A Merry Christmas To You All

All is calm, All is Bright

Here is my Christmas Story. 

May the Lord's blessings and peace be with you. 

Enjoy!

By The Touch Of Faith

Good day to you my dear internet travelers,

We are doing some updating here at My Thoughtful Place Ministry. We thank you for stopping by today.

Let's start this new chapter of our daily walk by reading through "By The Touch Of Faith" message.

Please bow your head in prayer:

Good day Lord Jesus, thank you for this day. Come let us worship and bow down before God our maker. Bring us into the Holy of Holies, cleanse our lips. Here I am. In Your name, Amen. 

Click on the image to begin. 

LITTLE DISCLAIMER: Please note, included in some of the posted publications are links to other websites. Also there are links posted within this blog to other sites. My Thoughtful Place Ministry cannot control items on other sites, and we may not always agree theologically with certain items that may be found. Please be careful with any information that you discover. As always, remember, the Word of God in the Bible is the ultimate authority in all aspects of our lives.

We seek the Lord's guidance and wisdom in posting of the articles, stories, and testimonies on this blog.

So, my dear cherished neighbor, as you read, don't just take our word (or anyone's). Be sure to take the time you need to read the Bible; do your homework. Discover His word for yourself; asking Him to reveal His plan and purpose made just for you.

My Thoughtful Place Ministry® is a registered trademark established by My Thoughtful Place graphic Design through My Thoughtful Place Ministry Family Network. ©2020 Sara Marie Hantousch. All other trademarks and third party references are property of their respective owners.

Encounter God at The Shack

I would like to recommend the reading of 'The Shack' by William Young.

It is based on the true life experience of Mackenzie Allen Phillips who was invited to meet with God at a secluded, run-down mountain shack.

The only thing I will offer about the story is what my preconceived idea about what the story would be about. A friend of mine had emailed me mentioning that this would be a good story to read. Being a person, who enjoys reading AND enjoys learning even more about God, I went to the nearest book store and purchased it. Looking at the cover and reading the small inkling of the plot of the book on the back cover, I expected that the book would be about the anguish of the main character and torment that he had gone through. I invisioned a dark sinister account of his brush with death. I WAS SOOOOOO WRONG.

The book reveals the most beautiful and real aspect of death AND life [mostly life]. It examplifies what our relationship with God's Trinity is really about. Mr. Phillips' [as written by William Young] sharing of the story opened my heart to desire God even more. It touched me in the most secluded area of my heart...my pride. I have carried such misconception about who God really is and my small role of being a child of God. The story expresses the real wonder of life...a personal relationship with God through the acceptance of Jesus as Savior.

There is so much wonder and beauty within the story despite the tragedy that surrounds it. Much like our lives. It is difficult to share how the book has reached out to me without hindering the story. I do not wish to intrude upon God's great story by placing any of my thoughts in the way. I wish only to ask you to read it. You can learn more about the author at: http://www.theshackbook.com/

Life is an interesting experience. God’s wonder and beauty surrounds us, if only we would take the time to notice. I do not always notice God’s grace and mercy in my own life. There are moments when my vision is blurred because I have not stayed focused on Jesus. My view becomes obstructed by some other distraction I allowed to get in the way. It has taken years of God’s patience for me to appreciate the process of God’s bending and molding within my heart. We want what we want now. There is always something good that comes from these shaping moments when we ask God and give God room to move and work out the details. This of course takes time—something we as humans do not like to wait for.

• And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” ~Isaiah 25:9 KJV~

It is lifelong journey to stroll down the pathways with God.
I pray you will find time to wait on God to show up in your own life.

Welcome To Our Chapel

My Thoughtful Place Ministry Blog is an open [interdenominational] chapel forum. Welcoming the internet community to observe and discover God’s gift of eternal life through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:20 New Living Translation explains: "And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life."

This blog is the door to our family of websites and blogs that offer Bible Study newsletters, a daily Scripture reading plan [just suggestions if you are not sure where to start], daily devotionals [coming soon], journal pages [printable], and more. You may enter our chapel through the links listed below.

Lemonade Stand By The Creek Home: A website designed for ALL internet ‘surfers’ searching for a deeper, personal relationship with Jesus or understanding the accepting of Jesus Christ into your life. This site is updated on a monthly basis. Visit the link:
http://www.lemonadestandbythecreek.web.officelive.com/

Lemonade Stand By The Creek Blog: This blog encourages the internet community to become active participants in following our pathway with Jesus Christ. It provides an opportunity to add comments, share testimony and submit prayer requests about our devotion to Jesus. This blog is updated regularly. Visit the link: http://www.lemonadestandbythecreek.spaces.live.com/

Keeper of the Hearth Home: A woman’s ministry website. This site is created for the woman following after God’s heart. This site is updated on a monthly basis. Visit the link: http://www.keeperofthehearth.health.officelive.com/

Keeper of the Hearth Blog: As an extension of the Keeper of the Hearth website, this blog offers women the opportunity to share testimony, submit prayer requests and add comments about our praise and worship of Jesus. This blog is updated regularly. Visit the link:
http://www.keeperofthehearth.spaces.live.com/

By scheduling personal prayer time, daily Scripture reading, applying God’s Word to our life, we are better equipped, through Jesus’ teachings, to face personal challenges. We discover that the Bible is relevant and applicable to our life today. Learning more about God cultivates the desire to build the life God designed for each of us.

“What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” ~Genesis 28:15 New Living Translation~

Launching New Website

My Thoughtful Place Ministry announces

the additon of another website.

This site is a Christian based women's ministry.

Browse the site by clicking on the link below.

www.keeperofthehearth.health.officelive.com

Strings of My Heart

Dear Lord Jesus,
I bow my head in prayer
I long to express
The conviction
Within my heart
I have long denied
The love that grows inside
I have kept it hidden,
Locked away
I threw it down
Deep into a dungeon
In hopes it would
Die when kept in the dark
No light. No growth. No life.
Letting it out only
When it might benefit me

Tying it up with strings
Holding on to the pain
Like a valuable treasure
With each loss a greater notch
Look, I have
Survived heartache
Boasting as I would compare
The more the pain
The more the woe
Self inflicted with
Pity and sorrow
How could I be so numb?

My sweet Lord,
Will you play the
Strings of my heart
Play the strings of my heart

The music floated
Through the air
Braving a moat

Frozen and hard
Toward a darkened
Tower mighty and strong
Layers upon layers of
The rock and stone
Battling cold winds
Filled with frosty daggers
Can the melody penetrate
The depths of the fortress walls?

My sweet Lord
Will you play the
Strings of my heart
Play the strings of my heart

Quivering at first,

The walls were barely shaken
No evidence of any damage
It took years to build
Those vast walls
They have withstood
Mighty battles with
Towering arrogance
How can it be expected
That a single note
A simple melody
Would shatter such density

My sweet Lord,
Will you play the
Strings of my heart
Play the strings of my heart

Yet the melody persists
Growing more determined
In its pursuit
A voice rising

Above the notes
Beckoning the walls
To surrender their noble vigil
Swaying the tower
To bow down
Asking the fortress to
Humble its allegiance
How could this voice
Dare to rattle the gates
To my heart?
Why would it chance
The depths of the
Darkness hiding my soul?
What possible benefit
Would there be if freedom
Was given to this buried love.

My sweet lord,
Will you play the
Strings of my heart
Play the strings of my heart

I can no longer drown out
God’s ethereal melody
That shattered the walls
Surrounding my captive heart
I can no longer deny access
To the dungeon
Where I locked
Away my love
I can no longer
Ignore the mighty whisper
That dared to enter
The gates of my soul

Jesus’ soft voice is
Music to my ears
His uplifting tempo
Gives rhythm to my heart
His Holy Spirit gives
Volume to my thoughts
The angels’ celestial chorus
Echoes laughter from my lips
My heavenly Father’s
Lullaby soothes my soul
The numbness of my
Dull heart has been
Replaced with a
Heartbeat that quickens my step
A loving Father’s
Benevolent discipline


Pounding out the flaws
God’s tender mercies
And grace warms my soul
Eternal love that stands
The test of time
This voice. This song.
This heart. This love
Is not to be kept within
A locked dungeon
Nor to be tied up with strings
Nor to boastfully compare
Nor to be deprived of freedom

Thank you lord,
For playing the
Strings of my heart
Playing the strings
Of my heart

My Husband Salah

Meeting my husband was a HUGE change in my life.

God has blessed me with a most extraordinary loving husband.

I have to back up a bit...bare with me as I widen the lense alittle to give a better glimpse...

I was 36 years old when I found Jesus. I had grown up in a Methodist home but never knew Jesus. I believed there was something, God or higher power, that kept it all together. I did not feel it was not necessary to go to church, read the Bible, nor to speak or think about Jesus. I had not ever drank or done drugs. When I was in high school, I was the most boring person. I did not date in in my high school days. I did not date in my early adult days either. I had crushes and little sparks of interest. I have to admit something very personal about myself, when I care for someone I care deeply! I would not merely go for the one night stand or just for fun fling. I was searching for the ONE and only. I spent years agonizing in heartache over a missed opportunity. I wasted a lot of time wondering why not "this one". I did not have intimate relations with a man until I was in my mid-thirties. Even then it was only twice until I was blessed with my husband. I was helpful towards others and did the occasional random act of kindness. I went carefree along in my little life doing it “my way” believing that I had gotten this far all on my own. I was a tough little girl. After all isn’t that what the world tells us we are to do? Not to mention, we are not to let on that we are miserable and hurting and might need help. I am amazed just how wrong I was.

My personal and deliberate road to finding Jesus started in the late '90's when I purchased my first computer. I hooked up to the internet and vroooommm I was off. I had posted a personal ad here and there. I met a few men. It was all so thrilling to share thoughts and feelings at first. Then reality would hit and it became clear that their intentions were not the same as mine. This up and down roller coaster adventure of emotions and sharing only added to the already disenchanted heartache I had locked inside of me. I felt doomed to never find 'the one' for me.

It was in January or so of 1998 when the person who would lead me to Christ answered my personal ad. We met and started 'dating'. During the course of conversation, he asked me if I believed in God and Jesus. He had been concerned because I had stated that I believed there was a God but did not have to go to church or anything. I was a arrogant in spirit against God. He mentioned to me that his uncle attended a church in the town I was living in at the time [he actually lived somewhere else]. We talked about church. He asked if I would be willing to attend his uncle's church. I agreed without blinking! So we went one Sunday in February of 1998.

The church was an Assembly of God church. I had never been to a church like that in my life. The music and the sermon were none like anything I had experienced. At the end of the sermon, the pastor invited people down to the altar. I had no idea what that really meant. The man I had come with walked down and knelt before the altar. He stayed there quite awhile as did several others. I walked down to kneel beside him. I was checking on him. He looked up at me and stated that he needed this today. That he was changed and he was glad he had come. I was polite and nodded my head, inside I was thinking, ok whatever.

We went to lunch after the service. He talked about Jesus and the change in his heart. I had no clue what he was referring to and merely acknowledged I was listening. He told me as much as he enjoyed attending the church, he would not be able to continue going since he lived further away. He mentioned to me that I should keep going. He asked me if I would be comfortable going by myself. There was no thought involved, I answered “yes” right away. It never dawned on me to second guess the question or wonder why I would even go. I told him I would go and I did. I went back every Sunday. I even began a member’s class to understand the principles of the church. I did all this BEFORE I was saved.

I was curious as to what “being saved” meant and why these people were so willing to kneel at the altar. In the few times I had attended service at my church; no one ever walked down to the altar let alone kneel down there. The only one who I ever saw allowed in the altar was the minister and the occasional wedding party and baptism. The altar was this forbidden place that only a “special” few were to enter. At least that is my foolish interpretation of how I viewed church. I wanted to understand why people were drawn to walk down and kneel at the altar in front of all these people. It seemed showy and like a drama at first to me. The service and the music was another mystery to me. How could they get away with playing such amazing music in church? They had drums, guitars, keyboards, etc. It was a band. The Pastor talked about the Bible like it was this living book. He made it seem like the people in the Bible were real and sitting right next to me. This was a fascinating concept to me. I had never thought about the Bible, Jesus and church as being real. There I sat Sunday after Sunday listening to God’s Word.

Then it happened, Psalm Sunday 1998. I was sitting in my seat, listening with all my heart and soul. I don’t even remember the message that the Pastor was sharing with us. The only thing I remember was the part where he asked us to bow our heads and pray with him. There in the middle of the prayer, I gave my heart to Jesus. I let go of all the anger, frustration, and the pain I was holding inside. I gave all the memories, all the suffering, all "the whatever" over to God. It has been a daily choice ever since to maintain a personal relationship with him.

It has been a most precious walk learning about Jesus.

In the Summer of 2002, I met my husband after corresponding with him over the internet for two months. I was very skeptical about meeting him after all the other let downs. But oh my, God knew what He was doing when He brought us together. We married in March of 2003 after seeing each other through Salah's double by-pass surgery. We saw each other in our worst and best times. I prayed about it over and over and over again. With all that happened in the short time we had been seeing each other, I would hear God's quiet gentle voice telling me, "Love this man." I did what He asked me to...love this man. It has been a HUGE blessing ever since.

Salah is originally from Iraq. He ventured into Yugoslavia for a few years attending college and was kicked out to go onto Austria for nearly 12 years. He followed his first wife of 8 years to the United States. He returned to Austria to visit his family and she filed for divorice while he was overseas seeing them. He has lived through some of the most heart wrenching circumstances and is very open about sharing those experiences. He returned to the USA in 1996 and went about his life until God placed me into his life in the Summer of 2002.

I am ever grateful for the honor to be his wife. We visited his family in Austria and Holland in 2007. That was a most amazing gift in itself. Salah and I have recently purchased a 14 acre farmette through God's generous hands. Bringing us out to the country has opened even more opportunities to see God's handiwork in action within our lives and deeper relationship with Jesus.

Salvation Prayer

When you come to your choice, by trusting in Christ and accepting His payment for your sins, the first step is making a prayer similar to the one below:

Father God, I thank You for who You are and all that You are. I humbly submit my life to You. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and I believe in my heart that You have raised Jesus from the dead [Romans 10:9]. I believe that Jesus is now seated with You in Heavenly places and will intercede on my behalf [Ephesians 1:20 & Romans 8:34]. Please forgive me of all of my sins and cleanse me of all unrighteousness.
I thank you Lord that I am now a new creation in Christ Jesus [2 Corinthians 5:17]. Thank You for creating in me a clean heart and renewing a right spirit within me [Psalm 51:10]. I thank You that I am now Your child and as such am entitled to all the blessings and benefits that accompany salvation [Psalm 103].

Thank You my Father God for the healing, wholeness and restoration in every area in my life. In Jesus' Mighty Name, Amen

How Do I Accept Christ?

God created us to enjoy friendship with him. Though we were citizens of the kingdom of darkness, he pursued us with his unconditional love. Even though we chose to sin against God and against others, Jesus chose to pay the debt for our rebellion. He had each one of us in mind when he went to the cross. And he pursued each one of us specifically until through faith we recognized that he died and rose again for us.

Perhaps you are unsure of your relationship with God and need to deal conclusively with this choice now. We cannot pay for our sins. Christ has already done this for us as a gift [Ephesians 2:8-9]. Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins. He took our place.
If there is any question about whether you have fully accepted Christ's substitutionary death to pay for the wrath you deserve for your sins, take some time to reflect on His love and forgiveness.

He longs for us to come to Him with our own 'free will'. He knows all about us from before we were ever born and knows what our path in life will consist of:

“For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother's womb. I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery]. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.” ~Psalm 139:13-16 (Amplified Bible)

Hello there weary internet traveler…

Have you visited this blog out of curiosity?
What a wondrous choice..
In life, we often have to walk down unfamiliar paths
Paths that may feel threatening.
So how do we do that without making costly mistakes?
We take Someone along who knows the way.
The psalmist recognized that Guide when he wrote,
"Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness...
make Your way straight before my face." ~Psalm 5:8
Does your path today seem unfamiliar?
Ask God our Father to travel the road with you.