JVR Ministries

​​ “But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.””Luke 10: 41-42 Time, a resource out of our control. We humans waste a lot of time. Myself included. Some of us waste it by sleeping away the day. But a certain amount of sleep is necessary for us to grow and stay healthy to use time wisely. Some of us waste time by sitting and doing nothing. But doing nothing is needed at times to be able to focus and use time wisely. Some of…

​​ ​​ “May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.”‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬https://www.bible.com/116/1co.1.3.nlt Roses, beautiful to the eyes. Wonderful fresh scent to the nose. The pedals are soft to the touch. Meaningful, romance, friendship, love, peace. But the thorns hurt. Grab a rose by the stem and you’ll forget all about the beauty. The only thing remaining would be the pain.At this moment, this instance, for this blog, I’m relating roses to joy. Over and over in my devotions, joy is the subject. When listening to the radio, the subject of joy continues to rise as the topic. And when I see a rose,…

​​ “As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” Luke 19: 37-40 Worship is more than singing songs at church. Worship can be anywhere, anytime, any way. Some say worship…

​​ “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands,and let her works praise her in the gates.”Proverbs 31: 30 and 31 Being a mom is no small feat. In fact it never ends. To think about it, being a mother begins before the birth. We are growing and preparing our mind body and soul for motherhood. Being a mother doesn’t always mean giving birth. And one does not stop being a mother after leaving this earth. Motherhood is quite an honor and responsibility in so many ways. Since this is a prayer blog, I’m going…

​​ “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬https://www.bible.com/116/eph.6.10-12.nlt We know this world is full of bad, wars, hate, sickness, the list goes on and on. But do we realize that the force around us is more evil than the worst evil we’ve ever witnessed? It’s around all of…

​​SMLXL “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬https://www.bible.com/116/php.4.6.nlt I had the privilege to spend a very special day with my daughter-in-law attending an event with Yosemite Lakes Community Church Fearless Women’s Ministry. We attended the Going Beyond Simulcast with Priscilla Shirer. It was a great worship experience as well as growing and reassuring one. One of the many things I learned is that I’m not capable of doing anything for God on my own. God has blessed me with a ministry, a specific one that I’ve been struggling with for years. I say struggling…

​​ “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.”‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬https://www.bible.com/116/pro.17.3.nlt Now living in California, massive out of control fires are as close as a drive away. I’ve not yet witnessed one of these first hand, but I’ve experienced the effects and after effects. The air is polluted, thick grey, with the grey haze hovering over, miles away. Driving by the black stubble, fields of black bare earth with patches of smoldering smoke puts a heavy lump in the pit of my stomach. I can’t even imagine what it may feel like, being a direct victim, or near miss, or one of the brave…

​​ From our kitchen window! No filter used!“Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature…

​​ “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT Easy words to say, but in the heat of the moment? I have to say I’ve been there so many times with so many different people and situations. Full of anger and un-forgiveness. I’m usually a carefree person, but those who know me best, know I have my attitudes. It’s so hard to be joyful and in prayer when someone or thing has made you so upset. When (and I’m speaking to myself here!) an unforgiving heart, filled with anger, or self pity,…

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:19-21‬ ‭NLT‬‬https://www.bible.com/116/mat.6.19-21.nlt Life sure is a journey and an adventure, that’s for sure. As I reminisce on our past journey I realize I’m a hoarder. A hoarder of stuff. Not the kind on the tv shows where you have to walk over boxes and weave through a maze of stuff to get anywhere, but yes a…