Dear Angel,
Wow! I love that, because I do feel the same way!
Thanks much.
Many Blessings,
Pat Ferguson
"I can Do all Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me." Phillippians 4:13.
At 03:31 AM 3/11/2014, you wrote:
>I am glad you can eat more healthily than you could before. I know
>I am most fortunate to be blind, and would want nothing else for
>me. Each of us is different, and I don't at all expect others to
>feel the same way. There are so many advantages to being blind, I
>can't begin to tell you how fortunate I am God has made me
>thus: For example, I get the opertunity to use all my
>senses. Rather than letting four of them atrophy. As do many of
>the sighted among us. How many of the sighted can tell the
>differences between trees, ETC., by their scent? I have come to
>know the value of echo location, or sound shadows, as some call them
>to travel more efficiently. I use so much less electricity not
>having to use lights to light my home, I don't watch commercial
>television. I have video cassettes I watch. I save that way
>too. Right now, I am using a wireless keyboard, and wireless
>headphones to write as I do my laundry in my basement. I couldn't
>do that if I were blind. I would be tethered to a monitor. I save
>so much money not having to have a car and insurance? I purchased
>one for my son to drive, and was so happy to offload it you wouldn't
>believe. Even when I pay a man to drive me shopping each quarter, I
>pay less than I would if I had a car. I get to walk to the bus and
>around my place of work, which strengthens me. How many sighted
>people just get in to their cars, and never walk far at all. Thus
>leading to health problems. Not to mention the visual temptations I
>don't have to see all around me. Last but by no means least is the
>fact, when I enter heaven, I will see the world as God meant it to
>be prior to Adams fall. In all its beauty and splendor. How many
>people ever born can say that. You see, God never meant me to see a
>fallen world as it stands now. With all its depravity and
>suffering. As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words.", and
>I will never see sorrow or woe on this earth. Isn't that worth
>being born blind alone? Not to mention the opportunity to assist
>others to climb their own spiritual ladder by helping us as we go
>through life. How many have such an easy way to do this as those of
>us with a visible challenge. The glory of God shines through each
>of us, as it did with the blind man whom Jesus healed. I thank
>God each day he made me as I am. But I will stop praising him for
>his wisdom right now. Or else I will be writing all day
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Doris and Chris" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 4:09 AM
>Subject: Re: How to pray
>
>
>>i also find this attitude of constant gratitude very helpful while
>>going thru things.
>>
>>i am also grateful that scripture says to be thankful in all things
>>though not necessarily for them.
>>
>>for example, i do not think the lord expects me to be thankful for
>>my diabetes - nor for my blindness- but i can defininitely see how
>>i have been blessed thru both or in both. already with than before
>>I was diagnosed and went into the hospital.
>>
>>In his loving grip!
>>
>>Doris
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>my diabetes, i came out of the hospital being able to eat and
>>tolerate so many more foods than I ate before. i eat so much
>>healthier, enjoy At 04:09 PM 3/10/2014 -0500, you wrote:
>>>I agree that Angel gave us a wonderful way of looking at things to
>>>be thankful at all times for what we do have. I, too try and make
>>>it a habit to offer thanks, especially at the end of the day, for
>>>everything good that happened to me that day and for the things I
>>>am always thankful for. I was just reading a devotional about how
>>>scripture tells us we should give thanks along with our petitions
>>>to the Lord. The writer was saying that as we petition for
>>>things, we need to make a practice of thanking the Lord for His
>>>answers to our petitions.
>>>God.
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>Pat Ferguson
>>>To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>>>Sent: Friday, March 07, 2014 11:20 AM
>>>Subject: Re: How to pray
>>>
>>>Hi Everyone,
>>>
>>>I like that.
>>>
>>>One thing I neglected to mention and should have mentioned, is
>>>that I really try to Thank God every single day for the many
>>>Blessings He has given us.
>>>
>>>We are truly blessed, and shame on me for not even mentioning that
>>>in my last email.
>>>
>>>I also try to thank God for things, even before He provides them.
>>>I think He loves that when we do that.
>>>
>>>One thing I try to do every single morning when I get up is to say:
>>>
>>>Lord, This Is The Day That You Have Made, I shall Rejoyce And Be Glad In It.
>>>
>>>I'm praying for all of you, and loving each of you, as well.
>>>
>>>
>>>Thanks much.
>>>
>>>Many Blessings,
>>>
>>>Pat Ferguson
>>>"I can Do all Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me." Phillippians 4:13.
>>>
>>>At 07:35 AM 3/7/2014, you wrote:
>>>>It seems to me you are on the right track regarding prayer. I
>>>>have found a basic problem with receiving what it is we should
>>>>have from God is that we don't recognize God's time isn't our
>>>>time. We often grow impatient when our prayers aren't answered
>>>>as quickly as we feel they ought to be. Many of us lack
>>>>patience. Which God understands. As we are children compared to
>>>>his great knowledge. A lot of help to me regarding this as well
>>>>is to look at our children for help to pray effectively. Look at
>>>>how they ask us for things, and what it is they expect from
>>>>us. We prey in much the same way to God as they ask us for what
>>>>it is they want. In the same way we never fail our children God
>>>>never fails us. He has already promised we will have all we
>>>>need. So what else he gives to us is frosting ion our cake, so
>>>>to speak. Sort of desert after we have eaten our spinach. Of
>>>>course, I am different than most, I believe, in that I truly want
>>>>no more than what I have, or am given. Even when I was a child,
>>>>I never at all asked for anything my parents didn't give to me. I
>>>>never even went in to their refrigerator for snacks without their
>>>>express permission. Of course, there are convenient things I
>>>>want, such as space to do my laundry with older laundering
>>>>machines with knobs I might more easily use. As I enjoy
>>>>independence. When I was faced with the prospect of moving, I
>>>>told God this was a concern of mine, and was a preference. I was
>>>>able to afford not to live in those subsidized apartments with
>>>>the inaccessible laundering machines. So this example is one of
>>>>how I prey. I tell God of my concerns, and ask him to either
>>>>give to me what it is I believe to be the most effective thing to
>>>>promote thriving either physically or mentally. Or to demonstrate
>>>>to me how to deal with what doesn't seem as convenient for me at
>>>>a given time. Or to show to me how my thinking is wrong
>>>>regarding the best way to accomplish things. It has worked for
>>>>me. My late husband didn't suffer when he was preparing to go to
>>>>live with God. He left us peacefully. Though he inconvenienced
>>>>our household when his mind left him, we weren't too terribly
>>>>disrupted to the point we weren't able to function. I find, if
>>>>we are faithful to do as best as we can to follow God's
>>>>prescripts, and understand his promises to us are always kept
>>>>regarding us, and how especially he wants to give good things to
>>>>those who please him, as Jesus said. Why should we worry. We
>>>>shall be satisfied in the end. Because, in the end, we will all
>>>>be brought to live with him. What else could we even want I
>>>>ask? I know I want nothing from God except the chance to thank
>>>>him for all he does for me each day. Which I do constantly. I
>>>>am among the most fortunate of people to live in this great land
>>>>of the free, and the home of the brave. Where so many have
>>>>sacrificed that I might benefit myself of all sorts of technology
>>>>to make my life easier as a blind person. When I could just as
>>>>well have not lived at all. If I had been born in a less well
>>>>developed country. I am healthy, without having to take
>>>>medication. I have a secure home in which to live. Food to eat
>>>>for more than one day. When God only promised food for each day
>>>>as it comes. So having more than a single days worth of food is
>>>>a plus right there isn't it? I truly would be benefited if I
>>>>lost a few pounds in any case; and clothes enough to ware that
>>>>I don't freeze in the winter. Plus, I have a computer to write
>>>>to all my fine friends as are you. As God knows it would be
>>>>difficult to get to the library to use the computers there. With
>>>>good friends who love us, and Gods love to reassure us through
>>>>his word what else is there for any of us to want. At least there
>>>>isn't for me. So perhaps I am an exception to the
>>>>rule. But, that is how I look at things.
>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>From: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>Bev
>>>>To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>>>>Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2014 10:10 PM
>>>>Subject: How to pray
>>>>
>>>>Hi All!
>>>>
>>>>Something I've always struggled with is how to pray. What I mean
>>>>is I've always struggled with should I keep on praying about
>>>>something until I get an answer, or should I pray about something
>>>>and then try and leave it with God? I've been taught both schools
>>>>of thought, which has confused me over the years.
>>>>
>>>>One concept I learned recently that has helped me tremendously is
>>>>the idea of asking God to show us what He wants for us and then
>>>>ask Him to help us to want what He wants for us. I had the
>>>>opportunity to listen to a really neat seminar while at my Mom's
>>>>house over the holidays that her pastor did. It is called,
>>>>"Discovering the Real You." It is all about how salvation through
>>>>what Christ did on the cross isn't just for our eternal well
>>>>being, but it is for our peace and well being here on earth. One
>>>>of the main concepts my Mom's pastor taught in this seminar is
>>>>that the basis of our sin nature is selfishness. we are
>>>>all selfish to some degree and because of our selfishness this
>>>>is why we've gotten ourselves into some of the messes we've
>>>>gotten into. Satan wants us to be selfish, because that's how he
>>>>gains the upper hand with us. According to Pastor Ron, the
>>>>key to working through our selfish nature is to ask the Lord to
>>>>help us not be selfish by showing us what He wants for our lives
>>>>and then asking Him to cause us to want what He wants for us. If
>>>>we know there is something God wants us to be doing, but we don't
>>>>necessarily feel like doing it or want to do it, then the key to
>>>>joy and well being is to ask God to change our attitude about
>>>>what it is we know He wants us to be doing. Along with this we
>>>>should continuously ask the Lord to show us our short comings and
>>>>when He does show them to us we then ask Him to help us with
>>>>those issues. I started putting this into practice as soon as I
>>>>heard the seminar and I can tell you when you let
>>>>God have that kind of control in your life things do start to
>>>>happen. God immediately began to show me things about myself that
>>>>needed changing, and that wasn't easy to take. He also, because
>>>>of my prayers, began working in the lives of people around me,
>>>>showing them what they needed to change in their lives. It's
>>>>difficult for me to explain the gist of the entire seminar, but I
>>>>hope to eventually hold a phone conference where people can all
>>>>participate and listen to and do a study on it together as soon
>>>>as I get the work book scanned. The concepts he shares in that
>>>>seminar have worked wonders in my life in just a short time.
>>>>
>>>>Bev
>>>>
>>>>John 5:24 Jesus said, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you,
>>>>the person whose ears are open to My words, who listens to My
>>>>message and believes on Him Who sent Me has now eternal life."
>>>>"And he does not come into judgment and will not come under
>>>>condemnation, but he has already passed over out of death into
>>>>life." )Amplified Bible)
>>>
>>>No virus found in this message.
>>>Checked by AVG - <http://www.avg.com>www.avg.com
>>>Version: 2013.0.3462 / Virus Database: 3722/7159 - Release Date: 03/06/14
>>
>>Thanks much.
>>
>>Many Blessings,
>>
>>Pat Ferguson
>>"I can Do all Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me." Phillippians 4:13.
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