When we are young, there are so many fun things that we can do.
      Ladies may love to hug and play with young children, go shopping or eat out.
      Men might enjoy going hunting, fishing, playing ball or golfing.
      But we may get squeezed into a position where we can’t do some of the things we once enjoyed. Does that mean that life gets sad? It depends on our point of view – what we emphasize in our thoughts – whether we are looking up or down. Meditating on our problems, looking down, makes us feel sad.
      But how can we learn to “look up” instead of down? Stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28 NIV). We can look up toward the good things that God has prepared for us. The older we get, the closer we are to Heaven!
      Meditating on Heaven can improve everything. Jesus tells us to: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven (Mt. 5:12). He had come from Heaven. He knew that “rejoicing” and being “exceedingly glad” would help us deal with all the problems we face. The more we do this the closer and more real Heaven will be! Satan always tries to blind our minds so we will not grasp the reality of Heaven. Our loving heavenly Father, His Son, and His Holy Spirit always want to help us to: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Col. 3:2 NIV).
      But what about the sufferings we have to endure today? Yes, they often try to demand our full attention. But does thinking about them help us to feel better or worse? Worse! The more attention we give our problems the more they demand! We can be drawn into nearly always thinking about our suffering, be it emotional or physical. We feel compelled to tell someone – anyone – about our problems. If this is what you do, don’t be too critical of yourself. We humans are always being drawn toward the negative. Remember how the disciples were repeatedly trying to get Jesus to recognize problems. “We have no food for all these 5,000 hungry people.” “They want to kill You. Don’t go where they can easily have You arrested”! But Jesus believed that God would take care of everything. You and I can learn to do the same, because the Holy Spirit wants to help us.

      Our hope lies in what God tells us. He says, “Look up.” As we learn to follow His directions, our problems can lose their influence over us. Peter stepped onto the water just as Jesus told him to do, but then he started to look around at his circumstances and began to sink. Why? What he saw made him afraid. If we keep looking down, our brain says, “Be reasonable. You have a problem! But the Holy Spirit wants to help us learn how to combat the thoughts that can drive us into deeper and deeper depression, anxiety or fear.
      Remember how Job suffered the loss of all his many possessions, his children and was then covered in boils? Horrible! His “friends” kept reminding him of his problems. But Job continued to put his attention on God. Job said, Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: (Job 13:15 KJV). God gives us directions about what we can do that helps us combat this fallen world. He says, look up. Toward the sky? No, toward Heaven. There we will be with Him forever! He wants us to keep believing His promise until Heaven becomes increasingly real to us!
      Life on earth might be as long as 100 years. If we had to live ten lifetimes that would be 1,000 years. One million lifetimes would be . . . shudder at the thought! But God promises us one billion times one billion times, plus forever in Heaven. That is what He plans for everyone who believes in, relies on and trusts in His Son as their eternal Redeemer.
      Tell Him, “Lord, I have received your assurance. I am looking up and I know my forever is filled with greater joy than I can even imagine.”
      Jesus suffered. His disciples suffered. But they knew the power residing in “Lift up your head, because your redemption is drawing near.” Just writing those words makes my heart sing! Come join me and let’s rejoice together!

Mary is taking a break from writing so this month we are reprinting her article from February, 2006.

     Have you ever wondered why you are on the earth? In the so-called “Grand Scheme of Life” do you know what your role is? For many years I asked myself these questions, but never had any answers.      Then one day after some folks prayed for me, God started working in my life. He began to make Jesus a living reality to me. As I studied God’s love letter to us - the Bible - God began to teach me that His eternal plan has always been to bring us to Himself through what Jesus did for us.
      God wanted us to become His very own children, but we were separated from Him because of our sin. What could we do? We certainly couldn’t earn our way into God’s Family. We could never be good enough. We had no hope.
     So, God sent Jesus to do what we could never do. He took away our sins. What wonderful, blessed words! With His blood, Jesus purchased us and gave us to God the Father as gifts. Ephesians 1:18 tells us we are God’s glorious inheritance. God actually delights in us. We are His special treasure.
      We are not here on earth because our parents decided they wanted a child. Neither are we here because they had an “oops.” We are here because

God decided long ago He wanted to have loving fellowship with us. When we accept the wonderful gift of salvation from Jesus, we actually become a dearly loved child of Almighty God. He has promised us that He will never, never, never leave or abandon us. He is closer to us than the very air we breathe.
      If you are lonely or afraid of the future, I pray that you will be comforted by the truth of these words. You are not alone. You are being held in the mighty hand of your Heavenly Father. In John 10, Jesus was talking about being the Good Shepherd, and He gave us this wonderful promise in verses 27 through 30: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.

I have been using Answers to Praise as a devotional for years. It is so worn out that it is falling apart and
yellow and taped together! I have used praise on a
daily basis and have shared this principle with many
people. It has become such a habit for practical
things – like finding all kinds of things. I have become
very much amused at how we always think we have lost something, and actually realize that God’s know where everything is. I was able to use praise to help a lady find her lost train ticket! Her faith in God increased that day! Thank you for carrying out the praise message to our world. RICHARD, E-MAIL

After reading Prison to Praise I decided to Praise God whenever something negative OR positive happened
in my life. I was amazed at how much joy I experienced
when I took up this practice. Even when I
spilled a cup of hot coffee on my lap when driving, I
managed to “scrape” a “Praise God” off my tongue
even though I was thinking other “expressions”!
Immediately a great peace came over me, followed
by joy. That is one small but powerful example of the
thousands of times I have benefitted from your
teaching to praise God, no matter what happens. I tell
everyone the benefits I have received and recommend
your book. JOHN, E-MAIL

I just finished Answers to Praise and Praise Works! I
enjoyed them very much and they were a blessing to
me. Our son got them at a yard sale. RUTH, VA

Praise News is a blessing beyond words. Economics
have me almost destitute but the Praise News
reminds me to keep praising God for His kindness.
KIT, NV

I haven’t written to you before, even though I’ve
received Praise News for years. It blesses and encourages me. I have ordered books and distributed them in a nursing home and detention center. These books are so encouraging to many people.
PAULETTE, SC

Your Praise books are doing wonders in my life and in my family. They have brought so much excitement
into our lives. LUCY, WY

I daily read from your books as they are a blessing to
me. CAROLYN, CA

I seldom write to let you know how you have blessed
me. I hope we never lose you! You and Mary are a gift
from God and I thank you for your faithfulness.
DANIEL, CA

I have read and re-read your books many times since
the ‘70’s. I continue to be blessed, encouraged and
challenged by the Praise News. KITTY, WA

Praise News has been a great help to me and to the
others that I pass them along too. CAROLYN, CA

I began to read your books one by one. They have
changed my life and I am greatly blessed.
VICTOR, INDIA

I have much peace now that I praise and thank the
Lord. My health is much better and I appreciate you
and Mary so much. GLORIA, CA