It is Not About You!

Today ( a day behind) is going to be to the point and fairly brief ...for me.
It is going to be like my "knee time" on Sunday morning.  God was to the point and brief! (one of those 2x4 moments)

I pray daily for many things and many people....fervently asking God to heal, resolve, work mightily, guide, direct for those around me....but when I hit my knees ....all I could "hear" is

"IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU!!!"

"It is about ME!"

"it is not about whether they are healed.  Or they find resolution, or they have wisdom, or you have direction or even if you serve Me today.

it is about ME......JUST ME.....heart consumed with ME.  eyes turned toward ME.  Soul flooded with ME.  AND I will take care of the rest!"


Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
  In the light of His glory and grace
Lyrics:

Helen Howarth Lemmel (1863-1961)

Music:

Helen Howarth Lemmel (1863-1961)

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Matthew 16:25

We must give up ourselves in order to find LIFE! 

It is not about you or me.....it is about HIM and only HIM!

Good Good Father

I am stealing the title to a song...

You're a good good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am…

Songwriters: Anthony Brown / Joseph Patrick Martin Barrett

Good Good Father lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group

 It has been performed by Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, and others I am sure.

We all have a father; whether he is just is a biological DNA donor, or an active part of our lives.  Whether he was our knight, our prince, or the source of our nightmares.

Whether we have known him well, he has passed on, or we are searching for him still

At some point in our lives there is or was a father.

And there is nothing we can do to change who that person is, if we wanted to.

BUT regardless of the circumstances with your father, (and I PRAY that they are good)

you have a heavenly Father

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.   Psalm 68:5

who loves YOU above all else. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  1 Peter 1:3

He is but a breath away....if you haven't already called out to Him....

He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’  Psalm 89:26

the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. John 16:27

In your darkest moment or your greatest, giving your life over will give you peace and grace

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 1:7

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1

Let God, through His Son Jesus Christ, lavish His love on you today!

He is THE Good Good Father, be loved by Him!

Good Good Father; Mercy Me

A New Frame

Today is probably going to seem rather whimsical.....or silly....how ever you may look at it, my hope and prayer is that it is at least somewhat inspirational!

We went bowling last night...10 AWANA kids and 6 of their teachers!  Lots of fun....My score was consistent ...54 both games!  I am not a bowler!  BUT I like to have a good time and it was a fun way to celebrate the end of the year with our some of our AWANA kids!

As I was throwing gutter balls, I made the statement....."next frame I can start fresh!"  and there goes my brain!
Isn't that like each new day?  I may not hit the mark today, I may stumble and grumble and show a lack of faith, I may even throw it all right into the "gutter", I may lack direction and focus. BUT tomorrow is a new day!  We can start fresh!  We ask God to forgive our weakness, our lack of faith, our poor judgement....He forgives us and we start fresh!

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:28

Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, Mark 3:28

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  Matthew 9:2b

We can ask God to direct us so that we are going straight and true.
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

We have to focus...If our eyes aren't front and center, then our aim is going to be off; like mine, right into the gutter!

......And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1b-3

I love the last verse, 3....Jesus endured all He did so that we do not have to grow weary and lose heart! 

Today is another frame!!  I pray you throw a strike!

Forever Flame

Just this week, while doing a devotional reading I have (The Secret Place [Judson Press]) one of the days was about a perpetual flame.  The author talked about a fire in an England hearth that was kept stoked for 200 years. The gist, of course, was about the fire of the Holy Spirit that burns in each of us.
AND there goes my brain again!!
One of the first things that came to mind was the Olympic flame that is lit to start the games and has traveled across many miles and many countries ...and remains lit until the close of the games.
I also thought about our wood fire. We burn wood as our source of heat in the winter....and you do NOT want the fire going out....especially in the 25 below zero days.....if the fire goes out for any length of time it takes quite a long time to get the house warmed back up to a comfortable, livable temperature.
I am sure most of you can figure out where I might go with this....and actually I feel there is lots of spiritual application to both scenarios. 
What is the condition of your "hearth"?  When we accept Christ as our Savior He gives us the Holy Spirit to "dwell within us"
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 16:19

 “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:25-27

In Acts 2, the disciples and other followers of Christ were gathered shortly after Jesus ascension into heaven.   They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit....Acts 2:3

So the Holy Spirit can be likened to a fire with in us!

How is your fire doing!?  Are we constantly feeding our fire, so that it remains strong, giving warmth and light to all those around.
or do we forget to tend our fire, and it grows dim, just embers that are very hard for others to feel the light and warmth?  Do we need to stir those embers back to a flame and begin "feeding" it again?
or have we let the fire go out all together?  have we left it untended for so long that we almost have to start the process again?
One wonderful thing about the Holy Spirit  and our relationship with Christ is once you have accepted Christ as your Savior and the Spirit lives in you....It isn't going any where....but we can neglect it to the point that it is unrecognizable in us.  If we are sincere in our acceptance of who Christ is, we are His for eternity.....but we MUST tend that relationship, that "flame", in order to live a life worthy of Him.

As we run this race called life....
We MUST tend our "flame" so that we can carry it where ever we go and allow it to spread Christ's love and light every where we are!
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2
Have you feed your fire today!?

Lord Bless

As I have said I won't do previous poems too often but today being Memorial Day I thought it seemed fitting.

                                                     Lord Bless

Lord Bless the memories

of those who have given their lives in service to our country

Lord Bless the soldier

at their post, where ever that may be

Lord Bless the families

who are left behind to continue on with their  lives

Lord bless the ones

who carry the scars as a reminder of their sacrifice

Lord Bless those

who have been and are prisoners to an enemy

Lord Bless the children

who hold a picture of the man they call their Daddy

Lord bless the wives

who sleep alone,

Lord Bless the parents

who wait at home

Lord Bless them,

the men and women

who have dedicated their lives

to protecting what we know as our country,

our freedom, our home;

the United States of America

Tracey J. Thompson

©5/27/06

"Lord Bless those who have given their lives"......I wanted something a bit more concrete to pray for...so I looked up some statistics starting with the Civil War... (Decoration Day was instituted in 1868 by the Grand Army of the Republic to decorate the graves of Union soldiers who lost their lives in the Civil War. Eventually the two competing decoration holidays, Union and Confederate, merged into one and included the honoring of all Americans who had died while in military service.  The term Memorial Day was first used in 1882, but was not declared the official name until 1967. At this point Memorial Day was May 30th...until the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968 was passed and Memorial Day was moved to the last Monday of May, which took effect at the federal level in 1971)

NOW that the history lesson is over!  On with my thoughts

American military lives lost;

Civil War: 750,000

World War I: 116,516

World War II: 405,399

Korean War: 54,246

Vietnam: 58,204

Afghanistan War: 2,356

Iraq War: 4,497

The list of conflicts and wars is much larger, but I looked at the ones we are most familiar with.

That is a HUGE amount of casualties....add in the families and people that are also affected by this...not to mention those wounded.

LORD BLESS.....

We, as those who live in the country that these people fought for and defended, must remember in prayer all those affected, and for those who continue to serve knowing what the out come could be.

Whether we agree with any of these wars and conflicts....we can still commit to pray.

In Sunday school yesterday our lesson was on Peace.  Praying for Peace.  I thought how fitting for Memorial Day weekend...we pray for peace....because with peace  comes the end of conflict and with that the end of war.  We pray for the peace that Christ brings.  I also pray for peace for those amid the conflict, that Christ can give them inner peace as they live and battle in not so peaceful nations.

On Memorial Day we remember. There are pictures posted on social media of men and women in uniform who have served our country, cemeteries are decorated with wreaths and flowers and flags, parades with those in service now, and those who have been, wind the streets of many towns across the country.  Remembering names and stories and even statistics is our way of preserving the past, of making sure generations do not forget the sacrifice and loss that was done, in essence for them, and for those generations to come.

There are many instances in the bible  (more than 300 times in the Old Testament) where God commanded a memorial be built so they would not forget what He had done for them. Or people built and altar to honor and memorialize what God had done.   Noah built an altar in gratitude and honor that God saved him and his family and the animals from destruction. 
Abraham
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. Genesis 12:7
Isaac
Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.  Genesis 26:25
Jacob 
Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau. Genesis 35:1
Moses
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.   Exodus 17:15
...and this list goes on.

Every day, as a Christian, should be a memorial day, should it not? We come before the Lord humbly, on our knees, grateful for what He has done for us...the sacrifice and the loss suffered for us.  Our lives should be that memorial....how we live and the choices we make should honor the One who allows us to live with His presence here and the assurance of eternity when we leave this earth. 

LORD BLESS......

I am ending today's with a short video that my daughter Marah put together last year for the National Day of prayer, but I believe it is fitting for today as well.

 Pray for Peace

A Marriage Celebration!

I had started to prepare a different message for yesterday....but since I didn't get it posted and I am posting today, May 23rd....I have decided to go a different route ( Excuses, Excuses will be next Monday!)
As I have been making preparations to celebrate 30 years of marriage today I began thinking about how I could impart my wisdom to you!  HA!
No wisdom to be found....but I can share with you a few thoughts God has shown me through this journey, this institution that He created!
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 1:18-24

30 years is worth celebrating!  But don't we celebrate each year of our anniversary...don't they even have "gifts" for each year...
1st year - paper
2nd year - cotton
...
25th - silver
etc etc

Since I was looking it up I did check 30.....it is pearl! (that might be another devotion!)

Jesus told a parable in which heaven was like 10 virgins waiting for their bridegroom.  Matthew 25

and Jesus refered to Himself as the bridegroom when His disciples were questioning Him about who was fasting and who was not...
 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. Mark 2:19-20

John the Baptist also referred to Jesus as the Bridegroom.
 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”
John 3:27-30

SO He is our Bridegroom....we are to prepare ourselves for Him as we do for something as special as our wedding day. And His voice should fill us with joy!  How exciting that we BELONG to Him!

Shouldn't we celebrate that "marriage"!  That we, as believers, are the Bride and He is our Bridegroom!
Our Bridegroom has shown us what Love really is, we can Trust Him, He will never fail us! He can take care of ALL our needs.
 Isn't that worth celebrating!

One passage that God has used with me over the years is from Philippians 2
and to me it is a perfect model for a marriage relationship.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

As a husband and wife....we are made of the same flesh, we are both created in His image, but one must be willing to be humble, so that both can be raised up and God glorified!

If we can have the attitude of Christ in ALL our relationships, how much more content would this world be! 

Celebrate your marriage today.....but more than that celebrate the fact that you have a Bridegroom that loves you and has all the best for you!

IF you don't know this Bridegroom I talk about please email me ....or ask someone who has a relationship with Christ.  BEST decision you could ever make!

It is a "marriage" made in Heaven!

Are You Washed

As we sang the hymn Are You Washed In the Blood on Sunday and I was looking at the pictures up on the screen with the words,  my mind began thinking.....

I had used some water fall pictures from a hike I ACTUALLY went on with Kevin.  It was 7 miles to our destination and about 2.5 miles into the hike it began to rain and rain hard!  It continued to rain all night!
At our destination and where we made camp there was a river and upstream a bit was Wanika Falls.
From what I understand sometimes the water is just a trickle, not really a raging waterfall until a big rain. Mostly rock surface.

That is where my thought process comes in.....a rocky, hard surface, dirty, weeds and plants trying to grow out of the chinks in the rock.  
Isn't that us when we wander away from Christ, when we let busyness and life crowd in and cause the water to be just a trickle
Hard, rock like, with the "dirt" of the world covering us.  Sin trying to take root in the cracks we have allowed to form.
But when we come to Him, spend time with Him that living, life giving water begins to flow!  Sometimes slow at first, and it begins to clean the dirt....but the water becomes a torrent as it flows down over us taking with it all the "crud", the "weeds" that have taken root.
The more that water flows over us the less sin can take root, the world can not take hold!
And over time doesn't water make rock smooth?!   As we live our lives in Christ allowing the water to wash over us constantly, we become more polished, our "burs" and jagged edges are softened or even totally smoothed out.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:2








having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Hebrews 10:22

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
John 13:6-9

Dear Lord wash over ALL of me with a mighty torrent of your Living water!  And may it flood over and spill on all around me!