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Just a brief blog to say Thank you to those of you who have read and followed the conference posts and have let me know you appreciated them. That encourages me. The number of comments on a post in no way reflects the # of folk reading and receiving. You bless me and encourage me.

Our Saturday evening session included not only the worship and the teaching but also a lengthy time of body ministry. So this person was way too tired to continue to post. So I will catch up this Monday morning.

Pictured here are some more of our worship team: Mike and Tina Hook + Tim Stogsdill. Not shown in any of my photos is my husband, Joe. (It is very fine with him not to be seen in the photo’s). He was our bass player for the week-end and our electronic “techie.” Do not know what we would do without him! He is God’s gift to all of us.

On Saturday evening after the worship, Iris taught and we worked with what difference does the knowledge of grace make in our understanding of prayer. Included was an examination of our thought processes about prayer, which is intended to be “communication” with our Lord. How have we formalized it into a “law” expression, instead of an expression of relationship? We looked at this in light of the work of Christ: He has forgiven our sins (2,000) years ago; We are pleasing to God because of the person of Christ – no our own works; His has given us all things for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3) etc… It was interesting to see and to sense the internal processing of all of us. The Lord is so good.

Then we began to pray for one another in light of the good promises of God, instead of our “apparent need.” whether that was for healing or for other items. The praying and rejoicing and receiving went on for several hours. The Lord is so very good in every way and His presence was very warm and heavy among us.

On Sunday morning after a lengthy worship, Lauren taught Grace – The Difference – Worship/The Lord’s Supper. She covered both items, again in the light of Grace and the provisions of the Lord for us that are already in place. It was, once again, a very thought provoking session where we examined our thoughts and customs in the light of revealed New Covenant truth, not returning to the “Ole pitiful-unworthy me thoughts,” but celebration thoughts because of all that our Lord Jesus has accomplished on our behalf – receiving and in thankfulness – rejoicing and remembering He is coming again. Then we shared communion in HIs presence – counting on all His promises.

What a wonderful week-end. Thank you for all who entered it with us in prayer as well as all who were there. We are so grateful for all the Lord accomplished. It was a wonderful Winter Conference!

Rev. Lauren Godfrey taught this morning (after worship with Tonia) presenting us with an understanding of the difference between the “facts” of our lives and the “truth” of God’s word. The facts are circumstantial and often are not what the Word says at all.

She worked with how we choose to perceive our situations determines whether or not we can work with faith in the mix of our lives and all the change and obvious difficulties we are called to live with and in. It was a joy to watch this fine teacher work with how faith works and our responses to our circumstances.

It was an excellent lesson and really appropriate in this theme.

She then invited Rev. Mike and Rev. Tina Hook (Assembly of God missionaries to Scotland ) to join her. She interview them about the various challenges they have and have had in accepting the call of God to become missionaries. They were precious and open in sharing with us their call and their “sharable” trials. We were all enriched and blessed by their sharing.

After some worship, we dismissed for a delicious lunch and to our rooms for rest. Everyone, that is except the Board of Directors who spent about an hour praying and working together. I am so blessed to have such a godly, Holy Spirit  filled Board. Thank you Lord Jesus, for all.

Good Morning All. These are some quick shots of our session in Winter Conference last evening. Tonia Thornton led us (as she will each session) in worship from the piano. What awesome worship! Folk have come to be with the Lord, to hear Him and to enjoy Him as we allow the daily items of our lives to be in the background and we just enjoy His presence and the presence of one another in Him.

I was the speaker and spoken on Grace – The Difference (our theme). The lesson was to review what we have been learning and then to take some conscious steps to implement that into our lives. We have been totally forgiven, totally received, totally enveloped into the fellowship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We please Him because of Jesus Christ in us and are free to live in Him. We worked with the fact that the creation was so the Lord could have fellowship with us. That creates an “us.” The fellowship we have been given is the fellowship of the Trinity and we belong to one another in that fellowship.

Since He will never leave me nor forsake me, I am always in His presence and He always hears my prayers. Now do I just sit with this information and feel good, or do I honor His position, His person, His Word, His instructions by beginning to adapt my life to these truths ? We are here to learn to implement them.

We worked with adjusting (allowing the transformation) of our thoughts and our words. This contains no legalism – just opportunity to walk deeply with the “us,” and counting His work for us as sufficient.

The Lord then showed us that He wants us to “see” some things that taking advantage of the “us” will empower. 1 Corinthians 2:9 reads, “However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ the things God has prepared for those who love him — these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.” We noted that the revelation is already present through the Holy Spirit and it has been given to “us.”

With prayer and some worship in thanksgiving, we dismissed to the food and fellowship time.

Lauren (lady above with guitar) is speaking this morning in an interactive session. More on that later in the day. Bless you.

This shows the iris’ a couple of days ago as a 2-3″ snow fall decided we needed more of the pretty white stuff in Central NY. It was beautiful and the iris’ are fine even though it is a bit cold outside.

We are all really ready for spring, sunshine (although we have had sun today Yeah!), and the feeling of warmth from the sun. It is on its way. The sun is now higher in the sky and coming at us a bit more to the east instead of being almost to our south. So as the robins peck away at the yard, we know the warmth is coming and we take heart.

I am teaching tonight at my local church’s mid-week service (Church of the Resurrection, East Syracuse, NY and so today has been in study both for that and for the conference beginning tomorrow evening (Psalm 19’s). Have a good evening and I do hope to blog the conference. Stay tuned and bless you.

Spring is showing herself in my front flower garden! These miniature iris’s are blooming and so beautiful. They are exceedingly tiny; only a couple of inches across. What a beautiful wonder they are.
I have updated the Psalm 19 Ministries web site and on it you will find my weekly prayer letter (click on Prayer). If you have not signed up to receive that letter weekly in your inbox, you can do so right on the site. It is my plan to put it on the web each week. However, last week that did not happen. So the best way to know what is happening in my life and in the ministry is to receive the prayer letter by email.
This coming week-end is our Winter Conference and Lauren (Rev. Lauren) and I are the teachers. The Lord is giving us such good words to share, I pray you are among those coming. Check out the details on our web site. I am going to try to blog through it and let you have a sense of the flavor of the time. Our Lord always graces us with such wonderful presence and fellowship that it is hard to describe, but I will try to give it a go.
Tonia Thornton is leading our worship for each session and those who know her know we are in for an awesome time of worship. So stay tuned (Friday – Sunday) by just checking here during those days.
I love the promise of Spring.

Beloved ones in our Lord Jesus, I am thinking of the folk in Berea when Paul visited them on his missionary journey and they examined the Scriptures to see if what he was teaching was really true. That is why some schools are named “Berean.” It is a good thing to examine.

One of the sad things I observe in our churches today is the high level of Biblical illiteracy. It is so high that Pastor’s and Bible teachers cannot be certain their audiences have a way to examine what is spoken. We seem to be moved if the music is just so (dependent upon what I like) and the Pastor pays enough attention to me, then I receive what he says. He (she) knows the word so I will just listen. We have so separated ourselves as individuals from the reading and study of the Word of God, that or “normal” church folk have no idea how to find anything within the Book.

I do believe in being evangelistic, so there is always a place for the beginning basics, however, somehow we in our churches must bridge the gap and incite through our teaching a hunger and a thirst to know the Book and its pages. How can we examine, if we have no measure by which to examine?

A number of years ago I was teaching in one of my ministries’ most popular retreats. There was a sweet Christian lady on the front row with a big Bible stuffed with all kinds of paper. It had a cover and showed much wear and tear. I announced a beginning Scripture (in was in Genesis) and our sweet, precious Christian lady could not find it. By the way, she was in her 40’s, and had been in a prominent full-gospel church for many years. I was so struck by this that I re-arranged my entire teaching, realizing she was not alone in my audience.

How very sad, sad, sad. As we (as Pastors and teachers) sit with our Bibles with our Jesus, may we seek to learn how to flow in Spirit in our teachings in such a way that they are “salty” and make folk thirsty. Only the Spirit can make that difference. Lord help us know it is more than data that you need to get into folk – it is Spirit and truth.

This has been the scene in our yard for several days. More “lake effect” snow today has only added to the Winter Wonderland atmosphere. However, praise our Lord it is warmer today – almost 30 degrees. Weather is weather and I am just grateful to be able to enjoy it – regardless of what “it” is.

Our Friday Fellowship last evening was well attended so that added to the sweetness. Our worship and the teaching all were experiences in the Holy Spirit’s sweet kindness as we choose to love the Lord Jesus Christ together and listen to His life-giving word. We have an awesome Lord and I am so grateful. I hope you have taken a look at the new web site for Psalm 19 Ministries. I do not have all the pages up as yet, but they will be coming. I pray it blesses you as well as informs you of what all is happening in Psalm 19. It is cold outside, but inside it is warm and enfolding.

Come! Come! Come! We will have an awesome time in the presence of the Lord – He is always faithful! We would love to see you. Iris is teaching and Lauren will lead the worship ensemble. It may be very cold out, but will be warm inside. So come and enjoy the sweetness of fellowship in Him.