Vessels For Christ

1/8/17, 1:03:53 AM: Janie: Thyroid Cancer On Wednesday, Dr. Oz had a show on the fastest growing cancer in women, Thyroid cancer. It was a very interesting program and he mentioned that The increase could possibly be related to the use of dental x-rays and mammograms. He demonstrated that on the apron the dentist puts on you for Your dental x-rays there is a little flap that can be lifted up and wrapped Around your neck. Many dentists don't bother to use it. Also, there is Something called a "thyroid guard" for use during mammograms. By coincidence, I had my yearly mammogram yesterday. I felt a little Silly, but I asked about the guard for the thyroid guard and sure enough, the technician had one In a drawer. I asked why it wasn't routinely used. Answer: "I don't know. You have to ask for it." Well, if I hadn't seen the show, how would I have known to ask? We need to pass this on to our daughters, nieces, mothers and all our Female friends and husbands tell your wives. Please remember to ask for "Thyroid Guard" when you go for Dental X-ray or Mammogram. Someone was nice enough to forward this to me. I hope you pass this on To your friends and family.

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays there can be an emptiness that moves in and hangs heavy in your heart. Friends and family have left, all the decorations have been put away, and everyone goes back to their usual routine - and somehow it seems that it all went by way too fast. This is the perfect environment for loneliness to settle in - but fortunately there is a cure for the post holiday blues! Praise Time! Whenever you’re tempted to focus on your own problems, praise Jesus instead. If you feel lonely, discouraged or depressed - it’s the perfect time to praise Jesus and count your blessings! Develop a spirit of praise every day by increasing your prayer time and as you go throughout your day, take advantage of thanking God for all the good things in your life. Even simple things such as having water to drink, a warm bath, food, a roof over your head, friends and family, and even a good parking space! You’ll find that the more you praise God - the more things you’ll find to praise Him for because the list is endless! And here’s the best part - you just can’t be depressed when your lips are singing praises to your heavenly Father! The Bible says in 2 Samuel 22:50, “Therefore I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises to your name.” And in Psalm 34:1, David makes this promise to God: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Keep on praising Jesus and before you know it - holiday blues are gone and replaced with newfound praise that is bubbling over! Text: Psalm 35:18,28, Daniel 2:23, Hebrews 13:15, Deuteronomy 10:21 Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com

Today is the first day of a New Year, and not too late to make one more New Year's resolution - "Be More Accepting of Others." This resolution alone will make the world a better place, and will also make us personally happier, more contented, and most of all, closer to Jesus. When we are approaching life with the position that "we know it all, we are “always right” and “only our opinion matters," we are alienating those around us. This "better than thou," attitude destroys every kind of relationship, from the most casual acquaintance, to friends, family and yes - even spouses! When we expect someone to: look the way "we" want them to, talk the way "we" want them to talk, or even act the way "we" think they should act, immediately that person builds a wall. It sends out a strong judgmental message. Pretty soon the wall is so high and thick, there’s no communication at all! We need to accept each other’s differences, embrace the qualities that make each of us unique, and above all, love as Jesus loves! All throughout the Bible, God tells us to 'Love . . . love . . . love . . . each other! Resolve this year . . . to "Tear Down the Walls" that are keeping us from being more like Jesus! Make this year - the year to be more loving, more patient and "more accepting of others!" Text: Eph 5:1-2, Col 3:12-14, 1 John 4:12 Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com

When deciding what needs to be accomplished each day - you first start by mentally prioritizing your “To Do” list. Some things are as trivial as: “Do you stop at the dry cleaners on the way to work - or is getting to that meeting on time more important? Do you work through lunch, or call a friend to meet you? Do you work overtime to earn some extra cash - or skip it to spend time with your family?” There are countless other scenarios, many with more serious consequences - but the choice of how you spend your day - is up to you. There is one priority that should “always” be your “number one,” and that is making God “First Above All Else!” Nothing is more important! The Bible says in Matthew 22:37-38, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” God’s made it very simple - Come to Him and He will help you accomplish all the things He wants you to and you’ll never have to worry about prioritizing your calendar! Start your day with prayer, praise and worship and you’re bound to have a better day, for making God your “Highest Priority,” is the best decision you could ever make! Text: James 4:7, Matthew 6:33, Exodus 20:3, Matthew 10:39 Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com

Don’t be deceived into thinking the “things” of this world will make you happy. It’s not wealth or fame that bring peace and contentment. Far from it! Look around you and you’ll see evidence of plenty of rich and famous people who are absolutely miserable! Without God - you will never achieve real joy and happiness! Jesus is all you need! When you are too tired and feel like giving up….God promises in Exodus 33:14, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” When you feel like a failure and the mountains seem impossible to climb, Jesus reassures you in Matthew 19:26, “. . . with God all things are possible.” When you are thirsty, Jesus promises in John 7:38, He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” And when you are discouraged, brokenhearted and to weak to take another step, Jesus will carry you . . . Yes - carry you! This comforting scripture found in Isaiah 46:4, says it all: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” The more time you spend in His presence, you’re heart will truly know that . . . Jesus is all you need! Text: Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 62:1-2, Psalm 91:1, Jeremiah 31:25 Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com

There may be times when you’re discouraged and feel like there is no use praying because God seems a million miles away. Perhaps the heartache you are going thru seems so great that you think no one can help. But it is never a good idea to avoid talking to God. In fact, He is the BEST one to tell your troubles to because He’s the only one who actually has the power and authority to help! There’s nothing too great or too small that you can’t take to the Lord in prayer and He is literally interested in every aspect of your life! If your faith is weak, pray and ask God to help you trust Him more. Open God’s Word and align your will with His will. Then when you pray - believe that God will answer you according to what is best for you - for God always hears and answers your prayers. The Bible says in Psalm 34:17, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.” Whenever you’re discouraged and you don’t feel like praying - God will give you strength - just claim His promise in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, . . . I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Text: Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 51:11, Joshua 1:9, Lamentations 3:21-26 Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com

It’s hard to find people these days who truly value “commitment.” If they don’t get along with their spouse - they get a divorce. If they get mad at their boss - they quit their job. If their friend disappoints - they walk away, and if someone at church hurts their feelings - they stop attending. People seem to have an attitude of “I’ll stay as long as it feels good,” rather than - “I’m in it for the long haul.” Praise God that He always keeps His Word and His commitments! The Bible says in Hebrews 13:5, “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” You see, God doesn’t turn His back on you, or quit on you whenever you disappoint Him. He is 100% committed to being there for you whenever you need Him and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will meet your every need! God will be faithful even when you are not - because He has made a commitment to love you no matter what - and He always honors His commitments. Determine today to remain faithful to your commitment to God - that when Satan tempts you to throw in the towel and turn your back on your Lord and Savior - that you will hold steadfast in your love and devotion to the One who loves you more than anyone else possibly could. Text: Malachi 2:16, Jeremiah 31:3-4, Proverbs 3:3-4, Psalm 9:10 Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com

There are some people that question the need for prayer, wondering why should they pray when God already knows their thoughts. And it is true, God does know your thoughts - but He “responds” to your prayers! God wants you to come to Him and lay out your petitions before Him, and one thing you can be sure of is that God will always answer and will always have your best interests at heart. One of the blessings of being able to communicate directly with God is that prayer is the best cure for anxiety. When you pray about your problems - you are talking to someone who actually has the power to do something about it. No matter how big or small the problem - God can solve it! When you’re troubles seem too heavy to bear - give them to Jesus and allow Him to embrace you in His arms of love, giving you comfort and peace of mind. The Bible says in Psalm 107:9, “For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.” And in John 15:7 we’re told, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” So the next time you start to feel anxious - there’s no need for pacing the floor - instead get on your knees and you’ll quickly discover the cure for anxiety. Text: Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:7, Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 21:22 Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com

It’s not enough to “do the right thing” - it’s also important to make sure you avoid even the appearance of evil. For instance: the person you’ve been giving Bible studies to happens to drive by just at the very moment you are coming out of a tavern - they probably will judge you as a hypocrite and you may never know why they suddenly stopped the studies. And you may also never have the chance to tell them that you had just gone in to use the restroom. If you’re a single girl traveling across country with a couple of your guy friends - you may be completely innocent, staying in separate hotel rooms - but there will be those who will think you’re less than pure. The Bible says in Romans 14:13, “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” God wants you to live your life as a living example of Christ abiding in you. To do that, you need to be conscious of how others will see you and strive for all your actions to reflect Jesus. You can’t win others to Christ if you are not living a righteous life yourself. In other words: you need to not only ‘talk the talk’ - but ‘walk the walk!’ For example: instead of having lunch at a quiet restaurant alone with your best friend’s spouse so you can plan their birthday surprise - choose to have it a mutual friend’s house and invite others to join the planning party. In all cases, avoid appearances of evil and choose to be a living witness for Christ in all that you do and say! Text: 1 John 2:10, 1 Corinthians 8:9, Malachi 2:8, Matthew 16:23, Luke 11:52 Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com