God Smiles

Everybody seems to like a smile. We thrill to a baby's first smile, we are uplifted by a stranger's smile and anticipate with joy the smiles that come with good news. Some days we yearn for just anyone who wants to share a smile!

It is said of some folks, that their smile lights up a room and still others, smile from their very soul. My son-in-law, John has such a smile! His smiles seem to come from the bottom of his feet and radiate throughout his very being. I love to see John smile and his giggles bless me even more. Nothing brings a smile to this loving dad's face, quicker than the sight of his two little girls.

Have you ever thought about God smiling? Can you picture the smile on the face of Jesus when we finally see Him face to face? The bible says we were made for God's pleasure! I cannot fathom the thought that we were created for HIS pleasure! Our Father in Heaven actually delights in us! Amazing isn't it?

The steps of the Godly are directed by the Lord, He delights in every detail of their lives. Psalm 37:23

He takes pleasure in those that honor Him; in those who trust in His constant love. Psalm147:11

May the Lord smile on you. Numbers 6:25

Smile on me, your servant; teach me the right way to live. Psalm 119:135

The Lord takes pleasure in his people. Psalm 149:4a

Like my son-in-law, John, nothing can bring a smile to Lord's face quicker than His children, you and I, who He loves! I just imagine that His Holy smile lights up all of heaven!

Dear Lord, smile on me, your servant and may I give you pleasure.

Do You Love Me? Yes? No? Circle one!

I found a book a few days ago that was filled with love! It was a book that was only a few inches in size but the love in it could not be measured. My daughter, Nealy at age 6 scrawled how much she loved me and would miss me when I went to the hospital to have my “babby”! I was pregnant at the time with my fourth child and I am sure she was thinking of the days that I would be gone from her and her sisters. She pledged to help her dad while I was gone and to help me when I came home. And at the end she wrote “Do you love me? Yes? No? Circle one!” Of course I circled “yes”!

This morning, I hold in my hands another book filled with love! It is God's word! I hear many people say that the bible is so hard to read but when you take the time to read it you will find how much God loves us. I love to read the “love” chapter in 1 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 it tells of a love that is patient, kind. A love that is not proud or dishonoring, not selfish, easily angered or a keeper of records of wrongs. Verse 13 says; And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

….For God is Love. 1 John 4:8

We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. Romans 8:38

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

The scriptures on “love” are too numerous to put here today but believe me they tell me that the God of the Bible is the God who is LOVE!

And God says to each of us, “Do you love me? Yes? No? Circle one!”

 

 

May God's grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 6:24

 

 

Be Careful For What You Pray!

O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abondon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. Psalm 71:17-18

Loving and making Psalm 71:17-18 my life verse, I decided several weeks ago that I needed to start praying more indepth for my grandchildren. Not that I had not prayed for them before, but I needed to be more purposeful about it. I prayed for immediate needs but also their future needs. I prayed that they would know the Lord and do His will always.

I few weeks ago my grandaughter Catherine Grace was called to be a missionary in Ecuador for over two years. Yikes! Did I pray for that? Yes, I prayed that my grandchildren do the Lord's will but forgot to mention I wanted it to happen close to home. What would we do without our sweet Cati? It all sounded good for someone elses grandaughter but not mine. Being the fair minded woman that I am I decided to pray the ole “open door” prayers. You know the one. Lord, open doors if it is your will but close them if it isn't. Only my prayers went something like, “open doors if it is your will (which I am sure it's not) but close doors if it isn't your will”. But still the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach persisted!

I even took it upon myself to spread my wisdom and tell Cati of my lingering doubts in a message. I let her know that if she didn't feel peace she could call this whole thing off! She answered me back with “I feel at peace and know that this is what God wants me to do”! She ended her message with “I love you, Mama”

Now, what's a girl to do? I started to pray in a whole new way! I praised God for the opened doors and for the dedication of my dear grandaughter. And finally I felt peace! Will I bawl my eyes out when she leave? Certainly! Will I miss her like crazy? Oh, yeah! Do I know that Cati is in the will of God? Yes! Thank you, God for the answers to my prayers for my sweet Catherine!

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct I love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

Te Amo Cati!

Are You Salt or Tofu?

I don't consider myself a salt-aholic but there are certain things I have to have salt on, like tomatoes and chicken. It wasn't until I was put on a “no salt” diet in the hospital that I began to grasp the importance of salt! The diet technitians brought me beautiful menus with scruptious sounding meals on them but they were all missing one important ingredient....you guessed it, salt! No matter how much I tried to force the food down, it was still tasteless!

The bible calls “us” “Christians” the salt of the earth. In other words, our message is what gives the world its flavor. Have you ever thought of yourself as the seasoning to the world around you? The bible says we should be, just that. But all too often, instead of a good taste, I am afraid we leave a sour taste in the mouth of people we want to win to the Lord or even worse, no flavor at all.

I am told that tofu is tasteless and bland but takes on the flavor of whatever foods it is cooked with. Am I tofu instead of salt? Do I become so bland that I take on the flavors of the world around me instead of my own unique flavor?

We should be people of integrity and depth, compassion and generosity. We should not be gossiper or liars, or cheat on our taxes.  We should not be rude or unkind.  In Matthew 5 we are told that salt that has lost its flavor is useless.

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. Matthew 5:13

As I live my life I don't want to be useless or worthless in God's economy. I want to spread His love and flavor my surroundings with His wonderful Grace. But can I do this in my own strength? No! It is only God working in me that could ever dare to make a difference in our world.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  2 Corinthians 12:9

As you crunch on a salty chip or take a bite of a salty pickle think of how we are supposed to enhance the flavor of our world. Are we the salt of the earth or are we the tofu of the world taking on the flavors around us?  But don't be overwhelmed by such a task, remember from whom we receive our “saltiness”!

Pray Without Ceasing!

How often do most people pray? Do we pray weekly at church, when a crisis rears its ugly head, or maybe daily? The bible tells us to pray continually! We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to“pray without ceasing”. In other versions it says “pray continually”, “pray constantly” and “never stop praying”.

Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray on all occassions with all kinds of requests, to be alert and always keep praying. We are told that all the disciples prayed constantly in Acts 1 and Philippians 4:6, one of my favorite verses, emplores us not to be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present our requests to God! And Romans 8:26 tells us if we are weak and do not know what to pray, the Spirit HIMSELF will pray for us. He understands our groans.

I found so many that there is not time nor space to write all the scripture here that pertained to prayer.

So because of all the scripture that makes it abundantly clear that prayer is important, if not vital to a relationship with the Lord, I thought it was definitely worth considering. Is having my prayer time in the morning not enough? According to scripture, our prayers are to be continual even after we rise from our knees in the morning. More than morning and night, more than Sunday or even Wednesday night prayer meeting we are to carry on a conversation as if He were right beside you. For He is but a breath away He lives within us.

If you thought He was that close;

Would you praise Him for the smell of fresh cut grass, the perfection of a rose or the coo of a mourning dove?

Would you whisper a quick thank you at hearing a child giggle or praise him for the softness of a baby's face?

Would you raise your hand in gratitude for the cool breeze on a hot summer day or the smell of rain in the air?

Would you share with Him how thrilled you were to hear your grandbaby call you Gramma?

Would you ask him what he thought of the rudeness of the waitress and would you feel checked to pray for her?

Would you praise him for the way a cool drink of water quinches your thirst or how homemade ice cream delightfully slides down your throat giving you a “brain freeze”?

Would you thank him for the love you felt when you heard your husbands voice? And praise Him for your years together?

Would you breath in the Word of God like it was an expensive perfume and quietly say with tears in your eyes, “Thank you precious Lord”?

Would you lift up that child you passed on the street with the ragged clothes and mussed up hair? Would you pray for his soul?

Would you ask God to comfort the old man who rambles the halls of the nursing home mumbling to himself?

Would you pray for your enemies?

We must learn to talk with Him continually as if He were a breath away because He is! It might take practice but start today!

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING! 1 Thessalonians 5:17

"See Ya at the House"!

I have been painting our house room by room for the last few weeks. As I proceeded mindlessly at my task I have had various media to keep me company. Last night I turned on my old VCR to play some Southern Gospel music. Okay, I have been found out! I love the old hymns they sing with the southern flavor.  I love the songs that belong uniquely to that genre. I have my favorite singers as well as my favorite songs. As I looked through my collection of videos, I found one entitled "Heaven". Many people in the video described what they thought heaven would be like, mostly based on scripture but some based their opinion on what a "perfect" place would look like in their mind.

One said it would be a "complete" place that included the beauty of all the seasons at once. One who sat in a wheel chair, instead of dreaming of walking, dreamed of a place of "freedom" and perfect peace.

Several thought that it was a place where, maybe after a rest, God would put us to work. I suppose if you were a carpenter you would never hit your finger with a hammer or have to recut a board. If you were a painter of pictures every color would blend together perfectly or a painter of houses would not need to clean the brushes or the spatters you accidentally dropped on the floor. Cakes would always turn our moist and rise to perfection, musicians would never hit a flat note, and gardens would have no weeds.

When my grandson Caleb, a college Sophomore, was asked some time back, what he thought heaven would be like, he told of a childhood notion that in heaven there would be a Bob Evans restaurant on every corner. When asked why he would think such a thing, he didn't really know, but when I heard this I recalled that as a little boy he called the "favorite" restaurant of Larry and I "Bob Heavens". I laughed as my granddaughter Cati told him that at least he could imagine a Starbucks on every corner instead of the big red barn that was not at all a place where teenagers would hang out.

When saying goodbye to someone he might not see again, one man would always say "See ya at the house" referring to his heavenly home. I like that! Though many varied about the details of heaven most referred to it as going home. I think that while we are young, we give heaven little thought but as we age there is a seed of homesickness that begins to grow inside each of us. Heaven becomes sweeter and the thought of death loses it's sting.

I plan to see all my grandchildren, from the oldest to the youngest, marry, have children of their own and find their place in this world as followers of Jesus. I plan to have pancakes at Bob Evans every chance I get and kiss baby heads as long as my children keep having new ones. I want to listen to Southern Gospel music until my VCR breaks down and raise my hands to "Amazing Grace" for the next thirty years but if perhaps God wants me sooner "See ya at the house"!

Taken from an earlier writing in this blog.


Sent from Jeanie!

Big Lap!

Today I trudged out to my prayer chair even though it was wet because of the rain the night before. I positioned my coffee, my bible, my journal and was ready for my devotions. I held my coffee in one hand my books on my lap and a pen handy so I could write my thoughts. Before long Lucy climbed up on my lap and tried to slip between my books and my body, making paw prints on me, my books and my bible. I adjusted all these things and finally gave up my coffee to hold my books and Lucy. It wasn't long before two cats joined Lucy and that meant that something had to go. Oh, how sweet they were, all trying to get my time and attention. I love each one of them including Daisy who lays at my feet groaning every so often. How could I decide who to get rid of? After all hadn't I come out there to be with God? I had even thanked God for these same lap invaders just a few minutes before they came. I tried to juggle everything, holding my bible up over their heads. I tried to write with my journal placed on their backs but they didn't hold still. My thoughts had been taken over by my precious friends. Finally I decided that my time with God was too valuble to spend it trying to fit him in so we adjusted things. My lap was off limits for the time being so Lucy found her place beside me. The cats grew tired of the constant maneuvering so they were content sitting on the table beside me. I again could focus on God and what he had for me today. I find myself so occupied with my surroundings, my problems, my hurts and conflicts that my lap isn't big enough for God. I sit, holding my pain, instead of setting it aside to let God come closer. While I try to concentrate on his truths other things crowd in, even good things. Lord, I clear my heart, life and lap to let you come and sit with me.

Over three years ago, I posted this, as one of my first writings.  From that day on, the Lord brought so many things to my mind that I would scrawl out and eventually post on my blog.  But lately, it seems, I have to strain to even write a word.  I have gone through "writers block" before but I have felt utterly dry in my spirit for the last few months.  I have at times written three post a week but it is very hard to squeeze just one out a week as of late. 

I love writing!  I love telling what the Lord is doing in my life as well as others but I seemed to just run out of "me"!  I have asked for forgiveness if I have been prideful or offensive in any way but found no relief.  I have asked God why, when I had more "reads" than ever would He stop the flow of my words?  Not only was I not able to write but my eyesight has declined and my ability to focus on what I am reading has diminished. 

As I went to my journal today, I came across a scripture that I had written there.  Phil 1:6.

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.  Phil 1:6

I rejoiced over His words to me today!  No matter in what manner I will serve Him, He has promised to see me through.  I don't know if it is writing this blog or maybe something else but He will be with me forever.  Amen

I ask you, my faithful readers, to pray for me and for what the Lord has for me to do for Him because He wants to "carry me on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ"!