From My Notebook...

There are so many sermons that have been an encouragement to me!  Week after week I am so blessed to get fed with good spiritual meat!  I thought it might be fun to share my sermon notes here from time to time in hopes it can be a blessing to others too!

Last sunday evening we had a guest speaker at our church.  His message that evening was from John 7:37-38 and was titled "Thirsting, Coming, Drinking, Believing, Overflowing."

1.) Thirsting:  We need a desire to see God do something bigger than we are or what we could do on our own!  It is conditional...in verse 37 Jesus says "If and man thirst..."  It hinges on whether you want it or not.  Are you thirsting?  Do you want God to do something in your life?  We need to thirst for more!

2.) Coming:  Verse 37-"...let him come unto me..."  Jesus didn't give many options, He said "Come unto me." He is the only one who can satisfy that thirst.  If you want to see the Lord do bigger things in your life, you must come to Him!

3.) Drinking:  We need more than just a taste of Jesus.  We need to saturate ourselves in God's word and prayer and in our time with the Lord. If you are not satisfied, it is likely you are not "drinking from the springs of Living Water."

4.) Believing:  Trusting the Lord moment by moment.  Not only for salvation, but after salvation.  We must never get to the point where we think "I'm thirsty, but there's no point."  Before He does something thru you, you must let Him do something in you.  He may need to prune and chasten you.  Often when this happens, we back away an don't let Him do what He is trying to do because it hurts.  We have to believe there is something from God on the other side of this that the Spirit of God is going to do in our life.  It is a great thing to believe if you get on your knees, and pray, the answer will come!  Do you believe God for the impossibilities in your life?  As a a Christian are you believing God?  Do you have impossible prayer requests?  It's not what we can do for God, but what God can do thru us!

5.) Overflowing:  The result of thirsting, coming, drinking and believing is fruit overflowing!  Supernatural fruit that is not anything we could bring forth in our own strength!  Fruit of righteousness.  Fruits that prove God is working in our life!  When we present ourselves willing vines and branches we will bear this fruit!

This message was one I thought of the rest of the week and encouraged me to thirst more, to come to my Lord to satisfy, to spend time saturating myself in His word and prayer believing He will do mighty things in my life, and praying He will bring overflowing fruit as a result! I hope this blessed you too and I hope to share more encouraging sermon notes from my notebook in the future!

Pumpkin Bars!

I love the fall! I love the crisp cool days, the leaves changing color and the taste and smell of pumpkin! Yesterday I had the day off, and last night we had a get together with some friends, so I decided to make some of my favorite pumpkin bars now that we are in the season of fall! If you are craving some pumpkin on these beautiful autumn days here is the recipe I use to make my pumpkin bars!

Pumpkin Bars: 

Mix in Bowl: 
-4 Eggs
-2 Cups Sugar
-1 Cup Vegetable Oil
-1 Can Pumpkin (15 oz.)

Mix in Separate Bowl: 
-2 tsp. Baking powder
-1 tsp. Baking soda
-1/2 tsp. Ground cloves
-2 tsp. Cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. Ginger
-1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
-2 Cups Flour

Slowly add small amounts of wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix throughly each time. Pour into a greased and floured 12x18 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting: 
-4 oz cream cheese
-1 1/4 tsp Vanilla
-1 Tablespoon Milk or Cream
-1 Stick of butter
-4 1/4 C Powdered Sugar Mix and frost!
(This frosting recipe makes a bit more frosting than what I usually use)

No doubt there are some people who are in easier circumstances than others,—some who are in positions where they enjoy many comforts, while others are in places where they suffer many hardships; but, after all, happiness lies more in the mind than it does in the circumstances in which any individual is found, and the man within has far more to do with his own joy or sorrow than anything outside of him has. ~C.H. Spurgeon

Lord I Need You

Lord I need You, when the sea of life is calm
O Lord I need you when the wind is blowing strong
Whether trials come or cease, keep me always on my knees
Lord I need You, Lord I need You

Sometimes when life seems gentle and blessings flood my way,
I turn my gaze away from you, and soon forget to pray
But when the sky grows darker and courage turns to fear
My anxious voice cries upward with words You long to hear

Lord I need You, when the sea of life is calm
O Lord I need you when the wind is blowing strong
Whether trials come or cease, keep me always on my knees
Lord I need You, Lord I need You

Lord help me to remember, I’m weak but You are strong
I cannot sing apart from You, for Lord You are my song
Although I’m prone to wander and boast in all I do
Lord keep my eyes turned upward, so I depend on You

~Ron Hamilton

"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." Psalm 73:25-26