I must apologize that I have not been able to continue the next step of the series yesterday or today; but, I hope I will be able to continue by Monday. After all the years of illness in the past, I had been given a long reprieve of remarkable health. Perhaps, I had grown a little proud by my having always faced pain and continuing on. Then this year, one day I had to go to bed due to a sudden abdominal pain; but it eased with massaging and manipulating the bowels, then came shingles which wasn’t so bad. Suddenly then Thursday afternoon I developed severe abdominal pain, nausea and profuse diarrhea. Suddenly, I realized how fragile even my faith really is at times. This pain doesn’t seem to want to leave, along with the weakness and I have been brought to my knees. More than the pain and weakness I recognize that when we are in the midst of suffering it is so hard to be grateful as I should be. I tend to become so self-absorbed and want to pout. Why Lord? Why now? Yet, even this is part of His Sovereign plan for today. So let me share with you this word from

Joni Eareackson Tada

I have so much left to learn of God’s Grace, Love and Sovereignty.  I need to remember that even though when I am sick I feel so all alone—I am not alone.  He is right there beside me.

©2015 Effie Darlene Barba

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Power-filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 11A-Enlightened by God’s Wisdom

Suddenly I awoke at 4 am with the excruciating abdominal pain—well I say awoke as the night had been so filled with restlessness I am uncertain I had even slept. Scurrying toward the bathroom to begin this morning’s ordeal of severe pain, bloody diarrhea and no sleep. Ulcerative Colitis had become my constant, unwanted and uninvited companion since the summer of 1999 and now it was July, 2000 with no hope of remission. Despite high dose steroids, constant medications, cortisone enemas, suppositories and every possible dietary restriction I could place—nothing would slow it down and every morning at 4 am it ran a 4 hour cycle of severe pain and trips to the bathroom.  These morning ordeals had begun with a fury shorty after I had finished the chemotherapy for breast cancer and had been a daily occurrence ever since. The steroids had severely affected my body as well. My leg muscles were too weak to carry my body up a stairs and I would have to pull myself up the stairs clinging tight to the rails. Sleep was not even possible due to the very high doses of steroids I had to take.  The only exception was the one night in 3 that I allowed myself to take a sleeping pill. On those nights I slept about 5 hours.  I did not want to become dependent or addicted to the sleeping pills, so one night out of three I would take one. Additionally, I had grown a beard on the rounded moon shaped face. My eyes sunken deep within the roundness until I couldn’t even know myself in the mirror. The large buffalo hump had grown just below my neck, distorting my body further.

At 4 am with all the pain and agony,  I did not want to awaken the children who were now young men getting ready to leave for college in the fall, so I had placed a large recliner in my walk-in closet. There I would sit and talk with God while reading my Bible.  There I learned of God’s love, joy and peace in the midst of tragedy.

I had finished my Master’s in Nursing and now was working as a Nurse Practitioner; but, the debts were overwhelming and there was this monstrous disease destroying my body.

Continue reading Enlightened by God’s Wisdom →

Power-filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 10c  Seven Reasons to Rejoice as God’s Heir

In Christ, we are heirs of the kingdom of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Does that mean I inherit the world with all its possessions since God owns the whole world? It does. But hold up for a second before you run out the door to claim that car or house you’ve been wanting hear me out through the rest of this. If you think those material items here and now are the most splendorous part of our inheritance; then, you truly are a pauper. Material possessions bring merely counterfeit pleasures that have no lasting joy and will never satisfy your heart.

Our inheritance as God’s Chosen, Redeemed, Blessed and Beloved Child in Christ is bigger and grander than anything you could ever imagine or hope for. So what is the inheritance of Christ?

Let us look at John 17 where Christ prays to God the Father shortly before He was to go to the cross to purchase our inheritance. There we will find 7 items of this inheritance which Christ shares with us.

Continue reading Seven Reasons to Rejoice as God’s Heir →

God’s Gift of A Friend

by Effie Darlene Barba

So precious the gift, when God gives you a friend

To lift you, to guide you, to cheer to the end

Like Angels of hope when skies turn to gray

They know where you’ve been and they’ve chosen to stay

When sorrows would try to invade for a while

They know the right words to make your heart smile

They have taken the time to know who you are

Beneath all the pain, beneath all the scar

They know who you are and who you can be

And know the right words to set your heart free

They shine in your life like beacons of light

That ward off the fear and the darkness of night

When fiery trials of life must come your way

They know what to do and know what to say

They reach forth their hand and quench all the flame

While joyously laugh, “all is well” they proclaim

They enter our lives like a whisper, a prayer

We never do know just how long they’ll be there

Yet, so precious a gift of God’s love and His grace

Is shown in their eyes and shown in their face

You never do know what tomorrow may bring

So today is the day to dance and to sing

Their journey may lead them to far, far away

So cherish this moment and cherish this day

©2015 Effie Darlene Barba

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Power-filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 10B-What does it mean to be an heir of God?

As we have looked at the true positions of who we are in Christ; we have learned that we are His redeemed. We are declared saints. We are His Beloved, Blessed Children and as such we are heirs of the Kingdom. Does that mean that whatever financially I want is mine? Or is that a part of the prosperity idea that whatever I name becomes mine? What does being an heir to the kingdom have to do with earthly possessions? We need to go back to scripture to learn what it means to say that in Christ we are heirs of the kingdom of God and joint heirs with Christ.

Ephesians 1 ¹³ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

We see here that when we accept Christ as our Savior, in Christ we are sealed by the Holy Spirit which is the earnest (the down payment, the security deposit of our inheritance until the full redemption of both body and soul occur. Therefore, part of the inheritance is that we will one day be perfectly righteous; until that day we are clothed with Christ’s righteousness.

This speaks about the inheritance in our future; but, what about now?

photo

courtesy of Sarah Barba whose photos can be found on fineart america 

God has promised to be our provider of all that we need. He knows what we need which may be different than what we want. Because He is our provider we should not be worried about our provisions.

Galatians 3 says”²⁸  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.²⁹ And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” In Christ we are recipients of all

Continue reading What does it mean to be an heir of God? →