What’s Our Purpose???
What’s Our Destination???
Who’s Going To Say, “Well Done!!” At The End???
Jan31
Category Archives: Scripture
Jan24
Let My Life Be The Proof Of Your Love
If I sing but don’t have love…I waste my breathe with every song…I bring, an empty voice…A hollow noise
If I speak with a silver tongue…Convince a crowd but don’t have love…I leave a bitter taste…With every word I say
So let my life be the proof…The proof of Your love…Let my love look like You…And what You’re made of
How you lived, how You died…Love is sacrifice…So let my life be the proof…The proof of Your love
If I give to a needy soul…But don’t have love then who is poor…It seems all the poverty…Is found in me
When it’s all said and done…When we sing our final song
Only love remains…Only love remains
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-7, The Message
The Gospel is a message of love…
Lord, let my life be the proof of Your love…
Jan17
Hey! Did You Hear? My Son Is Now Quoting Me On FB!
Does that mean I’m really a writer!?! Ha!
It just started last week!
We were at drama practice sitting around trying to think of some good choreography…
For “Me Without You” by tobymac…
Great song!
There’s an instrumental part (sort of robotic-sounding) in the middle of the song…
And we were trying to think of cool movements for it…
So, as we were tossing ideas back and forth…
One of us (probably me! Ha!) said,
“How about if Jesus was a robot in this part???”
Everyone laughed, except for one of our newer boys!
He had been asking questions all practice…
Like…
“Why do we need to BE a piano?
Or turn ourselves into musical instruments?”
We tried to explain how human video dramas are done at Fine Arts competitions…
If the song talks about a ladder…
We need to MAKE a ladder using the people in the drama…
If there’s a hill…
We MAKE a hill with our bodies!
Still he didn’t get it!!
So I guess the “robot-Jesus” idea was the last straw!!
He was so exasperated with all of us…
That he said, “That’s just really offensive to talk about Jesus like that!!”
That’s when I said the line that my son quoted on FB!!
“Don’t take us as seriously as you’re trying to!!!”
All the older kids cracked up…
My son wrote it down and posted it…
As a quote from his wise Mom…
And I got 20 “Likes” on his FB page!!
Two days later, I had a funny dream that I remembered completely…
Most of it was a convoluted story of us moving into a new house…
Realizing that it was falling apart…
That the previous owners left all their stuff…
Even a kielbasa/hotdog- looking food item in the grill, etc., etc.
Oh, and I dropped my cell phone in a lake!
Crazy!
But, at the end of the dream…
I was coming home late from somewhere…
And my retired cop husband was sitting in his car in a Foodtown parking lot where we used to live in NJ…
Waiting for me to make sure I was safe…
I saw him sitting in his car with the headlights on…
And I thought, “How nice!”
Just as I was going to turn right to pull into the parking lot…
A HUGE Moose
Came charging at the left side of my car!!
I was at a red light…
But, I said to myself…
“I remember what my husband always said to me!
‘If a HUGE Moose came at you, even if you’re at a traffic light…
Step on the gas and get out of there!!'”
By this time, after telling my husband and son this crazy dream…
We were all laughing hysterically!!
My husband does give us lots of safety tips…
But never once about a HUGE Moose!!
But, I got 30 “Likes” on that one!
One of my friends read it and didn’t understand it!
Guess you had to be there!
My philosophy is…
To never take myself or life too seriously!
Ahhhh…Laughter!
Belly laughs…
Joy, Joy, Joy!!!
Jesus, give me more of it!!
“A joyful heart is good medicine…” Proverbs 17:22
“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;
Then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’” Proverbs 126:2
“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” Ecclesiastes 3:4
“A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.” Proverbs 15:13
“Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Psalm 32:11
Jan13
“Up On The Roof”
“Hoo…Hoo!”
The way the sun’s shining, makes this dove seem as if it’s made of clay, like our roof!
But, it’s very real!!
Looking up…I caught these black birds perched on a neighbor’s roof!
They have a great view of the Heavens!
And not a care in the world!
Jesus, if we would just learn to look up, too!
And stay fixated on You…
I know you’d care for us, also!
Amen!
When I look up (fix my eyes on You!)…
I see some amazing things!
I remember all your promises…
I see all Your faithfulness…
Help me in this new year to do just that!
“…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.
Hebrews 12:2 NIV
Dec13
This is why I need to live in new houses, because 10 years goes by before I realize I’m not keeping up with the cleaning!!
Yes…
I convinced my husband…
To let me get the floor tiles in my house…
Professionally cleaned…
As I begged Santa in an earlier post called…
Dear Santa…I want!!
We’ve been in FL…
In this house…
That we had built…
For 10 years!
And I just realized I’m not keeping up!!
Ten years of dog hair…
Dirt…
Grime…
Cooking grease…
Powder…
And just plain GUNK and YUK!
So, my husband found Bob, the handyman in our neighborhood…
Who has been doing odd jobs around our house for several years!
He came yesterday…
Put down some bleach, used a broom-like thing…
And within an hour…
Our Master bathroom floor was sparkling clean!
Like it was 10 years ago!!
The fumes were bad for my allergies…
But I sat outside on my lanai with my puppy…
Then wore a mask all day while inside…
We turned on all the ceiling fans…
And my husband set up extra fans…
We’ll get the rest of the house done on Tuesday!!
Yipee!!
What a great Christmas gift!!
But, woe is me!!
How will I keep it like that??
Tell everyone not to walk on it???
Ever again???
Shave off all my Crazy Siberian’s hair???
Never cook again???
Don’t use powder in the shower???
My problem???
While I am a neat freak…
Since I can’t think in clutter…
And I do love to keep the house organized…
And decorated nicely…
And I’m good at keeping up with the paperwork…
That my husband refuses to look at…
Because it drives him crazy…
As far as the…
Deep…
“Get myself dirty-bend down-mop-move things-go behind-reach up, get a step stool to clean top shelves, wipe ceiling fans, and dust all my trinkets…”
Kind of cleaning…
I’d rather WRITE than do that kind of cleaning!!
Hey…I’d rather RELAX than do that kind of cleaning!
Hey…I rather do ANYTHING ELSE than do that kind of cleaning!
Too much to do…
Too little time…
Too much effort…
Too much back-breaking work!!!
Where does the time go???
Let’s see…God & family & dog, teaching, drama team stuff, reading, writing, Dr.’s apts., hair and nails apts.,etc., etc.!
DUh!
Deep cleaning doesn’t seem to be on this list…
Or…
Even on my radar…
Unless you’re coming to visit!
Ha!
Then I’m frantic!
Oh…
If I’d only keep up!!
Lord, please help me!
Or else…
It just might be time to move to another brand new house!!
P.S. Yes, along with my new squeaky clean floors…
I got a new Nikon Coolpix L610 camera for Christmas!!
And tickets to see my friend’s daughter in “Sister Act” in Tampa on Saturday!!
Okay, Santa, I’m going to hold off on the losing weight request…
And just pray to maintain during Christmas!
Ha! Let’s be realistic!
Thank you, Santa!!
Get prepared…
I’m going to ask for a cleaning lady next Christmas!
Lord, I need you to…
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10 (E S V)
And help me keep it that way!
Amen!
Dec6
One Of Us!
Kids Church object lesson taken from the Called To Kids website, July 19, 2010 by Marla,
Filed under Holiday Lessons, Jesus
“…She will give birth to a son…
And they will call him Immanuel…
Which means ‘God is with us.’”
Matthew 1:23 (NLT)
There was once a man sitting in his living room by the fireplace on a cold winter’s day. Outside, snow was falling and had already covered the ground.
The man heard a tapping on the window and turned to see a small bird pecking at the glass with its beak. It was lost and cold, suffering out in the bitter weather.
Feeling sorry for the bird, the man walked outside so that he could help it inside and save its life. But when he came close to the bird, it got scared and flew away.
So the man went inside once again, realizing that his plan to help the bird had failed.
A few minutes later as the man rested by the warm fire, he heard once again the sound of tapping on the window.
He turned to see the same bird trying to get into the house and escape the freezing cold weather outside.
This time as the man walked onto the front lawn he saw many other birds also trying to find warmth. One by one he came close to them, trying to help, but each of them got scared and few away.
Frustrated, the man walked back inside. “If only I could become a bird,” he thought. “Then I could speak their language. They would know that I am only trying to help them and save their lives.”
After Adam and Eve sinned, they began to die. Since then, we’ve been like those little birds—lost and suffering in our sin. Every time God has tried to come close and take us into His loving care, we’ve run away from Him.
Like the man trying to save the birds, God had to find a way to become one of us, to speak our language and help us to understand Him.
So He sent His son Jesus, who is just like Him, to come and live on this earth with us.
Just like that man left the comfort of the fireplace to go out into the cold and try to help the birds, Jesus left His home in Heaven to come to this earth to save us.
Jesus spoke our language and told us of God’s love for us.
He told us that God wants to take us in as His children.
One of the names of Jesus is Immanuel.
That means “God is with us.”
God came to us as a person, as Jesus, and walked on this earth.
He understands us and He loves us.
Instead of running away from God, we need to run to Him.
Remember, Jesus is God with us.
Someone e-mailed me this photo…I’m sorry I don’t know who the photographer is…but I love it!
“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:7 (NLT)
“He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust…”
Psalm 91:4
Dec6
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
Listen to:
“Happy Birthday Jesus”
Performed by- The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
It’s a favorite of mine…
Because it’s sung by little children!
Here are some of the lyrics…
“Happy Birthday Jesus…
I’m so glad it’s Christmas!
All the tinsel and lights…
And the presents are nice…
But the real gift is You…
Happy Birthday Jesus…
I’m so glad it’s Christmas!
All the carols and bells…
Make the holiday swell…
And it’s all about You!
Happy Birthday Jesus…
Jesus, I love You!”
I love this song’s child-like innocence…
Matthew 18:3 NIV says…
“…I tell you the truth, unless you change…
And become like little children…
You will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Do you need the gift of a Silent Night?
Give yourself a gift this Christmas…
Jesus is your gift!
Celebrate His Birthday!
Come to His Birthday Party!
And sing…
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
Jesus, I love You!
Dec5
Give Birth In A Stable!
Re-posting of my previous post called “Living In The Stable”
Part of the glorious Christmas Story…
Involves living in a stable!
How do we go from “Living in a Stable” to
“Sitting in the Heavenly Throne Room with Christ?”
How do we get from the hardship of the stable to the glory of the throne?
We trust and wait!
What do we do when there’s no room in the Inn?
We give birth in a stable!
Here’s my definition of a stable:
“A Stable is a place we find ourselves physically, emotionally, or spiritually, where we don’t want to be!”
Mary & Joseph wanted to be back in their home in Nazareth in Galilee, or at least in the Inn in Bethlehem…
Especially when Mary was ready to give birth!!
But, they found themselves in the stable!
It’s a mistake to label someone in a “stable” situation as:
A transient…
A fugitive…
A drifter…
An orphan…
Often a gradual process of circumstances got us there.
I know my All-Powerful God…
Could have delivered…
Jesus, Mary, & Joseph…
Out of the stable…
Kept them in Nazareth in Galilee…
And not sent them to Bethlehem in Judea…
But there was a purpose…
And a prophecy that had to be fulfilled!
What is the prophecy concerning us…
And our families?
What is our promise from God…
That needs to be fulfilled…
Because we’re in a stable right now?
Are we…
Like Jesus…
Headed for the throne room?
We are…
If we know Christ!
How did baby Jesus get from the stable…
To the throne?
Through suffering and trials…
’Til He went back to the Father…
True for us, too!
Suffering and trials…
‘Til we return to our Father in Heaven!
But, we can bless our Father through our trials…
Jesus did!
How long did Jesus, Mary, and Joseph stay in the stable?
One day?
Two days?
A while…
What were the conditions?
Stables are smelly…
Loud with animal sounds…
Uncomfortable…
Lacking the simplest comforts…
Lacking family support…
And it’s a lifestyle…
That is at the mercy of strangers!
Have we ever found ourselves in a stable?
Was there stress?
Mary glorified God…
Even after submitting to a pregnancy…
She could never explain…
Months of village criticism…
And all God’s requirements for bearing the Son of God!
Our belief…
And obedience…
Is what magnifies God!
From The Fruit Of The Spirit Bible, we read:
“It is always the heaviness of the burden…
That teaches us the best song.”
Mary was faithful…
Which I define as:
“Always doing what God tells us to do…
Exactly when He tells us to do it!”
Amen!!
Patience never argues with God,
And it has a habit of praising God…
While it waits for miracles to take place!
There’s never any reason to hurry God!
“May it be to me as God has said!” Mary prayed…
And then she sang as she waited!
Who was there with them in the stable?
No family…
But God knew where they were!
And He blessed Mary and Joseph…
With the birth of their son…
Jesus…
In a stable!
And worship…
And support…
Came to the stable from everywhere…
Even Shepherds need a Savior!
He knows where we are, too…
Even if we’re in a stable…
And, He will bless us with birth, too!
Perhaps, the birth of a needed job…
The birth of a home of our own…
The birth of a long-held dream…
The birth of a vision…
And the birth of a purpose!
What was the result of Mary & Joseph’s stable experience?
Christmas!
Jesus’ birth in a stable…
Brought joy…
Brought faith…
Brought hope…
Brought vision…
And brought a promise for us!
It got the attention of angels…
Kings…
Magi…
And shepherds!
In our stable experience…
We can’t discount the enemy at work…
But don’t give him any glory either!
Satan’s a liar!
We shouldn’t ask…
“Why are we here in this stable, Lord??”
We need to ask…
“What are You trying to birth in us, Lord…
Right here in this stable?”
We must know that God plans…
To take us from the stable…
To the throne…
Just as He did for His Son…
Jesus!
But, we’ve got to let Him!
Hope is here!
We’re children of God!
And, this is the season when God reminds us…
Of His Love!
Christmas is for those of us in the stable…
So God can show us…
That His purpose…
Is to bring us out of the stable…
To His throne!
We’ve got to go to God…
And want everything He wants for us!!
We need to be faithful…
To God’s favor and guidance…
Even in the stable…
Of small beginnings…
To get to the glorious ending…
The throne!!
Even if we’re in a “stable” situation right now…
We must accept the gift of Jesus…
Because even in the stable…
God’s right there with us!!
Remember!
His Son was born there!
And, once we’re out of the stable…
Don’t look back…
Just look up…
To where the throne is!
Amen!!
I preached this sermon last year when our Drama Team ministered at our local Homeless Shelter…
I preached it for me…
And I needed to hear it again…
Thanks for letting me re-post it!
From Pastor Ron Gray’s Christmas Newsletter:
“One of the great truths concerning Christmas is that Christ came to us.
So many times we tend to think that we came to Him.
It was the love of God for His creation that caused Him to send His Son.
He came to redeem us.
He came to bring us abundant life.
He came to be our Savior, Lord, and King.
Today…
Jesus comes and brings light, hope, and a future…
I believe that God will come to you today in the middle of whatever you are going through.
You may think He is not interested,
but I believe He cares,
and He knows what you are dealing with.
Jesus is making Himself real to you today.
Give Him an opportunity to work.
Stop for just a moment and talk to Him.
He has come to you to bring you joy.
I trust Him today to work a miracle in your life.”
“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself RESTORE you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” I Peter 5:10
You can’t have Christmas without Christ!
Christ is the heart of Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
And God’s Abundant Peace to all of you!
Nov22
Rejoice With Me Today!
One of my dear friends just e-mailed me her awesome testimony…
And I want to share it with all of you!
Here’s what she wrote:
“Happy Thanksgiving to one and all…
I want to share my thankful heart with all of you…
And wish you all a day filled with thanks for this holiday season…
The Lord answered our prayers about our roof…
And He asked me if I was going to “give Him the glory” for the great things He had done…
I hope this experience of God’s provision for our family speaks to you…
That He does receive all the “glory” for the miracle of providing the roof money to the exact penny…
Not only that, but He blessed us with grocery money…
That we so desperately needed, as we were completely tapped out…
He is so very good.
Let me share the other side of the story….
While this was all going on with the roof…
My mom was admitted to the hospital with the possibility that her heart had stopped and been restarted…
We found out later it was not that, but a defect in the wiring for her internal defibrillator/pacemaker…
(The product of toxic chemo 10 years ago with lymphoma)…
She had surgery that replaced the internal machine…
And after hours and hours in the waiting room…
We came to see her in recovery…
Another miracle…
My mom is still with us!
Behind the scenes…
I have been going through tests since August for pain in a certain area…
I had multiple doctor visits, tests, ultrasounds, scans, and an MRI…
The tests did not find the source of the pain…
But, the doctor did find a problem on the other side…
That I didn’t even know about, or have pain in…
After weeks of waiting for yet another test to be approved…
Insurance denied me…
1 day before the biopsy…
Another miracle happened when the imaging place called…
And said they would take care of it…
And get it paid one way or another…
I should relax and just do the test!
The day of my biopsy…
Was not a fun day…
It was very painful…
Yet, even though my husband was not allowed to go in with me…
I felt and sensed God’s peace…
His prayer warriors were praying and battling for me…
The doctor told me, the results would be in by this Monday at the latest…
I just received a phone call….
Today….
Early….
Telling me that there is no cancer!
Every sample was benign!
Thanks be to God for His favor and answered prayer!
Not 10 minutes before the phone call…
I was praying…
And asked God, if this time…
He was going to calm the storm…
Or calm His child….
I was very scared as both parents have gone through cancer…
Each being diagnosed the week of Thanksgiving…
And my grandfather passing away with cancer the week after Thanksgiving…
My joy is here and now…
So is my THANKFULNESS!
As He proves to me again and again…
He is God!
It doesn’t always mean He calms the storm…
In the storm we learn to hold fast to Him…
I am thankful today that He chose to calm the child and calm the storm!
Rejoice with me today!!
We serve a great and mighty God…
Who holds our every breath…
Yours and mine…
Whether He calms your storm, or He calms you…
RUN to Him!
And please don’t forget to always give Him the…
GLORY, HONOR, and PRAISE…
Thank you, Lord, for all you have done..
The glory is all yours!
Forever!”
PSALM 103: 1-6
“Praise the Lord, my soul…
All my inmost being…
All my inmost being…
Praise His Holy Name!
Praise the Lord, my soul…
And forget not all his benefits…
Praise the Lord, my soul…
And forget not all his benefits…
Who forgives all your sins…
And heals all your diseases…
Who redeems your life from the pit…
And crowns you with love and compassion…
Who satisfies your desires with good things…
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
And heals all your diseases…
Who redeems your life from the pit…
And crowns you with love and compassion…
Who satisfies your desires with good things…
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
The Lord works righteousness…
And justice for all the oppressed!”
Nov21
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas…Even In FL!
See our snowflakes???
Don’t they look real pretty with our Palm Trees???
And the beautiful wreath with a pineapple motif!
And a Santa with sunglasses and fishing pole!
And Christmas colored landscaping…
A festive Hibiscus…
Some rosy colored Bougainvillea…
With greenery…
This would be a great place for Santa to land his sleigh….
Or to imagine a Nativity Scene!
Isaiah 9:6-7
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”
Luke 2:10-11
“And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord’.”
godssceneryandpromises 