IT'S TIME!

Fall Changes

"Forgiveness is like the fragrance a flower gives off

when it has been trampled under foot."

______________

Father~ Forgive us for our sins and cleanse us from

all unrighteousness, by the blood of Jesus, Amen.

BORN ALIVE

OPEN DOORS

PRAYING PEACE for This Journey

Please pray for our dear sister in Blogland,

Elaine Olsen,

who has breast cancer. Her post is listed here:

http://www.peaceforthejourney.com/2010/08/praying-my-peace.html

May we gather around her like a strand of fine pearls - praying with her and trusting God with her through this unknown journey she is now facing.

________________

Psalm 103

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise His Holy Name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

____________

May God grant her His PEACE for this leg of her life's journey!

Favor and blessing be upon her life

- as God Himself continues to care for her!

____________

Father God~

We won't tell You how big this storm is in Elaine's life...

because You already know.

Instead, we will tell this storm how big

YOU ARE!

_______________

Choosing JOY, Stephanie

Humming Through Summer

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SHEPHERD'S WALK Romans 1:20 NLT

For ever since the world was created,

people have seen the earth and sky.

Through everything God made,

they can clearly see His invisible qualities—

His eternal power and divine nature.

So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

____________________________

Master Designer -

You are CREATOR GOD!

We give you Glory and Praise for Who You Are and

for All You have spoken and breathed into exitence!

You Are GOD!

Amen and Amen!

PRAISE From the Mouths of.......

Psalm 111
1 Praise the LORD.

I will extol the LORD with all my heart

in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the LORD;

they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are His deeds,

and His righteousness endures forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4 He has caused His wonders to be remembered;

the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

5 He provides food for those who fear Him;

He remembers His covenant forever.

6 He has shown His people the power of His works,

giving them the lands of other nations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7 The works of His hands are faithful and just;

all His precepts are trustworthy.

8 They are steadfast for ever and ever,

done in faithfulness and uprightness.

9 He provided redemption for His people;

He ordained His covenant forever—

holy and awesome is His Name.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

all who follow His precepts have good understanding.

To Him belongs eternal praise.

Amen!

LET... The SHEPHERD Lead Us

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,

much we need thy tender care;

in thy pleasant pastures feed us,

for our use thy folds prepare.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

Thou hast bought us, thine we are.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

Thou hast bought us, thine we are.

________________

2. We are thine, thou dost befriend us,

be the guardian of our way; keep thy flock,

from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear,

O hear us when we pray.

_________________

3. Thou hast promised to receive us,

poor and sinful though we be;

thou hast mercy to relieve us,

grace to cleanse and power to free.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

We will early turn to thee.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

We will early turn to thee.

_________________

4. Early let us seek thy favor,

early let us do thy will;

blessed Lord and only Savior,

with thy love our bosoms fill.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

Thou hast loved us, love us still.

____________

Click this link to hear the music:

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/l/slaslus.htm

Text: Attr. to Dorothy A. Thrupp, 1779-1847

Music: William B. Bradbury, 1816-1868

Tune: BRADBURY, Meter: 87.87 D

__________________

Broken and Beautiful

The First Day giving her food and water...

__________________________

She drank some water ...

_________________________
She didn't have the strength or desire to eat

_______________________

She was broken and beautiful and needed help just to survive.

Lamentations 2:10-12

(New Living Translation)

[from Jeremiah - the weeping prophet]
The leaders of beautiful Jerusalem

sit on the ground in silence.

They are clothed in burlap

and throw dust on their heads.

The young women of Jerusalem

hang their heads in shame.
I have cried until the tears no longer come;

my heart is broken.

My spirit is poured out in agony

as I see the desperate plight of my people.

Little children and tiny babies

are fainting and dying in the streets.
They cry out to their mothers,

“We need food and drink!”

Their lives ebb away in the streets

like the life of a warrior wounded in battle.

They gasp for life

as they collapse in their mothers’ arms.

Olam - Our Eternal God

We cry out for those who are broken and dying.

We ask You to be close to those we love because we know

that You love them more than we ever could.

Would You show mercy and grace to those who call out to You?

Would You allow Your Spirit to flow freely to bring healing

whether physical, spiritual, emotional, or relational?

Please comfort those who mourn.

Draw near to those who draw near to You.

We know that You - O God know the pain of suffering and brokenness.

Please cause Your goodness to touch

the lives of those we pray for this day.

Bring healing to some and heaven to others.

We bless You and praise You for the

compassionate and merciful God that You are!

In the Name of our Redeemer and Lord, Jesus Christ,

[HaGoEl Adoni]

Amen and Amen!

Come, Let Us ADORE Him

from

The Message

Psalm 22

22-24 Here's the story I'll tell my friends when they come to worship,

and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:

Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers;

give glory, you sons of Jacob;

adore Him, you daughters of Israel.

He has never let you down,

never looked the other way

when you were being kicked around.

He has never wandered off to do His own thing;

He has been right there, listening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~

Father God -

You are God Most Holy!

We adore You in all Your Majesty this day.

Thank You for being Who You are - even apart from all You do for us.

May we - this day - Give You Praise and Adore You in all Your fullness

simply because You are God - our God - my God!

LOST & FOUND

Isaiah 53:6

We all, like sheep , have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on Him

the iniquity of us all.

A LITTLE SHEPHERD BOY

LORD ---

You are my Shepherd - and my Provider, therefore there is nothing that I need. Everything is taken care of so let me learn to TRUST YOU when I can't see the pathway ahead. You have an obsession to be TRUSTED. Today I will surrender my will to Yours and allow Thy Rod and Thy staff to comfort me as You lead me to quiet waters and give me REST! Amen!

SUFFERINGS INTO PROMISES

A new sign in Shepherd's Walk along the Pathway.

As we approach Holy Week on bended knee,

may our hearts reflect the entire passage.

1 Peter 1

Praise to God for a Living Hope
3 Praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy
He has given us new birth
into a living hope
through the resurrection

of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 and into an inheritance
that can never perish, spoil or fade—
kept in heaven for you,
5who through faith
are shielded by God's power
until the coming of the salvation
that is ready to be revealed

in the last time.

6In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
7These have come so that your faith—
of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may be
proved genuine and may result in
praise, glory and honor
when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 Though you have not seen Him,
you love Him;
and even though you do not see Him now,
you believe in Him and are filled
with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
9 for you are receiving the goal
of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

13Therefore, prepare your minds
for action;
be self-controlled; set your hope fully
on the grace to be given you
when Jesus Christ is revealed.
14 As obedient children,
do not conform to the evil desires
you had when you lived in ignorance.
15 But just as He who called you
is holy,
so be holy in all you do;
16 for it is written:
"Be holy,
because I am holy."
22 Now that you have
purified yourselves
by obeying the truth
so that you have sincere love
for your brothers,
love one another deeply,
from the heart.
23 For you have been born again,
not of perishable seed,
but of imperishable,
through the living and enduring Word of God.

God Eternal

May we see, feel and taste that You are good and that Your loves endures forever. Teach us through our sufferings to TRUST YOU fully so that You [and we] may be found faithful!

In Jesus' Name, Amen!

A Prayer of COMPASSION!

My GRANDSON, Jyden, speaks! "Out of the mouths of babes!"

Matthew 9:35-37

The Workers Are Few

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

When He saw the crowds,

He had compassion on them,

because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a Shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

_____________________________

 Holy Father ----

You are the God of all COMPASSION! May our hearts overflow as out of the hearts of 'babes' to show compassion on those who are less fortunate than we are. May we reach out to all who You put in our pathway this day - to bring them light, hope, redemption, restoration, peace, refuge and comfort. And may it hurt our pockets when we do it! Stretch us Lord, to be more like You--- more compassionate. To say a kind word, to bring food or clothing to someone in need. Help us to give them the BEST of what You have given us - not simply our leftovers! Break us of our pride and humble our hearts as we seek to please You in this area of compassion. It is the very Heart of Your character, GOD!

Bless all those who pray this prayer from the bottom of their hearts today!

In JESUS' Name and for His glory!

Amen and Amen!

TRANSFORMING PRAYER

   

The Transformed Prayer Room

Matthew 7:7 [above]

God Most High - Ancient of Days -

HaGoél Adon'i

May You transform the lives of those who pray in this room. May all the words surrounding its walls be reminders of your transforming power as we seek to TRUST YOU - for that is what You are obsessed with - simply our TRUST of You!

• For You, LORD, ARE Who You say You are!
• You can do what You say You can do!
• I am Who You say that I am... I'm Your child!
• I can do all things through Christ... but apart from You I can do nothing.
• May Your Holy Word come alive and active in the lives of those who read it within these walls.

Lord, there is nothing special about this place - nothing magical or mystical but it is simply a place where You meet a seeking heart in the intimacy of Your Love and Your transforming power. So for that reason alone we Believe You for the miracles and supernatural power that will come from this place - all because YOU ARE HERE waiting and beckoning us to "Come" and "pray while You may be found"!

Many lives are transformed in the closets of prayer rooms. May those who come here in person and those who come to pray in this Blogland site be transformed here!

In Your Holy Name,

Amen and AMEN!

As God has drawn me into this Prayer Room every day at least twice a day for the last 4 weeks - He is doing a 'new thing' in the realms of prayer. Won't you take your turn in The Prayer Room or in your own Prayer Closet in at home - the very place where you meet with God - waiting for Him to speak through His Word - a place to worship and adore Him - a place where no petition is offered except to know Him more so that you trust Him more.

Below is a link to the music of Kari Jobe. Her new CD is what I had been listening to when God began to call me to The Prayer Room again. Here you can hear her own testimony of how a Prayer Closet transformed her life when she was only 13 years old. Now - God is overwhelming her entire life with music and the desires of her heart! If only more 13-year-old girls asked their fathers to build them a prayer closet --- the world might be transformed!

It's an amazing testimony of one Prayer Closet where God met even a young girl heart to HEART!

Click here and listen to Kari's story: http://www.virtuousreality.com/artists/

I highly recommend her latest CD called: Kari Jobe

Be Blessed .... and then get on your knees before the Lord!

SILENT and STILL WAS HE

Meet "Cotton". She is the sister of "Lace"... two sheep that lived here at Sweetbriar in years gone by. This Photo was taken in 2003. Our friend, Bruce, was the shearer.

****** Bruce is now in heaven with the Lord ******* LIFE is SHORT

______________________________

Are you feeling naked today? Are you hurting? Has your voice been silenced before the sheerer? Is your body laid out flat before the LORD?

JESUS KNOWS HOW YOU FEEL!

Isaiah 53:6-8

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
       each of us has turned to his own way;
       and the LORD has laid on Him
       the iniquity of us all.

 He was oppressed and afflicted,
       yet He did not open His mouth;
       He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
       so He did not open His mouth.

By oppression and judgment He was taken away.
       And who can speak of His descendants?
       For He was cut off from the land of the living;
       for the transgression of My people He was stricken.

[emphasis added]

John 10:11-16

"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

"I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me— just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My life for the sheep. I  have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one Flock and one Shepherd.

[emphasis added]

Be still my soul, wait patiently before the LORD, be still my soul... BE STILL!

Holy Father-------

For those who are hurting, feeling naked, silenced and still before You - may we remember when it happened to You. You alone know the pain and suffering of grief, sickness and the devastations of life. May we fall on our faces before You and weep at your feet so that You alone can comfort us. Would you wrap Your nail-pierced hands around us and those we love today?

In Jesus' Name - our Messiah - HaGo'el A'doni!

AMEN and Amen!

 

 

Foundational Prayers

___________________

It is with JOY that I take a moment to thank my dear Sister, Edie, from:

Rich Gifts !

Edie worked with me to create our

new Prayer Button

to link you to Shepherd's Walk.

The Prayer Walk at Sweetbriar

is a real place here

- but for those of you who do not live in NJ,

or may not have a chance to pray on the path here everyday, you can come on by to offer prayer requests [through e-mail] or just spend time in prayer on the posts that are shared here. Welcome

- if this your first time here

or you've been a long time prayer partner!

I hope you will grab my button

and pass on the path of prayer to those in deepest need!

May your heart be blessed here today!

______________________

Father God ~~~

We come before You on bended knee today

to humble ourselves before Your throne of Grace

so freely given by the blood of Your Son,

The Lord,

JESUS CHRIST!

We ADORE You - We WORSHIP You

- We CRY HOLY is the LORD ALMIGHTY!

You - in all Your Glory are Majestic.

The earth sings with Your Praise!

We CONFESS our sinful, selfish ways, Lord.

We are humbled in Your very Presence.

Cleanse us this day and renew a right spirit within us.

Thank You for Who You Are!

Thank You for what You have done in us

- for us - and through the ashes of our pasts.

You are a GOD of RESTORATION

and we give You THANKS!

Give us HOPE! Grant us HEALING - in spirit - in truth - in our mind - in our body and especially in our emotions that tend to go in every wrong direction.

Break our hearts

with what breaks Yours, Lord!

Have mercy on us and show Your Favor to us!

The HEART of the CROSS

2 Corinthians 4:5-6
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

___________________________

This is the exact same Cross - photographed one day after the blinding blizzard snowfall. It was barely visible in the last post picture as the snow was coming down hard and fast. Now, just one day later.... sunlight hangs on the Cross and the beauty returns - like the light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in your life and mine.

__________________________

"If we glory - may it only be in the Cross of Christ!" May His light shine into our hearts and lives so that we may turn and receive the very reflection of His glory - and splash that light onto the lives of others around us.

I cannot think of a single emblem that overwhelmingly draws the human heart to the HEART of a Holy God. But for the Cross!

__________________________

Father-----

Thank you for the obedience that Jesus Your Beloved Son endured for the sake of redeeming us - a sinful and wicked people who were never capable of saving ourselves. You knew that - He knew that. Before time You set Your plan to rescue us and to restore the relationship we had with You - the one lost in the garden. It was always Plan 'A' - not some afterthought because we fell! O LORD, how I PRAISE YOU for YOUR HEART of REDEEMING LOVE. You are the Giver of Life - the Sustainer of Life and the RESTORER of LIFE! Praise Your Holy Name!

by the Cross of Jesus.........Amen

ENDURING OUR CROSS

The Race of Faith

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Discipline of God

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. [emphasis added]

________________________

Father----

In our pursuit of holiness... the Cross is the very encouragement we need to run, persevere and finish the race you have set before us! May we do it all in abundant JOY with hearts turned inside out over what you have done for us! All for the Cross of Jesus in whose Name we Praise and say Amen!

The CIRCLE of LOVE

As you walk the Prayer Path at

Shepherd's Walk

and come to the Sanctuary Circle

you will meet the Father heart to Heart -

here in ...

***************************************

The Circle of Love
Stephanie K. Brower c 2008
All Rights Reserved

[Inspired by: The Sanctuary at SHEPHERD’S WALK of Sweetbriar

Isaiah 40:22 / Psalm 23 / Psalm 103 / Psalm 40:1-4 / Exodus 16 /
Song: You Are Good by Point of Grace]

I come to the Circle, bound by Your love.
Your Presence awaiting, from heaven above.
It’s all about You, LORD, encircled I stand,
Embracing the touch of, Your mighty right hand.

In sunlight, or moonlight, on cold rainy days,
Here in the Circle, upon Your face I can gaze.
Your Presence is spread like a canopy sheet,
Without wrinkle or blemish, just perfectly neat.

In the Circle we dance, and sing, and rejoice,
You whisper my name in Your most tender voice.
You’ve lifted me out of the pit of despair.
Replacing with praise, every worry and care.

To the Table I come, to feast and devour,
Your manna provided for this very hour.

Your forgiveness and love, both mercy and grace,
Held out in fullness, for my heart to embrace.

When I come to the Circle, surrendered, bowed down,
You meet me by faith and with joy You astound.
Holy, holy, holy, are You LORD, God Almighty,
As I stand in the tent of heaven’s canopy.

To the Altar I come in worship and praise,
With thanksgiving to offer for Your marvelous grace.
Love so amazing, encircled – enthroned –
My heart and my life, offered to You alone.

written in Journal:
Circle of Love = Shine the Light
November 8th, 2008

All Rights Reserved

Walk To Emmaus

_________________________________

________________________

Luke 24:12-20

(New Living Translation)
12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.
The Walk to Emmaus

13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus Himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing Him.

[emphasis added]
____________________________________________

The above photographed print of
The Walk to Emmaus

was donated by Barbara over at: B His Girl

for the Inside Prayer Room Here at Shepherd's Walk.

My friend Jane, took it to be matted and framed

and this is the finished piece,

all hung in place in the prayer room

to greet those who come to pray here.

Barbara - thank you so much for your thoughtfulness

in sending this special print.

I love the Scripture that tells the story behind the it.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Imagine yourself in their bare feet, walking beside Jesus Himself,

just after the resurrection,

and not even realizing it was Him!

~~~~~~~~~~~

JESUS -

May we know and understand that You walk

beside us each and every day as we trust You with our very lives.

May we be as excited to tell others of Your love and all that

surrounds the Cross and Your resurrection to new life!

Thank You for giving us new life - Life Eternal!

HAITI EARTHQUAKE HITS HOME

As I spent time in Fasting and Prayer this morning I had been reading Nehemiah 11 & 12 when God took me to Haggai 2 and I found myself reading these words of the LORD, and though they are written to Israel - I believe they can apply to the people of Haiti right now.

For hundreds of years satan has struggled to keep control of that tiny island of Haiti - yet right now God is taking over. Read these words carefully from the prophet Haggai.

Haggai 2

Ask them, 3'Who of you is left who saw this house [land] in its former glory?

How does it look to you now?

Does it not seem to you like nothing?

4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD.

'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

Be strong, all you people of the land,'

declares the LORD, 'and work.

For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty.

5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt.

And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'
6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says:

'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens

and the earth,

the sea and the dry land.

7 I will shake all nations,

and the desired of all nations will come,

and I will fill this house [land] with glory,' says the LORD Almighty.

[all emphasis added]

It is a somber time here in NJ as our family is in prayer

for the people of Haiti after a 7.0 earthquake rocked

their world late afternoon on January 12, 2010.

Is this a 'disastrous start' of the New Year,

or the call of God, once more, to seek Him while He may be found?

My son-in-law, Rob, was due to fly into Haiti this very day with

his dad, his uncle and other top members of his mission board.

Before the news of the earthquake came

teams were scheduled to go in today -

a Ladies' Missionary Retreat was scheduled - and my son-in-law

was preparing

to work on their new home in Cayes, Haiti.

He and my daughter, Becky, along with their

three young children, Drew, Tessa, and Braden have been

preparing to leave in Mid-March, selling most of the

earthly goods in order to "GO".

Their container was shipped in December and arrived

in Haiti just last week, where it has been sitting in the heart of

Port-au-Prince, or perhaps swallowed in a crack in the earth's surface.

Perhaps God will keep it safe from harm - perhaps not. Perhaps the sacrifice

is bigger than anticipated, yet the call to "GO" has not changed.

Perhaps this is a way to 'feel' what it's like to be a Haitian.

Perhaps it gives the heart more of a sense of loss without Christ.

Perhaps it's part of the preparation for that very 'call'.

Rob wrote a little of what they are feeling on his blog

if you'd like to take time to read it and share

their story about their love for Haiti and its people:

theSliver: My heart is troubled…

FATHER in Heaven---

Hear our prayer.

You are Sovereign and we are weak and sinful.

Cleanse our hearts this day and draw us to Yourself as we

lift up this tiny country of Haiti and its people to You.

Father, You are already doing a mighty work

in that country. You have taken away the curse of satan that had been set upon this tiny nation for such a long time. Now complete this work that You have begun. May this earthquake shake the hearts of those people

and the hearts of us here - to bring us to a place

of knowing You deeper.

YOU ARE FAITHFUL in all Your ways.

YOU ARE GOOD, You are LIGHT, in You there is no darkness.

In You there is no evil thing.

We trust You this day - even when we cannot understand Your ways - we know from Your Word that they are higher than any we have of our own.

So LORD, Forgive, [Daniel 9:4-19] Heal, Mend and Redeem our own hearts first and then the hearts of the people of Haiti. Restore, Rebuild and Renew [Psalm 40:4]

as only You can do!

And WE WILL give You all the Praise and all the Glory.

In JESUS' NAME, Amen and Amen!