The Bell

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ.  (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3 :20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God  (2 Cor. 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good  (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13 )
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16).   I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know who you are?

I must have fleas

I must have fleas

Creepy
Crawley
Buggy
Itchy
I must have fleas
Day in
Day out
Everywhere
I find irritation
My nose
My ears
My head
My arms and legs
and in between
I must have fleas

Too too hot
The room’s too hot
The bath water streams water too hot
The car’s too hot
The coat’s too hot

Oh woe
what to do
I must have fleas

But alas
I don’t
No

No

No, I don’t
Although it seems
I must have fleas
I don’t have fleas

But, I do have
dry, dry skin

P.S. and for that I use Renew Lotion, a Melaleuca product

Shine Jesus! Shine on me

I have been reading / studying the Chronological Bible for the past year and have just finished the Old Testament. The other day I was reading Daniel 9:17-19 and the word "shine" jumped out at me. I read the verses as a prayer and paraphrased it a bit as follows: 

We are desolate.
Hear my petition(s)
O Lord
Cause Your face
to shine on
Your sanctuary
O my God
Incline Your ear and hear;
Open Your eyes and see 

It is because of Your great mercies
that we present these petitions,
not because of any righteous deed
on our part. 

O Lord, hear!
O Lord, forgive!
O Lord, listen and act! 

At church this past Sunday, Oct. 13, we sang "Shine Jesus Shine." How appropriate. Shining was already on my mind.

I thought
Where is Your sanctuary? Is it the place in which believers meet?
Is it within the believer's heart? 

Shine Jesus!
Shine on my heart
in this place
Hear! My Lord God
See!
the miseries
that dwell within us
that we fail to overcome
O Lord hear me!
See me! 

Forgive me!

Show me Lord
the way that is true

Hear my petition(s)
O Lord
Cause Your face
to shine on Your sanctuary
on me
show me the way
to follow You

Allow Your wisdom
to settle on my bones
within every part of me
Give me understanding
Cause the glories of Jesus
to shine upon me
and to another.

(c) October 12/14, 2013 

Jesus is knocking

"When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations (sins) which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger." ~ Ezekiel 43:8

When we refuse to obey the God of the Universe, the God of our souls, our created bodies, when we defy His name and all He commands of us, when we separate Him from us and do only that which we personally desire,  all that is an abomination to Him, the time will come when His anger will be upon us. We will be consumed. All of our cries will be to no avail.

God has said:
"You shall have no other gods before Me." (Deuteronomy 5:7)

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain."  (Deuteronomy 5:11)

But we do and we have. We do not, we did not and we continue to not obey.

The time will come. His time.

All, except a few (a remnant),  will be no more. A few will remain faithful and true to the Holy One. A few will live in the Kingdom of Heaven with the Almighty Lord Jesus Christ.

Will you be among the faithful and true? Will you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

It is your choice.

Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. He wants to be part of your life. He knocks only for so long. There will come a time when the knocking will cease and the opportunity is gone.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receive, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."  ~  Matthew 7:7-8

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  ~ Revelation 3:20

It is still your choice. The choice remains yours as long as the door is open. But no one knows how long that will be. No one knows when the Lord will return, only God the Father knows.

I bid you come. Come and see, and receive. All you who do not know, who wait for a more opportune time. There is no better time than now. He has your best in mind always. In the midst of every hardship, the Lord will be with you, to encourage, to listen, to give us hope and so much more. The struggles do not go away, but the Lord walks with us, He lessens the load.

a bitter sweet day

A bitter sweet day
it is today

We mourn the loss of
our sweet little bunny
BeeJay Bunny Boy
12 years, 11 months, 1 week old
Three weeks shy of 13.
He passed away
2:57 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, 2013.
A loving member since he was 5 months old.
He is gone from our presence
but no longer in pain
The joy he gave will never be forgotten.

BeeJay Bunny Boy Luders
June 14, 2000 ~ May 21, 2013
http://windowtochristianministries-journeys.blogspot.com
/2012/07/ode-to-beejay.html

Charlie "Tuna" Noodle Casserole Orrick Luders
May 21, 1976 ~ Sept. 3, 1992

This day too

we remember
an obstreperous cat
Charlie “Tuna” Noodle Casserole
whose life spanned 16 years
He came into my life at 10 weeks old
lived to “give his blessings”
to another male in the house ~
my husband Jimmy
and died over Labor Day weekend 1992.

Forever etched in our hearts and minds.

Jesus said, "It is Finished" ... is it finished for you?

Jesus’ death is not where it all ended.

One would, one might think it so, but it is but a chapter.

In the next chapter, 3 days after his body lay buried,
Jesus arose. Up from the grave He rose.

He conquered death.

Satan, with all his pathetic promises and conniving schemes
did not, could not and cannot defeat The One who is above all.

Jesus took upon Himself all our shame and guilt, all of our sins.

“It is finished,” Jesus says. But it is not the end.

It is only the beginning; the beginning of a new life.

Jesus gave up His spirit, took upon Himself our every  sin  to bring us to The Father. Jesus became the peace offering, our peace. His blood for ours. Through Jesus we are accepted.
Through Jesus all is made right.

It is Finished.
Jesus did the will of His Father.

How about you?
Can you say the same?
Have you finished …. Have you turned away from a life that has only caused heartache and pain for yourself, for your family, for all your loved ones?

Have you turned away from misery and abuse, remembered promises that did not come true, lies?

Jesus died for you. Each and every one of you.

Can you come to Him and die to your old self?

We all have something that imprisons us or has at one time or another. Something that oppresses us, hinders us from moving on, forging ahead. We want to conquer, to destroy those walls that keep closing in tighter and tighter on our homemade prison, that bring physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual anguish.

We don’t know how.

Is it so hard?   
Or is it so easy? 
Some say it is.
Just do it.
Make the choice and do it.

God hears our cry. He hears our distress. Every day, every minute He sees what we undergo, how the prison we have built draws us into ourselves and we try to hide from our misery by finding another misery to wallow in.

We want to be free, but how?

Jesus gave His life to save yours. Why oh why do we insist on destroying the life He so lovingly yearned to be one with Him? He gave His all and we … What do we do? What do we give?

Have we accepted His love?

Do we seek His guidance?

Do we believe ….

He is Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man?
Born of the the Virgin Mary?
He died for our sins?
He gave His life for ours?
He was buried?
He rose again after 3 days?
He lives?

Do we pray?

Do we ask for His forgiveness?

Are we studying His word?

Are we gathering with others who follow the teachings of Jesus -- follow and obey?

Do we friend ourselves with others who build us up, encourage us, show us how to live the life God desires for us?

Do we say NO!
to that which brings us done, which undermines our worth, drags us down into a pit of sewer mud?

Do we say NO! to online pornography?

NO! to homosexuality and promiscuity?

NO! to husbands and wives cheating on each other physically and/or emotionally?

NO! to verbal and physical abuse?

NO! to abortion and other senseless murderous acts?

NO! to relentless putdowns?

NO! to overindulgence in food and drink?

Do you think food and drink help build you up? Think again. It’s a mechanism we use to hide from our fears, but it doesn’t work. We get sick and then sicker. Our life is not going up, not improving, but going down. We are destroying ourselves and those around us.

Do you think it doesn’t matter? Does another say  “It’s okay. I still love you.”
But it’s not okay. And do you love yourself?

The decision to change lies within yourself.

You alone have to determine what is right, but remember it is not just you and your life, but those around you that factors in with your decision. 

You can’t straddle the fence. You can’t have it all. You can’t keep what you have and look for something else too.  Life on the other side of the fence is not always as green as you fathom it to be. It can be quite muddy.

So your mind wanders and then it stops and sits awhile and you remember other times with other people and you start thinking that was good and you want it again.

You can’t go back. If it was meant to be, then that chapter of your life would not have closed.

No, you can’t go back. You may stop briefly, you may remember, but you shouldn’t stay there. You need to bring yourself back to the present, back to reminding yourself what you have now and how your life is so much better.

You have a new life …  and if you open your heart to Jesus and accept His gift of eternal love, eternal salvation, He will create in you a far better life.

No one is perfect. We have all sinned. We have all wandered down paths that caused undeniable pain and heartache. But none of us have to stay on the path that leads to destruction. We can move past the thoughts that keep us captive. We can ask God to help us. We can confess our need to be rid of this agony. We can surrender our lives to Him. We can rid ourselves of the desire to sin and instead live in the way of Christ. We can follow the path Jesus chooses for us. We can be free.

You may feel a certain way and sometimes that feeling makes us think negatively, but it doesn’t  have to. We don’t have to stay in that feeling. We can change our thinking and the thinking will then change the feeling.

For example, you are hurt over something someone said … that’s a feeling …. So you start thinking you’ll resort to your usual method of dealing with pain – and that might be excessive eating of chocolate or some other sweet or drinking an alcoholic beverage – but then you remember how you feel afterward – and decide it would be better for you to do  something else less detrimental to you.  We changed the thinking of our original feeling and turned it to good. That is what we must do with every negative feeling – think positive and change the feeling. Become free.

Face forward, put one step in front of the other, search for positive ways to go forward.

“It is Finished.” Jesus’ final words before He died. But like I’ve said before, life was not over. For Jesus conquered death. He overcame the powers of evil and sin. He overcame death. Hope remained.

He said He would be back. He would return.

In the tomb 3 days, and then the tomb was empty. Jesus was alive!

Through Him you can be alive – you can overcome that which holds you back and holds you down.

Jesus lives! He sits at the right hand of The Father. He is our mediator. He lives within us – as Spirit when we accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Unhappiness comes because we forget where we are and what we have. We become remorseful over a past life that seemed so promising yet was going nowhere. We miss what we had. What did we have? What indeed? Was it better than what you have now? Is your life today lacking something that you had before – whether it be a person or an activity?

Have you allowed the feeling of happiness you thought you had in a previous life supersede what you have now? Is what you have now not better, not more filling, not more loving, not more satisfying?

God will help you. He is not a cop out. His love is eternal. He will help you. He seeks only your best, never your worst. He offers you calmness, quietness, peace.

Only the enemy – the mindless wandering – beats on you, berates you, makes you think you can do better, have better. You are already there. You have better. You are better.

Come to Jesus. His love endures forever. His love is perfect. His love is sufficient.

Come to Jesus. And if you have come and wandered off (again), return to Jesus. Listen for His voice. Return to His word. Return to His fellowship of believers. Return to His promises. Live in His promises.

He saves us. He heals us. He rescues us. He revives us. He loves us.

Don’t go back to selfishness, to the pit of deep despair.

Lift your head, lift your eyes, your soul, your heart, give your all to Jesus, who will fill all the empty places, all the unmet needs.

It is not easy. Nothing in life that is worthwhile is easy. It takes work, perseverance. Focus on Him. Believe and Trust in Him, Meditate, study, consider His word. Pray, ask for answers He alone can give you. He is there. Always. He will never leave you.

We must surrender all parts of our lives to Him. That does not always come all at once. Sometimes it takes many years. But the end result is very much worth it.

Invite God into your heart – invite Him to fill the empty places. Do not listen to the reasoning that you need others to fulfill you or that you need their approval.

Jesus
is
the
answer.
Jesus
Come to Jesus
and Be Free.

In conclusion, I give you this poem I wrote Oct. 29, 2012, titled “Choose … Believe … His Love”

failure to thrive

we die

failure to believe God's unfailing love

we die

death surrounds us

within and out

There is death

We don't know how to live!

it is sin

it is sickness

it is disturbing

we feel it

we think about it

yet we don't understand it

we don't recognize the problem

for what it truly is

we remain burdened

trapped within our bodies

and our minds

unable to break free

and get past

our hurts, our anxieties,

our unbelief

For God so loved the world

the world of you and me

the world of people burdened

and lost, roaming here

and there, seeking,

searching for love

It is there, here

in our midst

God has said it

We must turn away from all

that comes against us and

turn to The One who brings us

truth and hope and love

and believe.

The freshness of life

and goodness

cascading upon us

Christ overcame the darkness

to bring us to the light

because of God's love

given

today

tomorrow

and forevermore

Choose to accept

Choose to believe

Choose to be His child

Choose to be loved

Choose to know His love

or

Choose not

and remain shackled

in the chains

of unbelief.

 

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders

The world may collapse, but the work of Christ will endure

The world around us is falling apart. Jesus said it would be so. Why do we seem so surprised, so worried?

Yet even so and still, we, His followers, are to go on, to endure, to continue His work, until Jesus returns. And He will return.

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." (Matthew 24:6)

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14)

The gospel will be preached to every nation ... and then the end will come.

You have been called. Do not be discouraged. God has called you to Him to do His will, to be His hands, His feet, His mouth.

Do not be misled into thinking there are no opportunities here. You are here, in this place, at this time, because this is where the Lord God has placed you. Do not think another place would be better. There would be more opportunities. Opportunities exist everywhere. You cannot sit back and say to yourself, "No, there is nothing. I am not asked to come." Jesus was not asked to come. He just went, everywhere and wherever. So go. Don't become complacent.

The end will come. And when it does, when you face your Maker, will all you have to say for yourself be "I tried. I tried Lord. But no one asked me."

Bull.

To try means to go out and do, to speak, to share, to give, everywhere, anywhere,, always. The opportunities are around us. The opportunities do not limit us. Our fears do.

The Lord tells us not to fear. Fear is not of God.

Do not retreat.

"Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10)

The challenging times are upon us and more is yet to come. They are but the beginning of much sorrow. We must not give in nor give up. We must press on.

God's message is just as relevant today

II Chronicles 36:16 states, "But they (citizens) mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words and misused (scoffed at) His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people till there was no remedy!" 

But thanks be to God! He has provided a way! And that is through His Son Jesus! This is the word that must be proclaimed - yet far too many scoff at this wonderful message. God is patient. I just wonder how long He will wait - my God is loving, but yet He is the final judge.

America needs to wake up. God's message is just as relevant today as in the past.

~ Jim Luders

Paradise awaits!

Death did not become our destined end until sin entered life and we became disobedient to The One who created all of life.

The Creator God gives and takes away. He has the True Right.

But sin permeated our being, first with Adam and Eve, and then with Cain, and it continues down through history to today.

"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17)

The Lord God rules.

The serpent, representing Satan and all that is evil, suggested God was not All Knowing, All Powerful.

The woman, Eve, questioned and considered. And then she determined to check it out for herself.

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate." (Genesis 3:6)

And she gave to her husband, who freely ate.

And then their eyes were opened and they knew they had sinned.

FEAR
DECEPTION
HOPELESSNESS

It all came down around them.

Life in Paradise, where sin did not lurk and conquer, where death was not the distasteful end, was no more.

The promise God declared, "you shall surely die,"  became the curse for every man, woman and child, for every creature that was created by The Lord God.

The curse of pain and sorrow, of exhausting labor, of thorns and thistles, rocks and sandy soil.

The Lord God rules,

This Will Be Your Life

"till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19)

The Lord God pronounced sentence. Judgment was made as Adam and Eve were driven from God's glorious world of Paradise to the world of selfishness.

It was not until God came to mankind in the form of a human - Jesus Christ, that a way to return to Paradise was made.

Paradise came at a heavy price. Jesus came to save our souls from the damnation of sin we carry and live under each and every day.

He bore the weight of every sin we possessed - past, present and future. He who knew no sin, went to the cross to redeem you (and me), to set us free to live a life of Love and Peace and Everlasting Life.

His death came and He was buried, but three days later, His body was resurrected.

He Arose! He Lives! He Reigns! Paradise is His.

Paradise can be yours too.

Come to the Father.
Come to the Lord Jesus.
Seek His forgiveness.
A New Beginning.

Accept His Love for you.
Believe He died for you.
Confess your sins to Him
and live

Paradise awaits!

a prayer for less fear, more faith

I understand worry accomplishes nothing. So I strive to have less of it. I have conversations with God about my concerns. It seems I have these conversations  almost daily.

I am reminded of who is in charge and what I don't gain by worrying. Of course, by taking it to the Lord first I am at least on the right track. And when I take it from him, I at least return it. I know He can. I guess my fear is He won't.

Our resources, our financial resources, are pitiful at best. I'm sure there are others who are shouldering similar burdens or worse. Being surrounded by others in a similar boat doesn't really ease the concern however.

I pray. The Lord hears the heartfelt words I pour out, written on paper and shared now with the few who may read these lines.

Oh Lord, I have sought Your help. I came first to You. I wondered what to do, how will we make it work. We do not have enough funds. We would have IF we hadn't spent some of it earlier, a few months ago. You provided. Perhaps you are angry with us, with me, and now You are showing us exactly what that means. You know we needed the money when we took some out of savings. Were we not to take it? Now we are $320 short and taxes are due. Plus we had the brakes replaced on the car. The cost is astronomical. How will it be paid?

Some say just right a check. Hah! Write a check and watch it bounce. I think not.

Do you want us to borrow from one place to pay in another? I somehow do not think so. But perhaps you do. Please tell us.

We've been given 6 months to pay for the car repair. A payment needs to be made every month. How we do that will be a testimony to You. Please Lord I ask that funds be made available.

I don't know where to start. Perhaps I am only scared to start because of what I know will be revealed. I need guidance Lord. Show me how to accomplish this.

If there are items in our house we can sell, please tell us what and where, how much and to whom we should sell. If there are products we currently pay for that we do not need, show us, show us both, not just me, but Jim as well. Show us what we need to discontinue.

Lord, help me place all my anxieties with You and then, help me to rest in Your promises that You will help.

You have helped before. Why would you not help again? Yet we perhaps presume too much?

We have fallen and in our struggle to get up, we fall again.

Oh Lord, I so want to do Your will and be in Your will always. I want our respective desires to be in agreement with one another.

Do we rely too much on income tax refunds? Should we not use those funds for longer trips, special places? Should we not go to the Cedar Falls Bible Conference this year? Should we see if we could stay with friends or family instead of renting a cabin? Should we drive back and forth? When do we go out East? When to Boone - Des Moines area? Everything is in an uproar and my mind is full of when's and what if's.

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire,and it shall be done for you." - John 15:7

"Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." - Mark 11:24

Believing, without doubt, that God can do all He says.

Lord, I pray it is Your will, more funds will become available to pay what needs to be paid when due. Lord, I believe in You. There is no doubt that You can and have and will. You are the master of the universe. I seek Your wisdom, Your advise, Your aid. Guide me, show me the way. Bring me peace. Take my anxiety, my fearfulness away. Bring me rest from the endless thinking and rethinking. Bring me peace. I have peace. I know You will deliver. I am a witness, a recipient of Your undying love. Help my unbelief Lord!

I pray in Your Name.

Amen.

a good word

"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad."  Proverbs 12:25

There is much to cause anxiety, frustration. For one, pain can make us anxious, concerned over what to do for a given moment. The moment can escalate and we are so distraught. We are powerless. We cry out -- show me Lord how to deal with this! We don't have answers and our anxiety increases. So we head down a path of depressed thoughts - negativity - because we can't see a way out of the darkening darkness. We can't see there are others praying or that God is right there with us.

But a good word makes our heart glad.

A positive note lessens the pain ... I don't know how. We see light, a bright shining star. We know God is with us, is always with us. He reminds us He is right there, surrounding us, even in our sorrows and pain, when all we undergo seems futile and worthless.

To see the positive in the midst of anxiety - that is the key. That is the hard part.

I pray for positive moments as often as possible.
I pray for endurance to get through each and every day.
I pray for funds to not dry up before there is more to fill the coffer
I pray others will express good words, positive and uplifting words and the anxious negativity of pain encountered will diminish.
I pray this in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Childish ways ... child-like wonder

I read an interesting blog, http://10stepstofindingyourhappyplace.blogspot.com/2012/08/i-gave-up-childish-ways.html and realized it wasn't until many years after I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior that I saw God’s world with wonder and mystery.

I write what I perceive, but I now believe some of my perception is off. Every child, every person, is different, and how we view the world around us is perhaps more determined by our childhood, our family life, than simply saying at age 7 we’re a child and at age 21 an adult.   

When I wrote the following on Dec. 7, my description of childhood wonder was seen through the eyes and heart of a 61-year-old. 

A child,
filled with
wide-eyed wonder,
surrounding.
Gazing sweetly,
enjoying moments
enchanted with all before them.
Eager to search and see,
fear has no meaning.
The world is open to explore

My childhood wonder disappeared by the time I was 8. Santa Claus didn’t exist, my parents divorced, second grade was a nightmare I wouldn’t ask anyone to go through. I saw no wonder, no mystery, not much beauty, only pain and heartache and ongoing struggle.

I finished high school and graduated from college, started a career. Seeing some of the wonder, but not all of it; not knowing there was something better, not knowing what it was I needed.

By the time I found what I needed, I was 29 years old.  I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at age 31. I married at 40. 

Twenty-one years later I have regained some of the childhood wonder I lost so many years ago. I see the beauty of God’s world. I laugh with less maturity and more childish delight. I understand, not like a child, but with more trust and faith in He who made me who I am today and who I have yet to become. I rejoice that Jesus came to earth for all of us, so lost, some still so far away. He came because of me and because of you.

I am still a child, yet not. I did mature. I did grow wiser, smarter. Yet in some ways I am a long ways from being mature, from being very wise or very smart. When I am smart, I study God’s word, I spend hours reading His word for me on a given day. When I am smart I know how little it is I do know. Only in Him do I become smart.  All alone, when I rely on myself, I do stupid things, say stupid words and act stupidly. I can see I have not given up childish ways. Anger and pity and fear and anxiety all strike and I am lost.

My parents are gone. I cannot rely on them. When I did rely on someone, it was generally my mom, to help me get past the so very dark days I often found myself in. 

But the reliance I truly needed was not to be found in any other person. Not my mom, not my husband. It could and can only be found in my Lord Jesus. He brings me through all my difficulties when I give it all to Him. Giving your whole life to Him is what needs to be done. Succeeding at giving Him your all is so much easier said than done. It doesn’t come all at once.  

God waits for us. He leads us, guides us, and if we are wise, we allow Him to do so and we gratefully follow and are obedient to His command.

Life is not easy. Sometimes you think living one place is easier than another. Sometimes you think living near loved ones will bring you comfort. You wonder how to cope when a loved one dies … human or pet … love is love. We are lost, so so lost.   

Have you ever stopped to think what God did just to bring us hope? He came to earth Himself, as a baby, the baby Jesus. Christmas is a time to celebrate His birth. It shouldn’t matter if He was born in December or June; Dec. 25 is the day His birth is celebrated.  We are reminded how great God’s love is for us in John 3:16-17 -- "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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

The birth of Christ Jesus is truly a miracle. A wondrous mystery, lying dormant, hidden from our hearts until we are awakened. That awakening is something splendorous to behold. The Light has come into the world and we have been given a glimpse. Our doubts turn to faith and trust. We believe in He, the Almighty  One.  We see the wonder, the mystery. We see His grace. We see His love. And we are forever changed.

We are a child of the King Most High. A child … we give up childish ways, but we retain child-like wonder as we look with eyes aglow at all of God’s magnificence and glory.

We wait for His coming

Christmas
Advent
The season of waiting,
a lifetime of waiting
for Christ Jesus, the Son of Man, to come,
to return,
with power and glory
on a wingless cloud.

He has redeemed us
Us who believe in Him
and follow Him
and obey His command.
He is our redeemer
His promises
have come and will continue to come
to fruition.

We reach out to another in hopes to bring them to the Lord.
We cannot push or pull or prod
But we can pray

The end is near
For centuries the end has been near
But nearer now is the time that is drawing to a close
Watch and wait and be still
Yet continue with His work, whatever He has set you about to do.
Do it wholeheartedly. Do not stop.

The Lord has sent you out into the world to be His  voice, His hands, His feet.
Do not delay.
Do not come to self-thinking conclusions that you are not good enough, have made too many wrong decisions.
The Lord forgives.
Do not listen to family members and friends and others who profess faith but cast doubt.
You are of God.

You believe Jesus, God's only begotten Son, was born to the Virgin Mary, born to die, born to save His people - every man, woman and child from the evil that keeps us focused on the dark side of life.

You are of God.

You have overcome, through Him, the powers that seek to destroy. God is stronger, mightier.

"You are of God. He who is in  you is greater than he who is in the world."
(1 John 4:4)

You have the spirit of truth in you. Do not listen to the spirit of error and deception.

Do not remember the lies that keep you locked in a house without doorknobs.

Go on. Move on. Follow the path He laid out for you. Go forth. Do the Lord's will. Stand against your foes, His foes.

You are of God.

God is stronger. God is with you wherever you go.

"With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

Do not become sidetracked. Do not give in. Do not let your fears take you away from all the Lord has for you. Age is not a deterrent. Health is not a deterrent. A lack of faith is what keeps us stuck in one place or moving backward.

Jesus knocks.
Standing wherever the least be He is
He waits
Waits for us to say yes, to become one of His

Believers wait too.
wait for Him,
His return
His second coming

Some wait for Santa
but even he waits for Jesus' return
even Santa knows the real reason for the season

It is advent.

The days of waiting are upon us.
We rejoice, looking forward to what is to come with great anticipation.

Christmas ... is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Christ.

But the days preceding are advent
and in those days we sing Alleluia! and praises to our King

Lift up our eyes, our hands
watch for He who is Faithful and True
He whose birth we celebrate,
whose death we mourn,
whose resurrection gives up hope and a new life.

The days of waiting will one day be finished
and there will be a new earth and a new heaven.
and we shall see Jesus.

The Lord will be with us -- believers must unite!

"I AM the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the (Enemy), in whose land you dwell. But you have not obeyed My voice."  - Judges 6:10

We are fearful. We fear what we have, what may yet come under this one man's "democratic" rule as president. We fear the other candidate. We fear reports from the media. Each candidate bites the other, looking for ways to devour.

We are fearful.

What a sad state we are in. We are perishing.

The Lord says He would be with us ... IF we heed His commandments, IF we obey, IF we walk in all His ways, IF we serve Him with all our heart and all our soul.

That IF has the potential of becoming our very downfall or becoming the powering force to overcome the enemy.

IF our faith and IF our trust and IF our obedience to The One True Holy Living God remains in Him, He will be with us. He will fight for us.

Time and time again The Lord has come to our aid.

We are brought under another's rule. We are in bondage to another nation, another people, another belief! We are distraught. What are we to do.

And when the pain is strong enough, we cry out to The Lord. Why do we not cry together as one unit. Why are we so scattered? Where oh Where is our trust and faith and belief?! Have we forgotten to whom we belong?

We must turn to The Lord. We must come together. We will not be defeated when we are united as one in the Spirit.

I AM the Lord your God. Do not fear .... but you have not obeyed.

Fear comes when we are disobedient. Fear comes when we do not trust. Fear comes when our belief is absent.

Do not allow the enemy -- and there are many -- to become, to continue to be a snare and a trap for you, to be a thorn in your side.

We must unite as one body of believers and defeat our foe, and the Lord will be with us.

We must pray.
We must seek His wisdom and be obedient to Him and His ways.

It's predetermined -- God knows who will be the next U.S. president

More than one power is coming before a vote by the people of the United States in November.

Each is equally a snare, a trap, a thorn - presently and potentially.

Neither, it appears, has a personal relationship with God's Son, Jesus Christ.

Neither, it appears, worships the one Holy Living God -- to follow Him only,  to love Him only, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.

But one will be elected. The man God deems right for this present time will be the next president of the United States. It may be one is re-elected or it may not.

Christians across the country are for or against one or the other.

God tells us we cannot straddle the fence.

He also tells us we are to remove ourselves from nations that are potential dangers.

God also instructs us to be a light in a fallen world.

One evil is not less or more than another. But still, one man will be elected.

Should we determine not to vote for anyone?

God also says to give to the government what is due.

And what is due?

We need to pray.

Prayer is the key to everything. Not just for the moment. But for every minute.

Serve with sincerity. Serve in truth.

Meditate on the Scriptures.

Commune with the Lord. Listen with your heart and soul.  Obey His teachings and then pursue His leading.

God is our eternal judge.

God places certain people in power and they are not necessarily Christian. If God says this man or that man is who will be president, then we must trust God and follow God's leading.

God's choice is not necessarily our choice.

We must strive to do the Lord God's bidding, not follow our own agenda nor another.

God knows the Way. He is the Way. We are only second-guessing.

The enemy lurks

The enemy of The Good

Who is The Good?

There is but one -- Jesus

We look for that which is good. We strive to be as that one. But our personalities clash and we often fail to see what He sees, or hear what He hears, or comprehend what He knows.

Our personalities -- one with another – clash.

The good we perceive in Jesus clashes with the Bad, the Evil, the Stupidity thrown at our feet and in our face.
Satan is at work.

Satan danced too upon The Good One, but for all his movement to and fro, he failed in his purpose.

Satan did not overcome God’s purpose for His Son, Jesus.

The enemy of The Good -- The enemy of Jesus still fights – he fights for the very soul of all who profess faith in The Good One. He fights for those who waver, for those still and yet unsure of where their allegiance lies. The enemy – Satan fights to prevent The Good of Jesus to permeate, to dwell within us. Satan lurks in the shadows of our mind and poses questions like “Are you sure? Did God really say that?”

Satan’s mission to overcome the faith, belief and trust of followers in Christ succeeds when we listen to his reasonings and believe and then act.

Satan’s mission to lead astray those who are uncertain succeeds when the desires, wants, choices and needs of me supercedes anything else.

Satan’s mission is to destroy, to point out our faults, to keep us locked in a world of regrets and fear and pity, sidelined with negative thoughts.

Satan’s mission does not have to be followed.

We have a choice. Yes, he preys on us. All of us have Satan attacking at any angle he can find an open edge.

He attacks daily. But Satan’s mission, Satan’s goal, Satan’s master plan does not have to be followed.

Satan failed in his mission, his purpose to overcome the Light of the World – The Good One – Jesus Christ. Satan thought he had won the victory – that with Christ’s death He was destroyed, but Satan was proved wrong.

And in his wrongness, we too can stop Satan dead in his tracks.

Christ’s purpose – bestowed upon Him by God the Father, in coming to earth to live among the living beings, whom He loved more than we can ever imagine – Christ’s purpose was to be the pure, selfless and without blemish sacrifice for all of mankind – that’s you and me. Jesus sacrificed His life for mine and for yours. And in doing so, when we have accepted this precious gift of grace, we are no longer condemned, no longer destined to be ruled by Satan and his warmongers.

Christ’s resurrection from the grace proved to The World He was truly King. Death did not keep Him in the grace. Death did not rule. Christ overcame death. He overcame Satan.

And we have been set free. We are new beings. We have been given a new life. We are not what we once were. We are alive! We have a new mission, a new purpose to fulfill – to be as Christ, to live and walk, to study His Word and meditate, to pray, to congregate with fellow believers, to seek guidance from the Lord, to be able to discern His words of wisdom, to be obedient to His call, to trust in His promises.

We are free.

Not free to continue to do bad, or evil or stupid things. Following that path is not freedom, but bondage. If we continue in following along the “me” syndrome highway, fail to follow the road set upon us by God, we remain condemned.  We are not saved from sin to a new life. We are destined to a life without hope, to one filled with destruction. Our end is final – we reign with the least – Satan keeps us on a short leash and we are forever doomed in the fires of hell.

The enemy of The Good does not stand a chance – not in the end times, not when Jesus returns. Yet Satan doesn’t rest, he staggers about, wickedly scheming ways to devour whoever he can, always looking for one to pull away from God’s righteousness and into an endless state of rebellion.

The enemy is always lurking. Make no mistake about it … it is not a sometimes thing. Seek the Lord while He is near. Pray always, never ceasing. Believe, Trust, Obey.

Stay true. Christ is The Good One. You are either with Him – Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, or you are against Him and a follower of The Evil One.

I pray you follow and are obedient to The Good One. Only He has your best interest at heart. Only He cares about you, Only He truly loves you for who you are.

The Truth

I’ve been doing a Bible study on “What is True – The Word vs  Deeds” and today I was reading about truth in John 8 of the New King James version.

Starting with v. 26, Jesus says, “I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He (meaning God) who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him. ²⁸When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. ²⁹And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please him. ³¹If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³²And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

To claim to be spiritual descendants of another, such as Abraham, you would do the works of him. We cannot say truthfully we are “children” of Jesus or Jacob or Abraham and not act accordingly. It is not the same as our physical relationship, i.e., natural descendants. Through our physical birth we are related to our parents, but that alone does not necessitate our works to be as theirs.  

⁴⁰”But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God… ⁴¹You do the deeds of your father.”

To claim you have one Father – God is all fine and good, but refusing to believe God has sent Jesus as His only begotten Son, refusing to believe Jesus and His Father – God are One, disputing His Word over our own, refutes any such claim.

Jesus says, ⁴²”If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  ⁴⁴You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. ⁴⁵But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.”

We do not believe because we are engrained with the “truths” the world, i.e., Satan, has pushed us to.

⁴⁷”He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

When we do not seek and search for that which we do not have, but become passive and non-resistant to the changes in the world, we cannot hear. It is just pitter-patter, like rain on a window pane. Comes in, goes out, and we don’t notice any difference. It is in our own personal alone time, when we reflect and fervently search for something more, something better. It is then that we may hear the still small voice of God echoing in our inner being.

When you know the Truth set forth by God and Christ as One, we are not bound by the prejudgments and deceptions of the world. We are not bound. That is the key.

We have been set free. As long as we abide in His word, His love, are obedient to His teaching, we need never consume ourselves with untold worry and frustration.

We must remain in Him. If we drift and become separated, which can happen and does happen, we must return. You do not need to live in the bondage that grips your entire being and seeks to control you.

We must remember – remember how it was when you walked with Jesus – when His love surrounded you, embraced you, when He walked beside you, in front of you, behind you, when His Truth, the Truth of The Gospel, set you free. 

An Ode to BeeJay

July 10, 2012

Mr. Tumbleweed
one of many
nicknames
for our boy
Twinkle toes
and Hot rod Harry
even Mr. Fluffball
and Bumblebee
deserve
a moment’s recognition


He's our Sweetie
that's for sure
But it's
Beeber or Mr. Bee
he's more often called

BeeJay and his Papa Daddy
at Clear Lake in 2011

His real name
The name given
at his adoption
in to our lives
into our hearts

is
BeeJay

BeeJay Bunny Boy

BeeJay and his Mommy
at Clear Lake

Why you say 


His mommy’s name
was Jewel

His daddy’s name
was Brandon

Hence … BJ
spelled out, of course

Today
He’s Mr. Tumbleweed
Today
he rests comfortably
amid coils of hay
strewn about
in his headquarters
his place of refuge …

The Hutch

Every morning
rain or shine
his Papa Daddy
his adopted daddy
comes in
picks him up
kisses him on his little forehead
and carries him
to the play area …

The Kitchen
where up to an hour
he scampers and hops
and when mommy comes in
they play hide and seek
or catch me if you can

BeeJay sitting on Papa Daddy's
sling after rotator cuff surgery
in 2009

Sometimes though
his mood is quiet
and withdrawn
perhaps the achiness of
bone and joint
bring more havoc

perhaps the extremes
of temperature rising -
100 degrees in the sun –
refuse relief
even in air-conditioned comfort

or  the season(s) of
shedding
bring untold discomfort
to his digestive tract

BeeJay at Christmas 2008

Sometimes too
he’s just plain
tired
like you and me

He likes to be held
soft gentle strokes
by his mommy and
sitting on her shoulder
to get a bigger view
of the world

He wonders
who that is
in the mirror
when he stares

It looks just like me
Is that me, Papa Daddy?

He sits on Papa Daddy’s lap
much safer there
a chance encounter up higher
brought him down
to the ground
so fast, too fast
Lap-sitting is the way to go

Family time
Saturday night time
sometimes too
Friday night time
or Monday night time
any time will do just fine
as long as we’re all together
to watch a movie
and listen to animal sounds
and music to soothe

BeeJay and "Our Children"

Mr. Bee
enjoys Papa Daddy and Bunny Son time

They share a couch in the basement
Did I say share?
Of course its shared
Papa Daddy gets one-half
and BeeJay gets one-half
plus one-half of PD’s too
And nothing but nothing
that he doesn’t want
should be on “his” side
No remote, no glasses
He’s adamant about what
is allowed, and what is not

Mr. Bee
likes treats
He likes yogurt treats the best
the ones you buy at the pet store
3 treats a day he can have
but more often than not
its 3 plus 3!

He likes Ritz crackers
salted nut rolls
oranges

bananas
grapes too

He likes the sweet
He likes the salty
and
He likes his water
as does his mommy

His begging skills
he’s got down to a science
up he stretches
on those hind legs
giving a sweet look
that seems to say,
“Please, pretty please”

How can you resist?

Mr. Bee
one cold November day
shortly before Thanksgiving
nearly 12 years ago now
He came
to live with us.
His brother, whom he never met,
Thumpie was his name,
had passed on,
passed over the rainbow.

   See the heart-shaped spot ...        
he no longer has it

Mr. Bee
5 months old
a tiny ball of furry brown
Siamese Sable
was what it was called
with a heart-shaped
spot on his left side

From Center Point
to Cedar Rapids
Iowa born
Iowa bred
Iowa all the way

Six years
he spent
in basement quarters
but then one day
he saw the light
 up the stairs he went
and a new world of
activity opened up

Always in our thoughts
Sung to or sung about
He wanted a phone
In case someone called
He has one
a bit big and he can’t get to it
But he has one
But then he wanted a computer
We had one each
Why couldn’t he?!
Indeed!

He’s rather photogenic
He has his picture on a stamp

And he’s rather particular
especially when it comes to
choosing friends
or not

Kwallie Marsupie Bear
is at the top of his
DO NOT LIKE list

But he loves
Miss Jelly Bean
and his Aunt Jani
and of course
his Mommy and Papa Daddy

He celebrates his birthday
on June 14

Mr. Bee
is an All-American boy
He was born in June
We recognize and celebrate
his day

on Flag Day,
June 14.
This year, 2012,
he turned
12 years old.

In years past,

when we all were younger
he vacationed
with his Aunt Jani
while his parents
took trips by
plane or train or car

He doesn’t much care
for  travel
isn’t always sure
just where he might end up

He doesn’t like the vet
it’s  just to get his nails trimmed!
just like his Papa Daddy
who goes for much the same thing

But travel is what he does
When he turned 10
we decided to take him with,
so off he goes
when we go.
He travels to Northeast Missouri
to see our friends there
Once he met some “giant” bunnies
who were renting space there
He travels to Cedar Falls
a town his Papa Daddy spent boyhood years
to stay a week at Bible Conference
Yep, he’s a Bible-thumping bear!

Oh yes, sometimes,

he’s called a bunny bear
or a bunny puppy

Just let it be known
He’s our No. 1 bunny
all the way.