HAVE YOU EVER BEEN UN-WUVVED?

I am a huge fan of K-love radio.  We wake up to it every morning and often hear some of the most uplifting, heart-warming stories to begin our day. 

Yesterday, I heard the morning commentator, Lisa, share a story about her little boy.  As often little boys will do, he had asked her to marry him.  Without trying to crush him, she explained that they would have to ask Daddy.  (Good way of passing the buck, don't you think? HA)  Then, still persistent, the little boy said, "Mommy, I will NEVER un-wuv you!"  Oh my goodness.  Is that not precious!?

I immediately thought of our sweet Heavenly Father who promises to never UN-WUV us!!  Never, ever, no way, no how!!!!!!!!!!!!  Paul puts it a little more eloquently:

"For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus." 

To be "un-loved" you have to first be loved.  It's like un-tying your shoes.  First they must be tied, then they can be un-tied.  SO to be un-loved, means you were loved and then, for whatever reason, the loving stopped.

Who has "un-loved" you?

A spouse?

A friend?

A parent?

A child?

A friend?

A fiance?

Not much else in this worlds hurts as badly as being "un-loved".  To have your love spurned or turned away, to feel the knife of rejection stab your heart is a terribly painful thing. 

But God promises us that HE is the one in all the world who will never ever let you down and never let you go.  His love is eternal, never ending.  And He proved it by giving up His only Son so that our sin debt could be paid and we could spend eternity, basking in His love. 

There is a song that says "O love that will not let me go".  That is the love of God.  Today be assured that no matter who on earth may "un-love" you; God never will.

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

Our pastor has been preaching a series entitled "In the Blink of an Eye".  I hope it will end soon.  Not that it has not been good.  It has.  But that is part of the problem.  It has been TOO relevant!!

It seems ever since he began this series several weeks ago, one "example" after another has occurred that brought home the term "in the blink of an eye". 

The crux of this series has been that the in the "blink of an eye", three things happen:

Life Happens

Tragedy Occurs

You are Spiritually Changed

The beginning Sunday of this series, our pastor showed photos from the recent tornados in Missisippi and Alabama as well as photos from the earthquake/tsunami in Japan.  In the "blink of an eye" those areas were devastated, destroying homes and lives.  I have driven down the streets of Smithville, MS and I have talked with some of the survivors of this small town of 900.  I have heard their stories of how their lives totally changed "in the blink of an eye".  They will never be the same.

In the days following we have seen the death of a baby,  a tragic car accident that claimed the lives of several family members, the drowning of a young man celebrating his best friend's upcoming marriage, several instances of sudden illnesses that have threatened the lives of several of our members, more severe storms in Joplin, MO as well as international tragedies in war torn areas. 

Just a couple of months ago, I wrote a blog entitled WINDS OF CHANGE (4-3-11).  In it I wrote about a friend from church who came home to discover her precious husband of 31 years gone home to be with the Lord.  This week, exactly 2 months from the day of his funeral, my friend joined him, losing her battle with leukemia.  It was sudden and unexpected.  She was gone "in the blink of an eye".  Life happens.  Tragedy occurs.

I attended her funeral today.  Sad because two young men have lost their mother only months after losing their dad.  Sad because parents lost a child, something that is just not natural.  No parent should have to bury their child.  And two sisters lost a sibling and a friend and a hole is left in this family.  But...as sad as that all is, this was NOT a sad funeral.  Why?  Because she had been spiritually changed as a child.  She had put her faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, and today though we wept, we did not weep as those who have no hope.  The body we saw in that pink casket was merely the shell of the woman we knew.  In the "blink of an eye" she was changed, from mortality to immortality (I Cor. 15:54)  and she is now present with the Lord.(II Cor. 5:8)  And, those of us who have also been spiritually changed, will one day see her in Heaven.  That gives each of us cause to rejoice!!

Yes, life can happen in the "blink of an eye"...our world as we know it can turn upside down.  But when you know the Lord Jesus, you are held in His mighty right hand and nothing can pluck you out of it!!  (John 10:28)

ARE YOUR WORDS "PURE"?

"The words of the Lord are pure words."  Psalm 12: 6

PURE words.

Are YOUR words "pure"?

Words are powerful things.  They can build us up or tear us apart.  One word can make our day or one word can crush us.  Words spoken in anger to a child can leave wounds that last a lifetime.  Harsh words spoken to a tender soul can cause a person to withdraw within themselves, never to return.  One lie can send an innocent man to prison for life.  Kind words can heal a broken heart.


We speak thousands of words a day...some of us more than others.  But are our words PURE?

"The words of the Lord are pure words."

Never a word from His  mouth has been uttered that is:

Mean
Cruel
Vulgar
Spiteful
Sarcastic
Brutal
Callous
Untrue
Insincere
Deceitful
Slanderous
Belittling
Vengeful
Hateful
Jealous
Malicious
Cutting

Can we say the same about our own?

The Lord had a lot to say about our words.  The book of Proverbs provides a guide on how we should handle our words.  Do you see yourself in any of these verses?

"There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing." 12: 18

"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue, only a moment." 12: 19

"Lying lips are DETESTABLE to the Lord but faithful people are His DELIGHT." 12: 22

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up." 12: 25

"The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin." 13: 3

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger." 15: 1

"The tongue that heals is a tree of life, but a devious tongue breaks the spirit." 15: 4

"The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things." 15:28

"The intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding." 17: 27

"Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning when he seals his lips." 17: 28

"Life and death are in the power of the tongue" 18: 21

" A word spoken at the right time is like golden apples on a silver tray."" 25: 12

"Let another praise you and not your own mouth, a stranger and not your own lips." 27: 2

"[a wise woman] opens her mouth with wisdom and loving instruction is on her tongue." 31: 26


"The words of the Lord are PURE."

What about yours?

DO IT AGAIN, LORD

My granddaughter has an incredible memory!  I am amazed at how keen it is even for a 5 year old.

Every Christmas I put up things around our house so that I can make room for our Christmas decorations.  In our hall bathroom, I have 3 little monkeys which sit on the back of the commode.  "See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil".  I replaced them during the holidays with some beach Santas and then when Christmas was over, I put them back.  As soon as she saw them, she said quite distressed,

"Mimi!!  You did it wrong."

 I had no clue what she was talking about.  When I went to see, she was pointing to the monkeys.

 "This is NOT right, " she exclaimed.

I was still in the dark.  When I questioned her further, she explained that they were not in the right order.  Not that I had them in any particular order to start with, BUT...she remembered how they had been, and expected them to be put back the way they went!  Are you kidding me?  I have to make pictures of most things in the house BEFORE I remove them, so I can look at the pictures after Christmas to remember where it went.  Ah to have the memory of a child! 

Yes, I can definitely tell as I get older that my memory is diminishing.  My husband says it is because we have so much more to dig through to find what we are looking for in our minds.  Sounds good to me.  Still, I hate that I cannot retain things like I used to, especially what I read. 

I can read things today and think "Oh, I want to remember that.  That is SO good."  And then, it's gone.  Depressing for sure.

I was reading a devotional this morning about trusting God for BIG things.  I remember once reading a book in which it talked about praying BIG, HAIRY, AUDACIOUS prayers for our kids.  I began to look through my collection of books, hoping I'd remember WHICH book I'd read it in so I could read the rest of what went along with that.  As I began to peruse my collection, I saw books I did not remember reading, yet upon opening them, saw where I'd underlined things in them.  Yet I do not remember a thing about them!! 

Our memory regarding God is a lot like that, too.  He does things for us again and again, yet the next time we need Hiim, we doubt that He can do it.  We trust Him with one situation, but the very next situation which arises, finds us wavering in our faith that He will come through for us.  How quickly we forget His faithfulness to us. 

Psalm 143: 5 says "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works.."  God puts a lot of value on remembering for when we remember what He has done, it increases our faith in what He can and will do in the future.  When we remember the feats of Elijah, we are reminded that the same God who answered Elijah's prayer will answer ours IF we trust God like Elijah did. 

"There is no reason why we should not ask for large things and without doubt we shall get large things if we ask in faith and have the courage to wait with patient perseverance upon Him, meantime doing those things whihc lie within our power to do. 

We cannot create the wind or set it in motion, but we can set our sails to catch it when it comes; we cannot make the electricity, but we can stretch the wire along which it is to run and do its work; we cannot in a word, control the Spirit, but we can so place ourselves before the Lord and so do those things He has bidden us to do, that we will come under the influence and power of His mighty breath."  Streams in the Desert

Of all the things we must retain in our memory, let us not forget the things God has done for us, His great faithfulness, His abiding love, His untold forgiveness and grace.  For it is in the remembering that we are strengthened for the journey still ahead. 

AT WORK IN THE DARK

"The Lord caused the sea to go back....all that night."  (Exodus 14:21).

God is always working in our lives, even in the dark....ESPECIALLY in the dark. 

It is difficult for us to see Him in the dark times of our lives.  Yet He is always there. 

For the children of Israel, it was not when they awoke to find that they could cross the Red Sea that God began to work, but rather He had been at work all night long...IN THE DARK.  Were they worried and fretting about what they were going to do? Probably.  Just like we do.  Yet all the time God was working.

And, notice it was ALL the night long that He was working, working til the light of morning came.  In our dark nights, God is working even though we cannot see Him.  He will continue to work til the light breaks through and the answers or solutions come.  We must just remember HE IS WORKING. 

Truly it is in those dark nights that we really come to know Him for it is then that we cling to Him, knowing that without Him we will never make it.  Isaiah 45: 3 says "And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that you may KNOW that I am the Lord who call you by name".  God has treasures and riches He wants to give to us, but He reserves those for the dark nights of the soul.   It is there that we really get to know Him like we've never known him before. 

The next time you find yourself in the dark, just remember that God is working and He will continue to work IN THE DARK til the light breaks through.  You are never in the dark alone. He is with you, He is protecting you and He will bring you out into the light in His time.  "...weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30: 5b

"All that night" the Lord was working

Working in the tempest blast,

Working with the swelling current

Flooding, flowing, free and fast.

"All that night" God's children waited---

Hearts, perhaps in agony

With the enemy behind them,

And, in front, the cruel sea.

"All that night" seemed blacker darkness

Than they ever saw before,

Though the light of God's own presence

Near them was, and sheltered o'er.

"All that night" that weary vigil

Passed; the day at last did break

And they saw that God was working

"All that night" a path to make.

"All that night", O child of sorrow,

Canst thou not thy heartbreak stay?

Know thy God in darkest midnight

Works, as well as in the day.

---Streams in the Desert

A NEW START

It seems that the older I get, the slower I get and the less I get done.  It is VERY frustrating!!  My TO DO list is from here to Texas and no hope of ever getting it all done.  Not just the needful things, of which there are many, but also the "want to do's", the little projects that I have in mind and really would like to do as soon as I find the time. 

A few years ago when I began this blog, I fully intended to write it every day.  And, I did for a while.  Then it seemed that life just got busier and busier and I began to skip a day here and there.  Then it became weeks and often even months.  I enjoyed doing it and hoped that it was a blessing to others as well, yet the time to devote to it seem to elude me.

I joined our church's Christian Writer's Circle with great intentions and hopes of one day publishing something, a dream I've had since I was a little girl. But, it was not long until the reality hit me that that was one dream that would most likely never happen .  Still, I enjoyed writing the blog, so I continued. 

The intention of this blog has never been about me.  It has always been my hope that it would be a source of encouragement and blessing to someone, even just one person.  My passion in life is to point others to my Savior, Jesus Christ, to help them come to the realization that He loves them and to understand just how awesome it is to have a relationship with Him.  It is not about religion but relationship!!  And He is such a personal God.  He cares about every detail of our lives. 

In recent weeks, I've been approached by several people who have asked me "Why are you not writing your blog any more?"  Surprised, I came to realize that maybe more people were reading than I knew.   So it is with great joy that I attempt to begin again. 

I hope that you will be blessed!

WINDS OF CHANGE

It is often said of Memphis weather, "If you don't like the weather, just stick around because by tomorrow it will be totally different!"  How true. 

As I sit her at my computer writing, the winds outside are gusting 30-40 mph.  Windows are groaning and walls are creaking.  Tomorrow storms are predicted to blow through and then it will most likely be silent. 

Change is like that.  It blows into our world, often wreaking havoc and leaves things turned upside down in the aftermath.

A friend of mine came home last Thursday to find her husband had suddenly and unexpectedly gone home to be with the Lord.  In one moment she went from being married, to being a widow, from having a mate and best friend of 31 years to being all alone.  Her world has been turned upside down.

We saw the destruction that just a few moments in time brought to Japan a few weeks ago.  One moment people were at their desks, going about their jobs, the next their whole world was shaken, literally.  Then as if to add insult to the injury, the tsunami swept across the countryside, leaving massive destruction in its path.  Not just in terms of buildings, but in terms of lives.  Suddenly entire families were missing.  Children were left at school, waiting for the parents that would never return.  One minute life was normal.   The next they were orphans.  One minute they had a home.  The next they were homeless.  The winds of change.........

All of us have experienced the wind of change....

From being employed to unemployed....

From being a friend to being a foe....

From being happy to being sad....

From being healthy to being very ill or even at death's door....

From being number one seed in a big tournament to being out of the game....

Not all change is bad, however.  There are many changes that affect us in a positive way. 

From being unemployed to gainfully employed....

From being childless to being pregnant....

From being alone to having someone special in your life...

From being under your parents' roof to being on  your own....

From being a nobody to being famous....

From barely making it to being successful....

From being lost and on your way to Hell, to being saved and on your way to Heaven!!!!

From being a little known team to being in the championship game!!

Yes, the winds of change blow through all of our lives.. sometimes for the good and sometimes not.  But through it all one thing remains the same .....JESUS.  He never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

I leave you today with this thought... a little poem I copied in my Bible years ago:

"Change and decay all around I see
O thou Who changes not,
Abide with me."