I get a daily devotional from heartlight every morning. I believe some of you do also. But for those that don't let me share with you todays topic.<P> <A HREF="http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20000420" TARGET=_blank>www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20000420</A> <P>The verse is Philippians 4:20. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen<P>Thought:<BR> When was the last time you didn't request things from God and simply thanked and praised Him? Why not use today as a day of thanks and praise? Don't ask for anything, just praise and thank the Father! Praise Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He is going to do! Thank Him for blessing you, saving you, and bringing you into His glory! Let today be a day of thanks and praise.<P>Prayer<BR> You are worthy, dear Father, of every word of praise my imagination can find and every word of thanks my tongue can pronounce. You are glorious, majestic, holy, mighty, and awesome. You are patient, forgiving, sacrificial, loving, and tender. You are more than I can imagine and closer than my very breath. Your greatness exhausts my vocabulary and your generosity overwhelms my heart. Please be glorified in my every thought, deed, and word. In Jesus' name I praise You, Amen!<P>That prayer just blew me away!<BR>This was awesome for me to read. I believe we should have more days of just praising and thanking then asking. Wow! I feel so great and blessed by praising Him. When things seem overwhelming, the best medicine and relief is to praise the Father. Before long you are the one who will feel the benefits. When it is the hardest to praise, like in the middle of a down day or disappointment that is exactly when you should praise and thank Him most. You are the one who will receive a blessing. That is not why you do it, but that is the by product. I have asked for nothing today but instead have trusted Him. I have just prayed and thanked MY Lord, who is worthy of my praise. I am planning to have more days of praising then of asking. God is great and in His praises I see Him more clearly. He opened my eyes to the profusion of color in the flowers and trees that are all in bloom in the city this day in this spring after the cold and dismal winter. He is truely glorious. Look around, He is everywhere and in everything. Praise the Lord1 O, my soul. Praise His glorious name! Amen<P>

Hw,<BR>Thank you for your post.<P>I am going to take this day, especially being the day that Jesus was crucified and died for us, to praise and thank God.<P>With everything overwhelming me, and everything I have to do with no husband by my side, I have to see,and I mean really see that God has allowed this to happen for His greater glory, not mine.<BR>To bring me closer to Him!<P>It is hard for me though, because my selfish, sinful nature wants it to be for me, me, me---to end this intense pain, to bring my husband back, to belong to him again...... I feel so self centered and self absorbed with what I am losing---everything that meant anything to me....<BR>I know that I belong to God, that He loves me so much! He has to be enough!I can't keep looking to His creations, I must look to my Creator!<P><BR>I did want to share the hurting words h said to me the other day:"No, I don't want to spend the rest of my life with you." Ouch.<P>The harsh reality that I am not praying with faith for my marriage at this point---there is a block(doubt) and is making me feel hopeless that it will work out. At this point in time,every indication is that it is over. <P>I have 11 days off now, I took my vacation to look for a better paying job and find one that will be fullfilling, but I find I am not emotionally ready to do it, so I have no structure- nothing to do, and I must find something to occupy my time, or I'll lose it.I must find a new job!<P>Satan is attacking me big time--Is't it obvious?How long does it take for the Wellbutrin to kick in?Weeks?<P>Your post was so positive and uplifting. You are at such a good place right now, and you certainly have been blessed.<BR>You know, just writing and processing all of this, and being happy for you that you have grown in leaps and bounds spiritually, how much you love God, truly inspires me and kicks the enemy right out of my mind.Thank you.<P>How grateful I am for your posts, I identify with them deeply.<BR> <BR>Father, I praise and thank you for your Awesome gift of Jesus, that without Him, we would be lost forever.He is our Light.<P>Thank you for blessing us with hw, her inspiring words, and of her deep love for You.<BR>May she and each woman on this forum be strengthened and blessed as we help and pray for each other, and lift each other up to You.<P>Thank you for keeping the enemy away more and more by the minute, as I type this prayer!<P>Thank you, Father, for deepening our faith more everyday, as we draw nearer to You.<BR>You give us such Perfect Gifts,always just what we need!<BR>We love You.<BR>IJN,<BR>AMEN<P>There is a hope and a future, and I ask for your prayers that the next 11 days, as I take them one day at a time, will be utiized productively, all for the glory of God. <P>Staying in Jesus,<BR>Joy

Joy,<BR>I know where you are. I have to say though it was soo hard. When I started praising God and really focusing on Him amd not the circumstances then I started to heal. However, with that being said, you have to go through the pain in what is going on also. I allowed myself to feel the pain, get angry and work through it. What your husband is doing to you is atrocious, self centred andd selfish! I would not let myself run from the pain, because you have to also go through it to heal. However, those days that I could look more toward Jesus then the pain, were a respite in the painful days. It does take time. Do you know the story of a butterfly and coming out of the cacoon.I used it as an anology through the teenage years for a midterm and the teacher liked it.<BR>Well, it goes like this. There was a farmer who saw a cacoon and the fact that the butterfly was struggling to get out. He cut the cacoon helping this poor little creature. In a few minutes this creature came out but the farmer was horrified. It had this hugh bloated body and these wet limp wings. He did not understand that the struggle through the cacoon was what pushed the fluid from his body into his wings. He had denighed the struggle for the butterfly and therefore its beauty and ability to fly away and live. God can't deny the struggle He knows we need to grow, become beautiful and draw near to Him. It is in the struggles that we cry out for God. My God, My God where are you. I need you. We have to be made thirsty for God. But in this struggle a deeper beauty and love for God and life develops. Stay close to God but do not deny the struggle. It seems like there will be no end. But there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. <BR>I think looking for a better job that is fulfilling is a great idea! Keeping busy and having something else to focus on helps also. What kind of a job are you thinking about?<BR>Joy, do you read the Psalms much! This has been another saving grace for me. Here you see praising and struggles sometimes together in Psalms; Psalm 42 or sometimes it is one or the other. I have really relied on Psalms through this 5 year ordeal.<P>Yesterday, I got out of classes early. In New York Passover holiday is two days at the beginning. I mean it is for everyone but with such a large population here the days are more noticeably celebrated and many were off. So my classes were reduced to half. That's why we got out. Anyways I called my h to see if he wanted to do lunch. I got silence so I joked and said that was less then enthusiastic. He said he had too much to do and clients coming in. I said how about a quick cup of coffee. He said that sounded good and come on over. I did. We got our coffee(tea for me) and we walked around the Wall St area. We talked but I have to say he was distracted, morre so then usualwhen we have talked lately. So I mentioned that and asked what was up and he brought up the whole situation and trying to decide. <BR>He said he had talked to a female friend of his ( I know her also and she is a good influence & for the marriage) He must have been telling her we were seeing each other and spending some time together. He mentioned to her that he felt bad for the ow. She said she walked into it knowing what she was getting in to. I agreed. Then I thought to myself, does that mean what I think it means? It is as if he has decided to end it. Now you are probably jumping for joy for me, but we have been here before and he has actually ended it before but alwys rsumed or never really ended it completely come to find out. So this is a great sign but not a sure one. However, since he knows he doesn't want to live with her full time, where before that's all he was thinking about, this may have some significance. He said he was going to get out of his lease. I asked him if he would get another place (the place he is in now he got bigger because they had intended to move in together.) He hesitated and said that is what I am thinking, but it was not a positive. I said I think we should date again and he said yes. <BR>Last night my daughter called him and afterwards he asked to speak to me! We chatted about some things in his job. I had forwarded an email to him from a mutual friend with some news. I had mentioned I enjoyed the walk. So in the conversation I mentioned it again. I said something about having missed walking and talking like we use to do all the time. I said it was nice. He said yeah, yeah. We talked some more and he hung up. He called back in less than a minute and said, "it was nice." that was all. I smiled and laughed.<BR>He kissed me goodby yesterday softly. And when he picked the youngest up today we all sat in the living room including the oldest who is home for the weekend for Easter. He took my youngest into work so I can write my exams (yes I am procrastinating, but in a very pleasurable way. When he left he hit the paper against my kness. <BR>You know this seeing each other but not letting the kids know actually creates it's own intrigue. This could be good.<BR>Isn't God great. I still pray he will return to Jesus, but I don't see God reuniting us without that happening because God always does a complete job.<P>Joy your time wqill come. I didn';t think this would ever happen. My husband has said many of the same things to me. He said years ago that he wasn't sure he ever did really love me. He said he had no interest or respect for me. And as hard as it is to realize, if he had not moved out maybe he wouldn't have and maybe we would be in the same rut. God does Know what He is doing. I know you know that too but it is hard.<BR>Read the Psalms especially when you are to weary to pray on your own. Cry out with the Psalmist. Get angry, you need to, but through it all God is there and He will show you more of himself. Lean on him by trying to praise Him. Another trick that helped me through was listening to praise music. I don't drive much in the city so I put some on tape and would listen when I walk. I got so i would pray and talk to God whenever I walked and rode the subway. Walking is when my mind wonders most. So I had to train it essentially to wander to God. Or should I say God had to get me to do that. I have gradually been transformed through this to do that. My mind wanders toward God always when I walk.<BR>You know I wrote something just after my husband left. 1-2 weeks. It was about God having to shatter the crystal which was my marriage. I had been holding onto all the broken pieces trying to hold them together but the truth was that those broken pieces were continually cutting me. So God knocked them from my hands and they layed on the floor. I realized even then through the worst of the pain, God did indeed have to shatter it to restore it. He didn't want to build a new relationship from broken pieces of the same old thing, he wanted a new crystal, my life which reflected him design and all it's beauty in every way. That crystal is growing and it is still small but it is growing in Jesus also. It will be stronger and more beautiful when it is done. Becuase God designed it.<BR>God designed you, Joy and He wants to design your life. The new job may just be the beginning. Wait in expectation of what He will grow in you. Have a blessed Good Friday, it will become dark today but the resurrection is in two days. Shout to God all praise! He has risen!<P><BR>Father, touch my sister here, Joy, with an extra measure of Your loving kindness today. Lord, you have something wonderful for her just around the bend. Lord, lead her to the perfect job for her, that You have designed. Increase her thirst for Jesus and of reading of Your word. Let her find comfort and release in the reading of Your word. Lord, you are with her and are able to tolerate her pain and her anger. You will never leave us no matter what. You are God. Increase her faith today and help her during those times when she doubts. You are there. Father, let Joy see a glimpse of Your glory that will shine through her life in the future and I prise You Lord for this miracle. Your work will be done it will not be thwarted. It can not be. Father, We prise You for Your Son, and what He sis on this day for us. He cried out in his dying breath, where are you Lord. We all fo through the pain, but Your resurecction was just around the corner and through his ugly death You gave something awesome to Your people. Father, thank you. Praise the Lord. Amen.

hw - what an uplifting and inspiring post! Now I have something else to praise God for all day today! Your words "I don't see God reuniting us without that happening because God always does a complete job" impressed upon me again the sheer depth of your faith, and that is something I need to develop more. Hw - please keep sharing everything with us, it reinforces to me that God IS listening, and He IS answering our prayers. Praise You Lord, Thank You for all the wonderful works You ar doing in our husbands!<P>I do have one little praise to report also. Last night at dinner, right after H came to the table and sat down (I was sitting at the table already) he bowed his head and closed his eyes for about 10 seconds. When he looked up he had a goofy grin on his face and I asked him "what was that all about". He responded "you're always supposed to pray before the meal". PRAISE GOD - HE IS REACHING HIM!!! Afterward he kind of laughed but I feel this was genuine. Even if he had had quite a few beers before he got home. <P>Now, David has never, ever said the evening prayer before dinner (other than in a joking manner with obscenities). I usually say it quietly to myself (which I had done before he sat down) so to me this is a big step forward. <P>I echo your prayer, hw, especially <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Your work will be done it will not be thwarted.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I'm singing God's praises all day today!!!<BR>

Thank you for sharing this site with me.

I hope everyone had a wonderful, Spirit filled Easter today. It was beautiful in Texas today.<P>I have a praise report. . . . my husband went to church with me today! Praise the Lord, He is so awesome!! It wasn't a regular service today, our church put on a play about Jesus and the Crucifixion that was great! H seemed to enjoy it too. We had company for dinner and H told them about the play and what a great performance it was! I think he was impressed. Next, I'm going to ask him to go with me on Mother's Day. Praise God, praise God, praise God!!!<P>Dear Father, I thank you so much for nudging David, moving him to go to church with me today. I thank You and Praise You for calling David's name, asking him to know You personally, and accept You as his Savior. Thank You Jesus, thank you. I also thank You Lord for the miracles You are working in the lives and marriages of these praying wives. Our faith and trust is completely in You, for we know by Your word that You want our marriages to be restored. Thank You Jesus, for loving us so much. We can never repay You for the gift You gave us. IJN AMEN <P>

Hi hw,<BR>I'm sorry I haven't responded to your last post.You took so much time.<BR>I'm grateful for every word you wrote.<P> I want you to know that you touch and bless our hearts on this forum. <P>Thank you for all you give of yourself.<P>SueB,if you are reading this,thank you for all your Godly wisdom.<P>Thanking God for all the praying ladies.<P>Prayers,<BR>Jn<P>"God loves us so much that He has dedicated and consecrated Himself to work everything out for our good.<BR>He chastens for our profit.<BR>He intends every loss to be that through which we can gain."<BR><p>[This message has been edited by Joynicole (edited April 25, 2000).]