A Transforming Image

Published on by Joan Category: Devotions

Transforming

I have been blessed in my life to have known and currently know some very Godly women.   Women with gentle, loving spirits that let you know immediately they are children of God.   Women who are always encouraging and who glow with joy no matter what circumstance they may be going through.  Women whose conversations always include the awesomeness of God.  Women whose prayers make me feel like we are sitting in our living rooms having a personal talk with our wonderful Lord.   I have been blessed, indeed, with the wonderful example they have been to me.

I have found myself on many occasions praying for God to help me have the kind of gentle spirit that those ladies have.   I’ve prayed for God to help me be a Godly woman like those other ladies so that when people see me, they see Christ.  I want to portray the joy of the Lord in all I do like I’ve seen them do.

Then I realized I have it all wrong.

It was one Sunday morning when we began a new unit in Sunday School on Transformation.  In the very first lesson I had this “Aha” moment.  Like a smack right up side my head.  Know what I mean?

As wonderful and Godly as those women are, I shouldn’t be praying to be like them.  They are not the ones I need to be transformed into the image of.  Instead of praying to have the characteristics and mannerisms they have, I need to be surrendering and praying for God to transform me into HIS image.

I’m not saying that I have never heard before that I am supposed to be more like Christ every day.  God’s Word tells us that we are.  I guess, though, I have looked at others and have admired the way they seem to be so close to the Lord.  And it is good for people to be Godly examples for all to see.  But ultimately, we all are to keep our eyes on our Lord and determine to allow the Holy Spirit to have full control over our thoughts, actions and entire life so we can look more like Christ.

I think it’s hard for us as women not to compare ourselves with others.  We look at ladies we think have it all together and find ourselves either trying to measure up to them, or we crumple down in defeat because we feel so inferior and unable to be like them.  I have found, though, that even some of the ladies I thought had it all together, were quick to tell me how much of a mess they really felt like they were.  That it was only by the strength of the Lord they were able to do anything.

And that’s the key.  We realize that in and of ourselves, we are nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  But God!  When we allow the Holy Spirit living within us to have control, we will be striving to bring glory and honor to Him.  And when we are living through His power, when our eyes are focused on Him, the love and presence of God will be evident in the things we do.

We can be grateful that God puts other Godly women in our lives to encourage us and to be our mentors.  We need that and we need each other.  I know that I do.  But allow me to encourage you to stop comparing yourself to others that you may think are perfect.  Let’s start focusing more on the awesomeness of God and allow Him to live out through us.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

Dear Heavenly Father, as I contemplate Your glory, transform me more each day into Your Holy image.  May I be a reflection of Your glory to those around me, not so that they will see me and desire to be more like me.  No, Father, but that they will see You and long to be drawn closer to You just as I long to be closer to You each moment.  Thank You Father, for the presence of Your Holy Spirit to guide our steps.  May we continually relinquish control of our lives into Your hands for Your glory.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

 

Commit To Submit

Published on by Joan Category: Devotions

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!​​

Delight

We recently had a retreat for the ladies who are part of the Encouragement Café team.  The heart’s desire of these ladies is to write devotionals that uplift God and offer encouragement to everyone who reads them.  But just like all women, we struggle with the busyness of life.  We juggle full time jobs or with being full time moms. There’s chores to do, family members to take care of, etc.  We’re just busy.  And it has affected the number of devotionals we are able to submit.

Sometimes I think that beside the definition of “woman” in the dictionary, it should say: “Female person of the human race who stays busy at fulfilling everything related to the needs of the rest of the human race.”

Getting back to my point (instead of ranting), our wonderful leader Luanne, urged us to “Commit to Submit.”  We as individuals in the group need to set aside time to follow the leadership of God and use the talents He has given us.

I thought it very interesting when she came up with that phrase to prod us forward that my word for the year is “submissive.”  I think God is trying to teach me the real meaning of that.

Many think of submission as a negative thing.  Some think that it means giving up their own desires, their hopes, and their right to do anything they want to do.  Unfortunately in the world we live in, it can mean all those things.  But not when it pertains to God.  When we become completely submissive to God, He will faithfully guide us.  He will provide our needs.  He will give us our heart’s desires.  He will bless us beyond measure.

How do we submit to God? By committing ourselves to Him.  By giving our lives to Him and receiving Him as our Lord and Savior.  It’s not just a one-time thing but a daily commitment.  We may be able to get away with being submissive in one area of our lives but not another.  For example, we may submit to our employer but not to our kids.  We can be submissive to our husbands, but not to a friend.

But when we commit to something, it means we are dedicated to fulfilling that commitment until the end.  It doesn’t mean being committed one day and not the next.  (Does the word diet come to mind?)  If we cannot keep that commitment, then we never completely committed ourselves to it.  It takes us giving completely of ourselves to the object of our commitment.

And that is how it should be with our commitment to God.  Wholeheartedly, with no reservation.  We shouldn’t look back and try to figure out how to get around it or out of it.  We just keep looking forward with perseverance and determination.  Is it easy?  Absolutely not!  (Diet?)  But when it comes to Godly things, we can commit ourselves to Him because we do it through His strength, not ours.  He infuses us with the power of the Holy Spirit and we operate out of His power, not our own.  And if we feel ourselves growing weak, we call out to Christ for more strength and He will give us as much as we need.

Is there something you feel God is asking you to do?  Is there a talent or gift He is asking you to use? Whatever it may be, know that He would not ask you to do something that He will not also give you the strength to do.  So in the words of Mama Lu, I urge you to Commit to Submit.

Heavenly Father, thank You for caring about us so much that You gave Your Son to die for us.  Just as Christ committed His spirit into Your hand when He died on the cross, help us to commit our lives to following You to the very end.  Strengthen us to stay submissive to Your will for our lives.  When we start slipping away from our commitment to You, draw us back.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Whole heart

 

Crying Out In Brokenness

Published on by Joan Category: Devotions

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!​​

Davids Psalm

Have you ever been brokenhearted?  It’s not something we like to feel.  It’s not something we like taking about.  But unfortunately, we do experience brokenness in this fallen world.

I love reading the Psalms of David.  So many of them are filled with nothing but praise and worship of God for who He is and for what He has done.  But there are many of the Psalms where David is crying out, broken-hearted before his Lord.  He cried out when his enemies were pursuing him. He cried out when he was betrayed by his son.  He cried out because of sin he committed.  He cried out to God when he felt all alone.

 

There were times when David felt God was far away and didn’t hear his pleas.  He cried out in Psalm 13:1-2 (NIV):

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?”

But he was saying by Psalm 13:5-6,

 “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

David cried out in Psalm 6:6,

“I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.”

But by verses 8-9, David said,

“Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.”

There are also times when we can’t even put our pain into words to cry out to God.  However, we are assured that the Holy Spirit that lives in us will pray for us.  “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Romans 8:26

I once experienced that verse.  My heart was hurting so bad that the only words I could say were, “Oh, God!  Oh, God!”  But those words, coming from my broken heart, reached the ears of my Father.  I felt God’s Spirit wrapping His arms around me, picking me up, and just holding me.

David was faithful to praise God even in the midst of his pain.  That’s not an easy thing to do.  The Apostle Paul also knew pain.  Imprisoned, beaten, ship wrecked – in every situation, Paul said to give thanks.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Give thanks?  What is there to be thankful for when the pain is so unbearable that it’s hard to take the next breath?

Giving praise and thanks to God doesn’t always mean that He takes us out of the situation causing the pain.  We still may have to endure the circumstances we are going through.  But praising God, even in the midst of that pain, somehow eases the burden.  In some unexplainable way, we find the strength to keep going, to keep breathing.  We keep trusting that God’s plan is being fulfilled.  We have faith that we will get through whatever we are enduring.

Are you experiencing pain right now?  No matter the reason, whether it is attacks from our enemies, betrayal of someone we trusted, sin we have committed, or depression pulling us down – we can cry out to God.  He knows our pain.  He knows every aspect of our circumstances.  He’s just waiting for us to call on Him.  Like David and his Psalms, we will have songs of praise in our heart mixed with the songs of pain.  But the songs of pain can end in rejoicing as we cry out to our Lord.

 

Heavenly Father, I pray the same prayer that David prayed in Psalm 51:10-12:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” 

Thank You Father.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

 

 

God’s Flowers

Published on by Joan Category: Devotions

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!​​

Coleus3

It had been a very hard spring.  And going forward into the summer months were going to be even harder.

My Dad had gotten very sick in March.  It was a very hard few months before the dreaded diagnosis came.  Cancer.  A very rare form of lymphoma.  But at least the family finally had an answer of why he had been so close to death for months.  So early summer brought rounds of chemo and days when we were not sure my Dad would make it.  But my Mom was steadfastly by his side.

She was there to take care of all his needs.  There to witness his cries of despair.  There to see the once strong, vital leader of the home she trusted to take care of all her needs, suddenly unable to take care of himself.

Mom had always loved working with her flowers in the spring and summer.  She had flower pots on the carport filled with various plants.  She had barrels in the yard field with flowers. She faithfully watered and tended to them.  It was relaxing for her and, in a way, therapeutic for her to tend to them.

But that spring and summer was very different.  The carport was not filled with flower pots.  The water she served was in cups she constantly put before my Dad in an effort to keep him hydrated.  But God.

She first noticed the small coleus on the ground at the edge of the carport.  Soon she noticed several coming up.  The only thing she could think of was that the summer before she had a pot of coleus on the carport and perhaps some seeds had fallen on the ground and was now bursting into life.

She kept an eye on those precious few plants. She had always loved coleus because of the colorful foliage.  But those few plants multiplied. And multiplied.  Within a short time, the whole length of the carport was lined with a rainbow of color.  And they grew taller and taller until they were waist high.

It all started with a few seeds the wind had blown away from the source.  Those seeds weathered the storms, the cold of winter and lack of attention.  But in God’s perfect timing, He put life into those seeds and they burst forth from the ground in such abundance, more than possibly could have been planted or arranged by my Mom’s small hands.  And the rainbow of color brought to mind the promise of God’s faithfulness.

Mom called them God’s flowers.  She was sure that God knew she needed them.  Although she trusted in her heart that God was with her and was faithful, He displayed His love for her in a visible, undeniable way.

Are you waiting for a sign from God?  Are you in a place where you feel God just doesn’t see your pain, or if He does, He just doesn’t care?  Look around, dear friend.  God plants beauty around us.  It may be in the wonders of nature or the smile from a stranger.  It may be a hug from a friend or a prayer lifted up.  Or it could be God speaking to you right now.  He sees you.  He knows what you need.  Just trust Him to bring to life the seed, maybe long ago planted, that is now ready to burst forth in a vibrant example of His love.

Heavenly Father, I am so in awe of Your love!  To think that You will allow simple things to happen just to prove to me Your love.  Help me to feel Your presence.  Help me to see Your hand moving.  Don’t let me overlook Your flowers!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Triumphal Entry

Published on by Joan Category: Uncategorized

Hosanna

 

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”      Zechariah 9:9 NKJV

I’ve often wondered about the happenings on the day we call Palm Sunday.  Jesus was nearing the end of His earthly ministry.  The longer He had taught the people, the more divided they were becoming in what to make of Him.  (John 7:11-13, 40-43) Some wanted to set Him up as an earthly King. (John 6:15)  Other religious leaders wanted to kill Him. (John 7:1)  Some even wanted to put Lazarus to death because he was a visible representation of Jesus’ power over death. (John 12:9-11)

Then came Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  Jesus told His disciples to get a young colt from a certain place and they found the ass’s colt just as Jesus had said.  They then threw garments over the back of the colt and Jesus sat upon it as He rode into the city.  People cut palm branches and threw garments on the ground for the colt to walk over.  And they cried out, “Hosanna, blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:13)  This was the fulfillment of one prophecy about the Messiah.  Luke’s Gospel tells us it was a multitude that began to shout out and praise God for all the mighty things they had seen.  (Luke 19:37)

There were even some Pharisee’s in the crowd.  They told Jesus to quieten His disciples.  They did not want the people proclaiming Jesus as the one to fulfill the prophecies of the Christ.  Jesus knew that all that was happening had been foretold, therefore He would not stop the people from doing what they were doing.  Jesus answered the Pharisees saying that if He did quiet the multitude that was praising Him, then the rocks would begin to cry out.

But there were many that within a few short days would suddenly turn on Jesus and instead of shouting praise, they would be shouting, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

I’ve often wondered why people turned away from Him.  Many just simply did not believe Him.  Many may have been upset because He was not setting up the earthly kingdom they were expecting from Him.  But it was also a fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah, that people’s hearts would be hardened and their eyes blinded to the truth. (John 12:37-41)  Still others believed but were afraid to speak up. (John 12:42-43)

As I have thought about all these things, I cannot but help to think how much things that happened so long ago are still happening now.  Some people praise God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.  Some are expecting something from Him and when they don’t get it, they turn their back on Him.  Some are openly cursing Him.  Some will go to church on Easter out of habit or tradition but in their heart, Jesus is still dead to them.  Some are trying everything they can to silence God’s people who are trying to openly praise Him.

But nothing the multitude did, even calling out for Jesus’ crucifixion, stopped God’s perfect plan from being fulfilled.  In fact, what they did actually was part of the plan.  Yes, they succeeded in crucifying Him.  But they didn’t stop Him from being raised from the dead.  Where was the crowd then, having a grand procession for His resurrection?

I’m looking forward to another triumphal entry.  In fact, I’m looking forward to two.  The first one will be when Christ raptures His people up into the air and we are ushered into heaven.  And the second one, the most triumphant one of all, will be when Christ comes back, not on a small colt, but on a grand white horse.  Only then, He will be holding a sword of judgement.  No “hosannas” will be coming from the lips of those living on the earth.  But shouts of victory will be heard from all the heavenly hosts.  And Christ will finally be recognized by all people for who He is – The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

I pray that this Easter will be celebrated, not out of tradition or habit, but that people will be just as excited about praising Christ now, as they were the day of His entry into Jerusalem.  Because this time, we won’t be praising Him for what we think He is going to do for us individually, but praise Him for everything He has already done!  And we can praise Him with full assurance that someday His kingdom shall be established for all eternity.

Along with our praises, may our shouts be filled with, “Even so, Lord Jesus, come!”

 

(I referenced a lot of scripture that I encourage you to look up and read. I pray that you have a very Blessed Easter as you wholly worship our Savior and King!)

 

The Truth

Published on by Joan Category: Devotions

Who will Tell pic

She knew the truth as soon as she saw His face.

“Oh, God!  It’s true isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he said simply.

“This can’t be happening.  Why is this happening?”

He quietly shook his head.

“God, this isn’t fair.  I’ve always tried to live right.  How can this be happening to me?”

His kind eyes looked straight at her.

“Is there any hope at all?  Isn’t there something I can do?”

“It’s too late,” he said.

Her numbness began to be replaced with pain.

“I never had a chance to come to you.  And now you say it’s too late?”

“I reached out to you.  Many times.  I could have given you life.”

Her mind flooded with memories.  She saw the chances she had passed by.  The people she refused to listen to.

“But I’m here now.  Can’t I be healed now?”

“It’s too late.”

She felt like she was sinking.

“God!  Why did this happen?  I didn’t do anything to deserve this!”

“You were born with this condition.  I could have given you a new life.”

“I always felt something was not right.  But I had too much to do.  I wanted to live life to its fullest.  Oh, God!”

He looked sad.

“Don’t you see?”  She felt the pain increasing, as she sank lower and lower.

“Wasn’t life meant to be lived?  Wasn’t it?” She was screaming now.  But she wasn’t sure if it was from pain or fear.

“I came to give you life more abundantly, but you refused.”

She began to shudder with another thought.

“Oh, God.  You said I was born with this.  My family too?”

“Yes. Everyone is,” he sadly said.

“I need to tell my family.  If they come to you, can you help them?  I need to tell them!”

“It’s too late for you to tell them.”

“Don’t you want them to know the truth?”

“I’ve reached out to them, too.  Just as I did to you.”

“But they need me to tell them.  They need to know I was wrong!  They will listen to me!  I know they will!  Please give me another chance!”

“I’ve told them.  And my children can tell them.”

“Oh, God! This can’t be happening!”

She felt the pain intensifying even more.  It was growing darker.

“Please do something!”

“I did.  I gave my all.  I gave my life for yours.  For everyone.  But you refused Me.”

It was getting harder to breath as pain ripped through her body.

“But you know me!  I prayed to you!”

He looked at the book in his hand.  “I never knew you.”

“Sure you do!  I asked you for many things and you always gave them to me.”

“I gave you many things but you never accepted Me.”

The pain was becoming unbearable.

“God!  God!!”

“Depart from me.  I never knew you.”

She cried out again in anguish.

“God!  Help me!  My family!  Help them!”

“Depart from me.  I never knew you.”

The darkness consumed her while the pain grew beyond anything she could ever have imagined.

♦♦

As the family gathered around her bed, they saw her once lifeless hand reach up.  They thought she was trying to speak.

“Look, she moved,” her daughter said.

They all came closer.  Her hand dropped back to the bed.  She took her last breath.

They were silent for just a moment.

“She passed peacefully,” one said.

“At least she’s not hurting anymore,” said another.

A chaplain came to the door.  “Can I help in any way?”

“She just passed,” said her son.

“Was she of a specific faith?” he asked.

They all began to shake their heads.  “She was a free spirit.  She’s probably soaring with the eagles right now.”  They tried to smile.

“I would love to talk with you about that.  Can I share with you how Christ can give us an eternal life with Him?”

“No, thank you.  We’re fine.”  They turned from him back to the lifeless body on the bed.

“If I can help with anything, please call me.  I would love to talk with all of you.”  The chaplain turned and walked away.

♦♦

“Call him back!  Ask him! Ask him about God!”

But her cries from hell never reached their ears.

“Please, someone tell them!  God, please!  Make them hear!”

 

 

This is, of course, a fictional story.  But the truth is that God is real.  And He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  He was crucified, taking on the sins of every single person.  He died and was buried.  But He rose again and now lives to give us new life. 

I you want to learn more about how to be a Christian, please read The Plan of Salvation on this site.

And if you are a Christian, her family needs to hear the truth.  Will you tell them?

 

Dilly, Dilly

Published on by Joan Category: Devotions, Uncategorized

Trading crown

 

 

I’ve never been a big fan of commercials.  They have a way of interrupting a good show just when something exciting is about to happen.  Of course, it’s getting harder and harder to find really good, decent shows to watch anymore.  But that’s another subject.

I was recently watching TV when a commercial came on advertising an alcoholic beverage.  I think we can all agree that, although I do not promote those commercials, they are often cleverly made.  In fact, depending on which website you look at, there are two alcoholic beverage companies that have produced commercials which are listed as the number one and the number five most expensive commercials of all time.  On the polls that do not list them as #1 and #5, they are still within the top 10.

But when this one particular commercial aired, I was absolutely stunned at the truth in the commercial.  A truth that needs to preached in every pulpit and that every believer in Christ needs to share.

It begins with a medieval king, sitting on his throne with his queen by his side.  In front of him is a wizard, surrounded by a crowd of witnesses.  He is pointing at various things and turning those things into a stack of the king’s preferred beverage.  At one point the wizard informs the king that he is capable of performing other feats.  Such as putting a curse on his enemies. Or granting the king immortal life.  The king contemplates for just a second before telling the wizard to proceed with turning the designated item into his flesh’s desire.

As I said, the moment I saw that, I was filled with awe at the truth.  And deeply saddened.  How many people are trading in the opportunity to spend an eternity with a loving, forgiving God for the temporary pleasures of this earth?  Talk about great discussion starter!

I looked up the phrase that is used in that commercial.  “Dilly” means, “something or someone regarded as remarkable, unusual, etc.”  Dictionary.com also says the origin of the word is sometime between 1930-1935., and was probably the shortening of the words delicious or delightful.

Let me introduce you to SOMEONE who is truly delightful and delicious.

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)

Many people think that having a relationship with Christ means giving up everything that may bring them fun, joy and happiness in this life.  But once we give ourselves fully to the Lord, we can experience more joy than we can ever imagine.  And not only does it bring us happiness, but we are fully blessed.  Not so with the unbeliever.  Read the following passages that contrast the blessings of the believer from the fate of those who refuse to have a relationship with Christ.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;  2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.  3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither;  And whatever he does shall prosper.  4 The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.  6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”     Psalm 1:1-6 (NKJV)

“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.  2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.  3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.  4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:1-4  (NKJV)

 And not only can we find delight in the Lord, but He can be delighted with us!

 “Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their ways are His delight.”  Proverbs 11:20 (NKJV)

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,  and He delights in his way.  24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;  For the Lord upholds him with His hand.”  Psalm 37:23-24 (NKJV)

 Going back to the commercial, what did the wizard say he could offer?  He said he could curse the king’s enemies and give him immortal life.  Our delightful Savior offers that and more.  And He is far more powerful and greater than a professing wizard.  Not only are we blessed as mentioned above, but when we accept Christ as our Savior, we have the assurance of spending an eternity with Him.

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.   18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”    John 3:16-18 (NKJV)

 And Jesus, Himself, says this in a prayer He was praying to His Father:

 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  John 17:3 (NKJV)

 So if you think that choosing the temporary desires of this life is worth whatever fulfillment it may bring in the moment, let me go a little further.  What if I told you that not only will we spend an eternity with God, we will rule and reign with Him?

“And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”  Revelation 1:5-6  (NKJV)

“This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.  12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.  If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”    2 Timothy 2:11-12 (NKJV)

 And as for our greatest enemy:

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”  Revelation 20:10 (NKJV)

Everyone may say that it’s a wonderful that the devil is going to get what’s coming for him.  But the sad thing is, that the devil is not the only one to be thrown into that lake of fire.

“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”  Revelation 20:15 (NKJV)

 A lot of prayers are lifted up to God asking for this and asking for that.  I think even unbelievers pray for good things to happen for themselves.  But imagine Christ standing before you after you have asked Him for this blessing and for that desire.  What if He tells you that He can give you more?  What if He tells you that He can defeat your enemies and give you eternal life?  How would you reply to that?

Dilly, dilly indeed.

The Journey Continues

Published on by Joan Category: Dad's Journey

Pic 2 Journey Continues

At the end of July, Dad found out he was in remission from T-cell Lymphoma.  It was the answer to many prayers and God was given all the praise.

He went back to his church on Sunday, August 5th, for the first time since March.  My brother and his wife, along with my daughter and I, went with them.  The outpouring of love shown to him touched us all.

Throughout the month of August, Dad got out more and did things around the house and outside that he had not been able to do in quite a while.  He still had weakness in his legs and one foot has what is called “foot drop.”  He went to physical therapy to work on his balance and strength.  He had days when he felt good enough to get out and about and then days when he laid down most of the time.

In September and October, his weakness gradually became a little more prevalent.  He still pushed himself to get outside but many days felt too weak to do much.  He had a CT scan at the end of October.  And then a PET scan.  The news was not what anyone wanted to hear.  The lymphoma was back, but not to the extent it had been when he was first diagnosed.  The doctor had researched some new drugs that had been developed for the specific rare form of lymphoma that Dad had.  So once again, treatment began.

This time he went daily for five days, receiving the new drug.  Then he had two weeks off before starting another round of 5 days.    It was the first time that specific drug was used at the cancer center.  Although there was a list of possible side effects, no one really knew what to expect.  He did have some side effects, including the continual feeling of weakness.  He also had stinging and itching that was and still is hard to bear.

After finishing the third round, he went for a PET scan the day after Christmas.  The news from the scan was good.  The lymph nodes that had shown up on the scan in November was not seen in the new PET scan.  However, the doctor had indicated before the scan that regardless of the results, he thought Dad should still have another three rounds of treatment.

I have hesitated writing about my Dad’s medical condition again.  When I wrote the last post announcing his remission from T-cell Lymphoma, I had so hoped it was the last time I would ever write anything about it.  The doctor had told us that the type of cancer he had would most likely recur, but when it would return was unknown.  Of course we had all hoped it would not return, but if it did, that it would be many years down the road.

Back in November when I thought about the fact that Dad’s battle with cancer and that journey he was on was not yet over, I found myself thinking about that word – journey.   It means more than just a short trip from one place to another.  One definition is, “a passage or progress from one stage to another.”

I think about it this way.  A trip, to me, is like going to the grocery store.  It’s going somewhere for a specific purpose, for just a short time, before returning back home.  But a journey in my mind, is traveling at a distance, maybe with a destination in mind, but with other stops along the way.  Stops to enjoy the views, to discover unexpected delights and making memories to savor for years to come.

But wait – my own definition is radically different than the journey my Dad has been on.  Yes, he has had unexpected stops.  Like the heart attack.  Not exactly a nice view.  Unexpected delights?  Some.  Like the outpouring of love shown to him and my mom and the thousands of prayers offered up to our God.  But the unknown was often nerve wracking and far from delightful.  Memories?  Many, but not all good.

So how can I continue to call the experience my Dad has been and still is going through a journey?

I can call it a journey because I know where my Dad’s ultimate destination is.  He is still traveling along the path God has him on, and I’m praying he still has a way to go.  But his ultimate destination is heaven.

Stops to enjoy the view?  When we travel, do we not go through areas that are not so pretty to get to the breath-taking sites?  Dad has gone through some very hard things.  And still is.  Things that have been downright ugly.  But at many points when he has turned a corner, when he has had days of feeling well, when he has spent time with family and felt God’s presence beside him, it was good places to stop and enjoy the moments.

What about the unexpected delights?  Again, it’s easy to think about the bad, but there have been moments that have brought delight.  Dad’s sickness has caused many, including myself, think more about the importance of family.  To enjoy the small things.  To know the feeling of full dependence and trust in an Almighty, Loving Lord.  It’s been a matter of choosing to look at how much God has and is doing instead of what has not happened.

And memories?  More than can be counted. Some not very pleasant, but many that are priceless.  But just because they have not all been moments we want to savor, it made the good ones just that much more precious.

One recent memory caught on camera by my Dad, himself, will always bring a smile to my face.  My brother and sister-in-law, my husband and I went to Mom and Dad’s to spend time together for Christmas.  We took turns taking pictures of each other.  Then wanting to have a picture of us all together, we gathered around my parents and my Dad took a selfie.  First time ever!

As I look at that picture, I remember the journey.  We are all on a journey.  Sometimes we look outward, at things that are around us, things that are occurring that we allow to determine if the journey has been a good one or bad one.  But we also need to look within.  The journey that determines the destination of our soul is so much more important than the journey our bodies are on.  Are we taking short trips, focusing on whatever immediate gratification we can grab, or are we on that journey that leads us to an eternity with Christ?

Maybe we should all take a selfie, search our hearts and see if we are on a trip or a journey.

But for now, travel on, Dad.  The journey isn’t over yet.

Dads selfie

The Wrong Side of The Rope

Published on by Joan Category: Devotions

golden-rope-barrier-stock-photography_k52454481

My husband and I, along with three other couples from church participated in a Toy Run.  We rode motorcycles to Asheboro where the Toy Run was originating.  Everyone was asked to bring a toy or make a monetary donation to the Baptist Children’s Homes.  Once we got to Asheboro, we found ourselves in a group of over 2100 bikes.  All the toys were loaded into a tractor trailer truck.  At exactly 1:30, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus started out on their bikes and everyone fell in behind them heading to Thomasville.

It was amazing seeing the number of people involved.  After the first bike left, it took our group 15 minutes before we could pull out and there were many bikes still waiting behind us.  Along the way there were people parked at different locations watching.  It was as if we were in a parade as people waved and took pictures.

When we got to the Children’s Homes, we went to the gym.  The bleachers were filled and people stood all around.  The gifts were separated into small piles on the gym floor with the name of a child beside each pile.  When the children came in they found their name beside their pile and sat down.  I’m sure they were told ahead of time to wait until they were told to open their presents because they all sat down quietly.  I did see one little boy eagerly peeking into bags as he slowly scooted around the wrapped gifts.

Someone told the Christmas story and people involved with the Children’s Homes were introduced.  Then finally, what the kids were waiting for, finally happened.  They were told they could open their presents.

As I watched the children, I was filled with so many different emotions.  It’s always exciting seeing children opening their presents.  One little girl was thrilled to get a pink bathrobe.  She held it up as high as her little arms could reach, struggling to determine the top from the bottom.  One of the workers came over and helped her put it on.  The little girl kept it on as she then turned back to open up some more gifts.

The children ranged in ages from 15 month old twins, to teenagers.  Even though it was fun to see the kids having fun, it also broke my heart.  The area of the gym floor the kids were in was roped off.  We could watch from behind the rope line but I wanted so badly to go hug on those kids.

Of course we weren’t told the situation the kids were in.  We didn’t know how long the kids had been there.  We didn’t know if their family had any contact with them.  So many questions were running through my mind.  Having my own children and grandchildren, I can’t imagine not having them around me at Christmas.  To see my grandchildren laugh and squeal with delight as they excitedly open their presents brings such joy.  And being able to hold them in my lap means the world to me.

But as I stood there on the wrong side of the rope, I just wanted to cry.

Santa ride

The crowd was thinning out all around us as the children finished opening their gifts.  Our group went back to our bikes to prepare to leave.  We had a great day.  We had our picture made with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  We had pictures with a lot of bikes in the background.  It was a really nice day for a motorcycle ride.  When we left the Children’s Homes we went to eat supper and then headed back home and to Sunday night service at our church.  We had a lot of laughs and had joked around.

But I couldn’t forget the kids. And I keep thinking about that rope.  It wasn’t so much the physical barrier as the emotional barrier I was feeling.  My heart went out to them, but all I had been able to do was provide a toy.  No opportunity to hold them, love them, protect and care for them.

There was once another child that received gifts from strangers who travelled a long way.  That child was around two years old by the time the caravan of wise men found their way to Jesus.  They presented their gifts and worshipped at His feet.  Then they returned to their own country.

We aren’t told if those wise men were aware of the boundary that was between the Christ Child and everyone else.  Angels had sung about Him.  Shepherds had ran to the stable to worship Him.  The wise men travelled many miles to seek Him out.  But did anyone really understand that there was so much more to the Child born that Christmas morning?

Then I think of the procession, a parade of types.  Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  People were waving and cheering.  I imagine that in today’s time, people would have their cell phones out taking pictures.

But there was still a barrier.

There was another procession.  This time people were shouting and jeering as they watched Jesus stumbling under the weight of a cross He was trying to carry up Mt. Calvary.   Then on that cross, Jesus died.

But the best part is that He rose again!  He broke the chains of sin, death, hell and the grave!  And now He is seated at the right hand of the Heavenly Father.  And He is looking down from heaven and sees every person.  He sees everything we do.

He sees us unwrapping treasures the world offers.  He sees us struggling to decide by ourselves the right side from the wrong side of things.  He sees us roping Him off, keeping Him at an arm distance away, while He longs to love on us, hold us, care for us and protect us from an eternal separation from Him.

What side of that rope are you on?

I Want To Go Out Dancing

Published on by Joan Category: Lessons Learned From My Grandchildren

Hadley dancing

My granddaughter is a Princess.  She loves wearing her little dresses, especially when she can twirl around and see the skirt billowing out.  My grandson is into super heroes.  But the two of them find a way to merge their playtime.  Hadley will pretend she is the princess and will tell Hudson which super power to use to protect her and the palace from the “bad guys.”  When he is successful in saving her, she will bestow on him additional powers which thrills him.  Hudson tried to teach me how to be a good Ninja, but Hadley always said that Hudson was the best and gave him the coveted rewards.

One evening while all three of my grandchildren were staying with us, Hudson played with his Paw Paw while Hadley and Harper played with me.  Of course Hadley was on her way to the ball at the castle and Harper and I were following her lead.  Once we got to the ball, she instructed us that she needed to teach us to dance.  She would proceed to twirl around the kitchen and I would try to repeat her steps.  Although Harper is younger and doesn’t fully understand the privileges of being invited to the ball, she did her own little dance as well.

A couple days later, Ken and I were working outside when my daughter and her husband and the grandkids came driving up the driveway.  The day had been quite windy and the leaves had been falling all around us.  As Hudson got out of their car and came running toward us, he said, “It’s raining leaves!”

It’s so much fun looking at life through their view of the world and the imagination they have.  I have to admit, though, they teach me a lot, too.

I have always loved the Fall.  I love the brilliance of the vibrant colors of the leaves.  It saddens me when the leaves start falling.  But as I started thinking about Hudson saying it was raining leaves, I paid more attention.  The leaves that were falling still had color in them.  They were not just falling, but they looked as if they were dancing through the air.  They were twirling and even lifting at times before they finally reached their resting place on the ground.  The leaves that continued to hang on to the limbs of the trees, are now turning brown and are dying.  They are losing their beauty but are stubbornly hanging on.

Although I do love this time of year, it also makes me contemplate how quickly life is passing by.  With my Dad being sick this past year and with Ken’s Mom also facing challenging health issues, I realize that life is precious, but also is short.

But then again, hearing Hadley tell me that she needed me to practice more dance moves with her, makes me feel young.  I started thinking maybe it’s possible to be both.  To realize I’m getting older, but continue to dance like a princess at a ball.

There are verses in the Bible about dancing.  They are not referring to the dancing we see on TV shows.  It isn’t dancing done in seductive ways.  It’s the kind of dancing that is the result of pure joy in knowing the Lord.

I remembered a verse in the Bible about King David dancing.  He was bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to his city.

“Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.”  2 Samuel 6:14 (NKJV)

David was thrilled that the Ark, the symbol of the Presence of God, was once again going to be close by.  The last part of the verse about the linen ephod is telling us that David threw off his royal robes.  He wore a tunic that others, besides priests, would wear in their service to the Lord.  He was laying down his claim to royalty in order to serve his God.

Psalm 149:1-5 is another passage I like.

Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song,
And His praise in the assembly of saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise His name with the dance;
Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation.

5 Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.

We are also told this:

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:  2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;  Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (NKJV)

And one more passage:

17 O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.   Psalm 71:17-18 (NKJV)

I don’t plan on becoming completely gray headed anytime soon, but I do pray that God will allow me to serve Him until He takes me home.  I want to dance with the innocence of a child, with abandon like the leaves letting go of their grip and with the Super Power of the Holy Spirit giving me the strength to serve until my last breath.  I want my grandchildren, the next generation, to see me worshiping with all my might.

I don’t want to grow old and die, hanging on to past moments of glory, even though at the time I was truly blessed. Instead, I want to go out dancing.