Jesus is The Melody of my Heart

For some reason today, I've been thinking of a special loved one.  

My Grandma Maime who went home to be with the Lord in Jan 1990.  We would take trips to see her in Tennessee when I was very young and I remember, when one of us grand kids would sin (be mean to one another, call each other names, etc.,) she used to say, "Now stop being ugly."  The "ugly" referring to our "sin" not how we looked.  I have never forgotten it.  Try it on your kids sometime and watch them do a "Kodak Moment" double take!

She and I were close, but mostly from my early teens until my mid 20's, mostly through cards, letters and little gifts we would send each other like little knick knacks that had been hers, which meant the world, all my children's Christmas Stockings which she crochet herself, and I would send regular photos, and specially framed photos of the babies and more as they grew.  I would send her flowers just for no reason on occasion to show her how much she meant to me and we just had the best relationship.  We talked on the phone over the years as much as we could afford, or she would call me on my birthdays and such.  But as she got older, it got less and less, but I always kept her in  my prayers because she told me once during one of those phone calls when she was getting towards her mid 70's that she had prayed for me every day of my life and that she wouldn't stop until the Lord called her home!  That thought, hearing her say it....will bless me till the day I am called to go and be with Jesus.  I'm sure she'll be the first one there to greet me with that "Hello there Darlin. Now come give me some suga!"  She had the most calming and assuring voice. 

When she passed away, I felt like I'd lost my best friend, and still do.  She was a faithful Christian and once on one of our trips when I was little,  I went to church with her.  After church, she showed me the church's garden and taught me how to smell the roses without getting pricked by a thorn.  She talked about how I should always be thankful for the Garden's because God lives in each one!  I think the "ugly" we are seeing around us today would make her glad to be at home with the Lord, for the flowers are still blooming and beautiful, but the people in the midst of those beautiful gardens are rotting in sin worse than ever and they are hurting, maiming,, murdering, stealing the innocence of children and the list goes on, and oh...how she would grieve and pray for the lost and the horrible "ugliness" they were perpetrating against others.

God Bless you Grandma Maimie!  I know you're watching & listening in one of God's many beautiful Garden's in heaven.  You are one of the most precious gifts God ever gave me which I thank Him for on a regular basis, for without your prayers for me all my life,  I might not even be alive right now if not for your faithful prayers and while I may have been born and raised in California it feels so much like I was born and raised in Tennessee and I think that is because of you! 

You were and still are the most faithful Christian woman I feel that I will ever know and I think of you very often.  This one is just for you.

I love & miss you dearly.  

This is an Emergency.....Come Back Home!

Lord Jesus, Help all of us Lead Them Home!  

Help Me Be Strong with Your Strength,

Help Me to Never Give Up

Help me to Help Those I don't Want to,

Lord, fill me with your Mercy

Lord God, fill us all with your love...

This is an emergency!  For your Son's Return is at hand!  Please God, Make them Come back Home!

We Love and can't wait to see you Jesus, but I am not the only one burdened at how asleep we all are.....

Don't let us miss you when the trumpet sounds...

Lead Us all Home Jesus!

Steps to Encourage Others

Okay, I know I'm always encouraging you to encourage others, but I never really give you any ideas on how you might get started!  I know some of you are shy, scared to talk to other people, etc, so let's think of some ways you can be more like Jesus.  You see there is a way to do things and not have to share, in fact we are encouraged not to!     You can keep it as a special memory in your heart for the more friendly, helpful, encouraging and biggest of all, helpful you are to those who are defenseless to do anything about their situation...the better!  No matter how small the situation is!

Jesus said, "Do not do good things so that people will see you do them. If you do, you will get no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give money to poor people, do not send men in front of you to blow trumpets or horns. Some people do this in the meeting houses and on the streets so that people will praise them. They are not true to themselves. I tell you the truth. They have their pay already."  (Matthew 6:1-2).

SHINE YOUR LIGHT!  HERE'S JUST A FEW IDEAS!

Maybe you walk or ride your bike to school, and you see how bad the paperboy's arm is?  If there is no doubt which house they were aiming for, pick up the paper and throw it closer to the mark, like the walk way or the porch?  (Someone will think they got a different paperboy!).   Or, how about just giving a respectful smile to someone older as you hold a door open for them?  (As a woman, let me tell ya, some of those big glass doors can be very heavy, so I know they'll appreciate it!)

How about finding the least popular kid or the newest kid at school and showing them around or just sitting with them at lunch?  And when he or she is bullied, stand up for them!  Be bold!  Start standing up for the bullied kids,!  You'll be storing up eternal rewards for caring for one of the "least of these"!

And what about us adults?  "Nah, we give to charity"!  Hogwash!  FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD!  Open the door for someone, if its a weekend and the paper boy missed, take it over and throw it on the correct walk way yourself!  You see, as adults we have resources our children don't.

So, how about paying the bridge toll for the guy behind you once in awhile?  You could pay for the coffee for the next person in line while going through the Starbucks drive-thru? You could give a very hard working employee a day off with pay?

And you ladies, how about doing those same things, safe in your car at the drive thru?  Pay for the coffee or bridge toll, but how about finding the newest girl at work and offering to take her to lunch, your treat and get to know her, offering her something a little scarier...oooh......your friendship!!!!  

AND WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT - DO IT ANYWAY!  GOD WILL REWARD YOUR OBEDIENCE WHEN YOU FEEL HIS PROMPTING TO DO SOMETHING!

It doesn't matter if you're a teen aged boy/girl/mom/dad, etc., don't let these simple  opportunities to be kind & encouraging to others, pass you by?  They won't know us if we just pass on by, they will only know us by our Love!  (John 13:35).

I leave you with the words of Jesus when he was asked about which of the Commandment was the greatest?  Jesus said,   "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this:  Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these."  (Mark 12:30 -31).

Love yourselves, your families, and please  love others by passing along this blog!  +1 us on Google,  Tweet us,  Share us on FB !  You know what to do to get the word out!  I'm just one person, I need your help to get this  "Love Crusade" on the train tracks!

The day is drawing near!  Let us rise up Church!  Love everyone!  Don't love just your Christian friends, LOVE STRANGERS EVEN MORE!  THE WORLD NEEDS JESUS!

He's Just a Prayer Away

I told a story recently, that I think deserves repeating, and I hope it blesses all who happen to read it!

First let me tell you about my panic attacks.   If you're a sufferer you definitely understand how paralyzing they can be.  There are many "triggers" , and you will notice that they do have this way of changing over the years depending on what kinds of stress you may be under, and how many different things are causing the stress.

Anyway, that night in the ER recently, the nurse left the tiny little room I was in, which was definitely not helping because I also have pretty severe claustrophobia.  But by God's grace, she left the small curtain open just enough for me to see an older gentleman in a hospital bed, with an IV, heart monitor and other monitors and machines, and he was alone.  I could feel the Lord's heart and my own, breaking  so I started to pray for him.

I felt so ashamed, I hung my head, and I asked God for forgiveness for being so focused on myself instead of others.  What was so awesome though, is that one second I was totally under attack with severe panic syndrome and the next, I was at perfect peace as Jesus and I sat there together praying for that man.  I didn't even know his name, but God knew!  That's all that mattered.  

Since then I start my mornings with "Good Morning Lord.  What can I do for YOU today?  Please grant me opportunities to share your Good News and to rejoice with a smile and a God Bless you, when I am rejected.  Just please Lord, give me the courage to be kind and let others see the changes you have made and are making in me.  Amen."  Pretty simple right?  Then just like the neighbor you are committed to praying for, start praying for your co-worker friends and also pray for your enemies!  

You know, that even in the darkest of moments, don't ever forget,  Jesus is always listening.  He hears every word you and I say, and no matter what we've done, if we come home with a humble and contrite heart, He is faithful to forgive us!  And He will never leave you nor forsake you. 

He sure didn't forsake me that night.  If anything He made my faith stronger and I left with a stronger heart than when I went in! I have no doubt that you will see amazing things happen when you learn to "let go and let God," do His will through you and me!

Besides, even if you get lost and weary, just call His name!  Because he's always "Just a Prayer Away."

The Least of These

SPRING CLEAN CHALLENGE!  Clean out all of your closets, all those clothes that are too small for your kids, etc., shoes, and what not and then clean out the garage and do one of two things:  Give the items to a good and honest charity, preferably one that will not charge for the items you are giving them.  Your local church may have a pantry as well as a clothes closet for just such items.  Some of them will even come and pick them up from you for free!

The idea is to help our brothers and sisters around us, and also to show the love of Christ to those who are not yet saved.  They might just find more than clothing or shoes, they might find Jesus!

God will remember how we have treated others and there are a lot of us who truly believe that His return is growing closer by the day!  So please, let's all start to "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk?"  A lot of people are hurting out there, but the best trait of being an American is the love that we show to one another when there are disasters, etc., is the same love that has always gotten us through!  As an American, and a Christian, I believe what they believed.  That God would help them and protect them in their time of need and He did, or we wouldn't be here today! 

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?   When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.'"  (Matthew 25:31 - 46). 

Even if you are poorer than most, I bet there is still something you have or that you can DO to help a neighbor in need?  The measure of our character is in what you do when you see someone in need, no matter what your circumstances are.   Do you try to help or do you keep walking, ignoring the elephant standing in front of you?  That's right, you're not as poor as somebody else so stop your whining about what you don't have and start Praising Him for what you DO have and give His Love even if you have nothing else, for HIS LOVE IS PRICELESS!

 
"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.  Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins worth only a fraction of a penny.  Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41 & 42).

Don't forget to Love one another.  And remember, that whenever you put God in the center, all the rest just seems to come together!

Lean on the arm of God, rather than the flesh and what you THINK you can and cannot do, and just TRUST THE LORD!  You're Miracle is at Hand!