2020

Photo by Rahul on Pexels.com

The Lord himself goes before you

and will be with you;

he will never leave you

nor forsake you.

Do not be afraid;

do not be discouraged.”

~Deuteronomy 31:8

Hello.

It is January 1, 2020.

Who knew we’d make it this far?

Who knew our heart

would still be beating this long?

God. 

God did.

And for that reason we rest.

And for that reason we trust. 

And for that reason we unclench our fists

and let go of control.

(What are we trying to control anyway…?)

During the past 365 days of 2019

How Many Times

did we get our own heart to beat?

Zero.

We did absolutely nothing to cause it to beat…

Yet here we are.

Here we are.

God has already gone before us

into 2020

and prepared our days.

He has prepared our moments

He has prepared our lives.

He took care of us yesterday

He will take care of us today

He will take care of us tomorrow.

So do not fear.

One of His Names is Jehovah El Roi,

The God Who Sees Me…..

even me.

He is that Big. 

He is that Good. 

Hello New Year. 

Hello 2020.

I need not fear.

God Himself has gone before me. 

Sigh…..

(Thank You Precious LORD)

Read Full Post »

The Christmas Story…

Photo by Alvin Decena on Pexels.com

“Let the stable still astonish;

Straw, dirt floor, dull eye;

Dusty flanks of donkeys, oxen;

Crumbling, crooked walls;

No bed to carry that pain;

And then, the child;

Rag-wrapped, laid to cry;

In a trough,

Who would have chosen this?

Who would have said:

“Yes,

Let the God of all the Heavens and Earth

Be born here in this place?”

Who but the same God

Who stands in the darker, fouler rooms

of our hearts

and says,

‘Yes.’

Let the God of Heaven and Earth be

Born Here…”

~Jan Karon

The Christmas story makes no sense to human beings.

Here is not just

A god,

but THE GOD

Who Created The Universe,

Choosing to be born in a barn.

Yet the filthy,

foul smelling,

contaminated room

He chose to be birthed in

Compares not

To the depraved,

nefarious rooms

In our hearts

That He wishes to occupy.

He wishes to dwell in our hearts,

So that we may also

Experience a birth as well.

A New birth of our heart.

Who IS this GOD who does this?

Who IS this God that chooses us?

He is TOO GREAT to comprehend,

work out,

grasp,

fathom…

Who is THIS GOD

And What is His Name?

Wonderful.

Counselor.

Ever-Lasting God.

Prince of Peace.

I AM.

Jesus.

His Name is Jesus…

 

Read Full Post »

Hope

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Hurry, hurry, step right up
See the sideshow in town for only fifty cents

Step right up, hurry, hurry before the show begins, my friends

Stand in line, get your tickets, I hope you will attend
It’ll only cost you fifty cents to see
What life has done to those like you and me

See the man with the broken heart, you’ll see that he is sad,
He hurts so bad (so bad, so bad)

See the girl who has lost the only love she ever had
There’s got to be no sadder show to see
No doubt about it, satisfaction’s guaranteed

So let the sideshow begin
Hurry, hurry, step right on in
Can’t afford to pass it by
Guaranteed to make you cry

Let the sideshow begin (hurry, hurry)
Hurry, hurry, step right on in
Can’t afford to pass it by
Guaranteed to make you cry

See the man who’s been cryin’ for a million years,
So many tears (so many tears)

See the girl who’s collected broken hearts for souvenirs

It’s more exciting than a one man band
The saddest little show in all the land

So let the sideshow begin
Hurry, hurry, step right on in
Can’t afford to pass it by
Guaranteed to make you cry…

~Sideshow

by Blue Magic

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,”  ~Jesus

~Luke 4:18

The most rejected man on earth was Jesus..

The most mocked and laughed at person

That ever existed,

Was Jesus.

He came to earth knowing

What He was in for…

Knowing precisely

What He would go thru…

And He did it.

He Joyfully did it.

He went thru the rejection

For you.

He went thru the rejection

For me.

And He did it

HAPPILY!

“…He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross

Because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards;

And now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God.”

~Hebrews 12:2

“Greater love has no man

Than He lay down his life for his friends.”

~John 15:13 

He knew before the beginning of time

That we would need

A Saviour.

A Rescuer.

A Redeemer

From all of our

Mistakes,

Hurts,

And Wounds

That were inflicted on us

From ourselves,

And from others…

So He slipped out of Heaven

Where there was No Pain,

And entered a world

Where pain surrounded Him

And engulfed Him.

He GLADLY exchanged His Paradise

And grasped the demented world

So that if we would so choose,

We could have a Home with Him

In Heaven.

In Paradise.

So let the sideshow begin,

Hurry hurry,

Step right on in….

(God Loves You)

Read Full Post »

God’s Calling…

Photo by Malcolm Garret on Pexels.com

Are you tired?

Worn out?

Burned out on religion?

Come to me.

Get away with me

And you’ll recover your life.

I’ll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me,

And work with me,

Watch how I do it.

~Matthew 11 The Message Bible

So let God work His will in you.

Yell a loud No to the devil

And watch him scamper.

Say a quiet Yes to God

And He’ll be there in no time.

Quit dabbling in sin.

Purify your inner life.

Quit playing the field.

Hit bottom

And cry your eyes out.

The fun and games are over.

Get serious,

Really serious.

Get down on your knees before the Master,

It’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.

~James 4 The Message Bible

Casting all your cares,

All your anxieties,

All your worries,

And all your concerns,

All on Him.

For He cares about you

With deepest affection.

And watches over you very carefully.

~1 Peter 5 The Message Bible

Trust God from the bottom of your heart,

Don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do,

Everywhere you go.

He’s the One who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all.

~Proverbs 3 Amplified Bible

 God told them,

“I’ve never quit loving you

And never will.

Expect love,

Love,

And more love!

And so now,

I’ll start over with you,

And build you up again…

 You’ll resume your singing,

Grabbing tambourines

And joining the dance.

~Jeremiah 31:3 The Message Bible

Read Full Post »

The Piano Man…

Photo by Juan Pablo Arenas on Pexels.com

It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There’s an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin

He says, “Son can you play me a memory
I’m not really sure how it goes
But it’s sad and it’s sweet
And I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man’s clothes.”

Sing us a song you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feeling alright

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he’s quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there’s someplace that he’d rather be

He says, “Bill, I believe this is killing me.”
As a smile ran away from his face
“Well, I’m sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place.”

Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he’s talking with Davy, who’s still in the Navy
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes they’re sharing a drink they call “Loneliness”
But it’s better than drinking alone

Sing us a song you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feeling alright

It’s a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
‘Cause he knows that it’s me they’ve been coming to see
To forget about life for a while

And the piano it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, “Man, what are you doing here?”

Sing us a song you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feeling alright

~Piano Man by Billy Joel 

I love the honesty in the lyrics of Piano Man by Billy Joel.

As the Piano Man plays his songs

the average Joe opens up and starts sharing.

The stories are full of regret,

heartbreak

and loneliness.

The average Joe is you,

The average Joe is me,

The average Joe is my next door neighbor.

The grocery store is full of average Joes

and so is the cemetary.

The Piano Man is also an average Joe,

and he can relate to the stories

and life experiences

that are quietly told.

As the regular crowd shuffles in,

they give the Piano Man

a nod and a smile,

for they know him

and feel safe telling him their story.

I want to be a Piano Man to my neighbors,

and to anyone I run across.

But I can only be a Piano Man

if I am at first a friend.

So I pray and ask God to send me

the lonely,

the broken-hearted,

the ones that simply  need

a listening ear

and the touch of God

upon their hearts…

“Sing us a song you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we’re all in the mood for a melody (Touch of God)
And you’ve got us feeling alright…”

“Here am I God, send me”

~Isaiah 6:8

Read Full Post »

God-Of-Angel-Armies

Photo by Philippe Donn on Pexels.com

God has many names.

Many  names.

He is Jehovah Nissi,

My Victory.

Jehovah Rapha,

My Healer.

Jehovah Shalom,

My Peace.

Jesus called Him Father.

But lately,

We have needed

The God-of-Angel-Armies.

So that is the Name I cry out to.

We’ve needed a

Warrior God,

A Rush-To-Our-Defense-God,

 An I-Will-FIGHT-For-You-God.

And that is the name I call upon.

Whenever I cry out,

‘Oh God-Of-Angel-Armies come to our rescue!’

He Does.

I INSTANTLY feel His Presence.

Instantly.

We’ve felt such a need for a Redeemer,

For an All-Conquering,

All-Powerful,

Fearsome Warrior,

So I cry out and He is near…

I feel Him by my side…

Yes, the Holy Spirit dwells within me

and comforts me,

But He is also the one that quickens me

with the Name of God that we need for the moment.

And recently He has told me

God-Of-Angel-Armies…

Think of that name.

Lord-of-Hosts,

God-Of-Angel-Armies….

Angel ARMIES…

Mighty to Save…

All-Powerful!

CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH!!!

Who is like Him?

NO ONE!!! 

Not one single person or thing.

He is Great,

And Greatly To Be Praised.

That is the God I’ve been talking with lately.

That is the God I’ve been walking with lately.

That is the God Who has been showing me

situations, people and things around me

to pray about and to pray for.

He is the same God my mother used to pray to

and her mother used to pray to

and her mother’s mother,

and on and on.

With that legacy behind me

how can I not call out to

The Name Above All Names,

Who comes to our rescue?

God-Of-Angel Armies

is right by my side.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Read Full Post »

Priceless…

‘Try to stop Your Love, and You would wage a war

Try to take the very thing, You gave Your life for,

And You would come running, tear down every wall,

All the while shouting,

“My love you’re worth it all!”

No sin, no shame, no past, no pain

Can separate me from Your love,

No height, no depth, no fear, no death

Can separate me from Your love’

~Unstoppable Love

Kim Walker Smith

 Do you remember the scene in the ‘Last of the Mohicans’

Where Hawkeye is running to get Cora

And the drums are beating frantically in the background,

As he runs to rescue his love?

That is how God is towards you.

Do you know God Loves you?

Do you know God Enjoys you?

That God Listens to you?

And Hears you?

God Himself Sings over you?

Did you know that God Thinks about you all the time?

(All the time…)

‘His thoughts about you are more numerous than the sand on the seashore….’

(Psalm 139:18)

But No.

You probably didn’t know that.

And if you heard it before,

You just thought it was a kindly lie,

A pat on the back to make you feel better.

You’ve probably been told that even though you are a Christian,

God still holds your sins against you.

That He is counting up your wrong doings

One-by-one

As He holds His great Calculator-In-The-Sky,

That is adding up all your transgressions…

All your mistakes…

Listen. 

Let me tell you the Truth.

There is No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

God will Never speak condemnation to you.

He will only speak His Promises.

He doesn’t call you out.

He calls you up.

He calls you up to His Amazing Plans for you,

And He laughs while He is calling.

He laughs because His Great Plans for you

Are wrapped inside His Great Love for you….

His Great Love for you.

You.

You are Absolutely Priceless,

And how do I know?

Because the Price Jesus paid for you,

Is Greater than the universe itself..

“Try to stop Your Love,

and You would wage a war,

Try to take the very thing,

You gave Your life for,

And You would come running,

tear down every wall,

All the while shouting,

“My love you’re worth it all!”

 

Read Full Post »

The ONE that never leaves the one behind…

“If a man has a hundred sheep

And one of them wanders away,

What will he do?

Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others…

And go out to search

For the one that is lost?

~Matthew 18:12

(The ONE searches for you…)

~“But while he was still a long way off,

His father saw him

And was filled with compassion for him;

He ran to his son,

Threw his arms around him

And kissed him.

~Luke 15:20

(The ONE watches for you…)

~“He died not for men,

But for each man.

If each man had been the only man made,

He would have done no less.”

~C.S. Lewis

(The ONE cares about you…)

How do I find the word to tell you that GOD LOVES YOU????

 He tells us in Matthew that God LEAVES the ninety-nine

 to go look for the one…

He tells us in Luke that God watches intently for us to come home,

(And then goes on to say)

That God RUNS to us when He sees us returning.

 God runs…

Not just to the Who’s-Who,

But to you…

To you.

God is the ONE who never leaves the one behind.

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

God is not dead, nor doth He sleep…

‘Then pealed the bells, more loud and deep;

God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!

The wrong shall fail,

The right prevail;

With Peace on Earth,

Good Will to Men.’

‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“What’s that cut on your lip?”

Asked Clarence the Angel.

“What..this?”

Answered George Bailey.

“This is an answer to my prayer…”

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

~Frank Capra

The seventh stanza in the song,

‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’,

Written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,

Has always gripped me…

As I get older it grips me even more.

As I read the news…

And see the advancing army of evil,

Marching ever closer…

I remind myself of

Who God is.

Who GOD is.

‘Oh Lord my God,

When I in awesome wonder;

Consider all,

The worlds Thy Hands have made.

I see the stars,

I hear the rolling thunder;

Thy power through out,

The universe displayed.

Then sings my soul,

My Savior God to thee;

How Great Thou Art…

How Great Thou Art.’

‘How Great Thou Art.’

~Carl Gustav Boberg 

William Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the song,

‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’

After his wife had died from an illness…

After his son was killed during the Civil War…

And the country he loved was torn in half..

His heart was smitten.

Yet nevertheless,

After dealing with years of depression,

On Christmas morning of 1863,

He heard the church bells ringing,

Announcing the birth of the Messiah.

He picked up his pen and wrote;

‘And in despair, I bowed my head,

“There is no peace on earth, I said”;

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep,

God is Not Dead,

Nor Doth He Sleep!’

Despite all the tragedy in his life,

He was reminded of God’s Love.

He was reminded that God,

And God alone,

Was in control of the world;

By the sound of the

Church bells….

Church bells.

In the movie,

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’,

George Bailey was at the end of his rope.

His was a life filled with multiple frustrations.

All that he had worked for and tried to achieve,

Felt like it was in vain.

Then, at a climax point in the movie,

His enemies scorn him and start advancing towards him,

To demolish him;

And get rid of him once and for all.

George whispers a single prayer,

“Help me God…”

And the next thing you know,

A man at a bar swings and hits him in the lip.

George surmises that the cut lip,

Was his answer to prayer…

Little did he know that God was working,

In each and every tiny circumstance in his life,

For George’s better…

And for God’s Glory,

To be revealed at the end of the movie.

~One day it will be the end of my movie….

The end of my life.

Every once in a while I pause…

Tap my fingers….

Look out of my window…

And ponder about all that is currently going on in my life.

I simply cannot look at the part…

I must look at the whole.

The ears of my heart must listen to hear

The church bells ringing.

I must hear them announce,

That God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.

Whether or not I see the complete answer

To my prayers,

In this life;

I must see with the eyes of my heart,

I must listen with the ears of my heart…

I must see that God is working in each situation I am praying about….

My heart must hear the church bells ringing,

Knowing that God is in control of

‘My whole’,

Not just

‘My part’

That my physical eyes see.

I whisper a prayer for the situations that pain me,

And I trust.

Not in myself do I trust;

But in God…

The One Who is not dead,

Nor doth He sleep.

Read Full Post »

Letting Go…

I love this quote by Corrie Ten Boom;

“It is not my responsibility in what form God answers my questions for guidance.

That, is quite safe in His hands.”

This is a woman who was thrown into

a concentration camp during WWII.

What does she mean

“It is not my responsibility in what FORM God answers my questions for guidance?”

She is talking about herself…

She is talking about her own body,

Her own mind,

Her own spirit….

Isn’t she in control of herself?

But no!

She is saying God is in control

God is in control of her body,

God is in control of her mind,

God is in control of her spirit.

She reminds herself that

She is not her own.

She has been purchased with a

Mighty Price.

I forget this

Consequently I fight this.

Why do I pray and tell God what to do?

I give God options on how to answer my prayer

“Ok, God here is my request, You can answer it

This way, or this way, or this way.

My  natural self fights

And dismisses that

I am

Not

My

Own.

Self-Centered creature that I am.

In my heart I need to be under the

Benediction of God.

What does it take for a woman

That has been in a concentration camp

And has seen her family brutally killed by cruel guards

To utter those words up at the top of this page?

At what point did she trust God implicitly with her

Body, mind, and spirit?

Oh, how I long to give up my control of my life!

I want to run the race with One Goal in mind,

To Please God….

To Please God.

10,000 years from now

I want to look back on my little

Blip of life here on earth,

And smile.

I want to look back and see that

I trusted God.

Read Full Post »