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From all of us at
Mikel French Ministries
We wish you a wonderful & blessed New Year!
Be safe this weekend as you travel and enjoy the holiday.
"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus"
Philippians 3:13-14
When people around you are hurting, it is an invitation.
It’s an invitation & opportunity to show kindness, understanding, & sincerity.
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Eph. 4:32)
My reaction to the pain of others is a portrait of my character, my compassion and my caring.
Many times people try their best to conceal their hurt and God is the only who sees their tears. We all fight battles not everyone knows about. And the endurance of others is often unseen.
Kindness...is a magnet drawing the wounded.
It is the example Jesus modeled for us.
"For His merciful kindness is great toward us..." (Psalms 117:2)
TODAY:
I pray that we all do likewise!
When things go from HARD..to hardER
and you lose a loved one.
Today I am with Marsha in Nashville. I wish I could say I was here on vacation, and not here on the basis of why I am, but that's not the case. My best friend since childhood passed away on Christmas Eve. I cannot imagine the trauma Mike's family is going through. Our hearts are broken and words cannot describe how much we will miss him. I will be preaching at his funeral, and that might be one of the toughest things I've ever had to do.
If you've ever lost a loved one, you know the confusion and the pain.
Sometimes when you don't always understand why everything happens, that's when you've just got to stay true to what you know. Keep you heart firm in the basics and just keep taking one step at a time forward. Push through as hard as you need to, to make it. And one day, everything will be explained and we will know.
But until then, know that God is love. He laid down His life for us, and when we accept that gift, we receive eternal life. The Bible says this life is but a vapor (James 4:13 & 14), but what comes after, is beyond compare.
Please keep Mike Tyler's family in your prayers.
They need comfort, strength, guidance, the overwhelming peace that only God can give and just the awareness of His closeness & presence.
Thank you,
Mikel
AS YOU STEP IN TO THE NEW YEAR
God Wants You To Remember He Is...
1. Faithful--To Forgive Our Sins. (I Jn 1:9)
2. Faithful--To Protect His Own. (Prov. 2:8)
3. Faithful--To Help When We Are Tempted. (I Cor. 10:13)
4. Faithful--To Listen To Us. (2 Chron. 7:14)
5. Faithful--To Answer. (Jer. 33:3)
6. Faithful--To Provide Comfort. (Psalms 119:76)
7. Faithful--To Keep His All Promises. (Numbers 23:19)
8. Faithful--To Oversee Our Harvest. (Mk 10:28)
TODAY:
Whatever you are facing, rest in the faithfulness of God.
Claim these scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to make them real to your heart.
A 365 DAY WAIT
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family!
We've had a full weekend here at the house, and it's been a ton of food and fun.
Today is said to be one of the most depresing days of the year. It's the day of the year furthest away from Christmas. A total of 365 days wait until it'll be Christmas again!
But the good news is,
New Year's Eve is just around the corner, and we're excited for it and all that God is bringing with it!
Today is also said to be the day of "Gift Returns!" People will be taking back and exchanging presents. But good thing God never never decided to take back His decision to give us Jesus on Christmas!
I am so grateful for all the blessings, and the gift of hope that He came to give.
Hope you have a wonderful continued few days of 2011!
At this most Joyous time of the year, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ,
may you feel Him close to your Hear, Home & Family!
We wish you treasured Christmas
memories & the most blessed Christmas ever!
*You are in our hearts & thoughts as we celebrate Christ's birth.
The phone call
you never want to get
Christmas is near.
The smell of Marsha’s sugar cookies is here.
The atmosphere is full of joy, yet everyday and every minute my thoughts are filled with family and friends that are hurting.
Mike Tyler, is one of my best friends that I’ve known my entire life. My friendship with him, is beyond my ability to full explain. It’s one of those things that words just don’t seem adequate enough to do justice in portraying the depth of it’s meaning.
I just recently got the call from his wife saying that doctors have given him less than 2 weeks to live.
All over the world, thousands of people have been praying. Yesterday, my friend Tim Delina texted me. He said that every one in his church at Brooklyn Tabernacle has joined in the prayers. This morning I awoke, praying for Mike and Bonnie.
Today we ask, that if you are not already a part of praying for Michael that you would please join us. His life and years of service to the Lord, has impacted so many.
He is a mighty man of God……a mighty man of God.
We are believing for a Christmas miracle in Mike's life.
After all, Christmas is the season of the miraculous.
TODAY:
I pray that your mind & life be filled with the presence of God.
ALL things are possible for him who believes.
Christmas is about
RECONNECTION!
Yesterday I had lunch with my dear friend Mike McGee
and then met up with my friend Steve Smith.
One of the things I love about this time of year,
are the few days I have off to just be home and reconnect with friends.
I know this is not some statistic or proven theory, but personally I think that downtime can sometimes be just as important as work.
It's productive, because it allows you to
rest & recharge to be ready for what ever comes your way next!
When you’re gone for most of the time, it means a lot to have the chance to just 'be' and exchange stories with friends & family about all the different adventures, events, and ups & downs of life.
Never forget that.
During these days of shopping, working and running around eating everywhere, take moments to be filled with thoughts of everything that God has accomplished this year.
He has been faithful to bring you through,
and we are on the brink of 2012, looking back at one of the most eventful years, 2011.
We are moving from the year of transition to the year of transformation.
Does any one besides me ever feel
a little overwhelmed at Christmas time?
It’s not the Christmas gifts, because Marsha takes care of most of that anyways.
It’s definitely not about the cooking, because…well everyone just knows I’m not the best at that….
But neither is it about family, because I delight in each member of my family, but all that mixed with the activities of ministry can begin to weigh down on you.
It’d be great if life just got put on pause for that time when Christmas came around, but everything doesn’t stop, the Christmas season just comes on top of every thing else.
But this morning the Holy Spirit spoke to me.
He knows exactly when we need to be reminded of certain things and what to say to help us out.
It was simple, but yet it helped me put things in to perspective.
Maybe this can help you today too.
When things begin to get of course......remember the basics.
WHEN YOUR
Season
Is OVER
As we know, everything operates by time. It's a vital part of our lives.
ECCLESIASTES 3:1
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"
When seasons change and we don't adapt to the new requirements, it creates friction.
For each stage of life, there are places we are supposed to be.
Also known the common saying "right place at the right time".
If we are always staying in the same safe place, it can become very counter-productive for us because we are no longer growing. The risk is that we begin to rely on our own ability to make it through.
There is a time and a season for everything.
It is just as important to learn when you have to move on, as when you have to stay.
Maybe it's your season
Only you know yourself and what changes you need to make in life. God knows what's best for us, and will tell us if we ask Him.
TODAY:
Ask yourself.
What's season is coming to end in your life that you need to move on from?
