A LETTER TO JAMES

Dear James (A Later Disciple of Jesus)--

Here I am again getting into the Word that you provided so long ago to the churches--the NEW churches of Jesus Christ--and once again it brings me to tears. But, this time they are tears of joy. May I tell you why?

Journaling this morning I wrote about this verse in the Holy Bible: James 5:15. From THE MESSAGE, it says "Believing prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you've sinned, you'll be forgiven--healed inside and out."

What I actually wrote must have come from my darkest parts and made a huge exclamation because instead of the word forgiven, I wrote the word forgotten. In my long life, I wonder, could I have not believed forgiveness would come to a little girl who had resisted repentance and would not say she was sorry? Perhaps I am reading too much into this childhood episode and a mere slip of the tongue while writing in my journal.

Forgotten? That's not who God is! He does not rate us as to when or how we might have sinned; he cares about whether we have repented and if we are willing to be HIs totally. That means meforgetting the sin and remembering God's forgiving Spirit. That's who God is, and more.

I ask, James the Disciple, that you ask the Lord Jesus to take my heart and purify it from the hand of Satan who seems to joyfully yank the chain wrapped around my heart. Yes. I believe His hand is right now lifting up that chain, this very moment, and I can breathe in the truth. Yes, Lord Jesus, I have not been forgotten because of my stubborn, willful nature. I know I have been forgiven.

The "chains are gone. I've been set free. O God, my Savior has ransomed me!"

Praise God Forevermore! And thank you, Brother James and my dear,sweet Lord!

Jo (And thanks also for the use of the music, "My Chains Are Gone."

I AM A PERVERT!

I expect I owe anyone possibly reading this an explanation of the horrendous title of my expose'. This is not about sexual perversion. Depending upon your point of view it may be about something worse.

In my daily journaling of the Scriptures,I happened upon Mark, chapter 3, somewhere around the 29th and 30th verses. (The Message does not fully identify the verses. It's my best guess.) It reads: "There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. But if you persist in your slanders against God's Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very one who forgives." Following that (to prove my point)it says, "...sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives."

Perversity is a noun which comes from the adjective "perverse", which means "turning away from what is right or good; to be corrupt." Therefore, by this examination of words, I am a pervert. I don't like being a "pervert". I don't even like being "corrupt". But I have corrupted the beautiful gift given to all of us by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How? Well, that's the crux of it.

I must not have totally accepted healing, for I often suffer from the insane thought that I am, for the most part, either to blame, therefore ashamed, or blaming someone else for--whatever. I fight like crazy (and some think I really am!) to not blame or shame, but when I don't fight it off with a stupendous battle, I get stuck in what I call "limbo". When I finally recognize what I'm doing to myself,and or another, I go to the Lord, repent, and pray that I will again receive or give this most gracious gift--forgiveness.

What happens in the brain and heart before I recognize what I am doing? My thinking has become corrupt; I have allowed my thoughts to become perverted. They need to be sorted out. Did I do something wrong, unkind, or stupid? Yes. I did. What can I do about it? I can talk to whomever I have hurt, intended or unintended. I can turn the other cheek, or everything could backfire and we would all be worse off, for "limbo" can take a long time sometimes to go away. I can and must ask forgiveness, both of God and the person involved, believing "I AM FORGIVEN."

Too often there is people damage which I then fight through by going to them and asking forgiveness. I must ask forgiveness of God and any other involved, and BELIEVE I AM FORGIVEN. God will forgive when I repent--always. Others may or may not forgive, but their forgiveness is not crucial; only our meaningful asking for it is crucial. I must never--again-- question the great privilege God has given me through his death on the cross--forgiveness.

If I don't ask for forgiveness or believe I am not forgiven, guess what? You're right..I'll be in "limbo", which I call another form of hell.

So, do as I say and not as I've done--accept your imperfection with a prayer and the imperfection of others with a turn of the cheek and a prayer and take, blessedly, what Jesus died for: absolute forgiveness, absolutely now.

Are we still friends? Do you forgive my tendency for "limbo"? I'll forgive you!

Ever, Jo. (Once a Pervert)

IS GOD ON THE MOVE?

Journaling is important to me. I journal 6 days a week; but Sunday? uh uh. What I learn or take from Sunday is important to me, too. A good sermon gets me to thinking and thinking gets me to learning and learning gets me to improving my journaling. Someday I hope my children's children's children and onward get something out of all these words.

Now as to the recent journaling I want to talk about here. Zechariah 2:13 caught my attention. From The Message it says, "Quiet, everyone! Shh! Silence before God. Something's afoot in His holy house. He is on the move!"

Well, you know Zechariah and his visions. He had a good many. But in his third vision he could see many godless nations had connected to Zechariah's own God. Yet, God was again choosing Jerusalem, reclaiming Judah's inheritance in the Holy Land. Zechariah warned the people to be silent before God.

Seems interesting, right? Would that God spoke to us, even if we were to be quiet, saying, "Hey! I'm working in your churches right now. I'm bringing the Holy Spirit into your lives big time. Wake up and see! Listen! Don't shrug me off! I am on the move!

Now let's play "what if." What if all this fear that's rolling around between the Muslim people and the Christian people is a wake-up call from God meant for us believers? What if we may be facing a kind of war ahead between Christians and unbelievers, not necessarily Muslims, but all unbelievers of Jesus Christ being the Son of God? What would be our instant thought? How would we react? What would be expected of us? How many of us as Christians are mature enough to not fall back to a safer life? Would I be able to stay steadfast in my faith? Would you?

The whole world would be at risk. Life as we know it would be changed. The churches might be...gone. We wouldn't be sure who was and who wasn't a Christian. There would be persecution.

Someday there really will be persecution. Everything that Jesus went through from humiliation to death will be waiting for us! Would our faith be able to carry us through....anything?

I can't answer for you and as for myself....well, I don't know that I can answer that either. I can only hope that I would latch on to Jesus' hand and not let go. In fact, I'm asking Him, right now, to take both my hands, my eyes, my ears, and my mind most of all that I may see clearly, hear rightly, and love Him completely and mature to completion in the hands of the Holy Spirit. If I don't, I may never get to say, "Lord, forgive them...for they know not what they do."

What time is it , Lord? Are you on the move? I pray for more and more of your Holy Spirit to guide me through this possible new era of the Church. Wake up, Church---Here we go!!!

With hope, jo

Stand and Be Heard

While reading a bit of God's word this morning, I came across a message given by God to Ezekiel in Chapter eleven. There was a lot of mayhem going on in Judah in that day, especially in the city of Jerusalem and God must have needed someone to talk to that he trusted would listen. Ezekiel was his man. So, God showed Ezekiel about twenty-five men standing around at the gate of the city. Verse 2 of chapter 11 in THE MESSAGE reads as follows: "God said, "Son of man, these are the men who draw up blueprints for sin, who think up new programs for evil in this city..." And verse 4 says, "Oppose them, Son of man. Preach against them."

Well, I am not Ezekiel, or even a kissing cousin to this great prophet, but I do have a propensity to want to speak to others of things about which I feel deeply. In other words, I do have the characteristic of a prophet without the skill, wisdom, or audience. ( I have no idea if anyone ever reads this blog, but I guess that's going to have to be up to God! Is not my job, man.) Still, Verse 4, although spoken to Ezekiel, just may be a call to me to get off my duff and do something.

Our world is full of the kind of leaders that Ezekiel saw at Jerusalem's gate--leaders who seek to gain money and power for themselves, who promise one thing and intend another. Some encourage the innocent to participate in their scams or even be part of their scams, finally bringing total disaster to the innocent and power to themselves. We see it daily in the news, some "blueprint for sin" that is being brought about. We cannot trust those who promised us truth and service for our good, and then are deaf and blind to the needs of those counting on them--the people!

Disception rules. And we become desolate and feel alone. We can't always discern which leader is being honest and which is not. Being human, leaders sometimes get caught up in their own wants, not realizing they are sacrificing the one thing we voters, we the public, expect from them--honesty. If they tell us they are all for us--they better be. Nothing less than "all" is honest.

No man is perfect. And neither is the public--you and me. Our leaders will be imperfect; they will fail us. But, it should not go by unnoticed. If it does go unnoticed, it might be tried on us again! No, that won't do. We wouldn't let our kids get by with being dishonest and we must not let our leaders play the game either. They may be forgiven, but, by gum, they should at least hear from us. Dishonesty plays a terrible game. A great spiral begins, spinning down to distrust, and finally to un-love, which hurts the family, the neighborhood, the city, and the nation.

So send a letter, make a phone call, write an Email, don't waste your anger. Use it! Inform the leader who has disappointed you how y0u feel and why you feel it. Like God said to Ezekiel, "Oppose them, (sons and daughters) of man. Preach against them!"

And, pray like mad! For with the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth we have to tell, we can make a difference in our world. Don't wait until it is too late!!

Fondly, jo

ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST?

To be truly honest, I should let you know right off that I'm "for." Just what I'm not against will be clear soon. That is, again to be honest, I try to always be "for." Sometimes, well, sometimes it's questionable whether I really am "for" because I have a lot of human traits yet which only indicates that God isn't finished with me yet.

And that's what, or rather Who, I'm "for." God. And His Son, who is part of God. Or who is God, whichever way you like to say it. I'm open on that point. But the older I get, the less I am open. Now, don't get me wrong--I'm open to a lot of things, but not about God, or God's teachings. Let me say that I would call myself a gentle believer. I won't fight anyone over my opinions, because whose to say that I am right? But, for me, what I've come to trust and where I've come to grow is not so much what I believe about God, but God Himself, both as a father, and as a son, and now, as a spirit.

Having said all this, I came to an important conclusion after reading John 12 the other day. The Message, and I quote Jesus' words, "First, they wouldn't believe, then they couldn't--again, just as Isiah said: "Their eyes are blinded; their hearts are hardened, so that they wouldn't see with their eyes and perceive with their hearts. And turn to me, God, so I could heal them......" " Jesus continued, "That's all I have to say. What the father told me, I tell you."

I felt like Jesus was speaking directly to me because it occurred to me that I am one of "the people" to whom both Isiah, and Jesus, were speaking--those who have stubborn hearts.

That's you and me and our children and grandchildren and all others to follow. We may not still be totally stubborn, having believed Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised into Heaven to be with the Father, but we can't entirely say that we are not stubborn. Think a bit. Yesterdays may have shown some stubborness. Uh huh! But Jesus forgave all that. How about today? Or tomorrow? Yep. If you're anything like me, you'll probably have a bit of stubborness here and there. Some of us will have more than others and it usually shows up about the time we realize God wants one thing--and we want another. It is an innate human trait. From the time we were babies, we wanted what we wanted and we wanted it NOW!

So what will it take for us to stop stubborn refusals to listen for God's voice as instruction, watch with open eyes for His needs, His work in the world, His grace, peace, and mercy. Can we admit we may be wrong in our views about whether God exists?Could Jesus really rise from the grave? No? Can God do anything? And what about all the tragedies in the world. Why didn't God stop them if God can do anything?

I don't have any great answers, but I trust God does know what He's doing and that He does have a plan. And who am I to expect to have an answer! Even the angels, even Job didn't have an answer. God is God and God's plans will only be understood in retrospect.

So who is "for" God and the hope that God always brings? We can live in stubborn denial, or we can live in hope. Denial leads to despair. Hope leads to fulfillment, peace, and fellowship with Christ the Lord.

I welcome you to add your two cents to this commentary. And I truly hope, and pray, that there are lots of you out there who are "for" God, and if not---Peace be with you. But you should know, I pray God will bless you to pieces and that you will know it!!

Always His, jo

THE PROPHECY OF NAHUM

I think that I have mentioned before that I journal every day except Sunday. That's the way I learn, listen, see, experience at many levels the Word of God. I usually read from THE MESSAGE as the word pictures from today's language seems to stick with me more, and it also makes the words and ways of Jesus easier for me to understand.

Having said that, I want to share with you a few phrases that hit home while I was reading today. It hasn't to do with particular people (this is not about politics!)but it does seem to fit with our times, today's times, the major problem and situation--the war in Afghanistan. So, the following is a quote from THE MESSAGE, Introduction to Nahum.

"The stage of history is large. Larger-than-life figures appear on this stage from time to time, swaggering about, brandishing weapons and money, terrorizing and bullying. These figures are not, as they suppose themselves to be, at the center of the stage--not, in fact, anywhere near the center. But they make a lot of noise and are able to call attention to themselves. They often manage to get a significant number of people watching and even admiring: big nations, huge armies, important people. At any given moment a few superpower nations and their rulers dominate the daily news. Every century a few of these names are left carved on its park benches, marking rather futile, and in retrospect pitiable, attempts at immortality.

"The danger is that the noise of these pretenders to power will distract us from what is going on quietly at the center of the stage in the person and action of God. God's characteristic way of working is in quietness and through prayer. If we are conditioned to respond to noise and size, we will miss God's word and action.... Don't admire or be intimidated by this enemy. They are going to be judged by the very same standards applied to us."

Of course, Nineveh/Assyria was the world's central concern in the time of the prophet Nahum. But, Israel's sins needed to be addressed as well. In Jesus time, it was the Romans, but the Jews missed the mark even more. Not so different today. Nahum gives us all something to think about. "A good skunk smells his own hole first." (quote from Grandpa Eaton circa 1940's)

So, I'm going to do a lot of praying. No one in today's conflict is perfect. Praying for the truth through education on all sides of our current conflict just may get us to someday live together peaceably. What God's will is in this we do not know. I only know that He's the One in charge.

Until next time, jo

GOOD , OLD HEZEKIAH!

Poor old Hezekiah! Sick as a dog. Even sicker. Deathly sick. He prayed to God and God gave him a reassuring sign. But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant, which, of course, made God angry. Stupid, stupid, stupid Hezekiah. It's really stupid to make God angry, right?

Hezekiah loved God. He was a great King, Judah's king. He was a picture of a man on the way to death who loved God and prayed for healing. No mistake so far. God answers his prayer. Hezzie gets well. Hezzie, dumb and dumber, says something like, "God so loves me. He must be very pleased with me to grant me healing! So watch out, folks! The great Hezekiah is back!" Arrogance has a way of assuming we deserve the most for our least.

God has such a generous spirit. Why would He not grant a request to someone who asks? Then, wouldn't it be more holy to be humbled by God's consent to our request? Or would we be more like Hezzie and have assumptions of our worthiness? "I have been faithful to God. Yes. God will say "Yes." "

If I thought to receive a "yes" only because I deserved it, I would receive nothing. There is no room for arrogance, no place to entertain thoughts of what I deserve for God isn't measuring my worth. God is only interested in revealing His worth.

Indeed, God is worthy, always. Let me count the ways....

God is generous.... and nothing I can do would make me worthy of His generosity. Lord, I am grateful for all You are. jo

ON THAT GREAT DAY

Micah can really teach us about love. He knew the secret of love, the secret that we keep hoping to find in our daily labors. Since I was about 14 years old, I prayed to be a better person. Now an elder, I think I needed to learn how to love myself and others with forgiveness.

Well, Micah, what do you have to say about this? Micah 4:6 and 7 reads, "On that great day," God says,"I will round up all the hurt and homeless, everyone I have bruised or banished. I will transform the battered into a company of the elite. I will make a strong nation out of the long lost, a showcase exhibit of God's rule in action, as I rule from Mt.Zion, from here to eternity."

Micah, what does that say about love? Or forgiveness for that matter? Please explain.

God loves all the world. John 3:16 tells us He loved all the world. It 's hard for us to understand how we, then, are to follow that pattern. God's love includes those who are criminals and how can we love them? Take another look at Micah.

Micah was quite surprised when God told him he had to marry a prostitute. He did; she thought he was a wuss, she had affairs,she was all bad. Yet, Micah took her back, forgave her and loved her unconditionally. He loved her with a blind love, because God told him to! Her response? She loved him in return and it became one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Forgiveness. Isn't that a command of Jesus? True love absolutely must carry forgiveness. And how is that working for the American Christian? for the American Way? What is it the Statue of Liberty says? "Give me your tired, your lonely, your yearning to be free." It's something like that. And what does it take to follow? Forgiveness and Hospitality. One is commanded of us, the other a gift of the Holy spirit. Both describe the American Way.

A blind love, full of forgiveness, is what we need to come to agreement on the thorny issue of immigration. We hesitate to give blind love proper recognition as we see the inconvenience and hardship of the kind of love that demands forgiveness. And we count the cost!! Oh, don't forget the cost! Well, MY God is happiest when I don't pinch the pennies when I am serving Him. And this forgiveness, love, and acceptance might just be God's plan. Do I want to thwart it? NO, not me.

I am far too aware of Jesus' cost to forgive me and love me. He didn't count the cost for me. How about you? I sincerely hope and pray that this is God's plan to take our nation and mix it up once again with others to make a REAL melting pot. Who could resist? Problems? Yes. Solutions? Always, with the help of God.

I'd vote for this new nation. The United States of America of ours and ours. It will be a strong nation after a little chaos, but one that is under God's rule. One that lasts from now to Eternity. Can you see yourself taking this risk? Micah did. Forgiveness--don't forget--is the key. Blind love the gift of God for us and the gift we have to find in us to give to others.

Thanks for listening. jej

IS IT PLAN YET, LORD?

Micah, an interesting prophet who came to know a lot about forgiving love, was commanded to marry a prostitute. What a great guy! He did marry her; she ran away, had affairs, treated him as a wuss; and finally, yes, finally! became a good wife.

Micah 4:6-7 of the Message reads, "On that great day," God says, "I will round up all the hurt and homeless, everyone I have bruised or banished. I will transform the battered into a company of the elite. I will make a strong nation out of the long lost, a showcase exhibit of God's rule in action, as I rule from Mt. Zion, from here to eternity.""

Aside from the title to a great movie in my day,From Here to Eternity, Micah speaks the Word of God to God's people in a different era and yet these words could (or maybe should?)have a strong relationship to today's world. Could it be?

God loves all the world--that's a given. Although it's hard for us to understand as we choose carefully who we love and trust, God's love includes those who trespass on other nations making it hard for "good" citizens and other lovers of their country. God loves everyone, even the most base of individuals. He loves us even knowing our most hideous parts. A blind love we call it, but we say, "Why?" Impossible! Stupid! So, we refuse to give blind love proper recognition, a chance to work. We hesitate to consider its usefulness. We see inconvenience, hardship, trouble, confusion, injustice, and cost, cost, cost.

Yet, isn't forgiveness a command of Jesus? True love, like with Micah, had to carry forgiveness. And how is that working for the American Christian? It's not!! The United States proudly says, "Give me your tired, your broken, your people longing to be free--." The Statue of Liberty awaits them all while we build stronger walls, and stronger rules, and stronger wills against those folks, many of whom are of the Christian faith themselves. Many Jews escaped the ghettos and prison camps by crossing tough, dangerous borders just before WWII. Many good people of all faiths have in the past crossed tough, dangerous borders to freedom over and over again.

What if God has a plan? In Micah, God insists He has a plan to round up all the hurt and homeless and transform them and all who value God into a strong nation under God's rule that will last from now to eternity. What will you then do then, Christian, if this is God's plan? Where will you stand?

I thank you, God, for your forgiving love, for your love for me had to have an addendum of forgiveness. As long as I live, as long as there is a breath in my body, I will try to love with forgiveness, Jesus, just as you had to do for me.

Thanks for listening! jej

WE ARE THE HOUSE! AMEN!

Hebrews 3:6 in THE MESSAGE tells us that God is the Master Builder and He builds 'houses'. Now the houses are you and me, each of us designed exactly as the Master Builder desires. Everyone in the world is a house built by God. Now the Son is to be in charge of each house. He's the Director or Headmaster. We are to think of Him as Master, the One who can help us through life on this earth as long as each 'house' exists and He's the One who will meet us when we go to His House, the Big One in the Heavenly Places.

As Christ is the Big Boss, each house must remember that it's very existence is to be handled by Christ. We don't run the operation, yet our Director of Operations has grace enough to listen to our ideas, and our requests. Christ doesn't promise, but He gives us either what we desire or something better, something so much better for us in the long run that we can trust His decisions. Sometimes we grumble when we don't get our way (we don't like the neighborhood, or our kitchen's too small)and we can't understand why His ideas are superior to our own. Then, we're reminded that He is the Big Boss and we are to be gracious and accept the Master's plan. All in all, we find an incredible joy from being gracious and trusting.

The size and shape of our 'house' really doesn't matter; sometimes the smallest 'house' can be the friendliest by far. Our Director, however, does like a clean 'house.' None of this messy, untidy, dirty 'house' for Him. Nope. We need to keep that broom and dustpan handy and use it frequently especially when we feel rebellious and stubborn. All 'houses' do go through untidy periods now and then and it's Oh, so easy to give in to the voice of contrariness.

The best thing that we 'houses' can do is keep a good line open to our Director of Operations. He works hard and has an incredible, heroic history in working for our good. He deserves our best, our best work and our total confidence and gratitude. So let's give him a great big 'Thankyou.'

PRAISE YOU, JESUS!!!

WE ARE THE HOUSE! AMEN

THE MESSAGE tells me in Hebrews 3 that God is a or rather the House Builder and each 'house' is built according to the Builder's design, yet the Son is in charge of what is built, so let's call him 'Master'or 'Director'--Christ as Son is in charge of the'house'. That makes us the 'house'.

Goodbye, Brenda. You're Quite a Gal!

Yesterday at 6 pm AZ time, my niece by love and marriage died of cancer. Her name was Brenda; she was in her 40's with a loving husband, Scott, and two great kids, Allie and Noah. We had prayed for her persistently, along with many others, to be healed. We could get reports on her health on CaringBridge, a wonderful thing, by the way. She was so brave. Brenda was short on inches high, but long, very long, on loving.

I don't think the many people that prayed for her prayed in vain. Although we prayed for a miracle hoping that she might receive complete healing, we are not disappointed. The miracle was in her beautiful attitude. Consistently, she thought of her kids and Scott. The miracle was also in Scott, Allie and Noah, and all the rest of her family and friends. We all got so much closer to God through Brenda, even though she herself went through all kinds of hell. That hellish cancer just finally raped her body, but not her spirit.

She's home now, greeting those who loved her all these years,and possibly lent their prayers to God for her right along with those who had to watch her die. It wasn't pretty, but usually death from this world isn't. I think she's right up there with all the soldier-heroes and policeman-heroes and firemen-heroes that we all read about in the newspapers. There isn't going to be much in the newspaper; she wouldn't have cared, anyway. Her only need is to know her kids are going to be OK and Scott. We'll probably see some hero-stuff from them as they put their lives together again. Scott called her "Dolly" maybe because she was like a lovable doll. He already misses her, just as Allie and Noah do.

Some people just don't stay around long enough for us to get tired of them. Brenda was like that; you didn't get tired of her. She smiled a lot, even laughed out loud sometimes to the point of hysteria! She was fun. And she was full of goodness, kind of like we all hope to be.

The world isn't the same when people we love die. Memories are nice, but they're not always what they're cracked up to be. Brenda? You could touch her; she would touch right back. You could know her down deep. She didn't hide or hold back what she felt.

I think Satan must have brewed-up Cancer. It's like him, I think. He can't touch us; God won't let him. But He sure can scare up a horror that touches us. What else can you call cancer but the devil's work? If the devil can't get us one way, he gets us another. But, God will make up for it in Heaven, don't you think? Life isn't fair, I know, I know! But surely, all those prayers will bring Brenda some special kind of Eternal Peace. That's where I'm putting my hope now.

Thanks for listening. Pray for Scott, Allie, and Noah why don't you? jo

TIME MARCHES ON

The world has a way of popping us on the side of the head every once and awhile waking us up real good. It's like finding yourself on a fast track to the wrong station. "Hey! I didn't want to go there! Yes, I know that's where it's heading, but wait! Wait! W-a-a-ait! Too late. Here we are. In the NOW. Right where I didn't want to be."

Another way of looking at a fast track to the wrong station is--2 Cor.7:11-- "Isn't it wonderful all the ways in which the distress has goaded you closer to God?"

Yep. Time marches on. Today is a new day and it always will be so. Yesterday with all its good and bad has gone and a new day has arrived. The time is ripe for change and it says, "NOW!" Now is the time. God works in the NOW and has charge of the future, so what's the point of being distressed? Yesterday has passed by and been forgiven and forgotten. It has no hold on me, unless I let it. There are those beautiful memories that will never be forgotten, nor should be. But paste them in an album, and get on with the joy of today.

Enter into the NOW with confidence, humor, hope, and a touch of responsibility. Praise God and be thankful that you have been given a NOW!

If you find yourself in this kind of situation I hope you will pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I give you thanks for all the new beginnings you have given me. Help me to give thanks, too, for the NOW right now in my life. I pray I will yet have many, many NOWs still to come and that I will always have the insight and desire to look for you in them. Amen

Peace be with you and yours. Looking forward to seeing you in the hereafter.

Fondly, jo

GOD IS HERE!

I've been re-discovering the psalms lately, and they have been giving me a powerful punch. Psalm 52:6 reads, "Now it's time that my people know who I Am, what I'm made of--yes, that I have something to say. HERE I AM!"

Yep, now is the time! Not tomorrow after I have given this thought a thorough examination, but NOW! The Lord tells me the time is right for His people to know with all certainty what God is made of and that He has something to say.

So, listen up everyone! If you've heard His voice before, listen hard to hear it again. If you're like me and "hear" Him through the written Word, dust off that sacred book and listen to your heart determining what God wants of you and me.

But know this: HE IS HERE! He is all around us. Can you see the work that He is doing? That's His kindness, His healing Power, His words of comfort, His guidance and forgiveness. He's everywhere, and has been right along. Yet His time is NOW. It is a new thing. So, do you have a voice? Use it. Say for God, our God, lest someone might not know, HE IS HERE! He says to all, "HERE I AM! HERE I AM! CAN YOU HEAR ME? DO YOU SEE ME? LOOK AROUND YOU. I AM HERE!"

I hope you get it; I did. And all I could do is immediately pray:

Heavenly Father, I do not want to miss you. I am watching and listening and also sharing your words so that someone else might know YOU ARE HERE!! Amen.

HELLO, AGAIN!

Hello, friends.

I'm glad to be back after a rather long "vacation". I have excuses. Many things began to interfere with my time at the computer. Illness took away the majority of my time, but I'm glad to say things are back to normal. A new diet, a few more Doctor visits, but basically, things are normal, whatever that means.

My first attempt at a new start with blogging will follow this short note. It's called "God Is Here!" And I hope you'll want to read it. Fondly, jo