Tricia McNair: Noble Life Ministries

USS Lexington - Corpus Christi, Texas December 21, 2014 would have been my father’s 77th birthday. Death was his final battle and it ended in victory. “Death is swallowed up in victory…but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus the Christ.  I Corinthians 15:54-56. He worked many tasks on a ship similar to the one above to provide for his wife and nine children. The tasks were often tough on his body, but he knew that not being able to provide for us would have been a battle so he did the tasks required to do his job for over 45 years. This reminds me of the differences between tasks and battles. I have seen days filled with big battles and small tasks.  There were battles this year that were clearly not tasks. In the real battles I had no strength or power to defeat the Adversary Satan on my own. I could only pray, fast, remember the Word, and wait until the LORD won the battle for me.  I also got a chance to see a few of my friend...

A couple Sundays ago the Women Bible Study explored the topic of Forgiveness.  We discussed forgiving others and ourselves. This brings to mind what our LORD Jesus stated in Matthew 18:35. Several translations state it this way “ This is how my heavenly Father will treat you, unless you each forgive your brother from your heart. “ NKJV makes it even clearer: “ So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses (wrong).” Jesus statement "So My Heavenly Father also will do to you..." is a part of the story of the "Unforgiving Servant". Jesus had told Peter that we are to forgive up to 70 x 7, which is equal to 490 times. 490 times is many times to forgive someone for the wrong they have done to you over and over again, but even Jesus puts an limit on how many times a person can continue to hurt you and ask forgiveness.  At some point they really don't want forgiveness for they...

It has been a while since I blogged largely because of family medical and time consuming events in my life this year. Years ago I made the following prayer a part of my personal prayer time. " Our God, our Father, tend us, feed us, sustain us, maintain us, and comfort us. Grant  us speedy relief, Lord our God, from all our troubles. And please, Lord our God, let us not need other people's gifts or loans, but only Thy filled and open hand, holy and bountiful. So that we may not ever be shamed or humiliated. Amen." This prayer has brought my soul comfort many times. And I, like others, have faced difficult and even impossible situations.  Yet I find peace and rest in Him and I keep on going. You may be bearing a heavy load of disappointments, financial burdens, overwhelming situations, or the death of a loved one or the final end to a long relationship. However, God is able to help us, keep us from sin, temptation, shame or disgrace. If we would not let the impulse...

I have traveled many places including Jerusalem, Israel where I watched people carry the cross through the streets of Via DoloRosa. This picture was taken by me as I stood on the side of the road amazed by the act of carrying the cross. Carrying the cross reminds me to ask, "What will I carry into 2014?" Will I carry health or illness, brokenness or restoration, bad relationships or freedom from them, financial troubles or financial soundness, fear or faith? I do not want to carry anything that is not from God or will not be held up by Him in 2014.  He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.   He paid the price and carried everything that could burden me down and steal my life so I didn't have to.  Christ held his body on the cross so that I could have a new life.  When He died all old things including my sin went with Him and when He rose all things ...