The Lord's Memorial Day

Memorial day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. It traces its roots back to 1868 when General John Logan, of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared May 30th as a day of remembrance. In December of 2000, Congress passed a resolution which asks all Americans “to voluntarily and informally observe a Moment of Remembrance and respect,” at 3:00 local time. Tomorrow is the official Memorial Holiday, but many people see it as just a 3-day weekend. For those who have lost someone because of war or military action, it means much more than a day off. In fact, every American ought to recognize this day in honor of those who spilled their blood to make America what she is today--free, strong, and a nation worth fighting for. Because men have died for this country, we have the right to spread God’s word freely. We have the right to live at peace in our own homes. We have the right to pursue peace, prosperity and happiness. Memorial Day is a time when we remember a sobering fact: The Cost of Freedom is Blood.

Once a year we observe Memorial Day. But for the Christian, every week is a celebration of the Memorial of Christ. Jesus fought the armies of Hell so that we can be set free. For the Christian, every Sunday is a Memorial Day.On the Lord’s Memorial Day, we can’t help but think of a big“If Only.” “If only we had not sinned He would not have had to die.” The truth is, we are to blame. When we come to the Lord’s Memorial, we stand before a mirror and face the truth in Romans 3:23: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Today as well as every day, let's remember to do these three things:

1-Mourn the loss of the body of Christ
2-Remember the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus
3-Give heartfelt thanks for His sacrifice.

'God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.'
(Matthew 5:10 NLT)

Prayer For Today

Dear God of Love, God of Peace,

This fractured world cries out in pain. It burns deep into my soul and challenges me to make a difference. God of Love, God of Peace, God of this world, we are scarred by grief, tears, ignorance and fear. Soften our hearts of stone, Lord, beginning with mine. God of Love, God of Peace create within me a heart for people and a sincere desire for change and new beginnings.  In your precious and Holy name I pray. AMEN.

Strength for Today

In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge.... Psalm 57: 1

Like a little child in trouble, I searched for a place to hide, until the storms of life would pass me by. But no place I found was deep enough, strong enough, safe enough, to shield me from danger. Only the shadow of your wings, dear Lord, could provide the shelter I require. There are days I feel so sad and blue wondering why some things happen and what I shall do. I think about your wonderous love as I seek guidance from up above. I try to think of them as little life lessons and believe that when all is done you will bestow on me many blessings. Endurance is something I am trying to acquire so that each day you will lift my spirits higher.

God Bless

God Gives Hope for Happiness

Many times I hear people say....I just want to be happy that's all. They want to be happy in their jobs, their marriage, or just life in general. In fact, it is what everyone is in search of but not everyone finds. Of course, Psychologists say that people need three things to make them happy. First of all they need something to do. Secondly, they need something to love. Finally, they need something to look forward to. I think Scripture agrees with this. However, to be truly happy and satisfied we must make sure that we are doing the right thing, loving the right thing, and looking forward to the right thing. The passages before us, John 14: 1-21, as well as many others in Scripture show us what to do, what to love and what to look forward to.

Reading of God's Word:

1 “Don’t be troubled. Believe in God, and believe in me.2 My Father’s house has many rooms. If that were not true, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you?3 If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again. Then I will bring you into my presence so that you will be where I am.
4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going. So how can we know the way?”6 Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.
7 If you have known me, you will also know my Father. From now on you know him through me and have seen him in me.”8 Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will satisfy us.”9 Jesus replied, “I have been with all of you for a long time. Don’t you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I’m telling you doesn’t come from me. The Father, who lives in me, does what he wants.
11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe me because of the things I do.12 “I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father.13 I will do anything you ask the Father in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son.
14 If you ask me to do something, I will do it.15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever.
17 That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.18 “I will not leave you all alone. I will come back to you.19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. You will live because I live.20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father and that you are in me and that I am in you.
21 Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father’s love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them.”

Everyone needs and wants something to do! There are a lot of things that we can do to make us happy, but if there is one thing we fail to do we will never be satisfied! Jesus Christ gives us what we need to do to find true satisfaction which will lead not only to happiness but joy unspeakable and full of glory!

 Apart from a trust and faith in Christ no one will ever find true joy or satisfaction! We must have confidence in Him as our Lord and Savior.

Jesus let’s us know that after we believe in Him there is still something to do--WORK
You and I have the privilege to be servants and ambassadors of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Telling others about Jesus involves work. Training and discipling Christians takes work. Raising and nurturing our children takes work. Working for the Lord is not a burden, but it is a blessing! We have the opportunity to make an eternal and spiritual difference in mankind! We also have the wonderful privilege to ask from Christ. When we ask things in His name and in His will He will fulfill those requests! Asking in Christ’s name means that we would ask what He would ask, and what would bring glory to Him.You can’t properly ask in His name without knowing His nature. He will provide for us everything that we need that pertains to life and godliness! He will give us the tools necessary to accomplish His purposes!
Christ has given us many commands to obey. He has told us to live holy lives. He has told us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but do it even more so as we see the day approaching. He has told us to preach the Gospel to every creature. He has told us to provoke one another to love and good works. He has told us to build one another up. He has told us to glorify Him.

To be happy we must have something to do. We will do what we think will make us happy. The reason some do more physical things than spiritual is because they think the physical will bring more happiness. However the physical things we do are only temporary and will fade away; our happiness will fade right along with it. We need to do the spiritual: pray, witness attend church, etc.

Not only does everyone need something to do, but everyone needs something to love! Some are in love with money to try to find happiness, but the love of money is the root of all evil and many have pierced themselves through with many sorrows going after it. Some are in love with things to try to find happiness. But they find that things will never satisfy. Jesus said that the 2 greatest commandments involved love! We are to love God with all of our heart, all of our soul and with all of our mind! We are to love our neighbor as our self! An individual that is not in love with God and not in love with his neighbor is an individual who does know about true happiness!

Our Love for God Produces Obedience! Don’t sing Oh, how I love Jesus and live in disobedience to Him! We show Christ how much we love Him, by how much we obey Him. Jesus stresses over and over again in these verses that those that truly love Him, are those that live their lives according to His will. They love Him so much that they realize that He has their best interest at heart and are willing to SURRENDER to His will!  If we love God we will also love those He has made, those created in His image!

God’s Love for us Produces Comfort & Communion. He let His disciples know that He would send them and us the Comforter. The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts to: comfort us, convict us, and to encourage us. What wonderful words Jesus shares with His disciples and words of great comfort for us as well. We are in Him and He is in us! Jesus also tells us that His Father will love us, He will love us and He will manifest Himself to us! Christ loves us and shows Himself to us in His Word and through His Spirit. What wonderful news that we can have something to love; someone to love that loves us more than anything or anyone else could! Money doesn’t love us, things do not love us, immorality doesn’t love us! God does!

Something to Look Forward To. Not only does everyone need something to do, someone to love, but everyone also needs something to look forward to! Do you want to be truly Happy?
Find something to do--Trust in Jesus as your Savior and get busy for Him
Find someone to love--Love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Find something to look forward to--Look forward to Christ’s return, and spending eternity with Him!

Happiness is only a moment away for everyone. Let us all work for the good of Christ and be happy in him! Show kindness and love to everyone and the world here on earth will be a happier, more peaceful place for us all.

God Bless

Heart

You shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart, and with all your

soul, and with all your mind. This is

the greatest and first commandment.

Matthew 22: 37-38

My prayer for today:

Lord, I want to love you with all my heart, soul, and mind as you commanded, but there are times when, although my heart feels full of love for you, my mind goes wandering down another path. My very soul feels heavy and weary some days, not as light as it should be if it's only carrying love instead of the world's burdens. Help me to let you lighten my load, Lord. Unite my heart, soul, and mind as they were once at my birth so I may then again be wholly focused on loving you. Amen.

God Bless

Mother's Day

Mothers are teachers. Mothers are disciplinarians. Mothers are cleaning ladies. Some mothers are gardeners & mowers of lawns. And most mothers understand that baking cookies is more important than washing windows, too.

Mothers are nurses & doctors & psychologists & counselors & chauffeurs & coaches. Mothers are developers of personalities, molders of vocabularies, & shapers of attitudes. Mothers are soft voices saying, "I love you." And mothers are a link to God, a child’s first impression of God’s love.

Mothers are all of these things & much, much more.

One of my favorite columns by Erma Bombeck tells of God in the act of creating mothers. She says that on the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime. And an angel said to Him, "Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one."

The Lord turned & said, "Have you read the specs on this model? She is supposed to be completely washable, but not plastic. She is to have 180 moving parts, all of them replaceable. She is to have a kiss that will heal everything from a broken leg to a broken heart. She is to have a lap that will disappear whenever she stands up. She is to be able to function on black coffee & leftovers. And she is supposed to have six pairs of hands."

"Six pairs of hands," said the angel, "that’s impossible." "It’s not the six pairs of hands that bother me." said the Lord, "It’s the three pairs of eyes. She is supposed to have one pair that sees through closed doors so that whenever she says, `What are you kids doing in there?’ she already knows what they’re doing in there."

"She has another pair in the back of her head to see all the things she is not supposed to see but must see. And then she has one pair right in front that can look at a child that just goofed & communicate love & understanding without saying a word."

"That’s too much." said the angel, "You can’t put that much in one model. Why don’t you rest for a while & resume your creating tomorrow?"

"No, I can’t," said the Lord. "I’m close to creating someone very much like myself. I’ve already come up with a model who can heal herself when she is sick - who can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger - & who can persuade a nine year old to take a shower."

Then the angel looked at the model of motherhood a little more closely & said, "She’s too soft." "Oh, but she is tough," said the Lord. "You’d be surprised at how much this mother can do."

"Can she think?" asked the angel. "Not only can she think," said the Lord, "but she can reason & compromise & persuade."

Then the angel reached over & touched her cheek. "This one has a leak," he said. "I told you that you couldn’t put that much in one model." "That’s not a leak," said the Lord. "That’s a tear."

"What’s a tear for?" asked the angel. "Well it’s for joy, for sadness, for sorrow, for disappointment, for pride." "You’re a genius," said the angel. And the Lord said, "Oh, but I didn’t put it there."

God did create a special person when he created Mother's as well as when he created Fathers. Often times it takes both parents to make the child rearing experience to work.

Being a parent is not easy. Sometimes it is filled with joy & sometimes with sadness. Sometimes your children make you so proud you want to pop your buttons. At other times you can’t find enough handkerchiefs to dry your tears.

What good is it if our children are successful in making money, & driving fine automobiles, & living in good neighborhoods, but they don’t know God? What does it matter if they gain the whole world, but lose their souls?

My prayer for today:

Dear Heavenly Father, you have blessed us with two beautiful children: a boy and a girl. I pray that as they go through this life that we have engraved the proper values, morals, and formed the character that you would be proud of Lord. We have brought them up to know you and tried our best to teach right from wrong. But even though we have done these things in your name, we need you to continue to guide their steps onto the right path reminding them you are always with them. Fill them with your peace, grant them your mercy, and lead them in your ways. In your name I pray, amen.

God Bless

Love One Another

I was listening to my favorite Christian band of all time, Mercy Me. They have a song that really speaks to me so much that I listen to the song on a daily basis. The song says: Call me crazy but what if we learn to love our brother for nothing in return? Oh how the rules would change. Reaching out to the ones who need help treating them as you first would treat yourself. Now that would be insane. It may just be crazy enough to work if we could only love. What if we somehow changed the world? It may just be crazy enough. Is it so strange to think that one day we will truly see everyone the same. Oh could we be so kind? To sing along when life's playing their tune and cry with them when their hearts are broken in two. Have I lost my mind? It may just be crazy enough. Have I gone mad believing love still has a chance?

 The Bible instructs us about love through the following verses:

Dear friends, we must love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, because God is love. God has shown us his love by sending his only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins. Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love each other. No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God lives in us, his love is perfected in us. We know that we live in him and he lives in us because he has given us his Spirit. We have seen and testify to the fact that the Father sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God lives in those who declare that Jesus is the Son of God, and they live in God. We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God’s love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 John 4:7-16 GNT

My prayer for today:

You have touched me with your love, God. The result is love flowing through me to others. I pray for everyone to know that you do not love us so that we can hoard your love for ourselves. You desire that we pass it on to others. By spreading the joy of your love, we improve the lives of those around us--and our own lives in the process. Amen.

God Bless

Amazing Grace

Let me just start off by saying that I am a sinner as we all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of the God. There have been many times in my life where I have been disgusted my own free will. As much as each person knows right from wrong, we do not always make the "right"choices. When that happens we are to fall on our knees and ask for his forgiveness. Afterwards, we get up, dust ourself off, and remember that he created us in his own image. We should, therefore live our lives so that others can see Christ's light shining through us. I am always reminded of the following verse:

 

My Grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.

2 Corinthians 12:9

My prayer for today:

Heavenly Father, Grace, AMAZING grace is your gift to me. Though I am a sinner, you have saved me from eternal death. You have shown me your mercy and forgiveness. Because you have pardoned my sins, I am a new person in your eyes, Lord. You shower me with your favor and bless me daily. Though I am weak, your grace lives in me and strengthens me. How did I merit such love? Thank you for your unlimited kindness. I will do my best to live every day with the view that you love me beyond measure. That alone is enough for me. Amen.

Never Alone Poem

Love like a hurricane

Grace like rain

Unlimited compassion

Strength from pain

Repent every sin

Forgiveness your reward

Blessings beyond measure

When we obey his word.

Patience and kindness abound

Once I was lost, now I'm found

The ultimate sacrifice was made

Jesus's death on the Cross paid

Heaven is waiting for me above

Salvation given through God's love

One day this will be written in stone

Be comforted that you'll never be alone.

Wrote this poem today as I felt inspired.

Prayer

I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future....my Blessed Redeemer and Lord of all, Jesus Christ. It seems like we always have our calenders out planning what we are going to be doing from week to week or month to month. For instance, I know next weekend is Mother's Day. I plan to see my Mom and my Mother-in-law. The next weekend I plan on being in Oklahoma for a retreat. That next week I am moving my daughter home from college and so on. We have it all planned out....but what if God has different plans? His calender may look totally different from mine. The truth is that God has his own plans for our life. We can choose to listen or not listen. In my experience, when we don't listen or we say "You know, God, not right now. I got to do this first but when I'm finished with that I will do it." Hmmm, I find that at this point he does something to get our attention like you would expect your Father to do. Today I am saying this prayer to remind myself that I am not in charge of my destiny. It is God who determines my plans for tomorrow.


Lord, it is hard to keep from projecting too far into the future. I begin to worry about things that I can neither determine nor change. You have promised to be a light unto my feet. That light lets me see where to take my next step but doesn't give me the full view of the path stretching in front of me. I know I can trust you to take me into the future one step at a time. Please give me the strength, wisdom, and direction enough for today, Lord, and I'll leave the future up to you.


God Bless

My Wish for You

May the stars shine brightly to light your way. May the moon smile down on you today. May God's many blessings cover you like the rain. May each droplet cure your every pain. May you find true happiness when there is none. May you realize your battles have already been won. You are such a special gift from up above. May you always feel the warmth of my love.


I wrote this poem for a dear friend of mine that suffers from several different illnesses. My mom enjoyed it so much that I decided to post it here.


God Bless