Devotions for the Seasons of Life

2011-03-03T14:36:00.000-06:00

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me...Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You. - Psalm 51:10-11,13

2011-02-09T08:55:00.000-06:00

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Frank Outlaw

Thanks, Pastor Ron!!!! Great word for a snowy day!!!!

Dream Weaver

2011-01-24T13:18:00.000-06:00

Daniel Chapter Two

Not long ago I was in a hurry and ran in to a local chain store to pick up a few items. I really do not like shopping that much so I always make a list. That way I can get in and out in the most expedient manner. This trip was much the same, until I got to the cash register, that is.

Though I had not seen the cashier in almost twenty years, she remains to this day someone very dear to my heart. When I was a very new Christian I taught Acteens on Wednesday nights. It was the denominational missions group for young teen girls. I learned so much from that group... they all have a special place in my heart.

This particular girl, now a young woman... greeted me with, "Oh, Ms. Theresa! I teach 3 and 4 year olds at church now, and I love it, thank you!" It is always nice to be recognized for the influence you have on others... but the influence I had on this girl was nothing but God!

Her mother and I attended Sunday school class together and we had been praying for Missy's salvation for almost a year. I had picked up a paperback Bible that had the Roman's Road to Salvation marked. I had been reading those verses and had highlighted them in my regular Bible and made notes on the bottom of the page to the next verse. I had to be prepared in the event these girls, or anyone for that matter, asked what the Bible said about salvation.

Every night, I would read my Bible and pray over that prayer list especially for this one particular girl. One night as I lay there trying to go to sleep... I heard God speak very clearly to my spirit... "She is ready... you are ready... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?"

Needless to say I turned on the light and went back over those verses again. I knew with out a doubt it was me that was to lead this girl to the Lord. I called her mother, told her what happened, and asked her to rally the prayer warriors because Wednesday night I believed her daughter was going to get saved.

Wednesday rolled around and I prayed, and studied, and prayed some more... I was so nervous but I knew without a doubt that I was on my first mission from God. I asked her if she could help me clean up and she stayed late.

I started the conversation by simply asking her if she had thought about giving her life to Christ and she said, "Yes, a little." I will spare you the exact conversation but I tell you the flood gates opened! She was afraid of the changes in her life and what that would mean... I laughed and told her I was 28 when I got saved and let me tell you... I was also afraid! We read the scriptures together, she cried, I cried... and that night she walked into the sanctuary and sat down beside her mother a changed girl... and before the evening service was over the entire church was praising God!

Just as in Biblical times God reveals Himself to us in many ways. Are we really listening? Do we have a one-sided prayer life? Are we just going to Him with a list of things we want Him to do for us, messes we want Him to clean up? Are we looking for the least little 'sign' so we can twist it around to make it the answer we want it to be?

This is where daring to be a Daniel can have a major impact on our lives and the lives of others. During the time of Daniel's life dreams were considered messages from God and it was the task of the wise men to interpret those dreams. They could at least come up with something that sounded good to the king if they knew the dream. However, this time, the dream really bothered him and Nebuchadnezzar wanted the truth and figured he would get it if the wise men had to not only tell him what the dream was but what it meant as well.

The "wise men" told him what he wanted was humanly impossible, there was no way anyone could tell his dream. In Daniel 2:11 "It is a difficult thing the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh." I love that part...'whose dwelling is not with flesh!' Man, those wise men were not wise at all! They trusted in a lie, in a hollow religion... in fake gods who did not communicate with them... after all, they didn't exist!

This made King Nebuchadnezzar furious and sentenced all the wise men to death... and when the captain of the kings guard came to Daniel and his three friends to put them to death, Daniel wanted to know why it was so urgent. When the situation was explained to him, Daniel asked for a little time... when granted... he rallied his prayer warriors, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He had no doubt that his God,our God, who dwells among His believers would reveal both the dream and the interpretation.

Just as Daniel believed, just as he knew He would, God revealed the dream! (v19) What was the first thing Daniel did? He thanked and praised God!

Daniel 2:20-23 "Daniel answered and said: Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You. For You have made known to us the king's demand."

Secondly, he went to the chief of the kings guard and asked that he not kill the other wise men for God had revealed to him what the King wanted to know. Daniel was not only concerned for his life and lives of his three friends but he was concerned for the lives of others as well.

Thirdly, when he went before the king... he gave God the credit! He could have taken advantage of the situation and taken all the credit for himself... you know, like... I am so special... or I am so holy... that the real god talks to me and me alone... these other slackers don't even know the real god. BUT HE DIDN'T!

Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar in verse 28 "But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days," then he proceeds to interpret the dream. He also tells the king that is is his God, our God, who has given the king his kingdom, his power, his glory, everything he has... God has given him.

As a result of Daniel's reaction in this situation the king acknowledged the One True God. (v.47) "The king answered Daniel and said, 'truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.' and the king promoted Daniel and gave him many gifts.

God blessed Daniel for his faithfulness through the king... again, Daniel, did not act in a selfish manner... he petitioned the king on behalf of his three friends and they were promoted as well.

How can we be a Daniel in our lives today?

We must stand firm in our commitment to God. Always faithful, indulging in prayer, seeking Him and living our lives for Christ out in the wide open so others can clearly see Him.

We must LISTEN carefully to Him... ensuring our actions are His actions, our responses are His responses... our missions... HIS missions.

We must enlist the assistance of fellow prayer warriors. We all know who they are... we may be blessed enough to be a small part of this band of warriors... we may be a little on the outside... but a true prayer warrior never judges, never fails to bring a petition to the throne of God... never reveals the answer or gives advice before they have received the answer from the God who dwells among flesh!

We must first give God the praise, honor, and credit! Least we become puffed up and prideful... Only God can make the difference in the lives of others and we should always be mindful of that simple fact! It is nothing but God!

We must always remember God can accomplish in us and through us what is humanly impossible when he put Him first... when we seek Him first... when we praise Him first.

Will you join me today and dare to be a Daniel?

Daring to be a Daniel

2011-01-21T11:33:00.000-06:00

Brrr.... it is has been so cold the last couple of days! This morning I decided it was the perfect soup weather and so I began digging around in the fridge for the left over chicken, green beans, and corn. As I was peeling potatoes, browning hamburger, and cutting carrots and onions I was thinking how these ordinary veggies and meat were going to become an extraordinary dinner... once they simmered in the crock pot for several hours!

Just like the variety of veggies strewn across my counter, God used a variety of ordinary people to do extraordinary things... and a lot of times, they had to go through the heat to get there. Some made mistakes, some tried to run away, but in the end they all accomplished exactly what God had intended.

What was the defining factor in these people's lives, the common denominator? For Daniel it was commitment to his faith and his God, our God. Our first hint of Daniel’s greatness comes in his quiet refusal to give up his convictions. He had applied God’s will to his own life, and he resisted changing the good habits he had formed. Daniel Chapter 1

Both his physical and spiritual diets were an important part of his relationship with God. He ate carefully and lived prayerfully. One of the benefits of being in training for royal service was eating food from the kings table. Daniel tactfully chose a simpler menu and proved it was a healthy choice. No matter the consequences of his decision to stay true to God and his laws, Daniel stayed the course... and God not only protected him... he blessed him!

While Daniel limited his food intake, he indulged in prayer. He was able to communicate with God because he made it a habit. How often do we pray? Is it a ritual or is it habitual? How often do we actually talk to Him... or are we just talking at Him?

Do you hold so strongly to your faith in God that whatever happens you will do what God says? Such conviction keeps us a step ahead of temptation; such conviction gives us wisdom and stability in changing circumstances.

This year, I am daring to be a Daniel and I am going to start by indulging in prayer! Let's prayerfully live out our convictions in everyday life and trust God for the results! I am excited to further explore the book of Daniel and see just what other characteristics and actions turned him from an ordinary boy to an extraordinary man of God! Will you join me?

Refrain: DARE TO BE A DANIEL by Phillip P. Bliss
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known.

A Daily Reminder... No matter where you go... No matter what you do....

2011-01-17T15:02:00.002-06:00

In Sync or NOT in Sync... That is the Question!

2011-01-14T14:21:00.000-06:00

Last night I was watching the movie “The Princess Diaries” for the umpteenth time. What can I say? It was my birthday and I was snuggled deep under my electric blanket, a brownie in one hand and coffee in the other. My Chihuahua, Isabella was under the cover at my feet and “dorkie” Yorkie, Lilly on the top snuggled up to Isabella. Ahhhh… the ending to a perfect day!

That’s when I noticed the voice over on the station was still out of sync. Have you ever seen any of those old Japanese martial arts movies? It was just like that! It was a bit comical at first. Then quickly became annoying seeing the wordless mouths move then hearing the sound. I flipped through the guide on the television to see if there was anything else better on… nope. I’d seen the movie so many times I decided to just lie back, close my eyes, and listen until I dropped off to sleep.

Sometimes our lives can seem like a movie that has gotten out of sync. For whatever reason we are not happy, not productive, and everything seems to go wrong. We begin to nit-pick others to pieces then get grouchy or snappy with our friends and family. We complain about the others we attend church with or we complain the Sunday school lesson doesn’t apply and seems a waste of time. The worship service, the sermon… the preacher… the preacher’s wife… is just not cutting it. We start thinking we don’t want to be involved in this ministry or that ministry because that other person is in charge… or involved… and we don’t like them. Maybe, we simply feel unwelcome.

When we find ourselves in this situation we better not just lie back and close our eyes or our hearts are sure to follow! We must examine what is REALLY going on here… and it should always begin with introspection.

Could it be that laziness has crept into our Bible study routine or prayer time? Maybe we have gotten so busy with life that we simply put it off until tomorrow. This is particularly easy to do when it comes to reading God’s word especially for those who have read the Bible over and over again… I mean, we know what it says, right?

It could be as simple as we are just going through the motions of church, worship, study, praying… even serving. Doing it because that’s what we good Christian’s do… not because we are eager to worship Him, not because we are hungry for His word, not because we yearn to be with Him…

Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for God, for the living God.”

It almost sounds like work doesn’t it? It’s not!

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

However, we need to be careful not to take God for granted… careful not to take advantage of the freedom Christianity brings…careful not to depend upon our memory of the Word or our past experiences with God to keep us going.

I opened my eyes just in time to see Mia’s brakes go out and her car crash into the trolley and everyone was making wild gestures then all of the sudden I heard the sound of the wreck. That is exactly what happens to us when we get out of sync with the Holy Spirit! We crash around… because of circumstances we find ourselves in… maybe no one gets hurt… maybe they do…maybe we hear the sound of our foolishness… maybe not. But God, just as Queen Clarisse in the movie, comes round and guides us in the right direction… right back to HIM… we merely have to call His name.

How do we know we are out of sync with God? Examining our fruits is an excellent place to start.

Galatians 5:22-24 “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

With just a little adjustment on the computer the television station could have had that movie synced up in no time… if someone had just been paying attention! Are you paying attention? Do you need to get back in sync with God? Ask yourself… ask God; “Is this what I want? Is it what SOMEONE ELSE wants? Is it what GOD wants?”

Galatians 5:25 "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

Renewed Each Morning

2011-01-13T15:57:00.001-06:00

(Just click on the title and it will take you right there.)

Please take a moment to visit my friend, Amanda's blog. She doesn't post daily but do love what she has to say!! Of course, I have known her for a dozen or so years and watched her go from a teenager to wife, to woman of God, to mother, and so much more. I am proud to be her "Moma Tees" OH, and you should hear her sing!!!!

2 THINGS - Meme

2011-01-12T12:13:00.000-06:00

Saw this over at Penless Writer who saw it at Home On The Range and it was new to me and looked like fun so decided to do it.

two names you go by: Theresa or Ms. Theresa, of course, but tons of kids (now adults) call me Moma Tees... however, my favorite...Granna! oh, that's three...

two parts of your heritage: French and Hillbilly... that counts right?

two things that scare you: Failing to follow God's direction and loosing my husband

two everyday essentials: My computer & coffee

two things you are wearing right now: Sweats and flip-flops

two things you want in a relationship (other than love): Integrity and loyalty

two favorite hobbies: Blogging & cooking

two things you have to do this week: House work and turn 50!

two stores you shop at: Kroger & Wal Mart

two favorite sports: BASEBALL and golf

two shows you like to watch: I hate to admit it, Survivor is my favorite. Undercover Boss is pretty good too.

two things you’d buy if money were no object: I would re-do my kitchen and buy a truck.

two wishes for 2011: My boys to do well (and continue to seek God's will) in their new lives as single men and that I could spend more time with my youngest grandson, Erick.

If you decide to participate in this Meme please let me know so I can come read yours!!!

Kari Jobe: "You Are For Me" Beautiful!

2011-01-11T12:53:00.001-06:00

I love "it when I stumble across" a bit of music that touches my soul and leads me right into prayer... thank you Kari, thank you!

The Empty Room

2011-01-10T11:58:00.000-06:00

The master bedroom remains empty. He is amazed at just how much relief the sight brings. A few short days ago she moved the rest of her things to a new house. Though the process began years earlier and we were either too busy or too blind to notice.

Suffering from anxiety and depression she briefly moved out this past spring thinking it would be the relief she needed. I knew then this was serious, but kept hoping and praying things would work out. Counseling and medication ensued and quickly got out of hand. She moved back in with the promise of a fresh start only to be derailed by her emotions and what-ever demons she was harboring.

There was an attempted overdose, and she was way too high on anti-anxiety drugs to think straight when it happened. The sleeping pills weren’t actually taken and I don’t know if they were ever intended to be ingested… perhaps it was just for attention… perhaps it was a desperate cry for help, for healing… I don’t know.

I do not even pretend to understand… especially when one comes face-to-face with the altar of God three times a week… when the knowledge that God is always there is so firmly planted in ones heart. How... why... does one look past that altar and to society for the answers to spiritual problems?

She lost her way... she needed to find herself. In reality she fell victim to the image the world offers women of her age and stature. Thirty and married over ten years to the same man she started looking for something more; more of what I have no idea. Maybe she wanted to feel the love she felt when they were newly married… maybe she wanted to feel special… all the while it was staring her right in the face. She was running from God and didn't even realize it!

They went to Christian marriage counseling a couple of times to get through the rough patches. Willing to do everything to make her happy he worked hard to provide a good life, helped around the house, and was involved in the boys school and sports activities. Active in church, he committed his life, his family’s lives to God…steadfastly hanging on to the hope and belief that it was going to get better, it would be all right… knowing only God could change it.

Sadly, it was not enough… change in a marriage takes two people seeking God’s will for their lives… seeking God’s healing… seeking God’s love and having the gumption to walk that road of faith. It is not a two-pronged approach with one seeking God and the other seeking society… that only ends up as a fork in the road.

Mistaking comfort for boredom and security for staleness she tried to fill the hole in her heart with things… a house full of things… a closet full of things… a garage full of things… when all along the answer was in reaching out to God. Not just the going through the motions; but the whole heartedly, grabbing hold of Him and not letting go until she had been reconciled kind of reaching out to God. Alas, the lure of the world was too strong… she thought things through instead of faithfully waiting and watching for God to restore her, restore her love, restore her marriage.

Torn between the life she had and the life of what could have been… or what could be… she set about creating a life of her own leaving a husband and two sons standing amid the broken pieces of their American dream. All I can do is shake my head and say, “Lord, Lord.”

I have to admit, I was caught unaware by the turbulence in their lives this past year. Like most, I only saw “leave it to beaver land.” I had so many things on my plate and God love him, he did not want me to worry. He knew I prayed for them and that was enough for him.

The “I love you, but I’m not in love with you, I don’t know who I am anymore…going out, staying home… moving out… moving back in” see-saw, roller coaster life he was living was undoubtedly one of the hardest things he has ever faced. His eyes rimmed with heavy, dark circles showed the tiredness.

Had I looked closer I would have seen more… the sadness, the anguish experienced by one who has done all they can and the giving up of a dream, of a love. What I thought was weariness from juggling his career, his little league duty and his service in his church was so very far from the truth!

Being burned by wasted time and unconditional love; to him, that empty room could easily be filled with sorrow, regret, and the seeds of resentment. However, new life springs forth from the ashes for he takes comfort in the knowledge that he has done all he could.

He committed family, job and self to God a long time ago and it is that same God who will still guide him and sustain him, watch over him and protect his boys. Though he may have lost a worldly love he can never lose the greatest love of all… the love of God. The architect of his life has never let him down and this phase will be no different.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I am who I am because of YOU oh, Lord! You are the King of who I am! Hallelujah

2011-01-03T20:44:00.000-06:00

The Land of Beginning Again

2011-01-02T20:10:00.000-06:00

Re-posted from 11-13-2008...

Lord, grant us new beginnings in 2011... may we show others YOU and that in YOU and only in YOU... that the new beginnings are worth all the past!

The Land of Beginning Again
by: Louise Fletcher

I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat by the door
And never be put on again.

I wish we could come on it all unaware
Like the hunter who finds a lost trail
And I wish that the one whom our blindness has done
The greatest injustice of all
Could be at the gates like an old friend that waits
For the comrade he’s gladdest to hail.

We would find all the things we intended to do
But forgot, and remembered too late;
Little praises unspoken, little promises broken
And all of the thousand and one
Little duties neglected that might have perfected
The day for one less fortunate.

It wouldn’t be possible not to be kind
In the Land of Beginning Again
And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged
Their moments of victory then
Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp
More than penitent lips could explain.

For what had been hardest we’d known had been best
And what had seemed loss would be gain
For there isn’t a sting that will not take a wing
When we’ve faced it and laughed it away,
And I think that the laughter is most what we’re after
In the Land of Beginning Again.

So I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.

One of my most cherished possessions was a book my mother had given me titled The Best Loved Poems of the American People. Alas, I lost the book when our house burned about ten years ago. To this day the above poem is one of my favorites. During my darkest days when I could see no way out of the mess I had made my life. I was stuck; hopeless, battered, soul-dead and weary, bitter, lost, and lonely; yet surrounded by people who called themselves "friends." This poem represented a hope, a wish. I read it so many times I could almost quote it in its entirety.

Praise God, I have found the true land of beginning again and the King of that wonderful place is Jesus! Just like that shabby old coat, I dropped my old life at the altar and walked through the door of forgiveness and restoration. Oh, I have suffered the consequences of my actions and decisions. Let’s just call them what they are, sins. But those consequences are a strong reminder of the grace of a living and loving God that gives beyond measure and loves beyond human reasoning. And while sometimes the road of life is long and winding, "up hill in the snow both ways" and the struggles are real. Life itself is no longer a struggle.

As I think back to those days when I tried to wash away the worries, heartache, and disappointments with a bottle of vodka and the 'pill of the week'…the times I contemplated death and took my own life as I picked up a pen and paper and died a thousand times with the written word. I am so thankful that someone somewhere was praying for my salvation. I can now see all those seed-planters along the way.

To now know that God has a plan for my life...that I am in His hand, that He is the great protector, the provider, and the giver of life, the lover of my soul… I am amazed and thankful that this joy I have is eternal! Though at times I will be sad, I will experience troubles...His hand is there guiding all the way. I have to stop here and just say, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. His mercies are renewed daily and I rest in His presence.

“My soul followeth hard after thee.”

2010-12-29T15:41:00.001-06:00

Psalm 63:8(a) KJV

It is the time of year when one tends to reflect upon the accomplishments and mistakes of the past year then set about making goals and resolutions to ensure the upcoming year is better than the one just experienced. I am generally one of these people. However, as 2010 slams to a close this year’s goal sheet remains a blank page of white paper…

It could be filled with the yet attained goals from years past… lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, etc. But really, what would be the point? Do these resolutions even deserve a place on a serious goal sheet if they have been there for years... untouched, unresolved, unattained … gathering dust as if pushed to the back of some long forgotten shelf?

I can barely get past the review of the last three months let alone the entire year! Each time I find solace for such a purpose I sit detached as if watching some horrible dream over and over again. Moments of disappointment, anger, shock, and sorrow replay in my mind’s eye like some relentless horror film. I sit helpless and watch all over as my children’s personal lives fall apart before my very eyes.

One daughter-in-law moves out because she just does not want to be married anymore then moves back in, only to give up on life and when that is not successful giving up on her marriage and family all together. Leaving in her wake a destruction she cannot see nor cares to see because she is only looking to satisfy self. I see a Christian son holding on tight, working harder than any man I have ever seen to be and do what is necessary to maintain and improve his marriage; praying till his knees were bruised and his hands rubbed raw, crying till all the tears finally dried up. She walked away and he gave up on a marriage he thought would last a lifetime.

I see another daughter-in-law never quite grasping the meaning of unconditional love. .. as she drives the father of her child away with bullying tactics, condescending mannerisms, and insecurity. Using a newborn baby to control a soldier fresh from war... never even pretending to seek the One True God. I see a very young Christian son, slowly shut down as the war on the home-front is harder to face than the one taking place in the desert. .. finally giving up completely on love and marriage and striking out on his own.

I see my own mistakes as I react erratically as the drama slowly unfolds… praying, crying, counseling… then succumbing to the anger… TRAGIC… a worldly reaction and BAM… a lost witness. Forgiveness from the Lord washes over me but the damage is done. That sticks and stones thing is a myth, I tell you. Words hurt much deeper and longer than any bruise, scratch or broken bone… even more so when they shoot from your own mouth, slide past the tongue, and pierce the heart of someone whom you genuinely love.

In the face of such reality…and the uncertainty brought about by the two divorces our family will experience in the upcoming year many of the goals and resolutions that once occupied my ‘New Year’s List’ seem most frivolous and without merit. Perhaps this year the list will contain merely three words:

SEEK

TRUST

OBEY

For truly, one cannot trust and obey unless they first seek HIS way.

Psalm 63:1-8 “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods, with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” NIV

Panderers of Prosperity

2010-12-22T22:51:00.000-06:00

These last couple of weeks leading up to Christmas have been very busy in the Kyzer Compound and now that Jake has arrived home it seems time has accelerated. The house is constantly full of friends and family. Did I mention it was hunting season? There are always extra men and boys around during hunting season… It takes almost all day just to keep the house picked up and the brood fed!

Like most, I either have the television or the radio going in the background when working around the house. I like to watch our local Christian television station VTN. I love the teachings of Beth Moore and Charles Stanley among others. It is good solid teaching and I soak it up as I cook and clean… or play on Facebook.

What I get tired of are these televangelists with their feel good, tickle the ear message of everything is ok and as long as you are a good person you will make it to heaven. My lands… can you visualize them patting the backs of the mis-lead all the way to hell?! You know the ones I am talking about… those who shall remain nameless who have a camera instead of a congregation, a fan base instead of a following, a message of materialism instead of salvation for the starving soul! Oh, oh… and what about those who tell the masses in television land to send in $20 and they will pray over a cloth (or some other object) and send it to you? They almost guarantee you…healing, money, jobs, security… all your troubles will disappear… just send them the money… UGH! It makes me just want to scream!!!

It is the preaching of prosperity that really gets my goat. I mean seriously, where exactly in the Bible does it say that God will make you rich, give you a big house, and an expensive car? Where does it say that if you pay your tithe faithfully or contribute a little more you can wear shoes and clothes that cost thousands of dollars? It is upside down, wrong side out… devoid of truth… theology. The Bible warns us to beware of materialism... how then can these people in good conscious get up there and tell the world the opposite?

Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” ~NIV

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ~NIV

Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

Psalm 37:16 “Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked:” ~NIV

Read Mark 10:17-27, 31 – the young rich man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life… when Jesus tells him to sell all he has and give to the poor and follow him the man was disappointed and went away. He was unwilling to follow Jesus if it meant entering poverty…

Luke 12:15 “Then he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ~NIV

In other words, he who dies with the most toys…LOSES!

Christians hope in eternal security, and God would have us give up “carnal security” to get it. The flesh wants the security of money. It wants to be in control, to be the master, to be god. So we dream of and cling to money because we do not want to be totally dependent on God. We get caught up in jobs… spending entirely too much time building a career to give our family a better life. Which on the outside looks good… but is it really? What if we spent as much time and effort to ensure our families salvation, their devotion to God… as we do in making sure they wear designer clothing and have the best and latest gadgets?

It is this hope in carnal security… the security of a good paycheck… the love of money … the master of things that make our lives convenient, good, easy… that these panderers of prosperity tap into. My word… they have lost their grip on TRUTH! They want us to think we can get rich by believing them all the while lining their own pockets with our money! This is wrong on so many levels…

Paul tells the Thessalonians in

1Thess 2:4-5 “On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask of greed – God is our witness.” ~NIV

2 Cor 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.”

1Tim 6:3-9 “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. “ ~NIV

The most misused scripture by prosperity preachers seems to be...

Psalm 37:5 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." ~NIV

This scripture tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord… meaning…put HIM first… love Him first… find our joy, our happiness, our success… in HIM… loving Him with our whole heart, soul, and mind… when we do this... our desires will NOT be to satisfy ourselves through money, possessions, careers, or comforts… our desires will be HIS desires!

So this CHRISTmas, I beg of you… do not fall for some over the top, too good to be true, tickle the ear message of prosperity and peace from some tv preacher whose only real interest in the gospel is to see how big of a mansion he can have here on earth. Instead, search the scriptures, seek HIS face… give your life entirely to HIM and trust him with your whole heart (and your pocketbook)… and hang on to HIM for dear life… for eternal life!

I love this!!!!! Please watch carefully. Be sure to turn the music OFF. Click the double lines to the right on the player.

2010-12-17T16:32:00.000-06:00

Charlie Brown Christmas

2010-12-03T18:43:00.000-06:00

2010-12-01T21:13:00.002-06:00

Update on my Grandmother

2010-11-30T16:47:00.000-06:00

Thank you all for your prayers. My grandmother, Pearl Ruby Theresa Lauring Bennett, passed away this afternoon at 3:30. Her body will be prepared in Batesville, Arkansas and transported to Houston, Texas where she will be laid to rest next to my grandfather. She lived a long, full life. She suffered from Alzheimers and in the end really did not know any of us. However, we have a lifetime of beautiful memories and will miss her dearly. My prayers go up for my mother, my aunt and my uncles. May God keep his arm around them during this time.

Prayer Request

2010-11-29T22:32:00.000-06:00

My grandmother has had a stroke. Does not look good. She is in her mid-90's. My mother and father are going to the hospital in Batesville, Arkansas now. Prayers are appreciated.

Now THIS is what I'm Talking About... Hallelujah! What a way to kick off the CHRISTmas season!

2010-11-27T09:11:00.000-06:00

Never Feed a Stray Dog?

2010-11-23T17:11:00.001-06:00

My sister-in-law called me yesterday and asked that I come in at 7 this morning to work the register at the cafe. Good thing I did because it was crazy busy! We had several people pick up their pre-ordered Thanksgiving goodies, but there were tons of call in orders as well as a packed house. I love it when it is like that... time flies and it seems I am energized at the end of the day.

I was just finishing up a "to-go" order when a young man walked in and asked if he could get a glass of water or something to drink. As I headed to the drink machine he said, "Uh, mam, I don't have any money." I told him that was fine, it was no charge. As I handed him the water I noticed he looked like he had been on the loosing end of a fight. He might have been a little "under the influence" but I threw caution to the wind and asked if he was hungry. Of course, he was. I told him I'd buy him lunch and he could have what ever he wanted. I quickly ran through the days specials and he ended up with pork loin, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, a roll and some coffee.

We were an hour away from closing and business had slowed down considerably. That's when it happened... people were watching this guy like they were afraid of him... like he might rob us or just keep coming in for free food. You know the look... the less than desirable, non-paying customer. Oh well, I thought, no one was gonna go hungry on my watch, not when I had a couple extra dollars in my purse anyway.

That's when I got the advice, "Never feed a stray dog."

I responded, "Sure you do...especially this time of year!"

"This guy might be coming around over and over again wanting a hand out. He might be a crack head or something like that... he might even try to rob the place."

"Ah, but wouldn't it be great if we were the ones who fed his body and his soul? So what if he had been beaten up (possibly by his drug dealer)? Could we not be the hands of Jesus, just this once? Can we find an opportunity to tell him about our Savior...his Savior?"

As I was leaving the cafe I watched him get in the car with two older women and ride off, left overs in his to-go box. I never had the chance to say one word about Jesus...but I sure hope through my actions he got a taste of the difference God makes in our lives.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost... the undesirables of His time... of all time! He dined with sinners and 'publicans.' He fed the hungry. He healed the lame, the blind, the sick in body and spirit. If we are called to be like Him, why would we not feed a wondering, beat-up, skinny young man in hopes that he too will one day truly experience all that Jesus has to offer.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

WHO SO EVER...

If we, as Christians, act like the world...how in the world will the world ever see the difference He makes?

Counting...Counting...Counting

2010-11-22T08:29:00.001-06:00

Ahhh... the smell of fresh brewed chocolate coffee wafting in from the kitchen all the way to the bedroom, the 1954 Jimmy Stewart/June Allyson movie The Glenn Miller Story is playing quietly in the background and my Chihuahua, Isabella is snuggled deep under the covers next to me, with Yorkie, Lilly sprawled out on top of the quilts. I could lay here all day but the new week has begun!

The house has been filled with the boys all weekend! It was the first day of duck hunting season here in Arkansas and I guess it is still deer season as well. It is not uncommon this time of year to be awakened by the sound of laughter, the smell of bacon cooking, and a house full of guys getting ready for the hunt. It amazes me that they can get up so early, hunt a little while, get ready and go to church, then hunt some more. Seems like this weekend they ended up with more stories than game and it puts a smile on my face.

Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away and this year we are taking our festivities on the road. Now that Jake and his wife are getting divorced he is staying with some friends and Jimmy and I are taking his best friend, all the trimmings and heading north. I am not sure exactly how many soldiers and/or their families will show up but I am prepared to share with them all our holiday tradition of scripture, prayer, food, football and napping!

I have about six different lists going right now. It is so easy to get bogged down in the details of making all the arrangements, especially when there is only one woman, one mom... menu planning, what to cook ahead and take, what to make there, what time we will arrive at the hotel, what time do we need to arrive at the house in order to get the turkey done at a reasonable time. All the while encroaching on this planning session is the fact that Christmas is right around the corner and there is shopping to be done, decorations to be displayed, lights to be hung and another feast to be prepared. Ugh... I think I might just turn over and go back to sleep!

I must admit here that I am one of those people who get a bit melancholy during the season of thanksgiving and cheer... even when there is no added stress factors... I'm not sure why, but it happens. It is then that I start making a list of a different kind... my blessings list, my list of what I am thankful for, my list of people who have impacted my life.... changed my life... and then I go out and do something for someone else. A simple gesture to a stranger, a surprise for family or a friend. It makes all the difference in the world, lightens the mood, puts a bounce in my step and a smile on my face!

Yep, this time of year I spend a bit more time in prayer than usual... and to quote an over-used expression, it keeps me focused on "the reason for the season"... while the details take care of themselves. Think I'll turn the television off, pop in a CD, and get to cleaning this house.

When upon life's billows
You are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged,
Thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings,
Name them one by one
And it will suprise you
What the Lord has done.

Chorus
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your blessings,
See what God has done
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings,
See what God has done.

Are you ever burdened
With a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy
You are called to bear?
Count your many blessings,
Ev'ry doubt will fly
And you will be singing
As the days go by.
Chorus
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your blessings,
See what God has done
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings,
See what God has done.

When you look at others
With their lands and gold
Think that Christ has promised
You His wealth untold
Count your many blessings,
Money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven,
Nor your home on high.
Chorus
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your blessings,
See what God has done
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings,
See what God has done.

So, amid the conflict,
Whether great or small
Do not be discouraged,
Godis over all
Count your many blessings,
Angels will attend
Help and comfort give you
To your journey's end.

Chorus
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your blessings,
See what God has done
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings,
See what God has done.

2010-11-21T21:39:00.000-06:00

"My God, I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow." George Matheson.

2010-11-19T10:32:00.001-06:00

The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Let Us Pray

2010-11-18T11:00:00.003-06:00

James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

I was watching the news this morning and saw where a Hollywood agent/publicist had just left a movie premiere and was shot multiple times. One minute heading home, going over tomorrows "to-do list" happy the movie she had been publicizing looked like a hit...and just that quick...her life on earth ended.

A woman goes for a routine mammogram and the next thing she knows she is hooked up to chemotherapy and shopping for wigs. A man goes to the doctor because he is tired and lethargic and finds he has mere months to live. A family living in "Leave-it-to-Beaver-Land" is split wide open because one person just doesn't want to be married anymore. Jobs are lost, friends suffer, illness takes hold, and accidents happen.

Devout Christian or not... Life can turn on a dime... sometimes there are warning signs... sometimes not. No matter how much we plan... no matter the contingency, sometimes life just gets turned upside down and inside out leaving our emotions spent and our nerves raw. It is during these times when most people turn to prayer. You've heard the old saying... "When there is no place left to go, go to your knees."

Sometimes people want to use prayer like it is some kind of magic formula or think of God like a genie a bottle... "Lord, I can't fix it - please, please fix it for me." They want some kind of big booming voice to emanate from the sky with words of wisdom... or a lightening bolt to strike the "problem" down. That kind of attitude and expectation can and will only lead to more disappointment. Now, don't get me wrong here, I definitely believe in miracles... I have seen them and BELIEVE in them... it can happen. What I'm saying is... it's a "heart thing."

In reality, prayer is opening up our hearts and pouring out all that is contained therein... frustration, hurt, anger, sin, thankfulness, praise, worship. There are times we feel like we just don't have the words... sometimes it is simply lying prostrate sobbing and groaning. Sometimes... we just have to start with a song...

When we empty our hearts of self and focus on HIM... and trust me... this is, at times, so much harder than it sounds... we are praying with a right heart... in righteousness... It is then and only then, that we can hear, we can understand what it is that He has planned, what He has in store for us... it is then we can receive what He has to give us... even if it is simply comfort and peace. ahhhhh... comfort and peace... it is what we all long for, isn't it?

Then the PRAISE comes welling up from within our souls. Praise Him in the good times and in the bad times... in the fruitful times...and in the lean times. Sometimes praising the Lord is as simple as singing to Him. I think prayer and singing go hand-in-hand after all, singing is worshiping God... even if you sound like an old toad doing it!

There really is power in prayer...the power is not ours, it's not in the singing, not in the words spoken... it is in the very act of prayer itself... it is in the communion with God... the power comes from HIM! It is so easy to turn to God in prayer when times are tough... it seems like everyone does that. But do we maintain that communication with God when times are going smoothly or are we like those who walk and live in the world and only seek God's face when life hands us a curve ball?

James 5:16 (b) The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Can You Smell What the Lord's Been Cookin'?

2010-11-17T07:01:00.000-06:00

God pays attention to those who call on Him. Whether He offers escape from trouble or help in times of trouble, we can be certain that he always hears and acts on behalf of those who love HIM.

Psalm 34:
1- I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2- My soul shall make its boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3- Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

In these first three verses we can simply add the words NO MATTER WHAT!!!!

NO MATTER WHAT... I will bless the Lord always...I will praise Him continually.
NO MATTER WHAT... I will tell others how marvelous the Lord is... I will testify of HIS love and others will be drawn to Him.
NO MATTER WHAT... Let us come together and worship the God of our salvation, our Redeemer...

Psalm 34:8-18 "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger: but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Come, you children, listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good: Seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."

Psalm 34:8 "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

I love to cook and often come up with my own unique recipes...sometimes it takes a lot of convincing to get my family to try them and sometimes it does not! If the house is filled with a tantalizing aroma... then the family is quick to get a taste of what might become their new favorite dish. If the smells coming from the kitchen are, well, less than favorable...I might hear excuses like... "I'm not that hungry." Or... "I had a late lunch." Or.... "I have other dinner plans."

Just like dinner cooking in the kitchen our lives have a particular aroma...

2 Corinthians 2: 15,16 "For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life."

If we wallow around in woe and self-pity when life is "less than favorable"... what kind of aroma is that? How many people will miss the glory and mercy of God because of our stinkin' attitude? How many people will think our Lord is "nothing special" because of our actions in our times of trouble simply by the way respond and react to that adversity? How many people will miss out on salvation?

Instead... let us praise the Lord at all times... NO MATTER WHAT! Let us wait patiently,hopefully, trusting in His will... His way... and let our life beckon to others... "OH, TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD: BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO TRUSTS IN HIM!"

Now, that is a sweet aroma!!!!

2010-11-11T21:10:00.000-06:00

2010-11-09T22:49:00.000-06:00

2010-11-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

Refrain:
But “I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

But “I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”

Easy Button

2010-10-30T10:55:00.001-05:00

Don't you wish sometimes that you had a magic wand or could wrinkle your nose like Samantha on that old television show Bewitched? You know...like when you are in the middle of cleaning closets and everything is drug out into the middle of the house and stacked in piles... then your pastor calls and says he and his wife are in the neighborhood and are stopping by in a few minutes... dinkle*dinkle*dink! and everything is back in place, the house is spotless, you are no longer dressed in ragged sweatpants and torn t-shirt, and fresh cookies or cake is just about to come out of the oven. Ahhhh... too bad that EASY button doesn't really work... I'd be over at Office Depot right now so I could pick up a couple dozen!

2010 is shaping up to be one of the hardest experienced in a very long time here at the Kyzer Compound. Both boys have had some "personal" problems. True to form, my mother instinct kicked in just like when they were little and I wanted to gather them into my arms, sit them on my lap, and hug and kiss the hurt away. I tell you it doesn't work as well with men as it does with little boys. Add to the mix a cancer scare, deployment to a war zone and the economic pressures experienced by most businesses, but in particular by small, family-owned businesses.... and well... you can imagine... the stress and pressure.

Those of you who know me personally know I can be a tad-bit high strung at times... but in a good way... and that Jimmy is so laid back that nothing ever gets to him. While I will sometimes get on my soap box and rant and rave... he stays calm, cool, and collected. I don't think I have ever even heard him raise his voice. It is what makes us a great team, the perfect couple... but last night... he kept sighing... over and over again, when he thought I couldn't hear him. The stress is now getting to him as well and it breaks my heart wide open. Winter is always a little tough on us and it seems we are not quite to the end of this season of trial in our lives and so we bathe each day in prayer and look toward Spring... it is always better in the Spring.

I might not have an Easy Button or a wand or be able to wrinkle my nose and make everything all better but I do have a power that is much better, much stronger than anything we see in a movie or on television... and that is the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! It is the ability to stand on the Rock...the solid rock which is the foundation of our faith... knowing that the old saying "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" is indeed a true statement. As we are refined through the fire we, as a family, will walk by faith and not by sight, knowing all the while that on the other side of these trials... we will be stronger individuals, a stronger family, stronger Christians.

2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith and not by sight."

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

It is during these times when all we can do is give it all up to Him who is able to do more than we ask or more than we can imagine. For truly how will we know just how smooth the flight through life is...if we never experience a little turbulence?

Ephesians 4:19-21 "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. A-men."

Morning Has Broken

2010-10-29T11:31:00.002-05:00

Psalm 5:3 "My voice shall thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."

Palisade Mountain Sunrise Submitted by: Darrell E. Spangler

It never ceases to amaze me how God works. If we just keep our eyes open we can see Him working in and around us almost on a moment-to-moment basis. The sad thing is we, humans, are such an emotional lot that if we don't feel His presence we think He is not around... when realistically HE IS EVERYWHERE!

It has been a pretty stressful two-week period of my life. Issues, stress, and tragedy come and go in people's lives all the time. It is life... the process... the journey. Though, personally, I prefer my life skipping through the daisies, watching the little birdies fly... you know like some Disney movie.

Sometimes, I find myself walking the tightrope of life... suspended by whatever particular circumstance that has become my reality for the moment. On one side the Godly action, reaction, or decision...on the other the worldly... There may be a safety net below but there is no guarantee that the fall will not result in serious injury. So as any good trapeze artist, I keep my eyes fixed firmly forward... watching my partner (which in this case is my Savior) obeying his command.... inching ahead, step-by-step until I am almost to the end of the journey where I quick-step the last few paces and leap into His waiting arms.

As the dawn breaks this morning, I once-again, find myself waking up with a prayer in my heart. Not just for me and the temporary situation which causes me stress and fatigue but for so many others facing so much more difficult events... always with praise and the acknowledgment that the He is in control...and then the peace comes... for the solution was already on the way before we even new a problem existed!

In the midst of all our trials and tribulations... all we have to do is look up... keep moving forward... keep the faith, walk the walk... and whether we feel His presence or not... we can take assurance in knowing HE IS PRESENT and HE IS ABLE!

Jimmey Needham - Accept and Rejoice

2010-10-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

Jimmy Needham Stand on Grace

2010-10-27T21:26:00.000-05:00

Jimmy Needham - Forgiven and Loved

2010-10-27T21:19:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to VOTE

2010-10-22T22:37:00.000-05:00

Jake and Erick come for a visit!

2010-10-18T19:49:00.000-05:00

An Ugly Truth Turns Into A Lesson of Love

2010-10-14T14:14:00.001-05:00

Like his father, my oldest grandson has the sweetest, compassionate heart. He has been like that his whole life. They lived next door to us when he was little. As a toddler he would bang on their door and yell when I drove up. Of course, Granna always had time to stop in. When it was time for me to leave he would sometimes, most times, cry this heart breaking cry and hang on to me...I couldn't stand it. I would pick him up and take him to my house for 20 or so minutes then he was fine. This went on until he started school. I used to say he chose me but I realize now it was just an outward expression of his inward love... his tender heart.

He and his little brother stay with me a couple of days a week after school. I love that part of being a grandmother. Though, they are already beginning to eat me out of house and home! Sometimes, on Sundays after church he opts to come home with us. He knows more than likely Papaw is going to fall asleep in the recliner and Granna is going to lay down for just a little while and without his little brother there is not much to do except watch movies or play on the computer.

Now that it is football season we watch football movies...Facing the Giants and Remember the Titans are our two favorites. I'll never forget the first time we watched Remember the Titans, he cried because of the car accident and subsequent death of football player, Gary. However, recently, that nine-year-old had another revelation...and was appalled. For the first time he caught a glimpse of the hate that underscored the picture of teenage boys coming together as a championship team. He saw the obstacle the team faced but did not understand racism at all. Needless to say not much napping went on that Sunday afternoon.

He began with the incensed statement: "I can't believe people would treat each other like that just cause they are a different color!" Then the questions began... "That's just not right is it, Granna? Were you alive then, Granna?" Sigh...no it's not right and yes I was alive ...sometimes history is just plain ugly.

I was really fortunate. My parents shielded us from the repulsive part of the racism that took place while we were little. We heard about Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr... we celebrated the Voter Rights bill (my mother still registers voters to this day and she is 77!) and we mourned the loss of great leaders in the battle to change the south. Though really, we were much to young to understand until we were older. How much do you tell a fourth grader? Especially one who has never even noticed skin color?

And so, I breathed a prayer and started with the Bible. 1John 4:19-21 " We love because He first loves us. If anyone says 'I love God' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

We talked a little about slavery, about Lincoln and Frederick Douglas and fast forwarded to Dr. King and voter's rights...we talked a little about Central High School and desegregation. We talked about the hate of man handed down generation to generation and how it was hate that fueled a whole country to mistreat, abuse and neglect an entire population of people... and unfortunately some people still have it.

We finished with the love of Christ who sees sinners and saints - good people and bad people and that the color of their skin does not matter to HIM what-so-ever! That he is lucky to have friends of all colors and that it is up to us; Papaw and Granna, Mama and Daddy, and he and his friends to make sure that it is the love of Christ that we hand down generation to generation.

I caught a glimpse of the realization of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream in the indignation of that nine year old's reaction to the discrimination he saw in the movie. It is my prayer that we Americans, we Christians especially, have finally arrived at the point in time where we truly judge men based on the content of their character and not on the color of their skin.

I heard a politician say one time, "There is nothing wrong in America that can't be fixed with what is right in America." and I believe that. What tradition are you passing to the next generation?

8 Questions

2010-10-11T15:05:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by Susan at Penless Writer http://penlesswriter.blogspot.com/.

I'm to answer the following 8 questions made up by Susan, make up 8 questions of my own, and then tag 8 of you to answer my questions. So here I go....

#1. If money were no object what would you like to do that you've never been able to do or have always wanted to do? I would open a place called 2nd Chance Ministries. I would help women get ready for the work place. It would have a used book store and a place for their children to come while the women were in classes. The children would have puppet shows or the story lady would read to them.

#2. If you could have "do overs" what is the 1 thing you would never do again? And why? I would never have done drugs or drank when I was young. It was such a waste of time. Guess that's why the call it getting wasted, huh?

#3. If you could have "do overs" what is the 1 thing you would want to be absolutely, positively sure you did again? And why? Marry my husband. First of all, because he taught be about the Lord and secondly, I never knew love like this ever existed before.

#4 What is the worst fear? That is a hard one. Technically, I consider myself fairly fearless but I guess secretly I fear loosing my family.

#5. What is your greatest joy? No doubt, loving and serving my Lord... my family is a very close second.

#6. What is your life verse, or if you don't have one, your favorite Bible verse?

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

#7. What church do you attend? And why? If you do not attend a church, why not? Right now, First Assembly of God in Lonoke, because that is where our son and grandsons attend. It is a fairly new church and is growing and they have no fear of ministering to the community at large. Their motto: Every Soul Matters...how can you NOT want to be a part of something like that?

#8. If you knew you only have 1 year to live, what is the first thing you would do? Now that really is a hard one. I guess I would make sure the people I love knew with out a doubt that I loved them.

Now for my eight questions....
1. What do you think your greatest personality trait is and how do you use it best?

2. What brings you the greatest joy?

3. Who has been the biggest influence on your life and why?

4. What is your life motto?

5. What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

6. If you had to sacrifice one thing in order to serve the Lord, would you and what would that be?

7. What is your favorite praise and worship or old-time gospel song.

8. If you could change one thing either in your community or the world at large what would it be? [World Peace does not count Ms. Beauty Pageant Contestant!]

Now for the eight...

Amanda at Renewed Each Morning
Mary at Mary's Heart
Ginger at Following My Heart
Dawn at Call Me Grandma Dawn
Steve over at Cary's Corner
Indian Lake Papa at Choices R Mine
Sharon over at TechnoNana
GranolaChick at So What CAN He Eat?

You Might Be In a Redneck Church...

2010-10-11T13:44:00.000-05:00

1. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if … The finance committee refuses to provide funds for the purchase of a chandelier because none of the members knows how to play one.

2. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if … People ask, when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000, whether the two fish were bass or catfish, and what bait was used to catch 'em.

3. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if … When the pastor says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering" and five guys and two women stand up.

4. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday.

5. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if... A member of the church requests to be buried in his 4-wheel-drive truck because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of" (Love it!)

6. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The choir is known as the "OK Chorale".

7. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… In a congregation of 500 members, there are only seven last names in the church directory.

8. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… People think "rapture" is what you get when you lift something too heavy.

9. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The baptismal pool is a #2 galvanized " Wheeling " washtub.

10. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The choir robes were donated by (and embroidered with the logo from) Billy Bob's Barbecue.

11. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The collection plates are really hubcaps from a '56 Chevy.

12. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… Instead of a bell you are called to service by a duck call.

13. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The minister and his wife drive matching pickup trucks.

14. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The communion wine is Boone's Farm "Tickled Pink".

15. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if... "Thou shall not covet" applies to huntin' dogs, too.

16. You know You're in a Redneck Church if… The final words of the benediction are, "Y'all come back now, Ya hear".

God Bless and don't fergit ta say yer prayers!

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

2010-10-03T04:45:00.004-05:00

Yes, it is 3:45 in the morning... on a Sunday morning. It has been a long sleepless night. By now, the coffee has been brewed and the dishes in the dishwasher put away. I am definitely going to be partaking in that Sunday afternoon tradition called a nap today!

I awoke with the song Great Is Thy Faithfulness running through my head. I assure you... I really cannot sing a lick...I mean, I can't carry a tune in a bucket! Especially in the morning when I first wake up; as evidenced by the fact that the two little dogs ran into the bedroom as I began to croak out the lyrics.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not:
As thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

This chorus, this song, gives such peace... such hope... such assurance! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever more! How comforting to realize He is the same God that split the waters of the Red Sea, the same God who healed the lame and the blind, who healed a woman by the simple touch of His garment! That's the same God who takes an interest in us, right now, here today... so much so that He would send His Spirit to live within our hearts to lead, guide, and direct our steps!

This morning I could have just rolled over... flopped around for a little while and surely, sooner or later, I would have fallen back to sleep; but what a blessing I would have missed! I thank God for sleepless nights. I thank God for the chance to meet with Him in the still of the early morning hours, while not even the birds are awake. I have a feeling it's going to be a wonderful day! This day of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:22-25 "Through the Lords mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are renewed every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion.' says my soul. Therefore I hope in Him! The Lord is good to those who wait for Him. To the soul who seeks Him."

It's Time for a Harvest!

2010-10-01T19:42:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year, especially since the dust from all the harvesting is finally settling down and my nose has almost quit running. Lonoke County is mostly rural and while some of our farmers have moved on we still have thousands and thousands of acres of hay, rice, and soybeans. It is amazing to see those big tractors out in the fields doing their thing.

I remember some years back my husband got his first computerized hay baler. It was kind of funny watching him from the window, tweaking the settings, climbing up in the cab of the tractor, then walking back to the baler; instruction manual in one hand, screwdriver in the other. Once he got the settings correct that new baler made quick work of the entire field.

One thing I have learned from Jimmy about farming is that when it is time to harvest you get to it otherwise you either lose your crop or you lose revenue as the price steadily drops from the time the first tractor hits the first field. In other words... it's all about the timing. When the crops are ready don't put it off or they will be lost and it will be a long, hard year. Jeremiah lamented about a different kind of lost harvest.

The harvest is past,
The summer has ended,
And we are not saved!
Jeremiah 8:20 ~ NKJ

Jeremiah responded in anguish as he watched a world dying in sin. We watch that same world still rejecting God... still dying in sin. How often do we actually mourn for our lost world? For our family, friends, and neighbors? How often do we use excuses to keep from sharing the gospel? How often do we share part of the story but fall short when it is time to get down to the truth about salvation? It is only when we share Jeremiah's passion... his anguish... that we will begin to move into the field. Are we properly equipped for such a harvest?

First and foremost, let's be honest here...we can not share what we do not have. If we have not experienced salvation ourselves how then can we lead others to it? Just because one spends their entire life in church, even being a good worker in the church does not make one saved.

Secondly, we must have a passion for the lost. How do we turn the ember of interest into a flame of fervor? It really is simple... ask God that He break our hearts for the world He loves. Make a list of those you would like to share God with and faithfully pray over that list. Be ready to move when the Holy Spirit gives you the go ahead. If we could just have His eyes for one moment to get a glimpse of the world around us... a moment would be all we could stand!

Thirdly, we must acknowledge that it is the responsibility of every Christian to be a witness for Him.Not just the Sunday school teacher, the Pastor (or the Pastor's wife) not just the visitation committee... EVERYONE OF US! God places the unsaved, the unchurched, and those in church smack dab in the middle of our paths for a reason! Let us not be blind... let us not be self serving... let us not be apathetic. Let us take action, now, before it is too late!

Matthew 28:19,20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in he name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen ~NKJ

Finally, we must not take for granted our Christian walk and what it takes to maintain a good and true and personal relationship with our precious Lord and Savior. Our prayer time, our study of His Word, our obedience to Him...our trust in Him... our faithfulness to Him. It is only then that we will be like a good working tractor... steadily moving row upon row until the harvest is complete.

Let's just quit using excuses like: I am afraid to say the wrong thing. I don't want to offend anybody. What if they ask a question I don't know the answer to? And the list goes on and on and on and on. What is your excuse for being bogged down? Whatever it is recognize it...give it over to God...and get on with it, man, we are burning daylight here!

John 4:35 "Do you not say, there are still four months then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for the harvest."

If God is for us, Who can be against us?

2010-09-30T13:59:00.000-05:00

"And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

My heart is heavily burdened as I set my Bible aside and take up my laptop. I had another post in mind this morning but that has all changed now. My blogger friend, Susan, has had some horrible news. Her daughter has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Please pray now for this family.

It seems there have been a few bumps in the road of late for this dear friend of mine. Why not? I mean, she demonstrates her love of and faith in Christ with every stroke of her pen. (or tap of her keyboard) And she and her husband Mickey, just recently began a new ministry to feed the people in need of their neighborhood and from what I have read, it is quite successful...feeding the body and the soul of everyone who receives a meal. You know that must have gotten the old deceiver and his minions stirred up! Looks to me like Susan is under attack at her very heart...her mother's heart.

Kinda reminds me of Job. He was just a Godly man, serving God with his heart and seemingly out of nowhere, BAM, he was under attack...and for what? Being a Godly man! But he made it through and on the other side the blessings were so much more than he could have ever expected. I bet it will be the same with Susan. We see attacks on and suffering by the saints it in the new testament as well. Let's face it...those new Christians, the ones setting up the church of Jesus, were definitely persecuted... beheaded, imprisoned, stoned, crucified... all because they were obeying the call... their call... HIS call. Why would it not be the case now?

Matthew 5:11 "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Then I think about the way Jesus healed the man who was born blind. [John 9] when his disciples asked who had sinned to cause the blindness, the man or his parents. Jesus' answer in verse 3 was simple, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Now that is an assurance! I pray the mighty work of God will be displayed in the life of my friends daughter. I am almost on shouting ground now!

When I was younger my husband and I did a little stint of service as children's [ages 3-8] church ministers. Man, I loved those kids, still do... even though they are teenagers and young adults now. For a short time a little boy named Elijah attended with his mother.

The circumstance of his presence in our church was one that looked hopeless to the outside world... his tiny body was riddled with cancer. They lived across the street from our Pastor's sister, Faith, and because both parents were in the Air Force she would babysit from time to time. When once again the cancer returned, Faith brought them to church in more ways than one.

For the first time in my life I was a part of a service where the elders of the church gathered, anointed someone, and prayed for healing. It was the most powerful thing I had ever experienced. The hairs on the back of my neck stand as I vividly remember the service. The next morning Elijah was scheduled for surgery to remove a spot and a mass that had grown in the place where a kidney had been removed.

I had an early meeting that morning and so was running a bit late to the hospital. By the time I got there he was already in surgery. I had barely gotten my coffee when the doctor came into the waiting room. We all knew this could be good news or very bad news... We waited with the preliminary words... then he took off that cap thingie and said, "I don't know what happened. Last week, there was a mass, this morning...nothing. There was a little spot on his diaphragm, that was not malignant but we removed it anyway. Other than that, everything is good there are no signs of cancer at this time. We don't need to see him for another six months."

Now that doctor might not have known what happened but we knew! God's power was manifested in that little boy so an unbelieving mother would come to know Him. Praise the Lord! The family has since been transferred but as far as I know... Elijah is still cancer free. That's the kind of God we serve. I have seen His healing power with my own eyes and know He is still in the healing business to this day! And so I pray it shall be with Suzette.

Romans 8:31 "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

I rebuke the devil in the the name of Jesus and claim a victory over this illness. Glory and honor and praise to the King, that His power is shone to all who meet this woman, Suzette. May her faith be deepened, her walk expanded, and the glory of the Lord surround her and shine, shine, shine!

Romans 5:1-5 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us,"

And so for now, a little suffering tempered with prayer and grounded in faith, hope and the Love which is Christ. And soon, very soon, a joyful victory!

Romans 8:35-37 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardships or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger of the sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all thing we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, 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."

New Exercise Routine

2010-09-29T19:51:00.000-05:00

Psalm 91:1) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2) I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."

Jeremiah 6:16 "This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'"

Matthew 11-28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29) Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30) For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Now that is an exercise routine I can live with! How about you?

Prepare to Meet your Maker!

2010-09-25T17:26:00.000-05:00

No, this is not some dooms day post...not yet anyway.

During the Arkansas v. Alabama half-time I was talking to my oldest son, Richard. After he talked about the first part of the game (Arkansas is winning so far, Go Hogs!) he mentioned he had to be at the church later for practice. He is not the usual drummer so when he does play he likes a little extra time with the other members of the worship team.

When my phone rang I was in the middle of making my grocery list, which is followed usually by my weekly menu, and then combined with the list we keep on the fridge of things we are running out of or have completely used. I thought, now that is a lot of preparation for one quick trip into town.

I mean, we all make many preparations every day, don't we? And if you are a "recovering" planner like me it can sometimes get intense. But think about it... even chef's have a prep-cook. Their whole job is cutting and dicing veggies, getting everything ready for the chef to use as he/she needs for the rush of diners.

As Christians we study and pray to make ourselves ready to be of service to the Lord. How then do we prepare for that Sunday morning church service? Is it a state of mind? A state of the heart?

I think back to when our children were home and I was working a full time job. Just getting up and making sure everyone was ready to go and still clean when we got in the car could be a harrowing experience, no matter how early we woke up! I shudder at the memory of snotty noses, crying...and why did you have to jump in the mud puddle on the way to the car THIS morning...we are already running late...start to any given Sunday. Sound familiar?

Now church service can not, should not ever take the place of a personal relationship with the Lord. I mean nothing can replace my one-on-one time, I love the connection I get when I sit here at the desk with my Bible in one hand, cup of coffee in the other, ink pen tucked behind my ear, and Christian music playing softly (sometimes blasting) in the background. It is where I am shaped and molded, inspired...and where sometimes, I get a little spankin' cause I am not paying attention or I'm trying to do things my way.

But there is just something about the collective worship service. A group of people, no matter how small or large the crowd, singing down the Spirit until the entire room is filled, sitting with rapt attention as the Pastor brings the Word, then the congregation sings softly, sometimes swaying, as the saints pray silently for the salvation of the seekers in attendance...it is at that altar where lives are forever altered.

Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.

Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.

Remember one thing...this Sunday morning...IN the morning... take a little time out, listen to some good Christian music, whisper a prayer before your feet even hit the floor. "This is Your day, Lord... I'm gonna focus on you and not worry where we are going to eat lunch, I don't even care if those kids get dirty this morning. After all, you look on the inside and not the outside. I love you, Lord... thank you for loving me first."

Then take a deep breath and remind yourself, this is the time, the place where I meet my Savior. Reach out and grab hold and do not let Him pass you by...

Are You A Branch or Just Up A Tree?

2010-09-24T17:12:00.001-05:00

John 15:4

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."

John 15:5

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

John 15:9

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love."

John 15:11,12

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Perfecting Process

2010-09-23T11:28:00.003-05:00

I began this morning thinking wouldn't it be wonderful if we were perfect? If we never said anything that hurt someone's feelings... if everything we did or attempted to do produced good results... now that would be a wonderful life would it not?

It would be fantastic to never disappoint anyone, especially God, our family, friends, and even strangers. Then maybe we wouldn't be disappointed in ourselves either. It is such a sinking feeling to realize that something we've said or done has damaged our witness to the lost and dieing. I mean, really, why are we held to such a high and great standard that the world, the worldly think we should be perfect, flawless? It sometimes gets so tedious... this searching, this striving for perfection.

I decided to do a little research...

Hebrews 10:12 "But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13-Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14-because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15- The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16-"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." ~NIV

It is the innate knowledge of the laws that brings on the disappointment in ourselves, and if we are honest, in others. Even the unsaved, godless, worldly population is aware of these laws; therefore when we claim Christ, claim the title Christian, profess to live as Christ... every flaw is noted... every mistake... every sin... logged for later exposition. It so reminds me of the bumper stickers I see on some people's cars, "I am not perfect - just forgiven."

Of course, Matthew 5:48 states "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." I have been a Christian for over twenty years and I have never accomplished that! Maybe that's what the author of Hebrews was talking about when he referred to, "those who are being made holy." I had to do a little more searching. Then I came across one of my favorite verses.

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." ~NIV

Ahhh, yes... it is a process, THE process... this living a life for Christ.

I remember when I first became a Christian immediately somethings changed - automatically - they just disappeared. Then as I studied the Bible, it was like I was looking at my life, my actions, my words under a magnifying glass... once I got all those things taken care of I was comfortable, thinking...now this is living the Christian life - and you know what? It was at that time God turned up the magnification and showed me there is still more to take care of.

Now please do not get confused here or take what I am saying wrong... I know that I am saved by grace, once and for all, and that these little corrections, this pruning, is not working out my salvation. It is simply the act of daily dieing to self so I may live for Him. Focus on Him...seek Him...please Him... for truly that is where the perfecting process takes place.

The more I read the more I found that perfect or perfection related to love. Not the love that is casually tossed about in the world but unconditional, true love... or should I say, the Truth Love. The Romans 12:9-21 kind of love... the 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love. For now we know in part then we shall know fully even as we are fully known...

I'm feeling a little better now... I am resolved to run this race, this marathon that is the life of a CHRISTIAN - this march toward perfection, tempered in forgiveness and love - continuing to seek and search and do - always moving forward into the life for which I have been called. And so, I leave you with this challenge...

Hebrews 12:1-3 " Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the authr and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your soul." ~NKJ

Draw me,Lord,Draw Me Nearer!

2010-09-20T15:20:00.002-05:00

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow'r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!

There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

Sing with me, pray with me! Oh, that this would be the mainframe of all Christians prayer. Then we would change the world... one person at a time... and it would start with me... with you!

New Life Singers - THE VICTORY IS IN THE SHOUT

2010-08-30T20:56:00.000-05:00

New Life Singers - MOUNTAIN MOVER

2010-08-30T20:02:00.001-05:00

I love this song! My son, Richard, is playing the drums. What a good time of worship and fellowship at the Assembly of God church in Lonoke.

Running the Gauntlet

2010-08-27T20:08:00.003-05:00

Papaw and I are creatures of habit so our day-to-day lives are fairly predictable. We tend to like things organized, scheduled and planned...well, I do anyway. Some might say our lives are mundane but I say at our age we are at a certain "comfort level."

Needless to say that routine includes places we go... mainly work, church, the grocery store, and sometimes out to eat at one of our usual restaurants. It is easy for me to get lost in thought or prayer when driving as each destination is one I have been to almost a million times.

I love turning the radio up loud and singing off key or praying at the top of my lungs and today was no different. That is until a beat up truck pulled out in front of me towing a ragged, half rotted Pinto. The tires on that car must have been as old as I am! Stuff was flying off that thing like nobody's business. I dodged large and small pieces of rubber, tire wire and wood for ten miles. Each piece just laying there waiting to sink into my tire and ruin my already packed day.

My journey this morning is much like life's journey. The road is scattered with the debris of bad decisions (or good decisions gone awry)temptations, disease, hurt, anger and a myriad of other distractions and dangers. As Christians, we are able to swerve, dodge, and steer clear of the obstacles through our one-on-one relationship with the Lord. We move as the Holy Spirit directs our steps and are able to avoid serious damage.

Though sometimes a little piece of that wire goes unnoticed and we have to pull over and change a tire we are merely experiencing a minor set-back. Again, much the same is life...a disruption, consequences of our own actions, or blind sided by some tragedy... we as Christians can pull to the side for a time and be still and know He is God.

I take comfort in knowing that along my journey I can look back and see the times when the Lord has taken the wheel and delivered me to HIS destination. The thing is... I had to let go. I had to stop. I had to give up on my own plans, desires, and aspirations and let Him steer me in the direction of His work, and many times... most times... it was not on my schedule or in the realm of my routine.

It is, I have to admit,during these side trips in life that I have had the most excitement, been witness to God's wonderful, amazing power and seen the Lord do marvelous things. And while today I was able to successfully guide my car through the obstacle course left in the wake of that Pinto I am personally pulled over and waiting expectantly once again as the Lord navigates me through the trash on the road of life and into His glory.

"May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings (Selah) May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:1-7~NIV

Blessed are those who mourn...

2010-08-25T22:35:00.001-05:00

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

We tend to associate the word mourn/mourning with the loss of a loved one. The very definition is to show grief or express sorrow for a death…to grieve over someone who has died. I ask you, “What if that someone is your own self?” What if the loss is not in death but in reality?

From time to time we all experience disillusionment or melancholy brought on by external factors (usually) beyond our control. But what happens when melancholy turns to despair and like a ball dropped from the top of the Empire State Building that despair gains velocity and smashes into the sidewalk of life… a splatter mark of hopelessness and anguish… splashing friends, co-workers, and loved ones alike with the backlash of depression?

What if the life coming unraveled is your spouse, your child, your parent, your friend?

It is so easy for people who have never experienced depression to sit upon the seat of judgment feigning Christian brotherhood/sisterhood and offer up tidbits of advice such as, “It is an attack of the devil and all you have to do is believe harder, confess whatever sin, and cast him out and you will be fine.” Ha! The advice of Job’s contemporaries runs rampant upon the lips of the saints today.

Maybe the belief is sincere and the advice given with the purest of motivation however would such a saint offer up this same advice to a fellow Christian (or non-Christian for that matter) who was losing a battle with cancer? I think not! If you would not give this advice to a cancer patient why would you offer it up to someone suffering with clinical depression?

Now a true saint, a mature in the Word saint, would drop to their knees in heart-felt prayer for healing, for comfort, for wisdom no matter the illness. They might even rally the saints for an old fashioned, anointing with oil, laying on of hands, casting out the demon, and actually pray down a healing. Then again, a healing might not come and the battle for sanity becomes a life-long endeavor.

After all the Lord himself told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness.” This after Paul had prayed three times for the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh. In 2 Corinthians 12:7 Paul refers to his thorn as a “measure of Satan to torment me.”

For now, this day, we grasp the hem of His garment and hold fast to the faith that will move mountains, and walk in the assurance that our Redeemer lives and has power over the destroyer. That battle was won on the cross a long time ago! We take comfort that while our family may walk a steep and treacherous path through this thing called depression… whether for a season or a lifetime… He is still in control… He is still on the throne… My God is a MOUNTAIN MOVER!

Through the Fire

2010-06-17T21:37:00.000-05:00

Driving Into the Rainbow

2010-05-24T17:37:00.002-05:00

Today was the hottest day we've had so far. The humidity had to be in the 90 percentile range. The thermometer in the greenhouse maxed out at 120 around 10:30 this morning. We took turns rushing out and assisting customers, taking them drinks of water if necessary...then rushing back to the relative cool of the non-air-conditioned store.

We ratcheted up our end of the season sale by marking all plants half-price which always causes an influx of customers as well as increased sales per customer. Monday patrons tend to be a bit grumpy anyway...add to that the high heat and humidity...and it was all we could do to keep smiling. I can assure you there were more than one or two prayers whispered under our breaths as the day wore on. Momma said there'd be days like this!

I was half way home when the tiny raindrops began to hit the windshield of the car. The sun was still blazing down and on the horizon was the strangest rainbow I had ever seen. It did not arch high into the sky with a beginning and an end somewhere in the distance, but sat horizontal across the horizon.

Every time I see a rainbow I think of that song, God Put a Rainbow in the Clouds. God put a rainbow in the clouds...When it looked like the sun wouldn't shine anymore...God put a rainbow in the clouds. I was thankful for the rain and prayed it was raining at the house. This time of year it can rain hard all the way down the freeway and be dry as a bone at the house. I was thankful that the rain would bring on cooler temperatures and better temperament to our Tuesday customers. I was thankful of the promise that rainbow...no matter how odd...it represented.

That's when it happened...I turned onto the freeway off ramp...and drove right into the end of that rainbow! It was pretty amazing...the colors filling the car...all purple, pink, rose, and yellow and in a flash I was through and it was nowhere in sight.

I thought about how fortunate we are as believers to be able to take comfort in the promises of our never-leave-us-nor-forsake-us God. How like the rainbow...He is standing there with open arms not just at the end of the storm...but right in the middle! How His yoke is easy and His burden is light... and I was reminded that when we keep our eyes on Him we can not have our eyes on ourselves, our storms, our problems.

God is truly good and today...today...I am standing on His promises!

 
1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
 through eternal ages let his praises ring;
 glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
 standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
 Standing, standing,
 standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
 standing, standing,
 I'm standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
 when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
 by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
 standing on the promises of God.
 (Refrain)

3. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
 bound to him eternally by love's strong cord,
 overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
 standing on the promises of God.
 (Refrain)

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
 listening every moment to the Spirit's call,
 resting in my Savior as my all in all,
 standing on the promises of God.
 (Refrain)

View from Down Range

2010-05-17T08:07:00.007-05:00

I will not complain when I get too hot or too sweaty while working in the greenhouse surrounded by the the beauty of the the flowers, trees, and planters. Not while I work with so many who love me and whom I love.

I will not whine when my husband steals the covers, or snores too loud. I will not complain when I can not get comfortable...or when I cannot sleep because I had one too many cups of coffee.

I will not grumble when I have to wait in line at the grocery store, the gas pumps, or the take-out window at a fast food restaurant. I will not be impatient while waiting to be seated in a restaurant. I won't even whisper a comment if someone sits in "my" pew at church!

I WILL NOT FORGET THE SACRIFICE OF SO MANY FAMILIES
WHO ARE LAYING IT ALL ON THE LINE FOR
MY COMFORT...FOR MY CONVENIENCE...FOR MY FREEDOM...

HOOOOAH....Army Strong...Army Mom

Please pray for all our troops but especially for the 512 Military Police and their families. Thanks! May God bless you and yours and God bless America!

Unconditionally

2010-05-16T13:36:00.004-05:00

I was thinking this morning about how truly blessed I am to be loved just as I am. Good, bad, indifferent… how my family and friends seem to look past my many faults and love me anyway. I know how difficult a chore that must be sometimes.

It is hard not to hold others to a higher standard than we expect others to hold us to, isn’t it? We expect so much from others and yet our own personality quirks, moods, or prejudices keep us from hitting the mark which is the bulls eye of unconditional love. We crave it, expect it, seek it out, willingly accept it, bask in it, and then we are unwilling to give it whole heartedly.

It is easy enough to love unconditionally when we are talking of our own children, less so when it is our spouses…or our children’s spouses… or our own in-laws. Not so easy when it is the co-worker that ruins our day just by saying hello. And it definitely comes slowly to the needy friend who monopolizes our time and energy with problems that either seem trivial or are created of their own accord and could easily be remedied by the simple act of forgiveness.

Unconditional forgiveness and unconditional love go hand-in-hand, do they not? I mean forgiveness is really something we do for ourselves. We can actually forgive someone else and they never even know it! Jesus, Himself was our example of this simple truth while on the cross he uttered a simple phrase. “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

I did not, could not understand that concept before I became a Christian. How then do I explain it to my young friend who holds a hybridized theory of religion picking and choosing the things which make her feel comfortable…who says she believes in Jesus as the Savior but has never experienced the freedom true redemption brings? A young friend who is being devoured by jealousy, doubt, insecurity, and unforgiveness in her heart for another. Seeds of hate and resentment that are consuming her soul and leaving a wake of destruction so wide it is hurting those who love her and she doesn’t even realize it!

I do not, by any means, discount the fact that she has been hurt. She feels she has a right to be mad and is willing to hang on to that anger with every ounce of her being until she feels she has been rightfully vindicated, whatever that is. Oh how I wish she could understand… that which she is clinging to is a love killer and the love it is killing is her own!

I know prayer for her and this situation is all I can do but it does not stop me from wanting to grab her and scream at the top of my lungs that it is all about the forgiveness factor. That true unconditional love has to pass through forgives for it to be viable. That we need to seek out the good and not the faults of others in our lives because it is there we find happiness. That she reach out and grab hold of that Jesus she knows so little about and hang on for dear life…for all eternity!

I cannot help but think of the interviews I watched of the 9/11 victims families…of their last conversations… of the mother, the wife, the husband… who would give almost anything to turn back time to just minutes before the plane smashed into a building where their loved one sat at a desk with a hurting heart because of something said, done, or left unsaid. People who would take back words spoken or actions done without thought in haste and anger. People who now only pray their loved one knew they were truly loved.

Life is too precious, too fleeting to live it in a state of unforgiveness…and yes, sometimes it requires a little swallowing of the pride, an attitude of losing the battle to win the war, a little self sacrifice…but the rewards are long-lived and so very satisfying.

1 Corinthians 13:4-13 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophesies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect will disappear. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” ~NIV

Father God, today let me see past myself, my wounds, my hurt and give me a heart of forgiveness. May the reflection I see in the mirror today be the promise of you…the spirit of you…for I know that it is when I see past myself to others that I can be a servant to you.

Smells Like Rain

2010-04-25T21:59:00.009-05:00

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery. Her husband, David , held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs.

'I don't think she's going to make it,' he said, as kindly as he could.
'There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one'

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

'No! No!' was all Diana could say.

She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.

But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.

There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.
At last, when Dana turned two months old. her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time.

And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing.

As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby, when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, 'Do you smell that?'

Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, 'Yes, it smells like rain.'

Dana closed her eyes and again asked, 'Do you smell that?'

Once again, her mother replied, 'Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain.'

Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced,'No, it smells like HIM! It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.'

Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.

During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

I've read this story several times and every time I do...I think of those wonderful Walker twins. Born so early...in the hospital so long... and now two rowdy all-American, country boys. God is so great, He is so real, and when we are His...we are all firmly in HIS grip ~ God bless you all!

Cowboy Poetry

2010-04-19T16:44:00.002-05:00

I received this from my niece via e-mail and wanted to share it with y'all.

Jake, the rancher, went one day
To fix a distant fence.
The wind was cold and gusty
And the clouds rolled gray and dense.

As he pounded the last staples in
And gathered tools to go,
The temperature had fallen,
The wind and snow began to blow.

When he finally reached his pickup,
He felt a heavy heart.
From the sound of that ignition
He knew it wouldn't start.

So Jake did what most of us
Would do if we had been there.
He humbly bowed his balding head
And sent aloft a prayer.

As he turned the key for the last time,
He softly cursed his luck
They found him three days later,
Frozen stiff in that old truck.

Now Jake had been around in life
And done his share of roaming.
But when he saw Heaven, he was shocked --
It looked just like Wyoming !

Of all the saints in Heaven,
His favorite was St. Peter.

So they sat and talked a minute or two,
Or maybe it was three.
Nobody was keeping' score --
In Heaven, time is free.

'I've always heard,' Jake said to Pete,
'that God will answer prayer,
But one time I asked for help,
Well, he just plain wasn't there.'

'Does God answer prayers of some,
And ignore the prayers of others?
That don't seem exactly square --
I know all men are brothers.'

'Or does he randomly reply,
Without good rhyme or reason?
Maybe, it's the time of day,
The weather or the season.'

'Now I ain't trying to act smart,
It's just the way I feel.
And I was wondering', could you tell me --
What the heck's the deal?!'

Peter listened very patiently
And when Jake was done,
There were smiles of recognition,
And he said, 'So, you're the one!!'

That day your truck, it wouldn't start,
And you sent your prayer a flying,
You gave us all a real bad time,
With hundreds of us trying.'

'A thousand angels rushed,
To check the status of your file,
But you know, Jake, we hadn't heard
From you in quite a long while.'

'And though all prayers are answered,
And God ain't got no quota,
He didn't recognize your voice,
And started a truck in Minnesota'

BETTER KEEP IN TOUCH!

A Time for Everything

2010-04-13T06:00:00.003-05:00

Manicured lawn, one small square building, and three large crosses on a hill... I've passed it by thousands of times. When I was young it was the crosses that caught my attention. Later it was the green awnings that popped up in random locations. And then, the freshly dug dirt piled high, and the people placing chairs in four neat little rows under those awnings.

For two years we passed it every day on our way to the farm where my parents were building a house. My mother patiently answered any and all of my questions. To a second grader death does not seem as much of a reality as life.

I pass that same cemetery each day as I drive to the market and not much has changed, the same three crosses stand on the hill, the lawn is still beautifully manicured, the awnings still pop up on random days in random locations.

Just left of the entrance by a little grove of trees is an area with hundreds of little bunches of flowers placed neatly in little rows. It always seemed a bit odd to me until the one day I drove into the drive way and sat in one of those green covered folding chairs under one of those seemingly random placed awnings in that little corner by the road.

The young couple so dear to my heart sat catatonic in the front row with parents at their side. My dear friend could barely get through Amazing Grace. The pastor cried as he spoke of a loving God and the pure innocence of children who pass before the world has had a chance to corrupt their soul...and baby Emma Marie was laid to rest... she died just short of her due date and would be two years old this month.

Yes, death was hard for my young heart to understand when I first passed by those three big crosses, but now...death holds a whole new meaning...it is final... heaven or hell is the destination not that little plot of land where flowers or headstones reside.

In just a few short hours I will once again pass by that same cemetery, that same little corner by the grove of trees peppered with flowers. I will again pray for the families the green awning represents, if necessary, I will stop for the procession.

But today...today... I will remember the anguish contained in the sob of a mother who lost her only daughter. I will remember the sorrow in those beautiful eyes as the glimmer of hope for more that one child was laid to rest. I will pray even more vigilant for that young mother I have grown to love more each and every day.

Today, I will remember Emma Marie, daughter of Mikey and Amanda, little sister of Riley, grand daughter of Jeanna Marie, niece of Dede, great grand daughter of Delola and great niece of mine.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." ~NIV

I Give To You, My Son

2010-04-07T18:53:00.005-05:00

I held him as an infant; I hugged him as a boy

and through the years he has become my greatest pride and joy.

I love him more than I can say, his life more precious than my own…

but gone are the whims and notions of the little boy that I had known.

For the years have passed so quickly since the time it all began

and now he stands before me with the conviction of a man.

He wants to serve his country, he states aloud with pride

as I try to sort out the emotions that I'm feeling deep inside...

a union of the uncertain fear, which I cannot control

and the allegiance which lies deep within my patriotic soul.

I trust that my years of guidance will serve as a strong foundation

as he performs the duties requested from his beloved nation.

God please guide him as he travels to the places our soldiers have bled

and walk with him through pathways where those heroes' feet have tread.

Oh Sweet Land of Liberty, humbly I give to you, my son

praying you'll return him safely home when his work for you is done.

Author Unknown

Comfort From an Empty Tomb

2010-04-03T06:22:00.002-05:00

Comfort From an Empty Tomb
Matthew 28:1-8

A sad group of women walked to Jesus' tomb on the Sunday morning after His death. Their Savior—the Lord of Lords and King of Kings—had been brutally beaten and then crucified. The women's hearts must have been heavy with disappointment and grief. Yet in an instant, mourning was turned to joy. An angel greeted them to offer this comfort: "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said" (Matt. 28:6).

So many of the confusing things the Lord had said now suddenly made sense. Not only had He prophesied about His own death and resurrection (Matt. 16:21), but He had also explained His relationship with God as a "oneness" (John 10:30). The grave cannot hold the Almighty. The resurrection put to rest any doubt Christ's followers may have harbored about who He was.

God kept every one of His promises and prophesies regarding the Messiah. For example, Jesus died on the cross before the soldiers decided the break the legs of those being crucified (Ex. 12:46; Ps. 34:20). But they pierced His side with a spear to be certain of His death (Isa. 53:5). At what seemed to be the end, Christ was buried in a rich man's tomb (Isa. 53:9); however, He did not stay in the grave.

Jesus conquered death and is now seated at the Father's right hand, interceding for believers. He knows your name, where you are, and what you need and desire. The comfort of the empty tomb is that our Savior is alive and watching over us—just as He said (Heb. 7:25; 12:2).

This Easter message comes to you from In Touch Ministries.

HE'S ALIVE...READY, WILLING, AND ABLE... ARE YOU?

The Rosebud

2010-03-30T09:47:00.002-05:00

It is only a tiny rosebud, a flower of God’s design;
But I cannot unfold it with these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers is not known to such as I.
God opens this flower so easily, but in my hands they die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud, this flower of God’s design…
Then how can I have the wisdom to unfold this life of mine?
So I’ll trust in God for leading each moment of my day.
I will look to God for guidance in each step of the way.
The path that lies before me, only my Lord knows.
I’ll trust God to unfold the moments, just as He unfolds the rose.

author:unknown

And...SOME PEOPLE think there is no GOD!

2010-03-29T21:08:00.002-05:00

HE is more than Enough!

2010-03-29T07:47:00.001-05:00

If we could only take this one truth to heart... our lives and the lives of others will be changed! Remember to turn the music off to the side by clicking on the double lines.

Lullaby's and the Old Rugged Cross

2010-03-27T06:24:00.003-05:00

I've been up since about 4:45 this morning and I'm just now working on my second cup of coffee. The early morning birds are singing in the sunrise and I am gearing up for the day. It's the Saturday before Good Friday and the market is going to be a mad house today. I am excited with the anticipation of the rush of customers.

I've logged into Face Book and Yahoo looking for word from Jake and sure enough I see him! He and his wife, Michelle, have found out they are going to have a little boy in August. Great news from a distant land...it does a Granna's heart good!

The song The Old Rugged Cross has been streaming though my mind all morning. It is the epitome of the perfect Easter song, don't you think? It really hammers home the message of salvation.

"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain...so I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will CLING to the old rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown."

It is one of the first hymns I learned to sing... not beautifully as I can't carry a tune in a bucket... but I knew all the words and as a new believer the words were so dear to me I couldn't help by sing it over and over, day after day.

It is the song I used to sing to Jake when he was fussy or sick, or just needed a little rocking before bedtime and at the news of the impending arrival of his son and the promise of rocking baby Erick Ivan and singing to him has given the song an even more dear meaning to this expectant grandmother.

How blessed we truly are... How good is our God? We cannot praise Him adequately for all He is... all He has done, still does, and will do for us... May we never be so blind that we not notice His presence in our lives... His activity in the world around us. May we never forget how sweet the salvation He has given us. May we look at that old rugged cross with eyes a fresh and a new... with the heart of a new believer... in awe and reverence.

I am Yours, O Lord, may I not be a disappointment to You today... May I see your wondrous works around me and remember to whisper a praise of thanks... may I recognize the opportunities you provide and instinctively act upon Your prompting.

What has you singing of the old rugged cross today?

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
 the emblem of suffering and shame;
 and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
 for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
 So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
 till my trophies at last I lay down;
 I will cling to the old rugged cross,
 and exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
 has a wondrous attraction for me;
 for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
 to bear it to dark Calvary.
 (Refrain)

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
 a wondrous beauty I see,
 for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
 to pardon and sanctify me.
 (Refrain)

To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
 its shame and reproach gladly bear;
 then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
 where his glory forever I'll share.
 (Refrain)

Be the Branch...Be the Branch

2010-03-26T07:05:00.003-05:00

I know it has been a while since I have posted some original thoughts. Plant season is gearing up and it usually takes me a week or two to get accustomed to all the physical exercise. We received four trucks of plants yesterday and it took six of us all day to get everything unloaded, priced, organized, and displayed. The place is BEAUTIFUL and no matter how tired I am at the end of the day, I have an amazingly wonderful time.

My main focus is the vegetable and herb house. I want everything "just so" and my nieces tease me because everything is alphabetized and organized the way I like it...and if they help I tell them, "Put that there, no, I don't want it there." Funny...they are the bosses!

Easter is an important time in gardening and any farmer, old or new, will tell you to plant your gardens on Good Friday for good growth and bountiful harvest. Needless to say, business has picked up quite a bit over the past couple of days. I spend most of the time filling in the holes where customers have picked through for the right plants for their gardens.

As you can imagine, Good Friday/Easter is the topic of most of my daily conversation... sometimes it is what kind of weather we might be having, or do I think it is too early or will there be one more frost, but sometimes... sometimes the conversation moves to the reason for Easter. I love those conversations!

As I straighten and restock I cannot help but think about the days leading up to the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. No one but Jesus really knew and understood exactly what was about to happen and the impact His death would have for all humanity. Read John Chapter 17 for a glimpse of the heart of Jesus as He prayed in the garden.

“Crucify Him” and “Free Barabbas” bubbles to the top of my mind… to outsider looking in… to the world… His death must have looked like it was surrounded by hate… caused by hate... like He had no control… like God had looked away… turned His back on His only son but to the Christian heart we know it was the purest act of love and obedience. Salvation through His death and resurrection for all who would believe and accept Him… an unconditional love that we, His followers, are to pass along.

We shouldn’t be surprised that God turned an act of hate into an action of love but we can hardly fathom the concept. The Bible is full of ordinary people doing extraordinary things when faith and obedience are applied. WE are ordinary people… you and I… and we can accomplish extraordinary things when we walk, live, and love… in faith and obedience. A simple act of a hug and a prayer seemingly coming from out of the blue can change a life. We may never see the results but we know without a doubt that when we instinctively reach out to those around us… demonstrating HIS love… the Holy Spirit does the rest.

I love that part of being a Christian, don’t you? Today… I am going to surprise someone by being the hands and heart of Jesus! I can hardly wait to get started!

John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”~NIV

Now let’s go out there and have a fruitful day!

The Priority of Prayer

2010-03-24T06:46:00.002-05:00

Mark 1:35-37

Our Father does not consider prayer an optional part of the Christian life. The Bible tells us that two-way communication with God is essential.

The discipline of prayer includes . . .

• An expectant attitude. We must believe that God has something important to say to us. It could be a strengthening reminder of His love, insight into our situation, or the answer to a petition. With such an outlook, we'll be listening more than we are speaking.

• A focus on our heavenly Father. When we praise the Lord, our minds will let go of worldly things and center on Him. Thinking of His perfect character and sacrifice at the cross readies us to hear from Him and obey.

• A willingness to see ourselves the way that God does. The Holy Spirit works in us to produce Christlikeness. That means uncovering what is unholy and replacing it with righteousness. It also includes recognizing when we demonstrate godly character (Gal. 5:22-23).

• A surrender to His leadership. When we submit to Him as Lord, our petitions will be more in line with His will.

• A regular "appointment." Developing a strong faith-life takes commitment. Daily activities will crowd out time with the Lord unless we set a time and place to pray.

Everywhere Jesus traveled, the multitudes approached Him with their needs. Even though there were many people to help, our Savior regularly took time to pray. He'd step away from the demands of the crowd to interact with His Father (Mark 6:45-46). Won't you give prayer that same priority?

Brought to you by Dr. Charles Stanley - In Touch Ministries.

I can't add much here except we have all experienced the power of prayer. It is our life line to our God. Pray for your family, friends, country...pray for strangers...it does a soul good!

FaceBook Status Updates from Down Range... in random order

2010-03-13T07:22:00.005-06:00

Hey guys, just got on... so bored right now... I'll be waiting on my party when I get back home.

0308 here and I don't see a reason why anyone would be on this late here, but I don't know what time it is back home, so love ya guys. AND OF COURSE, I LOVE YOU MICHELLE!

Howdy, can I get a whoot whoot....can I get a yeehaw!

Yaaaaaay I finally saw a camel, not close up, but I got to see one.

Yay... I got even closer to camels but I was driving so I couldn't get a good shot but I saw camels.

Camels everywhere... I think I am tired of freakin' camels.

Hit my head on the door of the truck... now I have a headache!

It's HOT here.

One thing I miss from back home is the sound of birds early in the morning when the dew is still on the fresh cut grass.

This is my last post for a while. So pray for me and I'll get back on as soon as I can. Don't know where I'm going so don't ask. Remember...no news is good news.

What Are You Looking At?

2010-03-07T15:04:00.004-06:00

My nephew, Steven, getting his turn at the wheel of old Poppin' John.

Wow, the weather has been fantastic here the past couple of days. I am so thankful I have been able to get outside and enjoy it some. The dogs are literally jubilant! Isabella starts going in circles every time you mention the “O” word. [Outside]

As you can see from a couple of posts back we have been very busy getting the green houses ready for customers and some of our faithful farmers have started coming in drips and drabs to pick up seeds, onion sets, and seed potatoes.

I love this time of year. Growing up we always had a garden. Sometime in late February, Daddy would crank up that old, popping, sputtering John Deer Tractor and begin the disking and plowing. It wouldn't be long and we would all be planting seeds in the neat, straight rows.

I hated that garden...Daddy always made us work and sometimes it was spread over acres and acres. It didn't matter to him what our plans were, how hot it was, or what day of the week; when the garden needed weeding he armed all the kids with hoes. When it was time to harvest we traded in our hoes for baskets. Heaven help us if when he got home from work and our gardening wasn't done...

Yep, I really hated that part...but I loved eating from it. We were allowed to eat everything we wanted, as much as we wanted, when we wanted, and we didn't have to ask permission. I've eaten fresh tomatoes and strawberries until my mouth had blisters, I've gorged myself on watermelon and cantaloupe, been hosed off, and sent back out to finish my weeding or picking. I've eaten every vegetable raw, straight from the garden - even those that are really best cooked. To this day, I love fresh vegetables and I don't really mind the work of a garden.

As I got older, I had a turn or two at the helm of old Poppin’ John. The first time my rows were a bit wavy. OK they were very crooked! How could that old man (probably younger than I am now!) get those rows so straight? Finally, he told me. "See that fence row at the end of the garden?" "Yes, sir." I replied. As obedient southern children know, it is always sir or mam. “Aim for the post, keep your focus on it - you always go where you are looking.”

Now that I am almost 50 years old that advice rings true in a different light. In Matthew 14:22-34. Jesus sends the disciples ahead of him and heads to the mountains by himself to pray. Later that evening 'the boat was a considerable distance from the land buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.' So what does Jesus do? Takes off walking across the water...The disciples are freaking out; they think they see a ghost! But He calms them down and tells them who He is and Peter, says Lord, if that's you, tell me to come to you on the water. So He does, Peter gets out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. (v.30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out to the Lord, "Save Me!"

You see, as long as Peter kept his focus on Christ, he was fine. He was walking on water straight to the Lord. But...when he took his eyes off Jesus, he got afraid and immediately started sinking. That is just like us! Everything is going along fine and dandy, we are focused on Christ, growing, serving, making an impact on the lives of others...then something comes along and distracts us. We loose our focus, and begin sinking. It could be work, children, special projects, anything...Now we are focused on ourselves and what we need to do, should do, or want to do. Praise God, He will reach out and grab us when we cry out!

Daddy was so right back then. You go straight to what you are focused on. If it is Jesus, you are plowing straight, if it is the world or yourself...your path gets a bit wavy and winding, you get off track and your life looks just as bad as that first garden I plowed.

My question today is what are you looking at?

Lord Prepare Me!!!

2010-03-07T08:26:00.000-06:00

US Army 512th MP Deployment

2010-03-04T17:34:00.000-06:00

Spring Is In The Air

2010-03-02T20:33:00.008-06:00

Since my last couple of posts have been tearjerkers, I thought I would just share a few pictures of my day. God has blessed me with so many family members and with the ability to spend time with them everyday! I never want to wallow around in misery when there is so much to be thankful for... and that includes you. Thank you all so much for your prayers lately. Thanks for your continued prayers for our son, Jake, and our friend's son, Ryan.

(R) My sister-in-law, Jeanna, owner of BJ's Market Cafe and BJ's Plants and Produce. She is a wonderful woman of God and a tremendous influence on all of us!

(L) My niece, Dede Chapman holding my great-niece Lilly Rochelle. Lilly and her mom, Sara, stopped by for lunch at the cafe with Sara's dad. I love it when family pops in for a visit! Sara spent many summers working at the market while going to college to be a nurse. Wish she had brought the twins along!

Sweet Victoria Faith, Dede's daughter and my great niece. This little girl makes my day every time I see her. She likes to help out.

(L) Dede's husband, Jon, and his brother, Anthony, working on the new shelving units. Anthony decided to put a bucket of water up there to catch some of the sparks shooting off Jon's grinder.

(R) Anthony is putting together our new shelving in the main greenhouse. This is going to make it easy to stock and the display is going to be absolutely beautiful!

(L) Me... Aunt Theresa, potting white Bleeding Hearts in gallon pots.

(R)My nephew, Michael (Dede's brother and Jeanna's youngest son) the manager of BJ's Plants and Produce... You see who has the hardest job! LOL Really he works hard all year long!

Dede's son, Wesley, my great-nephew. Wesley is the most creative young man I've ever known. He can do anything with a little cardboard and some boxes. He even made us an end table for the living room because Uncle Bubba didn't have one. He literally sees projects in 3D. AMAZING! He has the softest heart and has stolen his Aunt Theresa's!

Tell me these kids haven't come up with a new way of doing an old job! Wes and Victoria helping sweep the floor before closing.

What a wonderful day, even though it was cold and overcast the promise of spring makes the heart happy!

It's All Good

2010-03-01T13:04:00.006-06:00

The past couple of weeks have been a bit difficult to say the least. I have been battling the head crud and just about the time I think I am getting better I wake up with a headache, sore nose and sore throat. I finally have antibiotics and hopefully they will take effect soon. Add to that the trips up to Missouri every weekend in February and the underlying stress of Jake's deployment... and I just plain don't feel so good.

I cannot begin to tell you the emotion that is involved when one sends their child into the throws of war. No matter how well trained he is, no matter the fact that he can hit 49 out of 50 shots consecutively...no matter how well prepared he is...mentally, physically, spiritually... it makes a mother’s heart tighten.

One would think a veteran would be a bit calmer about the whole thing. You know… been there, done that, and got the tee-shirt kind of attitude. That I would have the ability to know that the training takes over and one reacts instinctively. I tell you now…motherhood trumps veteran every time!

It is the combination of not being able to call and talk to him when I want to, the inability of being able to rush in and calm his fears as I did when he was little, the simple fact that I cannot look at his face and know everything is fine. Not being able to put my arms around him and whisper, "I love you." It causes a bit of melancholy… a bit of despair…

As a mother of faith, one would think a bubble of peace, joy and happiness would encircle me and I would be like a little girl skipping through the park smelling the flowers and watching the little birdies fly. The simple fact that I know God gave this child to me…for HIS purpose and not my own… that God WILL watch over him and protect him at every turn should be enough…shouldn’t it?

Yet the rush of anxiety sneaks up on me in the strangest places. Fleeting moments where I am a woman wringing her hands in anguish as fear and sadness engulfs me. The reality that he could get caught in cross-fire or be the casualty of a road side bomb flashes before my mind’s eye. Heartache that my baby will not see his baby born… the fact his child will be a year old when “Daddy” returns brings tears to my eyes.

It is during these times that I feel your prayers. The times when I am laid prone on the floor with arms spread wide… crying, desperately holding on to the hand of our Lord… sobs replacing words… and the Comforter comes… ministering… His Spirit to my spirit… wiping tears, whispering words of encouragement, smoothing the hair, patting the back and embracing me with love and peace. Removing the fear… the sadness… the insecurity… and in the blink of an eye… it’s all good.

Jake called mid-way during his travels and can you believe it? He sounded happy, excited even! As I write this post it is day one at his destination. I received a text that said he had arrived safely, don’t text back… it costs too much just e-mail, and keep praying.

As peace and assurance replace anxiety and fear I realize… it IS all good… God is good, He is in control and I should just let Him do what He does and take it one day at a time… step by step… walking in faith… sometimes being carried upon the backs of the praying saints… and no matter what happens He will get us through… for there is nothing impossible with God.