"God gave to me exactly what I require, I am composed exactly as He planned, and all that He has, and has not, given me is for my good and His glory. Do not allow jealousy to consume you. Instead, live out joyfully the role for which you were created. For you are His workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus for good works, which He has prepared for and gifted you to do (Ephesians 2:10). Let that be enough for you today." ~ Alistair Begg

 

^"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." 

- Colossians 3:23-24 

You Will Never Walk Alone

 "Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will." 

 ~ Jonathan Edwards

  

 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10 

"Christians should live in the world, but not be filled with it. A ship lives in the water; but if the water gets into the ship, she goes to the bottom. So Christians may live in the world; but if the world gets into them, they sink." ~ Dwight L. Moody

 

  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” - Romans 12:2

"The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus means that one day everything sad will come untrue." ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

"The benefits [of the resurrection] are innumerable. To list a few: Our illnesses don't seem nearly so final; Our fears fade and lose their grip; Our grief over those who have gone on is diminished; Our desires to press on in spite of the obstacles is rejuvenated... Our identity as Christians is strengthened as we stand in the lengthening shadows of saints down through the centuries, who have always answered back in antiphonal voice: 'He is risen, indeed!'" ~ Charles R. Swindoll

"The resurrection is a fact better attested than any event recorded in any history, whether ancient or modern." ~ Charles Spurgeon

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe." - John 14:27-29 

 "Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will." ~ Jonathan Edwards

Therefore:

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 3:14 

Because God's Word says:

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." ~ Matthew 19:29

  And:

 "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” ~ Matthew 12:50

As the Year Ends, He Goes With You

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." ~Psalm 90:12

 

 "Time, like a river, carries us swiftly toward eternity--steer your soul well." ~ Thomas Brooks

"The best resolution is to die daily unto sin, and live wholly unto God." ~ Jonathan Edwards

"The new year reminds us that time is a talent to be stewarded, not squandered." ~ John Flavel

"The year is not your own, but lent to you by God. See that you spend it for His glory." ~ John Owen

 "Our days will flee away quickly, but eternity presses ever nearer." ~ John Owen

 "Heaven is nearer this year than last; let your soul be nearer too." ~ Samuel Rutherford

"The year ahead is a wilderness; walk it with the manna of God's Word." ~ Samuel Rutherford

 "Time is a precious coin--spend it wisely on heavenly treasures." ~ Thomas Watson

 "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."  ~ Ephesians 5:15-16

Watch Therefore, He Will Right All Wrongs

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." ~ Matthew 24:42

 "Thou that hast given so much to me give me one thing more, a grateful heart: not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if Thy blessings had spare days, but such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise." ~ George Herbert

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." - Colossians 4:2

 "It has always seemed to me. ever since early childhood, amid all the commonplaces of life, I was very near to a kingdom of ideal beauty. Between it and me hung only a thin veil. I could never draw it quite aside, but sometimes a wind fluttered it and I caught a glimpse of the enchanting realms beyond-only a glimpse-but those glimpses have always made life worthwhile." ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  And you know the way to where I am going.” -John 14:3-4

 "I am considering not how, but why, He makes each soul unique. If He had no use for all these differences, I do not see why He should have created more souls than one. Be sure that the ins and outs of your individuality are no mystery to Him; and one day they will no longer be a mystery to you. Your soul has a curious shape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular swelling in the infinite contours of the Divine substance, or a key to unlock one of the doors in the house with many mansions. All that you are, sins apart, is destined, if you will let God have His good way, to utter satisfaction. Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it — made for it stitch by stitch as a glove is made for a hand." ~ C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

"For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them."

~Psalm  139:13-16

 "Bless my family, kindred, friends and country, be our God and guide this day and forever for His
sake who lay down in the grave and arose again for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." - George Washington

 

"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." - Deut. 6:6-7

 "The future of this nation depends on Christian training of our youth. It is impossible to govern without the Bible." - George Washington

"By the middle of the 19th century, there were 246 universities in America of which seventeen were state institutions, with the remaining 229 rooted in the Christian church.  In 1782, Congress voted this resolution: 'The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.' It followed that every child in America up until 1963 received as their basic education biblical training, and yes, it was government sponsored. Central to all the early schools and colleges in America was Christian training first and foremost. For over a hundred years the New England Primer was the primary textbook for educators—second only to the Bible—with over five million copies in existence. It included the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Westminster Catechism, and more. True religion affords government its surest support."  - http://www.faithfromevidence.org/the-origins-of-public-education.html

~~~~~~~~~

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

~~~~~~~~

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." 'Psalm 32:8

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” - 1 Timothy 6:6-7

 "It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

"Whatever troubles come, let us play the man; let us show that we are not like little children cast down by what happens to us in this poor fleeting state of time. Our country is Immanuel's land, our hope is fixed in heaven, and therefore, calm as the summer's ocean, we will see the wreck of everything earthborn and yet rejoice in the God of our salvation." - Morning and Evening, by Charles H. Spurgeon

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:11-13

 "After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery

 

"...aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you," - 1 Thessalonians 4:11

God Creates Each Day

 "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. " -Psalm 100:1-5

Life's Simplest Things

 "Life's simplest things are love, and kindly

friends,

Nature's sweet charm of earth and sea

and sky;

Gladness of soul that with right living

blends--

Home's dear content, so cheap that all

may buy." ~ Ripley D. Saunders 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy...." -Matthew 6:19
 

Leaving Port in a Troubled Period

  "You are leaving port under sealed orders and in a troubled period. You cannot know whither you are going or what you are to do. But why not take the Pilot on board who knows the nature of your sealed orders from the outset, and who will shape your entire voyage accordingly? He knows the shoals and the sand banks, the rocks and the reefs, He will steer you safely into that celestial harbor where your anchor will be cast for eternity. Let His almighty nail-pierced hands hold the wheel, and you will be safe." ~ Peter Marshall

Words of wisdom from Bonhoeffer

"May God in His mercy lead us through these times; but above all, may He lead us to Himself." 

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

 "The messengers of Jesus will be hated to the end of time. They will be blamed for all the division which rend cities and homes. Jesus and His disciples will be condemned on all sides for undermining family life, and for leading the nation astray; they will be called crazy fanatics and disturbers of the peace. The disciples will be sorely tempted to desert their Lord. But the end is also near, and they must hold on and persevere until it comes. Only he will be blessed who remains loyal to Jesus and His word until the end."

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 "If I sit next to a madman as he drives a car into a group of innocent bystanders, I can't, as a Christian, simply wait for the catastrophe, then comfort the wounded and bury the dead. I must try to wrestle the steering wheel out of the hands of the driver."

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 " A providence is shaping our ends; a plan is developing in our lives; a supreme and loving Being is making all things work together for good." - F.B. Meyer 

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written,

'For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."   --Romans 8:28-39

 

 "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."

-Emily Bronte

"Oh Lord, how majestic are Thy works!...the earth is full of Thy riches."

-Psalm 104:24

 

 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23

"Surely there is something in the unruffled calm of nature that overawes our little anxieties and doubts: the sight of the deep-blue sky and the clustering stars above seem to impart a quiet to the mind." -Jonathan Edwards

Roe vs. Wade Overturned Today...ty Jesus!!!

 

 

"For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be."

-Psalm 139:13-16 

 

Worry or Worship

Crazy times right now... you can either:

 WORRY

OR

WORSHIP....

 

 Choose WORSHIP

 

"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 14:27

 

 "Christ comes as a thief in the night, & it is not for us to know the times & seasons which God hath put into his own breast.” Isaac Newton

"Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness...." 

- 1 Thess. 5:1-5

Supping with Our Savior

 "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'" -Luke 22:19

The Last Supper, by Ranier Maria Rilke

They are assembled, astonished and disturbed
round him, who like a sage resolved his fate,
and now leaves those to whom he most belonged,
leaving and passing by them like a stranger.
The loneliness of old comes over him
which helped mature him for his deepest acts;
now will he once again walk through the olive grove,
and those who love him still will flee before his sight.

To this last supper he has summoned them,
and (like a shot that scatters birds from trees)
their hands draw back from reaching for the loaves
upon his word: they fly across to him;
they flutter, frightened, round the supper table
searching for an escape. But he is present
everywhere like an all-pervading twilight-hour.

Here they are gathered, wondering and deranged,
Round Him, who wisely doth Himself inclose,
And who now takes Himself away, estranged,
From those who owned Him once, and past them
flows.
He feels the ancient loneliness to-day
That taught Him all His deepest acts of love;
Now in the olive groves He soon will rove,
And these who love Him all will flee away.

To the last supper table He hath led.
As birds are frightened from a garden-bed
By shots, so He their hands forth from the bread
Doth frighten by His word: to Him they flee;
Then flutter round the table in their fright
And seek a passage from the hall. But He
Is everywhere, like dusk at fall of night. 

Seek Wisdom from God, Not Man

Eerily, prophetically, & how wisely, CS Lewis wrote this nearly 70 years ago. But it could have been written today:

′′One young devil asked the old man: "How did you manage to bring so many souls to hell?" The old devil answered: "I instilled fear in them!" Answers the youngster: "Great job!

And what were they afraid of? Wars? Hunger?" Answers the man: "No, they were afraid of the disease!" For this youngster: "Does this mean they didn't get sick? Are they not dead? There was no rescue for them?"

The old man answered: "but no . . . they got sick, died, and the rescue was there." The young devil, surprised, answered: "Then I don't understand???" The old man answered: "You know they believed the only thing they have to keep at any cost is their lives.

They stopped hugging, greeting each other. They've moved away from each other. They gave up all social contacts and everything that was human! Later they ran out of money, lost their jobs, but that was their choice because they were afraid for their lives, that's why they quit their jobs without even having bread.

They believed blindly everything they heard and read in the papers.

They gave up their freedoms, they didn't leave their own homes literally anywhere. They stopped visiting family and friends. The world turned into such a concentration camp, without forcing them into captivity.

They accepted everything!!! Just to live at least one more miserable day . . . And so living, they died every day!!! And that's how it was very easy for me to take their miserable souls to hell..... ′′

C.S. Lewis - ′′ Old Devil's Letter To The Young ′′ 1942.

 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1

 " For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false...." 2 Thessalonians 2:11 

The Truth:

Don't be so afraid of dying, that you miss truly living...it is a gift from God!

Holding On To Him Whom Can Give Us Hope

Such troubling times we live in! I love this wisdom from J.R.R. Tolkien:

  “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.

“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

J. R. R. Tolkien — The Fellowship of the Ring

 

 When the world is shaken, we can still say we know where our hope lies!

  "Look for Christ and you will find Him. And with Him, everything else." ~C.S. Lewis

Christ is the Only Answer

 “Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strengths.”- Charles Spurgeon

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." -Matthew 6:25,27,34

 “Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.”  - Charles Spurgeon 

 

(artwork by Billy Jacobs)

O God, in Whom We Trust

"The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in need of and ready for a spiritual renewal." -Ronald Reagan

1. O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home.
2. Under the shadow of thy throne,
still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.
3. Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting, thou art God,
to endless years the same.
4. A thousand ages, in thy sight,
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night,
before the rising sun.
5. Time, like an ever rolling stream,
bears all who breathe away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
6. O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come;
be thou our guide while life shall last,
and our eternal home. 

-O God, Our Help in Ages Past, by Isaac Watts

Rest in Where Christ Has You

 "Just as the priest of old carried the names of the twelves tribes, so doth Jesus carry all his people on his heart; and that is where we are at this time." - Charles Spurgeon
"My soul, rest happy in thy low estate,
Nor hope nor wish to be esteem'd or great;
To take the impress of the Will Divine,
Be that thy glory, and those riches thine." -Charles Spurgeon

 

Without a Doubt, Give Me Jesus

"Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will." - Jonathan Edwards

"You contribute nothing to your salvation, but the sin that made it necessary." - Jonathan Edwards
 "Every believer stays his hope solely upon the work of Jesus. With regard to the past, the present, and the future, he finds rest in Christ."- Charles Spurgeon 
"I need not fear God's judgement, because God has judged my sins in Christ. I have come to Him not with a righteousness of my own, but in an awareness of my great need of Him." - Alistair Begg, Truth for Life

song Give Me Jesus, by Fernando Ortega

"In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

When I am alone
When I am alone
When I am alone, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

When I come to die
When I come to die
When I come to die, give me Jesus"

Resting in Faith in Christ

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." ~ Galatians 5:1

 "My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, HE is my righteousness. My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!" ~ Charles Spurgeon

Christ is our fullness

“You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.” ~Charles Spurgeon

“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness." ~Charles Spurgeon

 “We have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because the Lord is my shepherd.”~Charles Spurgeon

 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."~ Philippians 4:4

He is Risen Indeed!

"When we preach Christ crucified, we have no reason to stammer, or stutter, or hesitate, or apologize; there is nothing in the Gospel of which we have any cause to be ashamed." ~ Charles Spurgeon

 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...." ~Romans 1:16

Rejoice, I say, Rejoice!

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!   Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He...."~Zechariah 9:9

Merry Christmas Eve

Victorian Christmas Eve

"There is happy ado on the old farmstead as Yuletide draws nigh.
Wondrous things to savor as gales blow and snow begins to fly!
The tempest rages for days - they will surely be snowbound,
But a blazing fire warms the old home - love and cheer abound!

Since early in July Pa has had his eye on a special evergreen tree.
It now graces the parlor and they dance about it with glee!
Brightly lit candles adorn branches of the perfectly shaped fir.
'Neath lies the Babe - The Magi offering frankincense, gold and myrrh.

The boys have hefted armloads of wood from the ash tree grove,
For Ma and the girls to cook delectable fare on the wood-burning stove!
Titillating aromas waft from room to room in the gracious old house,
From the roasting goose, venison and tender prairie grouse!

Rusty the dog and Simba the cat lie snuggling near the fire.
The family gathers 'round the pump organ for an impromptu choir.
Bellowing off-key, Pa leads them in carols, all in spirited mirth,
And later by the hearth they hear Pa read about the Savior's Birth!

The ancient grandfather clock tolls ten - the kids are shooed to bed.
Ma and Pa place presents 'neath the tree in old Santa's stead!
With a twinkle in his eyes, Pa steals a kiss 'neath the mistletoe!
The excited kids scarcely snooze listening for Santa's Ho! Ho! Ho!"

~Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired 

  ""You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at His birth." 

~ Luke 1:14

No Better Gift than He

In the Bleak Midwinter

by Christina Rossetti

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,

Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;

Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,

The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;

But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,

Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Saved by His Sacrifice

"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." ~Ephesians 2:8-9

Always Being Prepared for Our Real Home....

"We shall be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes in the airing cupboard." ~ C.S. Lewis

 "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." ~Philippians 3:20-21

Yes, He Knows Us by Name!

 "But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you. ~ Isaiah 43:1-2

Thank you Jesus

        

Perspecitive Contentedness

"When we fail to see God's hand in our circumstances or when we contend with Him over His choices for our lives, we become candidates for emotional and spiritual depression." ~ Heart at Rest flip calendar by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." 
~Charles Dickens

 

"A frugal plenty should my table spread;

With healthy, not luxurious dishes fed;

Enough to satisfy, and something more

To feed the stranger, and the neighboring poor." ~John Pomfret

"...for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." ~Philippians 4:11

I Can Only Imagine...

                              

Thank you God, so very much, for Billy and Ruth Graham

  I watched, a bit earlier today, the funeral for Billy Graham. It was SO incredibly moving...such a testimony to Jesus Christ and His saving power! I think I bawled through most of it, not because of sadness that he is gone, (as I know he is home with Jesus and that he ran the race so wonderfully)...but I bawled out of pure joy for Christ, and all that He is and does for us, and that so many people came to Christ because of the witness of this one man's life here on earth. What a wonderful inspiration Billy Graham and his family are to me. The poem below, written by Ruth Graham at age 13 (who would later become his wife), was read at his funeral today:

 "Dear God, I prayed, all unafraid

(as we're inclined to do)

I do not need a handsome man

But let him be like You;

I do not need one big and strong

nor yet so very tall,

Nor need he be some genius

Or wealthy, Lord, at all;

But let his head be high, dear God,

And let his eye be clear,

His shoulders straight, whate'er his state,

Whate'er his earthly sphere;

And let his face have character,

A ruggedness of soul,

And let his whole life show, dear God,

A singleness of goal;

Then when he comes (as he will come)

with quiet eyes aglow,

I'll understand that he's the man

I prayed for long ago." ~Ruth Graham

~~~~

I grew up, hearing one of the highlights of my mom's life, was that in 1956, in Oklahoma City, she was part of the choir in the Billy Graham Crusade there. Even though my momma died in 1986, when I was a young adult, I still have her choir booklet from that Crusade; and how I cherish her words and memories of that event...it had touched her so much. Through my momma's own life, I was introduced to Jesus Christ, and Billy and Ruth Graham by extension. I still have my momma's early books written by Billy Graham. How I love my momma, and how through her witness, I came to know Christ, as well as grew up hearing and reading about, Billy and Ruth Graham, whom have discipled me with great wisdom from their books, writings, and his sermons.

 

 (Billy Graham Crusade, 1956, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

Billy and Ruth Graham are now reunited, and are with their Lord. I pray that many more come to Christ, through their witness, that continues on through their precious family, and all those around the world whom they have touched in so many lasting ways. For me, that beautiful couple will always be so special, and so loved. I thank them for all that they have imparted to my life...though unknown to them, they have touched my life deeply. Some people cross one's life and create a small ripple...others cross one's life and make an eternal impact. They were of the latter. I thank God for their Godly wisdom and devotion to His Word. When I became an orphan at age 26, unknown to them, I looked to them for that Godly wisdom...and they never let me down. Thank you God for this sweet couple, and their family that continues onward in Your name.