A Wonder in Winter
Sun-kissed snow glistening bright, a radiant reflection of His power and might.
And the glory that’s due to one so Supreme, I cannot repay what He’s done for me.
On the cross Jesus suffered and died for my sins,
A life of freedom I’ve been given for my Savior to live.
His precious blood washed the stain of my sin away,
Heart and soul purified, a new creation He has made.
As a wonder in winter, I glisten from the Son,
Inside I sparkle like the snow from the victory He has won.
I
I wonder what it’s like, in Heaven on Christmas Day.
Do the angels sing Happy Birthday and songs of Glorious praise?
We find in Scripture they’re created to give God glory, it’s true,
But can they know the joy that comes from the grace of receiving you?
The joy that we your people in our humble earthly abode,
Find in the transformation when we’re redeemed and reborn.
They’ll never know the fullness, deep in the sinner’s heart,
When delivered from the penalty of sin, that was present from the start.
To know your name is hand-written, by God in the Book of Life,
Not earned by one’s own merit, but by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Yes, they rejoice each time a sinner repents, yet they long to look within
And know that through the Holy Spirit, this Gospel that was given.
Do our loved ones that have gone before, join with the angel throng,
And gather ‘round your Holy throne in everlasting song?
Those now living in eternity know joy, more than ever before,
There’s no sorrow, death, pain or tears beyond the Golden shore.
We’d like to think they celebrate, the birthday of their King,
Someday we’ll see beyond this realm and together we’ll forever be.
Ground Zero Cross
I remember what happened exactly 13 years ago today on September 11th. I imagine there aren’t too many adults who don’t recall the horror of seeing the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers destroyed. Who can imagine what the survivors endured or how friends or family members of people who worked there awaited with frantic fear to learn if their loved ones were dead or alive. Certainly the husbands wives, mothers, grandparents, children, family members or friends of the brave ones risking their lives to help find and rescue those buried alive remember…and continue to grieve. The United States remembers and grieves this tragedy of unexpected loss.
Heavenly Father,
Bless and heal our nation.
Bless and heal the families who continue to grieve. Help the many victims who continue to grieve forgive if the haven’t yet done so.
Open the eyes and hearts of the terrorists who committed these unholy crimes. Help them and others like them repent and find you as their Lord and Savior.
God Bless and Keep America that we may all come to know and love the gift of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
I opened my Bible this morning to Psalms 37:4(NIV), “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
This is one of my favorite verses because it comes with a promise, and I enjoy reflecting on some of the desires that have been or are currently being fulfilled.
One desire I have is writing, which I’m fulfilling on this blog. Another desire is memorizing Bible verses. Years ago, I taught Bible verses to children and coached them as they competed with other children from different churches. Though not in this particular ministry anymore, I continue to delight in memorizing God’s Holy Word. Still another desire is speaking to small groups about the journey God has brought my family through in addition to offering the audience hope and encouragement.
I’ve also taken into account the times when my desires were not in line with God’s will. For years I wandered from the fold doing my own thing and many times I found my life filled with despair, discouragement and disappointment.
The picture featured above displays a message within the heart, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart..”
The concept of the verse in Psalms and the commandment printed within the shape of a heart are both closely related. When I am loving God with all my heart, I find a blissful delight. My desire should be to love him completely.
If I am not loving him with all my heart, there is something else crowding out his love.
Then I remember to return to him seeking him with all my heart. I find another promise fulfilled. “Come near to God and he will come near to you, wash your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.” James 4:8 (NIV)
However, the verse before it is, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
I think verse seven helps keep the believer on track, when heeded. It will save time, disappointment and grief.
I prefer to be delighted. How about you?
Please share your blessings of abundant delight or leave a comment at the end of this post.
Easter was a few days ago, but I’m still full of joy. I can’t help thinking about how much God loves me and how I was surprised by one of God’s special blessings.
After the 8 AM “Sunrise” service, church members and guests enjoyed choosing from a wonderful Easter buffet. It was filled with delectable egg casseroles, biscuits and gravy, pastries, fruit salads, cheesy potatoes, blueberry bagels with cinnamon cream cheese and colored Easter eggs. I chose a more conservative breakfast of fruit salad and 2 pastel yellow hard-boiled eggs.
I finished eating the first egg and felt satisfied. I thought I should put the second one back in the basket of eggs, but decided to eat it as well. I turned the egg with my fingers to find the large end for cracking and noticed a cross on it. I showed the cross on the egg to a couple of people I was sitting with. “Isn’t that nice?”, I said. “I wonder how it was put there? It didn’t look like something from a kit or an applique.”
After peeling the shell away I took a bite. I could hardly believe my eyes. The bite was in the shape of a heart! I again show some of the people at the table the heart-shaped bite on the egg and they thought it was neat.
I thought about the cross and asked the lady who made the eggs after the next morning service if she made any designs on the eggs she colored. She said, “A couple of them had swirls on them, but nothing fancy.” I told her about the cross on one of my eggs and she looked surprised. I commented that it must be my Easter blessing.
The heart-shaped bite and the cross on the egg reminded me of God’s love for us. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him, should not perish but have Everlasting Life.” Without the love of God, there would be no cross.
How about you? Has God shown you his love through his Son, Jesus? Did you receive an unexpected Easter blessing? Leave a comment at the end of this post.
Happy Easter, everyday!
Help!!
I recently read a passage of scripture that reminded me of various tasks and projects in and around my home that scream for my attention.“This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Though Isaiah 38:1 involves a certain King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, I reflected on the literal meaning of the text that resonated with me; disorganization where I lived. In fact, when I thought about tackling the challenge, I felt hopelessly overwhelmed.
Seasonal sifting and pitching through the junk and excess had been piling up for many years. Years I’ve spent caring for my daughter throughout the ongoing rehabilitation process of a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2001, which was the result of a horrific car accident.
The pile has become so high, that it in my mind, it’s as high as the mess in this picture. I’ve allowed the burden of which job to start with, as well as a lack of energy and time, to clutter up my mind, my prayer life, my social life, and my health. “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.”(Psalm 107:19 NIV)
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
Thank you, Lord, that you have heard my cry and will help me to put my house in order both physically and spiritually.
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27 NIV)
Dear Heavenly Father, the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. Help us to be prayerful of opportunities that allow us to reach out to the people living in our neighborhoods. Perhaps a neighbor is lonely, has lost a loved one recently, has been sick, have children in diverse difficulties, need help with a task or errand, are searching for God’s purpose and some we could witness to.
There are people we encounter daily in the grocery store, in our children’s school, in our workplace, or at the social club we frequent who we’ve not thought as being our neighbor. They may need a listening ear, an encouraging word or an invitation to attend church with us. Help us remember them in prayer and offer help when possible.
Finally, Lord, help us to forgive with your love the neighbors who have mistreated, taken advantage of, hated, cursed or robbed us. If we have done any of the aforementioned, forgive us and help us to do good in restitution. May we be a blessing to them and your Holy Name. Amen.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 NIV)
Lord, God, loving family includes our children, parent(s), brother(s), sister(s), in-laws, step-children or step-parent, distant relatives and those who are in our church family as well.
Help us to be patient, kind and forgiving when they are difficult or almost impossible.
Help us model Christ-likeness in our giving, church attendance, and extra-curricular activities.
Help us repent of a habit contrary to the role-model we are to be.
Lead us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
Help us with the chores we do for family members, however menial or unpleasant.
Lead us to show love and kindness by sending a card, making time for and bonding with family members, blessing them with homemade goods or gifts to cheer when they are in need and on occasion performing one of their tasks unexpectedly.
Give us direction as we offer our service to the church.
Help us to have special times of prayer for family members who are unsaved.
Give us a desire to read your Word daily and spend time before your throne of grace in prayer. Fill us with your Presence, and help us serve them with a glad heart.
May we be faithful to pray for guidance for our loved ones to become who and what you have created them to be.
Finally, Lord, forgive us when we have been an ineffective witness because we displayed undesirable behavior toward our family.
Forgive us when we’ve been harsh, abusive, spiteful, jealous, covetous, hurtful, unloving, unyielding, unkind, and unfaithful.
Reform us into the family members that bring glory to you.
In Jesus name, Amen.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 NIV)
Help us, dear Lord, to have hearts that are free to love you as you have requested in your Holy Word.
Reveal to us any secret sin that may cause deception, thereby keeping us from loving you as we should.
Forgive us our trespasses through your Son, Jesus, and purify our souls.
For when our souls are pure and holy, our minds can think according to your Word.
As we meditate on your Word, we find comfort, hope, peace, direction, illumination, wisdom, knowledge and strength.
In your Presence, there is fullness of joy, and the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, that you loved us so much that you gave your Son, Jesus, to the whole world as part of your plan of redemption and Eternal Life.
Thank you Jesus, for the love you gave to each of us in that you went to the cross and you took our sins upon you, though you were without sin. You sacrificed your life in order that we may have the remission of sins and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for the hope of your promise that we’ll one day have the privilege of living with you for eternity.
We love because you first loved us, and it is your love that flows through us.
God is love and he who abides in God, abides in love, and God in him.
Help us love you more and serve you better than we did the day before.
In Jesus name, Amen.
EverGreen 