HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

For there is born to you this day

in the city of David a Savior, who

is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

My first birthday party was when I was two years old. My Mother gathered her friends of like age with little ones of like age as mine for the party. I don't recall a thing about it and wouldn't know anything about it except for a few old black and white photos. The main food was home made vegetable soup and birthday cake. It was really for my mother to enjoy opening the presents I received.

Birthdays have always been big deals in our culture and they still are. Great hurt can come from not being remembered on one's birthday. A couple of empty cards just won't “cut the cake” so to speak. The feel and sound of ripping gift wrappings are necessary or it becomes just an ordinary day.

However, friends or relatives, ahead of one's special day may ask what one wants for her birthday. The older we get, the more that list shrinks because wants and needs become less and less. In our older years, we may express a desire for good health both physical and spiritual. We may not want a knowing friend to announce out loud our birthday in front of a group of people. Where once in much younger years, we wanted gifts and loads of attention, that seems to wane with time and age.

I have thought about what Jesus would like for His birthday this year. I know He's God but was also born physically like we were. He would have too many candles on a cake to light or blow out. If asked, “What do You want for Your birthday this year?” I think I know what a likely answer might be, and an honest desire on His part. I think He would be so pleased if we would simply give Him the gift of ourselves.

Happy Birthday Jesus and thank You for coming to a very unappreciative earth. Thank You for the greatest gift ever...that of our salvation. May we in turn be generous in giving our lives fully to You for Your use. In Your precious name...Amen 

HOPE IN GOD

Why are you cast down,

O my soul? And why are

you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

for I shall yet praise Him for

the help of His countenance.

Psalm 42:8

I wonder how many times in my life, even beginning in very early years, how many times I have said the words: “I hope so..” I think in those early years, that I kinda, sorta knew I was wanting things to shake out to my benefit. Even as an adult, I still feel some of that even after these many years.

Psalm 42 is a Psalm of longing for God, especially in times of difficulty. We all know what those times are without giving anything a title. I also know that what may be difficult for another isn't necessarily difficult for me. The hard things of life we face are very individual but painful none-the-less. It is interestin ]g that in this chapter, verses 8 and 11 are almost identical in wording except for a last phrase and it is very similar. The cry out for God's presence at all times, especially in the hard times are so wonderfully speaking for us in this Psalm.

In just a matter of a few days, we will be looking at a new year. I'm not anticipating major problems coming my way bu t life can bring the positives and negatives during that year. But come what may, we have hope for the good and for the spiritual strength to plough through the rest. We may hope all we want but often fail to affirm that our hope can't be in the possible events of life. Whatever comes our way, any hope other than in our Heavenly Father is in vain.

Father, I'm so grateful that we a secure hope in You no matter our circumstances. In past days, we have thought we hope in doctors, neighbors and even family. All of those folks mean well but know our every need. We hope in You because You are our only help Thank You for Your individual care for us and consistent love. Thank You for Jesus who gave His all for us that our hope is safe and secure in You. In His precious name...Amen

 

PROMISES, PROMISES

The Lord is not slack concerning

His promise, as some count

slackness, but is long-suffering

toward us, not willing that any

should perish but that all should

to repentance.

II Peter 3:9

In days of childhood, we were quick to make promises. They didn't amount to much looking back but we were pretty serious about them at the time. If we made a promise we often sealed it by saying: “Cross my heart and hope to die...I'll stick a needle in my eye.” If we sealed our promise with that vow, probably most of us would have been blind by supper time.

So what is a promise? It is simply assuring firmly with an honest spirit that we will do exactly what we have told someone we will do. Of course, truth has a lot to do with promises. How often have we been lied to by someone who held a straight face stating they would come through for something on our behalf and probably had no intention of seeing that promise through.

We have learned through the years that our Bibles are full of the wonderful promises of God. Many in our lives have broken promises they have made to us. Such promises might have come from family or friends. However, even today, the media provides us with lots of promises through advertisements, news broadcasts or political events. It would seem in many areas that promises don't mean much anymore.

Aren't we thankful we have a Heavenly Father who ALWAYS keeps His Word. Scripture is full of His promises. It began in Genesis after the first sin, promising His plan for taking care of the sin problem. Noah after the flood was promised by God that there would never be again a flood that would be all encompassing like the one he had lived through. There are many promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. Along with this were prophecies of His sacrifice for the sins of humanity.

In the book of Hebrews, especially in chapter eleven we see mentioned many fulfilled promises by God on the part of Old Testament saints. It's an encouraging read. Unfortunately, we are often the recipients of unfulfilled promises so we tend to be a little hesitant in our believing in promises given to us at anytime.

Because God is faithful, keeps His Word and we have been on the negative end of broken promises, our faith is so necessary and grows as our relationship with Him grows. God never has and never will break a single promise He has declared on your and my behalf.  

I'm so grateful Father that You can be completely trusted concerning every single promise we see in Your Word. You have more than earned our trust. We love You and are so grateful for Your loving us, encouraging us in our relationship with You. In Jesus precious name...Amen

SCAREDY CAT, SCAREDY CAT

The LORD is my light and my

salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of

my life; of whom shall I

be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

It's been a long time but very clear in my mind putting up with name calling. When in the very young elementary years, being called a SCAREDY CAT wasn't unusual. It usually occurred when someone older was daring me to do something I feared or really was afraid to tackle whatever the challenge. Adults usually get past such name calling but often are challenged none-the-less minus the name calling.

In Scripture, we meet folks who had to face their own fears. Most of their fears we can understand. Some of those fears may not always have been clear. For instance, David as a shepherd had to kill some fierce animals in order to protect his sheep. As an adult, we see David fleeing for his life from Saul. Did David love God? He certainly did love God but in his humanity still faced times of fear.

The above verse was written by David. If fear had come into David's life, he was quick to say how he came to see it. From what we see of David, he didn't park himself in the middle of fear, staying there until the cause passed over. He saw such circumstances in light of how he viewed the Lord in his life.

When we rely upon our Lord as our light, He can guide us through any circumstance. Our Lord will save us in the direst of negative events. Finally, David saw the Lord as his strength...strength when at one's weakest.

We are living in a culture of fear. Even TV ads try to scare us with health threats including new out breaks of whatever, safest cars to drive, right candidates to vote for and don't forget wars all over the place. No matter the scare tactics of Satan, we see in II Timothy 1:7 that “God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Father, we are so grateful for Your guidance, protection and wisdom in our every circumstance. Help us to rest in You despite what our culture presents from one day to another. Use us in these days to be encouragers. In Jesus name....Amen

CHANGE ME, LORD

But we all, with open face beholding

as in a glass the glory of the Lord,

are changed into the same image

from glory to glory, even as by

the Spirit of the Lord.

II Corinthians 3:18

In today's culture, it's easy to look around at others, often Christians, judging regarding changes they need to make in their lives. We can dwell too often on the shortcomings of others instead of looking in our own spiritual mirrors.

In 1977, Evelyn Christenson wrote a book that totally blew my mind only next to the Word of God itself. I have a very old copy of it that book that I still pull out every now and then. Because my first few readings of this book had such an impact on my life, I still learn from it every time I read it. The title of the book is “Lord, Change Me.” It's such an old book, and I'm not even sure it can be purchased in a regular bookstore anymore but might be ordered.

Evelyn had been a wonderful conference speaker in prior to 1977 and to my knowledge continued to do so for several years. She wrote even more books on the subject of prayer. This book had prayer scattered throughout but the main subject of the book had to do with Evelyn and her coming to the recognition of needing the Lord to really change her instead of her family and friends.. When people like Evelyn do a lot of teaching, they can get lost in subjects and lose their depth with the Lord. Evelyn came to that recognition of that in the 1970's and was devastated, but determined to get on track with the Lord.

Evelyn went before the Lord over several days and weeks. She was to the point of being willing to totally give up all conferences and writing if it meant her getting back to the relationship with the Lord where He could make real changes in her life. She was saturated with the things of God, but she realized that she wasn't saturated with God Himself.

That can happen so easily. We are faithful to read our Bibles in a scan-like way, pray the usual memorized prayers, faithfully attend church, giving and service. We know about God and His expectations but perhaps fail to really know Him intimately. He so wants a close relationship with you and me. We must be willing to let Him change us into His will and image. I've heard people say that no one really likes change. This kind of change, however, can turn our lives upside down for the Lord. He would be so pleased.

Dear Lord...I know my life isn't what it ought to be for You. My desire is to be changed more into Your image but I can't do it myself. I must have Your power to make the kind of difference in my life that is needed. Help me to not look at changes others need to make, but those that I need to change. Thank You for Your love, patience and forgiveness. In Jesus' precious name.....Amen

 

SO VERY BLESSED

Blessed be the LORD, Who daily

loads us with benefits, the God

of our salvation!

Psalm 68:19

At the beginning of this calendar year, I came to a decision. For the first New Year, I was without Brian and for most of 2022. It had been most difficult adjusting to being alone without the earthly love of my life. I can't tell you the family, friends and neighbors who stepped up to see to my well being in every way. God used each one of them in different ways that led me to reaffirm what I already knew....that God is still on His throne and has promised to never leave or forsake me.

Many days seemed darker because of emotional difficulties and a phone call would come or mail from some folks I didn't even know very well. I loved being in my house, just looking around at all that was so familiar. I had never hung one thing on the walls of our house. Brian had always done that because it just wasn't my thing. It felt good seeing those things.

By the middle of Januy, it dawned on me one day how very blessed I am despite missing Brian so very much. I was being blessed all over the place but rarely tracked any of those things. I decided to make a BLESSED notebook. It started with January of this year.

You and I are blessed all the time and often just chalk it up to daily circumstances. I'm amazed at the things I've written in my BLESSED notebook. I put down the date and then write only one or two brief sentences that describes a special touch from the Lord I want to remember.

In the beginning of my book, I copied several verses from Psalms that contains at least one reference to blessing. Many of my blessings would make no sense to anyone and might sound very much on the strange side but were blessings to me such as: “Neighbors brought me some good potato soup for supper.” Some might refer to special blessings from a sermon or just in reading ones Bible.

All in all, I'm amazed when thumbing through my notebook on perhaps a difficult day how I'm blessed and brought to remembrance the wonderful goodness and love God has brought into my life and using others to do the same. In this Thanksgiving season, we shouldn't be counting our blessings just in one holiday time. We can be doubly blessed by staying aware of God's goodness and blessings each day even if we can't begin to write them all down.

Bottom line is that we are so very blessed in so many ways every day of our lives, and not just on one day in November.

Thank You Father for the way You bless us every day of our lives. Forgive my not having a spirit of gratitude for all You do in my life. I'm so blessed to the point I lose track of all You pour into my life every day, not just on a holiday. I love and appreciate you. Thank You Jesus for Your loving sacrifice and I pray these things in Your sweet name....Amen 

LET THE SON-SHINE IN

Ah, Lord God! You have made

the heavens and the earth by

Your great power and outstretched

arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

Jeremiah 32:17

Fall is dwindling here where I live but there is still some beautiful color along the highways and the mountain hillsides. Visitors come from all over the country to take pictures and just inhale the Fall air. They are mostly gone now getting ready for the holidays.

I was sitting in a parking area that had a wonderful view of mountains near and far where folks were parking there as well. I saw there was often some disappointment because there didn't seem to be as much color on the mountain sides nearest to us. Some would wait awhile and then reluctantly take pictures half-heartedly.

I had sat there for awhile prior to some tourists arriving and had noticed something very interesting. The mountains we were looking at looked as green as could be. It was a rather dull day with darker clouds hovering. When the sun managed to peek through in small ways on the seemingly green areas, those areas lit up with the beauty of Fall colors. When the sun withdrew, things were dark on the mountain sides again. It was the warmth and beauty of the sun's rays bringing out the Fall beauty...perfect for picture taking.

How often do our lives loose their luster and beauty of our spiritual walk. Problems of all types come into our lives and can bring a dullness in us that we might not even notice. Our sunshine is different...it's our SON-shine. Our lives can be colorful and beautiful when we walk in the light of Jesus and maintain a close relationship with Him. So....let the SON-shine in.

Thank You Father for Jesus and all He means in our lives. Help us to love and appreciate Him more. May we allow Him to so shine in our lives that He will be seen in us. In His precious name...Amen 

 

KEEP GROWING

As you therefore have received Christ

Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

rooted and built up in Him and

established in the faith, as you

have been taught, abounding in it

with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6,7

I recall as a little kid that we had the best of neighbors. One of my favorites was old Mr. Rennie. Everyone in those days were”old” in their 60's. He always had a huge garden and in the summer I would go to his backdoor and ask if I could eat a tomato. He had taught me how to pick just the right ones for eating. We would both get a tomato and then sat on his back porch steps and each ate our tomato's...with salt of course.

When I would see him just sitting on his front porch, enjoying a tall glass of iced tea during warmer days, I would stop in front of his house while on my tricycle and simply ask, “Mr. Rennie, whatcha doin'?” I can't tell you how many times he would answer me with the same words, “I'm just watchin' the grass grow.” I always just took for granted that it was exactly what he was doing without questioning the purpose of it all.

Lately, I've been thinking about the personal growth of Christians in general, of which I are one. At this time, Fall has all but fallen and growth of anything in nature is coming to almost a standstill. Mr. Rennie wouldn't even be able to watch any grass grow with all the weather changes, let alone sit on his front porch.

My prayer for us is that in these cooler, more confining days, we will make every effort to continue to grow in the things of the Lord. Perhaps more indoor time can be spent in the Word, reading healthy materials, praying, or contacting folks we know are in need of some attention. People speak of wanting to know God's will for their lives when everyday of life God gives us is His actual will. His callings for special activity will come, but our growth should be a very daily thing.

Remember: We can't let the grass of the world grow under our spiritual feet.

Thank You Father, for Your patience with us and loving us beyond measure. Keep us growing in You, knowing that's Your will for us....because of Jesus...Amen

CLEAN ME UP

But if we walk in the light as He

is in the light, we have fellowship

with one another, and the blood of

Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us

from all sin.

I John 1:7

Because of a Bible study I had been working on, the subject of soap came to my mind. I can recall our only bath soap was Ivory Soap and it was 99.44% pure. It smelled terrible but hey, it floated. From there new soaps came on the market that folks just had to buy...Lifebuoy, Dial, Lava (for my mechanic dad) and now so many brands, it's hard to decide. It depends on what company has the best ad on TV.

Looking back now, one of the things I liked in that simpler time was that Saturday night was bath night. The wash tub from the back porch was brought into the kitchen for bath night. The rest of the week, all necessary body parts were washed from the sink. Today, soap companies have convinced folks they have to bathe or shower at least once a day and maybe twice. People in our country have always been an easy con for companies with a good claim or two.

There is one product however, known from back in eternity. It isn't promoted by some earthly company. With all of our earthly cleansers, none are of any permanent use. Clothes get dirty again as do bodies. It's a never ending process. Not so with the cleansing provided by a Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus. We were born dirty with sin and no earthly product can clean that. It's a cleanser that keeps cleaning us over and over despite our leaning toward sin.

Huge companies would refer to such a product as a kind of soap. However, we lovingly know and refer to it as “the blood.” It doesn't just insure us a Heavenly home but to peace and fellowship in the now of our lives.

What can wash away my sin...nothing but the blood of Jesus! Don't even need the wash tub off the back porch.

Dear Father, blood in our day isn't discussed anymore because there is so much of it due to sin and wrongdoing. I pray we will never grow weary of speaking of and loving the blood Jesus shed for each of us...in His precious name...Amen 

FEAR GALORE

For God has not given us a

spirit of fear, but of power

and of love and of a

sound mind.

II Timothy 1:7

Perhaps you haven't noticed the fear mentality we live with in our day. We are bombarded with fear right and left. Unfortunately, most folks buy into it all. Fear breeds fear. Fear of all sorts gets passed around. Soon we are basket cases and can't figure out why.

On TV we are hit right and left with fear. Ads on TV expose us to disease we never would have thought of, but we are told we had better buy their product or it could be tragic. TV will show us drugs we HAVE to have and see your doctor about them. There are vitamins that meet all dietary requirements. Take those and we will be healthier, sprier than ever. 

When we are bombarded with fear all the time, if we aren't careful, it can take root. Fear can become a part of everything we do and most everything we are. Think of things you have seen or heard on the media of late that we might take in and not realize it. Satan is very sly in his approach to us. Sometimes, we make his job easy. In many cases, he doesn't even have to park on our doorstep. We fall for what our culture batters us with, no questions asked.

When it comes to fear, we must always consider it's source. It's not the big companies looking to make mega bugs, nor politicians seemingly out to destroy the country we love. Those things are just tools Satan uses to keep us tense and fearful. There are times in life's situation that may be cause for concern. However when it comes to fear, we tend to feel totally out of control and at another's mercy. Scripture tells us we are more than conquerors in this life of ours. It's our decision to keep our eyes on the Father and not on fear. He has equipped us for victory.

Father, the world and it's fears seem to gnaw at our minds consistently. May we keep in mind Your gifts of power, love and sound minds and cling to those things. Help us to stay focused on You and Your will. In Jesus' name...Amen

 

IF

...Everything is possible for

the one who believes.

Mark 9:23

Having taught ladies for over 60 years, there are things I had to learn along the way about what I was or wasn't doing right. In this process, one of my biggest lessons learned was that the lesson I was preparing had to start with my own personal lessons learned ahead of teaching others. Such was with my most recent lesson.

Jesus could do anything. He was a Powerhouse in so many ways especially in meeting the needs in the lives of others. In the Gospels we find His ability to drive out demons from tortured individuals, such was the case with a particular father. He came to Jesus for help and it would seem he really believed Jesus could heal his son. In talking with Jesus one on one, he plead for help from Jesus saying: “If you can do anything......” He continued asking for Jesus' compassion on their .behalf.

There was something in the man's plea that Jesus noticed right away, because He replied, “If You can?” He then gave that wise counsel in the words we see above. It would seem that the key word in question was the word IF.

IF is a word that is very iffy if you know what I mean. We use it all the time in our common everyday language without thinking about it. I'm not going to try to try to list those instances as they are too many. For that father, his situation, however, was not an everyday event. He was desperate. IF is almost a word not just of begging but a word that can cause a situation to go in most any direction.

Spiritually speaking, IF cancels out confidence. We want to be people of strong faith but IF often gets in the way. How often have we prayed, “Father, IF it be your will....” It's like giving God an out. He is going to work His will in our lives for our good and His glory and it will never come about as a result of an IF. There are times and places for the use of that word, but certainly not in our spiritual walk. We can still come boldly to the throne of grace with no if's, and's or buts and aren't we glad.

Thank You Father, for Your patience with us. Help us to increase our faith so that we never question any of Your abilities but rest in Your strength and love. We are so grateful for Your loving care and seeing to our good with no IFs. In Jesus name...Amen

 

'TIS THE SEASON

No, it isn't time to go Christmas shopping as of yet, but it's certainly around the corner. By now we know that seasons come and go. We learned early in our education that there are four weather-type seasons in our year...spring, summer, fall and winter. We have seasons in sports that rarely overlap although even they seem to be bumping up against each other.

We anticipate our weather seasons depending on the individual climates they present. No one wants a sled in July or other such mix ups. We pay close attention to weather reports, especially when living in certain parts of the country that tend to have negative weather events.

Jesus was about to ascend to Heaven. He had been with His disciples and some others for some days and now a much anticipated time was about to occur. Jesus knew much more about this special time than did the observers who knew little of anything about what was about to happen...the coming of the Holy Spirit. In His conversation in these moments, He said something very insightful in Acts 1:7...

And He said to them, “It is not

for you to know times or seasons

which the Father has put in His

own authority...”

The disciples were especially anxious to know everything that was about to happen regarding coming days. Jesus would tell them about the Holy Spirit and their coming ministry, but just before that, He wanted them to not be anxious about times or seasons. That all rested with God. It's so like us to feel the same. No matter the times, God doesn't have to fret regarding coming events, weather forecasts or any other future happenings because He's in charge of it all....and aren't we glad.

We praise You Father that we don't have to fret about coming days. You meet us around every corner and we are grateful. In Jesus name...Amen

 

CHEW, CHEW, CHEW

Finally, brethren, whatever things

are true, whatever things are noble,

whatever things are just,

whatever things are pure,

whatever things are lovely

whatever things are of good report,

if there is any virtue and if there is

anything praiseworthy---

MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS.

Philippians 4:8

Hmmmmm.....I wonder as we read our way through Scriptures, how often we pause to meditate on a verse or even a phrase. There may be a phrase we have slid over for years, and it's there every time we read. When we've been in Sunday school and church for years, and come to know the Bible fairly well, we can be careless and miss out on some real treasures.

For me, another word for “meditate” is the word “chew.” I married a man who really knew how to chew his food. I noticed that with one bite of food, Brian gave that food several chews before swallowing. He said it insured getting all of the nutrients out of the food, plus enjoying the taste.

Isn't that what we should be doing in our Bible reading? We don't have to speed through a chapter or even a few verses. If the Spirit stops us at a certain place in our reading, He probably wants us to meditate (chew) there for awhile to get all the spiritual nutrients out of the passage possible. It can't hurt to stop in our reading and chew awhile!

Thank You for Your word, Father. May we glean all the good stuff from each verse we reading without hurrying through our reading. Holy Spirit, don't give up on us...keep teaching us. In Jesus name....Amen

 

CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY

Let the words of my mouth and

the meditation of my heart be

acceptable in Your sight, O

Lord, my strength and my

Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Through my preteen and teen years, we had a wonderful youth group in our Baptist Church. We met for our BYF meetings an hour prior to the Sunday evening service and most of us were very close friends. The Randolph's were our leaders. They often had us all out to their house for social times if there weren't any ballgames to attend. The Randolph's are in Heaven now and only there will they come to know what they meant in our lives.

At the end of our meetings on Sunday evening, there was a tradition. Our closing prayer was the above verse. We would stand in a circle holding hands with heads bowed and would repeat the verse. I've always loved the verse primarily for spiritual and now some sentimental reasons. It wasn't until as a young adult that I began not just reciting the verse but personally looking at it for content.

The verse starts out with the word LET. That indicates that it must me, on my own accepting the responsibility of putting that verse into practice. It is a fact that what's in the heart of a person will come out often quite loudly for the world to hear.

Words can heal or words can harm. We use words just in every day communication and we don't give it a thought. That's how we talk with each other verbally or in other different ways. The danger comes when we determine certain things we are going to speak to someone no matter what. Such words can be words of anger or frustration often spoken in a much different way than intended. We can determine just as well to speak to someone in kindness and perhaps to encourage.

The above verse indicates the use of words in a very definite way. We may often feel captive to what comes out of our mouths. The problem is that what comes from our mouths have already been formed in our hearts. Our conversations might in the end indicate a heart problem and that's a problem only our Father can help us with.

Thank You Father for speaking love into my life through Your Word and Your sweet Spirit. Help me to continually see the connection between my words and the meditations of my heart. May my words always reflect Your Words as I spend time in my Bible daily. Forgive my rush to speak when I should wait to listen. In Jesus name....Amen

A REFUGE FOR SURE

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

My grandparents had a noticeable small hill in their yard on one side of their house. My grandmother loved gardening so that small hill was just covered with all sorts of brightly colored blooms. It was the kind of little hill a little girl would love to just simi-crawl up. I was strictly told that it was a place where little girls were never to play. I still loved that pretty little hill and it took a little time for me to notice that some vines on that hill had grown over a door.

When I asked my Grandpa about it, he said that it was a storm cellar. He explained it was a place to go in case a storm or tornado came into town. I knew about storms but not tornadoes. I learned again later that in the early 1900's a horrible tornado had swept through a part of our town that did terrible damage. After that many folks had put storm cellars in their yards. My grandparents had never used it so they used it to store foods my Grandma had canned at the end of the summer.

Thinking about what a refuge might be, I found it's basically a place of safety and security. It might make a family feel better to have a storm cellar if they lived in a tornado-prone area. It would serve well in times of needed physical security, but what about those times we are in need of spiritual or emotional security. We might like a storm cellar of such things but afraid there really isn't such a thing.

I remember just the chorus to a hymn we often sung years ago:

O Jesus is a rock in a weary land

A weary land, a weary land.

O Jesus is a rock in a weary land

A shelter in the time of storm.

No matter our need, when the storms of life come, we all need Someone, somewhere to flee to. We may have a special place of peace we love for when we read, pray and meditate. However, places often change. Friends may be wonderful in encouraging us when we are facing difficult times, but sometimes even friends change in place or attitudes. We have One sure place and Person to run to...our own storm shelter that never changes, open 24/7 and that takes the form of very loving arms, the hollow of a hand...even wings to hide under. There is no earthly storm shelter or refuge that can provide all of that. Only our Heavenly Father stands with open arms, real security the world will never be able to provide. He's our shelter and refuge in the time of any storm we face.

Dear Father, I'm so grateful for the salvation I enjoy because of Jesus but You have so many other things in store for us. Thank You for our live-in Holy Spirit who speaks to us through Your Word and through other godly ones. Thank You that I don't have to make an appointment to talk to You and enjoy Your presence any time I want. In Jesus' precious name...Amen 

 

GOOD GRAICOUS

And He said to me. “My grace

is sufficient for you, for My strength

is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore most gladly I will rather

boast in my infirmities, that the

power of Christ may rest upon me.

II Corinthians 12:9

For many years in my Bible reading, I wondered in Paul's writings that usually after the first two or three verses of each of his books, he used the phrase “Grace and peace be with you...” He was so consistent in that wonderful greeting to those he loved and with whom he shared his heart. I often wondered why he didn't say “peace and grace.” I eventually caught on to the fact that without the grace of God, there can be no real peace.

I don't know about you, but I used to hear the above title two-word phrase said by adults when I was but a very young girl. I don't know how often someone said to me, “Good gracious Glendarae....” It took me some years to get the words grace and gracious connected. Let me quickly say that any human graciousness can never be compared to the grace God showers into our lives consistently.

Gracious people I have known are really nice people. They are kind and very accommodating in being of help and encouragement to people they know and often with folks they don't know well. The problem for we human beings is that we aren't always nice. When we are troubled, irritated with someone or even going through a time of illness, our graciousness can be on the limited side. Our graciousness can be tempered by moods or circumstances.

 hear a lot, though, about God's grace. We know for a fact that Scripture tell us that by grace we are saved. That gives us our first real introduction to grace. Any grace God extends to us is totally undeserved. We don't deserve God's blink of His eye toward any of us but that is who God is. His Son paid the highest of price for us thanks to the grace of His Father.

We also have an everyday, every hour grace that God extends into our lives that we again don't deserve. God will never withdraw it or lessen it. In fact, Paul was told of God's grace and it's sufficiency in his life no matter the circumstances. He was assured of God's ongoing power, a grace sufficient for every circumstance.

That was great for Paul, but guess what....it's sufficient for us as well no matter what our days look like. Because of God's grace in our lives, we are to extend that graciousness into the lives of others. There are folks who don't deserve our favor but we extend it anyway just as our Father pours His undeserved grace into our lives.

Father God, without Your grace, we would be nothing, floundering in life with no purpose. Thank You for not giving up on us even though we don't deserve a moment of Your graciousness. We are grateful because of Jesus love....Amen

 

PRESS ON

I press toward the mark for

the prize of the high calling

of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14

Been watching the world track championships this week. Brian watched anything that had to do with track and field. That was a a consistency for us from the time we got married. The older I get the harder it is for me to watch anyone lose in their sport.

There was always one thing that just irked us when it came to any of the races, be it men or women, no matter the distance. Many of the races came down to the final turn headed for the finish line. I would imagine there are coaches of the runners who grew gray hair in the process of watching their athletes headed for the finish line.

Perfect example...I recently watched a race where one runner was obviously going to win his heat. The young man in second kept looking back from side to side to see how near his competitor was to him, how much of a threat. Only the first two winners of a particular heat would go to the final race. Fortunately for the gaping young man, he did come in second which did move him into the final race. There have been times when we have seen such going on and such a runner has lost. That was always sad to watch when in reality, he should have gotten into the finals, but he was distracted.

In a sense, we believers are also in a race, a race that demands our putting our focus where it should be. We aren't in a race for any medal or standing proudly on the winners podium. Our race involves much more than any athletic event we could ever participate in on this earth. Our reward is a prize beyond measure or earthly treasure. No matter who we are whether young or old, all as believers are participants.

World athletes train vigorously in so many ways to be the best they can be. They exercise, watch their diets, get needed rest and of course, sponsorship. We have the best Sponsor in our race. We have His word to feed upon along with His promised rest. We should exercise in obeying our Coach and actively serving Him and others. Our job is to press on, aiming and focusing on the finish line. Our goal....finishing well to God's glory.

Father, help us to avoid distractions of this world that would keep us from being all for You we can be. I know I'm not racing to beat any human being. Satan doesn't want me to count for You but You are so much more than he is. Help me to stay focused on You and those things that count for You. In Jesus' name...Amen

FIND ME IF YOU CAN

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from

Your presence?

Psalm 139:7

Growing up and still quite young, I had a huge imagination that I know would be hard for anyone who knows me to understand. Most of my adventures were alone. I was big on making “play houses.” Many girls will remember that term. I made mine all over the place. We had a very high front porch and I had a place all cleaned out under there where I could play for hours. I loved our old broken down coal shed. When my Mother couldn't find me, she would go there and would find me chewing on a piece of coal.....I loved the taste of coal. I could find places mostly near our house for my adventures. Once my “house” was ready, I would go get my dolls and there would teach them songs and tell them stories. I feel bad that kids today know nothing of such play times.

For years, I have loved Psalm 139. If smeone reads and absorbs it, taking it to heart, it's a wonderful Psalm that can make a person feel more than important to God. It's a wonderful piece of Scripture to build a healthy self esteem because of God's personal attention.

The questions we know answer themselves. You and I can go absolutely no where but what God is there. In this Psalm we see a couple of instances where it would seem there are those who would try to get away from God. They might even try to escape even being in the presence of God. A few of the following verses give examples of where folks may like to escape to from God. The places mentioned seem to ridiculous to me but are: ascend into heaven, bed in hell, fly on wings, parts of the sea...that person may really feel escape is possible. But then we read in verse 10:

Even there [places mentioned] Your hand shall lead me,

and Your right hand shall hold me.

Sometimes my Mother had to get out of the house to find me. I had my secret places but she always found me. God didn't have to go looking. He knew no matter my secret places, He always knew where I was.....by the way, He still does.

Thank You Father for keeping an eye on me, always knowing where I am and what's going on in my life. I pray I will never desire to hide from You but always be in close and loving fellowship with You. Keep me close. In Jesus' precious name....Amen 

THY WORD

Thy word is a lamp unto my

feet and a light unto

my path.

Psalm 119:105

One Sunday in November of 1949, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Our church was finishing up a revival week. During that Sunday morning sermon I felt funny {convicted} regarding my need of Jesus in my very young life. I had no family in attendance at the time so rushed home to tell my Mother. She was very dubious to say the least. For some reason, she felt one who was 12 years old and older could be saved. Well, I knew I was saved despite her age regulation.

In this process, my first desire was to have a Bible of my own. Here again, it would seem I needed to be 12 for this to happen. My friend Donna had a nice Bible. A few times I sat beside her in church and she would let me look on the pages with her. I noticed how she marked her favorite verses. I just wanted a Bible whether I marked a verse or not. I did get a Bible when I was 12. My aunt had been told that sending me one would be okay for my birthday. Since those days, my Bible has been such a precious possession. I've worn through some but that's okay. I think of adults in some countries, saved people who would give anything for a Bible or even a few pages from one.

Psalm 119 has been a favorite of mine for years. In every verse except for about 3 there is a synonym, a word that means “Bible” to us. Some of those words are: laws, statutes, judgments, commandments, testimonies, precepts, and word. When I get a new Bible, one of my first exercises is going to Psalm 119, reading it and in that process, circling each of those words. God has provided His Word to us in so many ways that may speak to us from different angles.

What a wonder God's Word is teaching and ministering to us right where we are no matter our times or circumstances. For weeks after Brian's Homegoing, I spent hours daily reading it. At times it was through tears, often hardly knowing what I was reading. However, God's Word will always meet our needs. It is a book of comfort and encouragement in the toughest of times. How can we allow it to just sit on a table or counter, ignoring what the God of all has to say to us? Those precious pages are calling!

Father God, thank You for Your Word and Your desire to show us just some of Who You are through it. Help us to be faithful in spending time in it not just for study but for getting to know You so much better. In Jesus name....Amen 

THE GOLD OF SILENCE

My soul, wait silently for God alone,

for my expectation is from Him.

Psalm 62:5

Silence in our culture is a kind of lost art. No matter where we go, there is noise. Some of that noise isn't necessarily offensive, but we are almost programmed to demand sound of some sort in the background of our lives. Almost every store we go into, we are greeted with background music. While putting gas in one's car, there is often music or news coming from the speakers near the gas pumps.

We are often the ones at fault when it comes to appreciating the need for silence in our lives. We don't see the need to practice being still. The quiet moments in our lives can often be nerve wracking...we don't seem to feel comfortable in our own silence. In our day, if we are to have silent moments where we can think and pray, it will take discipline on our part, and yes, even some work. Many years ago, I recall “older” people saying, “Silence is golden...let's get rich.” It was a nice way of asking for silence in the moment.

In recent days, I read a paragraph regarding silence that left such an impression on me. No author was noted but I loved the thought. The paragraph said, :”Silence is a direct path to God's presence. Silence is the door where God stands waiting to enter.” The statement is simple yet so profound. Only in silence can we REALLY hear what He has to say to us. I also read from another general source that silence allows a connection to God beyond what words can express.

For me, the only background sounds that aren't disrupting for me would be the sounds of God's creative nature. I have a place not too far from our house where I park by the river. I lower the front car windows and hear the gurgle of the river's movement and at times, light breezes passing through the tree tops. Those sounds, the handiwork of God's hands, are not noticeable to the point of being a distraction. I have been addressing this thing of needed silence in my own life. I have counseled myself with the following verse:

Be still and know that

I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Noise to one person may not be noise to another but we all have distractions. Minus those distractions, especially when reading the Word, we'll come to know and love our Father better.

Thank You, Father for listening to us through all the noise and distractions of or our lives. Help us to know the importance of being in Your presence with little if any distractions. Thank You for being so patient with us. We love You. In Jesus' precious name...Amen

 

THE FAITH OF FOUR

Then they came to Him,

bringing a paralytic who

was carried by four men.

Mark 2:3

The incident mentioned in Mark of four men getting a paralytic man to Jesus for healing has been one of my favorites. Reported in this incident, we really see more about the four men and their activities than that of the paralytic. We begin with Jesus preaching in a residence. The house was full and many people were in the overflow. Those carriers, however, were very determined. If they couldn't get in the door to Jesus, they would find another way. There was a strong determination to get that handicapped man to Jesus. Jesus' reputation had spread and they saw Him as their friend's only help and hope

I don't know how the house owners felt about it, but the men went up a side stairway that was common to houses in that day. Common also was the construction of roofs. They had no air conditioning and little accommodation for air circulation. Most houses then had removable large pieces of a roof that could be opened and moved to one side. Those guys were very creative and determined to get their friend to Jesus. It worked. They lowered that paralytic down right to Jesus.

How about us? We may not have ever been paralytic physically in times past, but I believe there have been other times of paralysis...emotional, spiritual, difficult circumstances where for some reason, we just couldn't get to Jesus. It was never the fault of Jesus because we know He's always with us, never forsaking us. Some things happen that just seem to stop us in our tracks. At those times, nothing feels normal.

Obviously, the four men in the incident above were toting some kind of stretcher with each of the men taking one corner. We don't know the size of the paralytic but it would seem that four were needed to carry that man to Jesus. You and I in our most difficult of times have had “stretcher” carriers that in it all have worked on our behalf to get to Jesus. 

 In my own life I'm thinking of a dear Sunday school teacher, deacons, pastoral staff members, children and good friends. They haven't all functioned at the same time, but I've often had four or more who have ministered in my life to get me to to Lord. Salvation wasn't the issue...rigors of life were. As I often say, they were “Jesus with skin on.” Never underestimate the importance of being a burden bearer in the life of another even if it means taking some unusual steps in doing so.

Father God, I'm so grateful for those who have carried me along over the last several months. Bless them and somehow let them know what their ministry has meant to me. Keep me aware of times I need to take hold of a corner of one's life encouraging that person of Your loving care. In Jesus' precious name....Amen 

 

WEEDS

If we confess our sins, He is

 faithful and just to forgive us our

sins and to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness.

I John 1:9

Well, I finally did it....I did some weed pulling around my rose bushes that are up against the front porch of the house. I've noticed them increasing around the bushes but have very little energy to get down on the ground and do the pulling necessary. By now, there are weeds I'm quite acquainted with. Some are just little green tufts that are easy to pull. Having had a good rain in the last couple of days, I knew they would come up with little resistance.

The next weeds are those that are a little more mature. They take some pulling. They almost look at you like a rebellious teenager daring to be pulled and yanked on. They are tough to pull out but not totally impossible.

Then there are the wide spreading ones that look like they should be on the lawn itself and not near any rose bushes. They require more attention. One can trim some of their leaves away but then the tugging and pulling must be applied. It's not a place to use a shovel. I could dig some of the dirt from around them but the dirt wasn't the problem... a well established root was the problem. The long root secured the bunch of grass but it did more. With some effort, I found two places where I pulled single roots that were close to two feet long. Those roots were also generating small shoots of grass on down by another rose bush.

I came in the house, hot and dripping from sweat. Took time to cool off and in thinking of the process I had just participated in, I found myself comparing all that pulling and tugging with sin than can so easily take root in our lives.

Sin has beginnings and that's the time to prayerfully get them out of our lives. That's easier than the next step when a particular sin can become a little more at home in us. Ridding ourselves of it can take a lot more effort. Gone unattended that sin can take very deep root, growing and even multiplying itself. It may even become comfortable for some depending on what it is.

The key is to allow the Holy Spirit to convict us and we respond in repentance no matter the sin, how old or how deep it runs. Taking care of it in it's early stages can be much easier. Any of the processes must be done through our love of Jesus who paid all that we might have victory over sin that can so easily beset us and take root in us.

Thank You Jesus for loving us and forgiving us when we allow sin to invade our lives. Thank you too through Your Spirit encouraging us to repent of all sin that loves taking root in us. We praise You for the victory and freedom we have in You...In Your precious name, .Amen

PRECIOUS SCENTS

Now thanks be to God who always

leads us in triumph in Christ, and

through us diffuses the fragrance

of His knowledge in every place.

For we are to God the fragrance

of Christ among those who are

being saved and among those

who are perishing.

II Corinthians 2:14,15

The last time my grand girls were here, something interesting happened and it was just a moment. We were standing in the front yard and I noticed Hannah kind of looking up and taking some deep breaths. She wasn't trying to bring any notice to herself, but I asked if she was okay. She told me that she liked breathing in the air here where I live that it smells so good. Living here, I don't pay much attention to it but know the air is definitely different from other places we have lived. Trees breathe. They take in the bad stuff and give off oxygen...the good stuff. It makes a great difference in the air compared to other locations.

Our sense of smell is something we take for granted. One of the problems with aging among others is that the elderly tend to loose some of their sense of smell. Smell may not rank up with the senses of hearing and sight but we would greatly miss it if some physical problem took it away from us.

Just think of the things we smell. Smell alerts us often to things that must be taken care of RIGHT NOW. For instance...burning food on the stove, a baby's dirty diaper, overly used kitty litter, smoke from somewhere in the house, garbage, and so many other things. However, we love the sweet smelling aromas we have come to know such as: fall leaves, bread baking in the oven, familiar perfume worn by a grandmother, flowers of various types, lotioned baby after it's bath, husbands after-shave lotion, etc.

There is a certain aroma all of we believers are expected to exude. It's not a smell that comes out of a bottle, oven or flower garden. However it is a sweet spiritual aroma that comes through us to others that is only possible through our close relationship to Jesus Christ. It is an aroma from us to both saved and unsaved people. It's a fragrance that can't be purchased or given to us as a gift from a friend. It comes through our spirit because of who we are in Christ. That fragrance can be affected by our closeness to Jesus or lack thereof. I've been around some who claim Christ in their lives who because of sinful lifestyles, don't smell so good spiritually speaking. Perhaps bad choices have been made and one's spiritual fragrance is affected.

The sweet aroma of Jesus that can come through us to others is not only a joy to us but can be of an encouragement to others who come in contact with us. It should be a part of our witness and testimony before others. May we so live for Jesus that His sweet aroma will be a blessing in the lives of others.

Father, thank You for Jesus and all the benefits He brings into our lives. Thank You for loving us so much that You want to use us to be an influence for You. Keep us close to Yourself that Your sweetness will continue to rub off on us but only for Your glory. In Jesus' name...Amen 

OVERWHELMED

When my heart is overwhelmed;

lead me to the rock that is

high than I.

Psalm 61;2

For some readers, some of what I'm about to say will sound familiar. I recently taught a Sunday school lesson speaking of God as our rock. In the book of Psalms, the word ROCK can be found 29 times. Sometimes the reference to the word may refer to an actual stone but most of the time, it speaks of God as our Rock.

In many of my Bibles, I have written a date or time beside a particular verse depending on the event at the time. The above verse says two things: 2/24/22---5:10 AM the time of my husbands Homegoing. I may have not looked all that overwhelmed at the time or even some days later but it's a good thing no one could take a peek inside of me. In that moment when Brian went to Heaven, I had never felt loss like that nor have I felt it since. We all have times in our lives when we are overwhelmed, but may not know the use of that word.

When overwhelmed, we are usually left with our lives turned upside down because of circumstances that have come our way . It may be just one major event that throws us or it can be a series of events that seem to come in bunches. We can be overwhelmed when a series of really good things come our way. We don't know what to say in the middle of all the really good things. No matter the causes, being overwhelmed can put us almost in a state of shock, incapable of the ability of sorting through all that seems so jumbled in our thinking.

Being overwhelmed at any time is very human no matter the circumstances. I'm grateful we have a Heavenly Father who is never overwhelmed. He always has things thought out and planned well. I don't have to know He does it. I'm just glad He can take the wheel in our lives when we can't seem to even walk a straight line.

I'm so grateful for all of God's open doors in my life. He's never late but on time when it comes to our needs and how we are to deal with them. There are no impossibilities with Him. When overwhelmed, He always knows what to do. I'm so grateful for His leadership, my Rock, who is so much higher than I am and who can take care of my overwhelming moments. Such moments seem so personal though and He helps us deal with them individually. Such was especially true for me on Thursday, 2/24/22 at 5:10 AM when bidding farewell to the dearest on earth to me. I have many friends who in this moments know exactly what I mean and we have seen God's sufficiency in great measure. We have come to know the strength and power of our Rock that provides for us all we need in our overwhelming moments.

Thank You Father for leading us through the overwhelming times in our lives when we don't know which way to turn. You are a wonderful Father and we are so grateful for your love and care in the overwhelming times that come into our lives.. We love you. In Jesus' precious name...Amen 

THE BEST OF DAYS

This is the day the Lord has

made; we will rejoice and

be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Through the years, holidays have been very important to us. For many years we had the usual holidays we celebrated in several ways. Then came the special months we were to be aware of for the sake of certain groups. I've never figured out how we're supposed to celebrate some of those. I also notice on my computer being told of special days we are to support such as: Donut days, Pet days, Cousin days and it goes on to be beyond sensible. Many folks I think just come up with these days in order to take space on their computers.

The holidays we've celebrated for many years will always be the favorites to those of us who have grown up with them from childhood. In my early years, Christmas was really special. In those days my sister and I would get boxes of gifts in the mail from relatives. But Christmas also had a deep and serious meaning. Same for Easter. Yes, there were Easter baskets and perhaps a new dress, but we knew why we were celebrating that holiday time.

Fourth of July is similar in our thinking as those mentioned. The difference is the participation of community for this special day that honors our country, it's heritage and history. For this holiday across our country, groups meet to celebrate with community picnics, parades and yes, fireworks. The sense of community and patriotism is catching, like it or not. I feel bad for folks today who would rather just ignore this holiday and all it means to we normal Americans.

Where we Christians are concerned, I guess I feel we should be ashamed of ourselves. Yes, we love our holidays. They give us a rest and change in the average hum-drum of life and they serve that purpose. We can see in Jewish history, celebration of special days but most are based on traditional and historic events many of which we can find in our Bibles.

None-the-less, no matter our beliefs or reasons for our celebration, we read in Psalm 118 that for we believers, each day we wake up breathing, is to be regarded as a very special day unto itself. That means there will be days with no birthdays, Christmas presents or new dresses...every day is God's day that He has cut out just for Himself and us. Each day is worthy of celebration even beyond Thanksgiving where we can enjoy the goodness of God in our lives. We often refer to Sunday as the Lord's Day. That's okay but Scripture tells us that every day is His day...so no matter our earthly holidays, may we appreciate and celebrate our Lord's day...every day.

Father, you are so worthy of our daily love and appreciation for all the goodness You our into our lives every single day. Thank You for Jesus who on a particular day when He gave His life for us, we now can celebrate every day. Thank You for our days with You and may we live them to the fullest. In Jesus' precious name...Amen