Preparing for Easter ~ Encourage

May the God of hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!
Romans 15:13 The Message

I read a modern-day parable:
"Some time ago, an advertisement appeared in which the devil was putting his tools up for sale. On the day of public inspection, each one of his tools: Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on, was marked with its selling price. Set apart, however, from all the rest, was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn, but priced very high - it was discouragement!

Someone asked the devil, "Why is that one priced so high?" He replied, "Ah, that one is more useful to me than all the rest. With it I can pry open a heart and enter, when I cannot get near with any other tool. Once inside, I can lead the person any way I choose. The tool is very worn because I use it on almost everyone, since few people know it belongs to me."

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Encourage someone today! ~dho

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Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

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Preparing for Easter ~ Expression

Palm Sunday
. . . the large crowd . . . heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, [and with] branches of the palm trees, went out to meet Him and began to shout, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD. John 12:12-13 NASB

Hosanna, an expression of joy and praise for deliverance granted or anticipated, was the crowd's chant as Jesus rode into Jerusalem that morning. Hosanna was the word that meant, "Praise God and His Messiah, we are saved." The Disciples and other followers still thought that the Messiah would be an earthly king; the week's events would soon reveal their confusion. If we had stood along side the road, waving our palm branches, shouting Hosanna!, where would we be standing by the week's end?

Even believers, the very ones of us who profess the truths about Christ, discover places that merge with doubt and confusion. We find our prayers answered in ways that differ from our hopes. We meet circumstances face to face and waiver. We seek more from the world but need more from the Messiah.

As this Lenten series started with a Scripture in Hebrews, let's look at it again, see if we have learned anything about this sacrifice of praise.

Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in the working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in the acts of worship - a different kind of "sacrifice" - that takes place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.
Hebrews 13:15-16 The Message

Our sacrifice of praise ~
When we stand along side of the road today as everyday people pass our way, let's shout Hosanna! and mean it! ~dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Shout!

I'm ready, God, so ready, 
ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
"Wake up, soul!"
Psalm 57:7 The Message
A year ago I spent the better part of a day touring Daufuskie Island, just off the coast of Hilton Head, SC. An island full of rich history and Gullah culture merging with renewal and preservation today, my thoughts were captured. We stopped and toured a church still used today, very small by any of the standards of today's churches. Out to the side was a small unpainted, wooded structure not bigger than an outdoor garden shed. It was not the original but a replica. Above the door it read "Praise House."


The Gullah people used this little house as a house of prayer and praise. Apparently, the prayers started quiet and as inspiration led, the prayers would become more intense, eventually becoming 'Praise Shouts'! As I thought about that progression of the moving of the Spirit, I wondered how often is my soul moved to the point of Praise Shouts? And when this happens, do I just contain the joy or does my response raise a tune of praise to the Lord?



Our sacrifice of praise ~
Psalm 57:9 msg, "I'm thanking you, God, out loud in the streets, singing Your praises in town and country." Try praising God ~ in public! ~dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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Preparing for Easter ~ Mystery

. . . the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, . . . according to His own mercy . . . and renewal of the Holy Spirit . . . that we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:4-7 ESV

Christians know these truths about undeserved mercy and grace, how Jesus became our sin-offering, and that Jesus is the Hope of everlasting life. Yet, this remains a mystery. God's goodness is changeless and certain, but it exceeds explanation. Embrace the mystery!

Be with me in my silence and in my speech, in my haste and in my leisure, in company and in solitude, in the freshness of the morning and in the weariness of the evening; and give me grace at all times to rejoice in Thy mysterious companionship.
John Baille

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Find one new way to rejoice in God's mysterious companionship! ~ dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Rhythms

The thought of You stirs us so deeply that we cannot be content unless we praise You, because You have made us for Yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in You. Augustine

God is our true resting place, in all times. Consider these words from the Gospel of Matthew:

I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
Matthew 11:29 The Message

Are you finding real rest in Jesus? Tell someone how to find contentment!
Our sacrifice of praise ~
Let the everyday walking and working with Jesus, reveal His unforced rhythms of grace. ~dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Evidence

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

We have the faith to hope, the faith to believe because God gives us this. Writers struggle with words to define faith and hope; they are not tangible but known by the heart's relief or the soul's peace. Faith and Hope would not be great witnesses in civil court; attorneys like sure evidence, certain proof. Healing happens, and sometimes doctors cannot explain; science always wants to know why, but sometimes the evidence is not seen ~ at least in conventional ways.

A.W. Tozer wrote: God's plans will continue on God's schedule. We must trust God's Way, even if the evidence is not seen by us. This is faith. The evidence of our faith is demonstrated when we trust God more than our circumstances and consequences. Our obedience to God's Word marks us faithful.

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Lay down the burdens of circumstance and consequence; boldly stand with faith and hope and know the power of the Invisible I AM! ~dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Everywhere

God is everywhere and yet invisible, . . . We need more than a watchmaker who winds up the universe and lets it tick. We need love and mercy and forgiveness and grace - qualities only a personal God can offer.
Philip Yancey

What do you say to your friends about God when you gather together? Consider these words:

Here's the story I'll tell my friends
when they come to worship,
and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:
Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers;
give glory . . . adore Him . . .
He has never let you down,
never looked the other way when you were kicked around.
He has never wandered off to do His own thing;
He has been right there, listening.
Psalm 22:22-24 The Message

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Tell your God-story to your friends and punctuate it with Hallelujahs! ~dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Prince

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died,...
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?...
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
Isaac Watts - When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

Like the first budding of Spring's dogwood blossoms from empty, dormant branches, Christ breathes new life into us, love so amazing that words cannot fully capture the meaning. The love of Christ is extravagant. 

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Consider His amazing creations, wordless and beauty-full and offer God your all ! ~dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ True

The 5th Sunday of Lent ~

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took His garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also His tunic. But the tunic was seamless woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfill the Scripture [Ps.22:18] . . . John 19:23-24 ESV

Rev. David Carroll, the pastor at St. Matthew's UMC in Madison, MS, preached a sermon on "The Tunic and Dice" and used this phrase in describing the soldiers . . . and us when we choose the world's view of indifference instead of turning our eyes to Jesus, the crucified and risen Savior: "The soldiers were . . . trading the True for the trivial." We gamble and barter with other's hearts every day, ignoring need and remaining self-focused. Let's go beyond the trivial and seek the True Light!

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Let your daily witness to the world be one that trades the trivial things of this world for Jesus - the True! ~ dho 

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Rejoice

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary--we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! Romans 5:3-5 The Message

In the middle of life, with its delights and distractions, surrounded by wonder and wilderness, the moments come and go. How often do we shout our praise in difficult times? Scripture tells us these very troubles can teach us passionate patience. Some translations use "endurance." Through the struggles we can become stronger, even hope-full.

In alert expectancy reminds us that God's blessings, like His Faithfulness, are certain. We are to praise God in all circumstances, not for the despair or difficulty, not for the sadness or sorrow; rather, we are to praise God for His Everlasting Hope that endures troubles, that endures for eternity. We are to praise God for the countless blessings that have been and are to come. We are to praise God for the lessons of passionate patience which strengthen and renew. We are to praise God ~ for He alone is worthy of praise.

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Try to find enough containers to hold God's Goodness and Grace! ~dho


All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Hope

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Romans 12:12 NLT

Henry Nouwen writes:
The pains and struggles we encounter in our solitude thus become the way to hope, because our hope is not based on something that will happen after our sufferings are over, but on the real presence of God's healing Spirit in the midst of these sufferings. from Bringing Solitude into Our Lives

God is present in our suffering. Christ is healing hope! He alone is Grace.

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Find a moment of silence - somewhere, somehow - and rejoice in Hope! ~ dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Worthy

He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:21 NLT

This season we have been thinking about a way to offer a sacrifice of praise as a way of remembering Christ and His Gift of Grace. One of my older daughter's favorite hymns is Worthy of Worship. Consider some of the words:

Worthy of worship, worthy of praise, worthy of honor and glory;
Worthy of all the glad songs we can sing, worthy of all of the off-'rings we bring . . .
Almighty Father, Master and Lord, King of all kings and Redeemer,
Wonderful Counselor, Comforter, Friend, Savior and Source of our life without end . . .
You are worthy, Father, Creator.
You are worthy, Savior, Sustainer.
You are worthy, worthy and wonderful;
Worthy of worship and praise.
words by: Terry W. York

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Lay down the relentless idols that shout for attention, idols that crave worldly worship and demand empty praise. For God alone is worthy, worthy of our worship and praise. ~dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Soul

As the Holy Spirit descended to the gathering of followers that would be the beginning of Christ's church (Acts 2), Peter stood and began to remind the people of the prophetic telling from Joel. He talked about the wonders that were now known, about Jesus the Messiah, and recounted King David's testimony.

You have made known to me the ways of life; You will enrapture me [diffusing my soul with joy] with and in Your presence. Acts 2:28 The Amplified Bible

I happened upon this quote by Alexander Solzhenitsyn:

The meaning of earthly existence lies, not as we have grown used to thinking, in prospering, but in the development of the soul.

Reading more about the Russian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970, I discovered a few facts from his autobiography (see link below). He always wanted to be a writer but circumstances directed his studies toward physics and mathematics, all the while he studied history and philosophy and literature on the side. He graduated Rostov University with a degree in physics and mathematics only days before WWII began.

Imprisoned for eight years for having political differences with Russia, he was exiled for another 3 years. All this time he taught mathematics and physics, claimed this "rescued me from death." In time, Solzhenitsyn would be recognized for his writing, his long awaited dream. He wrote, "It is almost always impossible to evaluate at the time events which you have already experienced, and to understand their meaning with the guidance of their effects. All the more unpredictable and surprising to us will be the course of future events."

A lesson to take away is that God has a plan for the world ~ Christ, and God has a purpose for each of us ~ redemption. God wants to renew the soul of each person. The way this is accomplished is through our faith in Christ, the Son of God, the Savior, the Redeemer. God's purpose through us is revealed in many ways ~ through His design. Our limited minds cannot know the reasons or understand all that happens. We must trust that God will use us, if we seek the True and Living God. Through God's plan we are rescued from death. Our future through Christ is eternal life, and this is sure.

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Stand in the presence of God, ask Him, "Holy One, diffuse my soul with Your Joy!" This is true "soul-shine! ~dho

Link to autobiography: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1970/solzhenitsyn-autobio.html 

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Design

If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies.
1 Peter 4:11 NKJV

Reading Max Lucado's Volume II of Grace For The Moment inspirational daily thoughts today, I found a thought very worthy of sharing. It is an excerpt from Lucado's Cure for the Common Life. He reminds that God has shaped each of us according to our purpose. All of us have certain abilities such as, the "ability to diagnose an engine problem by the noise it makes, to bake a cake without a recipe." Lucado gives other examples that describe specific interest in particular topics or the ability to remember names. He asks, "How do you explain such quirks of skill?"

The answer is God! Knowing Israel would "need a code, He gave Moses a love for the law." With other examples in the New Testament to demonstrate this, Lucado writes, "He designed you. And His design defines your destiny." We conclude that any ability, any strength, any gift we have is from God. Designed by the Master Designer, we are to minister to others with the talents He provides.

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Designed by God, use this ability to touch the lives of others for Him. ~dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2010 by Donna Oswalt

breathing room for my soul

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

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"May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”