My thoughts

Today I want to share with you the difference having Jesus in my life makes. Okay, now that I've said such a loaded statement many of you are wondering what is happening to me and why I'm getting so deep. Follow along and I'll try to fill you in.
Last night, as usual, Earl & I went to Beyond(Sunday nights at Calvary Temple). The speaker really challenged us to be bold in our faith and to share our stories. He then kind of forced us to grab the person beside us and start sharing. I was 'lucky' enough to be sitting beside my brother so I had it easy... or so I thought. I realized that I didn't have a clue what to say. How do I tell someone the difference that Jesus makes in my life? Does Jesus make a difference in my life? Is Christianity something more than just a title or something I do? I know it is, but how can I explain it to someone? I also realized that there are a bunch of people who read this blog who I don't know. First of all, I don't know their name, I don't know where they live,-there are many people who read this blog that I have never met. I definitely don't know where many people's relationships are with Jesus. I realized that I had this incredible opportunity to tell the world, using this blog, about the difference Jesus makes. And so the question is, "What difference does Jesus make in Ramona's life?" One of the first things that pops into my mind is hope. I can't imagine not having hope. Jesus gives me hope. I know that He's got my life completely figured out-it's completely in His hands and in His control. I know that He only wants what is best for me, therefore I can trust Him completely. If I had to try to figure life out, and if I didn't believe in a higher power, life would be so much scarier.
Having a relationship with Jesus gives me a purpose. Life is so much more than pleasing self, getting rich or making a name for yourself. Life is all about serving others, praising Jesus and telling/showing others about Jesus. This brings me to some stories that I want to share. If I don't share them, I feel like I am robbing Jesus of the glory He deserves. If even half of the people who read this, say "wow, God" then think of all the praise He receives that He wouldn't have otherwise. Sometimes I'm too shy to share how God is working, but when I think about it this way, it's wrong of me not to.
On Tuesday, one of my friends from Beyond called Earl & I and asked if it would be alright if her small group could fast and pray for me on Wednesday. Of course the response was yes and so Wednesday I had a group of approximately 6 people fast and pray for healing. Thursday night, I decided to try to walk a few feet and see if I could do it. I did and since Thursday I have been walking significantly more. I have some pain when I walk but WAY less than I used to. It's super exciting to not be in a wheelchair all the time.
Friday night Earl & I are at Starbuck's and as we're leaving, two ladies come up to us and say they recognize us from Beyond. They've been praying for us and were wondering if they could pray for us right now. Absolutely!! We invite them to our car to stay warm and they both cover us in prayer. Earl & I, as well as our friends, knew this wasn't a coincedence. Earl & I had been more discouraged on Friday and we knew that the timing was too perfect to just happen by chance. One of the ladies had wanted to leave earlier but ended up staying later because of the other one's insistence. Even the fact that Earl & I were at the Starbuck's we were at, wasn't normal. God had this all figured out!
Last night, I told Earl I was about ready to go but he wanted to stay longer so we were still hanging around, listening to the music when the same friends who fasted and prayed came and introduced themselves and once again surrounded Earl & I in prayer. More friends came and encouraged us until we had this big circle of friends around us. I don't think it's a coincidence that we were still at Beyond. To me it's obvious that God wanted us to be encouraged by our friends and it's so clear that He's in control.
And so I hope this blog reminds us of 2 things:
1.)Let's give God praise when He deserves praise, even for the little things
2.)Let's be bold in sharing our stories-sharing the difference Jesus makes in our life