God- You'll just have to wait!

I usually find a friendly shade and post my blog on Sundays.  Somehow, for whatever reason, I just didn't take the time to think about what I wanted to say about God and what He has done for me so I didn't post.  I could make all kinds of excuses but it would be like say telling God that I was in too much of a hurry and He'd just have to wait.   Isn't that what most of us do every day?
                                       

Hurry And Wait!

I threw the cover from my arm as I shut off the alarm;

Then jumped from my bed to get everyone fed.

I’d overslept, but still got the floors all swept.

I threw on the wash, but I was late, “Oh my gosh!”

“At this rate, Lord, you’ll just have to wait.”

I rushed into work, and said “Hello” to the clerk.

It was half past eight, and I was running late.

As I sank into my job my head began to throb,

But soon it was ten, and I threw down my pen.

It was time for my break, and that’s something I’d take.

I’d enjoy the time for it was all mine.

I had to relax, find some coffee and snacks;

Read the news and get other people’s views.

As it came to an end I had more work to attend.

“I’m in such a state, Lord, you’ll still have to wait.”

I had unopened files which I stacked in different piles.

They were enough to make me swoon, but I planned to quit at noon. 

As I looked at my watch, my task looked top-notch. 

So I wrapped up loose ends to lunch with my friends.

 Reservations had been made, and all was prepaid.

As I entered Mel’s I knew there’d be stories to hear and to tell.

The noise was loud, coming from all of the crowd.

“Lord, it’s no time to pray- not in this café.

I’m sure it’s alright to wait till tonight.” 

At the end of the day there were events to convey;

Kids to get into bed and stories to be read;

There were movies to view and mail to go through.

Time was slipping by as I began to close my eye.

I crawled into bed -fluffed up the pillow as I laid down my head.   

“Lord, it’s awful late. I’m so sleepy you’ll just have to wait?”

                                                                 Mary Crisp Jameson  

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock… Revelations 4:20

                                                                

9/11 Memorial

     9/11 or Sept. 11, 2001 is still being remembered, and rightfully so.  When I think of Sept 11, my first thoughts are that it was my mother’s birthday, but then I remember the tragic hijacking of four airplanes and the destruction of two of New York’s skyscrapers in the World Trade Center, the crashing of a jet into the Pentagon and the attempt to crash a fourth into the U.S. Capitol in Washington. D. C.   It was the brave passengers and crew on Flight 93 who decided to stop the hijackers from hurting more people and foiled the crash into the U.S. Capitol.  They lost their lives but saved our country from further destruction. 

     As we honor the heroes and the victims of 9/11 let us not forget that it was God who sent His only beloved Son to sacrifice His own life for the lives of others.    Through the sacrifice of the passengers on Flight 93 many lives were saved in the United States of America, but through the sacrifice of Jesus the world was offered a saving grace.

     I truly believe that it was God who placed those brave young men on Flight 93 just as I believe God has a plan for all His people if they will accept and have the courage to follow His plan.  When the men on Flight 93 said, “Let’s roll” they knew they would probably lose their lives and were willing to do what was needed so others would live.   In John 19: 30 Jesus said, “It is finished; and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”  for us, so we could live. 

Labor Day Devotional Thought

Labor Day has been observed for so many years most people don’t even know why.  According to Wikipedia the first big Labor Day in U.S.A was observed on Sept. 5, 1882 by the Central Labor Union  of New York.  It became a federal holiday in 1894, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military & U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike under the presidency of Grover Cleveland.  Fearing further conflict with the labor union, legislation, making Labor Day a national holiday, was rushed through Congress & signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.

 My pastor talked more on work today which gave me pause for thought.  The Bible instructs people to stay busy, to work and earn the bread they eat.  There are those who are unwilling to work but all too willing to accept free handouts.  Then there are those who do nothing but work.  As we stop and think about the work we do, remember that our work is not only to provide for our families and to have the luxuries of life, but, rather, work for the service of God.  Our work is never finished for God.  There was a free handout given for all but, so often, this is the one free handout that is rejected by man.  This free handout of Salvation was given with love.  We can’t earn it.  It is by grace that we receive the free gift of Salvation.   

   
     Jesus did the work for which He was sent
     To save His people was God’s intent.
     God allowed the torture and watched as Jesus died.
     It was for all mankind, nationwide.

Joke and Scripture for the Day

Joke for the Day:

The young grandson called the other day to wish his grandmother Happy Birthday. He asked how old she was, and when she told him "62" he was quiet for a moment. Then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

Application:

Age changes the looks of individuals.  To a child an adult looks old, wrinkled, and frail, and only after the child has matured and aged, himself, can he understand the wisdom of older people.   That’s the way it is with God’s Word.  His Word is timeless and only after we have caused the pages of His Word to become aged, wrinkled, and frail with wear can we understand God and His ways.  To know God’s wisdom we must first read the Bible and apply its words to our lives.  The world may change, but God and His direction for our lives never change.

Scripture:

Proverbs 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

Blessings

"What if you woke up today with ONLY the things you thanked God for yesterday."  Quotes like this should make a person stop and think.  We have so many blessing every day; some we don't even realize.  How many do you thank God for at the end of the day?    

Why Me?

 I counted once, then counted twice;

What was this in black and white?

I simply had to count them thrice;

The blessings I can recite. 

How could it be! What could I say?

They’re not deserved!

Too many I counted this day;

The blessings that I observed.

I cannot explain;

I don’t know why!

It muddled my brain,

The blessings I cannot deny.

Those blessings I counted thrice;

They overwhelmed me,

So I recounted to be precise;

Then stood in amazement and glee.

 No rhyme or reason could be found.

Why me Lord? I don't deserve a single one-

All those blessing on which I expound.

There is nothing that I have done.

It puts my soul in bliss,

To have the blessings you have bestowed.

Please let me not be remiss

To give you the praise as I travel this road.

                                                                                 Mary Crisp Jameson

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.  Proverbs 10:22

Prayer for Teachers

When we think about bowing the knee it is about prayer time with our Lord and Savior.  But as my pastor said this morning, there are ways to pray.  He said we are to pray constantly, confidently, confidentially, evangelistically, and personally.   We were also reminded in our service this morning about the beginning of a new school year and about the teachers who are in charge of molding the lives of children; children who will be our leaders in future generations.  Our teachers and schools are in need of daily prayer.  As I thought about this I put together the following poem. 

It’s the beginning of a new school year!
The students are excited, and the teachers in full gear.
There are tons of smiling faces
With children moving to new grades and new places.

But there is something terribly remiss

When you think back and reminisce.

There are parents not offering support;

Disrespectful children of every sort.
The Pledge of Allegiance- It can still be said;
And children asked to bow their head.
But it’s only a moment of quietness;  
God’s not in their thoughts, if I had to guess. 
It just makes no sense;
God was taken away at the children’s expense.
There are no ten commandments on the wall;
They’ve been removed, once and for all. 
There can be no Bible reading
Tho that’s what children are needing.

It’s the teacher who's left out in the cold

As she strives to teach and mold.
Giving more of her time
Is a long hard climb.

So, I ask, “Who prays for the teacher all day long

As she teaches a child right from wrong?”

The Rainbow

     The rainbow, a sign of God’s promise that he will never again destroy the land by flood, has never ceased to be a wonder with it's spectacular spectrum of colors arching across the sky.  Yet, last week when I saw the rainbow, arching just beyond my friendly shade, I thought, “Oh no, Lord.  Not now! Not yet!  Please just send a mini flood first.”

     Some of you may wonder why I chose to talk about a rainbow when we are in the middle of a drought.  As our pastor said this morning, “The closest parking space to the church is not what people are looking for right now.  They are looking for the shade to park beneath", and then he enhanced the idea of our extreme heat by saying, "It is so hot any remaining potatoes in the ground will be ready to eat when they are dug.  Just add the butter.”

     Yet, the rainbow can have more meaning than just God’s promise not to flood the land.  If you will go to my archives and read the May 22^nd writing, the rainbow had an all-together different meaning for two small children, in the Philippines, who had just accepted Christ into their lives.

     As we think about the rainbow colors  (Roy G. Biv -which helps us remember the colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) we can find special meaning to help us through the drought of no rain and, also, the drought that comes into lives.

R-   stands for the riches we experience when we are saved.  Knowing we have the everlasting grace of God makes us richer than the wealthiest king.  We have the riches of God’s glory.

O-  stands for an optimistic view, knowing God will give us rain; God will give us blessings.  They will come in His season.  Our outlook should be, “The best is yet to come.”

Y-  Do you yearn for more? Are you constantly seeking something that seems missing in your life?  Then yield.  Yield to God and to His direction.  Give your will over to Him.  He will take your yoke and your burdens will be light. 

G- stands for give.  There is a saying that it is always more blessed to give than to receive.  When you're in a drought and you are down and out, look for something you can do for someone else.  There is joy in giving.  

B- stands for the Bible.  The word of God is to be studied.  Do you want to know God? Truly, know God!  Jeremiah 29:13 tell us, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 

I-  stands for the indwelling of Christ.  What could lessen our days of drought more than simply knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus dwells within us every minute of every day?  He is our hope.  

V-stands for victory.  With Jesus we will have the victory in life and in death as He abides with us. So, I say, savor the moment;  savor the drought.  We will have victory with Jesus Christ on His *Wings of Mercy. 

*  I underlined Wings of Mercy for there will soon be a new book out written by Charles Jones entitled, Wings Of Mercy - A Christian  View of Death . (Kindle addition on Amazon in next few days)