Maker Of Heaven And Earth

"...I tell you the truth if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." Matthew 17:20


Do you have any mountains in your life? I do! Illness, unsaved love ones, and insurmountable debt might be among those things that seem like "mountains" in our lives. Sometimes I even call them "my mountains". I pray, " LORD, please move that mountain, cure that impossible disease, save that one who does not know you or has walked away from you". The bible says that we need only to have faith as small as a mustard seed to move mountains. Surely I have that much faith but still these things remain, "my mountains".

Psalm 121:1-2 says, "I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." This morning I lifted my eyes to see, once again, the mountains in my life, those things that are immovable and out of my control. I prayed Lord please move this mountain! I say it again, "LORD, MOVE THIS MOUNTAIN" but as I lift my eyes "my mountain" still looms high against the horizon. What am I to think, as my heart becomes discouraged and I ask why? Today, the LORD whispers, "Trust me!" I hear your heart. "I AM the Maker of heaven and earth".

His Name

Thomas.....M.....Tyson the speaker from the podium announced in choppy, military fashion. I will never forget how we waited for his name to be called and how proud we were when we heard it.

At this, my dad, already frail from lung disease, rose to his feet. He was soon accompanied by a young soldier in his dress uniform and white gloves who stood respectfully in front of him. The young man raised his gloved hand to salute this old soldier who dutifully fought in World War 11 and on this occasion was being honored as a POW. Again the soldier's hand raised to salute this man who spent twenty six months in a POW camp.

I thought of this scene when I began to sing the chorus to the familiar song about the Lord's name, "Oh Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth". How majestic is his name! Can you feel the power in this phrase? As I thought about this song, I looked up the scripture and found it in Psalm 8:1. Oh, Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth. The King James bible renders it, "How excellent is thy name". Do you feel it? My heart is suddenly quickened as I hear his majestic name and I raise my hand to salute our majestic God.

　

Awesome Wonder

HOW GREAT THOU ART!
I dedicate this writing to my Mother whose favorite song is "How Great Thou Art"!

" O Lord my God. When I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have made." My eyes moistened as I sang the words to this familiar hymn, this morning at church. By the time we got to the chorus, my hand was up as a witness to His greatness. "Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee..... The cares I brought into the sanctuary this morning melted away as we sang with power, "HOW GREAT THOU ART, HOW GREAT THOU ART!"


Being caught up in my own worship, I suddenly began to notice the hands fly up as each was blessed by the beautiful words. My eyes went to a young woman who raised her hands, I'm sure with thankfulness for the new life that she carried within her. A friend raised her hand giving worship to the Lord that has sustained her during her husband's long illness. But the raised hand of one of our elderly saints grabbed my heart most and filled my heart with hope. With oxygen flowing, He had to be supported by his nurse as he determinedly stood to his feet. Though barely a whisper he sang with powerful conviction ..."When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation. And take me home what joys shall fill my heart." Instead of an open hand he raised his hand in a fist as if to declare victory as the words passed his frail lips. "Then shall I bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, MY GOD HOW GREAT THOU ART, HOW GREAT THOU ART!

Whether raising a young family, caring for the ill or facing the challenges of old age, He is still our Sustainer! My God, how great you are!

Fish Tales

Several years ago my husband and my dad went on a fishing trip to Canada together. My dad was just beginning to feel the effects of COPD which would eventually take his life. He was easily winded and had to rest often but enjoyed himself completely.


My husband tells of a time when he found my dad hanging on to the fishing pole for dear life. Dad had been fighting a very large Northern and was completely spent. When Larry came up to my dad, he asked him to take the pole for awhile and he did. The big fish, according to my husband, made giant circles and then would jump entirely out of the water, exposing his grand size. After a brief rest, my dad asked for the pole back and again started to fight the big fish. As before the Northern made his grand rounds, jumping up out of the water in all his splendor. It seemed the grand fish was tiring when he made one more round and again came out of the water with great force but this time he ceremonially spit the hook out of his mouth right in front of my weary dad. I'm sure this was a big disappointment for my dad but this is a favorite story that my husband fondly tells. My dad even enjoyed hearing the tale over and over again.


This year Dad has been gone twenty five years but his fish tales still linger and are told often. Before he died he accepted the Lord as his savior so I know that he is fishing on bank of a river somewhere in heaven today.


Happy Father's Day to my Dad in heaven and my dear husband.

　

Precious Memories

She is more precious than rubies. Proverbs 31:10

I thought, as I always do, about my Mom as I popped the bread into the toaster and prepared my hot chocolate. I remember watching Mom, as a kid, place a couple a dozen pieces of bread in the oven and at just the right time she would pull them out and turn them to the other side. She prepared cocoa, as we called it, with real milk and cocoa and, I can still see the toast piled high on the platter as a treat for us all. Memories as wonderful and warm as the delightful, chocolaty liquid still fill my heart every time I eat this "delicacy".

I once heard that if you are stressed or overwhelmed, you should sniff a box of crayons to take you back to those carefree, childhood days. Cocoa and toast is my ticket back to my Mother and a time less complicated.

This Mother's Day I will think of the times, when I was raising my kids, Mom would buy me just the right gift to lift my spirits. Many times it would be a special face cream, a fragrant bubble bath or some new perfume that would remind me that I was not only a wife and mom but a woman who needed to be pampered with such extravagances once in awhile. She always knew what would do that for me and I relish these fond memories as much as I still savor cocoa and toast.

At 89 years old, Mom hasn't made me toast and cocoa for awhile but she still gives me something nearly every time I see her to help a "girl" feel good about herself. I love her and praise God for her, not just because she is my mom, but because she sees the needs of the "little girl" in me, who still loves cocoa and toast.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!

His Face

We have a new granddaughter, her name is Harper Kensleigh and she is beautiful. She lives in New York so I have yet to hold her but I have seen her face a short time after she was born thanks to a wonderful feature on my iPhone, called Facetime. We were actually able to see her Daddy holding her, as tears came to his eyes he introduced us to this little miracle of God. All we could see was her little face peeking out of her cocoon of blankets. Oh, how I longed to kiss that tiny face, and will in a few days.
Face! Have you ever thought about how many ways we use the word face? How will we face tomorrow, she put a happy face on the situation or he had a long face. The bible is full of references to "face". The face of God or the presence of God is used, multiple times, like Numbers 6:25-26.
The LORD make His face shine on you. And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.
And Psalm 31:16 says;
Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness.
Everyone knows someone who has a perpetual sour face. The kind of face that looks like they just sucked on a lemon. On the other end of the spectrum, we know people who exhibit perpetual joy on their faces. I prefer the joyful face myself.

After being in the presence of God on Mount Sinai, Moses' face was radiant, the bible tells us in Exodus. It shined so bright that Aaron, his brother, and all the Israelites were afraid of him until he spoke to them. The bible says that each time Moses was with the LORD his face again would be radiant. I could do without the glowing face but I hope that my face and my life reflect the peace that comes from talking with God the Father and Jesus Christ each morning. Unfortunately, my "glow" sometimes leaves me as I face the crazy world we live in and the problems of just living. Again, like Moses, I must go to God to receive His light again.

O LORD God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.
Psalm 80:19
As I kiss the face of my sweet Harper Kensleigh, my prayer is that she will seek the face of God and that the God of her parents and grandparents will "Make His face shine upon her and save her with His loving kindness.

Two Mites!

As I walked into the church sanctuary, as usual, I glanced over the crowd to see if my daughter was there. When my eyes focused on her, she was as beautiful as ever, and I was proud of her courage! You might think that to be a strange thing to be proud of but I know the effort that accompanied this small miracle. You see my daughter suffers from bipolar 1 disorder and I know how hard it is for her to do the simplest thing, like even showering. Once a spontaneous young woman, she now has to plan every event of her life even going to church. Things
that once was second nature to her takes great effort. Even as I read things from her site this morning, I know that she has set it up to help others when she herself is a very dark time.

Yesterday she cried, as she shared her frustration at not being able to do all she wants to do for God. The ups and downs of her emotions prevents her from doing all she would like and in days past was able to do.

This made me think of a story in the bible that I knew but had not given a lot of though to until now.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,worth only a fraction of a penny.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything–all she had to live on." (Mark 12:41-44 NIV84)

I thought of how most of us give out of our abundance. Today I write out of the abundance of my soul. Even though I sometimes suffer from depression and I feel there is nothing I can give that could possibly make a difference, today comes easy but my daughter today would throw in her two mites as she is suffering greatly with depression.

How lovingly the Lord spoke of this widow who gave everything she had. How lovingly the Father looks upon my dear daughter as she sits in church with a smile on her face, ready to worship the only One who can help her through these dark days. How powerful is her witness to God's amazing grace!


Sent from Jeanie!