Coffee Time With a Dear Friend

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Week 3 April 2019

Do You?

April 15, 2019

I had someone ask me Saturday night for help with some "brief things" to share with someone who was dying and did not know Christ.
My first thing to do was to open Biblegateway.com, my go-to online bible....and the "verse of the day".....

📖 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24

ISNT God AMAZING!!
This is first verse used when following The Roman's Road to Salvation (a scripture map to lead someone to a decision for Christ. I have a short video clip at the end)

As I started putting it all down I realized that it is something that we all need to hear and reflect on once in a while, and maybe someone out there reading this needs to hear it for the first time!
And what a perfect time to think on our salvation through Jesus Christ....during the Easter Season.

📖 Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Every one sins, none of us that walk this earth is perfect….except Christ and He became the sacrifice for my sin...your sin...everyone's sin.

If you believe God, the all knowing creator of the universe, sent His only Son as a baby, to live on earth to spread His Father’s love and be a perfect example, came to die a cruel and ugly death on a cross, for your sins. If you believe that He didn’t stay dead but was resurrected, came alive again 3 days later….walked, ate and talked with His followers…and then was taken up into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. If you believe He gave the Holy Spirit to those who believe as an advocate, to teach and remind us.

📖 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. John 14:26

If you believe what He did for you saves you from the punishment for sin that would otherwise separate you from God for all eternity.....

📖 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:9-13

A Prayer

🙏🏼Lord, I know that I am a sinner, and with that sin I can not even approach God’s throne.

But because His Son Jesus Christ chose to die on a cross and take my sin as His own, His blood covers my sin and shame so that I am clean before Him.

I know that I need You in my life, in my heart, to save me from an eternity in hell, separated from God.

I love you Lord, want to live a life that is pleasing and honoring to you. Save me Lord!

for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” AMEN♥️

^📖But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:4-10

There is no specific prayer, no particular place, no person you need to be with...

the thief on the cross proved that...(more about that next week!)

There is nothing WE can do to get into heaven, except BELIEVE!

Newsboys have a song which says it so perfectly!

We Believe

Newsboys

In this time of desperation
When all we know is doubt and fear
There is only one foundation
We believe, we believe
In this broken generation
When all is dark, You help us see
There is only one salvation
We believe, we believe

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He's given us new life
We believe in the crucifixion
We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the resurrection
And He's comin' back again, we believe

So, let our faith be more than anthems
Greater than the songs we sing
And in our weakness and temptations
We believe, we believe

Let the lost be found and the dead be raised
In the here and now, let love invade
Let the church live love our God will see
We believe, we believe
And the gates of hell will not p
the power of God, has torn the vail
Now we know Your love will never fail
We believe, we believe

Songwriters: Jeremy Lynn Epperson,Matt Hooper,Richie Fike

🎵 We Believe Newsboys Click on the link to listen

I BELIEVE!
Do YOU???
My prayer is you do!!

Short Roman's Road video
📺 Roman's Road to Salvation

IF you have made a decision after reading this I would love to celebrate with you! OR if you have any questions please message me here on this blog or private message through Facebook.
I am praying!🙏

Monday, April 13, 2026

Week 2 April 2019

Running Behind

April 11, 1029

Photo by Rachel Ramsdell Photography

Do you ever feel like you are a "day late and a dollar short"?
that the "clock is running away from you"?
that you are "running behind"?
Like me this week!
It was all if a sudden Wednesday! And I hadn't done my blog....and then it was Thursday!!
I shake my head! We have calendars and clocks, watches we wear, watches we carry, clocks in our cars and clocks on our phones...yet we loose track of time!
Sometimes because we are so busy, sometimes because we are caught up in the joy of the moment, and sometimes maybe we are so ill....physically or emotionally we haven't any idea of day or time.
But God never looses track of time, He never runs behind.
📖 As for God, his way is perfect: Psalm 18:30a

His timing is spot on!
📖 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,    a time to tear down and a time to build,
  a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
  a time to search and a time to give up,   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is a song we sing at church ...How Great Is Our God
And one verse in it is:

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end Songwriters: Chris Tomlin / Ed Cash / Jesse Reeves

No matter how you are feeling about your time...today...this week or even for your life.
YOUR time can be in His hands!

📖 But I trust in you, Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in your hands;

deliver me from the hands of my enemies,

from those who pursue me.

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Psalm 31:14-16

The one thing we don't want to do is waste it! IF you haven't given God your life...placed all your time in His hands...
Maybe NOW is the Time!!

📖 For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation 2 Corinthians 6:2

If you have done that...just now...or in the past.... sing with me!
How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin (click on link)

Photo by Rachel Ramsdell Photography

Monday, April 6, 2026

Week 1, April 2019

Best Birthday ever

April 2, 2019

So I had a blog started...and yet again God inspired me...in a whole different direction.

I was going with April Fool....but something happened yesterday, my birthday, that put a whole train of thought in motion.
First of all in my morning "knee time" giving thanks to God for 53 years....blessed years...rough times scattered through out, but learning, growing, drawing closer to Him through the trials. But really a very blessed life!

At church we sang "Are You Washed in the Blood"

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

After church we gathered back at my house for a PARTY! With 5 grandchildren it HAS to be a party! My mother insists! Balloons, birthday banner, candles on a dessert! (though little lips were blowing them out faster than we could light them!😊)
See what I mean...Blessed!😍

But then my daughter shared a conversation she had with my oldest grandchild...her son....at church;
"We were singing Washed in the Blood and he looked at me and said "'I'm washed in the blood'". So I asked if he knew what it meant and he said 'if you aren't washed in the blood you aren't a Christian and if you are washed in the blood you are a christian'"
WOW!
I looked at him..."you got it Bud! Are you washed in the blood?! "Yes" he said and we gave a "high 5"!!
Best present ever! My grandson knows he is washed in the "soul cleansing blood of the lamb!"
And here is where I started thinking...
The Best Birthday ...even though one celebrated with 5 grandkids plus the conversation with my oldest is pretty hard to beat...would be the one in which I realized I too was washed.

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
- Refrain:
  Are you washed in the blood,
  In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
  Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
  Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb! (Elisha A. Hoffman, pub.1878)

When I realized the perfect Lamb willingly shed His blood for me, so that my sins would be forgiven, that I would not have to spend eternity separated from my Heavenly Father. My "birth" into the family of God!
You have to agree...Best Birthday Ever!
I hope you have had one of those birthdays! You may remember the exact date and time....you may not. I remember the place I was and how old I was (9 or 10)..not the exact date. But God knows and there is rejoicing
📖 "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

Having that Birthday and walking daily by His side allows for rejoicing for all the rest...for every day!

📖 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:13-1

Christ shed His blood on the cross, died and rose again so that our sin...ALL who have sinned...

📖 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23

can be "washed" clean

📖 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. Romans 3:25

📖 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:7-8a.

and stand before the Father holy
📖 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical bodythrough death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- Colossians 1:22

Are you washed in the blood?

YES I'M WASHED
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb!!?
YES MY garments ARE spotless!

they ARE white as snow!
I AM washed in the blood of the Lamb!!

To stand before the Father, washed clean, blameless, without blemish....
Best Birthday EVER!!!!

Monday, March 30, 2026

Week 5 March 2018

Heritage Hunting

March 28, 2018

So I have to start with an extension of last week. God truly has had every step of the journey...from the amazing doctor...to even the surgery timing around the storm that dumped a lot of snow on Long Island!

Marah was the Drs 5th P.O.E.M. patient at Stony Brook. ( he has done approximately 50 before he came to Stony Brook ) and he said she was one of his most satisfying patients! Because of how restricted her esophagus was, with no hope of relief on its own...and his "repair" was showing immediate positive response!!

While we were there on Long Island staying with dear friends (another amazing blessing) we decided to do a little "heritage hunting". Google is an amazing thing!! (Google Maps is the BOMB in my book...with it I can travel anywhere!)

Kevin's grandfather was the principal of a school on Long Island...and they named the school after him.

"Okay Google..." We found Harry B Thompson Middle School! It was only minutes from our friend'8s house!!

We took a ride...took pictures!

On our way back...we find out the street address where grandfather lived...and where Kevin's father grew up....literally around the corner...down the street and across the road from our friends! All of 3 minutes by car! Another drive by and photos!

It was so strange for Kevin to touch a part of his past he knows very little about, he never knew his grandfather.

But it got me thinking how so important our heritage is to us. Ancestry.com is huge, as well as other tracing family lineage sites. How many of us have our family trees all done? 8 I have family lines traced back to ships crossing the ocean!

We like a connection with our past...helps us feel a part of something...bigger than ourselves.

If you are a believer of Jesus Christ you have an amazing heritage! And your "hunt" doesn't have to go any further than God's Holy Word!!

The lineage of faith recorded in Hebrews 11 lists all those who were faithful, and the amazing things that God did through their faith.
Then there is the family tree of Jesus. Important enough to be listed in God's Word!

📖 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, [Bathsheba]

Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

Abihud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Elihud,

Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. Matthew 1:1-16

I highlighted the women listed because it fasinates me the people God uses to accomplish great things! There is a great book called Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers that tells the story of each of these women. We can't even imagine, when we allow God to use every part of us, what impact that will have now or in future generations!

📖 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:14-17

When I read this scripture I feel that, as a believer in Christ, I am in that lineage....I have a part in Christ's family line!!! Enough so that I am an heir to His Glory!!
How exciting is that?!
What better connection! Being a part of this is definately part of something bigger...the biggest!!
I pray that you claim your heritage in Christ today!