The woman that the title is referring to is a woman who had been sick for years. But she used her faith, and because she did, she was healed the moment she touched the robe Jesus wore. Jesus turned around to see who had touched Him and had compassion on her and she was healed from that moment after 12 years of seeing those who could not help her. Jesus healed the blind, drove out demons, healed a boy who had convulsions that couldn't be controlled, and He has brought healing to me. I was diagnosed with something awful at the young age of 22. I had been suffering with this disease all along, just not manifesting the symptoms in a way that others could see it. But it was there, sinister and forboding, and it took control of me when I was under a lot of stress. It was a disorder that there's no cure for. But over the years, medications have come on the market that have given me back my life. You may say, if Jesus can heal, why doesn't He heal me and make it so I'd never need meds. I use to question this way also, but I have been assured that "My Grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness". It could be that there are so many people out there suffering as I did that don't believe in the Lord, and only trust their own doctors and med's, and the particular med that helped me, may help them as well. Everyone grows at their own pace and some may not be ready to take that leap of faith and trust in God.
The way I understand may be different from others. I do believe that Jesus can do anything we could ever dream about. I have faith that can move mountains. But at the same time, God says "Come, let us reason together". God is perfect. He makes no mistakes, and if he wanted me to be able to deal with life without medications, I'm sure I would. He has a reason for this and I am happy trusting Him to keep me and to guide me throughout my life. I am able to do this blog, which even 2 years ago I wouldn't have been able to do. I didn't even want to get near this computer, and now I can't leave it alone because I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. I go from glory to glory because of Him and I will never doubt that He has his reasons for everything He does. His wisdom is so much greater than ours. His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts.
At night I listen to beautiful, restful music, and I meditate and pray at the end of the day, and usually at the beginning of the day as well. I was reading and suddenly got inspired to pick up pen and paper. The following verse came to me out of the infinite void of space, and it makes so much sense to me and gave me reason to celebrate even though I was alone. I felt such peace and rest come over me, and today was a beautiful, restful, and rewarding day. Here is the verse:
As I heal my Spirit by dwelling in God's peace and Harmony, my Spirit heals my body.
As I embrace the Eternal, the mortality of my Soul is changed to immortality.
My Lord and My God, you benefit all who come to you.
You are not far away in an existence I cannot see.
You dwell within my soul,
You are a part of me!
He is a part of me. He placed the seed of light and life in my soul at birth, and I have grown immensely in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. I am whole because in God there is no part and parcel of my soul. It is whole, I am whole, and all who are sick can also be whole. Believe in God and trust Him. You may not be completely well over-night, but God can and does heal today, just as He did in days past. I take med's every day, but I have been able to cut back quite a bit, and with the new med's they have, all my memories have been restored and I can once more remember all my days. I was cut off from my past by a severe trauma. For years I couldn't remember my early days. Not only childhood, but days with my husband. I was a different person. Now, I am whole and can remember not only my childhood, but places I lived, the things I have been able to see, and even my eyesight was restored through surgery and implanting of new lenses in both my eyes. One of my prayers at the tender age of 4, was that God would heal my eyes so I could see as good as everyone else. Now, I can.
There are many sick people in this world. I pray for them and I am on this blog to proclaim that not only can Jesus save our souls, He is interested in our lives and the things that we must suffer. He never promised me a rose garden, but He promised He would never leave nor forsake me. I don't need to hear anything else. I believe He walks with me every day I live, and that He has his reasons for the way He does things. Who am I, that a King should bleed and die for? Who am I, that He would say, not my will, thine for? I am His child, that's who I am, and so are you. All of you who are out there reading this blog, I want you to know tonight that Jesus is King of the Universe, and there's nothing impossible with Him! Nothing! Dare to believe, you won't be sorry!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The Prince of Peace
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He gives us the greatest gift anyone can give us, eternal life and forgiveness of sins. But believe it or not, He gives us something that will make our life here easier to bear, and that is His friendship. He is never too busy to listen to your prayers, your doubts, your fears and frustrations. He is always ready to listen and if you hear His sweet voice in the night hours when you can't sleep because you are burdened down with care and problems, you have received the gift of His friendship. There's no one on earth that can releave your worried mind like Jesus can. There are no solutions in the bottom of a wine bottle, or in drugs. They only cloud your perceptions and confuse you even further. Tomorrow you'll wake up with a headache from the alcohol, and looking for another drink to wipe out the problems. Or if you have chosen drugs, you might not wake up at all. If you have problems that overwhelm you, don't turn to partial fixes. They only drown your problems for a little while. But if you turn to Jesus, lay bare your soul and confess that you need His help, He will be there so fast you'll think you're dreaming. Jesus is love and peace and friendship. He counsels the lonely, mends the broken, and carries the ones unable to walk any further. His stripes heal us. The crown of thorns left marks that time will not erase. He bore all of it for you. He died for you. You are important to Him, of extreme value. He loves you tonight when you are alone, perhaps crying, feeling alone and desperate. He is the waymaker. He is expert at opening doors that lead to growth and resolution of problems. There are many pathways in life. Many different beliefs, many things to consider. But I don't know of a more beautiful story than the story of Calvary. God incarnate hanging on a cross to save the world of sinners and castaways.
I know whereof I speak. Jesus spoke to me at the tender age of 12 and asked me in the quiet of a beautiful Sunday morning if I needed a friend. I could not deny that I did. I felt alone, discouraged, friendless, and confused and yes, I needed a friend like Jesus. Someone to take me by the hand and walk with me down the path that would lead me safely home. I have never regretted that decision, and He has been closer than a brother to me. He has never turned away from me, and has at times let me wander to other pastures to see what they were about. But I always return to my first love, Jesus. He is tender hearted and not happy when his sheep stray, but He has a way of reaching us that others don't. He said "My sheep know my voice and none other will they follow." He may let me wander into other pastures, but he has the faith in me that I will learn what I need to learn and will return to the one who saved me. I cannot deny Him even if I wanted to. I am 65 years old and I really do know whereof I speak. I have felt His love and devotion and nothing else can satisfy like His Holy presence.
Tonight if you are reading this, I hope you will take me seriously and do one thing; try to tell Him your story and see if you don't feel releaved. He is patient, loving and kind and He wants to help you if you'll let Him. One thing you must remember, He is not pushy. He will wait for you to call on Him. He gives you the liberty of asking Him to be your friend. He depends on people just like me who know He's real, to relay that message to those who are without the circle of His love and redemption. If you have the world, but lose your own soul....do you think there's anything worth that? Your riches can't save you. Your fine home or your new car or your fancy clothes or.....a milion other posessions, can't save your soul. Only one Person can do that, our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.
I'll leave you with this thought: There are people, Christians, who know Jesus, that are praying tonight for the lost and forsaken. If you're one of those who are lost tonight, just know there are people all over the world praying for you and for your soul. Trust someone tonight; trust Jesus.
I know whereof I speak. Jesus spoke to me at the tender age of 12 and asked me in the quiet of a beautiful Sunday morning if I needed a friend. I could not deny that I did. I felt alone, discouraged, friendless, and confused and yes, I needed a friend like Jesus. Someone to take me by the hand and walk with me down the path that would lead me safely home. I have never regretted that decision, and He has been closer than a brother to me. He has never turned away from me, and has at times let me wander to other pastures to see what they were about. But I always return to my first love, Jesus. He is tender hearted and not happy when his sheep stray, but He has a way of reaching us that others don't. He said "My sheep know my voice and none other will they follow." He may let me wander into other pastures, but he has the faith in me that I will learn what I need to learn and will return to the one who saved me. I cannot deny Him even if I wanted to. I am 65 years old and I really do know whereof I speak. I have felt His love and devotion and nothing else can satisfy like His Holy presence.
Tonight if you are reading this, I hope you will take me seriously and do one thing; try to tell Him your story and see if you don't feel releaved. He is patient, loving and kind and He wants to help you if you'll let Him. One thing you must remember, He is not pushy. He will wait for you to call on Him. He gives you the liberty of asking Him to be your friend. He depends on people just like me who know He's real, to relay that message to those who are without the circle of His love and redemption. If you have the world, but lose your own soul....do you think there's anything worth that? Your riches can't save you. Your fine home or your new car or your fancy clothes or.....a milion other posessions, can't save your soul. Only one Person can do that, our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.
I'll leave you with this thought: There are people, Christians, who know Jesus, that are praying tonight for the lost and forsaken. If you're one of those who are lost tonight, just know there are people all over the world praying for you and for your soul. Trust someone tonight; trust Jesus.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow
There is an old song that we use to sing in the Assembly of God church when I was little. It's called "Because He Lives". Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, Because He lives!......
I have known such overpowering fear in my life. I have been so sick and in such dark places I didn't even know who I was. I had lost all semblance of being a human being. Things smelled wrong, tasted foul, and made me sick to my stomach. I would cry every night uncontrollably, and beg to be taken to church and prayed for. Even in my darkest night I knew that God could help me if I just got to church and had them pray for me. Finally my Mom and Grandmother took me one Sunday Night and I walked in the door and there was a message waiting for me to get there....He said to me through an interpreter, "Come unto me! I stand ready to receive you!" There are dark and dangerous forces in this world we live in. There is evil in every direction, if you don't have the love of God dwelling in your soul. He loves all His children and we are reaping the rewards of living selfish lives and focusing on the wrong things. God is love. He loves us, and we don't deserve it. But He loves us anyway. He has power to destroy evil in your life. He changed my life and gave me everything I could ever ask for. I got involved with the wrong people at the wrong time, and I lost something precious. My own identity.
My life has been difficult, but God gave me the strength, and the abundant love of my family, and I am well today and full of life and joy. He takes our sorrows and gives us unbounded joy in our lives. We begin to see things in a different light when we look with the eyes of Jesus. He can give us spiritual eyes, ears, lips, voices and when we dedicate our lives to serving Him, He gives us a heart of flesh and removes our stony hearts. Life is fragile. It can be snuffed out in an instant. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to be the best we can be and when you trust in God there are no obstacles you can't overcome.
If you are curious about the disease I have been describing, ask questions. I will answer them as honestly and frankly as I can. All I need to know is that God is real, His word is Holy, and He means what He says! He is love. And here in America, today, we need Him. Everyone of us needs Him. From President Obama, all the way down to the bum you see waiting for a helping hand when you go to the market or to eat. People in America sleep on the street, have no medical care whatsoever, and have no jobs, no homes, no nothing. Is this the America we sent our troops to die for? Is this the America of George Washington, or President Kennedy? He said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!" Why not ask what we can do for God? He will give us back 7 fold the things we commit to His care and keeping. He doesn't want our money. He wants us to LOVE YE ONE ANOTHER!" "Men will know you are my disciples when you have love, one for the other!" Do you love your country? Do you love the homeless, and the starving and the lonely, sick and afraid of America? Then you might try prayer, and see the power of God at work right here, to solve our problems and take away our shame. It's a shame that there are starving people right here in America, and children with no shoes and no school, much less food for lunch. I saw a show on TV where the children in one of these underpriviledged schools, took the ketchup packets with them when they finished eating in the cafeteria, because they were homeless, and they had no food from Friday in the cafeteria, until Monday when they were back in school. Know what they did with the Ketchup packets? They mixed it in hot water and ate it like you'd eat tomato soup. That's what they had to take them over the weekend, and never mind not having a place to sleep or take a bath or wear clean clothes, much less the latest fashions! But one woman took on the battle and began working with corporations and people to get the help she needed to give these poor underpriviledged children glasses if they needed them, food they could take home to their families, and she even paid some utility bills so people could function like people.
She was on the Ellen show and Ellen had talked with Target and they gave her a check for $100,000.00 to feed, clothe and take care of the little ones who depend on adults to take care of them.
There is so much to be done. So many good causes and things we can do every day to make life better for someone less fortunate. Perhaps God want us to love each other and be the children that make Him proud. I for one pray every day for my loved ones, but I am going to step up the process and begin praying for this country and it's leaders because I don't think that God is pleased with the way things are going. Join with me and pray for America and let's send our boys to win wars knowing the America of old. Things haven't always been smooth here in America, but we are blessed. It's time to turn our faces to God and see the things He wants to do in our individual lives that might turn things around for many. He said that "the prayers of a righteous man availeth much!" Do you believe we need God? Then pray! Something that simple can change the world because "With God, all things are possible!"
I have known such overpowering fear in my life. I have been so sick and in such dark places I didn't even know who I was. I had lost all semblance of being a human being. Things smelled wrong, tasted foul, and made me sick to my stomach. I would cry every night uncontrollably, and beg to be taken to church and prayed for. Even in my darkest night I knew that God could help me if I just got to church and had them pray for me. Finally my Mom and Grandmother took me one Sunday Night and I walked in the door and there was a message waiting for me to get there....He said to me through an interpreter, "Come unto me! I stand ready to receive you!" There are dark and dangerous forces in this world we live in. There is evil in every direction, if you don't have the love of God dwelling in your soul. He loves all His children and we are reaping the rewards of living selfish lives and focusing on the wrong things. God is love. He loves us, and we don't deserve it. But He loves us anyway. He has power to destroy evil in your life. He changed my life and gave me everything I could ever ask for. I got involved with the wrong people at the wrong time, and I lost something precious. My own identity.
My life has been difficult, but God gave me the strength, and the abundant love of my family, and I am well today and full of life and joy. He takes our sorrows and gives us unbounded joy in our lives. We begin to see things in a different light when we look with the eyes of Jesus. He can give us spiritual eyes, ears, lips, voices and when we dedicate our lives to serving Him, He gives us a heart of flesh and removes our stony hearts. Life is fragile. It can be snuffed out in an instant. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to be the best we can be and when you trust in God there are no obstacles you can't overcome.
If you are curious about the disease I have been describing, ask questions. I will answer them as honestly and frankly as I can. All I need to know is that God is real, His word is Holy, and He means what He says! He is love. And here in America, today, we need Him. Everyone of us needs Him. From President Obama, all the way down to the bum you see waiting for a helping hand when you go to the market or to eat. People in America sleep on the street, have no medical care whatsoever, and have no jobs, no homes, no nothing. Is this the America we sent our troops to die for? Is this the America of George Washington, or President Kennedy? He said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!" Why not ask what we can do for God? He will give us back 7 fold the things we commit to His care and keeping. He doesn't want our money. He wants us to LOVE YE ONE ANOTHER!" "Men will know you are my disciples when you have love, one for the other!" Do you love your country? Do you love the homeless, and the starving and the lonely, sick and afraid of America? Then you might try prayer, and see the power of God at work right here, to solve our problems and take away our shame. It's a shame that there are starving people right here in America, and children with no shoes and no school, much less food for lunch. I saw a show on TV where the children in one of these underpriviledged schools, took the ketchup packets with them when they finished eating in the cafeteria, because they were homeless, and they had no food from Friday in the cafeteria, until Monday when they were back in school. Know what they did with the Ketchup packets? They mixed it in hot water and ate it like you'd eat tomato soup. That's what they had to take them over the weekend, and never mind not having a place to sleep or take a bath or wear clean clothes, much less the latest fashions! But one woman took on the battle and began working with corporations and people to get the help she needed to give these poor underpriviledged children glasses if they needed them, food they could take home to their families, and she even paid some utility bills so people could function like people.
She was on the Ellen show and Ellen had talked with Target and they gave her a check for $100,000.00 to feed, clothe and take care of the little ones who depend on adults to take care of them.
There is so much to be done. So many good causes and things we can do every day to make life better for someone less fortunate. Perhaps God want us to love each other and be the children that make Him proud. I for one pray every day for my loved ones, but I am going to step up the process and begin praying for this country and it's leaders because I don't think that God is pleased with the way things are going. Join with me and pray for America and let's send our boys to win wars knowing the America of old. Things haven't always been smooth here in America, but we are blessed. It's time to turn our faces to God and see the things He wants to do in our individual lives that might turn things around for many. He said that "the prayers of a righteous man availeth much!" Do you believe we need God? Then pray! Something that simple can change the world because "With God, all things are possible!"
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You
A few days ago we found out that my husband has pre-diabetes. His blood sugar is too high. We are scheduled to go to a class in March and find out what we are to do about this. I know he will have to change the way he eats. We need to be more active as well. But you can look at it as a death sentence, or you can apply yourself to find out all you can about it and do the things that are necessary to get healthy! You can make it an opportunity to change things that have gone on the wrong way for far too long. I have heart disease. I had a heart attack at 43. We were given tons of information about heart disease and the changes we'd need to make. We made those changes in our diet then, and now I have no blockages in my heart, my blood pressure is down, my cholesterol is down and I am 65 years old! I have been here enjoying life for 22 years after my heart attack because we faced things together. Jesus said he'd never leave us nor forsake us, and he hasn't. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who has faced all the hard things in life with me.
It's the same in any situation. You can see it as an opportunity to change and be something new, or you can see it as something unfair that's happened to you and sulk about it and be depressed. I don't want to live like that and I am sure that we can lick this disease too. I also have Schizophrenia and take med's for it every day of my life. That too is something we faced together, and we have raised 3 children and now have 7 grandchildren!
There are things in this world and in our lives that require discipline. There were factors in my early life that pre-disposed me to heart disease and schizophrenia and I can either choose to sulk and be mad at life for throwing me 2 major diseases to deal with, or I can use all the advise, medication, and counseling I received to change my life and I am fortunate to have the type of personality that doesn't give up easily. There are problems in the lives of every man, woman and child. I can give up, or get going and deal with things,.
Life is not easy. Nobody has a guarantee that it will be smooth-sailing. But we all can change the way we look at life, and be supportive of the people we love that have problems. There's nothing we can't handle ... together! God is accessible to everyone. He is everywhere at all times and He loves us. All we have to do is tune in to his frequency and listen when He speaks to us in the quiet place in our heart, our lives. I know he is pleased that we are facing things together and are willing to make whatever changes it will require. I've received all the help you can think of to deal with my problems. It has made life easier by far. And to know that God will never leave me, nor desert me, has made my life beautiful. No matter what comes, I know God is with me. He is with you too... whether or not you invite Him, God is with you. He loves you. He will help you...all you have to do is ask, believe, receive!
It's the same in any situation. You can see it as an opportunity to change and be something new, or you can see it as something unfair that's happened to you and sulk about it and be depressed. I don't want to live like that and I am sure that we can lick this disease too. I also have Schizophrenia and take med's for it every day of my life. That too is something we faced together, and we have raised 3 children and now have 7 grandchildren!
There are things in this world and in our lives that require discipline. There were factors in my early life that pre-disposed me to heart disease and schizophrenia and I can either choose to sulk and be mad at life for throwing me 2 major diseases to deal with, or I can use all the advise, medication, and counseling I received to change my life and I am fortunate to have the type of personality that doesn't give up easily. There are problems in the lives of every man, woman and child. I can give up, or get going and deal with things,.
Life is not easy. Nobody has a guarantee that it will be smooth-sailing. But we all can change the way we look at life, and be supportive of the people we love that have problems. There's nothing we can't handle ... together! God is accessible to everyone. He is everywhere at all times and He loves us. All we have to do is tune in to his frequency and listen when He speaks to us in the quiet place in our heart, our lives. I know he is pleased that we are facing things together and are willing to make whatever changes it will require. I've received all the help you can think of to deal with my problems. It has made life easier by far. And to know that God will never leave me, nor desert me, has made my life beautiful. No matter what comes, I know God is with me. He is with you too... whether or not you invite Him, God is with you. He loves you. He will help you...all you have to do is ask, believe, receive!
Monday, February 20, 2012
The Content of the Heart
A man speaks from the contents of his heart. You can't get good fruit from a bad or sick tree anymore than you can get bad fruit from a good tree. You can tell what a person is in their heart by what they talk about and the manner of speech they use. A lot of people curse for past time. They can't utter a word without cursing and displaying the evil in their hearts.
What's in your heart? Do you take the name of God in vain in every sentence out of your mouth? People get so caught up in cursing they become accustomed to it and see no wrong in it. The Bible says "Ye shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in Vain! Does every little thing bother you? Do you scream at inanimate objects and throw things and pound on things? Where is your peace? God is not the author of cursing and screaming and pounding on things, He is the God of peace and order and harmony. If your home isn't harmonious, don't look at others. First look at yourself and what you hold to be important.
My own Mother and Father cursed all the time and had screaming matches and threw things at each other, and threatened to leave us all. Do you have any idea what that kind of behavior does to children? I took it until I was 17 and then I began praying to die. I'd lay in my bed at night, hear them fighting, and I'd cry and beg God to take my spirit because I couldn't take any more pain. Is that the life you want for your child? Then if it isn't, don't you think it's time for a change? I'm not saying that all of you who read this are terrible people. You may read it and think I am being judgemental. I am only repeating what I have read in the Bible. I didn't write it, I just read it. My parent's started out OK. They went to church, paid tithes, sang and played the piano for the church. But eventually they stopped going and started screaming at each other and our family just deteriorated. Soon all we heard were curse words and our own Dad would scream at us and tell us to get away from him because he was too busy for us. He slapped me in the face once and I never forgot it. He said he didn't forget it either and was sorry he did it, but he did it just the same.
It's not going to church that changes you. It's a change of heart, that only God can do. He will change your heart if you ask Him and He will come in and dwell with you and give you a calm and nurturing spirit. People need nurturing you know. A lot of people had tough lives as children and the scars they have go deep. They may never get past a lot of it, or have it be easier to bear and these people act out their aggressions in everyday life. If you are with someone who had a bitter childhood, you know what it's like. You must nurture these people and take care of their hearts. You don't add to the pain by being hateful yourself and losing your temper, or worse yet, leave. You take a vow before God to love, honor, and trust the people you marry. You give them what they need and you go to the source to feed your own soul. You can't nurture and help those you love with an empty heart and a bitter spirit. People are fragile. They are created in the image of God. Tender, gentle caring and love heal these people and the day will dawn when your problems seem to be easier to bear. Because as you nurture the people around you and help them to come from a place of love instead of heartbreak, your own life will become better and you will see in yourself the image of the Lord. Your countenance will shine with His presence and people will know you love the Lord. You don't have to broadcast it to the world that you Love God to draw attention to yourself. When you love Jesus, the last thing you want to do is clang your cymbals and announce that you are here and will fix the situation. Just go about quietly doing good deeds without the praise of mankind, and the Lord who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
What's in your heart? Do you take the name of God in vain in every sentence out of your mouth? People get so caught up in cursing they become accustomed to it and see no wrong in it. The Bible says "Ye shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in Vain! Does every little thing bother you? Do you scream at inanimate objects and throw things and pound on things? Where is your peace? God is not the author of cursing and screaming and pounding on things, He is the God of peace and order and harmony. If your home isn't harmonious, don't look at others. First look at yourself and what you hold to be important.
My own Mother and Father cursed all the time and had screaming matches and threw things at each other, and threatened to leave us all. Do you have any idea what that kind of behavior does to children? I took it until I was 17 and then I began praying to die. I'd lay in my bed at night, hear them fighting, and I'd cry and beg God to take my spirit because I couldn't take any more pain. Is that the life you want for your child? Then if it isn't, don't you think it's time for a change? I'm not saying that all of you who read this are terrible people. You may read it and think I am being judgemental. I am only repeating what I have read in the Bible. I didn't write it, I just read it. My parent's started out OK. They went to church, paid tithes, sang and played the piano for the church. But eventually they stopped going and started screaming at each other and our family just deteriorated. Soon all we heard were curse words and our own Dad would scream at us and tell us to get away from him because he was too busy for us. He slapped me in the face once and I never forgot it. He said he didn't forget it either and was sorry he did it, but he did it just the same.
It's not going to church that changes you. It's a change of heart, that only God can do. He will change your heart if you ask Him and He will come in and dwell with you and give you a calm and nurturing spirit. People need nurturing you know. A lot of people had tough lives as children and the scars they have go deep. They may never get past a lot of it, or have it be easier to bear and these people act out their aggressions in everyday life. If you are with someone who had a bitter childhood, you know what it's like. You must nurture these people and take care of their hearts. You don't add to the pain by being hateful yourself and losing your temper, or worse yet, leave. You take a vow before God to love, honor, and trust the people you marry. You give them what they need and you go to the source to feed your own soul. You can't nurture and help those you love with an empty heart and a bitter spirit. People are fragile. They are created in the image of God. Tender, gentle caring and love heal these people and the day will dawn when your problems seem to be easier to bear. Because as you nurture the people around you and help them to come from a place of love instead of heartbreak, your own life will become better and you will see in yourself the image of the Lord. Your countenance will shine with His presence and people will know you love the Lord. You don't have to broadcast it to the world that you Love God to draw attention to yourself. When you love Jesus, the last thing you want to do is clang your cymbals and announce that you are here and will fix the situation. Just go about quietly doing good deeds without the praise of mankind, and the Lord who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Outward Appearances
Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
1 Peter 3:3-4 Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
In this day and age, we are bombarded constantly with ads about losing weight and exercising. And there are endless commercials about hair color, new products guaranteed to get rid of our wrinkles and firm up our chins, and all sorts of ads about the proper foods. Some of this is fine, and we all want to be healthy. It is good to maintain your appearance, but not good to obsess over it. This temple will not last forever. It will age to a point where cosmetics do not work for us anymore. It is more important to nurture the soul and spirit, to let God direct us in our lives, and to live a good and wholesome life.
The inner man is what God is most concerned about. He knows we have material needs, for we live in the world and are subject to it's nature. But to worry over the latest fashions, and whether or not we have the proper shoes for each outfit is not something God would have us dwell on. We need food to live. It is good to nurture the body and keep it healthy for that is our temple and our spirit should direct us in the proper direction. To drive through a fast food restaurant several times a week is not profitable. It costs less to buy good food at the supermarket and fix food at home that is nutritious and good for us. I understand that sometimes we are so busy that we forget to lay something out for dinner and we are forced to buy something already prepared. But if you have food in the freezer, and you have to work every day and have a hectic schedule to keep when you get off work, if you have the money to buy a crock pot, you can put food on the night before, put the inner portion of the crock pot in the fridge and in the morning when you get up, pop it in the heating portion of the crock pot and dinner will be ready when you get home.
It is more important to pray and nurture your own body, and seek to please God in all you do. It is said in the Bible that God clothes the lilies in the fields with beauty that Solomon could not attain to. If God clothes the lilies of the field in such splendor, will He not also clothe you? For he knows you have need of clothing.... We worry about material possessions far too much and too little about the person we are on the inside.
These bodies will pass away one day and return to dust from which they were made. Only the soul lives eternally. I want to live forever with God. Don't you? I want to be pleasing in what I think and say and do. Not only my outward appearance. I am 65 and of course have wrinkles and sags in places where I'd rather not have them. When I was young I was fairly attractive. But it is my spirit that God wants to find attractive, and believe it or not, the way you live your life shows up on your face as you age. If you live a spiritually sound life and give thanks to God for your many blessings, and face all the hard things we all go through, with faith and trust in God, He will see us through. There are many aspects in life that we don't know how to handle until we are faced with it. Then, if we have trusted our God to see us through and share the good times with us as well as the bad, we come through with the assurance that all will be well, and even death loses it's sting. I use to fear death, but now I know that I will pass from this body and into Heaven with God when it is my time to go. I don't want loved ones to grieve, but to be aware that I am in a better place and am at peace and full of joy. It would have helped me immensely when my Mother passed away if I had been more aware that she was also in a good place and reunited with her own loved ones that went before her. I was unable at the time to deal well with her passing and I wish I had been stronger. But God saw me through and gave me the support I needed from my family members.
There's so many beautiful things in life to enjoy as well as sorrow. Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad that Jesus loves us and has prepared a place for us the likes of which we could never have dreamed of. Know in your heart, regardless of age and appearance, that Jesus loves you just the way you are. You will be clothed with glory in paradise, and to know that Jesus will be there waiting for us gives me hope and assurance that this life is to prepare me for the life hereafter. I love the Lord and have been aware of Him in my life for many years. He has given me a quiet spirit, and I am thankful for his Holy Presence in my life. Give Him your spirit to work with and He will make you beautiful on the inside, where it counts.
1 Peter 3:3-4 Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
In this day and age, we are bombarded constantly with ads about losing weight and exercising. And there are endless commercials about hair color, new products guaranteed to get rid of our wrinkles and firm up our chins, and all sorts of ads about the proper foods. Some of this is fine, and we all want to be healthy. It is good to maintain your appearance, but not good to obsess over it. This temple will not last forever. It will age to a point where cosmetics do not work for us anymore. It is more important to nurture the soul and spirit, to let God direct us in our lives, and to live a good and wholesome life.
The inner man is what God is most concerned about. He knows we have material needs, for we live in the world and are subject to it's nature. But to worry over the latest fashions, and whether or not we have the proper shoes for each outfit is not something God would have us dwell on. We need food to live. It is good to nurture the body and keep it healthy for that is our temple and our spirit should direct us in the proper direction. To drive through a fast food restaurant several times a week is not profitable. It costs less to buy good food at the supermarket and fix food at home that is nutritious and good for us. I understand that sometimes we are so busy that we forget to lay something out for dinner and we are forced to buy something already prepared. But if you have food in the freezer, and you have to work every day and have a hectic schedule to keep when you get off work, if you have the money to buy a crock pot, you can put food on the night before, put the inner portion of the crock pot in the fridge and in the morning when you get up, pop it in the heating portion of the crock pot and dinner will be ready when you get home.
It is more important to pray and nurture your own body, and seek to please God in all you do. It is said in the Bible that God clothes the lilies in the fields with beauty that Solomon could not attain to. If God clothes the lilies of the field in such splendor, will He not also clothe you? For he knows you have need of clothing.... We worry about material possessions far too much and too little about the person we are on the inside.
These bodies will pass away one day and return to dust from which they were made. Only the soul lives eternally. I want to live forever with God. Don't you? I want to be pleasing in what I think and say and do. Not only my outward appearance. I am 65 and of course have wrinkles and sags in places where I'd rather not have them. When I was young I was fairly attractive. But it is my spirit that God wants to find attractive, and believe it or not, the way you live your life shows up on your face as you age. If you live a spiritually sound life and give thanks to God for your many blessings, and face all the hard things we all go through, with faith and trust in God, He will see us through. There are many aspects in life that we don't know how to handle until we are faced with it. Then, if we have trusted our God to see us through and share the good times with us as well as the bad, we come through with the assurance that all will be well, and even death loses it's sting. I use to fear death, but now I know that I will pass from this body and into Heaven with God when it is my time to go. I don't want loved ones to grieve, but to be aware that I am in a better place and am at peace and full of joy. It would have helped me immensely when my Mother passed away if I had been more aware that she was also in a good place and reunited with her own loved ones that went before her. I was unable at the time to deal well with her passing and I wish I had been stronger. But God saw me through and gave me the support I needed from my family members.
There's so many beautiful things in life to enjoy as well as sorrow. Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad that Jesus loves us and has prepared a place for us the likes of which we could never have dreamed of. Know in your heart, regardless of age and appearance, that Jesus loves you just the way you are. You will be clothed with glory in paradise, and to know that Jesus will be there waiting for us gives me hope and assurance that this life is to prepare me for the life hereafter. I love the Lord and have been aware of Him in my life for many years. He has given me a quiet spirit, and I am thankful for his Holy Presence in my life. Give Him your spirit to work with and He will make you beautiful on the inside, where it counts.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Enlightenment
The gift of life! What a treasure life is. To wake up each morning and be thankful for a new day of life. Do we, any of us, really treasure life the way we should? Do we let our problems overwhelm us and be angry and have nothing positive to say or even think about? There is a way to overcome this mode of thinking. It is called "mindfulness". To be aware every moment of what we are thinking about or doing. If you are making yourself breakfast, are you enjoying each moment of preparing your food and being thankful for the food you have and the hot tea you are preparing for your body? Do you appreciate your body and the life you have? A gift it is. A gift from God. Here is something to get you off on the right foot tomorrow. When you first wake up, remember these words and say them silently to yourself:
Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live each moment fully,
and to look at all beings with eyes of
compassion.
This verse is from a book by TICH NHAT HANH, called Peace is Every Breath.
Before you turn away from this blog and say that it is not what you thought it was, think how much Jesus loved life. On His knees before God He begged to be saved from the cross. He didn't want to die, and He knew the value of life. Live life with awareness. Each moment be present and attend to the things of that moment rather than let yourself get into a funk and be miserable all day and make everyone around just as miserable as you are.
But if you give thanks to God for your life each day and really mean it, here is what the Bible says will be your reward:
Isaiah 58:8
If Jesus were here today, He may say to you, "If you but ask, My tender mercies and My compassion will flood your soul. Let Me turn your discouragement to joy, your doubts to faith, your anxieties to trust, and your hopelessness to hope, and your darkness to light." From a small book called Letters from God for Women, by Diane Noble.
It's easy to give up. You think you're doing the best you can and nothing is going right. So you give up. But God never gives up on you! He is ready, willing, and able to help us, if we just ask and believe! He can open doors we don't even see. God want's you to be happy and have a wonderful life. He doesn't promise us roses every day, but he does promise to be there every day of our lives, to help us through the rough times, and to share in our joys and happiness when that is our lot. But if you ask Him to help you, and you Believe in Him completely, He will do the unimaginable!
I've been in some pretty dark places and all I could do was do my best each hour of the day. He not only brought me out of my darkness, he gave me tangible proof that He is real, a family. He knows the desires of your heart. Why not trust Him today, and give Him your problems so you can live joyfully and with purpose? He wants to help you.....believe and set yourself free!
Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live each moment fully,
and to look at all beings with eyes of
compassion.
This verse is from a book by TICH NHAT HANH, called Peace is Every Breath.
Before you turn away from this blog and say that it is not what you thought it was, think how much Jesus loved life. On His knees before God He begged to be saved from the cross. He didn't want to die, and He knew the value of life. Live life with awareness. Each moment be present and attend to the things of that moment rather than let yourself get into a funk and be miserable all day and make everyone around just as miserable as you are.
But if you give thanks to God for your life each day and really mean it, here is what the Bible says will be your reward:
"Then shall thy light break forth as the morning
and thine
health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall
go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward."
If Jesus were here today, He may say to you, "If you but ask, My tender mercies and My compassion will flood your soul. Let Me turn your discouragement to joy, your doubts to faith, your anxieties to trust, and your hopelessness to hope, and your darkness to light." From a small book called Letters from God for Women, by Diane Noble.
It's easy to give up. You think you're doing the best you can and nothing is going right. So you give up. But God never gives up on you! He is ready, willing, and able to help us, if we just ask and believe! He can open doors we don't even see. God want's you to be happy and have a wonderful life. He doesn't promise us roses every day, but he does promise to be there every day of our lives, to help us through the rough times, and to share in our joys and happiness when that is our lot. But if you ask Him to help you, and you Believe in Him completely, He will do the unimaginable!
I've been in some pretty dark places and all I could do was do my best each hour of the day. He not only brought me out of my darkness, he gave me tangible proof that He is real, a family. He knows the desires of your heart. Why not trust Him today, and give Him your problems so you can live joyfully and with purpose? He wants to help you.....believe and set yourself free!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Battles Meant for Two
The other evening there were circumstances in my life that were causing me concern and quite a lot of stress. This for me is not good since I have heart disease and have had a lot of stress attacks in my life time. But I went to my room to look through some books that I refer to for comfort and enlightenment, and I wasn't disappointed. The first page I turned to assured me that I didn't have to fight my battles alone. There is one who is able, willing, and capable enough to win without me lifting so much as a finger! All I had to do was get ready and take my place, and then watch the Lord at work in handling my battles single handedly. The battle was won, the enemy vanquished, and I went about living my life in the best way possible, stress free and knowing that the Lord is always at hand. He assures me that 10,000 shall fall at my left, and 10,000 at my right, but it shall not come nigh me.
The thing with people today is that they don't believe in a diety that want's to do us all grave harm. He has power, but the only power he has is what God gives him. He comes against us in many forms, temptation, stress, problems, finances, health issues, child rearing problems, and all the other sorts of problems we encounter just living our ordinary lives. But when we are confronted, we musn't run and hide, but stand up for ourselves and let the Lord do what He alone can do. He says He will never leave us, nor forsake us. Not yesterday, today, or tomorrow.
Jesus is so powerful, today as well as in the days long gone by when he trod upon the earth. He can vanquish our foe, bringing calmness and serenity to our hearts and minds and giving us a countenance that bespeaks of His presence in our lives. In our very bodies, the temples of our souls.
A long time ago, when I was very young, oh, about 22 years old or so, I had many problems and felt that I was alone. I'd go to work during the day, but in the evenings I spent a lot of my time in my room just thinking about things. I had a lot of medication I had to take, and no one seemed to really understand me or even give me a second thought. Or so it seemed. Somewhere in the dark of night, people were praying. People I didn't know, praying for me. Someone out there praying for the lost and the lonely, the sick, those overcome by fear. There is always someone praying, somewhere, fervently for you and I. The Lord had many good things in store for me. But first I had to win the battle of my life. No, I didn't fight alone. Jesus was right beside me, in the dark of night, in my room. Fighting right beside me. If you have fear, if you have anxieties and worries, trust that He knows. Believe that He is aware and want's to help you. No, He is already helping you, even though you didn't ask. You who have little ones knows that if your child needs help, you don't wait for them to ask. You run to their rescue and pick them up, kiss their hurts, and love them until they stop crying or fussing. He's no different. He runs to help us even when we don't call on Him. He sends his angels to guard us, to keep us, and they are in awe of us because He loves us so much. He, the King of Heaven, loves us so much and is willing to leave his throne to help us in our hour of need.
Now, fear has no place in my life. I am well, happy, and have so much to be thankful for. So, if there are those of you out there tonight who need someone to say a prayer for you and your well being, say so and other's who read this little blog of mine can join together in prayer for you. You will find the answers you so sorely need, and you will have peace just knowing you don't fight your battles alone. Never alone. That's His promise to us as His children. We are never alone.
Lord Jesus, I come to you tonight to ask you to intervene for those tonight who are living in fear, and those who are ill, living on the streets, into drugs and alcohol, and I ask you humbly to help these people, even when all I can do is ask. I don't have the means to help many, but I will do what I can. You are everywhere, all the time, intervening for the lost. Don't forget those who are struggling with all these many problems and help them that can't help themselves. Teach us to live good lives, and to pray for the prisoners, those in the ICU floors in the millions of hospitals, little children with cancer and leukemia, those who are burn victims, those who are beaten by drunk husbands and little children who suffer broken bones and wounds administered by those who are supposed to love and take care of them. Help those of us who have normal lives to remember those who suffer with mental illness, anxieties, depression, thoughts of suicide, those who are contemplating murdering someone or taking their own lives. Help them all Lord. They are you children. Let them know they aren't alone either. Earth is held in the palm of your hand. You can meet the needs of your children everywhere in the blink of an eye. I thank you Lord for my many blessings, and I ask you to help me always to be grateful, take care of those you have given me, and be the best person I can be. I love you Lord, and I will serve you in any way you ask me to. For now, I will say goodnight, and just ask you to bring all my loved ones home safely. I ask these things in the Holy Name of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Amen
The thing with people today is that they don't believe in a diety that want's to do us all grave harm. He has power, but the only power he has is what God gives him. He comes against us in many forms, temptation, stress, problems, finances, health issues, child rearing problems, and all the other sorts of problems we encounter just living our ordinary lives. But when we are confronted, we musn't run and hide, but stand up for ourselves and let the Lord do what He alone can do. He says He will never leave us, nor forsake us. Not yesterday, today, or tomorrow.
Jesus is so powerful, today as well as in the days long gone by when he trod upon the earth. He can vanquish our foe, bringing calmness and serenity to our hearts and minds and giving us a countenance that bespeaks of His presence in our lives. In our very bodies, the temples of our souls.
A long time ago, when I was very young, oh, about 22 years old or so, I had many problems and felt that I was alone. I'd go to work during the day, but in the evenings I spent a lot of my time in my room just thinking about things. I had a lot of medication I had to take, and no one seemed to really understand me or even give me a second thought. Or so it seemed. Somewhere in the dark of night, people were praying. People I didn't know, praying for me. Someone out there praying for the lost and the lonely, the sick, those overcome by fear. There is always someone praying, somewhere, fervently for you and I. The Lord had many good things in store for me. But first I had to win the battle of my life. No, I didn't fight alone. Jesus was right beside me, in the dark of night, in my room. Fighting right beside me. If you have fear, if you have anxieties and worries, trust that He knows. Believe that He is aware and want's to help you. No, He is already helping you, even though you didn't ask. You who have little ones knows that if your child needs help, you don't wait for them to ask. You run to their rescue and pick them up, kiss their hurts, and love them until they stop crying or fussing. He's no different. He runs to help us even when we don't call on Him. He sends his angels to guard us, to keep us, and they are in awe of us because He loves us so much. He, the King of Heaven, loves us so much and is willing to leave his throne to help us in our hour of need.
Now, fear has no place in my life. I am well, happy, and have so much to be thankful for. So, if there are those of you out there tonight who need someone to say a prayer for you and your well being, say so and other's who read this little blog of mine can join together in prayer for you. You will find the answers you so sorely need, and you will have peace just knowing you don't fight your battles alone. Never alone. That's His promise to us as His children. We are never alone.
Lord Jesus, I come to you tonight to ask you to intervene for those tonight who are living in fear, and those who are ill, living on the streets, into drugs and alcohol, and I ask you humbly to help these people, even when all I can do is ask. I don't have the means to help many, but I will do what I can. You are everywhere, all the time, intervening for the lost. Don't forget those who are struggling with all these many problems and help them that can't help themselves. Teach us to live good lives, and to pray for the prisoners, those in the ICU floors in the millions of hospitals, little children with cancer and leukemia, those who are burn victims, those who are beaten by drunk husbands and little children who suffer broken bones and wounds administered by those who are supposed to love and take care of them. Help those of us who have normal lives to remember those who suffer with mental illness, anxieties, depression, thoughts of suicide, those who are contemplating murdering someone or taking their own lives. Help them all Lord. They are you children. Let them know they aren't alone either. Earth is held in the palm of your hand. You can meet the needs of your children everywhere in the blink of an eye. I thank you Lord for my many blessings, and I ask you to help me always to be grateful, take care of those you have given me, and be the best person I can be. I love you Lord, and I will serve you in any way you ask me to. For now, I will say goodnight, and just ask you to bring all my loved ones home safely. I ask these things in the Holy Name of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Amen
Friday, February 10, 2012
Forbid Them Not....
St. Matther 18:1-7 It was at this time that the disciples came to Jesus with the question, "Who is really greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus called a little child to his side and set him on his feet in the middle of them all. "Believe me," he said, "unless you change your whole outlook and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. It is the man who can be as humble as this little child who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. "Anyone who welcomes one child like this for my sake is welcoming me. But if anyone leads astray one of these little children who believe in me he would be better off thrown into the depths of the sea with a mill-stone hung around his neck! Alas for the world with its pitfalls! In the nature of things there must be pitfalls, yet alas for the man who is responsible for them!".
We struggle in this life, but we do it unnecessarily. Jesus would have us as trusting little children who believe what their Father tells them. They love their Father and understand that no evil would come from Him. Yet we posture and preen over what we know and we lose our innocence in pride and self-importance. I have 7 grandchildren, and I am doing my best to teach them about God every time they are here with me. They know that Grandma loves them and would never tell them an untruth about anything. They listen, they learn, they are like little sponges that soak up every word they hear about love, and peace, and the Love of God. They need to know that there is someone much stronger than we could ever be who is responsible for keeping their world spinning, their needs met, and their futures secure. I guess I am a lot like a little child in the way I see my own Heavenly Father. I feel like I can tell Him anything and He will listen and respond with love. In my own home, when I was a child, I was treated with love and care at first. Then later on, my parents lost their way and began fighting with each other about money and every other thing you could think of. My secure view of the world changed and I became anxious, and fearful that one of them would leave us. They threatened to all the time. But I survived it even though I didn't think I would. Later on in my life, when I was around 18, I found the truth and that truth led me to leave my home and begin my journey in life. I decided I'd rather have Jesus as my parent, because He had promised to never leave me nor forsake me. The Bible says, that if your parents desert you, and mine for all accounts and purposes did, that then He would take me up, or, become my parent. He taught me a lot of things, but the greatest thing He ever taught me was that God is love and that He loves me. I decided I'd follow Him wherever He led me.
As a result, I was led through a winding course that led me to many people with needs. I made friends with a lot of people, gave what I could give, kept a positive outlook although I had many problems emotionally, and I was eventually led to a place where I met my husband. He came to work in our office one day and I thought he was a computer repair person or something like that. I would have never guessed that we would ever talk about anything, much less date and get to know one another. But God had great plans for me, and even though I was 28, and thought that I was too old for marriage and children and the life I had always wanted, He had great plans for me, and the thing that had been in my heart forever became reality. We talked, we got to know one another, we dated, we fell in love, and were engaged in July of the year we met. We were married on my 29th birthday, Christmas Eve, and a year later I gave birth to my 2 sons! God was in control of my life, and He still is. 36 years of marriage to the same man, a secure home of our own, a wonderful daughter who helps me keep a handle on the things we need to do to keep our home running smoothly, and our sons who have given us 7 grandchildren. Sounds like a fairy tale doesn't it! But it all is real, and so is the Love of God.
How often God would hold us. He would pick us up from our tumbles and brush off the dirt, and mend the wounds, and heal us from top to bottom! But we don't trust Him enough to let Him do that. We think we know so much. We are puffed up and arrogant when it comes to our "experience". It's laughable. The Bible says that "...mans wisdom is foolishness to God", but He still loves us. We struggle all our lives, but we don't need to. If we truly trusted as a little child, we would find the love we so desperately need in our lives. It is so simple. Three little words tell us all we need to really know, "God is Love". He sent His only son, His perfect son, His heart, to earth to be our sacrifice. The debt has already been paid. All we have to do is trust Him. Get to know Him, and serve Him by living and trusting in Him. We witness to others, we handle our affairs with honor and sincerity, we love our families and our enemies, and we are kind to little ones and nurture them and teach them and lead them. So simple. Folks in my past thought me simple too. Stupid is the word. But nothing could be further from the truth. I simply trust God and He takes care of me. I don't need to brag about all I "know", and all I can do. I just need to live and pass on the truth's I have come to know. That is my purpose, as well as being a wife, a mom and a grammy, to tell the story of God's love for me, and for all who will come.
Do you need a friend like that? He's waiting to do the same for you. All you have to do is ask Him. Come into my life God, help me to get to know you, and please help me with my problems and my life. I need you. So simple. Come Lord Jesus, come into my life and show me your power and your love. Change me. We have to be willing to change, to become as little children, to simply trust in Him who gave His own perfect life for us, and the world would be a different place. Do you think the world needs a new face? A little help? Ask the man in charge to change you. It all begins with you. Be that little child...dare to trust him...and He will change your life and through you, He can change many things, even the state of the world. It all begins with a prayer of surrender and a committment to live a new life, a clean and wholesome life, one established in the word of God and a forthright nature. Come today to the throne of grace, and believe. You are the catalyst. Accept God's Grace and Love, be as that little child, and trust Him who loves you!
We struggle in this life, but we do it unnecessarily. Jesus would have us as trusting little children who believe what their Father tells them. They love their Father and understand that no evil would come from Him. Yet we posture and preen over what we know and we lose our innocence in pride and self-importance. I have 7 grandchildren, and I am doing my best to teach them about God every time they are here with me. They know that Grandma loves them and would never tell them an untruth about anything. They listen, they learn, they are like little sponges that soak up every word they hear about love, and peace, and the Love of God. They need to know that there is someone much stronger than we could ever be who is responsible for keeping their world spinning, their needs met, and their futures secure. I guess I am a lot like a little child in the way I see my own Heavenly Father. I feel like I can tell Him anything and He will listen and respond with love. In my own home, when I was a child, I was treated with love and care at first. Then later on, my parents lost their way and began fighting with each other about money and every other thing you could think of. My secure view of the world changed and I became anxious, and fearful that one of them would leave us. They threatened to all the time. But I survived it even though I didn't think I would. Later on in my life, when I was around 18, I found the truth and that truth led me to leave my home and begin my journey in life. I decided I'd rather have Jesus as my parent, because He had promised to never leave me nor forsake me. The Bible says, that if your parents desert you, and mine for all accounts and purposes did, that then He would take me up, or, become my parent. He taught me a lot of things, but the greatest thing He ever taught me was that God is love and that He loves me. I decided I'd follow Him wherever He led me.
As a result, I was led through a winding course that led me to many people with needs. I made friends with a lot of people, gave what I could give, kept a positive outlook although I had many problems emotionally, and I was eventually led to a place where I met my husband. He came to work in our office one day and I thought he was a computer repair person or something like that. I would have never guessed that we would ever talk about anything, much less date and get to know one another. But God had great plans for me, and even though I was 28, and thought that I was too old for marriage and children and the life I had always wanted, He had great plans for me, and the thing that had been in my heart forever became reality. We talked, we got to know one another, we dated, we fell in love, and were engaged in July of the year we met. We were married on my 29th birthday, Christmas Eve, and a year later I gave birth to my 2 sons! God was in control of my life, and He still is. 36 years of marriage to the same man, a secure home of our own, a wonderful daughter who helps me keep a handle on the things we need to do to keep our home running smoothly, and our sons who have given us 7 grandchildren. Sounds like a fairy tale doesn't it! But it all is real, and so is the Love of God.
How often God would hold us. He would pick us up from our tumbles and brush off the dirt, and mend the wounds, and heal us from top to bottom! But we don't trust Him enough to let Him do that. We think we know so much. We are puffed up and arrogant when it comes to our "experience". It's laughable. The Bible says that "...mans wisdom is foolishness to God", but He still loves us. We struggle all our lives, but we don't need to. If we truly trusted as a little child, we would find the love we so desperately need in our lives. It is so simple. Three little words tell us all we need to really know, "God is Love". He sent His only son, His perfect son, His heart, to earth to be our sacrifice. The debt has already been paid. All we have to do is trust Him. Get to know Him, and serve Him by living and trusting in Him. We witness to others, we handle our affairs with honor and sincerity, we love our families and our enemies, and we are kind to little ones and nurture them and teach them and lead them. So simple. Folks in my past thought me simple too. Stupid is the word. But nothing could be further from the truth. I simply trust God and He takes care of me. I don't need to brag about all I "know", and all I can do. I just need to live and pass on the truth's I have come to know. That is my purpose, as well as being a wife, a mom and a grammy, to tell the story of God's love for me, and for all who will come.
Do you need a friend like that? He's waiting to do the same for you. All you have to do is ask Him. Come into my life God, help me to get to know you, and please help me with my problems and my life. I need you. So simple. Come Lord Jesus, come into my life and show me your power and your love. Change me. We have to be willing to change, to become as little children, to simply trust in Him who gave His own perfect life for us, and the world would be a different place. Do you think the world needs a new face? A little help? Ask the man in charge to change you. It all begins with you. Be that little child...dare to trust him...and He will change your life and through you, He can change many things, even the state of the world. It all begins with a prayer of surrender and a committment to live a new life, a clean and wholesome life, one established in the word of God and a forthright nature. Come today to the throne of grace, and believe. You are the catalyst. Accept God's Grace and Love, be as that little child, and trust Him who loves you!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Troubles
Job 11:16-17 You would forget your trouble, as waters that have passed by, you would remember it. Your life would be brighter than noonday, darkness would be like the morning!
We all have troubles, some small, some huge. But there is no trouble too big for God to handle. I have had trouble of many kinds, but the Lord God Almighty has lifted my burdens and I am happy and have utter peace. There are some problems that are not visible to doctors and psychiatrists. Even priests don't have all the answers. But God sees the inside of man and if we trust Him, He leads us to the green pastures and let's us rest by the still waters. We don't have to live with troubles. We can let go and let God. It is a choice we make.
Some troubles, as financial, can be rectified with setting up a budget and following it faithfully. But there are troubles with the soul and heart of man that can only be solved by our trust and faith in a loving God. I have buryied both parents and have been separated from both brother and sister. These events were not of my choosing. And the pain was deep, and relentless. But somehow, someway, I stayed connected to God. I believe He has His hands on us once we have given Him our hearts, as I did at 12 years of age, and He will never let go! We let go of Him, but in His faithfulness, He never lets go of us! What a wonderful God we have that is touched by the pain of a human heart. He said that He would not give us more than we could carry. "For my yoke is easy, and my burdens light."
God has said that we must "...come boldly to the throne of Grace!" He urges us to seek wisdom, and to study to show ourselves approved, a workman worthy of his hire. If we draw close to Him, He will draw close to us. If we come and leave our burdens as we kneel inwardly in prayer, He is faithful and just to answer us. Faith in Him, moves mountains! Not faith in ourselves, for without God we are weak and fall prey to many things that otherewise would not interest us.
The day I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I was in church with my Grandma, and the pastor asked if anyone there needed a friend. I did. My heart was pounding, my hands were shaking, and I all but ran down the aisle to where the pastor was waiting for all who would come. No one else did. Just me. I could have no more stayed in the pews than snow not melting in the summer sun. And He has never left me. There were times in my life where I thought I had left Him. They were empty years, but I grew none-the-less. Then, I met someone who shook me out of my lethargy and gave me the love and compassion I so sorely needed. He is my husband. He has strength, values, a good heart, and faithfulness. He was a gift and still is, from the hands of God himself. I value this person and all his attributes, and I owe him so much. He has changed my life and given me more than I ever could have dreamed of. Not loving him would be impossible. Something I cannot even comprehend. I feel like I have loved him all my life, and I would pray that women everywhere would be as fortunate. I respect him, and he respects me and we have a love for one another that will last through all our lives. This kind of love is similar to the kind of love God has for us. He loves us without question and He will take your burdens. All you have to do is ask Him.
Have troubles? Give them away....give them to God, and your troubles will become as "...waters that have passed away." Besides the love God has for me, I have become more aware of his presence since I married my husband. He is not a Christian. He is a Taoist. But he has never once judged me, and has taught me many things. The Tao revealed itself to me, and to me it is the spirit of God. It is in every leaf of every tree, the birds of the air, the beautiful landscape all around me, and in every man, woman and child. The spirit that revealed itself aeons ago to people who lived in another time, another part of the world, to me is the same spirit as the spirit of God. It is higher, deeper, wider than we could ever imagine. It is greater than all things, the mother of 10,000 things. I am most fortunate. I have been lifted out of many harsh circumstances, and my life is my own. I am at peace, and my harsh eperiences in life are "...as waters that have passed away."
We all have troubles, some small, some huge. But there is no trouble too big for God to handle. I have had trouble of many kinds, but the Lord God Almighty has lifted my burdens and I am happy and have utter peace. There are some problems that are not visible to doctors and psychiatrists. Even priests don't have all the answers. But God sees the inside of man and if we trust Him, He leads us to the green pastures and let's us rest by the still waters. We don't have to live with troubles. We can let go and let God. It is a choice we make.
Some troubles, as financial, can be rectified with setting up a budget and following it faithfully. But there are troubles with the soul and heart of man that can only be solved by our trust and faith in a loving God. I have buryied both parents and have been separated from both brother and sister. These events were not of my choosing. And the pain was deep, and relentless. But somehow, someway, I stayed connected to God. I believe He has His hands on us once we have given Him our hearts, as I did at 12 years of age, and He will never let go! We let go of Him, but in His faithfulness, He never lets go of us! What a wonderful God we have that is touched by the pain of a human heart. He said that He would not give us more than we could carry. "For my yoke is easy, and my burdens light."
God has said that we must "...come boldly to the throne of Grace!" He urges us to seek wisdom, and to study to show ourselves approved, a workman worthy of his hire. If we draw close to Him, He will draw close to us. If we come and leave our burdens as we kneel inwardly in prayer, He is faithful and just to answer us. Faith in Him, moves mountains! Not faith in ourselves, for without God we are weak and fall prey to many things that otherewise would not interest us.
The day I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I was in church with my Grandma, and the pastor asked if anyone there needed a friend. I did. My heart was pounding, my hands were shaking, and I all but ran down the aisle to where the pastor was waiting for all who would come. No one else did. Just me. I could have no more stayed in the pews than snow not melting in the summer sun. And He has never left me. There were times in my life where I thought I had left Him. They were empty years, but I grew none-the-less. Then, I met someone who shook me out of my lethargy and gave me the love and compassion I so sorely needed. He is my husband. He has strength, values, a good heart, and faithfulness. He was a gift and still is, from the hands of God himself. I value this person and all his attributes, and I owe him so much. He has changed my life and given me more than I ever could have dreamed of. Not loving him would be impossible. Something I cannot even comprehend. I feel like I have loved him all my life, and I would pray that women everywhere would be as fortunate. I respect him, and he respects me and we have a love for one another that will last through all our lives. This kind of love is similar to the kind of love God has for us. He loves us without question and He will take your burdens. All you have to do is ask Him.
Have troubles? Give them away....give them to God, and your troubles will become as "...waters that have passed away." Besides the love God has for me, I have become more aware of his presence since I married my husband. He is not a Christian. He is a Taoist. But he has never once judged me, and has taught me many things. The Tao revealed itself to me, and to me it is the spirit of God. It is in every leaf of every tree, the birds of the air, the beautiful landscape all around me, and in every man, woman and child. The spirit that revealed itself aeons ago to people who lived in another time, another part of the world, to me is the same spirit as the spirit of God. It is higher, deeper, wider than we could ever imagine. It is greater than all things, the mother of 10,000 things. I am most fortunate. I have been lifted out of many harsh circumstances, and my life is my own. I am at peace, and my harsh eperiences in life are "...as waters that have passed away."
Sunday, February 5, 2012
A Wonderful Sunday
I just finished about 2 hours of talking with one of my Grandchildren, and sharing with her my views on God, and the universe, and the things that really matter in life. She is very astute and wise for 11 years old, and I took the opportunity to tell her how to ask Jesus to come into her life and what His holy presence does for a person. It's so easy to help children because they are trusting and loving. If I tell her an untruth, I will pay for it one day, so I am very careful what I tell her and expose her to. I love my family so much, and I do look at each one of them as a gift from my Heavenly Father. When I was a teenager I use to call God, Big Daddy! And He is you know! He really has given me the desires of my heart, a family. He brought a good man to me, and together we had 3 beautiful and wonderful children. Now, through our sons, we have 7 grandchildren and they are all good people. That's the key. Our children are people, not our possessions. We only borrow them for a little while. What we teach our children is very important, and one thing to be aware of is that they see what we "do", not only what we "say"!
If we want to impress our children to live good lives, then we must do the same. Honest, forthright, upright and true, these are the values that will make us shining examples to our children.
My children are grown, and they can't be fooled by what we say. They are very aware of what we do, and our place as their parents doesn't change with time. It is still important to live a good life and to set good examples as well. Having children is a life time responsibility. We give them good advice, help them when necessary, and in this day and age it is not unusual to see grown offspring living with their parents because the prices of things have gotten so outrageous they can't afford to live on their own. But it is a privilege to help them and keep them close and continue to live as good examples of what we say we believe in.
God see's the inner man. Thank God that He is forgiving and loving and kind, because we all need a Big Daddy. He see's the things we mean to do, the things we never get around to, and the things we give our attention to. As we grow older, we may feel closer to God just because we have had a long time to work on ourselves. I know that I have a lot of medical things that make me think more about God than I use to. But I am not afraid to die, I'm just not ready yet. I have 7 grandchildren to love and cherish and teach and I hope to do it by example as well as words. I am loving life and am very grateful for every day I wake up to see the sun shining and listening to the birds and smelling the flowers. Sometimes we get so busy with all the things we think are important, that we forget to just enjoy life and rest in our Father's care. He is capable of running the universe without our help. Sunday is a day of rest and refreshing and to be aware of and thankful for God's love and His power to keep things running smoothly without our concern. Take time today to spend some time with your children and grandchildren and really get to know them. Be thankful for all you have and determine to live as good examples for those you love. Hard times come to us all. Let's unite in love and help one another and set good examples for all people. "May all be Kind to each other". Until tomorrow, God bless you and give you rest on this beautiful Sunday.
If we want to impress our children to live good lives, then we must do the same. Honest, forthright, upright and true, these are the values that will make us shining examples to our children.
My children are grown, and they can't be fooled by what we say. They are very aware of what we do, and our place as their parents doesn't change with time. It is still important to live a good life and to set good examples as well. Having children is a life time responsibility. We give them good advice, help them when necessary, and in this day and age it is not unusual to see grown offspring living with their parents because the prices of things have gotten so outrageous they can't afford to live on their own. But it is a privilege to help them and keep them close and continue to live as good examples of what we say we believe in.
God see's the inner man. Thank God that He is forgiving and loving and kind, because we all need a Big Daddy. He see's the things we mean to do, the things we never get around to, and the things we give our attention to. As we grow older, we may feel closer to God just because we have had a long time to work on ourselves. I know that I have a lot of medical things that make me think more about God than I use to. But I am not afraid to die, I'm just not ready yet. I have 7 grandchildren to love and cherish and teach and I hope to do it by example as well as words. I am loving life and am very grateful for every day I wake up to see the sun shining and listening to the birds and smelling the flowers. Sometimes we get so busy with all the things we think are important, that we forget to just enjoy life and rest in our Father's care. He is capable of running the universe without our help. Sunday is a day of rest and refreshing and to be aware of and thankful for God's love and His power to keep things running smoothly without our concern. Take time today to spend some time with your children and grandchildren and really get to know them. Be thankful for all you have and determine to live as good examples for those you love. Hard times come to us all. Let's unite in love and help one another and set good examples for all people. "May all be Kind to each other". Until tomorrow, God bless you and give you rest on this beautiful Sunday.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
In the World You Will Have Tribulation....But I Have Overcome the World!
Jesus tells us to be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world. And when we accept Christ into our lives and hearts, we too can overcome the world! For He also said, "The things that I do, ye shall do also, and greater things shall you do for I will return to the Father." Jesus died, yes, but let's not forget that He rose again! And that He is alive forevermore! We think we can fool God, we think we can go to church on Sunday and curse our brother on Monday and God will never be the wiser. But He is God, and He knows the intent of every heart! We may fool ourselves into thinking that as long as we give our 10% to the church, we have done what was required of us.
"Oh Ye of little faith! Why do you doubt!" Are we all doubting Thomases? We won't believe until we feel the wound in His side and feel the nail prints in His hands?
Jesus came to us as a lamb, but before He left this earth, He became God Incarnate and His Holy blood fell for all of us on the barren soil of Golgotha. Even the men who drove the nails into His Holy hands and feet, fell back from the cross when Jesus died and one of them said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" Because the sky darkened and the earthquake struck as Jesus uttered His last words..." It is finished". But that was the beginning of the story! He finished His task, and He challenges all of us to live by His Holy Word and do the things He did. We are called to be ambassador's for Christ. We are called to access our higher power and we all have the ability to do great things for the people of the world. We are called...but few answer.
Many people paint Christ as this meek man in a robe, dispensing platitudes to keep us satisfied that what we are doing is the best we can do and all that is expected of us. Not so. Jesus has challenged us to keep the faith until we leave this earth! A lifetime of service. Such as Mother Teressa. We are called to serve, not be served. The servant is not greater than his master. Jesus came to serve, but He also taught, fed, nurtured, and then He got angry! Angry that His Fathers House had been turned into a den of theives! And He took a whip and drove out the moneylenders and those who disgraced and brought low the House of God. We too will answer for our sins. We will not go unpunished. We carry around guilt everyday. We hate people in our lives, every day. We justify our anger to ourselves, and we sit in darkness because we refuse to see the light!
But if one man can ignite a flame, all in the house will see the light! One man of faith can overcome the sin that so easily besets us. The prayers of a righteous man availeth much! Noah lived a righteous life, and he and his whole household were spared. Do you want to be spared? Do you want to be righteous and God fearing and God pleasing? Are you willing to let go of your worldly goods and live a life of service to others? Are you chosen? Do you hear His call on your heart? If you stiffen your neck and refuse to accept the call of almighty God, you will be cut off and that without remedy!
I too was walking in darkness. I too let the hatred in my heart fester and it poisoned all my thoughts and it darkened my world. I began this post to help others, and have been reminded that I too was called. I too was chosen. I accept the challenge, and even if no one ever says one word to me here, I will not deny my Father and I will talk about His amazing grace in my own life. He has restored me, because I saw the error of my ways and released the tight grip I had on my own anger and my own feelings of betrayal. All I had to do was let it go, and ask for forgiveness, and the light went on in my heart and my stiff neck was eased and I can truly rejoice for all the Lord has given me, and His longsuffering for all my anger and hatred for those who have done me wrong in life. I am here to serve. I am here to tell you He is real! He is not away in the clouds where I can't access Him. He lives in my heart and mind and soul and spirit and He gives me the words he wants me to say. By the Holy Spirit I am taught and led... I am a servant, just like my Father. And now I walk with liberated steps, the heavy weights I was carrying have been removed, and I am at peace and full of energy to serve and to live a life that is pleasing unto God. If you want to be free, come with open heart and hands to Jesus, and He will accept you and set you free. He will ignite that fire within you and you will live as you have never before lived! He died to set us free...but that is the beginning!
"Oh Ye of little faith! Why do you doubt!" Are we all doubting Thomases? We won't believe until we feel the wound in His side and feel the nail prints in His hands?
Jesus came to us as a lamb, but before He left this earth, He became God Incarnate and His Holy blood fell for all of us on the barren soil of Golgotha. Even the men who drove the nails into His Holy hands and feet, fell back from the cross when Jesus died and one of them said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" Because the sky darkened and the earthquake struck as Jesus uttered His last words..." It is finished". But that was the beginning of the story! He finished His task, and He challenges all of us to live by His Holy Word and do the things He did. We are called to be ambassador's for Christ. We are called to access our higher power and we all have the ability to do great things for the people of the world. We are called...but few answer.
Many people paint Christ as this meek man in a robe, dispensing platitudes to keep us satisfied that what we are doing is the best we can do and all that is expected of us. Not so. Jesus has challenged us to keep the faith until we leave this earth! A lifetime of service. Such as Mother Teressa. We are called to serve, not be served. The servant is not greater than his master. Jesus came to serve, but He also taught, fed, nurtured, and then He got angry! Angry that His Fathers House had been turned into a den of theives! And He took a whip and drove out the moneylenders and those who disgraced and brought low the House of God. We too will answer for our sins. We will not go unpunished. We carry around guilt everyday. We hate people in our lives, every day. We justify our anger to ourselves, and we sit in darkness because we refuse to see the light!
But if one man can ignite a flame, all in the house will see the light! One man of faith can overcome the sin that so easily besets us. The prayers of a righteous man availeth much! Noah lived a righteous life, and he and his whole household were spared. Do you want to be spared? Do you want to be righteous and God fearing and God pleasing? Are you willing to let go of your worldly goods and live a life of service to others? Are you chosen? Do you hear His call on your heart? If you stiffen your neck and refuse to accept the call of almighty God, you will be cut off and that without remedy!
I too was walking in darkness. I too let the hatred in my heart fester and it poisoned all my thoughts and it darkened my world. I began this post to help others, and have been reminded that I too was called. I too was chosen. I accept the challenge, and even if no one ever says one word to me here, I will not deny my Father and I will talk about His amazing grace in my own life. He has restored me, because I saw the error of my ways and released the tight grip I had on my own anger and my own feelings of betrayal. All I had to do was let it go, and ask for forgiveness, and the light went on in my heart and my stiff neck was eased and I can truly rejoice for all the Lord has given me, and His longsuffering for all my anger and hatred for those who have done me wrong in life. I am here to serve. I am here to tell you He is real! He is not away in the clouds where I can't access Him. He lives in my heart and mind and soul and spirit and He gives me the words he wants me to say. By the Holy Spirit I am taught and led... I am a servant, just like my Father. And now I walk with liberated steps, the heavy weights I was carrying have been removed, and I am at peace and full of energy to serve and to live a life that is pleasing unto God. If you want to be free, come with open heart and hands to Jesus, and He will accept you and set you free. He will ignite that fire within you and you will live as you have never before lived! He died to set us free...but that is the beginning!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Ask and Ye Shall Receive
"Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss..." How often have you gone to God in prayer and asked for something you really wanted, and didn't receive it? His word says we receive not because we ask amiss. If we conclude out prayers with His good will in mind, and as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done...", He will answer. His time is not our time, His will is not our will, and "With Him, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day". God doesn't work on our timetable. He lives in eternity. Forever is His standard fare.
I didn't realize until I began posting here, that I was holding onto a lot of anger and old hurts and feelings of being done wrong. Not by one person, but many. But when I realized it, and asked Jesus to forgive me and to help me forgive these people, He did. Yesterday was one of the best days of my life. I was able to focus on now. On my own things. I don't feel an overwhelming sense of love for the people I've forgiven, but I no longer actively hate any of them and I don't feel like I've been cheated out of life because of what was done to me by others. All my anguish is gone, and in it's place is a peacefulness I can't describe. It's something I treasure beyond belief. Peace is mine and forever I will be grateful to Him for his blessings and His faithfulness.
The weather is crisp today. The sun is out and the landscape is beautiful, but it's cold! I love San Diego, and I think it's one of the most beautiful places on earth. But I was thinking just the other day, if I hadn't flown back to San Diego in 1965, after I turned 18, I wouldn never have met my husband, there would be no children, no grandchildren and my life would have taken a different course. I couldn't imagine not having these wonderful people in my life. I have a wonderful husband, and 3 sweet and intelligent children, and we are the proud grandparents of 7 wonderful grandchildren. Our life is wonderful. To think I missed so much of it being mad is a shame, but I do believe that things are planed for us. We play a part in it though, because we have free will and a mind to make our decisions with. I could have chosen to move anywhere I wanted to, but there was just something about San Diego that made me want to come home. I didn't want to leave in the first place, but I was only 17 and as it turned out, my father was right in his judgement that "it's god's will". If I hadn't been forced to do something against my will, I might never have known how very real God is, for I found that being away from my friends and my boyfriend, and my school and all the things I loved, if I hadn't suffered, I might never have known the depth of God's love like I do today.
I am trying to witness for God in a way that will reach a lot of people. I haven't had much luck with that, and no one ever say's a word to me. But I will keep on writing and posting because it gives me joy and peace and it has already changed something that had a hold on the deepest aspects of my being. I have already found a treasure just by trying to help others. So, please don't look on this as a sermon. I want to be a friend to you out there, someone you can talk to. I know Jesus loves you and I am only trying to help you to find the peace and joy that I have in walking my path with Christ. He has always been with me, but I wasn't living up to my own potential. I feel I am now. I feel I am doing what He wants me to do and in that I am satisfied.
My thought today that I want to leave you with is this: You are always in God's care. Whether you know it, actively seek it, or deny it, God is love and He loves all of us. We are all in His care, daily, every minute, every second. Jesus taught us that "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you".
The only place to look for Jesus is in your own heart. Go within, to the depths of your being, and find Him who lived to die for us. Your whole life can be joyful and peaceful with Him. He wants to love you and give you the keys to the Kingdom. Is there something in your life you want to change? Is there some hidden secret that is weighing you down? Go within. Close your eyes and go within to your own spirit and ask for His help, His love, His generosity. And then Believe.
He only has your best interest at heart. He is a good and loving Father. Kind and gentle and easily entreated. Look for Him within. You'll be surprised at what He can do for YOU!
Until next time, may God richly bless you and grant you every good gift,
In Christ, Bonnie
I didn't realize until I began posting here, that I was holding onto a lot of anger and old hurts and feelings of being done wrong. Not by one person, but many. But when I realized it, and asked Jesus to forgive me and to help me forgive these people, He did. Yesterday was one of the best days of my life. I was able to focus on now. On my own things. I don't feel an overwhelming sense of love for the people I've forgiven, but I no longer actively hate any of them and I don't feel like I've been cheated out of life because of what was done to me by others. All my anguish is gone, and in it's place is a peacefulness I can't describe. It's something I treasure beyond belief. Peace is mine and forever I will be grateful to Him for his blessings and His faithfulness.
The weather is crisp today. The sun is out and the landscape is beautiful, but it's cold! I love San Diego, and I think it's one of the most beautiful places on earth. But I was thinking just the other day, if I hadn't flown back to San Diego in 1965, after I turned 18, I wouldn never have met my husband, there would be no children, no grandchildren and my life would have taken a different course. I couldn't imagine not having these wonderful people in my life. I have a wonderful husband, and 3 sweet and intelligent children, and we are the proud grandparents of 7 wonderful grandchildren. Our life is wonderful. To think I missed so much of it being mad is a shame, but I do believe that things are planed for us. We play a part in it though, because we have free will and a mind to make our decisions with. I could have chosen to move anywhere I wanted to, but there was just something about San Diego that made me want to come home. I didn't want to leave in the first place, but I was only 17 and as it turned out, my father was right in his judgement that "it's god's will". If I hadn't been forced to do something against my will, I might never have known how very real God is, for I found that being away from my friends and my boyfriend, and my school and all the things I loved, if I hadn't suffered, I might never have known the depth of God's love like I do today.
I am trying to witness for God in a way that will reach a lot of people. I haven't had much luck with that, and no one ever say's a word to me. But I will keep on writing and posting because it gives me joy and peace and it has already changed something that had a hold on the deepest aspects of my being. I have already found a treasure just by trying to help others. So, please don't look on this as a sermon. I want to be a friend to you out there, someone you can talk to. I know Jesus loves you and I am only trying to help you to find the peace and joy that I have in walking my path with Christ. He has always been with me, but I wasn't living up to my own potential. I feel I am now. I feel I am doing what He wants me to do and in that I am satisfied.
My thought today that I want to leave you with is this: You are always in God's care. Whether you know it, actively seek it, or deny it, God is love and He loves all of us. We are all in His care, daily, every minute, every second. Jesus taught us that "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you".
The only place to look for Jesus is in your own heart. Go within, to the depths of your being, and find Him who lived to die for us. Your whole life can be joyful and peaceful with Him. He wants to love you and give you the keys to the Kingdom. Is there something in your life you want to change? Is there some hidden secret that is weighing you down? Go within. Close your eyes and go within to your own spirit and ask for His help, His love, His generosity. And then Believe.
He only has your best interest at heart. He is a good and loving Father. Kind and gentle and easily entreated. Look for Him within. You'll be surprised at what He can do for YOU!
Until next time, may God richly bless you and grant you every good gift,
In Christ, Bonnie
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