Debbie Taylor Williams

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” 

2 Corinthians 1:3

What was or is your father like? Strong? Caring? Harsh? Absent? In today’s verse, God reveals Himself as the Father of mercies. As Father, He is the the “originator and transmitter”* of mercy. So when we think about our Heavenly Father, we can be assured that He not only thought about mercy, He actually transmitted it to us. Does that cause you to sing His praises? 

FATHER of MERCIES, I praise You! Thank You for not just thinking about being merciful, but for extending it to me. I love You.

*http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G3962&t=NASB

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,”

2 Corinthians 1:21

Could you in your own strength and with out the help of equipment make a mountain? No. But, Psalm 65:6 praises God who “establishes the mountains by His strength.” Can you change times and epochs; remove and establish kings? No, but Daniel 2:21 reminds us that God does. Can you in your own strength be established in Christ? No. But, praise be to God, HE establishes us in Christ, meaning “causes us to be steadfast in our fellowship with Christ.”* Where we are in inept; God exudes power and does what we cannot do.

LORD GOD, I praise You, who ESTABLISHES mountains, kings, and me in Christ!

*http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G950&t=NASB

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”

 Psalms 27:1

Have you ever feared how someone would respond to you or treat you because of your convictions about Christ? Have you ever dreaded talking to someone about a failure in your life? Isn’t it incredible that the highest of HIGHs and holiest of HOLIES is the One who has chosen to give us salvation and come to our defense?

LORD, You are incredible! Thank You for being my light, salvation, AND the DEFENSE of MY LIFE! I love You!

 Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” 

 2 Corinthians 1:3

On a cold winter evening, nothing feels quite as cozy as snuggling in bed under the warmth of a soft comforter like amish quilts. However, no blanket can compare to the God of all Comfort when life blows us off course, when a person’s sharp tongue chills us to the bone, or when the howling wind of despair beats upon our heart. The Greek word for comfort is parakaleo, which means “to call to one’s side, speak to, in the way of exhortation, console, teach.”¹ How awesome it is that God gives every believer the gift of His presence through the Holy Spirit. This Comforter is an abiding presence who will never wear out, become threadbare, or leave us. The closer we stay to God in prayer and Bible study, the more fully we experience the warmth of His abiding presence. (excerpt from Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, pg 67)

LORD, You are the God of all COMFORT! I praise You for the blessing of Your presence!

 Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.” 

Daniel 7:9

Have you ever considered that God appoints people, times, places, and more? Contemplate the following: “So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him,” Genesis 21:2.  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations,” Jeremiah 1:5. And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights,” Jonah 1:17. “So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant,” Jonah 4:6. “He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, Mark 3:14. “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come,” Mark 13:33. “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,” Hebrews 9:27.

Yes, our amazing God appoints times, people, places, events, and more. 

LORD GOD, You APPOINT people, places, and times. Rather than fret, help me accept Your appointed times. Help me be sensitive to that to which You’re appointing me. 

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“I kept looking in the night visions, 
And behold, with the clouds of heaven 
One like a Son of Man was coming, 
And He came up to the Ancient of Days 
And was presented before Him.” 

Daniel 7:9

Can you imagine being a godly statesman in a court of heathen monarchs? Can you imagine standing up for your faith, it being put to the test, but you remaining faithful to the one true God? Can you imagine God honoring your faithfulness by entrusting to you glimpses into heaven and the future? Daniel received dreams and visions such as the one in today’s verse, in which God is referred to as Ancient of Days. This reverence to God as Judge would have been a comfort to Daniel. He will judge righteously and with the wisdom of the ages. 

LORD GOD, I praise You, the ANCIENT of DAYS!

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore,…” 

Revelation 1:18

Astonished. That might best describe how John felt. He had walked with Jesus during Christ’s ministry on earth. “Messiah, that’s who Jesus is,” John might have replied had we asked who him who Jesus was. But then, John witnessed Jesus crucifixion. “Dead,” would have been his reply. However, if we had questioned John about Jesus three days later, no doubt we would have heard an incredulous shout of praise, “Resurrected!” Days later, after watching Christ rise into the clouds, John would have announced to us that the Son of God had “Ascended!” Ever growing in his understanding of Jesus, John is now given a heavenly vision in which Jesus announces “I was dead, and behold, I am ALIVE FOREVERMORE! In our world of friends and family dying, isn’t it comforting to know that He who is alive forevermore promises life eternal to us, too?

LORD JESUS CHRIST, I praise You, my Savior, who died for me, but is now ALIVE FOREVERMORE!

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“Blessed is the man You choose, And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple.” 

Psalms 65:4 NKJV

In the midst of our world in which we are often busy, but not satisfied; are we mindful of the blessing it is to approach God? Yes, through prayer, we can enter into His holy temple. Because God has saved us by the blood of His Son, He is approachable. We can run into His arms. We can call Him Abba Father. In a world that does not satisfy, we can be satisfied with His goodness. All because HE is APPROACHABLE!

LORD, thank You for being an APPROACHABLE GOD; one to whom I can run, who satisfies me with Your goodness!

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

“Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,” 

1 Chronicles 16:12

It’s easy to get down in the dumps; to feel sad about things. It’s easy to become discouraged. Life can be filled with one disappointment after another. But 1 Chronicles 16:12 reminds us to keep our focus on God. Verse 8 tells us, “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name.” Verse 9 – “Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.” Verse 10 – “Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.” Verse 11 – “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.” Verse 12 – “Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels…” True, things in your life may be awful. But you have more than what is visible. Look up and DO as we are instructed in these verses. Focus on the Lord and the ways He has been wonderful to you.

LORD GOD, I praise You for being a WONDERFUL God. You have done so much in my life for which I am grateful, including….   (List ways God has been wonderful to you in your “Prayers of My Heart” journal in the Meditations, Notes, and Prayers section. 

Debbie Taylor Williams.                                                                                                                     Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams.  Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

These delicious stuffed mushrooms were one of the featured appetizers at the “Taste & See” Cookbook fundraiser for the Prison Ministry through Hill Country Ministries, back in July. They were a hit! I personally came home and had been dying to make them. When we had my brother and sister in law over for dinner, it was the perfect time! Trust me, these get devoured and the thing is, they are SO EASY! I’ve said it before, when it comes to cooking, I love easy and fast, especially with young kids. I had always thought of stuffed mushrooms to be difficult, but I am here to tell you this is about as easy as it gets! We had them as an app before a steak dinner, but really they’d be a hit with almost anything. I would definitely say, make more than you anticipate getting eaten, because they WILL get eaten! Also, I had really large mushrooms, so depending on size of the mushroom, will depend on how many you have. With it being weekend, you could even put these together easily this weekend. Mmm! Enjoy, friends!

STUFFED MUSHROOMS p. 25

1 lb sausage (Owens or Jimmy Dean, or your choice)

1 lb mushrooms

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

Wash mushrooms. Twist stems out. Discard or save stems for another dish; set mushrooms aside. Brown sausage and drain thoroughly. Mix sausage with cream cheese and stuff the mushrooms. Bake on a flat sheet pan at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.