A Prayer for Those in Sandy's Path

There are thousands of people in churches all over the country and millions at home praying for the safety of those millions of people in the path of Hurricane Sandy.  I believe in my heart that if everyone just got on their knees and prayed and asked God for forgiveness and mercy, that God would blow this storm out to sea or even just make it dissapate.  If only everyone in the country would pray.

Dear Heavenly Father,

There is a mighty storm coming along the eastern seaboard.  I know that You are well aware of it and are keeping Your eyes on it.  I also know that through that giant storm, you see my baby brother and his family, my cousins and Aunts, my friends and my fellow writers.  Many of Your children are in the path of possible destruction.  Father, they are saying that this storm is historic in size and power, that the damage will be unpresidented.  I am so glad to know that You, Father, are bigger, mightier, and greater than any storm.  I believe that our prayers of faith are heard.  I believe that even if everything was wiped out, that You are a good and loving God, and that You will still be there in the midst of our brothers and sisters, believers and the lost. 

Thank You for the opportunity of salvation.  Thank You that we have the chance to be saved through Jesus Christ.  Thank You that it only takes believing the truth of a simple prayer to bring us over to eternity with You.  I give my heart to You everyday, and I thank You for not leaving or forsaking me in the middle of the storm.  Just as You pulled Peter out of the raging sea, You are willing to pull me out of my own mess and give me life everlasting.  I love You.  I love You, I love You.

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He pulled me out of deep waters."  "He brought me out to a wide-open place; He rescued me because He delights in me."  Psalm 18:16,19 NIV

To those who are believers, He says,
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  For I am the Lord, your God."  Isaiah 43:1b-3

 

I have attached the Sinner's Prayer of Salvation for anyone who may be in the path of Sandy and not sure of where you will go if you died.  My prayers are with you for safety and that you are all spared the brunt of this megastorm.

 

Heavenly Father, I come to You admitting that I am a sinner. Right now, I choose to turn away from sin, and I ask You to cleanse me of all unrighteousness.  I believe that Your Son, Jesus, died on the cross to take away my sins.  I also believe that He rose again from the dead so that I may be justified and made righteous through faith in Him.  I call upon the name of Jesus Christ to be the Savior and Lord of my life.  Jesus, I choose to follow You, and I ask that You will fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit.  I declare right now that I am a born-again child of God.  I am free from sin, and full of the righteousness of God.  I am saved in Jesus' name, Amen!

 

Thank You

Thank you to those who purchased A Christmas I Remember during this past week's Christmas in October sale.  God bless you.

A Christmas I Remember

That's me in the window, and my Dad, world renowned NYC Crime Reporter Pat Doyle shoveling snow.  What a Christmas Eve!

Dear Reader,

I would like to thank you all so much for all the comments you have sent the last few months.  I would love to hear from some of the rest of you, especially those of you in different countries. 

I started this blog site in August 2011 to promote my book, A Christmas I Remember, but have almost never mentioned the book at all.  I know, it's really strange, but God keeps taking me on different journeys.  I believe that He gave me this one sweet memory and made it a book to prepare me for other things.  It doesn't matter how small a book is, or what it is about, the process to getting it published traditionally and getting it marketed is the same.  I think He is preparing me for the future.  Last year I was on TV, I was on national radio, and had several book signing events.  You see, dear Reader, He was gracious enough to give me a book that has a season to sell so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed.  The major sales of A Christmas I Remember is from October until 24 December.  It consumes me for that period of time, but then it is over.  I have more exposure, so to speak, because more people are shopping for Christmas books at that time.  The rest of the year He has me writing my blogs and a few more books which I will get back to after this sale is over.

Selling a book isn't easy, even with a publisher and a marketing rep.  They will put information out to hundreds of media sites, but if the media sites don't care to mention it, they don't.  I am not a famous name... yet, so I have to work hard to sell this little book.  But my Savior is with me every step of the way, and I know that He will send the right people to buy it.  I would be blessed if you would be so kind as to check it out.

I believe that God has blessed me because He wanted me to start this blog page.  He works through each of us to reach different people all over the world.  I have a ministry of sorts, writing what He tells me, and leaving the rest up to Him.  I enjoy writing my blog.  I enjoy sharing the things He has taught me.  I hope that I am able to encourage and inspire you as I feel our Lord speak through or to me.

My website can be found at www.deirdretolhurst.com.  Please check and see if maybe my first book would be something you would like to buy for a child this Christmas.  There is a 'Look Inside' there, so you can read a little bit of it.  All the details about how it came to be are listed there, so I won't go into it here except to say that I do mention that Jesus is to be honored.

This week only, until 6pm CDT Saturday, 27 October, ALL BOOKS WILL BE ON SALE for 10% OFF, and NO SHIPPING AND HANDLING FEES to any address in the United States.  That makes it cheaper than Amazon.  Besides, on Amazon you can't buy a hard cover, coloring book, or an Author's Special, which is one of each book, signed, and wrapped in a bow.

Thank you again, dear Reader, and may God bless and inspire you!
Deirdre Tolhurst

Dearest Heavenly Father

Dearest Heavenly Father,

I come to You today and give You my heart.  I do not own it, it belongs to You.  I trust You, Father God, to hold it safe in Your tender embrace.  I give You permission to remove the hard shell that has formed around it, preventing me from being aware of the cries of those I love the most, my spouse and family. 

I allow Your warm hands to massage it, and work out the kinks, the stony areas that have made me blind to the plight of the downtrodden and deaf to the cries of the weary.  I wait as You break up the fallow ground and remove the hard places, allowing seed to once again grow.

I will rejoice in knowing  that once again holy life will flow freely through my heart.  I give You permission to scrub off the grit and grime of hate, intolerance and impatience, the filth of pride, arrogance, and self-serving, and to polish it back to where once again it is new, and whole, and pure.

I will honor You with the fruits of my labor.  I will dedicated my life to You, O Lord, for You have made me new again today, and my once cold and dying heart, which You have made new and perfect, rejoices in love and adoration to You.

Thank You, Father, for working in me, and healing my broken heart.  You are the Great Physician!  My Jehovah Raffa.  I adore You.  I accept this beautiful new heart and promise to care for it and fill it with love from Your word daily.  I will not let it suffocate to the point of near death ever again.  Thank You for restoring it back to health and beauty.  It shines like Your reflection!

I love You, my Father, with all I have.  In Jesus' sweet name I pray, Amen.

God is "The Man"

While driving to work one day I noticed a police car coming in my direction.  I glanced at my speedometer and saw that I was five miles over the posted speed limit.  I didn't hit the brake, that would be so obvious, but I immediately took my foot off the gas pedal.

The road I travel is full of turns, it's in the country and a lovely ride, but you don't travel too far with any distance in your rear-view mirror.  So we passed each other, the policeman and I, and then for the next few miles I stayed at the posted 60 mph and kept looking out the rear view mirror in case he had turned around and was following me. 

Have you ever been pulled over and the officer listened and had a heart and just gave you a warning?  He was kind and let you go this time, but don't do it again, he warns.  You realize it would have cost you dearly if he had charged you with the crime you committed?

That morning I received revelation!  I realized that whenever a cop pulls onto the road we're travelling, we and everyone else around us immediately straightens up in the seat, holds the wheel correctly, checks the speedometer to make sure we're not speeding, and when we change lanes we're sure to use the blinker and be courteous.  We completely change everything about how we are acting to make sure we're doing everything right and legal. Why?  Because "The Man" is watching! 

Well, dear Reader, God, "The Man" is always watching!  We need to be more cognizant of that, and remember that we need to be on our best behavior at all times; living the Christian life and walking in His commands and statutes.  Otherwise, we'll get pulled over.  We don't want to break His laws by sinning, but there are those times when we do.

And when we realize our sin, and confess it to Him and repent, like that cop that let you go, God shows us mercy and forgives us our trespass!  Mercy.  What a beautiful word.  It means when God doesn't give us what we do deserve.  Just think about what would happen if we didn't have a kind and loving Father God!  How much it would cost us we can't imagine.  In His love and mercy, He sent His Son to take the 'ticket' and pay the fine for us! 

Thank You, Father, for once again showing me, in ways I will understand, what You want me to know!  I love how You make it so easy for me!  You are awesome, God!  I love You. 

"...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:20