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Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category

MY Daily Planner


Planner

Have you found that even with your best intentions your schedule is jammed with things to do? In fact, it becomes so full that you end up overwhelmed, irritable, resentful, and stressed-out.

I must be a “Type-D” person: Detailed-oriented, determined and sometimes dense.

How many time of schedule overload will it take before I learn to consult my daily planner?

This particular daily planner of mine is not your typical multi-lined date-book. This daily planner is the Master-Planner. When I consult or check with him what is on the agenda for the day, it makes a world of difference.

Instead of desperate, frenzy-filled to do’s, I have focus as to what is important for the moment, clarity and a keen perspective. I am able to accomplish much more than I would without the Master-Planner and am able to approach my tasks with peace, joy and gusto.

What about your daily planner? Care to share what works for you?

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Walking into Heaven


stairsway-to-Heaven-45956820346

I love dreams that I remember being happy in. Recently, I had such a dream. This was one of those dreams that you don’t want to wake up from. And I did wake up thinking to myself, “Not now! Why did you have to wake me when I was having a happy dream?”

I was awakened by my daughter for help while staying at a cabin out-of-state. I enjoyed my dream so much that I reluctantly got out of bed. However, as a 24/7 caregiver, duty was calling during the middle of the night.

Getting back to my dream, I dreamed I walked right into heaven! I was so happy. My surroundings were lit up to a brightness I hadn’t seen before, but it was not a blinding bright where you would need to shield your eyes. It was quite beautiful.

I then thought, “Well, this must be my glorified body because I wasn’t this petite size last I looked. But, Praise to God for giving me a glorified body in a smaller size.”

After helping my daughter, I returned to bed and thought about this especially happy dream of walking right into heaven. If this dream were to become true, that would mean I would be going to go home soon. Was I wishful-dreaming?

In the evening the next day, I attended special services at a quaint country church. During the beginning of the service, a young lady about thirty years of age stood up to ask for prayer and give her testimony. Her Grandmother had died the night before and she told the congregation how glad she was that her Granny had accepted the Lord recently and that she believed she had gone home to heaven.

After hearing what she said, the light went on in my head. The dream wasn’t about me walking into heaven, but was about her Granny walking into heaven and how very happy she was.

I immediately rose to testify about the dream I had the night before, which was the night her Granny died. What a blessing it was for the grieving Granddaughter to know by faith that her Granny was saved through the Grace of Jesus Christ, and to hear it confirmed through this prophetic dream.

Jesus life-sustaining blood was shed for all the world to redeem us from eternal death. Those who receive His sacrifice by faith are given the free gift of eternal life.

I am glad to have the hope and promise of Eternal Life because Jesus took my place of punishment and died on the cross for my sins. Thank you Jesus for loving me so much that you would suffer and die for me. And thank you Heavenly Father for your great Love and for sending your only Son to redeem the world.

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Brushed by an Angel


ArcangelGabrielAngels. Have you ever entertained them unawares? What do I mean, entertain? And unawares ? I know I’d want to be aware of an angel, wouldn’t you?

Years ago, there was a popular TV program called, “Touched by an Angel”. The angels in this series intervened in the lives of people who would be featured in the weekly episode. They were entertaining angels literally. However, the Bible suggests we do the entertaining, not angels entertain us.

I read different versions of the following verse and have seleted the following: Hebrews 13:2 KJV “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unaware.” And the New International Version, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing, some have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

I recently traveled out of state and visited a small local church while there. The hospitality shown to my family and I was wonderful. I asked the superintendent if there was any particular place we were to sit and he replied, “You may sit wherever you like, but angels may brush up against you.” I chuckled at what I thought was a joke and had a passing thought that I might sit down on an angel unawares. However, as the congregation stood to sing, I felt someone brush my left shoulder and back. I looked over beside and behind me, but no one was sitting in the pew behind us and my daughter sat far enough from me that there was space for another person to sit in between us.

Then, the light went on in my head. I turned around and leaned over close to where the superintendent was sitting two pews behind and said, “Were you just joking about an angel brushing up against us?” “No, Ma’am. We are to remember to entertain strangers because they may be angels. There might be an angel up there in front of you and you’d not know it.”

I smiled and said, “An angel just brushed his wing up against me.” He gave glory to God and I joined in the praise, too.

May God bless your week and let me know if you’ve been brushed by an angel.

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Sowing Seed


sowerAbout this time of year, in the colder regions where  some of us live, many people come down with a case of cabin-fever.  You know, the blahs, doldrums, sick and tired  of this cold, dreary weather that is putting its damp on my style.  Among the remedies for cabin-fever  featured  on television  are construction projects, home improvement ideas and beautifully  landscaped displays resembling the Garden of Eden. I, myself,  begin to dream of the possibilities of what the planting season will bring and get the “green-thumb urge” to go out into the fresh air wearing my work clothes, gloves and boots and begin sowing seed.planting seed_upd

Jesus spoke of sowing seed that is of a spiritual nature but illustrated it so simply in the Parable of the Sower.  “As he was scattering seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:4-9 NIV

I thought about this passage many times before, but in regards to  the context of verse nine; primarily how much of a crop is produced. Recently, a friend spoke to me about my writing and the neighborhood ministry I had been working on for the past several years. She expressed how I had let it fall by the wayside.  I couldn’t get the phrase, “fall by the wayside” out of my mind so I  googled it . There in verse four of the King James Version,  I read a similar expression, “some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up.”  I’ve thought about the neighbors/readers who may have been  searching for Christ, and how I neglected sowing the seed of love. How many opportunities to reach out to them fell by the wayside? I’ve resumed writing and have gotten the “green-thumb  urge” spiritually  to  plant the seed of love by helping others in my neighborhood find peace, love and forgiveness through Jesus.

I encourage those of you  who read this post to think about how God may want you to sow seed. Do you sense an urgency to do something God has planned for you alone to do?  Perhaps you have a desire to visit the sick, work the line in a soup kitchen, donate clothes that you don’t need to those who have little,  or reach out to a neighbor.  Perhaps you have an emptiness within, the blahs or lack an interest in spiritual things? Are the activities in your schedule crowding out time that could be spent serving God? Do you hear God calling you to plant seed for his kingdom so it will produce a crop that is a hundred, sixty or thirty times greater than what was sown? Let’s get busy about his business of planting seed.

Father, help us make you our priority each day. Forgive us for missed opportunities and help us sow the seed you’ve given us while it still may be planted in the hearts of men and women.

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Horn of Plenty


It’s that time of year when farmers have harvested their crops,  gardens have finished producing their bounty and the home-canning season has come to a close.

The cornucopia pictured here is also known as the horn of plenty. It displays the abundance of harvest.  It is filled with fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains and one can’t help but be thankful for  all God provides.

With Thanksgiving upon us, I am reminded of another  type of harvest written about in the Bible.  ‘The Harvest is the end of the Age…(Matthew 13 : 39 NIV)

One of the songs of Thanksgiving in our church hymnal is “Come Ye Thankful People, Come” The second verse of this song is,

“All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto to His praise to yield; wheat and tares together sown, Unto joy or sorrow grown.

First the blade and then the ear, Then the full corn shall appear. Lord of harvest, grant that we Whole-some grain and pure may be.”

 The third verse continues:                                                                                        “For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;   

                                                                                                                                                       From His field shall in that day All offences purged away;

                                                                                                                                                      Give  His angels charge at last In the fire the tares to cast;

                                                                                                                                                      But the fruitful ears to store In His garner evermore.”

I’m looking forward to a Horn of Plenty Harvest  and that I will be able to thank God for taking me home.

How about you? Are you looking forward to an abundant Harvest?

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Safe in the Storms


We’ve all seen some of the devastation Super Storm Sandy has done. Many people are among those we are praying for in their time of loss and despair.

As I viewed the pictures of the storm, I was reminded of the peace and  safety we can have in the midst of the storms of life. Now is the time to make preparations to  our spiritual house, or in other words, our soul.

The November Newsletter of the church I belong to contained an important message written by Pastor Martin. I am adding it to my post. 

Message

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Autumn Abundance to Blessed Abundance


With Autumn’s abundance come the showering of leaves the trees shed.

 The maple trees bordering one corner of my property seemed to have been rather abundant this year. I had a carpet of 2-3 inches of that abundance that raked into 2-3 feet piles.

My neighbor had been watching the leaves  that were from another neighbor’s property,   shower onto my property.

I thought there had been more this year  than I had ever raked before.

 I won’t be stingy, though. I am more than willing to share the abundance with whoever may need a few…thousand…of  the thousands.

I was reminded of the Bible verse from Revelation 22:2. “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. And the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations.”

I think there will likely be  an abundance of leaves  since they will  be used for the healing of the nations in God’s Holy and Eternal Kingdom. 

 After seeing Jesus, one of the things I am looking forward to seeing  when God takes me to heaven is the tree of life with a blessed  abundance of “healing” leaves.

Today would have been my late husband’s birthday.  I may not be able to celebrate  Jerry’s birthday, but I know we will celebrate a greater day when together with the Lord in Heaven.

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Autumn Abundance


Written

on 10/26/2012

Off into the Sunset


The bright fall colors are not the only display of incredible hues. Take for instance the spectacular autumn sunset in the following pics.

The sunset  actually occurred on October 19th, 2009. It was the date of my late husband’s burial.

 Jerry will be missed, indeed. The images taken by my brother do resemble  the ’64 Chevy Belair Jerry owned and loved. It appeared to be  shrouded with light and clouds.

Close family members viewed the setting of the sun and commented  that the cloud shaped like his car was  going off into the sunset. God gave us a memory of Jerry’s going home to heaven that will last for quite a while.

God is good all the time.

His Presence in the cloud that hovered  over us, is evidence to me of how much He cares  and is there in times of grief or loss.

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Pick-a- Peck-‘o-Peppers


Harvest of this year’s fruits and vegetables are winding down as the season moves towards the next. And I can’t bring myself to say what that’s called at this time; it’s too grevious.

So I thought a picture of the bounty provided by a dear neighbor would be cheery.

I now have  stuffed peppers that are put up in the freezer for later. God surely has provided.  Any one for some of the pepper bonanza?

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