Nana's posts with tag: god
This weeks Sunday School lesson at church was about Receiving Divine Comfort. This made me think about how God comforted me on the day Mama died.
Mama was only 14 when she began smoking. She welded in the California shipyards during the war and smoking seem the thing that most of the young ladies took up to pass time. She often tried to quit but always started up again.
In 1992, I noticed when she walked just a little ways she was completely out of breath and she would hold on to something and lean over as if to muster up more air. This had been going on for awhile. I think Mama was too scared to go to the doctor, she knew what they would say. When we had all begged her to see a doctor, we got the news. The word you just don't want to hear-cancer. It had started in her lungs and spread to her brain where she developed a tumor. After months of chemotherapy, she decided it wasn't worth it, it wasn't going to extend her life any longer. She didn't want to sleep, she wanted to enjoy her last days and be awake to visit. Of course, the pain medicine kept her down most of the time. She wanted to have an early Thanksgiving, because, as she told me, "I probably won't be around for this one." Mom loved to cook, she always did the biggest part of the dinner. Turkey and dressing, carrot cake, banana nut cake, she always tried to fix something for everyone. She wanted to make sure everybody had at least one thing they loved to eat. :) That wouldn't be..... because mom couldn't get around, and the medicine or the tumor had made her like a little child. I remember her taking the handle of a hairbrush and smelling it saying that the perfume smells very good. We laughed and said Mom that's a hairbrush, and wouldn't you know she got a really good laugh out of that too. :) We didn't get to have that early Thanksgiving. Mama died November 5, about 4 months after diagnosing the cancer.
It had spread throughout her body turning her into a person who was dependent on others, whereas she was a very independent person and if she had understood, would have hated having to depend on others. She was always the strong one in the family. Now she was so bad that she had to wear an adult diaper. Thank God, she didn't realize this was happening. We would've had to tie her down otherwise. :) Before the end, she fell into a coma. I'm not sure how long it was before she passed on, but it wasn't very long. I had taken Kristen to the doctor. I went over to see Mom and told her I loved her and that it was okay if she wanted to go home. We would take care of daddy, we would all be okay. I know my sisters did the same. While we were in the clinic, the receptionist came over to us and had told us that she had passed on. Driving home was sad, but as I got closer to home, I saw a rainbow. I felt a big smile come over me, a joy that is hard to explain. A joy that only God can give. It was as if mama said, "Hey, I'm home!"
I knew that when she died, she would be without pain once more and in her heavenly home. She and daddy became born again Christians many many years ago. I sit here with a little sadness, but mostly a happiness and joy to know that mom made it home. It's hard on those of us left behind, but putting it into perspective brings about the thoughts of no more pain for our loved ones. Mama would see her mom and dad, and her beloved sister. She'll be waiting there to welcome us. She'll be ready to feed us again. :)
We will all probably face trials, lose a loved one, etc. But God gives us that divine comfort that only He can give. We may have had that trial so that we might help someone else through theirs. God asks us to be an encouragement to someone else. We are expected as Christians, to comfort and strengthen others through their trials. I believe we have these to make us stronger, to give us an idea of how to help that next person who is facing a loved one's terminal illness. I can say it prepared me. I had a friend who found out her mom had cancer soon after mom died and I was able to comfort and help her out throughout the ordeal. I knew what was coming and was able to help her that way.
I pray that if you ever go through a heartache, just look for that rainbow. It will be there.
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" 2 Corinthians 1:3,4  This was posted on Yahoo360 and transferred over here. Mom's birthday is coming up in 2 weeks, April 30 and I wanted to re-post it.
Where Is God?
He was just a little boy, on a week's first day.
He was wandering home from Sunday School, and dawdling on the way.
He scuffed his shoes into the grass; he found a caterpillar.
He found a fluffy milkweed pod, and blew out all the "filler".
A bird's nest in a tree overhead, so wisely placed on high,
Was just another wonder that caught his eager eye.
A neighbor watched his zig zag course, and hailed him from the lawn,
Asked him where he'd been that day and what was going on.
"I've been to Bible School," he said and turned a piece of sod.
He picked up a wiggly worm replying, "I've learned a lot of God."
"M'm very fine way," the neighbor said, "for a boy to spend his time."
"If you'll tell me where God is, I'll give you a brand new dime."
Quick as a flash the answer came! Nor were his accents faint.
"I'll give you a dollar, Mister, if you can tell me where God ain't."
-- Unknown
You ask why I follow this Jesus?
Why I love Him the way I do?
When the world's turned away from His teachings
And the people who serve Him are few.
It's not the rewards I'm after
Or gifts that I hope to receive
It's the Presence that calls for commitment
It's the Spirit I trust and believe.
The Lord doesn't shelter His faithful
Or spare them all suffering and pain,
Like everyone else I have burdens,
And walk through my share of rain.
Yet He gives me a plan and a purpose,
And that joy only Christians have known,
I never know what comes tomorrow,
But I do know I'm never alone.
It's the love always there when you need it;
It's the words that redeem and inspire,
It's the longing to ever be with Him
That burns in my heart like a fire.
So you ask why I love my Lord Jesus?
Well, friend, that's so easy to see,
But the one thing that fills me with wonder is
Why Jesus loves someone like me.
The Day God Spilled The Paint 
The east side of the Carrizo Plain,
in the Temblor Range, about 50 miles
due west of Bakersfield, California. Photo taken on May 14, 2005. Nothing man can do could ever
equal the glory of God's creations.
 It can be disheartening as a Christian to see all the anti-Christian websites, the hate, the harassment. Let's just keep our focus on our Lord and pray fervently for this nation. For all the hate mongering against us, we can find more who stand with us. Even agnostics, sounds funny, huh? But I do have a few friends who are agnostic, yet never put my beliefs down. We have to stand together to be strong. We have to pray together to be strong. We have to let our voices be heard. I am happy to say I have a loving God who sent His only son to die on the cross for my sins. My past and future sin. I have a direct line to my Jesus and can talk to him every day, every hour if I want to. And this same Jesus rose again and is alive and well today! He's not some dead prophet who promoted hate, torture, and murder . I have a joy only a Christian could know. An unspeakable joy! I'm not afraid of tomorrow, I know where I'm headed. So Onward Christian Soldiers! Fight the good fight. "We must focus on prayers as the main thrust to accomplish God's will and purpose on earth. The forces against us have never been greater, and this is the only way we can release God's power to become victorius."` John Maxwell Hollywood  The world  Christians will have to stand together  We have this promise. "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Matthew 5:10-12
 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070907/ap_on_re_mi_ea/bin_laden_video"Bin Laden makes no overt threats and does not directly call for attacks, according to the transcript, which was first posted by ABC News on its Web site. Instead, he addresses Americans, lecturing them on the failures of their leaders to stop the war in Iraq despite growing public opposition in the U.S. "There are two solutions to stopping it. One is from our side, and it is to escalate the fighting and killing against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out," bin Laden said. "The second solution is from your side. I invite you to embrace Islam," he said." EMBRACE ISLAM!! This statement has made me angrier than an old wet hen! Puhleeze, do you not realize who I worship. No, it's not a pedophile, rapist, murderer.... I worship the Lord God Almighty, and my faith is stronger than your retarded advice, Mr. Bin Laden. (whether it actually is him or not, is not yet known, but no matter.) To even suggest I or my family embrace Islam is the most idiotic statement ever. My God is a loving God, and I don't have to follow a million and one rules to be in his favor. Thanks, friends for letting me blow a little steam off, still not quite deflated. :) This is how much God loves me.    His arms are always open wide! 
 There was once an enlightened society; a diverse, multicultural society for whom tolerance was the ultimate achievement. Sometimes even tolerance of evil and wrong persisted until these words began to lose their meaning. Yet, in this enlightened, tolerant society, there remained a class of people so unpopular, so "uncool" that it was actually fashionable to ridicule them, to show intolerance for them. The "Uncool" were the only people whom it was actually politically correct to stereotype, deride and discriminate against. Entertainment industries portrayed them as evil, ignorant, hypocrites or all of the above. The media called them "religious right," "extremists," "fundamentalists."  Their "dangerous" ideas like traditional family and morality were mocked. "Whose morality?" they'd say. "Everyone's morality is different." The citizens didn't see that having no morality standards was the same as having bad morality standards. And no one denied the incredible decline in standards, increased crime, etc that happened in direct proportion to the unpopularity of the beliefs of the Uncool. The same beliefs that once made them highly esteemed and trusted, now made them the objects of derision and scorn. The Uncool were now the rebels. Yet what they believed and practised hadn't changed for centuries. It's just that now they lived in an enlightened society. The Uncool were occasionally able to convince others of the validity of their time-honoured beliefs. But winning them over was difficult because being cool was extremely important in the enlightened society. Being cool was almost as important as being tolerant. But the Uncool would share their strange message of every person's inadequacy (another thing that was very unpopular) and their need for a Saviour. Some of the citizens, for whom being cool was less of a priority, were wise enough to see these inadequacies in themselves, embrace the Saviour and become Uncool.  Sadly, most misunderstood. Many thought the Uncool were saying that all but the Uncool themselves were inadequate and since they were better, they'd be the only ones to spend eternity with their Saviour. The Uncool weren't saying this at all. They were only stressing that no one is cool. No matter how cool they think they are. Author Unknown.
 Seven days hath every week With 56 hours spent in sleep For 112 we spend awaking While 21 with food partaking Now were left with 91 Down goes 40 - theres work to be done 51 hours in our week remain I stand in church and sing a refrain But the sermons run late I look at my watch and I hesitate I've spent one hour in spiritual fare The big game is on and I must get there 51 hours to do as I please Very few minutes spent on my knees But wait, I'm heard to say I read a devotional every day I'm yours, dear Savior, so do what You will But please, do hurry, Theres no time to kill If you saw my schedule and the work that I do If you knew the stress I've been going through Two hours a week I spend with my Lord If more than that - I might get bored. Just two short hours in 168? I finally realize an appointment awaits I weep as I take intentional time To spend with my Savior - Jesus - Divine O how I've missed my time with You And I plan to stay - as long as I need to. You gave your life to rescue mine And all I can think is, I have no time. I say, You are my lifes foundation As shifting sands lead to temptation You gave Your life because You love me While the hours I give are two, sometimes three But Your grace extends to my lack of minutes While Your attention to me remains without limits. So today is the day I invite You along I've been time-stingy, I admit I was wrong. Glenn A. Hascall "The Encourager"
 What color is God, Asked the child with skin so fair Is He white like me, Does He have light hair? Is God dark like me, Asked the child with skin of golden hue Has He hair that's dark and curly, Are His eyes black or blue? I think God is red like me, The Indian boy is heard to say He wears a crown of feathers, And turns our nights to day. Each one of us knows that God is there, In all the colors above But be sure of this, the one color He is, Is the beautiful color of love. So when your soul goes to Heaven, When your life comes to its end He will be waiting, and His hand to you Will He extend. There will be no colors in Heaven, Everyone will be the same. You will only be judged by your earthly deeds, Not your color or your name. So when your time comes, And you see God in His Heaven abovve, Then you will see the only color that counts, The beautiful color of love. ~Arnold (Sparky) Watts~
 Our pastor talked of the 3 hours of darkness that came upon the world. Matthew 27:45 God had turned His back on His son because he is holy and could not look upon Jesus who had taken upon Himself all our sins. Commentaries don't tell how the darkness actually occured. But we know that God caused it. This darkness was both a physical and spiritual darkness. The last hour of the darkness, Jesus said : My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" My commentary says he was not questioning God, just that he had taken on the sins of the world, which separated him from his Father. His physical agony was horrible, but he felt even worse because of the spiritual separation from God. Jesus suffered that double death so that we might not ever experience that eternal separation from God.
The tearing of the curtain/veil in the Holy temple: Before Jesus died on the cross, people were not allowed to enter the Holy place. Only priests and then only the High Priest who could enter once a year to atone for the sins of the nation. After Jesus died on the cross, the curtain was torn in half allowing all people to approach God because of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins.
It is amazing to me how much God loved me that he sent his ONLY son to die for my sins. The grave couldn't keep him. He rose again and lives on and will come into your heart for the asking. If you don't already know Jesus, why not ask Him into your heart today. What a wonderful Easter you'll celebrate this Sunday. Who could ask for a better Easter than that, to know that you have Jesus in your heart and He will always be there. You're never alonge. What a peace it is to know Him. Thank you God for your son, thank you for loving us so much. I'm leaving you with one of my favorite old time hymns. The words say it all, and I love to sing it especially during Easter. It starts out soft and then when it comes to U[ from the grave...you really start singing it out. :) Love it.
CHRIST AROSE
Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus my Savior!
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph oâÂÂer His foes;
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign,
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Vainly they watch His bed,
Jesus my Savior!
Vainly they seal the dead,
Jesus my Lord!
Death cannot keep his prey,
Jesus my Savior!
He tore the bars away,
Jesus my Lord!
Robert Lowry (1826âÂÂ1899)
 My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night. He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen.
"Are You there, God?" he said. " Where are You? Oh, I see. Under the bed.
"I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement.
But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor.
Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will.
He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different.
Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, returning to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme are laundry days, when He hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.
He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores. And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays!
That's the day my dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. "That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!"
Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. I don't think Kevin knows anything exists outside his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.
He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple.
He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.
He recognizes no differences in people, treating each person as an equal and a friend.
His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be. His hands are diligent.
Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.
His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere.
And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.
Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap - I am.
My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not submit them to Christ. Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?
After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the Goodness and Love of The Lord.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won't be surprised at all.
Author Unknown
 JUST AS I AM
Charlotte Elliott
CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT seemed to have everything going for her as a young woman. She was gifted as a portrait artist and also as a writer of humorous verse. Then in her early thirties she suffered a serious illness that left her weak and depressed. During her illness a noted minister, Dr. Caesar Malan of Switzerland, came to visit her. Noticing her depression, he asked if she had peace with God. She resented the question and said she did not want to talk about it.
But a few days later she went to apologize to Dr. Malan. She said that she wanted to clean up some things in her life before becoming a Christian. Malan looked at her and answered, Come just as you are. That was enough for Charlotte Elliott, and she yielded herself to the Lord that day.
Fourteen years later, remembering those words spoken to her by Caesar Malan in Brighton, England, she wrote this simple hymn that has been used to touch the hearts of millions who have also responded to Christ's invitation to come just as they are.
JUST AS I AM
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou biddest me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, tho tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings within, and fears without,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind,
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea Thine alone,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, the height to prove,
Here for a season then above,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
 How many times in the over 45 years (wow, I guess I'm old as the hills) I've been a Christian, have I sung these songs in church? We have a younger friend who was our minister of music and he would sometimes give us a little history on the songs we sang. A friend of mine gave me a great bible computer program that has many options that you can view and it had the option to look at hymns and the people who wrote them.
I found 2 that I'd like to leave here. I'll do the other one in the next blog. The stories behind the songs are so inspiring that it is no wonder our young friend loved what he did. I think, sometimes, we tend to just sing along and not focus on the words that we're singing, I know I've done that many times. But then we lose focus of who we're singing to and who deserves our worship. So in doing this, I hope this will make some of the songs you may sing in church more alive to you. 
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
Horatio Gates Spafford
HORATIO G. SPAFFORD, a forty-three-year-old Chicago businessman, suffered financial disaster in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. He and his wife were still grieving over the death of their son shortly before the fire, and he realized they needed to get away for a vacation. Knowing that their friend Dwight L. Moody was going to be preaching in evangelistic campaigns in England that fall, Spafford decided to take the entire family to England. His wife and four daughters went ahead on the SS Ville du Havre, and he planned to follow in a few days.
But on the Atlantic Ocean the ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and sank within twelve minutes. Two hundred and twenty-six lives were lost including the Spaffords four daughters. When the survivors were brought to shore at Cardiff, Wales, Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband, Saved alone.
Spafford booked passage on the next ship. As they were crossing the Atlantic, the captain pointed out the place where he thought the Ville du Havre had gone down. That night, Spafford penned the words When sorrows like sea billows roll . . . it is well, it is well with my soul.
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
it is well with my soul.
 I wanted to share this devotional from C.H. Spurgeon..it really spoke to me while reading it.
"Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3:18
"Grow in grace"- not in one grace only, but in all grace. Grow in that root-grace, faith. Believe the promises more firmly than you have done. Let faith increase in fullness, constancy, simplicity.
Grow also in love. Ask that your love may become extended, more intense, more practical, influencing every thought, word, and deed. Grow likewise in humility. Seek to lie very low, and know more of your own nothingness. As you grow downward in humility, seek also to grow upward- having nearer approaches to God in prayer and more intimate fellowship with Jesus.
May God the Holy Spirit enable you to "grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour." He who grows not in the knowledge of Jesus, refuses to be blessed. To know Him is "life eternal," and to advance in the knowledge of Him is to increase in happiness. He who does not long to know more of Christ, knows nothing of Him yet. Whoever hath sipped this wine will thirst for more, for although Christ doth satisfy, yet it is such a satisfaction, that the appetite is not cloyed, but whetted. If you know the love of Jesus-as the hart panteth for the waterbrooks, so will you pant after deeper draughts of His love. If you do not desire to know Him better, then you love Him not, for love always cries, "Nearer, nearer." Absence from Christ is hell; but the presence of Jesus is heaven. Rest not then content without an increasing acquaintance with Jesus.
Seek to know more of Him in His divine nature, in his human relationships, in His finished work, in His death, in His resurrection, in His present glorious intercession, and in His future royal advent. Abide hard by the Cross, and search the mystery of His wounds. An increase of love to Jesus, and a more perfect apprehension of His love to us is one of the best tests of growth in grace.
 Santa's Prayer
The sleigh was all packed, the reindeer were fed,
But Santa still knelt by the side of the bed.
"Dear Father," he prayed "Be with me tonight.
There's much work to do and my schedule is tight.
I must jump in my sleigh and streak through the sky,
Knowing full well that a reindeer can't fly.
I will visit each household before the first light,
I'll cover the world and all in one night.
With sleigh bells a-ringing, I'll land on each roof,
Amid the soft clatter of each little hoof.
To get in the house is the difficult part,
So I'll slide down the chimney of each child's heart.
My sack will hold toys to grant all their wishes.
The supply will be endless like the loaves and the fishes.
I will fill all the stockings and not leave a track.
I'll eat every cookie that is left for my snack.
I can do all these things Lord, only through You,
I just need your blessing, then it's easy to do.
All this is to honor the birth of the One,
That was sent to redeem us, Your most Holy Son.
So to all of my friends, least Your glory I rob,
Please Lord, remind them who gave me this job."
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