Philippians 4:5-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present you requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.

Wow, isn't that an awesome scripture. This scripture is telling us if we really give our request to God with the full understanding that He is able and in control, that the Peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. This mean that when we are going through our strongest storms of life, if we give our request totally to Jesus and ask Him to take control, that He will give us peace of mind and He will calm our fears. When it's not natural for us to be calm or not to worry, He will take the worry away. In our human minds we aren't able to understand how this is possible. BUT this scripture says that the Peace of God transcends all understanding.....there are some things we don't need to figure out, we just need to believe.  

Sister Freda

Isaiah 55:8-12 The Lord says, My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher then the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts. So you will go out with joy and be led out in peace.

When God doesn't do what we want, sometimes we are disappointed. Sometimes it's hard to understand why our prayers aren't answered the way we expect. But we must remember that God knows more than we do about this life and He will get us through it. The next time you are disappointed when God doesn't give you the answer you expect, don't give up. Just be patient and let God remind you that He's still in control

Romans 15:13 I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in Him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Sister Freda

Isaiah 40:29-31  He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint

In a book I recently read there was a report about a person touring the old forgotten concentration camps in Eastern Europe. At one of the camps he saw some words carved on a wall. A prisoner had carved these words: "I believe in the sun, even though it doesn't shine. I believe in love even when it isn't shown, I believe in God even when He doesn't speak".

I can't even begin to imagine the horrors the prisoner endured during his time of captivity. We don't even know if the person lived to see freedom. But based on his words, I believe faith in God was strong. Our trials may not compare to what this prisoner went through, but we need to remember that even when we are going through our toughest storms of life, God is there beside us. When we are at our weakest God is always strong. He will increase our strength. Don't give up when you don't see God working in your situation. Wait upon the Lord. He is in control!

Sister Freda 

Deuteronomy 28:2 - And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God

When you have a close relationship with God, you don't have to ask Him to bless you. He wants to bless you. Just like you enjoy giving unexpected gifts to someone you love, God enjoys giving gifts to His loved ones. God's blessings often come in the midst of everyday life. God's blessings don't come in spectacular ways, but in the ordinary business of our lives. They come just when we need to know He loves us. Don't take God's gifts for granted. When you receive an unexpected blessing, thank God. Be alert and recognize the next time God's blessings overtake you.

Sister Freda

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. But this will all know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

One thing we need to notice is that this is not a suggestion, this is a commandment. Jesus said that by our love for one another, people would know that we are His disciples....not by where we go to church, or the bumper stickers on our cars, etc. The world should know we are the children of God by our love for people. God's word promises that He will lead us and guide us. In His word He has given us everything we need; to build His kingdom, to raise our children, to run our business, to claim our healing, etc. But I firmly believe that the truth in God's word can not get in us if we don't love one another. We can not receive God's direction until we love one another. My prayer for the Alabaster Church of God is that this community will see God's love through our church family. That we will reach out in love to this community and make a difference. When we do that God will pour out His blessings on the church, our families and our lives. Be a reflection of God's love to someone today!!! 

Sister Freda

This is a short excerpt from a Bible study I shared with the ladies while on our trip to Gatlinburg. To save space I will not write out the complete scripture reference, but the complete story is found in Matthew 14:25-32

Peter answered him, "Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind he became frightened, and began to sink, he cried out, "Lord save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him."

In one sense we could read this story and say Peter failed. He saw the wind, he took his eyes off of where they should have been, and he sank. But there were eleven bigger failures still sitting in the boat. Jesus was not in the boat, he was in the water and Peter wanted to be near Jesus. Of all the disciples, only Peter knew the glory of walking on the water. He knew what it was to do something he couldn't do without God's help. Peter also experienced what it felt like to be lifted up by Jesus in a time of desperate need. God uses real life situations to develop our ability to trust in Him. Learn to put your trust in the on who will never leave your or forsake you. He is always there ready and waiting to lift us up in our time of need.    

Sister Freda

This is a continuation from the devotion I shared with the ladies while on our trip to Gatlinburg. This part applies to the entire church. To save space I will not write out the complete scripture reference, but the complete story is found in Matthew 14:25-32

Peter answered him, "Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind he became frightened, and began to sink, he cried out, "Lord save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him."

I know we all have things in our life that we would like to change. I personally have a list of things that I call my "dream" list. Some things pertain to my personal life and/or my family. Other things on the list pertain to our church. Some of the things on the list are "God sized" dreams. In other words, there is no way these dreams will ever come to fruition unless God gets involved. It takes courage to follow a "God sized" dream. The first thing we need to do is make sure God agrees with what we want to do. We should spend time in prayer with an open mind and wait to hear His agreement. In the above scripture, Peter asked God to command him to come, and when God commanded him, he got out of the boat and started walking toward Jesus. Once we know that our dream is also God's plan, then we have to overcome the fear of failure and looking foolish, to follow our dreams. We have to put our faith in God and look over the risks involved and let God have freedom to fulfill His plan for our lives. And then we have to get out of the BOAT and start walking on water. I want to be a "water-walker", and one of my dreams is that the Alabaster Church of God would be full of "water-walkers".   

Sister Freda

It's that time of year when we reflect on our lives and thank God for all His blessings. There are several things that I am especially thankful for. I am thankful for a godly heritage. I am thankful for all of those nights I went to sleep to the sound of my parents praying for their children. (I pray that my children will have memories like this when they are my age.) I am thankful for a godly husband and godly children.

I am thankful for the miracles that I have seen in my lifetime that let me know God personally as 'My Provider", "My Healer", "My Comforter", "My Counselor", "My Prince of Peace" and My Father.

When I think of all the things I am thankful for, my mind goes to the book of Psalms where we read over and over again about His mercy and how it "endures forever". One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 94:18. It says, "When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy, O Lord, held me up..." That's exactly what God does for us when we slip and stumble...He holds us up...He takes care of us. If we turn our back on God, He remains the same. Our Father waiting to wrap His arms around us and welcome us home. I thank God for His "Saving Grace and His Mercy that Endures FOREVER".

Have a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving, and share the Love of God our Father with your family and friends this Thanksgiving.

Sister Freda

During the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas we hear more about "giving to others" than we do any other time of the year. This is the time of year when most of us participate in an act of giving in some form or another. Our church has been blessed in so many ways, and I am proud to be part of a church that realizes how blessed we are, and is willing to reach out to those that are less fortunate and bless them.

Recently I read a wonderful book about how the actions of two people and their godly influence made an impact in the lives of many and a huge difference in the life of one man. We need to remember that if we are truly disciples of God, part of our calling is to make a difference in the lives of people each day, not just during the holiday season. I always told my children when they were growing up that they were an influence to people each day. It was the choices they made that would determine if they were a good influence or a bad influence.   

My Prayer is that God would enable me to be a good influence to people I meet. I want to make a difference in their lives, and my ultimate desire is to help grow God's kingdom. My challenge to each of you as we approach a new year is that we would be more determined to make a difference is someone's life. It might be as simple as sharing time with someone, being there to listen when they are worried or burdened, taking a meal to a shut-in, etc. There are a lot of ways we can share God's love. I pray that God would help us to see the world as He sees it, and to respond to the Word as He responds to us when we are hurting. 

Sister Freda

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing

This verse gives us a clear picture if what our relationship with Christ should be. He is the vine, the source of our life. We are the branches where fruit is produced. As we receive life from Christ (the vine), it is just natural for fruit to be produced in our lives. Sometimes we get over anxious about producing fruit and we forget about "abiding in Him". We sometimes feel that "abiding" is not as productive as "fruit bearing". We must remember that Jesus tells us it isn't our activity that produces fruit, but rather our fruit is a direct result of our relationship with Him. Are you comfortable in abiding in Him, or are you impatient to be involved inactivity? If you remain steadfast in your relationship with Christ you will see a natural production and harvest of fruit in your life     

Sister Freda

Christmas is one of the most festive times of the year. But there are people who think of Christmas as one of the most depressing times of the year. This is because they don't have the joy of Christmas. Christmas time should be a time when all Christians should show God's love in action. Share the Christmas joy with someone during the Christmas holidays this year. If someone in your family has a hard time enjoying Christmas, make a plan to go out of your way to bring some Christmas joy to them this year. If you can't think of anyone in your family who needs special attention, broaden you scope of thinking and I am sure you can find someone you come in contact with that needs a special does of Christmas joy.

I made a list of what the "Joy of Christmas: is to me"

The joy of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus

The joy of Christmas is knowing that I am saved

The joy of Christmas is being able to be with my family

The joy of Christmas is singing Christmas corals and praises to God

The joy of Christmas is making new friends at church

The joy of Christmas is experiencing the spirit of love in our church

The joy of Christmas is sitting at night in the dark with just the Christmas lights on and thanking God for His blessings

Make your list today

Sister Freda

I hope everyone has finished their Christmas shopping. If you haven't finished, then you will be frantically hitting the stores in the next couple of days!!! In the next few days most of us will exchange gifts with our friends and family. But I wonder how many people will give a gift to Jesus, the one person who ought to receive a gift his own birthday?

If you haven't considered what you are going to give Jesus, then you are not ready for Christmas!! It is very easy to get caught up in the excitement of Christmas and forget what it's really all about. The one thing we need to remember is that Jesus should be first in Christmas.

The things I want to give Jesus the year are:

* A renewed commitment to put more into my relationship with Him in the coming year.

* A promise to spend more time with Him.

* A commitment to share His love with more people.

* A stronger desire to be instrumental in growing His kingdom.

Let's sing Him in carols sweet, let lay our best gifts at His feet, and make the season's joy complete with Jesus first in Christmas   

Have a Blessed and Very Merry Christmas

Sister Freda

A Word From Sister Freda        Back to Home

There is a prayer and a poem that I found that fits how I feel about the new year 2010

"A New Beginning" - It's time to start again. It's time to reign in a new year, praying all will have joyous days and hearts full of cheer. Thinking of the blessings our God does share with His precious children year after year. Come and share the blessings. Come and be filled with joy that God gave the Christ child, His own little boy. Was born to a virgin, then hung on a cross till dead, so each year we have a new beginning with Christ at the head. Please bless this year with with war no more. Please, God, let America keep a peaceful shore. Take the warmongers away, Lord. Let there be peace, today. Let every war, in every land, peacefully slip away.

Let us love our brethren as ourselves, as we ought. Be kind to our neighbors, seeing we come not to naught. Teaching our young of Jesus, good manners as well. Any other thing of God, teach them "go and tell". We pray a year of happy learning, to turn the other cheek. The Lord, God, would be well pleased to see us meek. Loving our neighbors, wishing good will and cheer as we look once again, to a shining brand New Year.

My prayer is the you bring in the New Year with Christ as the most important element of your lives. Keep Him first this year and His blessings will "overtake your lives". His Mercy Endures forever, even in 2010!!