Tag: #Blessed

Happy Birthday, Dad

He would have been 94 this past Tuesday. His physical earthly presence is gone, but he will be with us in mind and spirit as long as people remember him. He was definitely a strong presence when he was here; a major influence for the LORD in countless lives not just here in Oklahoma, but around the world. He visited a number of countries, including much of Europe, Canada, Mexico, Africa, Egypt, Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand and more, plus almost every state in our Union. Knowing my Dad and his Love for his SAVIOUR, he shared the Gospel with the hundreds and thousands of people he met.

“For GOD so Loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 NIV

Don’t think that he was perfect! He was as imperfect as any human, with a major difference: He wasn’t afraid to state the Truth of JESUS to anyone that I ever witnessed; he was bold in his faith. We had our differences, and I got angry with him, but he was – is – a hero. He was kind, charitable, a hard worker; he loved his family and his country. We never danced together on earth, but one day soon, Dad, I’ll get that Daddy-Daughter dance with you in heaven. ❤❤❤

LET FREEDOM RING!

“For the Spirit GOD gave us does not make us timid, but gives us Power, Love and self-Discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our LORD or of me His prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the Gospel, by the Power of GOD. He has saved us and called us to a Holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His Own Purpose and grace. This Grace was given us in CHRIST JESUS before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our SAVIOR, CHRIST JESUS, Who has destroyed death and has brought LIFE and Immortality to light through the Gospel.” – 2 Timothy 1:7‭-‬10 NIV

Okay, you are probably asking what in the world does this scripture have to do with our celebrating the freedom of our country today? Without the Freedom of our LORD, there is no other freedom. We are Blessed to live in this great country (yes, great, despite all of her problems) where we can believe and worship and give testimony to our beliefs without fear of government retaliation. It is nearly impossible to do this in many countries around the world. It is unfortunate, though, that even in the U.S.A. many followers of CHRIST are singled out and persecuted, while any and every other belief system is tolerated, and encouraged. Our soldiers and sailors, fly-boys and marines and other maritime services have given life and limb to ensure our freedoms….. yet so many citizens spit on them and ridicule and revile them for that service.

Today, I celebrate my freedom as a citizen of this great nation, and I celebrate my freedom from death through JESUS CHRIST. Both of these freedoms came with tremendous sacrifice! Not my sacrifice, but the unbelievable and incomprehensible sacrifices of our country’s men and women, and most importantly, the sacrifice of my LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. Grace and Mercy abounds, Amen!

“If My people, who are called by MY Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, then I WILL Hear from heaven, and I WILL forgive their sin and WILL heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

Time to hit our knees, people!!

Just Kill Me Now

“You intended to harm me, but GOD intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” – Genesis 50:20 NIV

Can you imagine being sold into slavery by your own brothers? It happened to Joseph, whose brothers were so jealous of him that they went to drastic measures to get rid of him. They thought they were sending him into a life of servitude and misery, but the Almighty LORD used that action to save millions of people’s lives. Joseph rose from horrible circumstances, a punishment he didn’t deserve, to become Second-in-Command to the Pharaoh of Egypt, who was essentially the ruler of the known world. I can testify to being treated badly, and treating others badly. I don’t claim any kind of uplifting like Joseph’s, but I do claim, and proclaim, that JESUS has lifted me from some pretty bad situations. He has saved me from my bad choices and poor decisions, and He has never forsaken me. Through Him, I have had the privilege to share my story of redemption to hundreds of people, and pray that I will have opportunities to share again and again. If my story can reach even one person, and help them find their way into Jesus’s arms, then I would have accomplished something! Even then, it’s not about me, but the Saving Grace and Mercy of our LORD.

There are been a number of instances in my life when GOD was justified to take me out of this world. I was living my life, totally out of turn with CHRIST, and He Loved me through it, never leaving me to face the enemy alone. There have been people in my life who intended harm, who deliberately hurt me, and I have returned that harm….. not something I’m proud of. Let JESUS into your heart today if you haven’t already. Remember Paul’s words to the church in Rome:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38‭-‬39 NIV

You can kill my earthly body, but you cannot kill my soul.

Sing Like Never Before

“The LORD is Righteous in everything He does; He is filled with kindness. The LORD is close to all who call on Him, yes, to all who call on Him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries for help and rescues them. The LORD protects all those who love Him, but He destroys the wicked.” – Psalms 145:17‭-‬20 NLT

“The LORD is RIGHTEOUS.” That statement, standing alone, should make every living human and creature shake in their boots. He is RIGHTEOUS. He acts in accord with moral, divine Law. The LORD is free of any guilt or sin. What man has ever lived who can claim true righteousness? There is one, and only one, Who can claim it, and that man is JESUS. Are you in tune with JESUS LORD? Claim the Salvation He offers to us, freely and equally to every human. Ask Him to be in your life on earth, so that you can spend eternity in Praise, rather than in agony with the enemy. Praise His Holy Name.

“I will praise the Lord , and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.” – Psalms 145:21 NLT

Listen to Matt Redman “Sing Like Never Before.”

Don’t Be A Worry-wart!

I can’t remember how many times I heard that when I was growing up, but I’m sure it numbered in the 100’s! What, exactly, IS a worry-wart? Bundle of nerves, fussbudget, worrier …. pessimist, OCD, hypochondriac; someone who worries excessively, especially about unimportant matters. Probably came from the word ‘worryguts’. I like that OCD is one of the synonyms, but I’m not sure it sounds any better to the world. I might like worryguts the best because of the image it brings to mind. Have you ever been so worried that your stomach is in knots, or you’ve actually become ill from worry? That’s what worryguts sounds like to me, a word coined to describe that gut-wrenching feeling of worry and fear. We’ve become really good at it, too. Worry, fear, and paranoia go hand-in-hand. They can become so second nature to us, we get worried when we aren’t worried about something. Kind of a Catch-22.

The thing is, we don’t need to worry. We choose to. God doesn’t want us to worry. He has promised to take care of us.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell GOD what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” – Philippians 4:6 NLT

Did you notice that Paul doesn’t say that GOD will fix our circumstance. He has already sent us the Great Physician, in the form of JESUS, to treat our wounds. He also sent the HOLY SPIRIT to provide the comfort we constantly need. We may not get the cure or fix while we are earth, but once we get to heaven, everything will be perfection. GOD wants us to tell Him our needs, our real needs. We can tell Him what we want, and what we think we need, but most of all, we need to thank Him for our blessings. Whether it is as simple toilet paper that we are currently thankful for, or a miraculous cure of an illness or disease, be thankful. I am grateful for what GOD has provided to me to the point that I can’t even express it in words sometimes, and I still find myself like Paul:

“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” – Romans 7:15 NLT

Worry-wart. Worryguts.

This is for you, Mom….

Mother’s Day has come and gone. I didn’t call my Mom. I did send a card, but it probably didn’t get there until Monday. I haven’t been to see her in a year. Just because she lives 1000 miles away is not really an excuse. Seriously. As the saying goes, ‘A day late and a dollar short’ …. story of my life. I may not call often, I certainly don’t write or email much, and I don’t make the trip out to Arizona with enough frequency. Quilty as charged; mea culpa.

I love my Mom. She’s my hero. I’ve talked about her before. She should have medals and trophies for the hardship and deprivation she has faced – and overcome – in her life. She is facing still more hardship in the physical and emotional, and she continues in her 90’s to carry on with courage. She is the Proverbs 31 woman (verses 10-31). Her tribe of 6 kids can never show sufficiently show her how much she means to us all. I’m just really impressed she didn’t kill* any of us when we were kids because of our attitudes and actions. (*Figuratively, of course!!) Actually, I can’t wait to see the crowns and accolades she’ll receive when she gets to heaven!

Mom didn’t only have to deal with 6 children, although that task alone scares the bejeebers out of me! She was a preacher’s wife, and not just any kind of preacher, but a Southern Baptist, super-strict, totally dedicated to his job kind of preacher. I loved my Dad (still do!), but the truth is that he was a hard taskmaster, and still demanded more from himself than from anyone around him. Mom was a full-time Mom, full-time wife, full-time helpmeet at the church and at home. I know there were times when she was exhausted both physically and emotionally, but I don’t ever remember her ever giving up. She has inspired and is admired by so many people, including me. My life has been full of poor, and definitely stupid, choices, and I hurt my Mom and my Dad. I have deeply disappointed them. Through it all, they continued to love me and to pray for me, even (maybe especially) when they didn’t like me. She has been steadfast in her love of the LORD, in her love for my Dad, and in her love for her children.

My Mom is my hero. I may not call or write or visit, but she is always in my heart and my mind. I love you, Mom.

(Photo from BayArt.org)

Morning Has Broken….

…. to a misty, watery sunlight with intermittent rain showers. The mockingbird on the neighbor’s roof is amplified and sounds like it is broadcasting to the world. It rained a bit last night; just enough to get the ground wet and cool us off to a more spring-like temperature. It’s the kind of morning that makes me wish for a screened sleeping porch, so we could just laze and enjoy. Indoors, work beckons, but for now, I am resisting. The pups are finally okay with coming outside after the thundering of last nights storm.

A few years ago, a lightning strike and the gigantic corresponding clap of thunder right next to us made it feel as though the house jumped in surprise. It blew out the power, and a small ball of fire burst out of the fireplace. Since then, the little one hides whenever there is thunder, even when it is barely discernable to me. He refuses to go outside, preferring to cower under something inside ….. which leads to another problem. Little dogs, no matter the pedigree or background, have to go out more frequently than the bigger ones. Consequently, I got up this morning to several puddles on my newly cleaned kitchen floor. 🤔 Just like having a 2 year old without a diaper ….. Good thing they are so (stinkin’) cute. 😜

As pleasant as my morning is (except the pee-puddles!), there are hundreds of thousands who wake to a really broken morning. A home missing a parent – or both parents. Dealing with a recent loss of a loved one, especially losing a child. Homeless, hungry. Forsaken by a spouse, or worse, beaten and abused. Devastation from wildfires or floods or volcanos. Hopeless, desperate, depressed. I’ve known some of these, and I am grateful for my home and my place in this world. I count myself among the blessed because I have friends and family who care.

Most of all, I am Blessed because I know JESUS. He is the Morning Star, the Hope that gets me up in the morning. I’ve tried life without Him, and it can be passable, but it is lacking. How did I make it without the Hope, the Grace, and above all, the Mercy of my LORD? How? I’d have to say, very poorly. Because of Him, I have the pedigree of a princess. From commoner to royalty, I have been lifted up into the bloodline of the KING of kings, LORD of Lords, Creator and Ruler of the universe. What bloodline or pedigree can compare to that?

GOD Blesses Those….

“GOD Blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the Crown of Life that GOD has promised to those who love Him.” – James 1:12 NLT

I don’t like this verse. “Patiently endure….” GOD knows I want His Blessings, and I know that He hears my prayers for deliverance from the physical and financial issues I face. He also knows I have ZERO patience! I get really angry at the LORD when He doesn’t give me the answer I want, and when He makes me wait for His answer, well, let’s just say that I’m not always very gracious about it. In spite of the countless Blessings He has bestowed upon me, I want more Blessings and fewer tests and temptations! As a former pastor would put it to me : “And how’s that working out for you?” Not so great, if I’m honest with myself and don’t sink into denial. Ever since our ancestors were booted out of the Garden because of their original and extraordinary poor choice to ignore the one rule the LORD gave them, all of humanity has followed their lead, heaping bad decision upon bad decision, ad infinitum! Due to that one incredibly bad decision, we live in a society and a world that is full of trials and temptations. (Thank you, Satan, and Adam and Eve for listening to you …… and yes, that is sarcasm ….. )

Despite the history of bad decisions and the onus of sin that is upon us, the Creator GOD has given us the solution to our sinful humanity in the form of JESUS. He took on Himself a human form so that He could become the ultimate sacrifice; to be tortured and to die in order to cover our sins with His blood, and then to conquer death When He rose from the grave! He did this so that we could be freed from the endless cycle of sin and death that was bestowed on us by the enemy. As long as our earthly bodies live; until JESUS returns, we still have to dwell in this corrupt and imperfect body and earth.

How much longer, LORD?

Because I know the Truth, and because I have surrendered my life to Him, I know I’m free from death and hell ….. but how much longer before Isaiah’s propecy is realized? I’m ready, are you?

“Sing for JOY, O heavens! REJOICE, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.” – Isaiah 49:13 NLT

Authentic

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?” – Luke 9:25 NLT

Are you looking for something to complete and fulfill yourself? A man or woman, the right job? Are you at the top of your profession, proud of your accomplishments, bragging to your peers? Are you a phony, acting out like a proud peacock, ostentatious, or are you authentic? I like to think that I am authentic, real, not faking or pretending, but I know that in reality, I fake it a lot. I know lots of overachievers, people who have lived their lives with focus and with their faces to the future. My focus is easily fractured, leaving me going in many directions…. I know a little about a lot of things, and a lot about a few things. See, I can’t even seem to keep to my train of thought on one track today!

“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” – Matthew 25:29 NLT

Growing up, our piano teacher pushed me because I had ‘pianist’ hands and a good ‘ear’ for the music. Well, piano didn’t work for me – it required too much practice (short attention span + easily bored don’t equal good practice time!) My art teachers pushed me to develop my drawing and painting and plastic arts. The art came easy, only it frustrated me that my hands wouldn’t – and still won’t – accurately depict what my eyes / brain sees. I love music. Choir was great fun, both in school and church, but I became discouraged that my physical voice didn’t match what I heard in my head. Then there were all of the English classes. J’aime l’anglais! (Heehee!) I got to read every book in the library! There were grammar and punctuation and spelling tests….. no problem.

Like the third servant in the parable JESUS tells us about in Matthew 25:14-30, I buried my musical talent for years, and consequently lost whatever good sounds I could make while singing. Of course I still sing, but it’s more like mak8ng a joyfull noise 😂 . I have continued to dabble in the arts by applying the things I have learned in different disciplines, including practicing my drawing by designing houses and kitchens. Had I focused on just that, there’s really no way of knowing how far it might have gone. Instead, I let myself be disillusioned by any perceived (or real) criticism, and bounced around to many other distractions. I became the Jack (or Jill 😁 ) of all trades, master of none. Obviously, I haven’t gained the whole world, and I’ve lost more financially than I’ve gained, although I am incredibly blessed in what I now have. I know these Words from Jesus are pure Truth:

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?” – Luke 9:25 NLT

I will probably continue to struggle financially, and I may struggle physically and mentally, but I KNOW the Truth. The Truth of JESUS CHRIST and His Love for me, and the Truth of my Salvation. The authentic JESUS. I know this world is not my home because my home is with Him, my Saviour. Are you authentic in JESUS?