A Dash- A Pinch-A Tad- A Smidge

How can I begin to describe what I give to God and compare it with what He gives to me? 

     I guess I will start with this: A dash, a pinch, a tad, a smidge; these are all only slightly detectable- just a small amount. These words could easily describe the amount of time and what I give to God; whereas, He is available to me round-the-clock and gives so much more. 

     Going further:

     A dash is just a small amount, but God gives His all.

     A pinch is almost nothing, but God is something-The Father of All!

     A tad is only a tiny bit, but God is large and all around.

     A smidge is itty-bitty or teeny-tiny, but God is bigger than life.

     Then there are opposite words like, enoromus, gigantic, and colossal, all meaning exceedingly large, but they are still not words great enough to describe the amount of time and what God gives to me. 

Goals -Big, Medium, Small

Daily Hope quoted that, “If you set a big goal, God will work in a big way. If you set a medium-size goal, God will work in a medium way. If you set a small goal, God will work in a small way.” 

     I am a goal setter. Mine have never been to climb Mount Everest, go the moon, travel the world, or become a millionaire, so I guess I have never set big goals. However, my goals give me something to look forward to, to strive for, and in which to hope.

     I need goals, but they need to be Godly ones—good ones…ones which enrich life. Many of my previous goals were to benefit myself, but lately I am seeking more and more goals which will benefit others, as well.  This is important, and I may consider these goals small, but I believe God sees them as “Big”.

     Setting goals helps me grow and mature. True, I may never reach certain ones, and I may need to re-evaluate and set new ones, but I always look forward to what “will be” and by letting God take the reins.

     Daily, I just can’t wait to see what happens. When and how!

 

Steps and Leaps of Fatih

Steps happens! They may be small, short, or long ones, but it requires placing one foot in front of the other. Taking steps is kind of like taking leaps of faith which require a first STEP and moving on from there. My first step toward my “leap of faith” might look something like:  

 

S tep forward

T red onward

E nter the door of opportunity

P lace my hand in God’s

Get Er Done!

The next day, the next week, and the next year is here! Will it be put off another day, week, or year?

     I am a firm believer in not putting off what needs to be done. In other words, “Grab the Opportunity” now, not tomorrow or next week or next year.  “Seize the moment,” if possible. As Larry the Cable Guy said, “Get er done.”

    Imagine what would have happened had Zacchaeus not grabbed the moment and climbed a tree for “Jesus to see.” He might never have heard, “Zacchaeus, you come down, for I'm going to your house today.”

God's Way

There is never a time to give up...God stays...He continually walks beside...Let Him have His way.

God’s Way

 

Start…

Pray and do not lose heart.

To Him, cry out…

To Him, shout!

Expect a delay…

It may be His way.

Expect His timetable…

He is able!

Keep knocking…

Keep asking…

Keep persevering…

Keep seeking…

Keep believing!

Ask day and night…

Keep God in sight…

He is the light!

His way…

Come what may…

A lifetime of trust,

Before we return to dust.

 

       Mary Crisp Jameson  1/13/2025

 

“And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint…Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” Luke 18:1, 5 KJV

 

Today

 There is no greater blessing God gives me than waking up into the TODAY. It is up to me to make it count. 

Today

 

Yesterday is gone,

And so are the things that I did wrong.

Those I will not let control my days,

Or the trails ahead I choose to blaze. 

Worry will not change the past, 

And nothing lasts.

On the other hand,

As I tread this land,

Tomorrow is a day to think about,

But I cannot know what, from it, will sprout

Worry will not change the future or what lies ahead;

Just plan, pray, and trust instead.

Within my trust, 

I must’nt let today turn to dust. 

Today is what I grip within my hand.

Today is when I skip across the land.

Today opportunities are like the grains of sand.

Today is where my energy must go.

Today is when I sow.

Today, my spotlight does not end until the night.

It is: 

To be happy and gay,

To pray,

To not stray,

To make it worthwhile,

To smile.

To go the extra mile.

Today is mine, 

Taking it seconds and minutes at a time. 

It is up to me, on wings, to mount

And make my today count.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson. 1/11/2025 

 

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 NIV

Pass It On

I have such good memories of generations before me. They were mostly poor and did not pass on silver, gold, or a big bank account. What they left was so much more. They loved God, and they passed it on.

Pass It On

 

I remember my great-grand parents.

They were old, and life had taken a toll,

But they passed on love from their household.

They modeled a relationship with God,

Although they may have been somewhat flawed.

I remember my grandparents more,

And I was always welcome at their door.

In their pastures, there was much to explore.

They had cows and mules, 

But mostly, I remember the life they stood for.

From their garden they raised their food,

Lobored hard, but showed a loving, Godly mood.

From a well they drew their water,

Hogs they had to slaughter.

They worked hard from daylight to dark.

But their love for God was never a question mark.

They were filled with Godly precepts and rules they kept.

Before they were gone, they passed it on.

Then, there was the love my parents held for me.

They lived Godly lives that I could see.

They shaped my heart, my thoughts, my choices,

And I still can hear their voices.

They read their Bible, took me to church, and prayed at meals.

They kept the faith as they traveled burdensome hills.

Mom and Dad loved God, 

And they passed it on before they were gone.

Then, it was left for me to pass on God’s love for my child to see.

I did my best and still pray that she is blessed.

To pass it on is my heart’s quest. 

There is God who created me.

There is Jesus who died to set me free.

There is the Holy Spirit who gives my heart glee.

And, I want to pass it on.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson. 1/9/2025

 

“Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when He said to me, ‘Assemble the people before Me to hear My words, so that they learn to revere Me as long as they love in the land and may teach them to their children.’” Deutheronomy.4:10 NIV 

Center-Stage

I am not one to enjoy being center-stage with everyone watching my performance. Yet one day, there will be One whom I will stand before on center-stage, and He will determine how well I have performed.

 Center Stage 

 The stage was set!

I had studied and lived the part,

But I began to fret,

For I had not gotten the script down to a fine art.

I was not ready, just yet,

But the stage was set.

The final act was about to start,

And I began to sweat.

This final scene, I had not rehearsed, 

And this was a first.

Taking pause,

I wondered if I would get applause,

Receive the words I wanted to hear,

Or get the cheer.

I was in fear

As I took my bow.

I so desired to hear the “Wow!”

Yet, 

There was reason to fret

Remembering the times I’d had to be corrected,

Never getting my act perfected. 

As the curtain fell,

My blood pumping through every cell,

I remained center-stage,

Listening for a response to gauge.

I had yet to hear the sound of clapping or of booing,

But I still had hope for the forgiving of my misdoing.

Would I hear, 

As the Director drew near,

Within my lingering hope, so fervent,

“Well-done, my servant?”

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 1/72025 

 

“His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Matthew 25:21 KJV.

My Woe is Gone

     In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Jesus talks about some who may not inherit the kingdom of God. They are the fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers, 

     Other scriptures also tell me not to be vengeful, judgmental, an unforgiven, or a lover of earthy idols. 

     I could easily place myself among some of the categories listed and cry, “Woe is me!” Yet, 1 Corinthians 6:11 takes away my, “Woe” because a few “buts” are listed.  

     It says, 

But…you were washed.

But…you were sanctified.

But…you were justified.

     When Jesus laid His LIFE on the Cross, He did it for me. He took my sins and washed them, sanctified them, and justified them so I could inherit the kingdom of God. He took away my “Woe is me!” so I could live better, love better, and glorify Him not only in word but in action.

     He gave me a kingdom inheritance if I believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus, my Savior. My "Woe" is gone because I am washed by His blood.

Stubborn or Unyielding

I was thinking about how stubborn and unyielding I can be sometimes. This is not a trait I like to acknowledge, and I certainly do not want to be like Pharoah. He was one hard-hearted, stubborn soul. 

 

1.     Pharoah would not listen with the 1^st warning when Aaron’s staff became a snake

2.    Pharoah would not listen when the Nile, the streams, the canals, the reservoirs and all the waters turned to blood. The fish died and the water stank. 

3.    Pharoah would not listen when frogs covered the land, came into the palace, the bedrooms, ovens, and kneading troughs.

4.    Pharoah would not listen when all the dust of the land became gnats that got on the people and the animals.

5.    Pharoah weakened only somewhat when swarms of flies invaded the land, the palace, and the houses but his heart was still hard.

6.    Pharoah was unyielding even when a plague hit the livestock and the horses, donkeys, camels, and cattle died.

7.    Pharoah still did not listen when boils broke out among the people and the animals throughout the land.

8.    Pharoah’s heart was still hardened when the hail came and lightning flashed back and forth. The hail beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 

9.    Before the next plague, Pharoah wanted to deal but only on his own terms so, once again, he did not listen and would not be humble. The locusts came and covered the ground; they devoured what little was left after the hail.

10 Pharoah still wanted to deal on his own terms when darkness descended and no one could see or move. 

11 Pharoah only agreed to listen when the final plague came; when every firstborn of both people and animal died. Still, the Pharoah wanted to undo his decision. He never really feared the Lord, for he sent his army to bring back God’s people, and that resulted in further disaster. 

 

       In my own defense, although I may be stubborn at times, I greatly respect and fear my Lord. I would have yielded at the snake. “God’s ways are better than my ways.” 

     I pray for those who are too stubborn and unyielding to acknowledge God, His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I pray for those who wish to "go it alone" without God.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

     

 

 

Reasons to Love

 When I opened my devotional this morning, I was hit with, "Make it a habit to notice the many reasons you have for loving the Lord." I immediately looked up and out the window and noticed all the leaves on the ground. My first thought was, "There is not way to name the many reasons I love my Lord. They are uncountable. They are like the leaves on the ground; they are like the grains of sand. He redeems me from my uncountable sins." 

          "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those (me)  who fear Him....But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting..." Psalm 103

     My next devotional gave me a prayer: "Jesus, Thank you for loving me so much that you took all my guilt on yourself and made me acceptable for heaven."  That is a true reason to Love My Lord!

Let Down The Net

“…But I will do as You say and let down the nets.” Luke 5:5b

 

I hope in this new year of 2025 I am always willing to “let down my net,” as instructed by God. Simon Peter obeyed and his net was filled to the breaking point. What an amazing event that must have been! 

     I could very well say, “I wish I had been there.” However, I can be there as long as I listen and obey. Obedience can open a door of opportunity and blessings, and I want 2025 to open with a blast!
     No more worry, no more holding back. Pray instead- listen- obey, and let down the net. Let it be filled to overflowing!

2025 Is Here!

It is here! 2025! 

     "God be gracious to us (me) and bless us (me), and cause His (Your) face to shine upon us (me). Psalm 67:1 

     This is my desire for 2025. I pray God blesses our country. I pray that God blesses others as well as myself, and I pray that when God blesses me, I will use that blessing in and through me to benefit someone else. 

     I need to pass it on!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!