Friday, January 12, 2018

The Preciousness of Life


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My thoughts as a friend’s family is called to her hospital bedside. She suffered a heart attack about twelve hours ago.This means she will be leaving her family her church family and entering heaven very soon. This fact brings several thoughts to my mind.
Her name is Loretta. She encouraged me many times over the 30+ years we have known each other. She prayed for my family on many occasions. Her husband was my Sunday school teacher for several years.
1.)           She will see Jesus. Also, she will see her mother, her husband’s mother, several of the ladies who went our old church, and our friend Greg, who spent most of his earthly life wheelchair bound. (I always said that when he got there, he would dance with all the women.) I believe they will all be waiting to greet her on the other side of those pearly gates.

2.)           How precious life is, God decides the number of days we have before our first one. Sometimes, humans do things shorten that number. Other times we see people who live out those 70 or 80 years allotted to us. Then, there are those who are blessed by receiving more.

3.)           Because God loves us, we are to love one another. This is a command given by Jesus Christ Himself.

4.)           We are not to hold grudges against others. We are to forgive them as God forgave us.

5.)           We are to stop and enjoy what God has given us. When a neighbor or a friend receives something new, we are to be happy for them.

6.)           We should tell our families that we love them. They might know it, but it is nice to hear. It may be the last thing we say to them.

7.)           If we have issues with someone, we should give them to God and let Him handle them for us as He chooses.

8.)           If there is something we don’t understand about another person, we should tell God about it. If He wants us to know the details, He will arrange things so we learn what we need to know.


She went to heaven a little over 12 hours after her family was called in. All of her family and her church family will miss her but we all know that God called this dear lady home.

Her funeral is late this morning, January 12, 2018.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

God Creates New

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For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. Isaiah 65:17 (ESV)

God tells us that we need to realize that He has made something new for His children. Could He be speaking of when we arrive in heaven? Can He be speaking of the new heaven and new earth that we read about in Revelation?

I recently had a friend enter heaven. One of the thoughts I had about her being there was “She won’t remember the terrible things that happened to her when she was a child.”

While we live on earth we might have a memory or memories of which we cannot let go. We read where we can give them to God, but we take them back. However, When we enter His domain, heaven, he takes all our anxiety-causing moments and tosses them away. Those who enter heaven truly do not have a care in the world.


As a senior citizen, I find I have times when I remember and envision a circumstance from my childhood and, sometimes, even my young adult years. I believe God is trying to show me something about these memories. None of these things I have remembered were necessarily bad things. I have felt God was teaching me through them. 

Monday, January 8, 2018

New Name

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The nations shall see your righteousness. And all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. Isaiah 62:2 (ESV)

God speaks of His plan of giving His people a new identity when Jerusalem and Zion begin to display righteousness and glory they have received from Him. Other nations will see these qualities.

Just think! God gives each of His people new names. Known only to Him. In the context (verse 4), He tells the people He will not think of them as “Forsaken” or “Desolate” but as “My Delight is in Her.” I love this latter term. God’s delight is in those who follow Him.

The LORD looks at those who submit their lives to Him with different eyes, eyes of tenderness and love. Because that is His nature. When we accept Jesus as Lord of our lives, should we also those around us with different eyes—His eyes? Our LORD teaches us how to respond to unsettling circumstance. When we hear things that bother us, He tells us to take those issues to Him, first. Our hearts would be so much lighter and our lives easier if we would remember to take this one simple step.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...