Brainwashed

I recently have been listening close to my husbands fishing stories. They are all completely true, the fish were huge... they got away...so... no fish to fry in our house. Well I found out that the line broke... I watched as he patiently put a heavier newer line in place. My mind wandered to the place of imagination as it frequently does. I imagined the bait that Satan throws at me. Since he's not very creative, it's usually the same old bait. Something he knows I like. After working out for two hours, how could I be tempted with Cookies? Well, working out makes me hungry I say... there I go... undoing two hours of work!

The LORD has taught me to watch out for snares. In his word he speaks about "Casting cares". When I bring my faults and temptations to the Lord, he breaks the line so that I can't be caught by the enemy of my soul.

I was reading in the word about guarding my heart because out of my heart, the issues of life flow. (Not a direct quote) well... in order to guard my heart, I must guard my mind. I have written in my bible," The gateway to the the heart is the mind". I must have heard a preacher say that. It is scriptural because daily we must cleanse our minds with the word of God. I think of the story that I heard my son in law tell in a message he delivered. It's about an old circuit preacher who became the mentor for a mentally retarded teenage boy. They road together, camped together and prayed together. That boy loved to hear the word preached and wanted to be a blessing to the preacher. One day he asked how reading the bible could give you a clean heart. The old preacher simply gave the young boy a Colander and asked him to go get some water from the stream. The boy tried and tried to capture the water, but of course it just kept falling out. He came back to the preacher and said, "Sir, this won't hold no water". The preacher asked him if the vessel was clean... he said... "It is now". And so it is with me. I have to have this living water. I just can't get enough of it. So pure... so sweet and it is an everlasting water the washes my brain. Just what I need... to be brainwashed!

Here's what the Lord said to Joshua ...Joshua 1:7-8 "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest."

My First Miracle

It was a simple prayer for a 12 year old little girl to pray... Lord, give us the money to fix the Piano. It was impossible to play it now... keys sticking and so out of tune. This Piano was the only thing that I had left to remember my Daddy by. You see, about 4 years before he died, he went into debt to purchase that Piano for our family. Oh, the memories of him playing it! Now... it was silent. It was a great place to put photos... lots of them!

Every day, I prayed about this Piano. Then, one day... a knock came at the door. There stood a stout black man with white eyes and a white cane and a big black bag and a long pole. He said, I'm here to fix your Piano.... so I quickly let him in! He was totally blind, but that didn't stop him.

While having the Piano open, he found an 8 x 10 photo of my Mama and Daddy posing at my sister Joyce's Wedding. I didn't remember ever seeing that one on the Piano.

He put the pole inside the piano and called it a "damp chaser"....he said "Your keys won't ever stick no more".

I told him Mama forgot to tell me he was coming and that I didn't have any money. He smiled and said... "Awe, don't you worry bout that now... cuz the Lord sent me".

He opened the door and began down the steps. I reopened the door to thank him one more time... He was not there... Nowhere...he simply disappeared!

The evidence of him being there was the fact that the Piano played perfectly!

My Mama and I found out that day that God does answer prayer. I'll never ever doubt his power!

Praise be to my Lord! Today, I play my own piano and the piano in Assisted living communities ... only hymns...to Praise the one who gave me the gift to play.

"What a friend we have in Jesus...all our sins and griefs to bear... what a privilege to carry... everything to God in prayer".

Remembering My Father

Daddy.....

When I hear a harmonica play... I think of you.

When I see a baby bouncing on a knee... I think of you.

When I smell Old Spice ... I think of you.

When I see a man in Green work pants... I think of you.

When I sing "What a friend we have in Jesus"... I think of you.

When I see a summer garden... I think of you.

When I see a man with Very Sky Blue Eyes... I think of you.

When I hear a mockingbird sing... I think of you.

When I see Blue Hydrangea... I think of you.

When I see my Brothers... I think of you.

When I sing about heaven... I think of you.

Even though it's been over 40 years since your beautiful blue eyes closed and you went to sleep here and woke up in heaven... I know that I will see you again. It will be the greatest joy of my life to embrace you ... O Father of mine...You would not chosen to leave us so quickly... but I know with all my heart that you wouldn't want to come back.

Until then... I'll serve the Lord with gladness, knowing that you are in his presence. I often wonder if you are allowed to see whats going on down here... to look down upon this earth like the angels do and if you go to God about us. I like to believe that you do. The protection on our family has been so evident to me... I praise God for his love for us and for sending his own Son, Jesus to die for our sins so that we can spend eternity together.

Since there is no concept of time in heaven... it will seem like yesterday since we have been together...I look forward to that blessed day! O Happy Day!~

The Seasons of Life

Have you ever noticed how quickly time slips away? Most of us never really stop to think about it, but... Moment by Moment, Hour by Hour, Day by Day... time passes away and we can't retrieve it. I noticed a picture in the Assisted Living where we minister in song. Just above the piano... there it was. 6 photos of a beautiful woman one at 4 then at 12 then at 20, 40, 60 and 80. I was taken back by this because I could see my own life has simply flown by!

It seems to me that life has seasons.

The Spring of life when we are young and tender and growing...

The Summer of Life when we are still youthful and productive...

The fall of life when we slow down to savor each moment... the leaves are falling from the tree, we have lost loved ones, but we are strong, like an oak tree,not easily moved.

The Winter of Life when the hair is gray and the eyes are dim, but yet the heart is still youthful and thankful. We are well versed in troubles, we have seen many storms, yet survived.

So then, how will we live? My little Granddaughter Emmie told me the secret to Joy.

Jesus

Others

You

And so it is... I'll follow Christ! Because .... 1st John 2:15 - 17 says...."Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof,; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

"Where he leads me I will Follow"... "He leadeth me... O' Blessed thought"!

The Stillness of Morning

I awake early each day. I can't help it, it's my favorite time of day! The stillness of morning...a fresh new day. The dew is coming down to kiss the earth and give refreshment to a parched land.
There is a tranquility unmatched to any time of day. My heart yearns for the quiet of morning.
As I wake I think of Jesus in the garden praying each morning. One of my Mother's favorite hymns was "In the Garden" ......

"I come to the Garden alone....While the dew is still on the Roses
and the voice I hear... falling on my ear...the Son of God discloses...
And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known."

So this morning the light pierced the darkness once again and I spent this time quietly with My Lord. He was waiting for me in the secret quiet place. I hold fast to him... mentally taking his hand in mine, just as a child does with a Father. He knows where I need to go today. My plans don't matter.

He reminds me that he goes with me everywhere that he sees through the dark places and sheds light into every situation.
So as I plunge into this day.... I sing... "There's a call comes ringing over the restless wave, "Send the Light... Send the Light... there are souls to rescue there are souls to save...Send the light... Send the light....Send the light... the blessed Gospel light... let it shine... from shore to shore... Send the light... the Blessed Gospel light... let it shine...forever more.
And I pray... Lord, lead me ... I'm ready to go!~

Running the Race

Recently my lovely daughter has started training for a race. She has never mentioned the possibility of winning the race, just being in it! Oh, it's a marathon, it's a goal to be ready in time to run it. OK, my mind is thinking ...why? I'm obviously not a "runner". I've never had a runners "high". It seems like a big waste of time to a task oriented person. Then I think...when your running you can't multitask. It's childlike, chasing the wind. It's outdoors, it's a challenge.. It's totally her personality. She is just like her Dad!

As for me.....

As a person with ADD running is a challenge. You have to stay focused on where you are going. You can't get sidetracked and do what you want. You have to head in the direction of the finish line.

My life is like that. In my time with the Lord this morning I asked for him to keep me "Plugged in" to him. Keep my heart in tune to him so I can do his will today. I don't want to look to the left or to the right, but keep my eye's on him. I want to stay close enough to him to feel his presence. T follow in his footsteps. I pray he goes ahead of me in every situation I'll face... You see, I have hundreds of distractions every day. My mind races thoughts run to the forefront... do this, do that... hurry, gonna be late...then I think of Jesus and just can't imagine him being in a hurry.

My Mother always told me... slow down.... it took 30 years for me to know what she meant.

She would be proud... I'm doing it! Even though social work keeps me all over town... I'm doing others good, so it makes me happy. Even though my precious hubby and I don't get a long vacation ever year, our weekends are spent adoring each other.

So, I'm not in the marathon... I'm on a walking trail perhaps... taking the road less traveled.

Staying in my Bible (it's my map)... I know that life is short. Just a mist... a vapor...Can my life make a difference? Only if it's Christ Centered. Hebrews 12:1 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, an let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." It's time to put on my running shoes~