Were are you? Strange question, you may think. Where are you going? Another strange question. Where have you been? You ask why do I ask all these questions? Now stop and put all of that information together and you have what we call your witness or your testimony.

Everything that has happened in your life, to you or for you; every good, bad and ugly thing; little, big or just regular size event develops you for your purpose in life. Have you, like me, ever wondered why did God let things happen to you? Why did I go through some really tough things during my teenage years? Why did my marriages fall apart? I have many times in my life wondered, “Why me Lord?” Let me assure you that all things work to the good of them who love God and are called to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Only after God put me into my purpose did I find real happiness in all I do! Now my days are full of serving my Lord and Savior and being His servant to many people that I have fallen in love with! Only now do I see what He had planned for me. Young women, count all these trials as pure joy!!(James 1:2) These are the times God is training and grooming you for your purpose!! Enjoy everyday, even when they are trying days, for much will come from these trials. Rejoice in the Lord! I have plans for you______(insert you name in the blank), declares the Lord! Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans for hope and a better future! (Jer. 29:11) Believe these words and apply them to your life!!!

God bless you indeed today and everyday this week!!

Your friend in Christ,

Diana Garrison
Executive Director
The Shepherd’s Hand

Do you remember when you were a little girl? Do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up? Did you envision being a ballerina, a flight attendent, a nurse, a missonary or maybe just a Mommy?

What I always wanted to be was a Mother, to have children to love and cherish. A chance to watch my babies grow up and become strong adults.

In these days it’s so hard to be a mother. We have to work outside of the home. We have to make some of the hardest choices we will ever make. Only with God can we be good parents, loving parents that pray for the outcome of our babies.

Tough love can break a Mom’s heart! Only can our heavenly Father truely handle our children sometimes. Trust Him with the child that is so precious to you. He loves you and He loves that child He created!! Let Him dry your tears and turn them into Joy!!!

Diana Garrison
Executive Director
The Shepherd’s Hand

How many times a day do you laugh? Not enough is my guess. Laughter is good medicine according to science and the bible. Proverbs 17:22 says “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (NIV)

Science says that a good, deep belly laugh can actually burn calories if done regularly. It is also a fact that it takes more muscles and effort to frown than to laugh.

Why not laugh? When you laugh, it is almost impossible for the people around you to keep a frown on their face, and not laugh with you. If you don’t believe me, try it!

When my grandchildren would argue and be seriously mad at each other, I use to fuss at them. Then God showed me that laughter can change your mood. So when they would be on the verge of fists flying, I would break into song and dance. They were so shocked the first time that they stopped fighting and looked at me like I was crazy. Which of course I probably am, but I kept going and they began to laugh at me. It worked nearly every time. They laughed and forgot to be mad at each other.

If you want to get people to laughing, just think of something funny and start to laugh and see if laughter won’t become contagious. I know for a fact that is will work.

You can be creative in your methods to create laughter. Try saying a word – a random – single – strange word out loud and see if people won’t laugh. Especially if things are tense. Like spendrifilous….which is a word I made up. Try it!!!!!!

Have a blessed day and LAUGH – LAUGH – LAUGH. It will also please God our Father.

Sherry Graves
Marketing/Funds Manager
Val’s House International Ministries

Standing under the showerhead after a long day is so comforting. It’s as if the fresh, clean water knows its agenda is to wash away the filth of the day and bringing restored hope to a tired, worn soul. Feeling the rejuvenation allows for a better nights rest too! Isn’t it funny that a few minutes in the shower can change the next several hours of your life? In the same way, as God’s children, we stand under His showers of blessings on a regular basis and He draws near with His living water and washes all of our anxieties and concerns away. He accepts us, filth and all, and gives us hope through His grace and we find peace and rest at an all new level!  Oh Lord, you truly care for us! We love you, too, Jesus!

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

LaNette Hendrix

What is love? Love is holding the hand of a 2 year old grandchild when they have a boo-boo. Love is watching a son soar above were he thought he could go. Love is helping the kid next door that is not sure life is worth living. Love is calling that friend who is having a bad day and remind them of all the goofy things you had shared and laughing about them. Love is giving what God has given us. If we don’t give love we can’t receive love. Love is sharing your time to bring love and hope to the hopeless. Do something this summer to show that special love God has given to you. You don’t have to search very far for those who are hurting. Ask today for God to give you eyes to really see what is really outside your door.

James 2: 15-16
Suppose a believer, whether a man or a woman, needs clothes or food 16and one of you tells that person, “God be with you! Stay warm, and make sure you eat enough.” If you don’t provide for that person’s physical needs, what good does it do?

Real love does something about what nobody else wants to!

Diana Garrison
The Shepherd’s Hand

God keeps whispering these seven little words in my ear lately, “Walk by faith, not by sight, LaNette!” I obviously spend too much time worry about things or trying to solve things on my  own or He wouldn’t feel the need to remind me of this so often. Are you like me? Do you tend to worry and put your focus on what is before you instead of the One who holds you? “Thank you, Lord, for the gentle reminders! You have proven your faithfulness to me over and over again. When I have not felt well, you have been my Great Physician; when I didn’t know where my next dollar was coming from, You were my Provider; You are my Power and Protector when I am weak; and You have never left me nor forsaken me, even in my darkest hours. It seems so lame that I panic or dare to think that I have encountered a problem that You somehow can’t fix! Forgive me of my unbelief, Father, and strengthen my faith. Thank You for not giving up on me and for loving me so very much!!!” He loves you, too, friends, so join me on a journey of walking by faith, not by sight! (2 Corinthians 5:7)

LaNette Hendrix

My son suffers from low self esteem. It doesn’t matter how much life and love I pour into him as a Mother, what comes out of the mouth of others is what he has used to define himself. His heart is scarred and he has trouble holding his head up most days. No matter how hard he tries, there always seems to be someone willing to tell him that he doesn’t measure up. I try to teach him to see himself through God’s eyes but he hasn’t had a breakthrough yet. It breaks this Mama’s heart. We have to make a conscious effort to seek God and allow Him to define us. After all, He created us, not our teachers, our friends, or even well intentioned parents. When faced with situations like this, we can look at them through the eyes of the world, or we can look at the world through the eyes of God’s Word. The eyes of the world seek to erode what God created (YOU!) but God’s Word builds a firm foundation on what is eternal truth. It points us to God who loves us with an unfailing love and will do so all the days of our lives. Let’s choose today to trust Him!

Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.  Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.  Psalm 143:8 NLT

LaNette Hendrix

My Grandfather used to say to me, “Nettie, beauty might be skin deep but ugly goes clear to the bone!” That has always stuck with me. He wanted me to know that true beauty has nothing to do with our physical looks, it comes from within. If you want to know what is in someone’s heart, listen to their tongue! Words define what lurks beneath the surface of your soul. They set the tone for the day.  Your tongue bears witness to the condition of your heart. If your tongue tattled on you today, what would it say about how you treated others today? Did your  words build faith and hope, or breed fear and despair? Did you wound or heal today? What will you do tomorrow?

“And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.  But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.   James 3:4,5

LaNette Hendrix

Through Him, therefore, let us comnstantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully ackowledge and confess and glorify His name.[Hebrews 13:15 KJV-Amplified]

We often interpret the “sacrifice of praise,” mentioned in the verse for today, to mean nothing more than praising God when we do not feel like praising Him, and that can certainly be a type of sacrifice.  But, I believe the writer of Hebrews is actually making reference to the Old Testament sacrificial system that required the blood of animals to atone for people’s sin.

We, however, live in New Testament times, when we no longer need to put slain sheep and goats and bulls on an altar.  Instead, the sacrifice- the offering- God wants from us today is to hear right words coming out of our mouths.  Just as the smoke and the aroma of the animal sacrifices went up before His throne under the Old Covenant, the praises from our hearts rise up as a sacrifice before Him today.  In Hebrews 13:15, the Lord was really saying, “The sacrifice I want now is the fruit of your lips thankfully acknowledging Me.”

We nee to apply this Scripture to our everyday lives, making sure we speak God’s praises every chance we get.  We need to tell people about the great things He’s doing for us; we need to thank Him and tell Him we love Him.  In our hearts and with our mouths, we should say conttinually, “Lord, I love You.  Thank You so much for everything You’re doing in I praise you for taking care of everything that concerns me today.”  We need to be prople of praise, acknowledging God “constantly and at all times,” continually offering up to Him the sacrafice of praise.

GOD’S WORD FOR YOU TODAY:  Praise God as often as you can today!

Taken from “Hearing from GOD each morning” Joyce Meyer