breathing room for my soul

Monday, February 23, 2015

Faithfulness and More ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt

Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Psalm 36:5 NLT

Faithfulness, defined in the dictionary, includes characteristics of showing constant loyalty, deserving trust, keeping promises. Words like fickle or false, dishonesty or disregard cannot share space with perseverance or reliability or truth. In reading Psalm 36, the examples of a faithful God stand in sharp contrast to the heart and mind of the unfaithful, the confused, the wicked. While the corrupted heart defines rebellion, hypocrisy, bullying and vulgarity, the faithfulness of God soars higher, reaches beyond, seeks deeper with unfailing love.

God’s characteristics of unfailing love, righteousness, and justice are the foundations of His faithfulness. This holy compassion, safe shelter, and abundant provision bring us peace and rest and fulfillment. God is the unlimited source of life, our unceasing satisfaction in living, and unfailing hope for eternal life.

Yahweh, the One whose love desires me, whose grace completes me, whose abundance overwhelms me. Great is Your faithfulness, my source of all things needed. – dho

Focus Point: God’s characteristics of unfailing love, righteousness, and justice are the foundations of His faithfulness.

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

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

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Only One Loyalty, Jesus ~ 1st Sunday in Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, or object of our faith – the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1Corinthians 1:9 NKJV

God is sovereign, all-powerful! This attribute of God’s character escapes our full understanding but becomes the truth a faithful follower accepts. Our loyalty to Christ reveals itself by our faith in God. When things fall apart, when circumstances become difficult, when we can no longer see God’s purpose – we have a tendency to doubt, blame, and criticize. This eroding of personal faith affects our spiritual health and witness. Our faith must stay grounded in the faithfulness of God, not in our ability to understand the situation.

In our faithfulness to God, perseverance must continue, as well as loyal devotion with Christ as the “object of our faith”. Especially when we do not comprehend, trusting in a faithful God brings the soul true hope and provides rest in fellowship with Christ. On this journey there are many unexpected roads that lead to despair, wind through darkness, or pass over mountains, and God always goes before us. Our continued faithfulness in God “in every circumstance” finds its greatest purpose in allowing God to work through us.

El Shaddai, Lord God Almighty – renew Your gift of my faith. Reach through me to others that need to know of Your power. Let my story be: Great is Your faithfulness to me, in every situation. –dho

Focus Point: Our faith must stay grounded in the faithfulness of God, not in our ability to understand the situation.

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

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

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Salvation For All ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

Indeed [God] says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation abhors, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel; and He has chosen You.”

Isaiah 49:6-7 NKJV

This is the second of four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah, each offering a different messianic image of Christ. In Genesis, God makes a covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). His chosen people, Abraham’s descendants, are to be a “light to the Gentiles”, but they decline. The prophet Isaiah explains that God’s Servant-Redeemer will be rejected - by those He chose, by those refusing to believe, by powerful rulers of nations. God introduces Jesus Christ, as a “new covenant”, because the promises of God and His faithfulness do not end.

God’s purpose for salvation remains extended to all people through the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. The Author of Redemption knows the prisons that hold a soul in bondage – lies, abuses, boredom, greed, words that defeat, actions that destroy, busyness that drains, emptiness that desires. The darkness that crucified Christ attempts to hold us hostage but can be abolished by the Light of Christ. God’s faithfulness extends beyond His chosen people, the Jewish nation. He offers Eternal Hope to the Gentiles, too. God’s faithfulness reconciles each of us – any of us - through Christ.

Redeemer, Holy One - find me in the darkness. Break the chains that try to hold me captive. Be the Light that leads me to You. Great is Your faithfulness. -dho

Focus Point: The darkness that crucified Christ attempts to hold us hostage but can be abolished by the Light of Christ.

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

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

Friday, February 20, 2015

Promise of Truth ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.

Righteousness goes before Him and prepares the way for His steps.

Psalm 85:10-13 NIV

When you read The Message, the word used for faithfulness is truth; love and truth meet. Also, the words righteousness and peace kiss are interchanged for right living and whole living embrace. Jesus personifies Love and Truth. In our redemption, He is both Love and Truth eternally mingled within our hearts and souls. The yield is our right living, the sharing of His Love and Truth with others. Our reward becomes whole living, complete peace ~ His Peace. This is God's Holy Harvest!

God's faithfulness is His promise of Truth, the Truth that defines right living and whole living for each of us. He clothes us with robes of righteousness lined with inner peace that exceeds our understanding. We kneel before the Love Most High overwhelmed with thankfulness for His power and goodness. His gift of righteousness, of right living, surrounds us, protects us, leads us into the next moment. Once secure inside this gift, we discover whole living, His perfect Peace! How complete is His Offering! Great is His Faithfulness!

God, this Promise of Truth is for me! Your faithfulness offers redemption to my wandering soul. You make me whole, bring me peace. Holiness surrounds me, embraces me. Great is Your faithfulness! - dho

Focus Point: God's faithfulness is His promise of Truth, the Truth that right living and whole living brings to each of us.

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

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

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Yahweh's Constancy - Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

For Yahweh is good, His faithful love is everlasting, His constancy from age to age. Psalm 100:4-5 The Jerusalem Bible

This familiar Psalm proclaims thanksgiving to a Sovereign God whose goodness not only creates each person but provides and protects like a good shepherd. Praises and songs of gladness give honor to God. Faithful love never ends. Such goodness embodies both loyalty and truth. The attributes of God noted in Psalm 100 remain true today, just as His unchanging character is constant from age to age.

The LORD, Yahweh in Hebrew, is the one True God. This alone would be reason to worship Him; yet, God’s steadfast, enduring love embraces mercy and offers grace. While we struggle with uncertainty and constant change, comfort seems far away. The Apologetics Study Bible suggests the phrase “make a joyful noise” or “shout” is a war cry, using the same Hebrew verb that describes the shouting of the Israelites when they captured Jericho. The commentary says “this psalm takes the worshiper into the realm of spiritual warfare.” Our greatest peace comes from the Source of Perfect Goodness. For Yahweh is good!

LORD, I believe You are the One True God, Creator and Redeemer of souls. This dark world calls to me, tries to entice me away from You, but Your goodness floods my soul. Great is Your faithfulness in every spiritual battle, every moment of doubt. I come into Your presence with thanksgiving. – dho

Focus Point: His unchanging character is constant from age to age.

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

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

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Ash Wednesday ~ Mark Me A Sinner!

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

Throughout Scripture, God reveals His faithfulness. At times we see Him as the One generously promising Salvation to a people walking in darkness. On other occasions, the attributes of God distinguish His faithfulness in contrast with humanity’s faithlessness. Omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient describe a perfect, unchanging, and infinite God, while our identity rests more in sinful, shifting shadows. God IS faithful.

This chapter in Isaiah tells God’s plan of Eternal Hope, the Everlasting Hope of living in His Presence for all of eternity. The prophet Isaiah praises God for His enduring power, God faithful and sure. These words sing with thanksgiving. God’s faithfulness gives testimony of His love and mercy, provision and refuge. This faithful Redeemer still offers salvation today – to you and to me.

Faithful Father, mark me a sinner, one in need of grace. Let the ashes remind me of extravagant grace. Great is Your faithfulness even when my faith is small. My hope rests in You! –dho

Focus Point: Omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient describe a perfect, unchanging, and infinite God, while our identity rests more in sinful, shifting shadows.

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

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

Friday, February 13, 2015

COMING SOON! ~ Daily Devotions for the EASTER Season!

Preparing for Easter...

Beginning Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - You can read all new DAILY devotions for 2015 on Snyder Memorial Baptist Church’s Facebook and Mangrove Ministries' Facebook, on Twitter @soulchat and onmy blog, Breathing Room For My Soul.

Join me as we reflect and renew our personal relationship with Jesus. Share these devotions with your friends. Not on social media ~ no problem! Read them right here on my blog: BreathingRoomForMySoul.com and sign up there to get emails with every post.

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness! Do you find strength for every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God's Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope!

Thank you for the opportunity to share the Perfect Faithfulness of God with you during this Easter Season. ~ Donna Oswalt

Thursday, February 12, 2015

What Do You Believe?

"We Believe" by the Newsboys (click link)

Thursday February 12, 2015 ~ Newsboys Concert

Cumberland County Crown Coliseum ~ Fayetteville, NC

also in concert ... Audio Adrenaline and Finding Favour

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

COMING SOON! ~ Daily Devotions for the EASTER Season!

Preparing for Easter...

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

Thank you for the opportunity to share the Perfect Faithfulness of God with you during this Easter Season. ~ Donna Oswalt

Also, you can purchase my devotional book on Amazon.com; click on link:

http://www.amazon.com/Kindled-Soul-Holy-Fire-Meditations/dp/1577364198/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678917&sr=8-1&keywords=Kindled+Soul+Holy+Fire

Thursday, February 05, 2015

A Prayer for Times of Trouble

Faithful Father ~

In times like these, there seems to be no silence, just confusion - too many thoughts combined with too many possibilities frantically dancing with too many emotions. In times like these, the heart aches but can find no voice, the heart cries but can find no release. In times like these, there are no easy answers, no quick solutions, no simple explanations. Jehovah, remind us of Your faithfulness.

Petitions to You are endless, with asking and telling, questioning and knowing, seeking and listening. The soul finds hope beside doubt, truth beside lies, joy beside sorrow, love beside betrayal. The wounds are so deep and so wide that they cannot be measured. Consequences are unfair, circumstances are cruel, and the burdens are too heavy. Adonai, remind us of Your unfailing love.

When darkness falls as the day ends and stillness calls, it is Your voice that whispers to the weary Come to Me . . . and I will give you rest. . .for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. Hold the tears and the truth that disappoints; hear the cries and the heart that breaks. Jesus, Lover of my soul, remind us that You are the Yoke, the One who shares all burdens.

In times like these, there is peace in Your presence. In times like these, there is hope in Your love. In times like these, there is comfort in Your loving arms. In times like these, there is joy in Your holiness and grace. El Shaddai, remind us that You are God All Sufficient. Amen. ~dho

[I] have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And [I] pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father. Colossians 1: 9-12 (NIV)

Monday, February 02, 2015

Things of God ~ Contemplation and Conversation

“Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.”

Proverbs 18:15 The Message

[God speaks to us through the people who speak to us about the things of God.]

~ Henri Nouwen

“Good words satisfy like a fine meal; yes, good conversations are sure to satisfy.”

Proverbs 18:20 The Voice

Share your thoughts, questions, experiences, and/or conversations:

*right here; see below "COMMENTS"

*Mangrove Ministries Facebook Page

*on Twitter @SoulChat

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Holy Spirit Within Us

Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to me. A.W. Tozer

The secular response to Christ - if there is any acknowledgement - is that Christ was a great teacher and a good person. The world says there are no absolute truths, that truth is what you believe to be true. The Holy Scriptures, the foundation of the Christian faith, tells a different story. Christ is the Living Son of God, the willing and sinless sacrifice offered for all the iniquities of humanity. He has always been and will always be. Jesus came in human form to earth to fulfill God's Plan of salvation for mankind. There ARE truths that must be part of our faith statement as Christians. Without these absolute truths, we claim a belief in nothing more than good intentions.

Read 1 John 2:18-29

So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will continue to live in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life He promised us. . . you have received the Holy Spirit and He lives within you. . . For the Spirit teaches you all things, and what He teaches is true. 1 John 2:24,27 NLT

Through careful and continued study of the Scriptures, these truths become more clear. God reveals Himself to us today through the Living Word. The Scriptures are both ancient and living words, telling us the stories of old and using these lessons for today. Our struggles in the world are no different than centuries ago. There was unbelief then and unbelief today. Then - time after time, faith required a bold stance in the face of uncertainty, and today - we must continue to stand boldly in faith to our Creator, Redeemer and King.

Consider this!

How do believers come to more fully understand the character of God?
Why does the world dilute and deny the absolute truths in the Scriptures?
What do you believe about Christ?

Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me. Father, Son and Spirit ~ three in One ~ we cannot understand Perfect Love, but we can accept this Gift by faith. Give us the courage to grow in understanding of the Living Word that we might be light in the darkness. Amen. ~ dho

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Oneness in Christ

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6 NASB

The journey of every Christian begins at the same place, the cross. Without the cross, the death of innocence and victory over death, grace would be just a concept. Instead, grace chooses us and claims us though our faith. Hope not only promises but sustains us. Despite differences among Christian denominations, Christ remains the One constant. Holy Scripture reveals the beliefs of the collective body of Christ, the church, and connects the commonality of our faith, our humanity, and our destiny. Christianity is oneness in Christ

In this Scripture, the Trinity ~ one Spirit, one Lord, one God ~ merges with the one God of all who is over all and through all and in all, individually unique but unified all together as One. The Holy Spirit dwells, intercedes, and builds unity. This Spirit of truth and understanding and counsel guides us. Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, becomes grace. The righteous and holy and sinless Jesus takes the punishment for humanity's sin, and calls to us, "Follow Me." The loving Father, protector and provider, desires to be in relationship with us. Encompassing all, the transcendent God reigns ~ sovereign and just and infinite.

One faith unites us to the Living God, Jehovah, El Shaddai, the One who offers one hope, a promise of everlasting life. Inward renewal of the soul by the Holy Spirit identifies our oneness in Christ with one baptism, a spiritual baptism into the body of Christ. The Message ends the Scripture this way, "Every thing you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness". Theology and sacrament converge as together we confess oneness in Christ with our whole being ~ in character and thought and deed. ~dho

"Every thing you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness". Theology and sacrament converge as together we confess oneness in Christ with our whole being ~ in character and thought and deed. - Donna Oswalt

Monday, January 19, 2015

God's Mystery ~ Contemplation and Conversation, 2015

“Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.”

Proverbs 18:15 The Message

[No human being, no matter how wise or how spiritual, can interpret the ways of God, explain why one miracle and not another, why an apparent intervention here and not there...we can only wait and trust.]

Philip Yancey, from Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference?

“Good words satisfy like a fine meal; yes, good conversations are sure to satisfy.”

Proverbs 18:20 The Voice

Share your thoughts, questions, experiences, and/or conversations:

*right here; see below "COMMENTS"

*Mangrove Ministries Facebook Page

*on Twitter @SoulChat

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Jesus Knows

Nathanael said to [Jesus], "How do You know me?" Jesus said, "...I saw you."
John 1:47-51 NKJV

Currently, I am studying a book, Discernment by Henri Nouwen, to better understand God's will and purpose for this time in my life. This Scripture from John reveals that Jesus knows us, intimately hears our hearts and hopes, completely understands our intentions and frustrations, actually sees our willingness and weakness. Just like with Nathanael, Jesus demonstrates His supernatural knowledge to us whenever we are open to God's presence. Jesus knows!

Discernment becomes a new way of seeing that results in divine revelation and direction. ~ Henri Nouwen

The discernment process consists of listening more deeply for the voice of God, and its global purpose for each of us is to know God's will. This new way to see God affords the individual new opportunities. In the process of discovery, the acknowledgement that God does see and know me evolves, and my alertness to God's presence heightens. This openness to God reveals a deeper awareness of spiritual truth, and the awakening of purpose begins to unfold. I find new affirmation of who I am in Christ. I know Jesus knows! ~ dho

"Jesus demonstrates His supernatural knowledge to us whenever we are open to God's presence. Jesus knows!" ~ Donna Oswalt

Monday, January 12, 2015

God's Love ~ Contemplation and Conversation, 2015

Breathing Room For My Soul

“Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.”

Proverbs 18:15 The Message

Contemplation...

[God has created you and me with a heart that only God's love can satisfy. And every other love will be partial, will be real, but limited, will be painful. And if we are willing to let the pain prune us, to give us a deeper sense of our belovedness, then we can be as free as Jesus and walk on this world and proclaim God's first love, wherever we go.] - Henri Nouwen

then Conversation...

“Good words satisfy like a fine meal; yes, good conversations are sure to satisfy.”

Proverbs 18:20 The Voice

Share your thoughts, questions, experiences, and/or conversations:

*right here; see below "COMMENTS"

*Mangrove Ministries Facebook Page

*on Twitter @SoulChat

A New Beginning

"This is my [new] life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details . . . God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.

And so here I am . . . writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along."
Ephesians 3:7-10, The Message

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Monday, February 23, 2015

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Friday, February 20, 2015

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Friday, February 13, 2015

Preparing for Easter...

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Thursday, February 05, 2015

Monday, February 02, 2015

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Monday, January 19, 2015

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Monday, January 12, 2015