Arlene,

Glad to hear from you; especially glad to hear that Ray is continuing to
improve.  God's ability to take care of us far surpasses our expectations so
many times!  So his nurse's name is "Janet Ross" . . . that is so funny!
Tell Barb that our website is not working presently, but should be up within
the next week or so.  Since we've moved, it's been nearly impossible to get
everything up and working again.  But the good thing is that I'm able to
take this opportunity to redesign the site and position it to be more
informative and bless more visitors.

You have been so encouraging to me, I'm quite at a loss as to what to say or
how to respond.  All I know is that any gift I may have is wholly from the
Father; anything I write is not attributable to me.  Give the glory and
thanks to the Father for whatever He does as a result of the daily
devotions.  I'm so blessed to be used of God like this!

It's very late, and I'm needing to go to bed, I just wanted to drop you a
note before I forgot!  Keep me posted on Ray's recovery and let me know how
God continues to move in his life!

God bless you . . .

Love,
Jan


----- Original Message -----
From: "Arlene Talbot" <arletal@...>
To: <cog@...>
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2001 12:06 PM
Subject: RE: [CoG] Today's Devotion - 4/20/2001


> Jan ~ I thank you with all my heart for your sharing this with us.  I'm
> leaving for a seminar now, but wanted you to know that my sister told me
> that God has sent a nurse to Ray in the hospital who loves the Lord (she
is
> also Mormon - incidentally, I agree with all you wrote the other day.  God
> is so much bigger than our hearts.)  This nurse's name is Janet Ross!  Can
> you believe it?  Barb canceled their internet for now, so I can't forward
> anything to her, BUT I am printing your devotions and mailing to them!
Barb
> told Janet about your website.  I pray that God will minister to them all
> through your writings.  You truly have a gift.  That's all for now.  Ray
> will continue to be in the hospital for a couple of weeks.  He's slowly
> healing.  His right shoulder has been very painful (from an old injury -
> falling on the ice) since the surgery and writing by hand to communicate.
> How I pray that God would somehow provide a laptop for him.  (His former
> employer at Xerox has not even visited him!  And he worked there nearly 40
> years!)
>
> By the way, do you know about Bible Broadcasting Network?
> http://www.bbnradio.org  I keep it on at work.  It's encouraging.
>
> God bless you, my sister!
> Love, Arlene
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jan Ross [mailto:rross@...]
> > Sent: Friday, April 20, 2001 3:26 AM
> > To: CoG
> > Subject: [CoG] Today's Devotion - 4/20/2001
> >
> >
> > "I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings."  (Psalm
> > 77:12)
> >
> >
> > Today's Thoughts
> >
> > Do you fit in? Do you get lost in a crowd? Are you "normal"? Or . . . do
> > you always feel "different" and perhaps stand out in a crowd because you
> > don't feel "normal"? Don't feel bad if you dont . . . in fact, our lives
> > SHOULD be different, and we should be FAR from "normal"! As a matter of
> > fact, our lives should be extraordinary, peculiar, different, abnormal!
> > The world shouldn't understand us and they should see us as "going
> > against the flow" so to speak.
> >
> > Many years ago when our family was very young, six children along with
> > the pressures of everyday life caused me to experience what I thought at
> > the time was "more than I could handle". I was serving the Lord, active
> > in church, faithfully reading and memorizing the Word, praying, and
> > worshipping Him . . . He was everything to me! All I did, I did for Him!
> > There was hardly a waking moment that my motive was to do something
> > other than serve Him with all my heart. Yet, even in the midst of my
> > zeal and passion for Him, I was experiencing an emotional breakdown!
> > Through a series of events, I soon found myself seeing a psychiatrist.
> > Without spending too much time with me, he soon came to the conclusion
> > that I needed to be admitted to a psychiatric facility for no less than
> > two years for rehabilitation. When asked what his opinion concerning my
> > problem was, his final diagnosis was, "She is obsessed with God!"
> > Needless to say, I never went to a psyciatric facility, and pulled out
> > of my "emotional trauma" just fine with God's help and with the prayers
> > of friends and loved ones.
> >
> > The point to this "testimony" is this . . . it is not unusual for
> > someone who loves the Lord to be totally "taken" by Him. Think back when
> > you first met your spouse . . . they couldn't do anything wrong . . .
> > they captured your thoughts, your dreams, your meditations. You thought
> > of them all the day and dreamed of them all the night. Why should it be
> > any different with the Lord? Even the Psalmist admitted that he would
> > meditate on the Lord day and night, that he would think of Him upon his
> > rising in the morning and upon his lying down at night. To be "obsessed"
> > with God is to be captured by His love . . . to yearn for Him as you
> > would the love of your life!
> >
> > How much do you love Him today? How much do you mediate on Him . . . how
> > much do you talk of His doings? You cannot love Him too much . . . and
> > it is a love that is returned back to you to a degree that is totally
> > unfathomable!
> >
> > "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all
> > thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee
> > this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently
> > unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine
> > house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and
> > when thou risest up." (Deut 6:5-76)
> >
> > He's more than worthy of all our love, so go ahead and give Him your all
> > . . . love Him with everything you have in you!
> >
> >
> > Today's Prayer
> >
> > Dear Lord, I love you . . . and the love I have for You grows day by
> > day. Help me realize, Lord, that my passion for You is what You desire
> > even though it may separate me from the world, my friends, and even my
> > family! Father, help me when I feel "peculiar" to remember that you have
> > called me out from the world, set me apart, and have set your affection
> > upon me.
> >
> > Father, may my meditations be of You, may my thoughts be stayed on You .
> > . . consume me, Lord, and let me be consecrated wholly to Thee! There is
> > no one like You, O Lord, no one who could ever hope to capture my love
> > like You have! Amen!
> >
> >
> >
> > Have a blessed day!
> >
> > Jan Ross
> > rross@...
> >
> > Don't Forget National Day of Prayer (USA) May 3, 2001
> > Check for your State's activities at http://www.lesea.com/ndp/home.htm
> >
> > "Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalayim"
> > (Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem) Psalm 122:6
> >
> > *`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*
> >
> >
> > *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
> >
> >
> >
> > "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;
> > teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and
> > spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
> > (Colossians 3:16)
> >
> >
> >
> > cog-subscribe@...    Subscribes you to the CoG List
> >
> > cog-unsubscribe@...  Unsubscribes you from the CoG List
> >
> > jross@...       E-Mail address of Moderator
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
>
> "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)
>
> cog-subscribe@...    Subscribes you to the CoG List
> cog-unsubscribe@...  Unsubscribes you from the CoG List
> jross@...       E-Mail address of Moderator
>
>
>