G.I.R.L Newsletter Issue #20

Song of the Month:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAaiRtuXbAs&feature=channel

Arms That Hold The Universe

This Month's Topic is:

Bible Verses:

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7

And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do theleast, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much morewill He clothe you, O you of little faith?
“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.

Luke 12:25-30

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. Luke 17:6

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mark 11:23

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:3

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Devotion:

This month I would like to talk a little bit about faith. Having faith and trusting God can be hard. We have to trust Him for everything. Sometimes when things look hard, and life seems to be down, it can be hard to have faith that things will ever change. Lately I have been having some stomach troubles, and I sometimes wonder, "When will I ever be better"? I need to have faith in God that He will heal me in His time.

It can be hard to have faith in the midst of suffering, but it is a must! We also must have faith that God will work in His timing, not ours. We have a lot of power that we don't use. The Bible says that we can tell a mountain to move from here to there and it will if we have faith as a mustard seed....WOW! Mustard seeds are very small...God has given us each a measure of faith.

When times are tough, and it is hard to have faith, don't give up. Faith can move the mountains!

Leaning on Jesus,

Deborah Allyn Martin

G.I.R.L Newsletter Issue #19

Song of the Month:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa8w7mGug0c

I will Rise- Chris Tomlin

Hi Everyone:

Instead of writing a devotion this month, I thought I would share a Psalm that has really spoken to me.

I really enjoy Psalm 34, and it has blessed me. I hope and pray you all are doing good. The verses that really ministered to me are in the color blue.

If you ever have any prayer requests send me an email, I would love to pray for you.

God Bless you all!! I Love ya!!

~Deborah~

Psalm 34

¹ I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
³ Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

⁴ I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
⁶ This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.

⁸ Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

¹¹ Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹² Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴ Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
²⁰ He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
²² The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

G.I.R.L Newsletter Issue #18

Song of the Month:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkw3a4raWfg

He Knows My Name

Bible Verses:

A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

....Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Proverbs 15:13

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:10

Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

John 16:22

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand arepleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15:11

JOY:

1. The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying;

keen pleasure; elation.

2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.

3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.

4. a state of happiness or felicity

Devotion:

Sometimes we like to whine and pout, don't we? I think we would be lying if anyone of us said that we didn't have days when we just weren't that happy with life. God calls us to be happy, to have a merry heart (Proverbs 17:22). When we are grumpy and discontent with life it effects everyone around us, not just ourselves. But, if we have a smiling face, and have joy those around us will feel up lifted as well. A SMILE is contagious to those around us. Knowing who we are in Christ is what brings true joy to our lives. Let's get that frown off of our faces and put a smile on for the joy of the Lord is our strength!

In Him,

Deborah Martin

G.I.R.L Newsletter Issue #17

Song of the month:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzhF3f3v7C8

Hosanna- Paul Baloche

Bible Verses:

For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Psalm 32:6

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Luke 6:28

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thess. 5:17

The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Philippians 4:6-7

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectualfervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:16

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15

Devotion:

Prayer is such an important part of our lives as Christians. It is something we should not neglect. Another thing many of us do, (Myself included) is when we pray we simply pray for all the things we want, and forget to thank God for all the things He does for us! This is not good! I learned something about the order of our prayers:

Adoration (Praising God for who He is)

Confession (forgiveness for things we've done)

Thankfulness (thanking Him for his blessings)

Supplication (asking for our needs/wants and those of others)

God is always waiting to talk to us but sometimes we may just get too caught up with life. This makes God sad. As His friends we should want to talk to Him so that we can get to know Him better. Remember, prayer is not just a one way street. We talk to God, but we also need to take time to listen to what He is trying to tell us. Let us not forget our Prayer Lives!

God's Blessings To You,

Deborah Allyn Martin

G.I.R.L Newsletter Issue #16

Song of the month: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f9WOFB8pYk By His Wounds- Mac Powell

Bible Verses:

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. James 1:2-6

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3

Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation. Psalm 91:14-16

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3-5

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 1 Peter 4:12-14

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Devotion:

"For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:10) That is so true! It seems when we are at our weakest spot in life we really are our strongest. It is through our trials, tests and weakness that we really do grow stronger in the Lord. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel may seem long and hard, but every tunnel has an end. It doesn't last forever. "If He brings you to it He'll bring you through it."

I really love these 2 verses of scripture (2 Cor.12:9-10) and how it talks about being strong and having power when we are weak and in difficulties. Though these hardships last for a time they will all eventually end! Sometimes it isn't in our timing, but it will come to and end. God's timing is not always our timing, in fact a lot of the time we say, "God, HURRY IT UP", when He's saying, "Just slow down, let me take care of it, this is doing you some good." but we are just too impatient for our trial to end. So, let us not forget that God is faithful when we are going through hard times! When we are weak, we are becoming strong!!

Living for Jesus,

Deborah Allyn Martin

G.I.R.L Newsletter Issue #15

Song of the Month:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN1JyZ5yvE0

"The Stand" - Hillsong United

Do you need prayer?

Email me and I will be happy to pray for you.

Bible Verses:

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Hebrews 13:8

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken,Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:4-5

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34:19

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Isaiah 40:29

Devotion:

God still works miracles despite what we see happening in our world today. He is a miracle worker. He does the same things now as He did in the Bible. He heals the sick, the blind, He mends the wounds of the broken hearted, HE WORKS MIRACLES! He works them in our lives, and in our hearts. If God is offering you a miracle are you going to refuse it and give it back?I should think not! The Lord never ceases to amaze me with the things He does. He is sure amazing and wonderful. Nothing is impossible for God! Let us not forget that God still works miracles!

In Christ,

Deborah Allyn Martin

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! IT'S 2010!!!

G.I.R.L Newsletter Issue #14

Song of the Month:

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d544d774d6a4d314d4446384d5467334d5451774d6a453d0d0a&sb=1

Away in a Manger

Played on piano by: Deborah Martin!

Bible Verses:

^{Luke 2:1-18}

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Devotion:

As it is the month of December, I want to talk about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It seems in the world we live in the true meaning of Christmas is so often replaced by the lights, presents and Santa. It can be hard as a Christian to keep our focus on the real meaning of Christmas. God cared for us so much that he was willing to send his only Son to be born and to later die for us. Without Jesus being born so long ago in Bethlehem, we would not have forgiveness of sins! Let us not forget the importance and the real meaning of Christmas.

God's Blessings,

Deborah Allyn Martin