Faith Filled Thoughts

Happy Thanksgiving
November 25th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays
Will return on Monday 30th from Holiday

For The Giver God Will Bless

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Scripture: Psalm 132:15 "I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread”

As we journey through life, we learn more about the Lord and also come to understand the more precious things that life has to offer. We learn that each and every year contains its own special storehouse of blessings; new births in the family, new friends added to our circle, new songs to sing, fresh experiences, and the addition of special memories. As I review what God has done in my life, I am overwhelmed at His bountiful goodness. When I add together all of the blessings that I have received in the years past, I realize that I am truly very blessed and that I have more to be thankful for this year than any year in the past.

There are many blessings that we take for granted. I remember many times asking God to send me someone I could Bless In His Name and the Lord Has never failed me yet! Today he has done that very thing. Recently a few days ago I received a prayer request from a reader whom is a grandmother taking care of her daughter two small grandbabies 3,4 and a disabled son-in-law. Her request was so simply. All she asked is that I send out a prayer request for her to receive food for her Thanksgiving day. She was suffering from her own illness of pneumonia. My heart cried out Lord she lives in Georgia how can I get this done? I called for two days and with no avail, everyone had their quota’s met. I said Lord show me. I decided to look up where she lived very remote and the nearest Kroger Store was 22 miles away. Before I called I said Lord find me a kind heart in this store.
Precious Heavenly Father found Chad in Rome Georgia Kroger’s. He was so eager to assist me. We were able to accomplish again His Will.

When I called her to tell her food was on the way from Jesus she cried and praised the Father.

As we approach this season, let us vow that Thanksgiving will no longer be just a one-day ritual for us, but that it will be a continual reflection of God's goodness in our lives. Let us determine that our voices will resound throughout the year declaring our gratitude for the gracious blessings that we have been granted. Let us learn to celebrate life itself each and every day and allow our hearts to continually overflow with joy and thanksgiving to the Lord. With hearts filled with anticipation, let us believe that this will be our best Thanksgiving ever!

For The Giver God Will Bless


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
Happy Thanksgiving from the bottom of my heart!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

"Surrender everything you are to Me.

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 24th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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"Surrender everything you are to Me.
Rest My Dear Friend



Scripture: Mark 6:31 (Amplified) "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest for awhile."


The disciples were so busy that they had no time to rest. In fact, they couldn't even sit and eat a meal in leisure without being interrupted by the people who continually followed them. The masses drew upon their time and energies and left them totally spent. Finally, Jesus called them away to a solitary place just to rest.Our own lifestyles have become similar to this scenario. We have become exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally because our schedules allow very little time for us to rest and regenerate. Often, if we are not careful and determined, we even fail to make time to pray and study God's word.

Yet, our strength to maintain life's demands and cope with stress depends upon getting physical rest and having fellowship and communion with the Lord. Isaiah 40:29-31 tells us that as we wait upon the Lord and linger in His presence, God will increase our strength, causing it to multiply and making it abound. As we rest in His presence and renew ourselves spiritually, God renews our physical strength and causes us to be able to walk and run without getting weary or faint. Isaiah said even the young men would fall with exhaustion, but those who wait upon the Lord would be like eagles, full of strength, soaring above every situation.Jesus also told us what to do if we become weary, over burdened, and stressed out. He said, "Come to Me, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28-30). Supernatural strength is imparted when we come into the presence of the Lord. He said, "Take my yoke upon you." In other words, "Surrender everything you are to Me.

If you will allow Me to pull the load, you will find relief from pressures and be refreshed in your spirit. Get to know Me, for I am very gentle of spirit. If I give you a burden to bear, it will be easy and light, for I will never put more on you than you can bear. Cast all your cares on Me, for I care for you. Come away with Me to a solitary place for a while and rest in My presence. As you become still, you will come to know that I am God (Psalms 46:10) and peace will enter you soul. As My presence surrounds you, you will find refreshing and blessed quietness for I will cause you to rest."


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
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Can You Get On and Stay On?

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 21st, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Can You Get On and Stay On?


Scripture: Isaiah 48:17 NIV "This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."

As we travel our various roads of life, there are separate destinies that await us. Yet often in quest of God's purposes and plans, it seems difficult to 'get on' and 'stay on' the right course because there are so many distractions to lead us away in the wrong direction. Our paths may be diverted by failures and disappointments or sometimes even good things that are not necessarily the right things for our life. It would be great to be like the Israelites who were led by a cloud each day and guided by a fire at night. Or can you imagine being directed by the star of Bethlehem, which led the wise men to their intended destination? With precise signs and wonders like these leading us, it would surely be hard for us to miss God's perfect plan for our life.

God, however, has not ordained these types of supernatural happenings for our daily life. He has given us the witness of His Holy Spirit and His still small voice to guide and direct us. As simple as this plan of communication may sound, however, His presence and His voice is just as phenomenal as signs and wonders. How awesome it is to feel God's presence leading us along the right path. It is just as exciting as the cloud by day or the fire by night, for when God makes His presence known, it is an overwhelming and eternal experience. And too, when God singles us out and speaks distinctly within our spirits, there is no sign or wonder that can compare.

Every time God touches us in a personal and special way, we are changed. His desires become our desires and His choices become our choices. The more we see Him move in our circumstances, the more we realize that His ways truly are better than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. All of His plans for us are for our good and not evil and they are designed to give us a future and a hope. I have had so many prayer requests that simply to say quicken my heart at these troubling times. But God has planned your steps and your directions to where even though it may seem hopeless, The door on the other side is greater than anything we could have dreamed or even hoped for. Remember through ever Valley he has brought you through. Pause and mediate on this and as He has said this too shall pass. He is our Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah said that the Lord not only teaches or lets you know the right way, He also directs you in the way you should go. God is interested in what is the very best for you. Trust His leadership, for He knows what is ahead and is much wiser than you. As you trust Him, you will find that He always gives you the best when you allow Him to do the choosing.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
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When You Look At Jesus What Do You See?

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 20th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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When You Look At Jesus What Do You See?




Scripture: Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus."

"When Leonardo da Vinci had painted his immortal 'Last Supper,' he asked a friend for an evaluation. The friend heaped superlatives on the masterpiece, and especially praised the wine cup by the Lord's hand. At that point, Leonardo blotted out the cup. He was to have said, 'Nothing should distract one's attention from the Lord.'"

When we look at Jesus, what do we see? Do we see the glory of His presence, or do we get distracted by the material things that will benefit us if we serve Him? Do we look at Him as being our Lord and our first love, or do we just serve Him for the honor of our own reputations? Do we give others more honor and adoration than we do God's beloved Son? Do we tend to make our spiritual leaders equal to our Lord and Savior?It is very easy to get distracted from the real picture and see the cup rather than the Savior. Even Peter fell into this trap when Jesus was transfigured before his eyes.

He watched as Jesus' appearance was totally transformed before him. Jesus' clothes began to shine, glistening like the snow, and then Elijah and Moses appeared with Him. Peter got caught up in the moment, and focusing on the spectacular, he suggested that three memorials be built; one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. At that moment of distraction, the three were equal in Peter's eyes. Yet when it came to an end, Jesus was the only one that was left remaining, and God's voice spoke with validation, "This is My only begotten Son" (Mark 9:2-8).These words remind us that we are never to build memorials in our spirits that will distract us from the only begotten Son of God. Jesus should always be our main interest, and the One that we focus our attention upon regardless of what else or who else shows up in the scene.

Other ministries and the spectacular may try to lure and distract us like the cup at the Lord's hand in the painting. Even our own talents, work, and ministries may turn into masterpieces that are admired by the world. But like Leonardo da Vinci's response, we too must blot out any beauty and glory that seeks to supersede and overshadow the Lord Jesus. We should allow nothing to draw our attention from Him. Regardless of what is happening around us, whether good or bad, our eyes need to remain on Him. The lyrics of an old song remind us of this thought;

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace."

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

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When You Look At Jesus What Do You See?

Speak Faith Into Your Heart When Lacking

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 19th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Speak Faith Into Your Heart When Lacking
Just Believe!!




Scripture: John 6:9 "There is a lad here, which has five barley loaves, and two small fish: but what are they among so many?"

Jesus gave His disciple, Phillip, an impossible task. He asked Phillip where they could buy enough bread to feed the multitude that was following them. Verse six says that Jesus asked this question to prove Phillip, for Jesus, Himself, knew what He was going to do. Jesus had a solution before He ever presented the problem. I'm sure Phillip must have panicked as he explained to Jesus that they didn't have enough money to buy food for the 5,000 that needed to be fed. Another disciple, Andrew, spoke up and said that there was a lad there who had five loaves of bread and two fish. This was the only resource available and Andrew recognized that it was nothing in comparison to the need. He asked, "What are they among so many?"

We often face similar situations in our own lives where our needs are greater than our resources, whether it is in the material, physical, or spiritual realm. We receive our pay at the end of the workweek but can't seem to stretch it to meet all of our needs. Our duties and responsibilities call upon us but our energies are not quite sufficient to meet the extra demands. God calls us to serve Him in a special way and our abilities are lacking. We look at the challenge before us and it appears to be an impossible task. It is like trying to feed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. We ask as Andrew asked, "What good is the little I have when the need is so great?"

This same story is also related in Mark 6:38-44 and gives further insight into what Jesus did concerning the need. First, He organized the people and instructed them to sit in companies. Jesus then took the five loaves and two fish and looked up to Heaven. He didn't look to the natural, but to God the Father, the creator of Heaven and Earth. He had confidence that if God could create bread and fish, He could certainly multiply it. After Jesus focused His thoughts upon God, He blessed the bread. When He blessed the bread and fish He was asking God to do something supernatural. When all was finished, the 5,000 were fed and there were twelve baskets of fish and bread left over. This example should speak faith into our hearts when our resources are lacking. First, we must put things in order the best that we can and then look to Heaven for our solutions. Regardless of how little we have to offer, we must ask for God's blessings to be upon it, for He is our source and He still knows how to multiply. When God blesses, our weakness will turn into strength, our emotional distress will become joy, our material needs will be met according to His riches, and His anointing will empower us and drive away our spiritual lack.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
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Listen And Be Blessed

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 18th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Listen And Be Blessed

Scripture: Deuteronomy 28:8 "The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouses, and in all that you set you hand to do."

None of us really know what will happen in the future or how to prepare for life's uncertainties, but God gives us a promise in this scripture that can sustain us in every circumstance. He sets the guidelines and conditions for either blessings or testings to come upon our lives. He told us that if we listen diligently to His voice and observe to do all that He commands, He will bless us. His instructions are very simple and very clear.How the blessings will transpire and come to us is up to God.

We don't have to figure it out, for He has plans that are higher than our plans and He can create a blessing that we've never even thought of. Our only responsibility is to obey His voice and when we do, He will command the blessing. This powerful God who intends to command a blessing on us is the same God that spoke the worlds into existence. He started with nothing, but look what He ended up with. His command has power and when He speaks, all nature responds whether visible or invisible.In I Kings, chapter seventeen, we see this principle at work in the life of Elijah.

As he acted in unquestioning obedience to God's word, God commanded blessings to come to him. First, God commanded the ravens to bring him food in the mornings and evenings and provided water from the brook. Then, when the brook dried up, God commanded a widow woman to sustain him. These blessings came to Elijah only because he listened to God's voice and obeyed His word. Had Elijah refused to go to the brook or to the widow's home, he would not have experienced God's blessings and provisions for his life. Not only that, he would have also robbed the widow and her son from receiving a blessing as well. Our obedience always touches the lives of others.

There may come a time when you face an extreme circumstance in your life. Remember that God has already thought it through and He has a plan to match that hour. He not only has a plan, He has the power to command a blessing on the plan and will do just that if you remain under His covering and meet His prerequisite of obedience to His every word.


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click on Link Below:

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In The Midst Of Trouble?

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 17th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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In The Midst Of Trouble?


Scripture: Psalms 138:7-8 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, ... the Lord will perfect that which concerns me."

Do you have concerns today for which you have no solutions? Are you right in the middle of a troubled situation and it seems that you are being tossed about in a terrible storm? David was in a dilemma such as this, but he was able to retain his confidence in God. Right in the midst of his turmoil, David declared that God would revive him and raise him up. He trusted God to stretch out His mighty hand, fight for him, and make everything perfect. David knew that God cared for him so he humbled himself before God and cast all of his cares upon Him.

The midst of trouble is a crucial place, but it is the place where God manifests His strength and power. It is a place where Jesus steps up and calms everything with one command, "Peace be still." Like David, Jesus' disciples found themselves in the midst of trouble when their ship encountered a storm. What were the disciples' thoughts when the storm first began? Jesus didn't seem to care at all. He rested as the storm began to approach, and then slept soundly as the storm grew worse. Jesus wasn't trying to help them maintain the ship in the natural or deal with it in the spiritual. While the prince of the air was trying to destroy the ship, the Prince of Peace slept peacefully. Fearful and frustrated, His disciples asked, "Don't you even care that we are about to perish?" Fear and frustration may cause you to feel the same way as the disciples. It may seem that God is not showing any concern at all about your circumstances as they progressively get worse, but He is concerned about every situation.

The Lord promises to perfect everything that concerns you and He is able to take everything that is happening in your life and make it work together for good. There is not one concern that you may have that is too big for Him to handle for He is able to fix every problem in more ways than you could ever dream of. He has ways and solutions that are higher than your ways and His thoughts are higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). Before you even ask, He has the answer to your problem. When life demands that you walk through trouble, will you cast your cares on the Lord and trust Him to make perfect those things that concern you?
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Please click on Link Below:

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Are You The Women or Man At The Well?

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 13th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Are You The Women or Man At The Well?

Scripture: John 4:26 (Amplified) "Jesus said unto her, "I Who am speaking with you am He."

In this scripture setting, Jesus reveals Himself to the woman at the well. This woman had been married five times and was now living with a man that was not her husband. Many of us would have passed her by as a hopeless case. We would have judged her with our own self righteous standards and wondered if she were even deserving of God's amazing grace because it seemed that she could never get her life right. She had failed so many times that it would seem useless to us to put our trust in her one more time. We would write her off as a loss and fail to consider that areas of our life were actually in just as much disarray in the eyes of our holy God as her life was to us.
It is interesting to watch Jesus as He ministered to the people because His thoughts and actions are so contrary to religious thinking. He passed up the clergy and made His way to meet with the publicans and sinners and to minister to the demon possessed. He also invited the tax collectors and dishonest men into His closest circle of associates. He even spoke kind words of forgiveness to the prostitutes. Now Jesus, who was a Jew, was speaking to this Samaritan woman who was living in open sin. Time and time again, she had sought for love in the wrong people, but Jesus was able to look beyond her faults and see her need. When Jesus revealed to her that He knew of her marital status, she recognized that He was a prophet and she began to expose her inner most desires. Her need was to love and be loved. She wanted to love and worship God and she wanted to do it right. She questioned Jesus about the proper place to worship God, on the mountain or in Jerusalem.
Isn't the love of God wonderful? Jesus was weary from His journey, but He sat on the well and waited for this woman to come draw water. She didn't come to the well with the other women but came alone because of her moral lifestyle and she probably was not accepted in the formal places of worship either. Yet, her heart was crying out for God and she was watching and waiting for the Messiah to come. Jesus sought this woman out and met her at her point of need. He reached out to her with kindness and forgiveness and told her that those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Like this woman at the well, Jesus is never beyond your reach. Regardless of where you are right now or your mistakes in life, Jesus wants to meet you at your point of need. He knows where you are and He places Himself in the center of your territory. When your heart begins to worship Him, He will find you and make Himself known and available to you. He will minister to you personally, one on one, and give you Living Water to quench your thirsty soul.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
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Keep Your Eyes Focused On Jesus

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 12th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Keep Your Eyes Focused On Jesus

Written for Brian and Shauna

Scripture: Luke 2:49 "... I must be about My Father's business."

All the words recorded in scripture concerning Jesus depict His mission on Earth, which was to bring eternal life to a dying world and destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8). His whole life was about doing His Father's business. From the very beginning of His life, Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies with His birth in Bethlehem. Then, as a young child, Jesus sat in the midst of the doctors in the temple and declared to His parents that He "must be about His Father's business." He recognized very early in life that He was anointed by God to do a particular work and He remained focused on that agenda.
Jesus had a dream and knew His destiny. He was to fulfill the work that His Father in Heaven had given Him to do here on Earth. So, despite the fact that His call and His mission included the cross and its shame, He endured all that was set before Him with joy, knowing in His heart that He was pleasing His Father (Hebrews 12:2). However, there was opposition along the way. In fact, Jesus lived in a perpetual state of conflict because He was headed towards His dreams. The king tried to destroy Jesus when He was a just a small child. Religious leaders of the day tried to keep Him from proclaiming His message of the Kingdom and healing the oppressed. And Satan, himself, tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Yet, Jesus never strayed from His call or doing His Father's business. When the time came for His work to be completed, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, never flinching from the cross of Calvary (Luke 9:51).
Your Father in Heaven also has plans for you. He has big dreams and envisions you being a big part of those dreams. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, you are to be about His business, for you are the hope of His glory. You are an epistle which will be read of all men and by your works and influence, men will come to know God and will learn to love Him or dislike Him. You have a responsibility to do God's business and do it well. Never lose sight of the dream that God has for you. Ask Him to breathe upon those dreams and ignite you for His service. Like Jesus, you will face opposition. There will be heartache and disappointment along the way but keep your eyes on Jesus and keep focused on the dream. Endure the rough places with joy knowing that you are fulfilling God's plan and doing His business.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Click Link Below:
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What Would You Do If You Were Walking Along And Fell Into A Dark Pit?

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 11th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Honor Veterans Day!

What Would You Do If You Were Walking Along And Fell Into A Dark Pit?

Scripture: Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart."

What would you do if you were walking along and fell into a dark pit? Would you stay there, or would you struggle and work to get out? Would you allow discouragement to overcome you, or would you attempt to conquer it? Disappointment comes when things don't work out like we've planned and we see our hopes and dreams begin to fade into non-existence. When we do not deal with those disappointments, they eventually build strongholds in our spirit and turn into discouragement. When we are in this frame of mind, each step leads downwards until we fall into utter hopelessness. In all of these phases, we can choose to drown in this sea of disappointment, discouragement, and hopelessness, or use all the ability that God gave us to get out.

There is a story about two mice that fell into a bucket of milk. One swam and fought for a while but then became discouraged, gave up, and drowned. The other mouse just kept dog paddling, fighting, and praying all night long. When he got tired he would float for a while, then he would take courage and work at getting out again. Although nothing positive seemed to be happening, he refused to give up and never allowed discouragement and self-pity to overtake him. He kept doing what he could. Finally, his churning turned the milk around him into a block of butter underneath him. When the milk turned to butter, he was able climb out and was free. He was amazed at how God had created a deliverance for him.God has a creative plan of deliverance for you, too. Psalms 30:5 says, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." There is an old saying that "It's always darkest just before dawn". So when you find yourself in the dark pits of discouragement, just keeping doing all that you can do, trust in the Lord, and be of good courage.

His deliverance and joy is on its way.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

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WE Must Slow Down And Pray

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 10th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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WE Must Slow Down And Pray

Scripture: James 4:14 "For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, then vanishes away."
As a minister my illustration by taking a can of air freshener and spraying just a very small wisp of the compressed air into a large auditorium. When the air was released from the can, it appeared for a moment and then vanished quickly. The Apostle James measures our life in the same manner to help us understand how short our life is and how precious our moments really are. In light of this revelation, we need to be more attentive to our life and learn to take advantage of each and every special moment that comes our way.

In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon said that to everything there is a season and a purpose. He said there is a time to laugh, dance, be healed, build, love, and embrace the ones we love. Yet, these crucial moments that God presents to us must be recognized and seized in the spirit. Very often, however, we allow ourselves to become so stressed that we can't take a moment to laugh, much less take a little time out to dance. We can't find a few spare moments to refresh ourselves in the spirit so that God can build us up in our faith.

And if we are not careful, we will even get too busy to embrace those that we love, pay attention to their needs, and enjoy their presence. We will fail to recognize the precious moments that are being offered to us until it is too late. In this fast paced life, it is crucial for us to just waste some time enjoying the fellowship of our family, our friends, and even life itself. We must slow down long enough to smell the roses, watch a sunrise or sunset, hold a baby in our arms, and quietly rest in God's presence. When we take these moments, they will create a memory that will last a lifetime. Following is a prayer that I encourage you to pray if you need help in this area.

Pray This Prayer Today
Lord, help me to take a moment in the midst of the storms of my life to acknowledge that You are God and that You are sovereign and in control.
Help me to recognize that You can speak peace into my life and calm all of the adverse circumstances that are challenging me right now.
Help me to take a moment from the busyness and stress of my life to rest in Your presence so that You can renew my strength.
When I fall into sin, help me take a moment to confess my sins so that You can forgive me, cleanse me from all unrighteousness, and restore the joy of my salvation.
When my body is infiltrated by disease and racked with pain, help me take a moment to remember Your word that says,
"By the stripes of Jesus, I am healed."
Help me take a moment away from my financial pressures to acknowledge Your promise that You will meet my needs according to Your riches in Christ Jesus.
When I am grieved in the spirit, help me take a moment to know that You are surrounding me with songs of deliverance and that You will give me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness
When things seem hopeless, help me take a moment and remember that all things are working together for good and to praise You for Your love and mercy that endures forever
. Lord, remind me to take a moment to appreciate my sight, my hearing, my mental faculties, and my physical mobility.
Last but not least, help me to remember that my life is as a vapor, and that I should cherish every moment that You create for me, seize it with anticipation, and not allow that moment to pass.
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

He Is The True Treasure Of Our Lives!!

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 7th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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He Is The True Treasure Of Our Lives!!



Scripture: Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

In this verse and the verses following, Jesus speaks to us about being focused. He talks to us about our heart's attitude concerning material things, our spiritual vision, and our service. He exhorts us to lay up heavenly treasures rather than earthly ones. He tells us to keep our vision single so that our whole life is filled with light, and then concludes by telling us that there can be only one master in our lives. He makes it very clear that our hearts, vision, and service will revolve around only the things we count as treasures in our lives.All of us have treasures of some sort that we are concerned about. When we were kids, our minds and hearts weren't the least bit concerned about the security of the banks or the stock market.

Our treasure was wrapped up in a few coins in a piggy bank in our room, but we guarded that small bank because it was our personal treasure. As we matured, however, our treasures began to change and our hearts became concerned about the global economy. For some of us, our career became our prize and priority. For others, our children remained our most treasured possessions. We are there for every school program and band concert, not because we wanted to be there for the performance, but because our personal treasure was involved. We counted it a joy and a privilege because we were supporting our personal treasure.Regardless of what we count as most dear in our lives, whether money, position, or relationships, our hearts will lean in the direction of that treasure, for where our treasure is, there will be our heart also.

Jesus said that whenever He is the true treasure of our life, our hearts and minds will be stayed on Him and there will be no other gods in our lives. Our vision and attention will become single and nothing will be allowed to interfere, as our heart follows after our treasure. We will joyfully dedicate all that we are and everything that we have to Him to fulfill His will and complete His purpose. This is the simple truth that Jesus wanted us to understand; that our heart will remain with our treasure. He exhorted us to choose God as the utmost treasure of our hearts. Then as we seek Him and His kingdom before anything else, the lesser treasures will be added to us.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

Give Me A New Heart Oh Lord!

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 6th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Give Me A New Heart Oh Lord!

Scripture: Psalms 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me."

Nathan, the prophet, had exposed and brought to light the sin that David had committed in his relationship with Bethsheba. As David owned up to his personal failure and his sin against God, he began to plead for God's mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing and asked God to do something new in his life. He wanted God to create within him something that wasn't there. David needed a clean heart and a right spirit and recognized that without God, he could not change.

This is an awesome revelation! It declares that God is still creator and shows us that we too cannot truly change without the work of the Holy Spirit. We may cover our faults over with pretense for a season, but unless God changes our heart and renews our spirit, our sin nature remains within us and will eventually manifest outwardly. This truth not only applies to the temptations of sin that knock at our heart's door but also to our daily spiritual lack. We may feel the tugging of God's presence in our lives but struggle with the simple things that He calls us to do. This is the reason that we need God to create within our being something that will effect a change.
David's prayer gives us great insight and shows us that we too can pray and ask God to meet any lack that we may have in our lives. God can and will create within us whatever it is that we need if we cry out to Him. You may have lost the passion that you once had for spiritual things. You can ask God to create within you a passion to pursue Him. You can ask Him to create a fresh desire and hunger for His word and a thirst for His Spirit. You will be amazed as He begins to work in those areas. If you find that you no longer worship as you once did in the past or find it difficult to be thankful, ask God to create within you a spirit of thanksgiving, adoration,

praise, and worship for Him.

He will begin to work on those areas, for He loves to be worshiped. If your actions are not as they should be, ask Him to create the fruits of His Spirit within your heart. He longs for you to manifest His fruits. If you feel spiritually lethargic, ask Him to ignite a fire within you and cause you to burn with His glory, for you are the hope of His glory in this Earth. Whatever the need, God desires to make the change within you, but He is never forceful. As He did with David, He will wait for you to yield your heart and submit your spirit to Him.
When you do, He will create and He will renew you!

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

You Are The Apple Of God’s Eye

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 5th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays



You Are The Apple Of God’s Eye



Scripture: Psalms 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings."

The apple of the eye is the pupil, or the darkest part and very center of the eye. It is the most precious part of the eye as it lets the light in and allows the body to see. The eyes are very delicate and demand extreme care and protection, and if lost, the whole body suffers and is left handicapped. David knew the value of his own eyes and the lengths that he would go to in order to protect them, so he prayed and asked God to keep him as safe as God would the very apple of His own eye. The word 'keep' in this text meant to guard, protect, or hide like the eagle hides her young under her wings.In the natural, God made provisions to protect the human eyes. The eyes have eyelashes, eyebrows, and eyelids that guard against small things like dust, dirt, and smoke. The eyes are also deeply entrenched in the skull with bones around them to protect them from further injury. The arms and hands also act instinctively and spontaneously to guard the eyes if something harmful should come in their direction.

The head will turn or duck and even the knees bend to lower the entire body to help the eyes get out of the way of injury. The entire body responds to protect this vital organ and would rather suffer injury itself than to allow the eye to be damaged, for it recognizes that the eyes are precious and irreplaceable.Just as David was kept as the apple of God's eye, so are you. You are a valuable part of God's body and kingdom, and just as you would protect your own eyes from harm, God is there to protect and guard you. If someone were to hit you in the eye, you wouldn't try to hit them back with your eye. Your eye is not designed to fight for itself so the other parts of your body, like the arms and hands, would take up the eye's defense.

In the spiritual realm, God is your defense. God's word says that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Psalms 94:1). Zechariah 2:8 says, "For he that touches you touches the apple of God's eye." In other words, when others come against you, they are touching a very sensitive part of God and He will respond. Verse nine says that "God will shake His hand against those who touch you." When others come against you, you can't fight your own battles, but God can fight for you. Your part is to simply shut your spiritual eyelids to the offense, leave things in God's hands, and pray for those who come against you. You are the apple of God's eyes so rest in Him and allow Him to hide you under the shadow of His wings.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
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Why Our Needs Are Not Met!

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 4th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Why Our Needs Are Not Met!

Scripture: James 4:2 "... You have not because you ask not."

I had a dream several weeks ago. In the dream, I was standing with a lady next to a copying machine. I handed her some sheets that I wanted copied. I waited as she ran the sheets through the copier, one by one. When she finished, she kept the originals and gave the copies back to me. I glanced through the copies and noticed that several of the sheets were blank. I was disturbed as I thought each sheet should have been filled, so I asked the woman why some of the copies had nothing on them. She told me that the sheets came out blank because there was nothing on the original. She said if I wanted something to come back on my copy, I must present something to her on the original. She then proceeded to tell me that these sheets were like my prayers. Some of my prayers were answered, but many of the things I desired and needed had not come back to me because I gave God blank requests. There was nothing for God to respond to. I had floundered around, never truly verbalizing my need to God.

We limit God when we do not make our request known to Him. We stand next to the copier waiting for our answer, only to receive a blank sheet of paper, which is the exact duplicate of what we originally gave to God. We then wonder why our needs are not met. Jesus made it very plain in Matthew 7:7-8 that He wanted us to actually ask God for help and provision. He said, "Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone that asks receives, everyone that seeks finds, and everyone that knocks, it will be opened to them."
When you ask in accordance with God's will and with an assurance that it will be given, something new will happen to you. You will start expecting answers to all of your prayers. You will begin to talk to God with the intent of actually receiving a duplicate answer to the original request that you had handed to Him. There will be no blank sheets returned to you and no disappointments. Jesus said, "Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). This is how prayer works - ask and you shall receive.
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

Women Of Virtue…. What Do They Look Like?

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 3rd, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Women Of Virtue…. What Do They Look Like?



Scripture: Proverbs 31:10 & 28 "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies ... Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her."

Today Let’s Look At mothers or women who have influenced your life. Likewise, there is no greater need or satisfaction than for a child to have a mother who is a blessing or for a husband to have a virtuous wife whom he can trust and truthfully praise. Solomon declared that the value of this type of mother and woman is far above monetary value. She can't be purchased with the simple price of rubies, and her role and influence cannot be passed over as unimportant.

She directs the future, as she has an awesome part in "training up her children in the way that they should go, so that they do not depart from the right path" (Proverbs 22:6)In II Timothy 1:5, we see an example of the importance of mothers and grandmothers who taught and lived their faith in front of their children. Paul taught and mentored Timothy in the things of the Lord, yet, he gave much of the credit for Timothy's faith to Timothy's mother, Lois, and his grandmother, Eunice. Paul said that he remembered Timothy's sincere and unqualified faith, for Timothy had been taught to lean entirely upon God and had displayed an absolute trust and confidence in God's power, wisdom, and goodness. Paul had also seen this same type of simple but profound trust in God in the hearts of Timothy's mother and grandmother, who were women of virtue. It was easy to recognize that their influence had affected Timothy in a big way and that the pure faith that they possessed had been transferred to him in the same degree and measure.

Lois and Eunice had been diligent to train Timothy in the things of God and in the way that he should go. The evidence of their faith lingered in the heart of Timothy and the results could definitely be seen.We should never forget how important women's roles are as mothers, grandmothers, and wives. Those of us who are women should strive to become women of purpose and endeavor to develop the characteristics of a virtuous woman. Proverbs 31:10-31 declares that a virtuous woman has strength, ability, efficiency, wealth, valor, and faith, and is excellent in every way. Her price is far above rubies and she cannot be purchased. Her love, faithfulness, and service to her home and family come free. Her repayment for her many sacrifices come when her children rise up and call her blessed and her husband praises her.
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie
Click on the link below:
http://www.faithitout.com/published.php?poem_id=1