Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn,
and welcome again to Issues and
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Answers. Today we are going
to be talking about the life
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changing power of praise.
You know, I know that David knew
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about this. He wrote in
Psalm 100:4 about coming
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before the Lord, He said, Enter
his gates with thanksgiving
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in your heart and enter
his courts with praise. This is
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something that... Did you know
that we were actually formed
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and fashioned to praise
the Lord. Now does God need our
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praises? I don't think so.
Does praise change God? I don't
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believe so. But praise changes
us. We have returning with us
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today Jerry and Janet Page
from the Central California
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Conference. Janet, I am so
glad you're back. You know what?
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You do a lot of work for the
Central California Conference.
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You are the Prayer Ministries
Coordinator, you're the director
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of Women's Ministries. You're
also the wife of the conference
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president, Jerry. Yeah,
that's her hardest job, I
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can tell you. I'll
bet that's true. But not
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that being married to you,
Jerry, would be difficult, but
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that there are so many demands
that are made on the conference
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president's wife, I know.
Do you ever feel like you're in
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a fish bowl? Not really.
No, that's good, because I've
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heard some people say that they
feel that when they get into
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that kind of ministry that
they feel like people are always
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watching them. But
you don't feel that way?
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Actually, I find people are
always loving us. God has just
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so gifted us. We're in
California right now, central
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California and I tell you
it makes me start to cry when I
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think about the people are so
loving and so good. The same way
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in Pennsylvania. God's people
are incredible. You know, we
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wouldn't want to be doing this
work without the support, the
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prayer support we get. As I
shared on an earlier show about
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the people in Pennsylvania
praying for me changed my life,
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praying for the Holy Spirit
to be in my life and I'm so
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grateful for those people.
I don't even know who they are
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anymore, but I'm so thankful
for them. The same way now in
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Central. That's wonderful. Like
going to California: I did not
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want to move there. I was afraid
of going to California. I loved
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Pennsylvania, I loved the people
and yet God knew what he was
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doing as he always does. I
learned right away after moving
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there, there were so many people
praying, prayer groups every
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where. Those people pray for us.
There's no way Jerry or I could
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keep up the schedule we do if it
weren't for those praying people
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so I dearly am
thankful for our people.
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Glory to God! And that is a
true statement. Now we're going
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to be talking today about
praise and how praise can change
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your life and fill you
to overflowing with joy.
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Jerry, do you have an experience
that you would like to share
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with us about praise?
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Yeah, my wife Janet has gone
through such an experience with
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praise and seeing a changed
life. She'll share a little I
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think, but she's really good
at praise because God gives us
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trials so we will learn
to praise in trials and I'm
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probably a big trial to her so
that helps her get through that.
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You know, I have so much coming
at me as a leader in the church
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obviously and these prayer
partners do provide so much
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support for me and I just praise
God for that. Not long ago...
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Do you know what a perfect
storm is? How would you define a
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perfect storm? Some would define
it a several storms converging
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on the same point at one time
and creating havoc and others
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would say the perfect storm
is the one that never comes.
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In the beginning of the school
year recently at our academy,
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which is a secondary boarding
school right on Monterey Bay,
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a beautiful place, but things
had been going pretty well. We'd
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seen God do wonderful miracles
in answer to prayer over several
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years. A big debt was paid off
and everything. Beginning this
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year everything started
going wrong. The principal who'd
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been there a number of year and
who everybody liked said he was
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leaving because of health
problems. So we had to start
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looking for a new leader. Then
the laundry, which takes in a
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lot of clients and is one of the
work options for our students,
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had problems. The hospitals
weren't paying their bills and
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they had to cut their clients.
So our budget was in big trouble
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then because our laundry didn't
have the work that it needed
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etc., etc., and it goes on
down the list through the year.
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all kinds of things began to
happen. The students began to
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get grumbly and we had to make
plans for the next year to cut
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several staff members and that's
a very bad thing for morale.
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On it went; finally one of
the staff there had an affair
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and they were very loved
and they had to leave and it was
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a big mess. So there were just
a lot of morale problems, a lot
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of financial things. Everybody
was just saying, What's
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happening to this school? A
law suit that had been filed on
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something that supposedly
happened 20 years ago came
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out in the papers with all kinds
of bad PR and what kind of a
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weird place was this school
and all this. So we had a lot of
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people praying. We were
wondering why all these storms
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were hitting us at the school
at one time. I can tell you, we
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were praying. It was in my mind
a lot, but we weren't seeing God
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answer right away. We searched
for a principal and we weren't
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getting one. The laundry
was struggling to find some new
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clients and all of this. Then
I had to alumni weekend; they
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wanted me to come and say a few
words. Well, I didn't want to be
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there, Shelley. I wanted to be
anywhere else because I really
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didn't have anything to say.
We weren't seeing any answers
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yet. I remember one morning
that week I got up again and
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determined to spend time with
God. But lately so much of my
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time had been with all
the problems of my work just
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flooding in and I wasn't able to
really focus on God in the way
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I wanted. It was always what
am I going to do today and all
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these problems; what's going to
happen? That morning as I just
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fell before the Lord, I said,
God, I do not want to think
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about Monterey Bay Academy
today, I don't want to think
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about any of the trials, I don't
want to think about my work.
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I just want to know you, I just
want to praise you, I just want
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to think about you. Sometimes
in my worship I sing and I do
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it quietly because I don't
want anybody to know. I have
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different books I use, different
song books, and that morning
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I'd determined I was just going
to sing praises and as God to
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change my spirit and my attitude
and focus on him. I opened up
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a hymnal and this song which
I've sung in the past but it's
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not one that goes through my
mind a lot opened up right to
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this and it was Be Still My
Soul. As I began to read the
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words I realized that God was
talking to me. Be still my soul,
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the Lord is on your side. Bear
patiently the cross of grief or
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pain. Leave to your God to
order and provide. In every
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change he faithful will remain.
Be still my soul, your best
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your heavenly friend through
thorny ways leads to a joyful
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end. It goes on and the next
verse talks about him guiding
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us in the future as he has
in the past, etc., and that he
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calms the storms now just like
he did in the past. When I got
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done reading that I just had
tears in my eyes because I knew
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that while I had asked to not
think about Monterey Bay, God
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was telling me, I'm going to
take care of it. I'm going to
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be there for you. I'm going to
provide, I'm going to lead to a
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joyful end. I'm going to
calm the storm. So by the time I
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went that weekend to speak
at alumni weekend, I didn't have
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an answer at all to say to
encourage but I had an encounter
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with God in my own time, my
own praise time, my prayer time
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and so I could go and just
praise him. I said, Folks I
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don't know for sure how he's
going to answer, but he's told
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me that he's going to. And
I told them this experience.
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In sharing that, joy came in
and they began to trust and they
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were praying and it encouraged.
I could tell you all the
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answers. We got a wonderful new
principal. It was late, later
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that we would have liked, but
it was just the one we needed.
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The laundry has gotten more
business now and pumping more
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poundage than ever before.
We've got a new staff member
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to replace the one that had
an affair. It's been wonderful
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some of the changes that
have happened to the school have
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actually been for the positive.
So we've seen wonderful things
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happen. The next August,
we thought we were going to be
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down in enrollment which would
hurt budget and, you know, it
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was a problem. But you know the
day after registration the next
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fall we were up by one over
the previous year. So anyway
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we could tell you over the
last couple of years what has
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happened, but the point is when
we go to God and we determine
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to just praise him, focus on
him, then he speaks back to us
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and his power, I believe,
is unleashed in the great
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controversy in ways that if
we're just whining and fussing
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and worrying it doesn't seem
to come through. So I praise
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him. I want to praise him all
the time in my life, whatever
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is coming at me. The perfect
storm is the one that Jesus is
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there with me in. 1
Thessalonians 5:18 says,
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Give thanks in all circumstances
for this is God's will for you
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in Christ Jesus. So like the
disciples I just need to realize
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that in the storm he is
there in the boat with me.
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Absolutely, all the time. That
reminds me of Isaiah 43 where
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he talks about I know you, I've
called you by your name, you
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are mine. When you walk
through the waters they will not
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overwhelm you. When you walk
through the fire you will not
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be scorched or burned for I
am with you. You know, we just
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have to remember that God is
with us always. He is an ever
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present help in
times of trouble.
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And the beautiful thing about
that promise in Isaiah 43 is
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that was sent to the captives
in Babylon before they hit the
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the fiery furnace experience,
remember? So I'll walk through
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the fire with you.
Amen and boy he did.
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Now Janet when it comes to
praise, I know you've got a
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lot to say because the Lord has
really... You and I have shared
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before and I know some of your
experiences. Tells us what a
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difference praise
made in your personal life.
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When I was first realizing that
it was important, I remember
00:10:00.16\00:10:03.74
one time we talked about a
little bit and I had a friend
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come up afterwards saying,
You know, really what is the big
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deal? Why do I need to waste
time praising and adoring God?
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God knows I love him. Why not
just get down to that laundry
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list, those wants and needs
and be done with it? At the
00:10:18.37\00:10:21.21
time I didn't have an answer
for her. But as I prayed about
00:10:21.25\00:10:24.77
it and thought about it what
came back to mind was the first
00:10:24.80\00:10:27.66
year Jerry and I were married.
We'd been married probably
00:10:27.69\00:10:30.84
seven or eight months and I was
busy putting the laundry away
00:10:30.87\00:10:34.26
one Sunday and Jerry came
up to me and said, Janet, can't
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you tell me once in a while
that you love me. And I looked
00:10:37.23\00:10:39.83
at him and I said, What do you
mean, love you? He said, Well
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I need to hear once in a while
that you love me. I said, Hey,
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I married you didn't I. Of
course, I love you. You should
00:10:45.23\00:10:48.19
know that. And I go putting
my laundry away and he followed
00:10:48.22\00:10:51.27
me and he said, but I need
to hear nice things about myself
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I need to hear that
you love me. Poor sick man.
00:10:54.36\00:10:57.09
I'm on his side, I think it's
very important to share that.
00:10:57.12\00:11:00.31
So I kept putting my laundry
away and he wouldn't leave me
00:11:00.35\00:11:04.47
alone about it. As I started
thinking about and I started
00:11:04.51\00:11:07.80
reading some of these books
on marriage and found it really
00:11:07.84\00:11:10.43
can be important to your
mate that you tell them that you
00:11:10.47\00:11:13.02
love them and tell them nice
things. So I started trying to
00:11:13.06\00:11:16.76
do that. It wasn't easy at first
but as I did it, you know what
00:11:16.80\00:11:20.33
happened? As much as I love
Jerry my love for him just grew
00:11:20.36\00:11:24.27
and increased. I came to realize
this really is a great guy as
00:11:24.30\00:11:27.40
I focused on how much I loved
him and nice things about him.
00:11:27.43\00:11:30.62
That's what I remembered as I
thought about that. That's why
00:11:30.65\00:11:33.81
I need to praise God, take
time to praise and adore him
00:11:33.84\00:11:37.03
to worship him. It's not for
God; not that he has some big
00:11:37.07\00:11:40.23
ego that needs to be stroked,
but it's for my benefit.
00:11:40.26\00:11:42.76
Because as I focus on him and
do that I come out of that time
00:11:42.79\00:11:46.16
realizing he really loves me
and he's doing all that heaven
00:11:46.19\00:11:50.22
can do to bless my life.
It's interesting this scripture
00:11:50.25\00:11:56.54
that we began the program with:
Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with
00:11:56.57\00:12:01.12
thanksgiving. Well thanksgiving
is talking about your thanking
00:12:01.15\00:12:04.89
him for the things he has
done. It helps you to bring into
00:12:04.92\00:12:08.78
remembrance the greatness of God
and how good he's been in your
00:12:08.81\00:12:11.99
life. But then you enter his
courts with praise. Now that's
00:12:12.02\00:12:15.35
when you're focusing on the
character of God. It builds my
00:12:15.38\00:12:19.38
faith because as I begin to
praise God for all that he is
00:12:19.41\00:12:23.71
and who he is and you get
into the... You know one of the
00:12:23.74\00:12:27.80
things I did to learn how
to praise was I would take a
00:12:27.83\00:12:31.67
Psalm and read and put it in
my own words to praise him back.
00:12:31.70\00:12:35.79
But it changes you when
you come before him, instead of
00:12:35.82\00:12:42.40
coming like, Oh Lord do you
think you could help me or can
00:12:42.43\00:12:43.91
you help me, are you able to
do this Lord. I know your word
00:12:43.94\00:12:46.51
says it. Instead you come before
and you think, Lord, nothing's
00:12:46.60\00:12:50.60
impossible for you. It
builds your faith. Absolutely.
00:12:50.63\00:12:56.66
But years ago, it's quite a few
years ago now, I was previously
00:12:56.69\00:13:01.15
married and my first husband
was a pastor and we hadn't been
00:13:01.18\00:13:04.36
out of school very long; in
fact we had actually just gotten
00:13:04.39\00:13:08.50
into our first district, we'd
been there 2-1/2 months when
00:13:08.53\00:13:12.27
he died in a
swimming pool accident.
00:13:12.30\00:13:14.18
Now did you have a child?
00:13:14.21\00:13:16.52
Yes, I had a little boy; he
was two years old at the time.
00:13:16.55\00:13:20.17
That's something you think might
happen to you or to somebody
00:13:20.20\00:13:25.94
else but was not a part of my
life plan. We just got through
00:13:25.97\00:13:29.36
with school, we're going
to serve the Lord together in
00:13:29.39\00:13:31.57
ministry and I knew this wasn't
going to happen. In fact, I was
00:13:31.60\00:13:35.22
praying over him at the pool
there that God would raise him
00:13:35.25\00:13:37.55
up because I knew God
could raise him up. But in the
00:13:37.58\00:13:42.11
emergency room when the
doctor came out and said there's
00:13:42.14\00:13:44.18
nothing we can do, the first
things that came into my mind
00:13:44.21\00:13:47.49
was a verse I couldn't at that
time even tell you where it was
00:13:47.52\00:13:51.82
but I hear it a lot now and
it was rejoice always, rejoice
00:13:51.85\00:13:56.40
always, that all things work
together for good. In Romans
00:13:56.43\00:14:01.79
8:28 All things work together
for good. I just started saying
00:14:01.82\00:14:04.80
that out loud. All things
work together for good. I'm very
00:14:04.83\00:14:09.64
grateful because I don't know if
it was a year before or six or
00:14:09.67\00:14:12.60
seven months or so, my husband
and I had attended a seminar
00:14:12.63\00:14:16.05
where they taught us how
important it is to rejoice, to
00:14:16.08\00:14:20.57
thank God in everything, to
surrender our lives to him. Not
00:14:20.60\00:14:23.87
that God wants to hurt us
or wants death or illness or
00:14:23.90\00:14:28.11
whatever. God does not. But we
are in a great controversy that
00:14:28.14\00:14:32.23
I don't understand, but I know
that my God is in control and
00:14:32.26\00:14:37.82
if he allows something in my
life, to surrender it to him.
00:14:37.85\00:14:42.25
I heard an expression once
that said don't miss out on the
00:14:42.28\00:14:46.03
blessings by thanking God
for only the things you consider
00:14:46.06\00:14:49.90
blessings. Because a lot of
times the things that I don't
00:14:49.94\00:14:53.59
think are blessings at the time
later I realize in one way or
00:14:53.63\00:14:57.24
another they are. Some
things I don't think I'll know
00:14:57.28\00:14:59.38
till heaven that
they were a blessing.
00:14:59.41\00:15:01.41
You know, I'm thinking when
you were using that Roman's 8:28
00:15:01.45\00:15:05.31
says that, All things work
together for good for those who
00:15:05.34\00:15:08.65
love the Lord and are
called according to his purpose.
00:15:08.68\00:15:11.96
Now you might say how could
God work this out for her good?
00:15:11.99\00:15:14.72
She has just got a 2-year-old
son and her husband has been
00:15:14.75\00:15:18.92
killed in an accident in a
swimming pool. But you can't
00:15:18.95\00:15:21.87
separate Romans 8:28 from
Romans 8:29 because Romans 8:29
00:15:21.90\00:15:27.09
is the continuation and it says,
Because those God foreknew he
00:15:27.12\00:15:31.78
predestined to be conformed
to the image of his son. So God
00:15:31.81\00:15:36.96
takes all things, no matter how
bad they are in our life, and he
00:15:36.99\00:15:41.86
works them out for our eternal
benefit by shaping our character
00:15:41.89\00:15:46.86
and making us a little
more like Jesus Christ.
00:15:46.89\00:15:49.63
So what was
your experience then?
00:15:49.66\00:15:53.12
Well I started thanking God
for Mike. I started thanking him
00:15:53.15\00:15:57.19
for the years we'd had together,
the fun times, people we'd seen
00:15:57.22\00:16:00.06
won to the Lord. I just started
thanking God for all, the little
00:16:00.09\00:16:04.32
boy by him, just everything I
could think of and just started
00:16:04.35\00:16:07.35
saying, God, you're in control.
I don't understand this, but I
00:16:07.38\00:16:09.98
choose to surrender it to
you. Did you grieve though?
00:16:10.01\00:16:14.66
Yes, you know I did, but I
don't know that that I did like
00:16:14.69\00:16:20.58
sometimes people do.
May I ask you this question
00:16:20.61\00:16:24.35
real quick? You know, sometimes
when we are grieving, we're
00:16:24.38\00:16:28.94
grieving our loss. So the fact
that you knew and were trusting
00:16:28.97\00:16:33.41
in God and rejoicing and had
this, perhaps do you think it
00:16:33.44\00:16:37.57
might have helped you in that
you weren't... it wasn't like
00:16:37.60\00:16:42.99
okay my life's just one big
uncertainty, what's going to
00:16:43.02\00:16:44.98
happen to us now? You knew that
God had a plan for your life.
00:16:45.01\00:16:48.34
Did this help you grieve, not as
the world grieves just knowing
00:16:48.37\00:16:52.70
that God was going
to carry you forward?
00:16:52.73\00:16:54.45
It did as I focused on God, but
we had a memorial service for
00:16:54.48\00:17:00.51
him that was a time of rejoicing
because we have a blessed hope.
00:17:00.54\00:17:03.82
Jesus is coming again to take
us home so we had something to
00:17:03.85\00:17:05.85
rejoice about. I'm not saying
that it's not okay to weep or
00:17:05.88\00:17:09.81
cry because I did do that and
it is okay. Jesus cries with us.
00:17:09.84\00:17:14.73
But the more I stayed focused on
God and his power and praising
00:17:14.76\00:17:19.23
him, it just brought a healing
grace into my life. I saw God
00:17:19.26\00:17:23.00
do so many miracles during that
time; literally holding me one
00:17:23.03\00:17:26.64
night, the first night,
because I couldn't sleep and the
00:17:26.67\00:17:29.42
horrible scene would come back.
I said, God I've got to sleep.
00:17:29.45\00:17:31.53
I just felt suddenly like I was
being held and I just slept so
00:17:31.56\00:17:35.17
soundly all night. But 10 days
later after everything was done,
00:17:35.20\00:17:40.18
my family tried to help me
pack up but then they had to get
00:17:40.21\00:17:43.11
back to their jobs. Well I had
one place left to pack up and
00:17:43.14\00:17:46.07
that was a garage where we
had things in storage and things
00:17:46.10\00:17:48.18
were all pulled out. I was
in the garage with my little guy
00:17:48.21\00:17:52.12
trying to pack up and suddenly
I'm just missing my husband
00:17:52.15\00:17:55.24
terribly because it was all his
things. I started crying out to
00:17:55.27\00:17:58.58
God, Why God, why? Why did
you let him die? We were just
00:17:58.61\00:18:01.93
starting a ministry together.
I've got a little boy. How am I
00:18:01.96\00:18:04.76
going to raise him without his
daddy? Just all day long I kept
00:18:04.79\00:18:07.49
saying why God, why? Of course,
I'm crying. That morning before
00:18:07.52\00:18:13.55
going though I'd been reading
a devotional book; I'd been
00:18:13.58\00:18:16.10
reading my Bible then I opened
up this devotional book and was
00:18:16.13\00:18:18.19
reading it. In fact, the day
after he died I had this urge,
00:18:18.22\00:18:21.81
impression to pick it up
and read it and I didn't do it.
00:18:21.84\00:18:24.15
I kept thinking I don't want to
read, you know, I want to talk
00:18:24.18\00:18:26.40
about my husband and I didn't.
But 10 days later I started
00:18:26.43\00:18:30.50
reading it that morning and
it was July 14. As I read it, it
00:18:30.53\00:18:34.81
was so good I kept reading
several pages but then I knew
00:18:34.84\00:18:38.39
I had to get over and pack
up this garage because the mover
00:18:38.42\00:18:40.34
was coming. So I turned it
upside-down, I turned it like
00:18:40.37\00:18:44.83
this to come back to it later
because I wanted to read it.
00:18:44.86\00:18:48.85
In the garage, I'm crying,
I'm just so miserable about my
00:18:48.88\00:18:53.04
husband dying. By the time I
got back to our place my little
00:18:53.07\00:18:56.35
boy was asleep. We'd eaten
somewhere else and I put him
00:18:56.38\00:18:58.55
into bed. I went and flopped
down across my bed and I just
00:18:58.58\00:19:00.99
started sobbing and crying.
I just was beside myself with
00:19:01.02\00:19:04.99
grief. I had this urge,
this impression to pick up that
00:19:05.02\00:19:08.60
devotional book and read it.
I was thinking I don't want to
00:19:08.63\00:19:11.14
read, I want to cry, I'm
miserable. Of course, I'm not
00:19:11.17\00:19:14.18
realizing God's telling me
to do this because at that time
00:19:14.21\00:19:16.63
I didn't realize God would
impress me. But this urge just
00:19:16.66\00:19:20.37
would not leave me alone.
Pick it up and read it. Finally
00:19:20.40\00:19:22.28
I thought you know I'm kind
of cried out, this is getting
00:19:22.31\00:19:24.26
boring crying. I might as
well get up and read it. Now I'm
00:19:24.29\00:19:27.12
the kind of person who notices
if my things are touched.
00:19:27.15\00:19:29.56
Amen! I can
give witness to that.
00:19:29.59\00:19:31.91
Maybe it's because I'm almost
an only child. I had an older
00:19:31.94\00:19:34.35
brother. But I turned it over
to read where I'd left it and it
00:19:34.38\00:19:37.27
was no longer where I left
it at July 18 and 19. I thought,
00:19:37.30\00:19:40.53
who's touched my book? But I
knew nobody had been in there.
00:19:40.56\00:19:44.09
It was now at July 4 and 5.
Now 10 days before I'd had this
00:19:44.12\00:19:48.59
urge to read it and it
July 4 and I hadn't done it not
00:19:48.62\00:19:52.37
realizing it was God telling me
to. But my eyes fell on July 4
00:19:52.40\00:19:55.88
and the title was Jesus
Cares. On down it says, God your
00:19:55.91\00:19:59.31
heavenly Father will be your
husband at hand to counsel, to
00:19:59.34\00:20:02.59
direct and comfort as you need.
I thought, Whoa, why is this
00:20:02.62\00:20:06.50
written because this particular
devotional book is called
00:20:06.53\00:20:08.65
This Day With God. It would tell
why it was written and it says
00:20:08.68\00:20:12.91
at the bottom Letter 42, July 2,
1875. It was written to a sister
00:20:12.94\00:20:17.72
who had recently lost her
husband. I'm going, How, how
00:20:17.75\00:20:22.09
did God do this because I knew
he was speaking to me. On down
00:20:22.12\00:20:26.38
it says he does not want to hurt
you and it quotes Lamentations
00:20:26.41\00:20:31.08
3:33 that he does not willingly
afflict or grieve the children
00:20:31.11\00:20:33.97
of men. But then on down it
says, Cling to his hand and hold
00:20:34.00\00:20:37.61
fast. He will take you and your
children, all your grief's and
00:20:37.64\00:20:40.73
burdens if you will only cast
them on him. I don't know how
00:20:40.76\00:20:43.75
he did it, you know; zap
the page, have an angel turn it
00:20:43.78\00:20:46.10
there. I don't know how, but
I know God did that, put it on
00:20:46.13\00:20:49.27
that page because he knew I
needed it. He tells me there
00:20:49.30\00:20:52.39
he's going to be my husband,
so I started taking that to God.
00:20:52.42\00:20:54.94
I said, you're going to be
my husband? How are you going to
00:20:54.97\00:20:57.65
do this? That's the other
beautiful thing about God's
00:20:57.68\00:20:59.87
word. I don't know how it is
for you, but as I study God's
00:20:59.90\00:21:02.39
word something new will hit
me. You know, you read something
00:21:02.42\00:21:05.77
you may have read 100 times
before but suddenly it speaks
00:21:05.80\00:21:09.49
to you right when you need it.
What I started noticing was God
00:21:09.52\00:21:12.71
will be my husband, he will be
a father to my son and he will
00:21:12.74\00:21:16.12
take care of us. There are
several scriptures, but the one
00:21:16.15\00:21:18.81
I love best is in Isaiah 54
where it says, Remember no more
00:21:18.84\00:21:23.04
the reproach of your widowhood
for God is your husband.
00:21:23.07\00:21:25.51
God just over and over started
showing me that. I don't know
00:21:25.54\00:21:29.53
if I have time to share those.
00:21:29.56\00:21:30.85
Sure share some.
We've got about six minutes.
00:21:30.88\00:21:34.35
Well, I mean, so many things
happened, but like one: My
00:21:34.38\00:21:38.14
parents moved into a house nine
months before. They were going
00:21:38.17\00:21:40.74
to build a 2-bedroom but
they just had this urge, build a
00:21:40.77\00:21:43.14
4- bedroom and they didn't
know why and they did. They were
00:21:43.17\00:21:45.48
embarrassed to tell anybody
because they thought it was
00:21:45.51\00:21:46.95
poor stewardship, but they built
a 4-bedroom. Nine months later
00:21:46.98\00:21:49.89
they knew why. Because it
gave my son and myself our own
00:21:49.92\00:21:52.84
bedrooms, dad to have a study
and my mother and dad to have
00:21:52.87\00:21:56.53
their room. God knows before
we even know we have a problem.
00:21:56.56\00:22:00.98
He's already working on the
solution for it. If I would just
00:22:01.01\00:22:06.23
realize this more not to worry
and fret over things because
00:22:06.26\00:22:09.36
he's already working out
what he wants to have happen.
00:22:09.39\00:22:12.51
But one time after I had moved
with my parents in their place
00:22:12.54\00:22:16.56
and had been there a few months,
my little boy and I went on a
00:22:16.59\00:22:18.38
trip to see some family
down south, we were living up in
00:22:18.41\00:22:22.26
the northeast, and I had put
in a thermos that morning some
00:22:22.29\00:22:26.21
cereal with hot water with
raisins. By supper time it would
00:22:26.24\00:22:29.14
be this chewy cereal my little
guy liked. So by the time I got
00:22:29.17\00:22:32.05
to the motel it was late
and he's racing around the room,
00:22:32.08\00:22:34.16
Mommy I want to eat, I want
to eat. So I took the thermos,
00:22:34.19\00:22:36.81
you know, I'm tired and I'm
hungry and I tried to open it
00:22:36.84\00:22:39.39
and I couldn't get it open and
so a sat down on the bed, I put
00:22:39.42\00:22:43.15
it between my legs and went like
this to get it open. I could not
00:22:43.18\00:22:46.03
get it open. Well I was rather
upset and I looked up towards
00:22:46.06\00:22:49.41
heaven and in my mind I prayed,
If my husband were here he was
00:22:49.44\00:22:52.97
big and strong, he could open
this. You know, what are you
00:22:53.00\00:22:55.38
going to do? You're my husband
now, you know, you tell me that.
00:22:55.41\00:22:57.62
Right then somebody started
coming in the motel door.
00:22:57.65\00:23:01.23
Of course, I was scared and
I ran to try to keep them out.
00:23:01.26\00:23:03.81
They were already in before
I could get there. It was a man
00:23:03.84\00:23:06.90
with a key in the door knob. He
jumped back and said, Lady, I'm
00:23:06.93\00:23:11.77
sorry this is a mistake. Don't
you worry though; you're safe.
00:23:11.80\00:23:14.21
There were two teenagers behind
him with suit cases. I said,
00:23:14.24\00:23:17.45
Okay and I shut the door then
and I leaned against the door
00:23:17.48\00:23:20.01
because the adrenaline was just
draining out of me. I was crampy
00:23:20.04\00:23:22.87
you know, I was, Huh, leaning
against this door when this
00:23:22.90\00:23:25.39
urge comes over me, this
impression, get him to open
00:23:25.42\00:23:28.16
your thermos. I went, I can't
do that, I'm shy. No! Get him to
00:23:28.19\00:23:32.04
open your thermos. So I opened
the door and I said, Mister,
00:23:32.07\00:23:34.44
will you wait a minute. Of
course he was wondering what
00:23:34.47\00:23:36.38
does this crazy woman want. I
grabbed the thermos, I took it
00:23:36.41\00:23:38.10
out to him and I said, I can't
open this. Could you open it
00:23:38.13\00:23:40.21
for me please. One
quick turn and he had it open.
00:23:40.25\00:23:43.41
Isn't God wonderful Amen.
00:23:43.44\00:23:44.63
God's got a sense of humor,
he's incredible. And it's just
00:23:44.67\00:23:47.92
story after story like that
of what he's done in my life and
00:23:47.95\00:23:51.25
what I've gotten to see him do
in other women's lives as they
00:23:51.28\00:23:54.23
call on God to be their husband
and they choose to praise him
00:23:54.27\00:23:57.19
and thank him
for the circumstance.
00:23:57.22\00:23:59.77
Do you find that sometimes, and
particularly I'll use my sister
00:23:59.80\00:24:04.90
as an example; she was a
drug addict for 15 years and God
00:24:04.94\00:24:08.63
delivered her literally
over night. But she can call me
00:24:08.67\00:24:12.53
sometimes and if she gets her
eyes off the Lord, and I have
00:24:12.56\00:24:16.36
her permission to say this,
because I love my sister dearly,
00:24:16.40\00:24:20.39
but when she's strong in the
Lord she's incredible. When she
00:24:20.43\00:24:24.23
is not strong in the Lord she's
a drama queen. You know, she's
00:24:24.26\00:24:28.02
one of these that's very
emotional. So she'll call me
00:24:28.06\00:24:33.04
sometimes and she'll just be
whining and going on and I can't
00:24:33.08\00:24:37.66
get a word in edgewise. So after
you listen for 45 minutes or
00:24:37.70\00:24:41.60
something, I'll say, You need to
go praise the Lord and call me
00:24:41.64\00:24:45.51
back and we'll pray. It's
so true. Because there's no use
00:24:45.54\00:24:48.27
even praying with her because
if you pray with her when she's
00:24:48.31\00:24:51.30
in that mood, it's just like
she listens while you're praying
00:24:51.33\00:24:54.88
and the second you stop she just
starts up again with complaining
00:24:54.91\00:24:59.27
So she'll say, All right, I know
I do and she'll go listen to
00:24:59.30\00:25:03.27
praise music and praise the
Lord, sing some songs. She'll
00:25:03.31\00:25:06.89
call me back in 30 minutes or
45 minutes and she's a totally
00:25:06.92\00:25:10.80
different person. She's got her
eyes on the Lord and she's ready
00:25:10.84\00:25:14.68
to pray for me. That's
true for me if I get my
00:25:14.71\00:25:18.18
my eyes focused off of God...
It's like, I heard a saying
00:25:18.19\00:25:21.19
once that said, Stop telling
God how big your storms are
00:25:21.29\00:25:25.02
and start telling your storms
how big your God is. And it's so
00:25:25.06\00:25:30.56
true. But I've had a woman whose
husband was trying to abandon
00:25:30.60\00:25:34.99
her. She needed a car. Her car
broke down and she was trying
00:25:35.03\00:25:38.35
to limp it home. It broke
down in some city where she knew
00:25:38.38\00:25:42.02
nobody. She went to use the
phone and had the car lot guy
00:25:42.06\00:25:45.23
give her a car because he
can tell she's got a problem. He
00:25:45.26\00:25:48.37
said, Lady you need to get home.
You take these keys and you go
00:25:48.40\00:25:50.01
home. She said, Mister, you
don't know me. He said, but I
00:25:50.05\00:25:52.76
know you've got a problem.
But that was her husband
00:25:52.80\00:25:55.60
her Father in
heaven. Glory to God.
00:25:55.64\00:25:58.51
So if you were going to tell
in a nutshell somebody who may
00:25:58.55\00:26:03.50
be watching or listening to
us today what they need to do if
00:26:03.54\00:26:08.12
they're feeling discouraged or
down, how do they start praising
00:26:08.16\00:26:12.90
Take the Psalms the way I do
because I have to force myself
00:26:12.93\00:26:17.64
because I'm so hurting
I don't have the words.
00:26:17.68\00:26:19.11
Take the Psalms and start
praising using those to praise
00:26:19.15\00:26:21.93
God with like
David did in the Psalms.
00:26:21.97\00:26:25.06
Amen. Well I'm so glad that
we're talking about this because
00:26:25.10\00:26:30.22
I think this is
something that...
00:26:30.25\00:26:31.52
Can I interrupt? The other thing
is the book and I hate to keep
00:26:31.55\00:26:34.41
talking about this, but I can't
help it. "Exalting God's Word. "
00:26:34.45\00:26:37.28
Exalting his word. Exalting
his word. Amen. You take that
00:26:37.31\00:26:40.56
book, the "Life Affirmations,"
set up and use those to praise
00:26:40.60\00:26:43.82
God with. It's
incredible what it does.
00:26:43.85\00:26:45.79
What we both do too sometimes
is take our own journal and we
00:26:45.83\00:26:48.83
write down the things we're
most troubled by, discouraged,
00:26:48.87\00:26:52.19
by, afraid of. Write them down
with a promise and a praise and
00:26:52.23\00:26:55.11
say thank you that you're going
to take this terrible thing
00:26:55.14\00:26:57.71
coming at me and you're going
to turn it for good because the
00:26:57.74\00:26:59.99
devil means it for harm but you
mean it for good. When you write
00:27:00.02\00:27:02.89
those things down, by the time
you get done your attitude is
00:27:02.93\00:27:05.19
changed because you know God's
going to take care of it and it
00:27:05.23\00:27:07.46
just changes you as a person.
00:27:07.49\00:27:08.54
There's something about writing
it down that makes such a
00:27:08.57\00:27:11.48
difference. I can't
believe we're already
00:27:11.52\00:27:13.81
all out of time. This has
been wonderful. Thank you all so
00:27:13.84\00:27:17.32
much for coming back and we
want you to come back some more.
00:27:17.35\00:27:21.90
For those of you at home, I
pray that you will take this
00:27:21.94\00:27:26.42
seriously and whatever problem
you are having just go and say
00:27:26.45\00:27:29.90
Lord thank you that you see
a potential in me and you're
00:27:29.94\00:27:33.21
allowing this to kind of polish
me up a little bit. Praise him
00:27:33.24\00:27:37.70
even in the midst, you
don't have to praise him for the
00:27:37.74\00:27:40.16
problem but praise him in
the midst of your problems and
00:27:40.19\00:27:42.58
you'll find out
that he can do anything.
00:27:42.61\00:27:45.29
Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of the
00:27:45.32\00:27:49.39
Father and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:27:49.42\00:27:51.22
be with you today
and always. Thank you.
00:27:51.26\00:27:56.09