For ever and ever...

This is a photo from my Father’s Family’s house in Illinois. My mom and I would drink our morning coffee here. I can’t explain how much I love feeling the cool air and listening to the trees, and especially getting to talk and laugh with my mother. We Flew up there for my Grandfather’s funeral. It was a bittersweet visit...the blessing of seeing our family, but the sad reason of why we were there. I have been to one other funeral in my life (the life of the most Jesus–like man I have ever met, Paul Streed) and much like most of us, this was very difficult for me. After they held the service, I walked over to my Grandmother Joyce Cheney’s grave for the first time.  She was a Godly woman whom I never got the privilege to meet. She died when my father was a boy, but I've heard recordings of her singing old hymns. I'm assured she’s dancing and singing in heaven. I walked in the grass and looked at all of the other headstones of everyone who’d passed, some who died back in the 1800s. I came across the headstone of a little girl who died at age seven, which had the engraving “Jesus Loves Me” on it. 

                              

It was a sweet reminder that day of Jesus' love for not just that little girl but all of us and what he did for us. It also had me wondering how many people here loved Jesus back. Of course a funeral has me ponder my own life and which of us will choose Life after this life. I don't think I could ever get enough of Jesus. Sometimes I long to be with the Lord and spend eternity with Him already, but I know He has so much purpose for me here on this earth. The more I allow God to take care of my life, heart and mind, the more peace and fulfillment I feel. I am homesick for heaven and I haven't even been there, but I think I've felt and seen glimpses of it here in God's blessings and miracles and the love from other believers. I think about people who want to go to heaven but don't want to spend time with Jesus here on earth. Someone once told me "They don't wanna spend anytime worshipping Jesus. That's all they do in heaven, now why'd they wanna have to do that for all of eternity? That just doesn't make sense if you ask me." And she had a great point. I hope that we crave Jesus in our lives so much here on earth, because when we go to heaven, that's what it will be...eternity with our Loving Creator, Father, Healer. In Revelation it says, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" and.... "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." This life is fleeting and we must finish this race triumphantly living a life on reckless love for God, so that we may dwell with Him for ever and ever, but also because we get the privilege of having his spirit dwell in us, have a relationship that moves us out of our chairs and into service, love and a life that reflects that Love in all we do. It's a delight and Joy to be in His presence by ourselves, with other believers, reading His word and learning from it, and in service loving our brothers and sisters.


Han

 

The Hungry

I was so moved by this..

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/06/a-letter-to-the-north-american-church-because-it-is-time/

I wonder

Light in the Darkness

I, along with countless others, want to know what desires God has for his children. I ask God want He desires for me and that my desires become His. Tonight i found this passage..God calls us to many things, but here is something that seems to be a call on us all to help those in need and bring freedom to the oppressed. I notice here also that as we do what God desires, we are also blessed in many ways. We don't have to go to a far off land to do these things. The "least of these" are all around us. I love this passage: 

“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. (Isaiah 58:6-12 NLT)

From my Grandmother...

King James Version (KJV)

²⁷ And Jesus looking upon them saying, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

As we go into this day the Lord has made, I Praise Him for His

word & Keeping in my own life.

Remember that little song..."Got any rivers you think are impossible got any Mt's. you can't tunnel through  God specializes in things thought impossible & He can do what No other power can do"

There is one thing I do know, we never know what lies ahead,

 but we do know there are New blessing, new experiences,

new problems, we do know He is not just watching when we feel great or flying through the hard places of sickness or grief. 

For a week now I have been dealing with not feeling so great

I do know delays are not denials.  So I love this scripture today

in all things & we all have a few all things.. We know that all things are possible with God, that are impossible with man. 

Maybe this day as we take  our needs to Him, the Great Specialist in life, with Him Nothing is Impossible today.

Love Mother,  or Beverly

Great Faith

I'm thinking about Jesus and the disciples in the boat today...

"Jesus then entered the boat that his disciples had prepared and began to travel to the other side of the lake. They left the crowd on the shore.

As the boat sailed off toward the other shore, Jesus fell asleep in the boat.

While Jesus slept a great windstorm came up on the lake. The waves began to beat against the boat and fill it up with water.

The disciples became afraid, to the point of thinking they would be lost in the storm. But Jesus lay asleep at the back of the boat.

The disciples came to Jesus and woke him, saying:

Lord, we are perishing! And Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind and the sea and the raging water.

He said to the sea: Peace, be still.

The storm ceased and there was a great calm.

Jesus said to his disciples:

Why are you so fearful? Don’t you have faith yet? Oh you of little faith.

The disciples, still afraid, began to marvel, saying to one another:

Who is this man that even the wind and the seas obey him? "

 

I think about this being me when we go through the storms of life and how many time I tend to be the one with little faith, wondering if God can really do it. The answer is the He can, but no matter how many years I have been walking with him I tend to do the same thing the disciples did even after they had spent so much time with him. They saw his character, his unordinary love, and his miracles, yet still had some doubt in their heart when some new obstacle came up. I think about what great faith would have said..."Christ is among us in this boat. Wind and waves In Jesus name be still. We will not be afraid because the Almighty God is with us." Sometimes we may wonder why God is delaying in rescuing us from the trial, but our faith can't grow without being tested and tried. It's like exercising. We can't become stronger if we don't lift a weight that we don't currently think we can do. Little by little, and uncomfortably at first, with continued work, we become stronger and able to endure more weight. I pray that any doubt becomes less and less, and Great faith overtakes it all. But is is through testing that this can happen. When those storms do come, may we say "The almighty God is with us. WE WILL NOT FEAR."