Nothing

I wrote about doing nothing yesterday. After that I was talking with a friend about what Clint Eastwood once said when asked how he stayed active at his age. Eastwood replied, “Don’t let the old man in.” After Mr. Eastwood’s comment, Toby Keith wrote a great song titled, Don’t Let The Old Man In. This led me to write the following about Nothing. 

 

NOTHING 

 

Nothing is as Nothing does!

It may be all the buzz,

But here’s the thing- 

It may be knocking at your door

And wanting to move on in.  

 

Nothing is a common thread,

Roaming around in the head,

But don’t let Nothing in, 

‘Cause Nothing, for sure, will win!

 

Toast each sunrise with Something-

Just don’t let Nothing in.

Sing a song to the heavenly King!

Lift up a prayer to God above.

Show some love!

Give the day to Him.

Don’t let Nothing sweep in on a whim.

 

Many days we’ve lived,

And with Nothing we have strived.

The choice is ours to make,

Within our wake- 

Something or Nothing!

It’s ours to take.

 

Don’t let Nothing In, 

And it won’t win.

It may be knocking at your door,

But how would it be from days of yore,

If Nothing swept in to stay?

So, do something for peace and joy each day.

Nothing is as Nothing does. 

Don’t let Nothing in

And it won’t win.

      Mary Crisp Jameson 10/28/2025

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

"Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth." Proverbs 10:4 Nov

"Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks." Ecclesiastes 10:18 NIV

The Negative Nothing!

I strive not to do negative- but here goes Nothing!

    Not often, but a few times, I want to wake up and do nothing. However, this feeling seldom lasts. Doing nothing is boring. I feel like I am wandering and not accomplishing something important-something I am meant to get done. 

     If I do not accomplish anything else through a gifted day, I need to develop my fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” 

     What works against developing this fruit is doing nothing and living in fleshly desires as named in Galatians. They are: “sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” 

     

My acronym for nothing which could lead to fleshly fruit instead of good fruit is:  

 

N ot developing relationship with God 

O nly operating for self  

T aging along with the world 

H aving no initiative for improvement  

I gnoring other’s needs

N ot showing love to one another 

G ot no desire for the love of Jesus

 

Doing nothing does not grow my relationship with God. It does not grow and produce good fruit in me. So instead of doing nothing, I can turn off the television, stop roaming around with worldly lust and desires and get out of self. I can read God’s word, pray, praise, worship, and care for others. 

     Doing something rather than nothing can help produce peace, love, and joy.

Who Is Jesus?

The first chapter of John gives a brief description of Jesus. I am quoting only a few short tidbits, but the full chapter would be good to read. A person would have to read and study the entire Bible to get the full image of who Jesus is and what He has done.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…In Him was life…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…the glory of the one and only Son…”

So, Who is Jesus? 

 

Jesus is the Son of God in whom to be awed. 

He is Love, coming from above.

He is the Word and worthy to be heard.

Jesus is the Teacher who walked on earth in manly feature.

He is my Creator and my Mediator.

He is my Savior in whom I am to follow, in like behavior.

Jesus is the One who died and rose again to give me heaven’s gain.

He is my Christ who paid the price.

Jesus is Lord of all who receive His call.

 

And…That’s my Jesus!

 

 

Dream Big

     I believe everyone needs to dream. In other words, have a goal. I heard President Trump say one time, “If you are going to dream, dream big!” That would be a good thing, but I must add that within that “big dream” and desire, make sure it aligns with God’s will and purpose. What joy would it bring me if I reached a dream, but did not have God in it? 

     Below is an acronym to pay attention to:  

 

D esire a dream while obediently walking with God to reach it 

R est patiently in God, trusting God with the dream 

E nter into praise even when circumstances delay the dream

A lign the dream in Godly ways

M ake a way to change or alter the dream if God leads another direction

 

Psalm 16:11 tells me, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

     So, go ahead...and "Dream Big!"

The Blood of the Lamb

     My Bible study pointed out a few thoughts about the blood of the Lamb:

1. It told of how God covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve by pointing to the shedding of blood, and how the Savior would die for the sin of the world. 

2. It gave the example of how the children of Israel selected a perfect lamb, without blemish, to place on top of their door frames. 

3. It gave the example of Christ being born in a stable, "a perfect place for the birth of a lamb". 

     After reading all this I went back to the first one and tried to find what animal God used as clothing for Adam and Eve. Could it have been a lamb? 

     I read several scripture versions. I only found, "animal skins, "coats of skins", "leather clothing", and "tunics of skin." One commentary even said it could have been the bark of a tree that God used. I finally deducted it did not matter what animal God used. The significance was that God covered Adam and Eve's sin, just as Jesus, the Lamb, covered my sin with His blood.  

     From that I wrote the following: 

The Blood of The Lamb

 

Down through the ages,

In the Old Testament pages,

From the beginning of sinning,

There has been the significance of the blood of the Lamb.

Adam and Eve were given an animal skin

To cover their sin.

The Israelites used the blood of a perfect lamb

Above their door jamb-

Thus, saving their firstborn,

With only the Egyptians left to mourn.

Into the New Testament

And the Book never out-of-print,

The Lamb without blemish, without spot,

Came to fulfill God’s saving plot.

The Lamb without blemish, born in a stable,

Came to save, ‘cause He was able.

I cling

To the blood that washes clean.

There’s no other way to be saved

Other than the path God paved. 

I’m saved by the blood of the Lamb,

Gifted by the great, I Am!

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 10/18/2025 

 

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

 

 

 

 

The Name Above All Names

In Philippians 2:910, God exalted Jesus’s name, placing it above all names. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;”

 

Jesus is a name above all names

Jesus is a name whereby every knee should bow

Jesus is a name that should be honored and glorified

 

We are saved by belief in Jesus  (John 3:16)

We are baptized in the name of  (Jesus  Act 19:5) 

We are washed, sanctified and justified by the name of Jesus  (1 Corinthians 6;11)

We should glorify the name of Jesus by our testimony  (2 Thessalonians 1:12)  

 

The Cross

When I think of the cross, I envision my Lord hanging there with blood dripping to his feet for me. I think of the humiliation I would have felt had it been me hanging there in front of the crowd of many. But, for Jesus, the cross was not about Him. 

The Cross 

 

The cross was not where just a good man was nailed.

It was where those who hated failed.

The cross was not where a troublemaker was eliminated;

Its story was written down in history, never to be outdated.

The cross was where the Son of God died for me.

It was how Jesus set me free.

The cross was not the end;

It paid my sin debt and provided a forever friend.

The cross was not where my Savior died for a shameful crime.

It was where Jesus gave His life for mine.

On the cross there was a death-

A final breath!

On the cross Jesus was nailed,

But, in time, salvation was unveiled.

The cross stands forever in my mind,

For I was saved, where once I was blind.

The cross was a rugged one,

Where Jesus paid the price- once and done!

 

Mary Crisp Jameson. 10/12/2025 

 

“Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose…Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.’”  Matthew 27:50-52, 54

 

Life Is What You Bake It

In mid-September, I decided to bake up a new recipe. It has taken a while to decide to share it, mainly because I did not know if I had the ingredients right. Then I read Philippians 4:6-7 and knew the final ingredient I had forgotten was truly the missing link. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts, and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

Life is What You Bake It 

 

Upon a shelf sat a mix I had made up,

And it was time to get rid of it, cup-by-cup.

So, into a bowl, 

I stirred in a cup of sin, yellowed with age. 

Next, I added a cup each of bitterness, anger, and rage.

This needed to be cooked today-

Gotten rid of without delay.

Next, I added milk, eggs, and flour. 

This was not my finest hour,

For the batter was not as expected;

Something needed to be corrected. 

That this recipe was going to fail,

was among my fears, 

So, I added in a cup of liquid tears. 

I considered for a moment 

What I may have skipped?

A quick taste, I dipped. 

Maybe, if I added a cup of prayerful flavor, 

This cake would be something to savor.

But it needed more

To remove the bitter taste of the sin.

I quickly reached for a nearby tin

To sprinkle in some peace, love, and joy. 

I surmised, 

This would help the cake to rise. 

 I mixed, stirred, and beat- 

Hoping for the perfect treat. 

Finally, I coated a pan with oil of repentance,

And baked the batter at 350 degrees 

And waited in unease. 

Standing in place, 

A smile lite my face.

It was rising before my eyes,

To the perfect height and size.

But something was bothering me

And wouldn’t let me be.

As the cake sat within my gaze,

I remembered, 

I had forgotten to add-in the praise. 

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 9/15/2025

 

     “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every 

form of malice.” Philippians 4:31 NIV

Heaven

Heaven and what it will truly be like remains somewhat a mystery to me! I say, “somewhat” because I am given hints of what it will be like in scripture. When I read Dr. David Jeremiah’s Turning Point devotional, he gave scriptures of what Jesus said about heaven. I looked them up and found: 

 

In Luke 23:43, Jesus said Heaven was “Paradise.” 

(meaning an ideal place)

 

John 14: 2 Jesus called Heaven, “His Father’s house with many mansions” 

(meaning a luxurious dwelling place owned by God)

 

Luke 23:43 Jesus called it, “The kingdom” 

(meaning a country ruled by a King) 

 

Matthew 6:20 Jesus said it was, “A place where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieve do not break through nor steal.” 

(meaning a safe place) 

 

I also remember what is written in Revelation 21. I looked at it again and found more details about Heaven: 

 

It will be new.

It will be holy.

It will be a tabernacle with God on His throne.

It will be a place of no more tears, no death, no sorrow, no pain.

It will have foundations are of precious stones- jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth, and amethyst.

It will be a city is of pure gold, clear like glass.

It will have gates of pearl and the street is of pure gold, transparent as glass.

It will be filled with the glory of God and the Lamb with no need for sun of moon; Their glory will lighten it.

It will be a place with no need for night.

It will be a place where nothing will walk within that will defile.

 

With this image set before me, my desire is that all choose heaven over hell. In hell there will be eternal suffering with fire and brimstone. It is actually an easy path to choose heaven. Just obey John 3:16, “…Whosoever believes in Him (Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life.”  

Alway Available

     I was traveling and had gotten half-way to my destination when I realized I had forgotten my laptop. This was semi-huge, since I like to continue my writing when away from home. However, I took consolation in the fact I had not forgotten my cell phone. Had that been the case, I am sure I would have made an immmediate u-turn.
     How many of us have actually done that! Most everyone is attached at-the-hip to their cell phones. As the saying goes, “Don’t leave home without it!”
     After saying all this, I never have to worry about leaving home without God. I admit there are times I forget about Him, but He always rides beside me, walks with me, and is waiting and ready to listen. He “sticketh closer than a brother” and He “will never leave me.”
     Should I forget my Bible, I have stored up within myself some truth that the Holy Spirit can bring to mind because I have read and hidden His Word in my heart. I have it available at just the right time. 
     God and His Word are not only with me at all times, but He stands waiting for me to introduce Him to any new-comer. Three is never a crowd. Jesus is a friend of all!

Five Senses

I am so glad I have the five basic senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. These all allow me to perceive things around me. It is important, however, how I choose to make use of them. 

     Jesus said in Luke 8:8, “Whoever has ears, let him hear.”

     Then in Mark 8:18, He told His disciples, “Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?”  

     In several scriptures, I find I am not to touch what is unclean. I must stay away from what will make me sin. 

     In Proverbs I find I need to use my tongue for more than taste, “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.”

     As for my eyes, I find that I need to follow the fruitful growth of the Spirit to prevent myself from becoming blind and nearsighted. 2 Peter 5-9 says, “…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,forgetting they have been cleansed from their past sins.”

     Oh Lord, I pray! Let me consider Your ways! Let me decipher the words I hear according to Your Word! Let me not be deceived when I look in mirror. May I see a woman filled with Your ways and Your love for others - not the ways of this world.

Keep On Praying

In the Daily Hope devotional, the author talks about praying in the Spirit at all times because we always get answered prayers; however, not in the way we often want. He gave four ways we get answers and explained them as “No-Grow-Slow-and Go.” I decided to take these thoughts and form them into a form of poetry. Here goes: 

  

Keep On Praying 

I prayed today,

But God said, “No!

That I will not do,

For it’s not the best for you.”

 

I prayed again,

But God repeated, “No!

I want for you to grow.

Be patient, still pray;

Make Me your pursuit, every day.

 

I prayed once more,

And heard, “No! Grow!

Just take it slow.

It’s coming but not here yet.

In time you will get.”

 

I continued in my prayer

Until God said, “GO!

Today, it is not ‘no,’

Or ‘grow’ or take it ‘slow’.

It’s ‘Go!’ and show My glory

Within your story.”

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 10/1/2025 

 

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18 NIV