I hope your week has been a wonderful one! I hope that you are sharing your life with our Lord, Jesus the Christ. And, in return He is revealing Himself to you!

In our last post I announced 2 of our Card Winners! They are Becky Dunham, and Abby-- from Little Birdie Blessings Blog! They will each receive 3 cards/envelopes from the He IS Able blog. IF they contact me before Tuesday, January 24th at 8pm. Just email me your mailing address, even if I have it already...that way I know you do want me to mail you the cards! My email is tracistarkweather@gmail.com

God is So Good...and that is what today's Scriptures are about:

"Now therefore arise, O Lord God,

to Your resting place, You and the ark

of Your might; let Your priests, O Lord God,

be clothed with salvation and let

Your godly ones rejoice in what is good."

(2 Chronicles 6:41)

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,

And He delights in his way."

(Psalm 37:23)

Let's take a look at the "He IS Able Card Set Winner of the Week!"

This week's Card Recipient left a comment which read:

"Hi Traci! Oh that graduation ceremony must have been awesome to be a part of! A Proud moment too!"

Congratulations, Vicki Jo! You were the person who wrote the randomly chosen comment! So you will receive 4 cards/envelopes (the randomly chosen number of cards to be given between 1 and 5). Please be sure to email me your address before January 24th, 8pm Eastern. If I don't hear from you, sadly, those cards will be put back in our "Card Stash." Vicki Jo, my email is listed above--I hope you send me your mailing address, soon! Way to go! Tell your friends...we have this drawing every week! Leave a comment before Tuesday at 8pm-Eastern! You may be randomly chosen to win again!

Let's look at more of God's Word. Especially those Scripture which share just how good He is. Let's look at Psalm 52:9:

"I will praise You forever for what You have done;

in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good.

I will praise You in the presence of Your saints."

(Psalm 52:9)

"I believe that I shall look upon

the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living!"

(Psalm 27:13)

Here is a poem by Richard J. Foster~

"Even when all we see are the tangled threads on the backside of life's tapestry, we know that God is good and is out to do us good always."

What is it that makes you know in your heart that God is good? Does He prove it in your life? Do you remember to thank Him when He does? Can you name one time when you know that God was working for the good in your life? Perhaps you were going through a rough time, and He strengthened you, or gave you the words to share, or something else? How about sharing one thing that makes you know that God is good in our comment section? I love when we encourage each other...what a great way to do this! And, if you post it before Tuesday 8pm, you may be randomly chosen to receive up to 5 cards/envelopes! They are beautiful! Donated by loving, and artistic card makers around the world. Please leave some sort of comment! It really encourages us! And, we hope it encourages you!t

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

2 Card Winners Announced...and introducing my son, a US Airman.

2012-01-16T21:10:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends~

Thank you for being patient with me as I recovered from my trip to see my son become an Airman 1st Class in the US Air Force. It was an amazing trip, and God kept revealing Himself to me in so many ways. Thank You, Jesus! I am most excited that Joshua accepted my first Bible from when I found the Lord when I was 29. Josh had only asked for a book of Psalms and Proverbs. He had been meeting with the Chaplain on base, to discuss Judaism, and he found great peace and comfort in His Word. Well, we know that His Word never goes void! Never! Josh is seeking, and I am ecstatic! I am still praying for his Salvation, and for a life of loving and serving the Lord for my son. I am trusting in God for everything this year. My "Thought of the Year." I have used a word in the last couple of years to focus on...this year it is the same thought...it's a good one! I'm doing my best not to get down, or act without asking Him first.

The Lord clearly answered the prayers that were lifted up asking for Him to please grant me the energy and strength to make it to every event for Josh and the other Airmen. I made it while we walked miles around the base and San Antonio...such a beautiful city...so much art! Since being home, I have been recovering from the change in weather, and I miss my son so much. I have been down. I know, I need to look up. Keep My Eyes Upon Jesus!

Our trip to Lackland AFB in Texas was amazing! I have never felt so proud of my son or my country. And, I have always been against war...still hope we end the war soon, and that humans, (The smartest animal on earth), will come to a different, more intelligent way to solve differences. Don't get me wrong, I am, and always have been extremely grateful for all of our military members. I saw everything that our Airmen go through at Basic Military Training on video from the base--not something easy! And, I saw my son emerge with more confidence, standing straighter (6' 3" with boots!), and a leader as well as a follower when needed. I am so proud of him, and love him very much. Here is a photo minus his wonderful red, curly head full of hair:

Airman 1st Class Josh Simring

______________________________

I found two poems that really struck my heart. They are both in the book, Whispers of Promise. This book is published by Harbour, and both poems are anonymous. I hope you enjoy them!

You'll Never Stand Alone

God doesn't want to see you suffer

unnecessarily. Instead of leaving

you to work out your life in your

own way, He wants to guide you.

When you face difficult days... you

won't stand alone. Trouble won't

blast your life but will strengthen

you instead. Your Creator can turn

all trials to blessings if you just

stand firm in Him. Enjoy your

days in Jesus.

~Anonymous

This second poem is what this blog is about...it's why we have the

He IS Able Blog Card Give-Aways. To encourage us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ either through voice or through the cards you may receive as a gift from this blog. "The He IS Able blog: Sharing His Love, His Word, His Gift of Salvation through Card-Giving!" I hope this poem will help cause an enthusiastic reply, and that you will all tell someone about Jesus Christ this week...one way or another!

Let's Lighten the Darkness

When we reach out in faith to

someone and don't get a positive

response, do we recognize that

we're speaking to a spiritually deaf

soul?...Kindness in the face of

opposition may begin the work

that opens deaf ears and lightens

blind eyes. Let's start to unclog

ears and lighten the darkness.

~Anonymous

This poem really fit my life. Before I knew the Lord, I really felt that my eyes were sealed with concrete before learning about the Lord. I could not know the Truth because I could not see it with my eyes sealed shut. But, when I heard about Him, read His Word, asked Him into my heart as my Savior and Lord...he opened my eyes. It's as if He chiseled the concrete off of my eyes...I WAS blind, but now I can see! Praise God!

______________________________

Announcing: The Winners of the Last 2 Week's He IS Able Card Set Gift!

Congratulations Becky Dunham and Abby from Little Birdie Blessings Blog

This is Becky's comment: "Thanks Traci! I am thrilled to have won these cards! Will get you my snail mail immediately. I have just recently found your blog and I am so glad I did - we can all use uplifting every day :) Thanks for providing an amazing blog where I can be lifted in my faith just by visiting! God Bless!"

And, this is Abby's comment: "Thank you Traci, I'm excited to have won the five cards and looking forward to getting them."

How interesting that both of our randomly chosen card recipients were chosen before! Well, ladies, you know what to do...please send me your mailing address (tracistarkweather@gmail.com) so that I know that you each want your cards. Oh, how many did you get? The random number was 2. So, you will each receive 2 cards/envelopes this time. Just let me know before Tuesday evening (the 24th) that you want these cards. If I do not hear from you, I will put the cards back in the "Card Stash." How were you entered in this? Well, you simply left a comment before Tuesday night 8pm. Just like our Give Away every week! That's all it takes.

We have many cards left on hand...so the give-aways will continue.

However, we would love to add some A2 cards that have a Scripture, Biblical Image, or say a flower and a word like "Blessings" or "Jesus Loves You" on the cover. It would be wonderful to include your cards in our Weekly He IS Able Card Give-Aways. Thank you for considering this way of serving the Lord. If you have more than one card, please put it in a plastic ziplock and include an envelope and mail to:

Traci Starkweather

116 Colyer Drive

Longwood, Florida 32779

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

I'm back...And need some rest!

2012-01-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoyed the Series that I auto-posted while Dave and I went to see Joshua graduate from Basic Military Training in Lackland (Beautiful San Antonio) Texas.

I am really worn out...and I would like to take today off from blogging, and rest. I WILL be back on Monday. And, I will announce the 2 Winners of the He IS Able Card Sets of the Week!

I do hope you understand, that after a big trip like that...and an emotional trip like that...it takes me longer to recover. My legs, hips and back really feel much better resting. I hope you will join me on Monday. I apologize if I am letting any of you down. I have been praying for each of you.

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

He IS Able...

2012-01-09T21:06:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

Well, we have read the Introduction from "My All in All" by Mr. Robert J. Morgan over the last 3 posts. It has been very inspiring and educational. It has opened so man doors for us to start to look into this new year...2012. (Who can believe that? 2012!)

Today, I really want to share the first Devotion of the book. As soon as you read it, you will see why it was so important that I share this with you. It is a direct quote from "My All in All" published by B&H Books.

"God is able to make all grace abound toward you;

that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,

may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV)

Missionary Amy Carmichael attended a meeting featuring the renowned preacher Dr. Andrew Bonar. "He was very old and could not speak very plainly or strongly," she recalled. "The hall was full, and I was near the back. I could not catch a single word he said, except this word all. He read 2 Corinthians 9:8 and he put every bit of strength he had into it, so that the one word rang out--all--always--all--all. I have forgotten thousands of great sermons, but that's "all" I have never forgotten, and it has helped me countless times."

The context of this Verse involves giving to the Lord's work, yet the promise is larger than its context. The words God is able represent a recurring divine promise:

** He is able to establish us (Rom. 16:25)

** He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or think (Eph. 3:20)

** He is able to keep what we have committed to Him (2 Timothy 1:12)

** He is able to aid us in temptation (Heb. 2:18)

** He is able to keep us from falling (Jude 24)

** He is able to deliver us (Daniel 3:17)

** And He is able to make all grace aboud to us in all ways at all times for all things.

Our God IS Able! Throughout this year, He isn't going to impart some grace or some sufficiency in some things for some good works. It's all--all--all!

_______________________

He IS Able! That is a great thing to remember when you think your problems are too small for Him to notice, or too big for Him. There is nothing He can not do! (Sorry for the double negative!) He is there for you no matter what! You matter to Him! He loves you more than anyone, and He has the best path set for your life, if only we will follow Him.

He IS Able! is also the name of a blog that has a prayer team to pray for your needs, we're here to encourage you to encourage others, and for all of us to learn how to lead a Christ filled life together, learning more about Him, and perhaps sharing a few crafts along the way!

We are currently looking for Prayer Team Members and someone who would enjoy writing one post a month. The topic is about the different women of the Bible. If you are interested in being a part of this blog, perhaps sharing a tutorial, or sharing about a specific Scripture, your Testimony of when you came to know the Lord please let us know either in the comment section or email Traci at tracistarkweather@gmail.com. And, please let us know if you have anything in particular that you would like to learn about in this coming year!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

"My All in All" (Part 3)

2012-01-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

I hope you have been reading this series with us since Monday. It is based on this wonderful Devotion Book I am reading. It is called "My All in All" by Robert J. Morgan.

Before you read any further...I left Wednesday's post off asking you to post your Favorite Scripture with the word "all" in it. Just write it out in the comment section, if you would. It will also make you eligible to win the He IS Able Card Sets Give-Away! When you are done with that...come on back and take a look at the list of Scripture the author came up with that all include the word "all" in it.

(Part 3 of Robert J. Morgan's Introduction to "My All in All"
The following is a quote.

Looking up the word in a concordance, I was amazed to find 5,675 “alls” in the Bible.This word shows up in a remarkable number of Verses, and it amplifies many of our greatest truths, commands and promises:

**”All things work together for the good of those who love God”(Romans 8:28)

**”You have thrown all my sins behind Your back” (Isaiah 38:17)

**”Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.”

(Matthew 10:30)

**“Love the Lord your God with all your heart”(Matthew 22:37)

**“Trust in the Lord with all your heart”(Proverbs 3:5-6)

**“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened”

(Matthew 11:28)

**“Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.”

(Psalm 23:6 NIV)

**“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you" (Matthew 6:33)

The Lord doesn’t waste words in His Book. In the Verses above, the alls could easily have been left out; yet there they are. Seems it’s one of God’s favorite words. He used it thousands of times, often in passages that would have read nicely without it; yet, the all maximizes the meaning to the absolute. It’s the largest little word in the world, taking already strong statements and broadening their applications to virtual infinity, which, after all, is what one would expect from an omnipotent Father.

The frequency of this word in Scripture speaks to the all-sufficient grace of our Almighty Savior. It highlights the infinite omniqualities of God, and the complete devotion we should afford Him. He is the Lord of All, our All-in-All, our Almighty God, our All-Sufficient Savior from whom All blessings flow; and He is All we need.

Looking up all these alls was the simplest Bible study I’ve ever done, but one of those most bolstering to the soul, because all Scripture is given by inspiration of God—even the thousands of occurrences of this little monosyllabic term.

So for each day of the year, I’ve selected an “all” from Scripture---365 of them, all told.

The other 5, 310 occurrences you’ll have to dig out yourself!T

He IS Able! Traci Starkweather

"My All in All" (Part 2).

2012-01-04T19:30:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends~

If you weren't here on Monday you may not know that I am in Texas celebrating with my son who is graduating from the Air Force Basic Military Training! So, Monday started the 1st part of this series... "My All in All" by Robert J. Morgan. Please go back to Monday's post and read the set up for this beautiful book. It will continue for a couple of days at least. I also explained about the He IS Able Card Sets Give-Away on Monday--please read it.

OK—Here is the Introduction. It is all typed in direct quotes.

"He is all in all to me,

And my song of songs shall be,

Hallelujah, O My Savior,

I am trusting only Thee."

~Fanny Crosby

“Daily Assurance of God’s Grace…My All in All”

INTRODUCTION

One evening several years ago when troubled about a particular matter, I sat at the dining room table and picked up my Bible. I turned to a little book near the back and read through 1 Peter, thinking the old fisherman might have an encouraging word for me. When I got to the last chapter, I came across Verse 7: “casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you.” It was a Verse I knew well, indeed had memorized it; but now I saw something I’d never seen before. It said: “casting ALL your care upon Him.”

The Divine Author could easily have omitted the word allwithout hindering the flow or force of the text: casting your care upon Him. But the Lord deliberately dropped that little all into the sentence like a pearl in the pathway, and I had overlooked it for years.

But what a word! The “all” indicated this was anall-inclusive promise. Nothing is excluded from the invitation. No problem is too small for His notice, none to large for His power. He’s concerned about each and every problem I have or would ever have, public or personal, large or little. He can handle them, and I should give them all to Him in total trust.

Then a thought came to me. I wondered if there were other “alls” in the Bible that I’d missed. Continuing my reading, I noticed three Verses later that God is the “God of all grace.” Four Verses later: “Peace to allof you.” Three Verses down the column, in 2 Peter 1:3, I read, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through knowledge of Him who called us.” (NKJV)

_________________________

I'm going to stop quoting the book for today. I have a challenge for you. The next post will start off with many Scripture containing the word "all" in it. So, I am challenging you to write your favorite Verse that contains the word "All" in it in the comment section. Have a great day! God Bless!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

"My All in All" (Part 1)

2012-01-02T19:29:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

Happy New Year! I pray that you have all enjoyed this holiday weekend, and if you have made any resolutions, that they include getting to know Him as closely as possible. You could spend as much time in prayer as possible. Read His Word every day…even a paragraph! And, encourage others in daily life…and to know the Lord, Jesus the Christ!

I am leaving for my son Joshua’s graduation from the Basic Military Training from the Air Force this week. I doubt I will have the time or energy to post while I am gone. You will all be in my prayers, as usual. I will be spending some quality time with my son that I haven’t seen for almost 3 months, and will not be able to see for almost a year! It is difficult for me to travel, we are heading to San Antonio, Texas. My back, legs and migraines are usually pretty bad when I travel. I am praying that my disabilities will not keep me from attending any of Josh’s events!

So, I will draw 2 names next week for our He IS Able Card Set Give-Away! I’m not sure what day it will be, so please stop by Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I will be recuperating from the trip so as soon as able, I will announce the winners. It is difficult for me to travel, we are heading to San Antonio, Texas. My back, legs and migraines are usually pretty bad when I travel. I am praying that my disabilities will not keep me from attending any of Josh’s events! Be sure to leave a comment before Tuesday at 8pm to be eligible to receive a set of beautiful hand made cards.

I have started a new book of Devotions. I have been waiting a while to start it on the 1^st. And, I read the introduction the day before. It may seem odd, but I want to share the introduction with you. It is amazing…and so inspiring! The book has a long name…

“Daily Assurance of God’s Grace…My All in All” It is written by Robert J. Morgan and B&H Publishing Group put it out. And, I love the feel of this paperback. The pages feel worn, the outside edge is "texturized" somehow…some pages stick out more than others, over and over it has ridges! And it just feels like it has been read by many before me…this exact book--even though that was not the case. The cover is an antiqued gold and brown, and the edges look as if they were distressed with Tim Holtz’s Distress Inks. It is cozy. If I am being clear about what I mean.

I hope you will enjoy these few days as I split this wonderful Introduction to this book and the 1st Devotion into a few parts. You know how God provides? Well, I pray for Him to please provide the material that is shared on this blog. Well, when you get to the 1st Devotion...you will KNOW that it was made to be shared on the He IS Able blog!

I am setting the next post to automatically show up on Wednesday morning. Have a great week! God Bless!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

How Are You Feeling? Happy 2012?!

2011-12-30T21:17:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

I do wish each of you a wonderful and safe New Year's Celebration. When you are thinking about the coming year...2012...(YIKES!) think of how you can spend more time with the Lord, or how to understand Him better, how to serve Him, do more good deeds, or how to reach others for Him and spread the Gospel. And, make it your top priority!

Because our "Card Sets of the Week" have brought out so many new guests to the He IS Able blog, we are going to continue giving away sets of up to 5 cards a week until further notice. These cards are for all different occasions, and are stunning! I know you will want to leave a comment before Tuesday, 8pm (Eastern Time USA) to be eligible for the random drawing. After the person is randomly chosen, a number from 1-5 is chosen. That number is how many cards and envelopes you will receive! Just stop by on Wednesdays to see who won, and if it is you, email me your mailing address. (My email is on the bottom of the right column.) I will not be leaving messages for winners to come check out the site...so if you see your friend's name...let them know! (Also, I can only afford to send these cards in the USA. We love every one of you who visits...I just can not afford it. I do apologize.)

____________________________

I wrote this post last year on December 27th. I think it is such an important message to share that I would like to repeat it. You are all so important to me. So please take this message to heart. I am not going to change the words...they are written to apply to Christmas time, but New Year's is the same. I have deleted some material that no longer applied. PLEASE contact me, if I can share any information or answer any questions. We would like for you to please leave all prayer requests in the comment section. Joan and I will pray sincerely and without ceasing. YOU are important!

____________________________

I have something weighing heavily on my heart. I want to share it with you. You may know about it...perhaps it is a completely unique thought that has never crossed your mind. I feel a responsibility to share it. I hope you understand, it is not a typical Christmas time post. Here goes:

"Merry Christmas!" "Happy Holiday!" "Isn't Christmas the best time of the year?" "Happy New Year!" "Feliz Navidad!" It goes on and on...all of these merry or joyous greetings. People say them to the cashiers that they don't even usually greet. They say them to the person a few cubicles down..."Have a Merry Christmas!" "Oh, I do hope you enjoy playing with those new Grand-babies of yours! Christmas is surely for children!"

I want to remind everyone...that even though Christmas is a day of the ultimate Joy, there are many who have feelings of sadness, depression, even suicide during the holidays.

Now, I pray that you all had an incredible Christmas with family and friends, and closeness, and that you celebrated the Miraculous birth of our Savior, Jesus. If you had a day like this...you are fortunate...blessed. I am very happy for you!

However, many people are not feeling joy this time of year. The AA rooms are usually busting out of the seams this time of year. People choosing not to drink again. That is not what this is about...unless it should be for you, or someone you love. (Email me if you would like info on AA or Al-anon.) It was in the AA rooms that I learned a lot of what I want to share.

This information is something I learned long ago. Both of my grandmothers passed away in December one year after each other. It brings great sadness to me. One of them was still Jewish, which adds tremendous sadness and guilt to me. I was also assaulted in December, and re-live that every year. Many people have loved ones who may have passed away this year, and they don't know how to "do" Christmas without them. Perhaps, a loved one passed away even 25 years ago and they still grieve this time of year. Some people may have gone or be going through divorce. Another type of loss...even if it was their idea! It is difficult...it is new. There are people that really don't have the resources for the most minimal of things...let alone to buy gifts or cookies. There are Veterans who sadly, still live in "the" war in their minds. So, if you are one who is feeling like any of these people, or many other people with other trials and sadness. Or if you are just so overwhelmed with "how" Christmas is supposed to look like and feel...you are not alone.

It is a time of Joy that Jesus came here as a little babe, to Save us and Love us. And, you can still have great sadness over other issues. So, please do not feel "alone." You can feel a combination of feelings, too.

Deuteronomy 33:27:
"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!"

If you fall into this category, instead of the over flowing with bubbly talk and song! You are where you should be...especially if you are in the arms of Jesus. Please know, He will help you...just ask Him.

You need not stay in this category forever. Even if it is a mental illness, there is hope. There is always HOPE. Always a way out! Especially with our Loving Lord, Jesus the Christ. But, please, be yourself. Happy or not. Just be honest with your emotions...share if you want...or just be honest with yourself about being sad, but promise to keep others and yourself safe...not matter what! If it becomes dangerous...call 911 and tell them...do not wait. They will help you. Think of all of the people who care for you, though you may be incapable of feeling it right now. Suicide is NEVER the answer. NEVER! And, for those of you who may be grieving over someone who did take their own life. Jesus can help you with your suffering, also. He is a BIG and MIGHTY Lord, and capable of ALL things. I am so sorry for your loss.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3

I hope I have had clarity to write. There is no "Correct" way to feel right now is my point. Every step you take...to step out of it...is wonderful. And, if you have Jesus Christ in your life as Lord and Savior...He can change anything! Even if you feel that your sadness is too big for anyone to change it.

If you do not know Jesus in your heart as your Lord, your Messiah, then simply type that in the comment box or email me. I will be honored to help lead you to a life full of HOPE and love and joy...as well as some sadness, and grief...but you will have Jesus on your side. Jesus is Victorious in His Battles. He will fight for you! He loves you already!

I care. I pray for each of you...the joyous, the sad, the happy, the homeless, the grief stricken, those with problems in their lives that seem so big. I pray for those of you who know Jesus Christ, and for those of you who don't. I pray that you will seek help if you need it. I pray that you will be honest with yourself, especially, about how you are truly feeling. I will be happy to help carry some of your burden. He-- Jesus the Christ, can carry your burden for you. He already has. I pray that any of you who find yourself in one of the above situations will seek help, or at least let me know, so I can pray. I have some friends who I pray with daily, with your permission--ONLY, I would have them join in praying for you. Otherwise, it is between you, me and Lord Jesus.

If you are feeling like you want to help somehow. Pray. Read the Bible. Watch for signs. Don't "make someone feel "jolly," try to accept their feelings however they may be. Volunteer...go read the Christmas Story to someone in a Nursing Home, or in the hospital. That is such a wonderful thing to do. Just go to the nurses station and ask if there is anyone who hasn't had a visitor, and ask if you can spend a bit of time with you. Introduce yourself, and ask if they would like to listen to the Christmas Story, or a different section of the Bible, or just talk. And, then just listen...don't offer any advice unless you are a professional...and then be careful!! And, you will not only be blessing them. You will be amazed...by the time you are back in your car...you will feel blessed yourself.

I pray that everyone have a Happy New Year with Jesus being the focus of the year! Thank you for letting me share that.

He IS Able,
Traci Starkweather

"Get Your Faith Lifted" and Winner Announced...

2011-12-28T21:09:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

I found this beautiful piece this morning that I think you will enjoy...and then we will see who won this week's "Card Set of the Week!" and how many cards will be given!

First, this wonderful Devotion from "Quiet Moments in the Presence of God." Their Devotions are published by Bethany House.

Get Your Faith Lifted

"When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such faith." (Matthew 8:10)

When Jesus commended the soldier for his great trust, he was making a faith comparison. By applauding the military commander for believing his servant could be healed, Jesus was saying some people have more faith than others. To increase your faith, spend time with God and draw close to Him.

The important thing in faith development is not to compare where you are to others but to compare it where you are to others but to compare it with yourself. Where are you now in comparison to where you were before? Is your faith being lifted to a higher level? In your faith, be superior to your previous self. In your Christian life, have a faith that regularly increases and steadily rises.

Your faith increases as you focus more and more on who God is to you.

"You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following Him. Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful." (Colossians 2:6-7)

___________________________

OK, let's see who will win 9 Cards from the He IS Able Blog!

Why 9? Because we randomly chose the comment from the past week through Tuesday evening at 8pm like every week. And, we have randomly chosen the number of cards to be given away...and the number was to be chosen between 1-10 cards! This week's cards will be for all different occasions...

This Week's Winner is Becky Dunham when she left her comment on December 26th! Congratulations, Becky! We are so glad you are here, and we hope you will continue to visit us on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays...you could receive the post of the blog via email in the top rectangle on the right hand side of the blog! Becky, please email me by next Tuesday at 8pm with your snail mail address, and I will be happy to send you the 9 cards/envelopes. tracistarkweather@gmail.com

We love and appreciate all of our guests, but sadly, we can only send items to people living in the USA, due to the costs of postage. We hope you will all continue to visit the He IS Able blog, as we encourage each other to grow closer to Him, and to share the Gospel with people we may or may not know. After all, that is how our Card Give-Away started! We hope that you will use your cards to share about "His Love, His Word, and His Gift of Salvation through Card Give-Aways!"

See you on Friday! God Bless!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Who Would You Be?

2011-12-26T04:00:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends~

I pray that everyone has had a wonderful, God-filled Christmas! What an exciting time of year. I keep thinking of what it would have been like to be a shepherd in the field...and to receive the message from God's angel. The message of our Savior's birth! It must have been the most terrifying and exciting and wonderful thing to ever happen int heir life! I wonder if the shepherds just left their sheep where they were, the sheep that they cared for so carefully day after day, or if they took off to find this babe in swaddling clothes in a manger? Or did they take the sheep with them on this long trek? I don't know, it just makes me think about them and their lives so much.

If you could be anyone in the Christmas Story who would it be...and it you would, how about telling us why? This could be so much fun to share about in the comment section!

I wish I had the faith and righteous nature of Joseph. It must have been so horrible for him to be faced by the other men in the Village, when his wife to be was pregnant by someone else. Well, that's what they thought, I think. They all must have thought that his wife-to-be was cheating on him, and that Joseph must not have been much of a husband-to-be. Joseph did everything he was told...no questions asked, no argueing his side of things. He did what he was told...and he was rewarded by being the father of the Savior of the World.

I have a bit of news to share. Michele will be unable to continue writing the "Precious Women of God--This Includes You!" in the future. At least for a few months. She is fine...just extremely busy, and has been working with us for a long while now. I would love it if one of you would like to join our team and pick up with Michele's posts. Even temporarily. I have material that would be informative to help, and I could point you in the direction of some very helpful websites. You would type it up...I will help as much as you want...and you would email it to me a week before the 3rd Friday (when it is posted), and I will post it on the blog for you! The purpose of the post is to share about the woman of your choice from the Bible, and to get us to think about whether: We would have done what that woman did or not? Would we want to be like her? What qualities did she have that were admirable? Was there anything you would change about her if you were her? These are a few of the questions that you could pose to your readers. Please take a look at some of Michele's posts...you can find them on the right side in red...look for "Precious Women of God--This Includes You!" and click to read her post of the month. Go ahead and read a couple and see if this is something you would like to do---once a month, as a way to serve the Lord. If you find yourself interested, email me at:
tracistarkweather@gmail.com and I will answer any questions you may have, and offer any help! This would really be a great way to serve the Lord, and help me out, too.

Well, I am keeping this short today. Share about who you would want to be in the Christmas story or about your Christmas if you are willing. That way we can start to get to know each other...a major goal of the blog this year. Then perhaps we will find it easier to pray for each other, or encourage each other in our walk with the Lord, or to know about the Lord through the cards we give away...or verbally! I look forward to hearing your answers to my question in the orange!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

The Winner of the "Very Merry Christmas Blog Candy" Announced!

2011-12-25T15:54:00.000-05:00

Dear He IS Able Blog Friends~(Who I am grateful for and appreciate and hold dear to my heart.)

“And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” Luke 2:16-20 KJV

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Last night Dave and I went to Christmas Eve Services at Northland Church. It is listed on the right side of the blog under favorite blogs...you can watch the hour long service by clicking on it. I tell you it was an amazing service! First of all, Dave went with me...just to be my escort, but it made me so happy...and I prayed even more fervently for his and Josh's Salvation. I was so glad he went, and of course hearing God's Word does not go void...it impacts everyone's hearts. Anyway...the music was phenomenal!

I must tell you that I wrote tomorrow's (Monday's) post on Friday. Well, when you read what I am about to share...and then read tomorrow's post...you will be as shocked as I was! The sermon was the first time I have ever heard one like this...it was the Christmas Story from Luke Chapter 2, from the Shepherds in the field point of view. It was inspiring. It was beautiful. The church I have attended is huge...it seats about 10,000 people I think, but you still get that close-knit feeling. It's the people. When they shared about the Heavenly Host, they used the church lights to make little circles of very bright white circles all over the dark room...they shut off all other lights. They represented the Heavenly Host. It was beautiful. It kept me speechless and excited at the same time. I was so glad that I went. And, now that they don't use pews, I may be able to attend on a weekly basis, because with my disabilities, it is so hard to sit in a pew. These are much more comfortable and all pivoted toward the center slightly...so we can all see everything happening on the...I don't know the proper word for this...the stage or the pulpit? Is a pulpit the item that a Pastor may stand behind when lecturing that holds his notes? Or is it the area that the whole team stands on, like a stage? In Hebrew and in synagogues the Bimah (Bee-ma) is the whole stage area...and the pulpit is the item that holds the microphone and the Torah (The first 5 books of the Bible). I would love to know, if you know, please let me know. Thank you!

Oh, there was a candle light portion of the service. But, they used battery operated candles for everyone. Apparently, there was a mis-hap a few years ago…someone injured herself with her candle! It just wasn't the same. I loved seeing all of the white lights shining every where you looked in the past. It reminded me of white for purity, and the Light that shines within myself and others. Now, they use orange colored candle flames...it just wasn’t the same to me.

I'd love to know what you did on Christmas Eve! How about sharing if you have some time?

___________________________

I know, you are here to see who won the:

"Very Merry Christmas Blog Candy!"

The prizes include:

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD (Click on the words "Rise Up" and turn up your volume on your computer! Get ready to Praise the Lord! I love this song and the whole CD!)

**Rubber stamps: 1. "Jesus is the reason for the Season"

2. Stampington Company-"Large Donner"

3. and 4. A set of Acrylic Studio G stamps on

friendship and thanks

5. A Hampton Art-Studio G"Thinking of you in Prayer."

6. A stamp of a noise maker...one you may find at a birthday party

**A beautiful murano glass cross

**Silver Craft Cord

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**Spool of Town and Country Ribbon- red with green hearts for all year use

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.

**I will include some extra goodies also!

We will be continuing the "Weekly He IS Able Card Set Give-Away" until further notice! So, please get a new comment in by Tuesday evening at 8pm (Eastern time-USA) to be eligible! The person's comment and the number of cards/envelopes given (1-10) will be announced on Wednesday! The winner has until the next Tuesday evening at 8 O'clock to email me with your mailing address.

The Winner of the "Very Merry Christmas Blog Candy" is...

Shelly Schmidt!

Congratulations, Shelly! I hope you will really enjoy this arrangement of goodies! Please email me your snail-mailing address, (Even though I may have it) to show that you would like to receive these exciting items! I need to receive that email by Saturday, December 31st at Midnight, or you may forfeit it! My email is tracistarkweather@gmail.com

_______________________________________

Praying you all experience the love of Jesus Christ today and always, and that you will share that with others who may not yet know Him. Please be safe travelling. I am so glad you have all been here. I pray you will continue to visit us on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays!

Merry Christmas!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T04:00:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends,

Tonight is Christmas Eve. The most wonderous evening of the year. I am only going to share a short reminder that you have until 12:00pm (Midnight) on Saturday (Eastern Time-US) to leave a comment to be eligible for the "Very Merry Christmas Blog Candy!" The winner will be announced on Christmas Day! You need to contact me by email before Saturday the 31st. (My email is on the right side--far down on the list.)

I pray you all have a God-filled evening and day tomorrow. That you have friends or family to celebrate our Savior's birth with, and that you all are kept safe. This is my first holiday season without Josh being here. He will be graduating from the Air Force's Basic Military Training soon after the New Year. I am praying that he will go to the service they have on base, and that he will make the most important decision in his life...to give his life to Jesus, and ask Him to be his Lord and Savior. Have a wonderful holiday.

_____________________________

This is my favorite Christmas Story Scriptures:

Luke 2:1-21 (KJV)

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

___________________________

Merry Christmas and May God bless each of you!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

This Week's Winner Is...

2011-12-21T21:19:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends~

Well, are you ready for Christmas? I don't mean the tree and the lights outside. I mean inside, in your heart. Have you been spending some time with the Lord? Have you been reading the Christmas sections of the Bible? Do know Jesus in your heart? That is what I mean when I ask if you are ready for Christmas.

I haven't sent out one card, we don't have a tree up or Christmas lights outside, I never even put my Nativity Scene up which is really the only decoration I do put up. I have not been well. But, hopefully, I will be better for the Christmas Eve Candle Light Services. Dave said he would go with me! I am excited. And, I know they are offering a nice Christmas Service for Military Members, that Josh will probably go to. I can not wait to see him!

But, I know that I know Jesus, and I try to learn more about Him every opportunity that I have. I am so grateful that He let me come to know Him. That He has changed me through the Holy Spirit. Thank You, Jesus!

_______________________________

Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy Winner!

We are giving away a set of cards to a person who leaves a comment...about anything before Tuesday at 8pm. The comment will be randomly chosen and announced on Wednesday! The number of cards you receive will range between 1 and 10...that number will be randomly chosen! This Give-Away will run through the month of December!

This Week's Winner...

Congratulations, Abby of Little Birdie Blessings!!

Thanks for the comment and for stopping by Abby! I know your own blog, Little Birdie Blessings is a huge blessing to all of us that visit it! Abby, shares beautiful Vintage Art with us, (And we can use it on some cards when given permission!) But, she shares so much more than that! She shares so much about the Lord, and about Hymns which she loves and plays at church. You will be blessed for visiting her blog. Look on the right side of this blog, and you will see "Little Birdie Blessings." Just click on that and you will be at her blog in a moment. By the way, Abby please email me your address, even if I have it, so I know that you do want your gift from the He IS Able blog. I must be notified by Tuesday night at 8pm or you forfeit the cards, and we don't want that. It is our hope and desire that you will use these cards to share about "His Love, His Word, His Gift of Salvation. " And, since this is one of our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy Winner! You didn't win one card! You won the randomly chosen 5 cards and envelopes! We will continue to have this special give-away for the rest of December! So, we hope everyone will leave a post before Tuesday evening. And, don't forget you could win our "Very Merry Christmas Blog Candy!" You will receive one entry for every comment you have left between December 10th and Christmas Eve at Midnight (Eastern Time.) Look below for what you may win!

I almost forgot, this was Abby's randomly chosen comment:

Hi Traci, Thanks for your comments on my blog. I hope you're enjoying this Christmas season. Thinking of your son who is in the military now. Merry Christmas. ~ Abby By Little Birdie Blessings on New Info on Blog Candy and Christmas Poetry to Enj... on 12/15/11

________________________

Do you see that rectangle under our title on the right side? It asks if you would like to receive the He IS Able blog via email automatically? If you would, just put your email in there and hit your enter key. I am the only one who can see your address, and I don't know how to do that yet! This may be more convenient for you to do this.

How are you spending Christmas? How about sharing a Family Tradition in the comment section?

_______________________

I have shared about our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy Winner! Now I would like to share about 2 other Give Aways!

Share About The He IS Able Blog!

And, if you share about our give-aways or post our He IS Able blog badge on your blog...and let us know--(please send a link)--we will send you a couple cards/envelopes for your use...as a thank you. (Please click and paste the badge...it is not a button...they will only see the URL if it is copied.) It is a simple way to serve the Lord. The more people learn about this blog, and come to visit and learn about The Prince of Peace aka The King of Kings aka The Mighty One, the more they learn about the grace and love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and His amazing gift of Salvation. The more apt your readers are to pray and give their life to Him. Isn't that what we are really here for? AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

We have many wonderful items that will be given to one randomly chosen person. Here are the details...every time you leave a comment from December 10-24th, you will be entered in our drawing for our "Very Merry Christmas Day Blog Candy!"

We have some fabulous prizes this year:

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD (Click on the words "Rise Up" and turn up your volume on your computer! Get ready to Praise the Lord! I love this song and the whole CD!)

**Rubber stamps: Stampington Company-"Large Donner," 3. & $. A Set of 4 acrylic Studio G stamps of friendship and thanks, 5. A Hampton Art-Studio G-"Thinking of you in Prayer." and a 6. stamp of a noise maker...one you may find at a birthday party, for instance!)

**A beautiful murano glass cross

**Silver Craft Cord

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**Spool of Town & Country Ribbon- red with green hearts for all year use

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder

Be sure to leave your comments to be eligible for the drawing to be announced on Christmas Day!

This is in addition to our Weekly Card Give-Aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other---including us, and "Sharing His love, His Word, and His Gift of Salvation through Cards!*" (* This is the blog's Mission Statement.)

Please leave as many comments as you can before Midnight on Christmas Eve to be eligible for our "Very Merry Christmas Blog Candy!"...East Coast Time here in the US. You can enter as many times as you like. To be eligible for the Weekly Give-Away, please be sure to leave a post before Tuesday evening at 8pm! Please be sure to leave your prayer requests in the comment section. Joan and I will pray for each one. May God bless each of you as you bless others!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

"--Twas the Night Before Jesus Came--"

2011-12-20T14:36:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends~

The following poem was written by Bethany Farms, and WOW! It is powerful. I found it in with our miscellaneous boxed cards from who knows when. I hope that it will cause great thought, perhaps you will share it with another.

I would appreciate any healing prayers. I am extremely fatigued, and every muscle and joint in my body is in severe pain. I don't usually ask, but I would appreciate it. Thank you in advance for helping. While you are praying...will you please join me in praying for all of the Missionaries around the world. Some of them serve the Lord at the highest price or under terrible circumstances, some are jailed, and most do not make any money for themselves...they do it to serve the Lord. They do it to share the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

_______________________________

It Was the Night Before Jesus Came

'Twas the night before Jesus came

and all through the house

Not a creature was praying

not one in the house.

Their Bibles were lain

on the shelf without care

...in hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,

Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.

And Mom in her rocker with baby on lap

Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.

With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray,

I knew in a moment this must be The Day!

The light of His face made me cover my head

It was Jesus! Returning just like He had said.

And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,

I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself!

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand,

Was written the name of every Saved man.

He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;

When He said "It's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love

He gathered to take to His Father above.

With those who were ready He rose without a sound

While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;

I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.

I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight,

Oh, if only I had been ready tonight!

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;

The coming of Jesus is drawing near.

There's only one life and when comes the last call,

We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

May the joy and peace

of His presence

be with you until

He comes again!

~Bethany Farms

_________________________

For those of you that know the Lord as your Savior, your Friend, your confidant, as the One who loves you more than anyone, I wish you a very Blessed Christmas, we will be posting on Wednesday with this week's Card Set Winner, and on Friday with a very special post, and on Christmas Day we will announce the recipient of the "Merry Christmas Blog Candy!"

For those of you who do not yet have that relationship with Jesus, I hope that the words of this poem will resonate with you, and give you a thirst to know Him. And will soon decide to pray this poem with all of your heart:

"Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins. I open the door of my heart to you and receive you now as My Savior and Lord. Thank You. Please give me eternal life. I recognize that the blood shed on the cross was the full payment for my sins. I acknowledge You as the Risen Savior and Son of God. Please take control of the throne of my life. Help me to follow You and obey Your Word. Amen."

We are so grateful that all of you are here! If you know the Lord, we hope you will find things in this blog to encourage you in your walk with the Lord and that you will encourage others...even strangers! We love receiving encouragement and learning from you.

If you do not know the Lord, we are so thankful you are here. Thank you for taking a look and considering what you read here. It is our hope that you will celebrate a true Christmas this year, and pray that prayer above, or one of your own words, and celebrate the birth of our Savior who came to us as a vulnerable little baby for the first time in your life. If you decide that you would like to ask Jesus the Christ, and you prayed a prayer to tell Him, let me know if you need a Bible and I will do my best to get one for you! It is so important that every person has one.

_______________________________

Information on the 3 Ways to Win here at the He IS Able Blog!
(This is from the last post.)

Reminder of our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy!

Share About The He IS Able Blog!

And, if you share about our give-aways or post our He IS Able blog badge on your blog...and let us know--(please send a link)--we will send you a card/envelope for your use...as a thank you. (Please click and paste the badge...it is not a button...they will only see the URL if it is copied.) It is a simple way to serve the Lord. The more people learn about this blog, and come to visit and learn about The Prince of Peace aka The King of Kings aka The Mighty One, the more they learn about the grace and love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and His amazing gift of Salvation. The more apt your readers are to pray and give their life to Him. Isn't that what we are really here for? AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD (Click on the words "Rise Up" and turn up your volume on your computer! Get ready to Praise the Lord! I love this song and the whole CD!)

**Rubber stamps: (1. "Jesus is the reason for the Season," 2. Stampington Company-"Large Donner," 3. & $. A Set of 4 acrylic Studio G stamps of friendship and thanks, 5. A Hampton Art-Studio G-"Thinking of you in Prayer." and a 6. stamp of a noise maker...one you may find at a birthday party, for instance!)

**A beautiful murano glass cross

**Silver Craft Cord

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**Spool of Town & Country Ribbon- red with green hearts for all year use

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.

**This list includes several new items! Be sure to leave your comments to be eligible for the drawing to be announced on Christmas Day!

This is in addition to our Weekly Card Give-Aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other---including us, and "Sharing His love, His Word, and His Gift of Salvation through Cards!*" (* This is the blog's Mission Statement.)

Thank you so much for reading this long post! I hope that poem really hits home...and that you will have the courage to share it with someone you love who may be waiting to hear it. Please pray that He will show you anyone that needs to hear about Him from you! Please leave as many comments as you can before Midnight on Christmas Eve to be eligible for our "Merry Christmas Blog Candy Give-Away!"...East Coast Time here in the US. You can enter as many times as you like. To be eligible for the Weekly Give-Away, please be sure to leave a post before Tuesday evening at 8pm! Please be sure to leave your prayer requests in the comment section. Joan and I will pray for each one. May God bless each of you as you bless others!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

Have a Birthday Party for Jesus! Here's How...

2011-12-16T15:59:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends~

Happy Friday! I hope that this week's posts have been interesting, educational, and fun! On Monday we shared about the Prince of Peace ...how wonderful that peace is! Especially during hectic times, or through the storms that we must sometimes face it is an amazing way that He can take care of us. On Wednesday, we read some fun little poems about Christmas, and found out that Shelly Schmidt was once again out Card Set Winner! (Please email me your address if you want these cards!) I did forget to mention that Michele's usual post shared on the 3rd Friday of the month, "Precious Women of God--This Includes You!" is being shared next week, just in time for Christmas! This will be something to look forward to...so be sure to stop by on Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Lots of surprises! I will share the info for our Give-Aways on the bottom of the post...including some additional items to give-away!

Today, I want to share about a birthday party I threw with some friends of mine. When I was the Church's Children's Sunday School Director we had a really fun, large, educational Birthday Party for Jesus! I am going to share the information that I still have from my notes. I hope you can share them with your church for next year, or celebrate with your own children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren or neighbors!

A Birthday Party For Jesus

You will want to have several cameras available...the photos will be precious! You will also want to share a list of any food allergies to anyone who will be serving food, and you will want another option for those children. You will want the juice to be clear colored so they do not ruin their Christmas clothes. You will want name tags on everyone since you will have parents and new friends in the room. We marked the name tags of children with allergies by writing their name in a different color.

Here was the plan:

2 weeks before Christmas, we gave every child five invitations. They could invite friends or relatives to come to the party for Jesus. We also talked about how it is our responsibility to ask others to invite Jesus into their hearts. We gave extra invitations to the rest of the congregation for nieces, nephews, grandchildren and neighbors. The invitations were simply xeroxed on the copy machine...not hand made and rubber stamped...like I know about now!

**We had a cake donated, tablecloth and paper supplies donated, a Christmas video with the real story was donated, as well as some art supplies. I did this by writing a letter on church letterhead asking for donations, and listing them. I also had the Pastor sign it with me. I asked 2 parents to please be in charge of securing these items. I didn't want to spend budgeted money, that I could use for curriculum materials, on this party even though it was very educational, from the moment they walked in the door!

**The invitation also suggested that children who wanted, could bring a gift for a newborn baby. (Like Jesus was when He came to this world.)We suggested clothing, diapers, formula, anything that was new, and was non-perishable. (All of these gifts were going to be given to a local abuse center for Women and their children. I had checked with the Director of the center, and they had all they needed, but were short on supplies for babies under 1 year.)

**We decorated a big box, big enough that the children couldn't see

who gave a large gift and who gave a small gift, and who gave none.They celebrated

the birth of Jesus…just like the Wise Men did!

The following Verse was written on the front of the box:

"The Wise Men saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)

And, then the children put their gifts in the box.

**We then all gathered in a reading area in chairs, since we were all dressed nicely for Jesus' party. And, we read one of the Bible's Chistmas stories to the children and parents. Then we did it again, and left

out words, having the children fill them in. They did very well.

**We made Christmas cards about the "real" Christmas for people in the hospital. I went the next day to distribute them. As they colored they were led in a discussion about thinking of others…and not just ourselves. The leader of this activity wrote exactly what they said in the card...we asked the children to share their favorite part of the Biblical Christmas story.

**We also celebrated in some fun, although not Biblically based activities. (Such as eating cake, ice cream, goody bags, and playing pin the star on the tree.)

**We ended the day by coloring Christmas books that I had put together based on the story of Christmas in Luke: 2. Then we watched a flannel board story…and the children gave the words. (Showing they had the story down really well!) And the last thing we did was end in joined prayer, and songs of Worship.

It was a wonderful day, and the children concentrated on just what we wanted. Only one child mentioned Santa all morning! I also prepared every adult for the possibility of someone mentioning Santa, reindeer or presents...so they would not be caught like a reindeer in the headlights. I asked that they simply say with excitement, "This is a birthday party for Baby Jesus! Let's go _____!" (It worked the one time someone asked me!)

I felt that it was worth every effort! It was nice for the parents to see what type of activities we did in Sunday School, since they hardly ever tore themselves from the Service in the Sanctuary. And, we really enjoyed them being there. We enrolled a few children the next week. They were guests at our party, and enjoyed it very much. The teachers really enjoyed all of the ages being together (except the infants) for this special day. Because of that, we decided that once a month we would have a Service for the children...with all of the teachers taking part, and the children participating as much as possible!

_____________________________________

Reminder of our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy!

AND...

Share About The He IS Able Blog!

It is a simple way to serve the Lord. The more people learn about this blog, and come to visit and learn about The Prince of Peace aka The King of Kings aka The Mighty One, the more they learn about the grace and love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and His amazing gift of Salvation. The more apt your readers are to pray and give their life to Him. Isn't that what we are really here for?

AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

We have some fabulous prizes this year: (Red means newly listed items.)

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD (Click on the words "Rise Up" and turn up your volume on your computer! Get ready to Praise the Lord! I love this song!)

**Rubber stamps ("Jesus is the reason for the Season," Stampington Company-"Large Donner," A Set of 4 acrylic Studio G stamps of friendship and thanks, A Hampton Art-Studio G-"Thinking of you in Prayer." and a stamp of a noise maker...one you may find at a birthday party, for instance!

**A beautiful murano glass cross

**Silver Craft Cord

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**Spool of Town & Country Ribbon- red with green hearts for all year use

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.

**This list includes several new items...there are more to be announced! Be sure to leave your comments to be eligible for the drawing on Christmas Day!

This is in addition to our Weekly Card Give-Aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other---including us, and "Sharing His love, His Word, and His gift of Salvation through Cards!*" (* This is the blog's Mission Statement.)

Thank you so much for sharing part of your day with us today! If you have any ideas that worked well at a Birthday Party for Jesus, that is one thing we would love to hear about in the comment section! We'd also love to hear which of the Gospels has your favorite version of the Christmas story to read. You are welcome to write about whatever you would like...these are just a couple of ideas!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

New Info on Blog Candy and Christmas Poetry to Enjoy!

2011-12-15T12:28:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

Thank you for leaving so many comments this past week! It is exciting to see some new names, and we are so gratefully for those of you who have stayed with us! You were all entered into our drawing for BOTH of our Give-Aways! Please take a look:

Reminder of our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy!

AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

We have some fabulous prizes this year:

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD (Click on the words "Rise Up" and turn up your volume on your computer! Get ready to Praise the Lord! I love this song!)

**Rubber stamps

**A beautiful murano glass cross

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.

Newly added items will be announced this Friday, the 16th!!!

That's all we are going to tell you now...but it is quite an exciting collection of goodies. We will tell you about more items as time goes by...the recipient will be announced on Christmas Day! This is in addition to our weekly card give-aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other---including us, and sharing His love, His Word, and His gift of Salvation with others!

________________________________

This Week's Winner of 4 Cards and Envelopes is...

Shelly Schmidt, Again!!!

The numbers 1 through 10 were gathered and the number 4 was chosen. So Shelly, this week you have won 4 beautifully made cards and their envelopes! This goes to show that it is good to leave a comment every week! Shelly was our randomly chosen person to have left a comment last week, also! You can win as many times as your name or user name is chosen! All you need to do when you win, is email me your mailing address. My email is located on the very bottom of the right hand side of the blog. If I do not hear from you before Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock, I will think that you do not want to receive the cards (for some reason unknown to me!) that were to be sent to you...so please email your address right away!

Here is Shelly's comment:

Thanks so much for choosing me to win two cards! How awesome!

By Shelly Schmidt on Big News Today! on 12/12/11

And, every commenter was put into the drawing for our "Very Merry Christmas Day Blog Candy Drawing!" You can leave as many comments as you would like for this drawing...and each one will be entered. So, don't hesitate. And, if you share about our give-aways or post our He IS Able blog badge on your blog...and let us know--(please send a link)--we will send you a card/envelope...as a thank you. (Please click and paste the badge...itis not a button...they will only see the URL if it is copied.)

It is a simple way to serve the Lord. The more people that learn about this blog, and come to visit and learn about The Prince of Peace aka The King of Kings aka The Mighty One, the more they learn about the grace and love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and His amazing gift of Salvation. The more apt your readers are to pray and give their life to Him. Isn't that what we are really here for?

_________________________________

You may not know this about me. I love to collect quotes. I do it with the intention of using them on cards. I rarely do, however. I do quote Scriptures on many cards, however. And, I hope that if any of you decide to donate cards for our give-aways and other He IS Able usage, that you will consider including a Scripture on the front or back of your card. Even on the left inside of the card would be fine...I just want to make sure we leave room inside for people to share what they would like to share about Jesus and His Gift of Salvation and Love. We have a nice stash of cards right now...for all different occasions! But, the more we have, the more we can give. Anyway, I didn't mean to ask for cards...but I guess I did. What I did intend was to share some great little quotes that may come in handy. These may not be from the great scholars...but they brought me a bit of enjoyment. I hope you will enjoy them also. If you want the best Christmas quotes that really make a difference...I suggest going to the Bible and quoting Scripture!

I hope you enjoy these:

"He who has no Christmas in his heart

will never find Christmas under a tree."

~Anonymous

(This reminds me of my first Christmas...I was 29, and I slept under the tree with only little white lights on it...and I fell asleep reading the Bible right there under the tree. I slept under it for a long time! Still, my favorite Christmas!)

"Happiness is a homespun Christmas!" ~Anonymous

"At Christmas,

Play and make good cheer,

For Christmas comes but once a year."

~Thomas Tusser

"Love's the thing. The rest is tinsel." ~Pam Brown

"Christmas is the day that holds all time together."

~Alexander Smith

"The real secret of happiness is not what you give or receive;

it's what you share." ~Unknown

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

~Charles Dickens

"May you have the gladness of Christmas, which is hope;

The spirit of Christmas which is peace;

The heart of Christmas, which is love."

~Ada V. Hendricks

And, one of my most favorite:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." (Isaiah 9:6)

THAT is a great quote!

_____________________________

On Friday, I would like to share about a great Christmas Party we gave when I was a Children's Church Director. It was wonderful. I have shared about our hands-on educational and fun "Easter Extravaganza" in detail, so you could share it with your church if you wanted. Now, I will share about "Our Birthday Party for Jesus!" It was great fun...and so meaningful! Even if you don't have a Sunday School, or don't want to be involved in one...it is full of great ideas to do with Grand-children, or neighbors and their children...or your children! LOL I almost forgot them! So sorry.

We are always glad to know you have been here. Thank you for spending part of your day with us. I look forward to sharing about the "Birthday Party for Jesus" tomorrow. I hope you will stop by! God bless!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Introducing The Prince of Peace...

2011-12-12T21:59:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

Last December I told those of you who were here that I was doing a different study than usual to prepare my heart for Christmas. I was studying the book by Ann Spangler titled Praying the Names of Jesus. I wanted to learn more about the many different aspects of Jesus. Last year I shared with you many insights from the author, the Bible and my own thoughts on a few of our Lord's names. We shared about the names and qualities associated with these names: Immanuel, Jesus, Christ, Anointed One, Great Physician and Messiah. I am studying some of His other names this year...and I wanted to share about one of those names today.

I have been reading about His name, "The Prince of Peace." Miss Spangler shares this information:

"Who hasn't longed for peace, living in a world that is so often full of strife? The Hebrew word for peace, however, means much more than the absence of conflict or the end of turmoil. Shalom conveys not only a sense of tranquility but also of wholeness and completion. To enjoy shalom is to enjoy health, satisfaction, success, safety, well-being, and prosperity. Though the New Testament does not directly call Jesus the Prince of Peace, this title from Isaiah has traditionally been associated with Him as the One who brings peace to the world. Furthermore, Paul assured the Ephesian Christians saying of Jesus, "He Himself is our peace." (Ephesians 2:14). When you pray to Sar Shalom, you are praying to the One who is the source of all peace. To live in peace is to live in His presence."

Here is the Scripture from Isaiah 9:6:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

(Isaiah 9:6 KJV)

I just love this Scripture. It is amazing to me that while I was still Jewish, I never saw most of the Old Testament. I learned about some of the "popular" stories. But, I never read Isaiah. So to me, this is one of the key Scriptures that tells me about Jesus' coming...right there! It was amazing to me...and I found so many other Scriptures...especially in Isaiah that foretold us of Jesus' coming to earth...in detail. Isn't it great how His Word foretells many of the things in the New Testament, in the Old Testament!? You just have to look!

Let's pray together, if you would:
"Dear Jesus, my life was in chaos until You entered it. Thank you for the forgiveness that brought me peace. Deepen my sense of your presence by keeping me close to You. Teach me to be a peace-maker----loving justice, doing right, and leading others along the path of peace. Amen."

Luke 2:14 tells us that shortly after Jesus was born, the angels proclaimed: "Glory to God in the highest Heaven, and on earth peace
to those on whom His favor rests."

I'd like to share more that I learned from this chapter on the Prince of Peace and Sar Shalom (SAR sha-LOME). The name Sar Shalom is not found in the New Testament. Isaiah 9 and Luke 2:14 both share about a child who will bring peace to God's people. The New Testament develops our understanding of peace by revealing Jesus the Christ as the source of all peace!

Spangler states: "Though we were alienated from God because of our sins, Jesus reconciled us, making peace through His blood. Peace with God produces peace with others and peace within ourselves. When Christ's kingdom is fully established, all strife and cease, and those who belong to Him will enjoy forever the fullness of peace---health, wholeness, well-being, tranquility, satisfaction, safety, prosperity, and perfect contentment."

Of course, we aren't promised a life without any troubles or hard times. They are a part of life that often get us to lean on Him, or go to Him in prayer, or strengthen us, or pull us together and share with others.

Are you at peace with your life? What do you think it means to walk in the "path of peace?" Do you experience Christ's peace in your life? I hope that you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior...personally! And, that you spend time with Him daily...in prayer, in His Word, in meditation...He will give you peace!

On a personal note, many of you have helped me deal with Josh's joining the Air Force. Josh is doing great! He is in charge of a couple of details with his flight group. And, is actually teaching the others on a daily basis. And, one of you suggested I give Josh back to Him. He can take care of him better, see over him better, and protect him much better than I can. I tell you I prayed this a couple of months ago with all of my heart...and He is so good! He gave me a sense of peace that really is amazing and had seemed almost impossible to me. I wait for Josh's letters, and write him a few times a week. I am so excited when I get his 1 minute call...and I do not worry about him...almost not at all. Of course, I still pray for his Salvation...every chance I can. I am so thankful to all of you for praying for Josh, and Dave and myself. I thank especially the Prince of Peace...who loves all of us.

This Scripture states things very clearly:

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace." (Colossians 3:12-15)

The author of this book reminds us that the cross was OUR punishment, the payback for OUR sins. But, no matter what we have done, how agitated or frantic we feel, or how chaotic life has become, Christ says to us today: Shalom Aleikhem! (Hebrew) "Peace upon you." Peace be with you in your relationship with God, with others, and with yourself. May His peace settle into your soul and rule your heart. May it become the loom on which your life is woven, clothing you with His compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Repent of what you have done wrong. Forgive as you have been forgiven. And let the One who is called the Prince of Peace rule in your heart!

__________________________________

Reminder of our Special Holiday Blog Candy!

AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

We have some fabulous prizes this year:

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD

**rubber stamps

**a beautiful murano glass cross

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.

(Be sure to watch here as the list of goodies grow!)

Thank you so very much for stopping by today! Wednesday, we will see who has been randomly chosen from all of the comments of the last week (You can leave more than one.) We will also find out how many cards that person will win by a random drawing of numbers 1 through 10. How exciting is all of this? We do hope that you will use the cards to share the love, Word, and gift of Salvation from our Lord Jesus the Christ to others.

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

p.s. Is there anyone that would be willing to spend a few minutes (any amount of time) a week praying for the needs of our guests, and for those of us who work on the blog? If you are willing...please leave a comment or email Traci. Joan is our Prayer Team Leader and will work with you to give you prayer requests that should meet the amount of time you can spend in prayer. Thank you for prayerfully considering this request.

Many Give-Aways! "What Shall I Give You?"

2011-12-10T17:29:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

We are so happy that you like our NEW He IS Able Weekly Give-Away! If you didn't hear, any comment left before 8pm on Tuesday is eligible to be chosen to win anywhere between 1 and 10 cards and envelopes! The number of cards given each week will be chosen randomly, and the winner as well as the number of cards will be announced each Wednesday! If you see your user name posted...or your comment...be sure to email Traci your snail mail address. (My email is on the very bottom of the right side of the blog.)

In addition to that...every time you leave a comment from December 10-24th, you will be entered in our drawing for our "Merry Christmas Blog Candy!" random drawing! We have some fabulous prizes this year: An Ash2Ash CD, stamps, a murano glass cross, A Christmas CD, a glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, and a Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder. That's all we are going to tell you now...but it is quite an exciting collection of goodies. We will tell you about more items as time goes by...the recipient will be announced on Christmas Day! This is in addition to our weekly card give-aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other-including us, and sharing His love, His Word, and His gift of Salvation with others!

Today I wanted to share a post from Our Daily Bread. It was Friday, December 9th's post and wonderful for this time of year especially. Who isn't hearing a bunch of "Can I have's?" And, "PLEeeaaaassseee may I???" As you read the words below, think about what you would like given to you...and if you would like...let us know in the comment section...this would be a great time to share a prayer request, too.

___________________________________

What Shall I Give You?

I've been told that "three-wish stories" occur in almost every culture, all following a similar theme: A benefactor appears and offers to grand three wishes to an unsuspecting beneficiary. The fact that the stories so often occur suggests we all want something we cannot get on our own.

There's even a wish story in the Bible. It happened one night when the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you? (1 Kings 3:1-9) Solomon could have asked for anything-- riches, honor, fame, or power. but he asked for none of these things. He requested an "understanding heart" or a "listening heart," a humble heart to listen, and learn from God's Word. The young, inexperienced king, weighed down with the responsibilities of ruling a vast nation, needed the Lord's wisdom to govern well.

Am I that wise? If God spoke to me directly and asked what He could do for me, what would I ask for? Would I ask for health, wealth, youth, power, or prestige? Or would I ask for wisdom, holiness, and love? Would I be wise or foolish?

Suppose God asked you what He could give to you. What would you ask for?---David Roper

"True wisdom is in leaning

On Jesus Christ, our Lord;

True wisdom is in trusting

His own life-giving Word."

--Anonymous

__________________________________

And, here is the section of His Word which sparked the above thoughts:

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem. The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD.Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

“Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:1-9)

__________________________________

Well, I do not believe in wishes. I do believe in the power of the All Mighty God...and the Bible does say that He knows the desires of our heart. It also says that He knows the best path for our life...and I am sure sometimes our desires do not add up with His plan. This is why we do our best to pray for His Will...and do our best at turning things over to Him. I am SO glad you were here today! Please tell your friends about our give-aways!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

Big News Today!

2011-12-06T23:45:00.002-05:00

Hi Friends~

I apologize for having been missing for a couple of posts. I have been recovering and we also went up to visit Dave's son-Matthew and our 3 grandsons, and their Mother. It was wonderful to see them...it's been a while. The long ride causes pain. I rested all day yesterday and today. I am doing much better today...and I have BIG NEWS to share!

I was so happy to hear that so many of you were blessed by the post "Jesus Saves." If you would like to print it out, find it by looking at the post below this post...and copy and paste it in Word or email--or look on the side bar under "Labels." It would be a wonderful gift to memorize the Scriptures in order and be able to "walk" a non-Believer through them...and possibly to the Lord, Himself!!

We have wonderful plans for this month...I hope you will be able to stop by every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to see what we have in mind to share.

First, let's announce the Winner of this Week's Two Cards! These cards have been donated from people all over the world, and are given to the He IS Able blog for give-aways like this! Up until a few weeks ago, we were giving one card a week away. And, we will go back to that one day. However, we have been blessed with a large amount of cards. So, we have been giving away 2 Cards each week. And, they are made for every occasion!

Each week all of the comments that were left before 8pm on Tuesday night were gathered and one was randomly chosen! The writer of that comment has one week to email me (lower right hand corner) with their US postage address. (snail mail) Your cards will be sent out to you! (Please put "He IS Able" on the subject line.)

This Week's Winner is...

Shelley who writes the blog, "My Creative Rumblings!"

Shelly wrote the following comment:

"Congrats to Becky! And it was nice for you to stop by my blog today. A very heartwarming post- great ministry!"

Please visit Shelly at http://shellymc2.blogspot.com/ She has many different posts with different paper craft ideas...as well as blog-candy right now.

______________________________________

Announcing Some of Our Very Exciting News for December...

Be sure to leave a comment, a prayer request, a prayer for someone else, anything you would want to share in the comment section because...

You May Receive Up to 10 Cards and Envelopes

in our Weekly Give-Away!

That's right...for the entire month of December, each week...someone who leaves a comment by Tuesday 8pm, will be randomly chosen to win between 1 and 10 cards! Now, that is worth get exciting about! The number of cards each week will be determined by random drawing also! I will send the cards and envelopes to your mailing address in the US, when you email me it within a week. So be sure to stop by on Wednesday's to see if you have won!

This will be 1 of the Cards Given-Away Next Week! We hope you will use the cards to share about our Lord, Jesus the Christ and the Gospel! Thank you for being here today! God Bless!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Jesus Saves!

2011-11-30T19:56:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

I saw this in the gotquestions.org email they send out. They have a "Question of the Week" and this was SO important I felt I needed to share it with you. Even if you know the answer to the question, this shares Scripture that make it even easier to share with current non-Believers. I am so glad that they gave me permission to share this with you! I hope you enjoy it!

Question: "What does it mean that Jesus saves?"Answer: “Jesus saves” is a popular slogan on bumper stickers, signs at athletic events, and even banners being pulled across the sky by small airplanes. Sadly, few who see the phrase “Jesus saves” truly and fully understand what it means. There is a tremendous amount of power and truth packed into those two words.

Jesus saves, but who is Jesus?Most people understand that Jesus was a man who lived in Israel approximately 2000 years ago. Virtually every religion in the world views Jesus as a good teacher and/or a prophet. And while those things are most definitely true of Jesus, they do not capture who Jesus truly is, nor do they explain how or why Jesus saves. Jesus is God in human form (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is God, come to Earth, as a true human being (1 John 4:2). God became a human being in the person of Jesus in order to save us. That brings up the next question: why do we need to be saved?

Jesus saves, but why do we need to be saved?The Bible declares that every human being who has ever lived has sinned (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23). To sin is to do something, whether in thought, word, or deed, that contradicts God’s perfect and holy character. Because of our sin, we all deserve judgment from God (John 3:18, 36). God is perfectly just, so He cannot allow sin and evil to go unpunished. Since God is infinite and eternal, and since all sin is ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4), only an infinite and eternal punishment is sufficient. Eternal death is the only just punishment for sin. That is why we need to be saved.

Jesus saves, but how does He save?Because we have sinned against an infinite God, either a finite person (us) must pay for our sins for an infinite amount of time, or an infinite Person (Jesus) must pay for our sins one time. There is no other option. Jesus saves us by dying in our place. In the person of Jesus Christ, God sacrificed Himself on our behalf, paying the infinite and eternal penalty only He could pay (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 2:2). Jesus took the punishment that we deserve in order to save us from a horrible eternal destiny, the just consequence of our sin. Because of His great love for us, Jesus laid down His life (John 15:13), paying the penalty that we had earned, but could not pay. Jesus was then resurrected, demonstrating that His death was indeed sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins (1 Corinthians 15).

Jesus saves, but who does He save?
Jesus saves all who will receive His gift of salvation. Jesus saves all those who fully trust in His sacrifice alone as the payment for sin (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). While Jesus’ sacrifice was perfectly sufficient to pay for the sins of all humanity, Jesus only saves those who personally receive His most precious of gifts (John 1:12).

If you now understand what it means that Jesus saves, and you want to trust in Him as your personal Savior, make sure you understand and believe the following, and as an act of faith, communicate the following to God. “God, I know that I am a sinner, and I know that because of my sin I deserve to be eternally separated from you. Even though I do not deserve it, thank you for loving me and providing the sacrifice for my sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I trust in Him alone to save me. From this point forward, help me to live my life for you instead of for sin. Help me to live the rest of my life in gratitude for the wonderful salvation you have provided. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me!” Amen.

Have you made a decision for Christ because of what you have read here? If so, please go to: http://www.gotquestions.org/questweek.htm and click on the "I have accepted Christ today" button near the bottom of the page. And, please let us know in the He IS Able comment section! We will be happy to celebrate with you! If you are in need of a Bible, I will do my best to get one for you...everyone should have a Bible.

______________________________

Recipient of the He IS Able Set of Cards of the Week!

Congratulations Becky!

Here is her comment:

"That is a beautiful quilted card Traci. Joan did a fabulous job."

By Becky on The Winners Are... on 11/29/11

Becky, I agree! Joan's card is so beautiful. I can't imagine the work that went into it. Thank you for leaving a sweet comment...and enjoy Joan's card, as well as another surprise card.

How can you receive a Set of Free Cards? Leave any comment, question, prayer or prayer need, anything you want to share in the comment section before 8pm on Tuesday evening. If your name is randomly chosen you will receive the He IS Able Set of Cards of the Week!

Most importantly, if you have read the above article, and understood it, and prayed it with sincerity in your heart...well, then my friend, you have received the Greatest Gift of All! The Gift of Jesus' love, His Word, and His gift of Eternal Life! We are SO glad you are here!

God Bless!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

The Winners Are...

2011-11-28T10:28:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

Take a look at that beautiful card on the side bar! Joan our Prayer Team Leader, made that gorgeous card! She stitched each square of the quilt. I just fell in love with this card! It, and another card from someone else, will go to someone who leaves a comment before Tuesday night at 8pm. Thank you for making and donating this card, Joan! It is incredible! I know I would want to win it if I could, but Michele, Joan and I are not eligible to win these lovely cards. Just leave any type of comment or question or prayer need that you would like, and, you will be entered in the random drawing!

I hope that everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving last week...and hopefully every day! Did you do anything special to celebrate this special day? Any new traditions? Any age-old traditions? Any special ways of giving thanks to the Lord for everything He has given us? We would love to hear about it.

I was thrilled when our son, Joshua, called us! He was allowed off base to have a Thanksgiving Dinner at the home of a very lovely couple who lets recruits who are far from home on the holiday join them. I was so happy that he was given a partial day off on his 27th day of being in Military Basic Training. We were able to speak for a few minutes. It was a wonderful surprise. I almost missed the call...I was just about to walk out the door to get to the festivities at my parent's home. He sounds well.

I was so excited about Thanksgiving Day last week, that I forgot to announce the winner of this week's He IS Able Card Sets Give-Away! Well, there were two people who found time out of their busy schedules this week to leave a comment to make them eligible to win 2 autumn cards. So BOTH of them will win a Set of Cards from the He IS Able blog! Please email me your address before next Tuesday at 8pm. My email is:
tracistarkweather@gmail.com

The Two Winners to Receive a Set of Beautiful Cards Are...

Andrea K.Van Ye and Sea Mom

Congratulations, Ladies!

________________________________

"Say Thank You"

from: Quiet Moments in the Presence of God

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His Holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."

( Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV)

When you were young and someone gave you something, your dad or mom would remind you, "Now, what do you say?" They wanted you to express gratitude for what you had received. Think of how generous God is to you and how grateful you are to Him. Take out a pencil and paper and write down a list of your blessings. The psalmist tells you not to forget any of them.

Gratitude comes when you take time to count up your past and present gifts and benefits. It is a fundamental response to God's Grace. Prayer reaches its highest level as gratitude.

Gratitude is the heart's memory of what God has done for you. The most complete prayer is a grateful thought toward Heaven.

"They must thank the Lord for His constant love, for the wonderful things He did for them." (Psalm 107:8)

A prayer offered:

"Dear God, when I think of what You do for me, my heart is lifted in gratitude and my voice in praise." Amen. Amen!

________________________________

Please think of all of the many things God has done for you...given you...showed you. And, thank Him for it... The Scriptures tell us to thank Him at all times! Make every day Thanksgiving!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Happy Day of Giving Thanks to Everyone--Everywhere! Faith Says Thank You!

2011-11-23T18:36:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends,

We are wishing everyone a Happy Day of Giving Thanks to Everyone--Everywhere! A Happy Day of Giving Thanks! Thanksgiving here in America. And a Blessed Day to Everyone! Today I am sharing a post from Pastor Joel and Victoria Osteen. It was shared with permission. They have a daily post called "Today's Word: With Joel and Victoria"

Faith Says Thank You

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!”
(1 Chronicles 16:34, AMP)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

No matter what is going on in life, you can find a reason to thank God. What you dwell on is what you will draw into your life. You can either focus on your problems, or you can focus on your blessings. The question is: do you want more problems, or do you want more blessings?

One thing I’ve noticed is that when you live with an attitude of constant gratitude, not only do you thank God for what He’s done in your life, you start thanking Him for what He will do in your life. You thank Him for opening doors for you. You thank Him for increasing you. You thank Him for bringing the right people into your life. When you say “thank you” to God for the things that are coming, it’s really a declaration of your faith in Him. You are saying in essence, “God, I’m so sure of Your goodness, I’m so sure that You’re working in my life that I’m going to thank You right now for what You are going to do tomorrow!”

Friend, that’s the kind of faith that pleases God. When we trust in His goodness and believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, that pleases His heart so much. So today, have an attitude of gratitude. Let your faith say thank you. Praise Him throughout the day with a humble heart and watch what He will do on your behalf!

_________________________

I highlighted that area that Pastor Joel Osteen wrote in green because it struck me so clearly. That is what we are doing. And, we learned earlier this year...that it does please God! Let's continue adding to our list of Praise in the comment section...through tomorrow! (Thursday) Go ahead back to the highlighted green area...and really think about it. I think it is an amazing realization!

____________________________

This is from their post also...let's pray along:

A PRAYER FOR TODAY:

"Father in Heaven, thank You for another day to praise You. Thank You for all You have done in my life. Help me see Your hand of blessing as I continually acknowledge and praise Your name in Jesus’ name. Amen." Amen!

___________________________

We are very thankful to have you here today. We have had several new people from around the world join us this week. THAT is such a blessing! They are hearing God's Word right along with you...and I know I feel that by helping with this blog...I am serving the Lord. If you would like to share a Christmas Story, or share a Favorite Scripture, or your Testimony, or about how God was there during a storm in your life...Please email me at: tracistarkweather@gmail.com

We would love to share the post with our other guests. That is what I envisioned this blog to be meant for, most of the time. For everyone to share about Jesus Christ, their life knowing Him compared to before, and how we serve the Lord, and anything else that shares the Good News or encourages another! I hope to hear from you. Just let me know that you will be writing so I can post it on my calendar. Don't wait until you have it all written. Don't worry, we are flexible with deadlines!

We pray that everyone has a very wonderful, blessed day on Thanksgiving, and every day...and that you are all safe, and mindful of who gives us these things for which we are thankful! Thank you for being here. How about listing something you are thankful for in the comment section now?

He IS Able! Traci Starkweather

Cards by Traci and Let's Give Thanks!

2011-11-20T22:24:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

I hope that you had a fantastic weekend! Please remember that everyone is invited to participate in our challenge this week. It is a challenge to Praise the Lord for the entire week...through Thanksgiving! I first shared it at the end of Michele's powerful post on Friday. (I hope you read her post...it was wonderful!)

I thought it would be fun to share some cards with you today. I usually put the sentiment (words) on the inside of the card...that is a bit different from most of the cards you see on blogs. I do this, so that I can use a card for many different reasons. If I put the sentiment on there in advance, I would be forced to use it for that occasion. And, we all know what it is like when you need a card for a certain reason, and all of your previously made cards are marked "Happy Birthday!"

The first card I made has a background from Hot Off The Press called Floral Backgrounds. I just love this book of design papers! I do not know where the stamp was from, but it could work for Birthdays or Sympathy cards...or many other uses. I colored it in with Marvy Markers, Sakura Gel Pens, and a few SU! Markers. It is a fun stamp to color...but a bear to cut out...there are spaces that are so fine and thin! I added some flowers from the Our Daily Bread Collection called "Sing for Joy." I added pink Stickles to the centers of the flowers.

Sadly, I needed to make a Sympathy card yet again this year. I made this for Dear Joan's family, as they went through the passing of her Father-in-Law. I used Stampin' Up! white card stock as the base for this card. I put it through my Cuttle Bug machine in a Texture Folder by Tim Holtz named "Sun Rays." I really like how deeply the sun is embossed on this card. I took yellow ink from "Judiths" and applied it ink to paper. That is when you just rub the ink across the paper. Just like it sounds! In an embossed case, the ink really only hits the raised areas. I love this cross. It is from an ink-a-dink-a-doo set called "Spiritual Sketches." A friend of mine gave me this set, and I LOVE it. (Thank you!) It comes with a stamp of a Bible, a candle wrapped in a plant, and some words like "Rejoice." (One of my very favorite words!) Some people believe flowers should only be on Easter crosses. I wanted to use this one for THIS card...the combination of the cross and flowers. I thought it was perfect for a Sympathy card. I colored it with SU! Markers. And, I cut it out and used dimensionals to attach it to the card base.

You know, one of the reasons I love our "Praise Days" is because there are so many people that are so down. They don't see many, if any, reasons to be thankful. When we share what we are thankful for...we are encouraging others. We aren't bragging...that isn't the heart that I feel we should be sharing with. Perhaps one of these people will see something on your list, and realize they have things to be grateful for. So, let's all praise the Lord. In fact, I have challenged you not to do it once...but each day or as often as you want through the American celebration of Thanksgiving. (This Thursday)

This was a card I made back in October. My very special, very wonderful MIL passed away 2 days before her birthday, in October three years ago. It is a hard time for all of us, as we miss her so very much. I know, however, that she is with our Lord Jesus and with her parents. Mom collected elephants for years and years. She has a couple hundred of them in Dad's home now. They are from all over the world, some realistic, some not, made of just about every substance you can think of. We all think of her whenever we see an elephant somewhere. Anyway, October came around, and I wanted to make a card for my husband, Dave, reminding him that he is loved very much. And remind him that his Mother loved him so much when she was here on earth. This is the card. And, he has kept it because it is special to him.

I never wrote down what this card used...but I think I remember most of it. I used an SU! grey card stock paper for the base. Then, a square of SU! black.

The next layer was a scrap of a pink marbled paper that I have been saving for about a year. And, the next layer didn't photograph very well, but I should have known it! It was from a book of papers that were glossy and this one was made of pink and white and light grey colors. I stamped this image (All of the images you see) with black Versa Mark ink. And, I colored Mom and son elephant with colored pencils. I used some grey and black on the bodies and a bit of pink in the ears. I went over the crease lines in the elephants with a black glaze marker from Sakura. The glaze markers leave a raised line. By the way, this super cute stamp was made by Rubber Stampede and it is called "elephants." This card has nothing on the bottom of the front. It had the look I really loved for this card. It had the impact on Dave that I wanted. (I think he knew anyway. *wink*)

I wanted to remind you of some of the Scriptures that Michele listed on last Friday's post. They are beautiful, and worthy of being memorized. I also challenged everyone to list their favorite of the Scriptures listed in the comment section, and to try to memorize it. I am only listing a few of them here:

1 Chronicles 16:8 - Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.

1 Chronicles 16:34 -O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His loving kindness is everlasting.

Psalm 28:7 -The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.

Psalm 34:1- I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 69:30- I will praise the name of God with song, And shall magnify Him with thanksgiving.

Thank you so much for being here today! It is always a pleasure knowing you have visited. Please feel free to join us in the comment section to read each other's list of things for which they give thanks to the Lord, and to add something of your own, if you wish.

If you leave any comment, you will of course be eligible to win this week's set of cards! Remember, they are made by our Michele! Thank you, Michele!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

A Challenge of "Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks!"

2011-11-18T13:50:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends~

We have a treat Today! Michele has written the post...and she has made and donated the two He IS Able Cards of the Week to be given away!
As I stated on Wednesday, Michele had emailed me a photo of them, and I have still not been able to get them from my email to this blog! However, know that they are wonderful seasonal cards. The person who receives these cards will surely be blessed, and we hope you will use them to bless others by telling others of Jesus the Christ. I added a section after her post, so it is rather lengthy...but I do believe it is worth it...so please read along. Take a break if you need to after you read Michele's section.

By the way, MARILYN and ANONYMOUS...you have won card sets. (Your comments were posted on recent blogs, if you want to know that Anonymous is your "anonymous!" Please email me before 8pm Tuesday with your mailing address, of they will go back into our stash of cards!

Here is my email: tracistarkweather@gmail.com

_____________________________

Here is Michele's post for today:

Hello all,

This month I have had some struggles and my friend Traci gave me a great idea and I hope you all find this post relevant and of use to you. I am skipping a month from the Women of the Bible (Women of God--This Includes You!) and am posting on “Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks.” This time of year really seems to motivate people to think of others and to also give thanks for all of the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

Giving thanks is something I strive for throughout the year, and I hope you do as well. When we take the time to give thanks or to say thank you for blessings large and small it is a great reminder to us for what God has given to us and most importantly the gift of Salvation that He has given to us. This is truly something to be thankful for – so in those lines of thinking I pulled some Bible Verses on thankfulness!

1 Chronicles 16:8 - Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.

1 Chronicles 16:34 -O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His loving kindness is everlasting.

Psalm 28:7 -The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.

Psalm 34:1- I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 69:30- I will praise the name of God with song, And shall magnify Him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 95:1-6 – O Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our Salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms. For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

Psalm 100:4- Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.

Psalm 107:29-32 - He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet; So He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving kindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, And praise Him at the seat of the elders.

Jonah 2:9- But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving That which I have vowed I will pay Salvation is from the LORD.

Ephesians 5:3-4- But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Colossians 2:6-7- Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Colossians 3:15- And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 -in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 4:4-5 - For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the Word of God and prayer.

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we receive a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

As you can see there are many times that giving thanks to God is mentioned in His precious Word. (There are other references as well, these are not all of them. Please take a look in your own Bible.) I will be challenging the youth that I work with to write down what they are thankful for and to process all of what is given. They will reflect on God’s Word and see what He states in His Word, because that is where we find the answers and more promises and the more things we learn of God, the closer relationship we will have with Him! What an honor and blessing for each of us!

I am thankful for all the things God has given to me, I am thankful for all of you who have found this blog and take time to read the posts, read Bible Verses, say prayers for others and yourselves and thankful that Christians have come together as God’s Word states to spread The Good News!

Have a blessed day!

Love in Christ.
Michele G.

_______________________________

(Break Time if You Need It)

Thank you so much, Michele, for writing such a Scripture filled post! I loved reading them over. They are beautiful. You know that I love when we have "Praise Days" here on the blog, right? When those who want, write anything they are thankful to Him for, in the comment section. I am always encouraged when I see all of His love at work!

I have 2 ideas for today. First of all, you know you can write any thoughts you would like in the comment section, at any time, right? It could be about the post, a prayer, a question, about something you would like for us to study and write about, a prayer request, an experience you would like to share...and some times I share ideas for the comments. Something to encourage you to share...which in turn encourages us!

I was thinking why don't we list those things in our life that we are thankful for, or choose one of the above Scriptures about thanksgiving as your favorite and post it in the comment section, and try to memorize it?! Remember, anyone who leaves any comment before Tuesday at 8pm will be eligible to win Michele's set of really great cards!

I'd like for us to do this...share the things we are thankful for...and favorite Scriptures through Thanksgiving Day! (For our International Guests, that is through next Thursday.) Pop in and share any time you think of something. You can post more than once. Our comment section will be such an item of Praise to the Lord! Please join me...why not choose a Scripture now? Copy and paste it in the comment section! May God bless you, and thank you for being here and for encouraging others through the comment section!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

I Appreciate You Because...

2011-11-16T19:24:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

It is hard for me to believe that today is Wednesday already! I pray you are having a wonderful week, and that you all found a quiet place to get still, and listen for the quiet voice of God.

Our winner for the He IS Able Card Set of the Week has done just that. I don't have a clue who she is, where she lives, or if she has a blog to tell her that she has won the set of cards for this week! We do thank you for taking the time to leave a wonderful comment. This is what she shared:

My Quiet Place I am retired as is DH. He is not a believer, and has accepted that I am, and - finally - keeps his distance and holds back on conversation when he sees that I am reading my devotions. Prayer time is mostly as I fall asleep or during the day when I know I need to pray specifically for someone or something. Sometimes I pray silently, knowing that God hears even my thoughts. My quiet place is at my desk. God has given me the ability to close out all other sounds and goin'ons. I have 2 daily devotional booklets that I read daily. They both feature a passage of scripture and comment on that reading. They challenge me personally in my faith walk and relationally to others in my life. anonymous

Congratulations, "Anonymous!" You were randomly selected to win the cards that were shown in the last post! They are wonderful for this time of year! All you need to do is confidentially email me with your name and address before next Tuesday at 8pm. My email is:

tracistarkweather@gmail.com

______________________________

This Friday we have a special post written by Michele. Precious Women of God--This Includes YOU! is the title of her usual post. She tells of different women of the Bible and asks interesting, thought provoking questions for you to decide if you are like this woman of the Bible, or if you are very different. And, for you to decide if that is the way you want it to be! This Friday, Michele shares something completely different with us. We hope you will join us. The Card Set for this next week's He IS Able Card Set of the Week Give Away are hand-made from Michele, and will go to a randomly chosen person who comments before 8pm Eastern Time on Tuesday.

Michele emailed her cards to me...and she will mail them to the winner next week. I have tried getting her cards out of email and on to this blog...and from Word to this blog...several different ways...to no avail! I am so sorry. They are so nice! Let me just say, the person who is to receive these cards next week is in for a treat! And, Michele, I am sorry that I could not figure out how to post your cards...I wanted everyone to see your beautiful work. Thank you, Michele for both your post for Friday, and your cards which are just right for this time of year!

_________________________________

"The Lord bless you and keep you. The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you." (Numbers 6:24-25)

I have one Discipleship Journal to my name and it is from 2003! I just love this magazine, and I hope to order it some time in the near future for it is packed with wisdom. I was recently looking it over again when I found such a lovely idea that I wanted to share with each of you. This idea was shared by Marie E. DisBrow in the November/December issue. I am going to share it with you verbatim.

I Appreciate You Because...

One week, our Bible study leader, Phyllis, gave each of us several half sheets of paper. Each sheet was headed with the name of a group member, followed by "In you I see..." and "I appreciate you because..." At the bottom was the date and "Written in Christ's love by ___________." Phyllis explained that these would become pages in booklets of encouragement.

During the following week, we completed the statements for each woman. Some filed the pages with small, tightly packed writing; others focused on the person's character in a few words. Some messages were personal ("you are a faithful friend"), while others stressed talents or spiritual characteristics. One of the group members said, "Since Phyllis worded the second portion, 'I appreciate you because...' I had to move beyond the superficial. I felt as if I was looking at each woman's heart with my heart. In some cases, I realized I was appreciating the potential I saw in the person, rather than the actual."

At our next session, Phyllis gathered and collated the pages and added a cover page:

Thoughts of Encouragement for ___________

Written by the Women of Her Bible Study

"I thank my God every time I remember you, ... being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:3,6

We were touched as we read of the love and appreciation of our friends. Some were surprised, not realizing they possessed the talents or characteristics others saw in them. This project not only helped us to see the qualities ofothers, but also made us aware of our own abilities and gifts.

_______________________________

"I always thank God for you." (1 Corinthians 1:4)

Thank you so much for being here today! We really appreciate it, and it makes us smile when you leave a comment or prayer request. Speaking of which, just a reminder that Joan's Father-in-Law passed away recently. I know she would appreciate the family being lifted up before the Lord. Joan is our Prayer Team Leader, and is always here to welcome someone to the Prayer Team or pray for anyone's needs. Thank you for praying for them. God bless you.

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Card Winner Announced! "Find a Place" it Will Change Your Life!

2011-11-14T13:32:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~

Well, today is the day! We are giving 3 cards to one winner! I was supposed to give 2 cards to someone on last Wednesday. And, I just wasn't up to being here. I have had a terrible migraine, and was still adjusting to Josh having left for boot camp. (It is better today... Thank you Lord Jesus!) Why are we giving away 3 cards? Well, I figured you showed up here on Wednesday, and there was no announcement. So, as a make-up, I am adding another card to the give-away.

We usually give away 1 card a week. We have so many beautiful cards on hand...donated by some big-hearted card makers, it was decided that we will give 2 cards to a randomly chosen recipient each week...until further notice. Just leave a comment, prayer request or prayer...anything in the comment section before Tuesday at 8pm. Winners are announced on Wednesdays.

God has surely blessed this blog. We have such wonderful guests---each of you. I first started this blog after receiving several dreams of how it should be laid out and what it should be about. It was going to be a blog for beginning card-makers. And, I wanted to have a small section devoted to sharing about the Lord. My dreams made it very clear to me that I had my priorities backwards. The blog was to be mostly about Jesus Christ, and encourage Christians in their walk with Him, and sharing about Him through cards, and to hopefully answer some questions for the people who are still non-Believers, and a small amount of time spent on card-making. (You can read more about my Jewish background and this blog by clicking on June 2010 on the sidebar.)

Michele and Joan were such a blessing to myself and the blog. Michele writes our "Precious Women of God--This Includes YOU!" posts. Which are shared every 3rd Friday of the month. (Mark your calendar!) We have a special post from Michele this Friday. And, Joan has such a heart for prayer. She prays all through her day. Joan prays for each of you, whether you have a request or not, she prays for the unSaved, she prays for each of us. That we always work to Glorify God with every post. And, that I do not get self-centered in the posts or otherwise. We encourage each other...and have become great friends. I am so grateful to both of them.

I have wanted this blog to be a part of each of you since the beginning. It was one of the goals that came to me early on. You don't want to hear about me all the time...BORING! It is much more interesting to hear about each of you, and how God has been a part of your life. Or tell us about one of your favorite Verses and why. Or perhaps tell us about a special Christmas tradition. Or write about a time when you knew God was right there with you to guide you through a storm. I consider this blog to be a tool for the Lord...for us to share with others. I consider this blog to be a way for us to learn from each other. To pray for each other, and to encourage each other. So, please consider sharing with us. Email your piece in honor or memory of someone, if you wish, to my email. tracistarkweather@gmail.com Please be sure to let me know if I may share your user name or real name, or if you prefer to be anonymous. I thank God for the honor of writing this blog. I am so glad that He has allowed us to serve Him in this way! I hope you will servein this way also! It could be by writing and emailing me a whole post. Or by sharing in the comment section! Because of this blog, I have learned so much more than I would have. I have studied, and He is on my mind so often. I love praying...and have made some amazing friends through this and other Christian blogs. I am grateful to be a part of the He IS Able blog! I am very grateful for each of you, and the friends and family that you bring.

_____________________________

The Winner of Last Week's He IS Able Card of the Week Give-Away is... MARILYN!!!

Congratulations Marilyn! Thank you for leaving a comment on this blog, and welcome to the He IS Able blog! You will win the beautiful card on the side bar, plus 2 additional mystery cards. Please EMAIL me your address. If you live in the US, I will get the cards right out to you! (Sadly, I can not mail packages out of the country. The postage gets to be quite a bit! ) Please email me either way. We will work something out. You will love these cards! Thank you for your comment. We hope you will visit on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

You could put your email in the upper right box, and receive the posts in your email in box. (No one can see your email address. Just follow the directions. This is for anyone!)

Here is Marilyn's comment:
Hi Ladies, What a beautiful website you've got. I am going to subscribe but in the meantime I'll let you know that I found your site when I was looking for Christian Creative women. Keep up the good work. Marilyn

______________________________

Be quick to write something in the comment section, as THIS week's 2 Card He IS Able Give-Away will be made of comments left before 8pm on Tuesday (tomorrow) night.

We would love to have you share any of your favorite Scriptures of any theme, in the comment section!

Of course, you can write or ask about anything! Here you see the two cards to be given away on Wednesday! (I can only show one on the side bar, but I wanted you to see both of the donated hand-made cards for this week.)

___________________________

Before you go today, I'd like to share a quick Devotion from the book, Quiet Moments in the Presence of God. It is published by Bethany House. At least here in the United States we are entering a time of desired chaos-- if you will. Thanksgiving, while a wonderful family holiday--includes many hours of preparation and cooking. It includes family getting together which may include dealing with airports, company at home, hotels and other logistics. We want to remember the most important aspect. A Day of Thanksgiving. As Christians we are to Praise Him at all times. On this day even non-Christians, sometimes state what they are thankful for as they go around the table sharing their thoughts. It is great if you can have a few moments of quiet before the hustle and bustle begins. I hope you will enjoy this short Devotion titled, "Find a Place."

_________________________

"Find a Place"

"You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life."

(Psalm 23:2-3)

When you find a place where you can be alone with God, God will pour out His blessings upon you. Locate a place where interruptions can be discouraged, distractions avoided, and potential disruptions prevented. Find a space where you and God can be together, just the two of you. Put a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door of that place. Choose a setting that encourages meditation, prayer, and reflection.

You can hear God speak to you in such a quiet, private place. There you can experience the Holy presence of God.

Early in His life, Jesus formed the habit of frequently going away into the hills for quiet prayer to His Father. He went somewhere still and private. He had a place.

"Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."

(Isaiah 65:24)

"Dear God, I look forward to meeting you, with all Your love and wisdom in our place. Amen."

_______________________

I believe the author is reminding us that between making Christmas cards, planning dinners, going to church, helping children with homework, writing letters to our grown children in the military, and going to company dinners with our spouses...we need to spend some quiet time with Him. Daily. Quiet so we can hear His whisper of blessings, guidance and love to us. Many of the wonderful gifts that come from God come during times of silence. Silence is a condition in which God makes Himself known to us. Have you found your quiet space for you and God to spend some time? Have you used it lately? How about telling about it in the comment section. Let's encourage each other! We would love to hear about this, and it makes you eligible for the random drawing to win those 2 great cards which you could use to encourage others! God bless!

"He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;" (Psalm 46:10)

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

God is SO Good! And, He is SO Faithful!

2011-11-10T14:34:00.001-05:00

My Dear Friends~

Thank you so much for standing together in prayer for our Prayer Team Leader, Joan and her family. Her Father-in-Law went to be with the Lord while I was "on vacation" from the blog, spending much needed time with my son.

"A friend loveth at all times." (Proverbs 17:17)

Joan, Sweetie, please know that we are praying for you all. We love you, and we know that He wants the very best for this family. And, that love is number one with our Lord. He will mend fences of the past, if that is His plan. I am sorry I didn't know about His passing. I am so sorry. I have had my head in the sand. May God comfort all of you, and pull you all together as an even closer family to get through this and afterwards.

I was supposed to write yesterday, and give away 2 cards to one winner! I just couldn't get settled to the computer. And, today, I have one of the very worst migraines I have ever had...and I get bad migraines often! So, I pray you will be patient with me. I will be here on Monday...God willing...and I will give 3 cards to one randomly selected person, instead of the 2. Consider it a make-up! The randomly selected person will have had to leave a comment before this past Tuesday at 8pm to be eligible. If you wrote a comment after that...be sure to check in on Monday for some art, and Wednesday to see if you won the 2 Card He IS Able Give-Away!

I just can't even see the screen very well right now. And, it hurts to move my head. I know, it could be stress. But, I also took a tumble a while ago, and re-injured my neck. I went to the doctor yesterday. Thank you for your patience...as I adjust to life with my son in the Air Force. It is so difficult to not pick up the phone and give him a call. We haven't even been given a mailing address yet! So we can't write yet! We will all get through Basic Military Training, I am sure. God is SO good, and He is SO faithful! He has taken away all of my tears. I only cried once, after the bus was well on it's way. It's as if I can't cry. I praise Him for this. I was afraid I would cry myself to death! I cry at every little thing usually. He has given me a sense of peace. I know He is watching over Josh, and that He is protecting Him, and has the best known path for Him. Josh also told me that he is planning on going to church services on Sundays...because if you don't...you have cleaning duty! That is great with me! He is not yet a Christian, although I pray constantly, and have many friends who join me. This is a great reason to rejoice! His Word never is void!

"You have made known to me the path of life;

in Your presence there is fullness of joy;

at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

(Psalm 16:11)

I am thrilled to see so many new guests here. And, so very grateful to have such Godly friends. I will be in touch with you soon if possible! In the meantime, how about starting a "Gratitude List?" Let's praise Him until Friday evening! If you'd like to participate...just join us in the comment section...and share whatever you would like. If you share before 8pm Tuesday...you will also be entered in the drawing for two cards next week, just from leaving a comment!

If anyone would like to email me their thoughts about Gratitude, or Thanksgiving. I would love to share it with our other guests. You can write about why you are grateful for the Lord. Or why you like a certain Verse about giving thanks. You could write about a special tradition. This is each of your blogs. So, if you would like to write...or share a poem, email me. My email is on the right side bar near the bottom. I look forward to hearing from you. And, yes, it can still be done in some one's memory or honor. And, you can have your name included or not. It's up to you...it's your blog. As long as we Glorify God in every post...we are on the right track! May God bless each of you!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

p.s. I just want to ask everyone, if you did not read the last post...please do. I asked you to please pray about possibly donating some US postage stamps to the blog. The details are in the post under this one.

Taking Some Time for Mom and Son Time! And, New Things About This Blog!

2011-11-02T14:02:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends~

As you know we are scheduled to give away 2 cards this week in our
"He IS Able Card of the Week Give-Away." However, we didn't have any eligible comments! They were either written by Joan, Michele or myself...all a part of our blog, and ineligible. Or by people who truly are staying anonymous...(I wish she/he would email me and let me know who she/he was!) Or, from people of foreign countries. We love ALL of our guests, but sadly, we aren't in a position to mail cards around the world...yet! So, sadly we don't have a winner for this week. Don't forget to leave a comment for next week! As we will be giving away 2 cards! Just write your comment on anything you would like before 8pm on Tuesday to be eligible.

As you know, my son Josh, leaves for Basic Military Training (Boot Camp) for the Air Force on Monday morning. I have many things that I want to get done for him before he goes. Including a breakfast going away party with family and friends. Since I do not have any Design Team obligations, I am taking a week off from the blog. I will be back on Wednesday, unless I am really led by the Lord to write before then. I hope that you will all understand...A Mom needs some son time.

Also, on the tippity-top of the right column, there is a section for you to put your email address in it. After that you will be asked to follow the simple...2 second directions. If you do this...the posts from this blog will come to you! You won't have to remember which days we post and then find us on the Internet...It will show up in a letter form, in your email. If you want to see the frills...the Label Section-which are all written in red ink, and is a Table of Contents of all of the blog posts we have shared. (Perhaps you would like to go and catch up on some posts you didn't read, or want to read more in depth over the next week.) Or, if you want to add to the comment section, or look at the "His Word" section, or see the "Card of the Week," you will want to click on the heading of that letter and that will bring you directly to the blog. But, if you are in a hurry...put your email in that box, and follow the next directions...it is there for your convenience. You can always unsubscribe by clicking on a word. Otherwise, each post will continue coming to you!

Also, we are not a tax free organization. But, if you care to help out the He IS Able blog, we are in need of US Postage stamps in the standard amount...and the postage stamps for square envelopes. My husband and I have been happy to provide the stamps for the past year and a half. However, going into this season, things are tighter than usual.

I hate to ask for help like this...but we are here to encourage each other, so I thought there was no harm in asking. I will, of course, only use these postage stamps for He IS Able card give-aways and other official He IS Able blog mail. Don't worry. I feel that the cards we receive and materials are for the Lord's work. For this blog...which is a gift from Him, for Him! I know He will provide for our needs, if this is the track He wants us to continue with. If no one can help out, we will continue...

We do have some special ideas for the holidays...and will need quite a bit of extra postage to carry it off. This will happen if the extra postage is provided. Thanks for praying about it, and possibly helping us out. Thank you so very much! And, I understand if you can not help out at this time...times are tough...that is why I am asking in the first place! I understand. No pressure!

The postage stamps can be sent to:

Traci Starkweather

116 Colyer Drive

Longwood, FL 32779

USA

I hope you all enjoy your week! Make something crafty! Enjoy the autumn leaves if you live near them! And, Praise God for all things! Thanks for being here today!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

Don't Be Afraid of Fear! Fight it With His Word!

2011-10-31T21:50:00.002-04:00

Hi Friends~

Well, Joshua leaves a week from today for Basic Military Training (boot camp), and I will be very busy putting together a postage package for him with envelopes and writing paper, sheets of labels with all of his family and friend's addresses, for ease to write quickly. He was told that on some evenings he will have 15 minutes to write...not much time when you have so many people who love you and want to hear from you! So, I am including some postcards with postage on everything, with pre-written questions. Questions may be: What did you like today? What didn't you like today? What is the best part of the Air Force so far? And so on...I think it will help on the nights when he is too tired to take the 15 minutes for writing, rather than sleeping! I wonder if they read their mail?

Most of you know that I have been fearful of his leaving this area, and going into what I see as a very grown up field...when I see him more as a teen-ager than a twenty-two year old, even though he is very mature. And, since when is 22 that old? lol

We had a fabulous weekend together. I didn't get any crafting done this week. I don't know if I will get any done this week. I am going to try tomorrow. Well, you know I took a guest's advice and gave Josh's care back to the Lord. And, I have been so much calmer. I have a sense of peace that I couldn't find anywhere...but with the Father. Which I knew, but for some reason, when I need to remember something so important, so ingrained in me... I still forget to go before Him for myself some times. Perhaps these are words to the wise for one of you reading this?

I saw this column in my emails. I follow many Pastor's on the Internet. I have my Pastor at my church who I really listen to a lot. One thing about Pastor Joel Osteen is he looks for the positive in everything...and knows God is capable of all things. I want to share his column on FEAR with you today.

Close the Door on Fear

"Do not give the devil an opportunity to work.”(Ephesians 4:27, ISV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

"So many people today are living with less than God’s best because they’ve allowed fear to creep in and take root in their lives. Fear is the greatest weapon the enemy uses to try to hold us back. Fear is not from God. Scripture tells us that fear brings torment. It’s designed to paralyze us and keep us from God’s blessings.

The good news is that God is greater than fear. His power in you is greater than any power that comes against you. But in order to walk in His power, you have to close the door on the enemy. See, the enemy can’t have access to your life unless you open a door and give him access. That’s why we have to be careful about what we watch, what we listen to, what we read, and what we say. When we open ourselves to fear, we give the enemy opportunity.

If you’ve allowed fear to steal from you in any area of life, today you can be free — you can be finished with fear. Conquering the enemy starts by making the choice to close the door on fear, and instead, meditate on God’s promises. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and word of our testimony! Let His truth sink down into your heart. Declare it out of your mouth. Let Him set you free and lead you into victory as you close the door on fear!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, I come to You today declaring that I am finished with fear. Thank You for giving me power, love and a sound mind. I choose to stand on Your promises. Fill me with Your peace and joy today as I move forward in Victory with You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel and Victoria Osteen

__________________________________

I found several Scriptures that back up, you will recognize them from past posts:

"No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling: For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:10-11)

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you: Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

"So we may boldly say; The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)

It is so important that we work to memorize these and other Scripture. These are all about fear, and what fights it...He does, He teaches us how... it's in His Word.

Just a reminder that we are giving away "2 He IS Able Cards of the Week!" on Wednesday! Just be sure to leave a comment or prayer request or prayer in the comment section before Tuesday at 8pm. If you do, you are eligible to win the 2 cards!

He IS Able!

Traci S.

Let's Praise the Lord! And, "The Trees of the Forest Will Sing--"

2011-10-28T14:16:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends,

It is Friday, and to be honest, I have had a terrible week. I would like today to be a day of praise to the Lord, even though we praise Him every day. Let's praise Him for things BIG and small. Let's encourage each other, and list one or many reasons why you want to Praise the Lord.

And, remember, anyone who leaves any comment, prayer request, or prayer, before Tuesday at 8pm (Eastern) is eligible to win not 1, but 2 of the "He IS Able Cards of the Week!" We will continue to list the randomly chosen recipient on Wednesday, and we will continue sending 2 cards and postage until further notice. Exciting!

I am going to list several Scriptures. They will be about all different things which we may want to Praise Him for...or perhaps your reasons won't be found in this list. I ask that you please read the list...without skimming over any words...you never know what will strike you. And, please read it slowly. These are Words from the Holy Bible...and deserve our respect, right? I hope you enjoy this process as much as I will.

(I wish I was an artist, I would try to paint this first Scripture.)

"Let the Heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

let them say among the nations, "The Lord Reigns!"

Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!

Then the trees of the forest will sing,

they will sing for joy before the Lord,

for He comes to judge the earth,

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

His love endures forever.

(1 Chronicles 16:31-34)

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing."

(Psalm 100:1-2)

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

to declare Your steadfast love in the morning,

and Your faithfulness by night,

to the music of the lute and the harp,

to the melody of the lyre.

For You, O Lord, have made me

glad by your work;

at the works of Your hands I sing for joy."

(Psalm 92:1-4)

And lastly for today, for those of us facing troubling times...

"On the day I called, You answered me;

You made me bold with strength in my soul...

For great is the glory of the Lord,

For though the Lord is exalted,

Yet He regards the lowly...

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

You will revive me;

You will stretch forth Your hand...

and Your right hand will save me."

(Psalm 138:3, 5-7)

He IS Able!

Traci S.

p.s. Would the person who sent me the comment that I posted a week or so ago, and again this week...please email me your identity? I would love to speak with you, if possible. tracistarkweather@gmail.com