FIRE!!!

Well, I did fine today, but I want to share a cool story that has nothing to do with weight, although part of it did happen while I was exercising:

Yesterday, I came home around 4:00 to discover the entire house filled with smoke & the fire alarm going off. I quickly realized it was the pellet stove, which has been our only heat source so far this winter because it's much cheaper than oil. I believe the blower motor died, but the pellets kept dropping into the burner & just kept smoldering. It was so full of pellets, they were pushing up against the door. It took me 20 minutes to clear them out--in between coughing & almost puking & my eyes burning. Obviously, we opened all the windows & doors & put the fans on. I thanked the Lord right away that no real damage was done. This morning, the downstairs was still smokey smelling, so I again opened all the doors & windows & put the fans on. I was praising God again for what might have happened. I mean...the pellets just kept coming. Also, we have a cat & dog...both in the house. Our dog actually lives near the pellet stove. I also thanked Him for the unseasonably warm weather. I mean, we were cold today with everything open, but not anything like we would have been last week. Then, I was doing my walking video (Leslie Sansone) which I love, but gets monotonous. What I do is turn the volume off, put on Christian music & read these little scripture cards which I meditate on while I walk-or sometimes they inspire me to pray about something in particular. This is the first card I pulled today: from Isaiah 43:2 " ....When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." God is so amazing!! What's funny is the card only contained part of the verse...about fire, of course. The rest is this: " When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

I really feel like something worse would have happened without His hand of protection. Maybe this is stretching things a bit too far, but earlier that day, during the service I felt God's hand in such a powerful way. I help lead worship at our church. At the end of each service, we have an "altar call", which is simply a time people can respond to the message. Sometimes people come forward for prayer or to commit their lives to Jesus. Since I've been on the worship team, I have not gone to the altar because I am singing. Only once have I & it was because I was having a hard time & I needed prayer. Well, I made it through the first two verses & started bawling. I went down to the altar & just wept & praised God. There wasn't anything particular on my mind...I wasn't having any problems...I just couldn't help but kneel at the altar & weep before the Lord. I didn't talk to Him or anything, but I knew I needed to be with Him there. So, now I'm wondering if that was the Holy Spirit (all who believe in Jesus as their Saviour receive the Holy Spirit when they come to faith, though most people have no idea what that means or how to live by the Spirit) interceding on my behalf. Who knows? Either way, it was quite a day. Normally, I would have been home around 12-1:00, but I volunteered to watch my friends' kids for a few hours & my husband was helping another friend move a piano.

And then, today, God blessed us again in a HUGE way that I can't share because it involves personal info about someone else. God is SO good. He gives us so much & He asks so little...that we fully rely on Him & Him alone....for our salvation, for our provision, for healing, for eternal life, for anything & everything. He is capable. God bless you all, Dianna