Flower Gardens

Weeds Again?

I just weeded my garden last week? What’s up with the weeds?

Weeds in the garden are a visual of the battle of mind and heart attitudes within each of us on every given day.

We often work on cleaning things up, and before we know it,

we’re attacked with this, overwhelmed with that, misunderstood, sick in our stomachs, worn out, and . . .

weeds take over. Our heart’s garden reminds us of a nursery rhyme with Mary, Mary quite contrary. If we stay like this, our garden won’t grow.

So, we call out to God.

. . . you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: “Here am I” Isaiah 58:9.“

The Bible shines a light on everything and gives me hope and empowers me to believe:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener John 15:1.

God’s the gardener. I can look to Him for my help. Jesus will guide me, the Holy Spirit will remind me, and I can grow, moving forward.

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful John 15:2.

“Cut it out!” Whatever and whenever God convicts, we must cut out the excuses for the thoughts and behavior.

Fear. Pull it out. And add the water of faith, hope, and love for the Lord.

Remember the hurts? Pull them out. The disappointments? Let them go. The frustrations aren’t worth an inch of our soil.

. . . Break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you Hosea 10:12.

God is worth hearing. God tells us that Jesus is the Vine John 15:5.

Our gardens are cleaned up as we spend time in God’s Word because we are changed by the spade of His Word: You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you John 15:3.

But what has He said?

Let’s be anxious to know these things, before we check out any other news. Then, God promises that our gardens will be full of His amazing fruit of patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.

Isn’t this how God loves us?

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love John 15:9.

I am loved by God the Father, the Creator of everything. He l o v e s me. He l o v e s you.

You and I need to stay in this position.

  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete John 15:10,11.

Fruitful flower gardens? Yes, or no? We each have a choice.

  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command John 15:12-14.

Am I a friend of God?

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you John 15:15.

Let’s choose to know Him more. To be washed in salvation through belief in Jesus, and be cleansed daily by reading and obeying the things God shows us in His Word.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you John 15:16.

“We ask that You help us rip out the weeds of the past and that You water us overflowing with Your Spirit, in Jesus’ Name.”

 This is my command: Love each other.

Let’s see every flower garden as an exhortation to this command: Love each other.

Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate];
Reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness.
Break up your uncultivated ground,
For it is time to seek and search diligently for the Lord [and to long for His blessing]
Until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you Hosea 10:12, AMP.

To God be the glory, great things He forever does!

The Greatest Graduation Speech Ever

“I would like to say that now that we have our degree, we will not run into problems that we can’t handle.

Truthfully, no matter the type of degree, the number of years of experience, no matter the location, support groups, family, or friendships,

there will always come a time when we just don’t know the answer. It’s inevitable.

So, I want to encourage you with a little anatomy lesson:

Did you know that there are 47 different structures that make up the human eye that all have a unique function?

Did you know that there are 6 extra-ocular muscles, 4 cranial nerves, and 1.2 million nerve fibers in each optic nerve?

Did you know that when light waves touch my eye, without even thinking about it, I blink. 

I blink to protect my eyes from too much exposure.

And when the amount of light changes, my pupillary-light response reacts without a thought, that only the right amount of light is allowed into my eye.

Did you know there are four of twelve cranial nerves that work specifically for the eye? They allow me to focus on an object, read it, and also move in different directions.

There are 9 different structures that all play a specific role in receiving light messages before they even get to the brain!

And not until those messages get to the occipital lobe of the brain that I’m able to interpret what I’m actually seeing.

The eyes receive millions of light waves and messages everyday, but my brain has a specific area that let’s only the important and significant messages through so that the brain doesn’t get over-stimulated.

Did you know that the God who told me to cast all my cares upon Him,

and told me He will never leave me nor forsake me,

and that I should be anxious for nothing,

was the very One who designed this whole system and hundreds like it so that we can live and move and breathe every second.

Did you know that He didn’t have to lift a finger and didn’t sweat a drop to think of it?

He just breathed on one man,

and He said that He knit us together and formed us in our mother’s womb before you were even a thought in her mind.

So, what are you worried about? 

What will you be worried about when you come up to those hurdles that are bound to cross you path?

Think of your eye and tell me, that your situation, your problem, your worry is too big for GOD who created you and the world you live in.”

 

This Best Graduation Speech was presented by Carolyn Rypkema at the Lamplighting Ceremony at PBAU, May 3, 2012.

I’m the proud mama, and not only that, May 3rd, the day of the greatest speech ever, was my birthday.

 

My dear Carolyn, the oldest daughter of our large family, I love you more than you will ever know. I am more proud of you than you can conceive in your very smart mind. I am so thankful of the unifying spirit within you, the encouraging spirit, the brave and courageous spirit  that you possess. You are an amazing person. 

I have failed as a mom so many times, but I have succeeded in one point, pointing you, and each my kids to the One Who Loves perfectly, the One Who knows everything, and the One Who never leaves us or forsakes us. 

Isn’t God amazing? Thank you Carolyn for reminding me through your wonderful graduation speech that God’s watching and keeping us under His careful and perfect eye.

He will continually guide each of us continually with His eye!

I love you forever,

mom

Honey Bite for Today

1 Timothy 1:7

Take time for a healthy snack of Scripture for today:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind 1 Timothy 1:7.

What am I thinking?

Today, I make the choice to think on a good theme.

Join me?

Let’s water the seeds of faith within our soul and watch us grow in healthy mind and heart with increased hope, joy, and peace.

“Dear Lord, Today I pray to you, and perhaps others join in too, to ask that You would water the seed of faith that we have in our hearts. Increase our faith in You. Help us desire to know You more through our day. Today we give you more time than the weather, the news, and the amount of “likes” on our posts. In Jesus’s Name we pray, Amen.

I need thee every hour
Stay thou nearby
Temptations lose their power
When thou art nigh

I need thee, oh, I need thee
Every hour I need thee
Oh, bless me now, my Savior
I come to thee

I Need Thee Every Hour by Annie S. Hawks, 1872.

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The Hard Stuff: Love your enemies? “Christ in us, our hope of glory”

An empty glove can’t move. But with a hand in it, the glove is fluid to move in marvelous ways.

What’s natural in human nature, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy” (Matthew 5:43), is evident all around.

But “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you?” this is hard stuff in Matthew 5:44.

What if Jesus could sit with us this morning and have our ear and our whole heart for a bit:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  

that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous Matthew 43-45.

Is there evidence of God in Christ Jesus in us? Are we “children of our Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:45).

Do we love those who love us? Naturally, yes. This is easy. The Bible tells us that even tax collectors do that. 

But God calls us to impossible standards: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:48.

 There’s no way, nada. Especially if we’ve been deeply hurt, there is often no willingness. 

We can’t naturally love our enemy. We’re much like the glove with no hand.

Jesus said multiple times, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.

“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believes” Mark 9:23.

“With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27. 

Who’s ready to believe big with me? Unity is what Jesus desires. Oneness of the Body of Christ, and salvation to the lost souls of the world. 

Time is short. Jesus is coming back again.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 
 
 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 
 
 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 
 
 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the worldJohn 17:21-24.
 

I want to believe God to work miracles of unity that “the world will know” that God sent His Son, and see that God loves everyone. His desire is that all should know Him and receive Salvation and grace in His name.

I want to believe in a revival of love and forgiveness one person at a time. 

This is big, but not too hard for God.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace Ephesians 1:7

If I don’t have a heart willing to forgive, God sees and He understands the struggle. He’s been hurt more than any human being through all of time, as He laid His life down at the cross.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23:34.

How can we get to such a place? 

“Christ in us is our hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

He rose from the dead. Jesus is alive. 

Christ in me. . .  my only hope to love in a “perfect” way. 

The Potter adds the water of the Spirit and repairs dried-up clay to create a vessel fit for the Master’s use.

What’s impossible in ourselves, is possible in Him.

Let’s go to God for our “impossibles.” His hand in our empty gloves = possibility of amazing grace and His love spread in all dark places.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13.

“We pray dear Lord, ‘let there be peace and love on this earth, and let it begin with me. You are our only hope. Christ in us, our hope of glory.’ In Jesus Name, Amen.”

 

Hymns written long ago, give us prayers to open our heart’s door.

The old hymnal on the shelf. Silent. Closed. Yet, the treasures are stored.

So I opened it today, to a hymn from not tarnished by the present mainstream air.

Do we suffer from guilt and regret? How can we be freed of it’s strangling grip?

We pray.

We pray, one time alone, for salvation of our soul.

Above the noise and our own stubborn plans, can we hear His knock at each of our heart’s door?

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; I want Thee forever to live in my soul; Break down every idol; cast out every foe;

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

When the door of our heart is opened to Him, and He forgives all my sin, and yours. He offered His love to the whole world.

He did. He does.

He paid a great price that I might be born again. Not in the flesh, because, I’m still here and alive, but I became born of the Spirit, able to see . . . true Love.

I was no longer blind.

Somebody loves me, and I knew it fully, inside.

I prayed one time for my salvation, but each day for a wash.

My feet become dirty just living in this land. I’m prideful, covetous, naturally selfish and critical. My own stubbornness closes me daily from being free.

Who can help me from all this?

Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies, and help me to make a complete sacrifice; I give up myself and whatever I know.

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

An open hymnal, read aloud, prayed from the heart, instructs the mind, refreshes the soul, and increases faith deep down inside.

Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat, I wait blessed Lord at Thy crucified feet; by faith, for my cleansing, I see Thy blood flow;

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

He gave up His life to pay our great debt. Jesus is able to make all things right.

I must wait in faith. I need believe God now. I can’t trust in my feelings. He is a present help,

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait; come now and within me a new heart create; To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst, “No;”

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. (Whiter Than Snow by James Nicholson 1872).

Let’s speak it alone, right here, right now. Believe God has cleansed and brought us near. He is our Savior who cleanses and renews. Today, everyday, we now make Him Lord.

We must tell someone else what Jesus has just done . . .

for you, for me, . . .

we’ve been washed . . .

completely.

Whiter Than Snow by James Nicholson 1872:

 G
1  Lord Je-sus, I    long to   be   per-fect -ly  whole;
2  Lord Je-sus, look down from Thy  throne in the skies,
3  Lord Je-sus, for  this I    most hum-bly   en -treat 
4  Lord Je-sus, Thou se - est  I    pa -tient-ly  wait;

  (G)        Em    D    G    (G9 G) D     (D6    D)   G
1  I  want   Thee  for -ev  - er to live   in    my   soul;
2  And help  me    to   make  a  com-plete sac - ri - fice;
3  I  wait,  bless-ed   Lord, at Thy cru - ci  - fied feet;
4  Come now, and   with-in    me a   new   heart cre -ate;

  (G)            G/B  C                              G
1  Break down ev-ery  idol,   cast    out    ev'ry    foe:
2  I  give  up   my - self    and    whatever    I    know
3  By faith, for my   cleans-ing, I  see  Thy  blood  flow;
4  To those who  have sought Thee, Thou never saidst "No;"

  (G)                          D    Em7/D D    G
   Now wash me, and I shall be whit-er    than snow.


Chorus:
   D                 Em          C    G
   Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow;
  (G)                          D    Em7/D D    G
   Now wash me, and I shall be whit-er    than snow.

What have we done with Jesus?

“Don’t bring Jesus here. Don’t include Him in there,” growls the Public School System and the Public Squares.

“His name offends. Leave it out altogether. It’s time for tolerance,” exclaims the media’s voice.

Where is the wise man (philosopher)? Where is the scribe (scholar)? Where is the debater (logician, orator) of this age? Has God not exposed the foolishness of this world’s wisdom? 1 Corinthians 1:20.

Are we tolerant of everything except Jesus? Can we not discern the double standards?

There is no mystery. God’s Word explains:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God 1 Corinthians 1:18.

Jesus. Foolishness to those who are perishing.

But God . . .

He allows in this broken world, the blessing of brokenness in the lives of man, that the heart of man might have vision, in due time, to finally see Jesus, as the Passover Lamb, who’s blood was shed that our lives might be saved.

And we are “being saved” after we finally admit we are “perishing” in our own wisdom and strength, and we pray for the first genuine time, “I need You Lord.” I need a Savior to deliver me from myself and sin. Forgive me and give me life again.”

And to us who are “being saved” we know Jesus, as the name who resurrects what was dead and brings it to life.

We know Jesus to be the Light for the steps we take in this dark world.

We know Jesus to be a flowing river of deep abiding joy and peace. Jesus becomes our “better than” wine.

God is Spirit. He’s everywhere. He’s in the Public School, whether they know it or not. God is in the Public Square, He’s in the history stories and science book.

God is in control.

What have we done with Jesus?

That’s a personal question. God works one-on-one.

Jesus waits.

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe 1Corinthians 1:21.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength 1 Corinthians 1:25.

The Report has gone out.

Privately, one-by-one, Jesus waits when we realize we are perishing after going astray, and grace enters full-view, and we see He died for just me,

only me.

And our minds open wide and we bid Him invitation.

He’s gracious. He’s compassionate. He knows we are but sheep:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Isaiah 53:6.

Have we invited Him in? Anywhere is fine for the Lord. The public square, the school library. He dwells in hearts of praise. Let’s believe Him today.

Isaiah 53:1-5: “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”
“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from  him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities,
the chastisement of our peace was upon him; 
and with his stripes we are healed.”

Please talk to someone if you asked Jesus in your heart today! Angels in heaven rejoice when a heart receives salvation. God bless you, for all eternity with life abundant.







Time to ponder: Corrie Ten boon

Increased faith  is gained by reading biographies.

The Hiding Place, written by Corrie Ten boon is one such biography.  This is a hard, but unforgettable read.  The suffering was great, but the testimony of God’s faithfulness shines bright in the darkness:

“You will never know that Christ is all you need until Christ is all you have,” Corrie Ten boon.

In The Hiding Place, Corrie writes of her family’s  capture by the Nazi’s. Taken abruptly from their home, they became prisoners for hiding Jewish friends during World War II.

I share a portion of her story here in hopes to increase faith for our own days here and now.

Corrie writes of a time confined into a cell of solitary confinement with endless amounts of time, stripped of everything. However, before confinement, Corrie gave credit to God, who was present in a nurse, who only had seconds but asked Corrie,

“Quick! Is there any way I can help you?”

Corrie’s quick response, “Yes, Oh yes. A Bible! Could you get me a Bible? And a needle and thread. And a toothbrush. And soap!”

Well, later Corrie did receive 2 small precious bars of soap and not an entire Bible, but little books of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

“I stepped inside. The door clanged behind me. The bolt was slammed shut . . . six steps long, two wide, a single cot at the back.

I must not let my thoughts run wildly; I must be very mature and very practical. Six steps. Sit down on the cot. This one reeked even worse than the other: he straw seemed to be fermenting. I reached for the blanket: someone had been sick on it. I thrust it away . . . at that moment the light bulb in the ceiling went out.

The cell was bitter cold, wind hammered against the wall. In the morning my fever was worse.”

But God was with her, and she had received the gospels, the Good News. Here is what she writes:

“As my health returned, I was able to use my eyes longer. I had been sustaining myself from my Scriptures a verse at a time; now like a starving man I gulped entire gospels at a reading, seeing whole magnificent drama of salvation.

And as I did, an incredible thought pricked the back of my neck. Was it possible that this—all of this that seemed so wasteful and so needless—this war, Scheveningen prison, this very cell, none of it was unforeseen or accidental?

Could it be part of the pattern first revealed in the Gospels? Hadn’t Jesus been defeated as utterly and unarguably as our little group and our small plans had been?

But . . . if the Gospels were truly the pattern of God’s activity, then defeat was only the beginning. I would look around at the bare little cell and wonder what conceivable victory could come from a place like this.” (The Hiding Place, pg.139).

Four months later, Corrie had a trial with a Lieutenant Rahms. With his true National Socialistic mentality, he remarked about Corrie’s family’s humanitarian efforts,  “What a waste of time and energy! “If you want converts, surely one normal person is worth all the half-wits in the world!”

After reading the gospels for four months and keeping company with a few ants that came to eat crumbs through a crack in her cell, here is Corries response to a Nazi Lieutenant: “The truth , Sir, . . . is that God’s viewpoint is sometimes different from ours —so different that we could not even guess at it unless He had given us a Book which tells us such things.”

Did you know that instead of getting into more trouble, the following morning this Nazi Lieutenant himself unlocked her cell door and escorted her to her hearing.

She writes Lieutenant Rahms words, “I could not sleep last night, thinking about that Book where you have read such different ideas. What else does it say in there?”

“On my closed eyelids the sun glimmered and blazed, “It says,’ I began slowly, ‘that a Light has come into this world, so that we need no longer walk in the dark.’ Is there darkness in your life, Lieutenant?”

There was a very long silence.

“There is great darkness,” he said at last. “I cannot bear the work I do here.”

The Hiding Place uncovers many great testimonies of light in great darkness.

“When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not! You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through . . .” Corrie Ten boon.

Taking a glimpse of this story invigorates faith in me today.  I hope you Agree.

Four other quotes among many in Quotes of Corrie Ten boon are:

“Do you know what hurts so very much? It’s love. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill that love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.”
“Today I know that such memories are the key not to the past, but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work he will give us to do. ”
“And our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things too. Don’t run out ahead of him.”
“Love is larger than the walls which shut it in.”
“Even as the angry vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him . . . Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness . . . And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on his. When he tells us to love our enemies, he gives along with the command, the love itself.”
Let us ask the Lord that He may give us His forgiveness and His Agape love.
“Help us Lord Jesus, we can’t do these things without You.
In Jesus name, we pray,
Amen

Bible Journal Along the way

Date: August 17, 2010

Today I was diagnosed with an invasive lobular, 5×7 cm- estrogen positive cancer tumor of the breast.

I have breast cancer.

In the evening, I opened my Bible to one of my favorite verses so I could see it on the page:

Jeremiah 33:3, Call unto Me and I will answer, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not of.

So, I decided to go off my Bible schedule and read Jeremiah today.

While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time:

“This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name:

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know’ Jeremiah 33:1-3.

The Bible tells us that “the word of the LORD came to him a second time.” I’m encouraged. Jeremiah heard these words not once, but twice, from the Creator of the Universe, the Most High God, the LORD:

“Call to me and I will answer you. . .”

“I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

My ears are open. It seems in great affliction, the heart is ready to hear. I kept reading:

For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword in the fight with the Babylonians . . .

“ ‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security'”Jeremiah 33:4-6.

This was the word to Jeremiah concerning Judah and Israel, but on a day when you find out you have cancer and you open God’s word that speaks of a tearing down against an enemy, 

This is good news to my heart. My soul found breath again.

I can trust God. If He can do this for Judah and Israel, I can believe God to heal me.

I need faith for this battle. The Word of God will help increase my faith. 

“Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.”

“Dear Lord, I call to You. Show me great and mighty things through this trial. Give me understanding to Your Word. Help me believe! In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

“Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the LORD. 12

Knowing God through Worship, Everyday

Many years ago, sitting high above the row of seats in the sanctuary in a small, separated “new mom’s room” with a window. I was alone with a new baby. Jesus and me and a new-born. It was my fourth child.

Worship was in progress.

My heart was over-flowing with thanks to God for a healthy baby, for a safe delivery, for energy to be at church with a one-week old.

Holding a new little miracle, (as all children are), I came to the house of worship to give thanks to God.

I will confess, when I first found out I was expecting, again, . . .  my heart and mind didn’t take hold of celebration, but instead, fear and anxiety, “Who has four kids?”

“I’ll probably never play the guitar again.”

God could see my selfishness in the beginning, but, He had a plan.

God patiently loved me still. He turned my heart completely.

He changed me.

I came to worship Him.

Who is God besides our Lord?

There is no love like God’s love:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

God endured all for me, and you.

God’s love believes in me, and you.

God’s love hopes all things for everybody.

“God’s love never fails.”

My mind couldn’t (and can’t) fully comprehend the width and depth of God’s love.  But holding this knew baby, somehow, my spirit knew the language to speak,

“Worship Him.”

This was an extra-ordinary day, but what about the ordinary? What if we make the choice? Today. To have a heart of praise.

Let’s worship God. Let’s lift up spiritual words with the sound of our voice to meet the Lord in a quiet place. That He might meet us here, and pour out His grace:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

A worshipful heart has no room for complaint or lack. God’s presence dwells in praise. He brings peace to experience His love.

He is our Father in heaven. He is holy. He alone is Love:

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

The Father gave, the Son obeyed, the Spirit reminds me, “Worship the King.”

And in the very act of worship,

we believe Him purer, understand Him greater, sense His love deeper.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee
perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

Oh, to have a heart of worship this day. Not just those precious moments, but the ordinary days as well.

“Oh, that we would know You greater, God of Love and grace. Empty us of ourselves and fill us with Your praise:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Full of Joy? Guaranteed, after spending time with the Lord.

The rains that come before sunny spring days can make life feel cold, stagnant, and grey. But, we know this will pass and the sun will shine. We must wait, without fret.

We can trust in the Lord.

The sun is hidden behind the clouds, but we know it’s there, continuing it’s daily course:

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
 It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth Psalm 19:4-6.

The clouds and rains are good for the ground. The seed is broken and soon will sprout. We can trust in God, and grow in Him, if we spend time in His word each day:

The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul Psalm 19:7.

How can we know if we don’t take time to seek God? We need refreshing of the soul—whether we are young or old.

We must first consider, am I His child? Ask Him to fill your life. Receive His Son, His forgiveness, His hope. In Jesus’ Name, thank Him for new life.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple Psalm 19:7.

Worthy of our trust, the Bible says of God’s Word. Wisdom from God will fill our simple minds.

Yes, and we can know that God hears our prayers. The Bible tells us so, time and again. When we call on His name, He is Faithful and True.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart Psalm 19:8.

Taking time for what’s good and right. The Word of God will give joy to our heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes Psalm 19:8.

The sun shines in our heart as we witness the goodness of God. 

God does the work. We must trust, know Him more and more, and seek to obey. The seed of love will grow. 

As we adore Him, the hymn proclaims: “Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day!

Speak aloud old words of praise and our hearts are refreshed as sun that appears after a rain.

The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous Psalm 19:9.

We can trust our God. He is right in all He does. We must seek Him when we are tempted and afraid. He is only a prayer away.

Our faithful God, the Light of the Lord, abides in our praises. Let’s speak Henry J van Dyke’s words of praise:

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
Brother love binds man to man.

Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward
In the triumph song of life.

(Tell me, if the peace of God touched your heart as it did mine, speaking aloud God’s hymns and Psalms!)

Am I His Child? Can I know?

Promise of rest.

Promise of peace.

If we have no strength to hold on to anything. God promises to hold His children through the storm.

Who is a child of the Lord? Are all people born?

The Bible instructs us to hear. His Word says, to those who believe in His name He gives rights.

He gives the right to become His child: Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—John 1:12.

What name? Who? What’s going on in our spirit? Does it fight and war against God, or is it broken and ready to hear it?

The name?

Jesus.

Who is He? Spend time walking with Him in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

In today’s world we can listen audibly to the Word of God. Instead of popular music, the choice can be made to hear the music of God’s love.

Ask Him to help you understand. Pray to God. Ask Him to show you Himself in His Word.

Do you think God will answer a prayer like that? Ask, seek, knock. He instructs open, willing hearts:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened, Matthew 7:7,8.

What’s the Father in heaven like?

The Bible tells us all:

 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  Matthew 7:10,11. 

Ask God. Seek His face.

“What’s the importance of the Bible?” Let God help you know:

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name, John 20:31.

The Lord Himself will reveal His truth. Ask His Spirit to help you understand. He will show you the Way.

When we believe in Jesus, He comes in and heals, forgives, and lifts our guilt by the power of His blood. The atoning sacrifice Jesus gave on the cross, sets us free from our past and great losses.

The promises of God are our gain. We believe Jesus. We become His child.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life1 John 5:13.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him 1 John 5:13-15.1

 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.  We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. 1 John 5: 19,20.

And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

We can know that we are children of God.

God, our Father in heaven, knows that we are healthy and blessed when we walk according to His ways and rest:

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 1 John 2:3.

  But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did, 1 John 2:5,6.

So, as a child of God, we must seek to know Him greatly that we might live our lives for Him completely.

Doubts disappear when we look to Jesus

 

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art –
thou my best thought, by day or by night;
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light. Irish Hymn, 7th Century.

But what happens when doubt comes to visit?

The stories are written. The Bible reveals that even John the Baptist had doubts and was found to be discouraged.
 
John the Baptist, the one who witnessed the heavens open, and the Holy Spirit descend like a dove and remain on the head of Jesus.
 
John the Baptist, whose own lips proclaimed,
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, John 1:29.
 
John faced difficult times. He was faithful, he was steadfast, and he was put in prison:
And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the coming One, or do we look for another?”Matthew 11:2,3.
John had doubts. And we do too, at times. 
But Jesus . . .
 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you heard and see.
The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; 
 
John was in prison. He had time to think on this.
 
The lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear;
 
Lepers cleansed? Never before. Deaf hearing? “Tell John to think on these things.”
 
The dead are raised up. . . 
 
What was dead is now alive!
 
And the poor have the gospel preached to them.
 
Provision of life and hope is shared with the poor.
Are we as John on occasion? With doubts about the Lord?
Jesus offers even more for us to ponder in the face of difficulty:
And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me Matthew 11:4,5.
 
We must stay focused. Eyes on the Lord. We must keep our hearts soft, our ears open, God’s Word nearby, and His song on our heart.
 

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father; thine own may I be,
thou in me dwelling and I one with thee.

 
Just as John the Baptist, who had troubles along his faithful path, Jesus wanted him encouraged.
“Tell John the sick are healed, the blind see, the death hear. What was dead is raised to life again.
 
John most like rejoiced at these thoughts. But we have choice today to rejoice no matter what:
 

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;
thou mine inheritance, now and always;
thou and thou only first in my heart,
high King of heaven, my treasure thou art.

Encouraged and changed. Instead of doubt, we now have praise:

“I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved . . . Ps. 16:7,8.
 

High King of heaven, my victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid, John 14:27.
I choose to believe Jesus. I do:
“Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all.”
 

A Snapshot of God’s Abounding Love

The King of King has proposed to His Bride. He stopped the world from busy-ness for a short time.
He presented His ring and asked,

“Will you be Mine?”

I had to take a snapshot of this heavenly image so the picture would impress daily the Lord’s point of view.

So, as I wake this new morning, knowing He sees and knows all my flaws, . . .

I rise with my heart taking hold of His hand, and my feet hit the floor as I think, “Lord, I do.”

“Lord, I’m amazed by You. How can You love me just as I am?”

“I AM WHO I AM, Jehovah God is My name. I am love. I love everyone. For all eternity I am the same.

I AM The LORD, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

There is no Love greater. I AM the LORD. Faithful and True is My name.

But to all who receive Me and believe on Me, I give right to welcome into My family.
Will you be Mine? Today, and for all eternity? It doesn’t matter how you feel. My love is above all Love, “I will betroth you to Me.”

Hosea 2:20, Exodus 3:14, 1 John 4:7-12, and John 1:12, This is My Word. I love you, still.

With each step you take, on this day forward, will you be . . .”
“Yes Lord, I will!

You wore a crown of thorns so I can someday wear a crown of gold. I worship You with a thankful heart. I am Yours.

Here is my hand, I receive Your Love. I am thankful forever that You promise to keep me and hold, . . .

To keep me and hold. You, my Love have promised to never, ever,
let go.”

(And this is my Thanksgiving prayer, that I show off my “ring” in every remaining song I sing. Who will say, “Amen, and pray to join me?!)
Happy, Happy, Thanksgiving.

Exodus 3:14, God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”

1John 4:7-12, Beloved, let us love one another,

for love is from God,

and whoever loves has been born of God

and knows God.  

Anyone who does not love does not know God,

because God is love. 

In this the love of God was made manifest among us,

that God sent his only Son into the world,

so that we might live through him. 

 In this is love, 

not that we have loved God but that he loved us

and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

  Beloved, if God so loved us,

we also ought to love one another. 

 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another,

God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

John 1:12, But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Revelation 19:11-21, Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True,

and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 

 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems,

and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood,

and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, 

were following him on white horses. 

 From his mouth comes a sharp sword

 with which to strike down the nations,

and he will rule them with a rod of iron.

 He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Romans 11:33, Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

And to the Word, powerful and rich, we speak in an audible voice, “Amen.”

Our Valentine Promises

The true Valentine keeps promises to His own.

To all who receive Him, He makes their heart His home.

He is the Vine, our Valentine.

He asks that we abide and unite with His Word and fruit will come forth bringing glory to the Lord:

Speak aloud age-old hymns and be revived in the soul. Actively respond, and discover, it is so:

“Quicken’d by thee, and kept alive, I flourish and bear fruit; My life I from thy sap derive, My vigour from thy root. 

I can do nothing without thee; My strength is wholly thine: Wither’d and barren should I be, If sever’d from the vine. (1)

He is faithful. That we might trust Him more and more.

Faith grows as we hear His Letters of love. Ears that hear, with souls refreshed, as words are read of Jesus’ faithfulness:

“Come just as you are, for Jesus invites Poor sinners to share substantial delights: Ye weary and burden’d who happy would be, And wish to be pardon’d, come listen to me.”

“The ear of your heart if you will incline To you I’ll impart my fulness divine, Your souls by my Spirit made meet for the sky, The life shall inherit which never shall die.” (2)

Valentine comfort. Valentine hope. This is Jesus, to all whose heart will take hold.

“My precious Lord, for thy dear name I bear the cross, despise the shame; Nor do I faint while thou art near; I lean on thee; how can I fear?

No other name but thine is given To cheer my soul in earth or heaven; No other wealth will I require; No other friend can I desire.”

Yea, into nothing would I fall For thee alone, my All in All; To feel thy love, my only joy; To tell thy love, my sole employ.”(3)

He makes beauty from ashes. Will you join me in praise? His Name together, with thankful hearts, raise!

(1) From Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible

(2) From Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible

(3) From Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible

Picture Credit: LegacyandCo

Need Rest. Got Jesus?

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust” Palm 91:1,2.

A secret place of rest, “yes.” That is what we desire.

Right here, right now, no matter the circumstance, no matter the geography, we can place our heart and mind in a position of praise to the El Elyon-the Most High God.

Paul and Silas were attacked for being servants of the Most High God. They were ordered to be stripped, beaten, and severely flogged and then thrown into prison. (Acts 16:23,24.) These were not happy circumstances for believers in the true and living God.

How can this encourage us? How can this bring rest? Have you heard what happened to Paul and Silas?

These were ordinary men, like you and me, but perhaps not ordinary in their faith and lifestyle: . . . the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.  When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.  Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.  The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.  But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” Acts 16: 24-31.

Do we dwell in a place of praise? There’s a difference if we do. There’s a difference in our moment to moment response. There’s times of faltering and discouragement, yes, but when we live a lifestyle of faith and worship, as Paul and Silas, we be changed.

The chains break off. The jail is opened. And our witness can be genuine and fruitful. Even if we find ourselves in difficult times.

Can we say, “The Lord is my refuge?”

Psalm 91 feeds new courage and hope within our souls:

If we make the Most High our dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.

But that doesn’t mean the trials won’t come. Paul and Silas were beaten and put in jail.

What it does mean is, we call on the Most High God and praise Him for His Love, and He changes things.

How do we have a lifestyle of praise? We must fight our battles with faith in our heart. Faith comes by reading (aloud) God’s living Word.

Today, right now, I mean what I say, for you and me both, every day, we must read aloud, straight from His Word.

Ask Jesus in. Ask the Spirit to minister deep within.

Like a musician who plays, we will read what His Word says:

 Do you not know?

Have you not heard?a

Has it not been toldb you from the beginning

Have you not understoodd since the earth was founded?e

 He sits enthronedfabove the circle of the earth,

and its people are like grasshoppers.g

He stretches out the heavensh like a canopy,i

and spreads them out like a tentj to live in.k

 He brings princes to naught

and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.m

 No sooner are they planted,

no sooner are they sown,

no sooner do they take rootn in the ground,

then he blowso on them and they wither,p

and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.q

 “To whom will you compare me?r

Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.s

 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:t

Who createdu all these?

He who brings out the starry hostv one by one

and calls forth each of them by name.

Because of his great power and mighty strength,w

not one of them is missing.x

 Why do you complain, Jacob?

Why do you say, Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord;

my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know?

Have you not heard?z

The Lord is the everlastinga God,

the Creatorb of the ends of the earth.c

He will not grow tired or weary,d

and his understanding no one can fathom.e He gives strengthf to the wearyg

and increases the power of the weak.

 Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young menh stumble and fall;i

 but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.k

They will soar on wings like eagles;l

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:21-31.

God’s ministering Spirit. God’s precious Word. All glorious.

If you don’t know Jesus, He’s a prayer away.

After you’ve asked Him to come in, receive forgiveness and grace, and he will give you the power to offer it to all that you meet.

He is God. He is able to help our souls soar on wings like eagles where ever our bodies might be.

Amen. Please tell someone if you’ve received Jesus for the first time.

Angels rejoice in heaven.

And your soul receives . . . rest.