byHismercy

Endings and Beginnings

2010-04-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

Today was my last day at a job I dearly loved. I worked with nice people and very precious children whom I will remember always. But yet today I said goodbye to them all for a new, full-time job doing much the same thing not too far away from them. Yet God know this day would come for me, that "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."(Eccles.3:1)

It made me cry, getting through this day. For I saw people, priceless people whom Christ died for, whom He allowed to be a part of my life for a short time. And now that time is gone. Now a new chapter in my life opens up. What will it hold for me?

I have been back in the work force for almost 10 years now, after raising my children. I have held many jobs since them. But this one was quite special to me. Parents were saddened that I was leaving, and quite frankly I was touched that I meant something to them. I am hoping that somehow, in some small way, I made a difference in a child's life, that hopefully I showed Jesus' love to co-workers.

Today made me realize that life is going by too quickly. To treasure each moment you have with people because nothing stays the same, everything comes to pass. Touch lives where I worked dear Father. I only hope that this new place will be a positive one also, but I know that the Father will be with me, for He has promised it to be true. (Matt. 28: 20)

It is even the same in my family. Relationships that were present 10 years ago are in some cases completely gone now. Nothing comes to stay, everything comes to pass. There is only one thing that is constant, that will never change: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) Of this one thing, I can be sure as one door of my life closes and a new one opens.

On my Birthday, I give thanks!

2010-03-19T04:01:00.000-07:00

Today I am 48 years old. I thought it would be neat to give God thanks for 48 things in my blog today.
1. For my human parents, who cared for me and changed my diapers,gave me a warm home to grow up and food to eat, raised me well and provided me with a college education.
2. For two wonderful sisters who are great friends as well.
3. For a faithful and devoted husband who has stuck with me over 25 years and been a great Dad to my three children.
4. For my two devoted sons and their beautiful fiancees.
5. For my daughter.
6. For a job that I love with babies and children I adore.
7. For a wonderful church where the Word of God is taught and the love of Christ is evident.
8. For a computer hookup and the freedom to write about my faith.
9. For friends in the faith that I have met online.
10. For my Bibles.
11. For health to get up and go to work each day.
12. For good medical coverage and chiropractic care.
13. For a roof over my head that is paid for.
14. For a car that is paid for and runs well.
15. For the ability to write stories, articles and poetry.
16. For old friends like my friend Tammy who has been true over all these years.
17. For the fact that each day I have food to eat.
18. For my body which has been fearfully and wonderfully made.
19. For getting us through this rough winter and the crocuses blooming outside.
20. For mercies that are new every morning.
21. For a comfortable bed to sleep on.
22. For a comforter that is sleep-inducing.
23. For solid Bible teachers like Dr. Chuck Missler.
24. For my pastor, Scott Warne, and his humility and laying down his life to teach us.
25. For organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, Persecution Project and many others that are sharing the gospel and helping suffering believers.
26. For my husband working so hard over the years to provide for me and the children.
27. For the Word of God which whose promises are sure and which will never pass away.
28. That I heard the gospel on that little blue transistor radio in my bed all those years ago and decided to accept Jesus as my Savior before my heart could grow hard.
29. For Mrs. Paraskos and the Good News Club that she held all those years ago and her encouragement to me in my young faith.
30. For the dear brother in Iowa who sent me the Bible correspondence course all those years ago and personally answered all those questions I hammered him with.
31. For the lady from the campus ministry at Alderson-Broaddus who helped me through dark times.
32. For the Campus Crusade Ministry at Pitt and Michelle, Lynn and Gretchen who took an interest in helping a mixed up backsliding believer like me with one foot with Christ and one foot in the world.
33. For the pastor who first taught me the grace of God, Pastor Rick Knapp.
34. For the fact that I was able to stay at home with my young children and home educate them, and share the wonder of God's creation with their young minds.
35. For Focus on the Family for publishing my first children's story.
36. For God letting me discover how much I loved writing.
37. For all the innumerable spiritual blessings I have "in Him".
38. For a home in heaven that will never be corrupted.
39. That one day I will see my Redeemer face to face.
40. That I will get to fellowship with all those faith heroes who have gone before.
41. For my friend Judy whose love and friendship has been constant for 20 years and who gave me marriage saving advice.
42. For neighbors and friends in a safe community.
43. For my son Jesse who looks out for his mom and is available to drive me to medical tests, entertains me with his guitar and crazy antics,and helps out his Dad.
44. That God is working for the good all the trials in my life.
45. That the time is winding down for Christ's return to this planet.
46. That Jesus personally had me in His mind when He went to the cross 2,000 years ago, enduring the wrath of God and not despising the shame of hanging naked on the cross.
47. That God has spared my life on numerous occasions when I have done stupid things.
48. That I am sitting here today, a real live person, not a fly on the wall or a rock, and that I have eternal life right now, right this minute and that nothing, nothing can separate me from the love of Jesus. THANK YOU LORD JESUS!

Trust in the Lord

2010-02-28T16:16:00.000-08:00

T hanks be to the Lord
R eliable is He in all His ways.
U nchanging from the beginning of time.
S upreme above all created beings is our God.
T ruth Personified

I nviting all those who thirst to drink His Living Water.
N ever forsaking even one of His children.

T rue in all His judgments
H ealing the lost and brokenhearted.
E ver faithful Friend.

L amb Slain before the foundation of the world.
O mniscient, knowing the end from the beginning.
R edeeming by His blood an uncountable number.
D ear Saviour, Master, King and Lord.

copyright 2010

What is true love?

2010-02-02T04:40:00.000-08:00

Since we are in the month of February and Valentine's Day is just around the corner, let us think for a minute about true love described in I Corinthians 13. These are the verses you hear at every marriage ceremony. They are read, but how many really think that the definition of agape can be carried out in real life?

"Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous, love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, it does not seek its own, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...."(I Cor. 13: 4-8a)

If you and I are honest, we have to admit that we just do not have what it takes in and of ourselves to love others the way Paul described above. If we are honest with God, He will not condemn us. He knows we are but dust anyways.(Psalm 103:14) Once we admit that we can't, He can whisper to our hearts, "But I can inside you" "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

Once we know that only He inside us can love like that, we can look to the only One who ever lived that love perfectly, without failing once. He is Perfect Love.
"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:2 This perfect, giving Saviour lives inside us and wants to live His life through us.

Here is agape:

A bundant life freely

G iven at Calvary

A ccomplished perfectly and

P aid in full for

E veryone who believes.

Lord Jesus, I ask you to teach me the way of agape so that I can truly love others the way you want me to. In Your Blessed Name, Amen.

Jesus calls us to love one another...

2010-01-22T04:30:00.000-08:00

I have a little habit of visiting Christian message boards. Often, I admit that I waste precious time visiting these sites. Time after time, though, one thing comes through. Christians can be unkind to one another, sometimes downright vicious. It does not edify and build up the Body of Christ.

Often unbelievers visit these sites. And often they turn away from Jesus because of what they see there. They see us acting no different than they do. They are searching....searching for the God of the Universe and we turn them away by our lack of love for one another. Jesus said very plainly: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this ALL MEN WILL KNOW that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
(John 13: 34-35).

I have to admit that one of my goals in this new year, indeed for the rest of my life,is to learn and apply what agape love truly is. First to my husband, my family, to the Body of Christ, and finally to all the world. Have you read what true love does in I Cor. 13? I admit that I fall way short of this every single day. But I am starting to get a taste, just a tiny taste of God's agape love toward me. And sometimes it will bring me to tears. That is what will give me the ability to love others, by viewing "what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge..." (Eph. 3: 18-19).

Even the Psalmist knew this when he told us the importance of loving our brethren. He writes an entire Psalm about it.

Psalm 133
1"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing--life forever."

God commands a blessing upon us loving our brethren. I ask the Lord for the rest of my life to truly show me what this means and for the grace to apply it daily.

For Parents with Hurting Hearts

2010-01-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

Are you a parent with a broken heart? It seems I have met so many, both online and friends I know. I am one myself. It seems that it is so very hard to raise your children in the Lord these days. Even if you homeschool, or send them to Christian School, there is no guarantee that one of your children will not break your heart. This world is so evil, there are so many influences out there that want to steal our children away from us, but especially away from the Lord. What is a parent to do?

I know good parents who taught their children the Bible. I taught my children the Bible. We took them to church regularly. We homeschooled. And yet we still ended up with a broken family. Yes, there are no guarantees that things will come out rosily.

But today I was reading in my time with the Lord from Andrew Murray's With Christ in the School of Prayer. I was so encouraged as I underlined and even wrote the date in the book because I felt God was speaking to me directly through the words of Mr. Murray. It was in Chapter 8, called The Boldness of God's Friends. He spoke of the parable of the friend at midnight in Luke 11: 5-8 and prayer for the perishing around us. God not only wants us to pray for ourselves but for those around us that have need. What about our children who may be lost to us? He speaks of the threefold cord of Scripture in this way: "Let us securely hold the threefold cord that cannot be broken: the hungry friend needing the help (in my case, my very own flesh and blood), the praying friend seeking the help (that would be me, or any parent that is in my shoes), and the Mighty Friend (Jesus Christ) loving to give us as much help as we need."

He then brought to mind the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. I read verse 18 where it says the prodigal "came to himself". The word for "came" in the Greek is (#2064 in Strong's Lexicon) "erchomai". It means to recover one's sense or understanding. My prodigal is not living in a pig pen right now, but this child needs to come to this understanding. It is something I cannot do, but the one thing I can do is to pray believing, like the friend at midnight. If you are a hurting parent, it is the one thing you can do as well. Mr. Murray says "even though I don't have what I need, I have already begun the work of love, because I have a FRIEND who will help me. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW EFFECTIVE THIS PLEA IS. When the friendship of earth looks in its need to the friendship of heaven, ...'He will...give him as many as he needeth."

This has been an ongoing trial for me, lasting many years. Yet it is my hope and prayer that in this trial not only will my faith be refined like gold, yet I may somehow be an encouragement to others, who are truly hurting as well. Pray for your children and don't stop until you hear from above. Our heavenly Father is a friend who truly hears and cares.

I stretch forth mine hands...

2010-01-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

The first post for a new year! A new year, full of new beginnings, new possibilities.
Some random thoughts for the new year...

I came across some verses today that impressed me mightily in my spirit as I was considering the new year.

Psalm 143: 6 " I stretch forth my hands unto Thee: my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty land. Selah." In this year of so many distractions Lord, I want to stretch forth my hands to You. So many things bid me to pay attention, yet Lord you are the only thing in this universe that can give water to a thirsty soul. Indeed, Jesus only gives us water that will cause us never to thirst again. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14)

And then I was impressed with these verses. In II Chronicles 13 we have a review of Rehoboam's life. Now Rehoboam was the son of Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived.
You think some of that wisdom might have rubbed off on his son, but sadly that is not the case. Verse 14 somberly tells us that "he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord". In the book of Ezra we have the opposite said of Ezra:
"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach Israel statutes and judgements." (Ezra 7:10)

In this new year of 2010, though we are on the finished work side of history, we still can prepare our hearts to seek Him with all our hearts. What are some things we can expect if we do so?

The answers, once again, come from the Word of God. Luke 18: 29-30: And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in the present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." In the New Living Translation they will be repaid many times over.

And I Corinthians 2:9 tells us "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."

Maybe the idea of a nebulous treasure in heaven seems remote right now, but if it comes from the Maker of heaven and earth, who designed the beauty of a flower and the majesty of a galaxy, we have to take Him at His word that it will all be worth it when we stand before Him in eternity. Amen?

Today is the day of His visitation!

2009-12-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

Every day is a new gift from God. Whether you are saved or unsaved, every day is a gift. Every day God is calling to each one of us.

When I was in my teens, I got depressed because I didn't understand the love of God which I am beginning to understand now. (I am only beginning, however, I don't believe we will ever be able to plummet the depths of His love, even in eternity.)

The love of God was demonstrated two thousand years ago when the Son of God was lifted high on the cross at Calvary. As a blameless Lamb with no sin and no spot (I Pet. 1: 18-19), He became the sacrifice that God required to atone for all the sin that has committed been by every single one of us on this planet, except for Jesus of course. For those of us who have believed on Him, He knocks every day on the door of our hearts (Rev. 3:20), and wants to fellowship with us, moment by moment, each and every day. What if the President of the United States called us on the phone and told us he wanted to meet with us personally? How privileged would we feel? And yet every single day without fail the One who put every single molecule in place and holds them all together (Heb. 1:3, Col. 1: 17) is knocking on the door of our hearts. Could there be any higher privilege than that? Today is the day to answer Him!

I think of the words of Jesus as He wept over Jerusalem about the Jews missing the day of their visitation.(Luke 19: 41-44) In a way, we can apply this to our own lives. It is not in eternity that we will decide our level of reward, but right now, every day we choose. Whether we will be an overcomer in the next life or not is by our day to day choices to let Him live His life through us or to live for ourselves, which by the way, I have discovered is a very miserable way to live. I am reading an excellent book called The Overcomer's Handbook by Chuck and Nancy Missler.
They are explaining that not all believers will be overcomers and reign with Christ in the Millenial Kingdom yet to come. It is sobering, yet now is the time to effect a change if we are not going in God's direction. And as long as you are alive, it is never too late.

If you have stumbled upon this blog and you don't know Christ as your Saviour, there is no time like the present to receive Him. ("Behold, now is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation. II Cor. 6: 2b) He came down to this earth in the form of a baby although He was God of very God. (John 1:14) He willingly took your sins and mine when He was nailed to the cross 2,000 years ago.(Heb. 2:9) He took the punishment we each deserved when He died there. God was very, very pleased with what His Son accomplished and is now forever satisfied with Christ's payment for sin (Heb. 10: 12-14). He extends an open invitation for anyone, anyone at all to believe on Him. "For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10: 13. Simply believe that Jesus was who He said He was, the Son of God, that died in your place. Surely there could be no greater thing you could do for yourself this day.

I am Undone

2009-11-23T05:09:00.000-08:00

God has been showing me the depths of my depravity lately. The words of Isaiah come to mind when He saw the Lord on His throne, "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the KIng, the Lord of hosts." (Is. 6:5)

Bullinger in the Companion Bible says that this is figure of speech called ecphonesis,which is an "outburst of words,prompted by emotion." About the word "undone", he says: "The essence of true conviction is a concern for what I AM, not for what I have done or not done."

Why did Jesus come down here for us? Did we deserve Him to come? I only know about myself. Romans 3:10 says "As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one..."This verse and the following ones give me a sense of understanding about the human condition. Why do I look to people for help when the Word of God makes clear that leaning upon the flesh for help is like leaning on a sharp stick.

Rom. 3: 12 says"They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one." The word for unprofitable means worthless.

By myself I am worthless. There was not one shred of goodness in me that caused Christ to come down from His glory in heaven. Yet He valued us. He placed our needs higher than His own and humbled Himself more than any other man ever in human history. (Phil. 2:5-11) It is for this reason that we bow in awe before Him.

As Thanksgiving day approaches, I give thanks to the Lord that even though there was not one thing to commend Him to save me, He gladly bore all my sin and even though I was undone before Him. For me and all others who have believed on Him that He states about us now that: "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us."

Thank you Jesus for this above all else this Thanksgiving!

Be Content My Soul

2009-11-16T05:26:00.000-08:00

As the season of "gimme" approaches, I need to remind myself that the Lord is all I really need. I am so tempted to want so many things for myself, but the Scripture reminds me " Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5) I look around me and anticipate others getting fancy things and am tempted to be jealous.
When I truly think about it, I have been given so much already. I have a pastor who pours his soul out in teaching the Word of God, I have wonderful Bibles in abundance, I have wonderful doctrinal books, beautiful Christian music, many wonderful Christian friends. Most of all though, I have the Lord Jesus who died for me on Calvary, who has promised to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19)
There are others in this world who have so little and yet are grateful. I think of the pastors in Vietnam who are literally on the run, yet so zealous to share their faith, the refugees in Darfur who just would be grateful for clean water to drink, the children who will be delighted with a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child, the list goes on....
Father, work in me the desire not to receive for myself this season but to pour my life out for others. I encourage any who reads this to find a charity to share with this season. There are so many worthy ones: Voice of the Martyrs, Gospel for Asia, Operation Christmas Child, Persecution Project are some of my favorites.
Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:42: "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

" In Christ Jesus"

2009-11-09T05:38:00.000-08:00

What an amazing amount of hope is found in these 3 little words. I am in the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of this Universe, who took on flesh and humbled Himself more than any other man, who has been exalted to the utmost at God's right hand at the seat of utmost honor and glory.(Phil. 2:9-11) And I am in Him. "But of Him you are IN CHRIST JESUS, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption..."(I Cor 1:30)
Think about it. We are all nothings. according to Paul in I Cor. 3:7.("So then he who plants is anything, nor he that waters, but God who gives the increase.") Now that is humbling, but also freeing. In spite of any accomplishments in this life, without Christ I am a nothing. Yet Christ valued me, and the entire world so much that He voluntarily became the object on which God poured out all His wrath, and turn His face away from, so much that Jesus cried out "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Matt. 27: 46) I think we will never be able in all eternity to comprehend the depths of Christ's condescension for us sinners, whom He has made to be righteous in His sight. "For He made Him who knew no sin to BE SIN for US, that we might become the righteousness of God IN HIM". II Cor. 5:21
You know, when I look at myself, I am hopeless, for I see one who has an incurable wound.(Jer. 30:12) It is only when I see myself "in Christ" that I have hope, strength to face tomorrow, to face the seemingly insurmountable challenges that this world may throw my way. Thank you Lord, that I am "in Christ" and no one can remove me from His precious hand.(John 10:28)

Too busy to sit at Jesus feet?

2009-10-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

Today I was having a wonderful time with the Lord. I am reading through my Bible and finally have arrived in the New Testament. I am in Matthew right now and I try to get 5 chapters a day in. Well, I have these wonderful reference Bibles (the Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D and the Companion Bible edited by E.W.Bullinger). Maybe you are just supposed to read when you read, but I like to read the notes and look up meanings of words, to try and get the sense (Neh.8:8)
Well, there I am and I start feeling this pressure to hurry up and just get through the readings. Like, I have so many IMPORTANT things to do, like work on my writing.
Whoa! Am I going to be like those with indignation at the breaking of the alabaster box and say "Why this waste?(of time- Mark 14:3-9) As if time with the Lord is a waste.
"If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer." (Martin Luther) What a contrast to me when I can barely get 15 minutes for prayer in!
Maybe we think we have advanced in our present state. But when I get too busy for the things of the Lord, than I am too busy. Is Facebook, emails, writing submissions, and all the clamor of the world more important than my relationship with the Lord of this Universe?
The Lord has given me so very much wonderful teaching and resources to know Him better. I have been given much, so much will be required.(Luke 12:48) Oh God, let me remember that nothing in this world will matter one day but what I did with what You gave me.
To quote the chorus of a beautiful old Twila Paris song:
He Is no Fool
If He Would Choose
To Give the Thing He Cannot Keep
To Buy What He Can Never Lose
To See a Treasure in One Soul
That Far Outshines the Brightest Gold
He Is no Fool, He Is no Fool

Giving thanks changes everything!

2009-10-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

In the seventies I had a Phil Keaggy record that had a song called Disappointment His Appointment. In the lyrics it said, "Disappointment, His appointment, change one letter then I see, that the thwarting of my purpose is God's better choice for me."I have found that instead of grumbling, it is so much more mentally healthy to give thanks, even when my plans don't work out the way I want them to.
Today, I had a small disappointment. I had an online class that I very much wanted to take. But my husband said no, that I had too many commitments right now. I was tempted to get discouraged and even argue with him. But the verse "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."(I Thess. 5:18) came to mind. I decided to thank God that He used my husband to perhaps prevent me from not fulfilling His will, but mine. After all, my way will only lead to futility. God, in His wisdom, has a plan for my life, that is so much better than what I could concoct.
I heard the beautiful testimony of the late Sabina Wurmbrand,co-founder of Voice of the Martyrs about giving thanks. This humble servant told of how the hell she suffered in Romanian prison was transformed when she and the other believers greeted each other in the morning with "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,For His mercy endureth forever." Psalm 107:1 She said that transformed their outlook. She was forced to go in a dress only to throw large rocks into the freezing Danube, which would subsequently cause her dress to get wet and freeze, and yet she and countless others not only survived, but thrived by following the Biblical principle to give thanks in everything.If anyone wants to read about her amazing life, get the book "The Pastor's Wife" which she wrote. You will be glad you did.
May I give thanks to you Lord this week in all things.

Undergoing sufferings for the cause of Christ

2009-10-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

I recently had a fellowship meeting for the Voice of the Martyrs and had a wonderful speaker come and share with us. Believers in other countries are giving all for the name of Christ. They have so little, while we here in America have so much. Yet I wonder if the reverse is really true instead. Maybe they are the ones who are rich, and we are the poor ones.
Doesn't it say to the church at Laodecia,"Because you say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked..." (Rev. 3:17)
I need to examine myself! Do I think I can rest on my laurels, that I know enough already? I was reading from one of their books, The Trimphant Church, where their founder encourages us to prepare NOW for possible persecution. He said we need to rehearse in our minds what our answer will be when persecution comes knocking at our door.
Tnis is not a pleasant subject. Most prefer not to think about it. But Jesus did promise us that "in this world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33) and "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but to suffer for His sake."(Phil. 1:29)
Lord give me courage to stand for you in that day.

Do you love Me?

2009-09-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

I was rereading some notes from church last night. My pastor a while back taught on when Jesus had risen from the dead and when He asked Peter if he loved Him. But my pastor asked us to personalize this verse for ourselves, asking if we indeed loved Him.
I always thought that verse was just for Peter, not me. But the Saviour asked three times, Peter, do you love Me? Maybe I should think about this for a bit. Do I love Him?
I have been musing lately on what would my life be like if I truly gave myself unreservedly to Him. I try to start the day right, with Him and the Word and prayer but at the end of my work day I am usually no different than the rest of the world. I have gossiped, I have slandered, I have been getting impatient and angry when things don't go my way. What if I trusted that even the little things were allowed by Him to mold me into His image? And as a friend once encouraged me, to give thanks in ALL things?
This isn't a dress rehearsal, after all. This day can never be repeated. Lord, show me how to love You. I am scared to say it, but I know in eternity I will not regret it.

The time is short

2009-09-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

As I look around on the net and see all the networking sites, blogs, twitters, diggs, tweets etc. I can almost go crazy trying to keep up with the flow of information. One site leads to another and soon I forget how I got from one site to the next. How did I find out about this new absolute must read New York times bestseller? One look at the library books I check out over a few weeks time surely confirms this. Heck, I even clipped an article from the paper about how we are more connected than ever before in human history, yet we are actually more alienated by it all in actuality. I clipped the article a couple weeks ago, and haven't got around to reading it yet. Does that tell you something? (By the way, most of the books return to the library skimmed at the best or not even looked at.) Seems like I am caught in a frenzy, like a rat running round and round on a wheel, am I even getting somewhere?
Life didn't seem quite so hectic just a couple decades ago when I was a kid growing up in the seventies. But I know you can't go home again. Did you know this time was prophesied in the Bible about 2600 years ago? Daniel 12:4 says to "seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." Only in the last century have we had the capability to do these very things with the advent of air and space travel and the world wide web. I believe that Christ's return is imminent. If you are not convinced, you may want to watch a youtube video embedded below. It is mind blowing and the techno music is great too! At the end, it asks "What does it all mean?" It means this: Christ is coming soon!

By His Grace we Have Made it thus Far

2009-08-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

In my Bible reading today, I was reading in Psalm 76, and came across this verse: "Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them; Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared." Psalm 76: 11
On this day, 25 years ago, I stood before God and man and made a vow to love, honor and obey my husband. In this day of so many failing marriages, I can truly say it is only because of His mercy that we have made it to this very special day. We have gone through some very rocky times, but thank God we are still together. I was a very naive and foolish bride, but God had mercy on me and brought a very dear friend into my life who taught me the value of a gentle and quiet spirit. See I Peter 3: 1-6. This is what has saved my marriage.
I do thank God for the wonderful man He has given me and can truly say that I am very happy that I decided to marry this man that day 25 years ago.

My Best Friend

2009-07-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Did you know I have a friend who is the absolute best, most trustworthy friend in the Universe?
More than that, this Friend of mine is positively longing for you, whoever you are, to be His friend too. It doesn't matter what you have done, even if you have committed the vilest crimes on earth.Your sins, no matter how heinous, have been dealt with one time 2,000 years ago when this Friend hung upon the cross and was punished by God for everyone's sins from Adam and Eve to the very last person born on this earth. We in our humanity cannot even fathom the cost of this sacrifice. But God was so pleased with it that He views it as having happened just this very second. He is so very happy with what His Son has done that He views all sins as having been dealt with once and for all, forever! But isn't God angry at sin you say? No, the only sin that keeps one from God is the sin of UNBELIEF. If you will simply believe that Jesus paid for your sins as the perfect sacrifice upon the cross, you too can be His friend, receive His gift of eternal life and never perish. You do not have to promise Him anything, He knows that we cannot do it, that is why He had to die for us and as us. If you can then, get a Bible and read the gospel of John to begin with. Ask Him to teach you and He will. He LOVES you and longs to have YOU for His friend.

a successful day

2009-07-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

I just got an an anthology on prayer by Andrew Murray off Amazon. It is actually a compilation of books. They are written in daily reading sized chunks and have been totally uplifting, The first book is Abide in Christ. What a simple command Jesus gave us, to abide in Him. Murray points out that this is not "law" but grace, a waiting upon God for Him to will and work inside us. The Christian life is easy when we abide in Him, we make it hard when we insist on doing things our own way.
The other day I was reflecting on Mary and Martha. Martha was busy doing so many things for the Lord while Mary sat still listening at Jesus' feet. After all that work, Mary, not Martha was the one who was commended. She was the one simply abiding. There is one catch though, we need to give the Lord some of that precious time of ours so that we can meditate upon His thoughts, and still our souls before Him. In this hectic non-stop world, are we willing to make room for the Saviour in our day so that we can have His peace, joy and meaningfulness in our life?

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

My first day here as a new blogger. I celebrate today not only the freedom of the United States of America, but independence from slavery to sin, bought at a much higher cost even than the bravery of our dear military men. I speak of the hero of all time, Jesus Christ, who gave us a way to be independent from the tyranny of sin and death. We will never fathom the price He paid to buy our independence from the power of sin. This is fully explained in the book of Romans, chapters 5 through 8.
Anyone reading this too without this freedom can have it through a simple one time decision to believe in the Lord Jesus as your personal Saviour, trusting that He paid the full penalty of your sins on the cross 2,000 years ago.