Debbie Taylor Williams

“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.

“…thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

1 Corinthians 15:57

Sin. We deal with it. Our sin or another person’s sin seems to be a part of daily life. Perhaps one of the most glaring sins is our selfishness. We want what we want. We want it when we want it. Things or people that stand in our way frustrate us. But what if sin didn’t exist? What if we were free of sin and its consequences? Friends, that day awaits us! Because of God, the VICTOR over death, we will one day no longer deal with sin. Today is a great day to sing Christ’s praises! 

LORD GOD, I praise You for being VICTORIOUS over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ!

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.

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” ”

Matthew 3:17

Can you imagine perfect unity among family members; where each member identifies with the other and exists for a unified purpose? So it is with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are united. Jesus desires that their unity extends to believers. Prior to going to the cross, Jesus prayed, “I in them and You in Me; that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me,” John 17:23. As we look at the discord that exists among so many, we can praise God for the unity of the God-head and the invitation to be united with them.

LORD, I praise You, Father, Son, and Spirit. Thank You for the UNITY that exists among You and that You extend to 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.

“…A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.”

Deuteronomy 32:4

120 years. That’s how old Moses was when he commissioned Joshua to take his place. Moses’s words, ever so eloquent, are recorded in Deuteronomy 32. I’d love for you to read them! In verses 2-3, Moses poured forth, “Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew,…For I proclaim the name of the Lord.” He continues, “upright is He.” Why did Moses want to communicate that God is upright? He wanted us to know that God is believable. He is just, true, and His word is just and true.* As we go about our lives in a world that is often not upright; where people speak words that are often not true, how refreshing it is to know that God and His Word are!

UPRIGHT LORD GOD, I praise You that You and Your Word are just and true. All praise and glory belong to You! 

*http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H3477&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.

“For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’” 

Isaiah 41:13

October 8th, I had the precious blessing of holding our newborn grandchild. Holding him was no problem.  He wasn’t heavy to me. As a matter of fact, it was a delight and joy to hold him. I could intently look into his face. I could pray for him. The more I held him, the deeper my love for him grew. Wouldn’t it have been silly if he had argued, “Oh, don’t hold me. I’m too heavy.” Or, what if he had said, “I don’t want to bother you. You don’t need to hold me.” In the same way, our Heavenly Father says, “I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand,” Isaiah 41:10. In the Bible, God’s right hand symbolizes His strength. His right hand is the strong hand of righteousness. We can relax in His hands. We can become increasingly aware of His deep love for us. 

LORD, Thank You for UPHOLDING me with Your righteous right hand. Thank You for the depth of Your love for me. 

Excerpts from Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, copyright Debbie Taylor Williams, 2006, Howard Publishing, page 207.

 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 by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens.”

Proverbs 3:19

Do you have a problem? Are you confronted with a challenge? Guess what! You have a Helper. At least that’s what Jesus calls the Holy Spirit in John 14:16 and again in verse 26. A Helper who is always with us.  I think that if the LORD established the heavens by UNDERSTANDING, which in the Hebrew means intelligence, skill, and insight; then He’s an incredible source for us to go to with our problems and challenges. Think of the intelligence, skill, and insight He can give when we call on Him for help.

LORD, I praise You that You are a God of UNDERSTANDING who provides heavenly intelligence, skill, and insight when I come to You in prayer.  

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H8394&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.

“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity…
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in unchanging love.” 

Micah 7:18

Have you ever wanted someone to change? Maybe the person was a little rough around the edges, grumpy, or not a good money manager. “If only they would change!” we might sigh. But one whom we do not want to change is God! Why? He pardons our iniquity. He has an UNCHANGING LOVE for us. Does that make you smile? It does me.

Lord, I praise You for Your UNCHANGING LOVE!

 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.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” 

John 14:6

Perhaps John 14:6 is a familiar Scripture to you. But is it to everyone? No. There are those seeking to know TRUTH and looking for it everywhere but in Jesus. Yet, He claims to the be the embodiment of TRUTH. “I AM THE TRUTH,” Christ claims. In this lie-filled world, isn’t it praiseworthy that the One to whom we’ve entrusted our lives is the TRUTH?

Lord Jesus, I praise You, the TRUTH and way to the Father!

 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.