The Engine That Could

Most of us remember the story of The Little Engine That Could. It was about a little small train that helped a stranded one get over the mountain. The little engine kept repeating, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” Then it transforms to, “I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”

     It is a positive step when we thank we can in an effort to try. It is a proud moment when we realize we actually did. However, there are so many things I cannot do in my own power, and I have to say, “I can’t, but God can.”

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks

 

“Rejoice always!”

Is a good trail to blaze

It may not give wealth,

 But it leads to good health.

Joy lifts the spirit and has merit.

Next comes prayer-

Pray continually. 

That means to never cease.

Always talking to God provides peace.

With peace life just gets better. 

Then there is the giving of thanks,

And with God that ranks. 

Consider God’s Word

And keep it stored.

It says, 

“Rejoice, give thanks, and pray, for this is God’s will.” 

Do it each and every day.

God’s word also says,

“Love, joy, and peace are the fruit of the Spirit.”

Test it!

Seek the fruit!

Let it take root.

When joy, peace, and prayer over-flow the cup,

You’ll be lifted up. 

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 6/27/2026 

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   “Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

 

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22 NIV 

Initiating the Tastebuds

Several days ago, I decided to go on a diet. It lasted past breakfast! 

   I do not know who developed the word “diet” or where it came from, so I decided to do an acronym.

 

D on’t

I nitiate

E very

T astebud

 

     Thinking back to the beginning of time, Eve initiated her tastebuds when she ate the forbidden fruit and Adam followed suit. It led to sin. They disobeyed.

     Samson initiated his tastebuds when he ate the honey from a lion’s carcass. What was wrong here? I read that as a Nazirite, Samson was forbidden from touching dead bodies. He did it anyway to taste the honey. He disobeyed. Later, he made up his famous riddle, “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” This further led to betrayal and a battle.

     Finally, I must say that if I did not initiate my tastebuds, I would not have a battle going on within myself.

 

Wandering Sheep

There are days when the struggle is real. So much is going on and with so much to do, we feel we are juggling in three different directions at one time. We get frustrated, grumpy, and often very unloving. 

     Imagine! The Trinty- Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; They are Three-In-One watching over all the sheep in the fold. These sheep are rebellious, and they are all going in different directions in their stray. 

     Imagine! The Father who governs, the Son who is the Agent of our salvation and who intercedes, and the Spirit who lives in the believers’ hearts and who directs and convicts. 

     The wandering sheep must keep Them pretty busy! However, their love and patience for these straying sheep never change. They never pull away, but the sheep do. 

Clean the House

Today is housecleaning day. I always feel good when I dust everything off, put all in its place, and make the house shine. 

     It’s the same peaceful feeling I get when I dust off the Bible, read it, pray, and talk with God. I am setting a pace, with a smile, that makes my life shine through the day because I know God has been asked into my home and my heart. There is no one special day set to keep my heart clean and ask God to enter in; its done everyday!

Take the Upper Road

Take the Upper Road

 

It’s hard to be humble

When faced with other people’s bitterness and wrath,

But stay on the upward path

And do not stumble.

Consider their smallness and insecurity.

Face it with a smile

And go the extra mile.

Take up your shield with scriptural maturity;

Things could be much, much worse.

The one standing there within your view

Could, in their misery, be you,

If the shoe was seen in reverse.

Being them could not be fun-

In their anger and in their fury.

So, be not their judge and jury.

Be kind, and God will say well-done.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 6/19/2026

 

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3 NIV 

 

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 NIV  

 

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9 NIV  

 

The Love of God

If I were to take a tape measure, there is no way I could measure God’s love. His love is wide and deep, wider and deeper than any measurement on earth. He didn’t just start loving me when I accepted Jesus as my Savior. He loved me before I was even born. He loved be before- He loves me still – He loves be even after I have sinned. His love has, is, and always will be unconditional and will remain.

     “God is love.” 1 John 4:8b

And nothing can separate me from His love. 

     “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us (me) from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39

    I thank you God for Your almighty love. I thank you for loving me enough to send Your Son to die on the Cross for me. You did it all because of Your love. 

 

Encounter with Jesus

There are many examples in Scripture about what can happen when a person has an encounter with Jesus. A few are: 

 

1.Mary Magdalene was demon possessed but was made right with God. After Jesus cast out her demons, she followed Jesus in His travels.

2. Paul was a persecutor of Christians. After his Damascus Road conversion, He made his life all about building the church.

3. Zacchaeus was a tax collector known for cheating the people, but He changed his life when Jesus appeared and told him to “come down.”

4.The Samaritan woman at the well, changed her life when Jesus told her to “go and sin no more.” 

5. The man on the cross next to Jesus acknowledged Jesus and was saved there on the cross when Jesus told him, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.”

 

All a person needs to do have an encounter with Christ is to believe. 

 

“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. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

 

 

 

 

Today

There are many “todays” in scripture. 

     Yesterday was once a “today.” 

     Today is “today.” 

     Tomorrow will soon be a “today.” 

Hebrews 3:13 says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

 

    What will I do with my "today?" Today, I will strive to love as Jesus did and let not my heart be hardened away from Him and the people I meet. 

Come and Follow Me

I do not know how many times Jesus said, “Come! Follow me,” but one writer I looked up said that Jesus said, “Follow me” 21 times. 

     I imagine that when Jesus says, "Come," He wants me to: 

 

C -all on Him daily 

O-pen my heart to His Word 

M-eet with Him first in every day  

E-nter into talk with Him in times of need and in times of plenty

         and

"Follow Me" would  be "Believe" and do as He did.

 

Sin

There is a reason the Son of God, Jesus, came to earth. It was because of the sin of man. Scripture tells us there is a sin that leads to death and there is a sin that does not lead to death. It is found in 1 John 5. We must believe in Jesus to overcome death for “all have sinned and all short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) 

 

Sin

 

It didn’t matter the plagues, the parted sea, or the pillar of fire-

Sin climber higher-

In the show was the hot, hot furnace and the lion’s den-

But it really didn’t change the hearts of men.

There was the belly of the whale;

It brought obedience but stubbornness was still there to tell.

The flood wiped all away when it came,

But sinful ways were reclaimed.

Defeat was in battle’s play

When men turned away and didn’t pray.

That was all in the Old Testament’s day,

And still here today and in play.

Sin just climbs higher

‘cause man’s hearts don’t listen to what came prior.

It just continues to transpire.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 6/10/2026

Protector and Defender

Daily there are hurdles and tense moments, but we have choices in our reactions.

Protector and Defender

 

When wronged-

The natural tendency is to fight back;

Restraint we lack.

When misunderstood, we defend what others offend.

When attacked, we react.

When criticized, words are returned, not minimized.

But what did Jesus do?

“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate.”

He did not return in hate.

He let God determine His fate.

“He made no threats.”

Jesus had no cause for regrets.

“He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”

He trusted!

He wisely adjusted.

God was His rock, so He did not balk or worry about the talk

God was His defense-

In the present and hence.

Jesus was not moved by what others had to say-

Come what may.

God was His stronghold,

And Jesus walked bold.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson  6/6/2026

 

 

“When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” 

1 Peter 2:24 NIV

 

“He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defense; I shall not be moved.” Psalms 62:6 KJV 

 

Wait within the Delay

I’m not one to sat around when I have a project to do. I want it over -done and completed. That is a fault at times. Rushing the job may not always be the best. Sometimes there is a delay for a reason. A “wait” is sometimes for the best, but it sure makes me antsy.

     This reminds me of the season I often have for waiting for God’s answers. His delay is usually for a reason. What do I do during that time of waiting? 

 

W-ill the time or the “wait” to God

A-sk daily though He heard the first time

I-ssue prayers 

T-alk to God 

 

And in the Delay

 

D-o something constructive

E-nter into new ideas

L-et it go

A-sk in prayer

Y-earn for God’s direction

Always Trust...

 

He Does Not Slumber

I am going to do a little rambling this morning. 

 

In Genesis 2, scripture tells us that on the seventh day God had finished His work and "He rested." It did not say He slept. Think about it, God had made man, who, by choice became sinful. I am sure at that point God had to become too busy taking care of man to sleep. Psalms 121 backs up this point, “He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Then in Matthew 15, there is the parable of the lost sheep, whereby, the Shepherd leaves the hundred sheep to go out and find the one that is lost. Yes, I believe God is much too busy with man to sleep. That is how great God’s love is for His children. God neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is always available to hear our prayers and help us in our time of need.