A beautiful Thing

The Lord has set me on the path that lays before me. He has placed markers along my way for me to follow so as not to stumble and lose my footing.

His quiet steps beside me and whispers of wisdom assures me of His presence.

Along this fore-determined road have been dark days and sunlit mornings, self selected detours, mountaintop experiences, times of utter despair, and moments of glory.

I don't look back much, but what the past has taught me is to never lose sight of the face of Jesus, and never, ever let go of His hand. staying close is my place of real security; of peace, and of joy.

Probably, not unlike yourself, there are things in my past I would like to redo, but maybe that's the point...just maybe I wouldn't be at the place I am today if I hadn't experienced the results of those self selected detours I mentioned. Just maybe, the greatest lessons learned were in the darkest hours at the lowest depths. 

My family and I were on vacation one summer when my daughter was young. I kept reminding her, because the shops were busy that time of year, to stay close and not to get distracted and wonder off. We walked out of the store expecting her to be right beside us. I abruptly stopped when I realized she was not there. A thrill of terror shot through my body at the realization. Just then she came bursting out the door of that store with her own moment of terror written all over her face. Her first words were, "why did you leave me!" Lesson learned; she never wondered off again, and I was most careful to never let her out of my sight.

I know this is not the perfect illustration because God has promised to never leave me or forsake me. Even when I cry out, "why did you leave me," He's been there. It was me that lost sight of Him.

Do you suppose there is a thrill of terror that stings the heart of God when we lose our way?


My point is,  there is a result that follows when I allow the distractions of this world to cause me to forget that my security is in staying close to Jesus. Because those times of indiscretion were so painful, I eventually learned that staying close is a beautiful thing. I also learned, the longer I'm in my God's presence, the less alluring the world has become. 


copyright 2/16/2015


  

Yes Or No

The most important decision you will ever make in this life is what to do about Jesus.

It's actually just a yes or no question, but also, an all-or-nothing question. 

Do you want Jesus in your life?

or

Do you not want Jesus in your life? 

There's no middle ground on this decision; no diplomatic answer; no partial option available.

You do understand, though, that not making the decision IS making the decision.

copyright 2/9/2015

Time To Choose

This morning I woke with a decision to make. 

Yesterday I was feeling quite alone and feeling rather sorry for myself as well. When I'm not up to snuff physically it's altogether too easy to allow myself the luxury  of wallowing in self pity. But I soon discovered my wallowing was not making me feel better, only worse .

This morning when I was awakened to that familiar voice inside my head, "it's time to get up" I was also vaguely aware of another voice, the voice of God, that said,

"it's time to choose."

it's time to choose? 
 
Choose what?

"To choose the joy of My presence, or to choose to wallow."

"Do you trust Me for today's circumstances, or do you choose to go it alone?"

"I thought you didn't like being alone."

"It's your choice you know."


copyright 2/8/2015

In All Things

"In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that

neither death nor life,

nor angels nor demons, 

neither present nor the future, 

nor any powers, 

neither height nor depth, 

nor anything else in all creation, 

will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans: 8,37-39

Are you in pain?

Are you hurting physically,

emotionally,

spiritually?

Rather than say, "where is God when I need Him,"

I can look at my many and varied difficulties and say, "I can now relate to what You went through to save me. 

The heartache I put You through;

the rejection, 

my anger heaped upon You, 

my doubt,

my endless waywardness, and yet You loved me still.

Your love for me outweighs any and all my trials. 

That love has bought me entrance into the throne room of heaven.

My Jesus, I believe in You!!! 

copyright 2/6/2015

Today I Choose

I do not know if you get tired of my ramblings in the form of poetry. I just seem not to be able to express my inmost longings, yearnings, and heart felt desires except through verse that seems to flow effortlessly through my being when in the presence of God. 

I welcome any comments about what you read here, or suggestions you might add to improve this blog so as to answer needs or give more insights in our walk with God.

Having said all that, I offer yet another verse in rhyme for your contemplation.

I bow before your presence now,

In reverence to your thorn pierced brow.

It is I for whom you shed your blood,

That  christened me to share the flood

Of graciousness and love You give

To all who truly seek to live.

In the presence of heavens worthy King,

Of whom the hosts of angels sing.

Glory hallelujah for all You've done;

Swing wide the gates for the holy One.

 He rides in triumph to my door

To welcome me for evermore.

I sit before the One who saves,

And walk the streets of love He paved.

Today I choose to speak of Him

who lived without to live within.

I give to You with not a thought,

This heart of mine You bravely bought. 

copyright 1/28/2015

Wisdom

Let wisdom's angelic rainfall descend in full upon me,  
To rightly choose what is; what is not, and what is to be.

Teach me your righteous way is my earthly quest,
So when morning breaks, I will have passed the test.

Wisdom's eye sees and the ear hears all I am to know,
Counsel me and guide these feet so timid and so slow.


I wonder at the gentle voice calling out to me,
As you grip my hand through every trial in front of me.

I humbly bow my heart, my soul to wisdom's saving power,
Lifting me and loving me through every day and hour.


1/18/2015

A Word

As sun is to the flower,

So is an encouraging word from a friend.

From that word comes life,

And the opportunity to grow.

1/19/2015

The Lamppost

The Seagull was perched on t0p of the tall, metal, streetlight. He seemed so terribly out of place. I watched for what seemed to be a long time, but he never moved. I so wanted to ask him his reasons for why he would choose the lamp post in preference to the sand and rocks that line the Washington coast. I wanted to know why he would choose the sounds of city traffic over the soothing, melodic sounds of the sea lapping it's way to shore. Is not the rising; cresting waves where you belong; is that not your place? Are you lost?

Then I began to realize that I have been given the privilege of being the lamp post. Yes, I too have often felt terribly out of place in this world, and like Abraham, "looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" Hebrews 11:10. One day I will take flight to that city where I have  citizenship, Philippians 3:20  but in the meantime, even though I long for the place where my Father has prepared a place for me, there are multitudes engulfed in earthly darkness looking and longing for light. 

The city streets are filled with empty souls searching for love and purpose; continually seeking, but never coming to the realization that it is God who they are missing. 

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned" Isaiah 9:2 "And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace...of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end." Isaiah 9:6,7

What greater honor is there than to speak of the gospel and light giving grace that is offered freely and in abundance from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Shout it from the lampposts; shout it from the housetops that Jesus reigns and is coming again very soon, and along with the Seagull, we will be find our way home.

"Even so come Lord Jesus"  Revelation 22:20 kjv And all of God's people say?.......aaamen!


copyright 1/10/2015

Out Of Darkness

When waves of darkness rush in to cover me,

And carries me tumbling out to sea;

When no one seems to know my pain or plight,

Or that I've lost the will to try or fight,

A line of hope is cast in my direction,

It is God's word of life for my protection.

I must cling to it with unrelenting might,

For it ushers my spirit back into the light.

Gods power filled words are meant for me,

Not a tumultuous night at sea. 



copyright 1/10/2015

Born Again

When I was a child I lived in a spiritually divided home. My mother's godly gentleness was a tower of strength for me. God was practiced by her, but seldom spoken about, out of respect for my father, whose only expression of God came in the form of curse words. He was what some people would call a  "man's man."  Spiritual things were not on his radar; he was tough, never cried, and seemed overly stern from the perceptive of a small child. Visiting friends would try to avoid any encounter with my father, so as he prepared to come home from the work day, they would scurry on home. 

Even with, what seemed to me, a mighty prowess, it was always evident that my mother’s inner fortitude out-weighed my father's efforts.  For my father, the idea of surrender was viewed as out of the question for a man like himself.

But then one day an utterly miraculous thing happened.  My mother’s unprepared spirit-directed words revolutionized our household. 

On invitation my father began to attend some Christian meetings being held at a local theater.  We all held our breath as he attended meeting after meeting. God manifested Himself there and met my father face to face. With tears flowing from a now open heart, he fell to his knees in humble submission. The surrender was complete; the change was incredible!

Mary was in her teens when the angel Gabriel appeared to her with the shocking words: “You who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28.) 

It was revealed that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would conceive a son.  Not just a son, but the long awaited for, Son of the Lord God Almighty. His name would be Jesus; name above all names.

This holy conception was beyond comprehension, and totally unexplainable, but the evidence walked among us as Matthew wrote, “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16)

This same Holy Spirit that came upon Mary to produce Jesus within her does the same thing for you and me. Our Father uses this event as a physical demonstration of the process of conversion. When Nicodemus sought out Jesus that night, he was in search of something he did not, at that time, possess. As Jesus often does, He came straight to the point, identifying Nicodemus’s need, “ you must be born again,” He said, which seemed quite confusing to Nicodemus. "How can I enter my mother's womb a second time?" he questioned. “I  tell you the truth, you must be born of the Spirit and of water," was Jesus’ response. (John 3:1-7)

When invited, the Holy Spirit comes upon us and the birth of Jesus takes place all over again. With that change He now calls us the light of the world. Scripture actually says that we are Jesus' mother, brother, and sister. (Matthew 12:46-50) 

It is at this moment of new birth that the onlooking world is witness to the profound change that takes place in the life of a sinner — from anger, greed, selfishness, and fear, to a life that reflects the attributes of Jesus.

The greatest evidence that God exists was, and will always be, a changed life, a life that now exudes love, joy, and peace.

I'm so glad my earthly father opened his heart for the Holy Spirit to come in. I'm so glad I was a witness to the birth of Jesus in him.

copyright 1/2/2015

Words

Why do I speak when my mouth is full of angry words? For my mantle is in silence, and my strength is in the blessed realm of quietness.

Guard my lips oh Lord, from the ravages of destructive and hurtful words, but open my ears to hear and then speak your words of truth, joy and peace.

For the sound of lovely words is as salve to the soul rather than wounding a spirit with harsh utterances, for in kindness the light of the morning becomes the brilliance of day.


copyright 1/1/2015 

Lessons learned

If the Lord sees fit to take you down a certain road in order
for you to learn an important lesson

 "such as learning to trust Him" and we mess up,

Not to worry,

He will bring you back to that same road until you get it, over, and over and over and over.........until of course, you tell Him you quit.



copyright 12/30/2014

The Gift

Blessed be this joyous morn,
Commemoration of your day.
A day of new birth; the day
Salvation came to earth.

Glory to be you oh Lord,
Look at what you've done.
You gave us hope; the birth of life,
In the the gift of your Son. 


copyright 12/25/2014

Choices

Darkness is the absence of light.  

Light is revealing. 
Darkness is concealing.
 
Jesus is our freeing light,

While evil fights 

To holds us to the night. 

There are choices we must make.

You and I, alone, 

Where will we call home?

Where will our hearts come to dwell?
Near the light,

or…Bound to the night?

copyright 12/15/2014

Keep On Movin On

 

Though the path you take seems terribly narrow, often steep and slippery, your mentor and guide encourages you to endure to the end.

He lets you know, if you hang in there, that the reward is worth the steadfast commitment. 

He also knows what lies ahead, and that if you were left on your own, you would surely give up before reaching the intended goal. 

Quitting guarantees failure!

On the journey there are courses you must take.  There are concepts to learn on how to combat the enemy.  You learn whose fight it really is in order to dissuade the forces of evil against you.

How much easier the road ahead would be if you allow the One you follow to teach you without resisting Him. Allow the Lord of the universe to clear the way before you, then peace will accompany you on your way. Don't allow circumstances to control your life. Give those circumstances over to your God and He will turn them into victories.

If there needs to be a do-over He's really good at that too.

Above all else:

Never Give Up!

Matthew 10:22  "...but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." 

                      

Keep On Movin' On

Keep on movin' on. 

No stoppin' for the world.

Can't you see, there's liberty. 

When you keep on...

Movin' on? 

Miles away from home you say,

Not seeing your way clear. 

Feeling alone, your heart is prone,

To give in to the fear   

Keep on movin' on. 

No stoppin' for the world.

Can't you see, you'll be free,

When you keep on...

Movin' on?

Lookin' inside you will find,

There's little to hang on to. 

Lookin' at me I fail to see,

Anything good I do.

If you travel on thru thick and thin,

The mystery is made clear. 

It's Jesus in you that makes you new,

And the struggle disappears.

Keep on movin' on. 

No stoppin' for the world. 

He is sure to win over your sin. 

When you keep on, callin on,

Fallin' on Him. 


copyright 12/14/2014

                                                      

Pausing To Consider

There are those who find the clouds quite dark and foreboding,
They see the rain as altogether melancholy and sad.

Others see the clouds as works of art, with different forms and shapes to sooth while rhythmic drops of rain make us glad.

Oh, child of God who moves among these hallowed things,
let us pause to consider with our hands raised to heaven,

That whether the sky is dark or bright, it is a good thing to remember, it was with joyous expectations given.


copyright/12/2014

Who Can You Trust?

When you call for a cab do you put the cabbie in the back and take over at the wheel because you're just not sure he knows what he's doing? You're just not sure the cab driver knows how to get you to where you want to go?

When you go to the Doctor's office, do you grab the instruments from the hand of the Doctor because you don't trust that he has your best interest at heart? Do you get angry at the Doctor for not helping you, when you refuse to even listen to what he has to say?

Ridiculous? .... Not so much.

 Do you lay in bed at night not able to sleep, worrying that the sun will fail to rise the next morning?

Do you get anxious when the moon doesn't appear, that it has gotten lost in the maze of galaxies and constellations?

Even more ridiculous? 

If you hadn't noticed, you do place yourself in the hands of many people and man made things everyday. People and things such as-- Doctors, lawyers, technology, yes, the cab driver, electricity, water coming from a faucet and many other things that you accept and trust will be there for you when you need them. Even when the computer breaks down it may be frustrating, but you know you can either get it fixed by a trusted technician or just buy a new one. 

Most of you will have to concede that God does a pretty good job with the sun, moon and stars and... you know, stuff like that.

But, wait a minuet, do you actually trust yourself with man more than with God? 

How ridiculous is that?

If We Could See

 Shall not all the host of hell tremble before your might displayed, 

standing watch o'er your children as they work and as they play? 

Your child sees not as you, for you are wisdom enthroned.

You see all of what we see, as well as what is to us unknown.

The plan well-laid to bring us down you instinctively behold.  

You search us out to quickly gather and to place into your fold.

For those who humbly call upon your great and glorious name,

you wipe the tears and speak of love to soothe their grief and pain.

If we could see the angels clothed for war in vast array,

we would more courageous be, regardless of the fray.

We would from this time forward have eyes to clearly see,

the God who watches over us; who rescues you and me.

copyright 12/3/2014