IT HAS BEGUN

 

Father; It has begun. The whole earth is reeling from the trembling of the hooves of Revelations Horse-men. Men's hearts are failing them for fear. Sons and daughters are taking the lives of their parents, and parents the lives of the children. Lust and greed for all manor of evils are pursued without conscience or remorse.

Men and women sell their inheritance for a morsel. Laws protect those who break them and condemn those who uphold them with their lives.
The rich and powerful, take to themselves what belongs to the people. Delusion and Apathy fills the land.

"WHAT GREAT QUAKING HAS COME
AND SUN LIKE SACKCLOTH, BLACK
OH MOON WHO MIRRORS LIKE BLOOD IN GLASS
EARTH'S HOLOCAUSTS AS FACT
THE HEAVENS LIKE AN UNROLLED SCROLL
TURNED IN AS MOUNTAINS FLED
AND ISLANDS MOVED OUT OF THEIR PLACE
WHILE MEN IN HORRORS DREAD
RAN TO AND FRO THROUGH OUT THE LAND
TO HIDE FROM WHAT WAS IS COME
"KINGS OF EARTH, THE RICH AND GREAT
CHIEF CAPTAINS, NOT JUST SOME
MIGHTY MEN AND BONDMEN
THE FREE AND GOODLY TOO
SHALL HIDE IN DENS OF HEART LIKE STONE
NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO"
ROCKS OF BLIND DENIAL
ROCKS OF FALLEN THRONES
ANY THING TO HIDE THE FACE
OF GOD UPON HIS THRONE
"HIDE ME FROM THE LAMB OF GOD.
HIDE ME THEY DID CRY,
HIDE ME FROM THE WRATH TO COME
OR I WILL SURELY DIE."   

 

THE FIERY FURNACE THE TRIAL OF FAITH

 

 

 

LET MY HEART BE SETTLED
AND MY MIND STAYED ON THEE
THOUGH TRIALS ASSAIL
LET MY CONFIDENCE BE
THE LOOSING OF BONDS
AS I WALK THROUGH THE FIRE
WITH ONE WHO IS CLOTHED
IN HEAVENLY ATTIRE
STOKE IT MY ENEMY
TO A SEVEN FOLD HEAT
THIS IS THE FIRE THAT YOU'LL SURLY MEET
LORD, I WOULD NEVER HAD KNOWN
HAD I NOT WALKED WITH YOU
IN THE FIERY FURNACE
NOT ONE __BUT TWO
LET NOT THE SMELL OF THIS
SUFFERING AND TRIAL
BECLOUD, LORD, YOUR GLORY
BUT THAT ALL WHO HAVE SEEN
ARE LEFT WITH THE WITNESS
OF WHO IS MY KING ___Raf__(Mr. Moses) 

AMAZING GRACE

 

 

 

WHAT WAS IT THAT DROVE ME TO WONDER AND SWERVE
WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE ME TO SHUN MORTAL CURVE
THE WAY ALWAYS SEEMED STRAIGHT AND NARROW TO ME
ALWAYS LED WHERE "THE VOICE",
I HEARD CALLING TO ME
JUST OUT OF SIGHT, YET I SAW JUST THE SAME
WITH MY HEART, I KNEW SOMETHING_
THIS VOICE HAD A NAME

I DO NOT REMEMBER A MOTHER'S EMBRACE
I ONLY REMEMBER HER SORROWED FACE
FROM YEAR TO YEAR, FROM DAY TO DAY
IT PRESSED ME TO SEARCH FOR A BETTER WAY
A WAY TO LOVE MOTHER, A WAY TO LOVE DAD
A WAY THAT WOULD HELP THEM TO NOT BE SO SAD

IN THE BEGINNING, THROUGH SERMON AND SONG
I HEARD OF A NAME, THAT I KNEW ALL ALONG
NOT JUST FAMILIAR, BUT KNOWING, I KNEW
THIS MAN THEY CALLED JESUS, IT HAD TO BE TRUE
WHEN I CALLED HIS NAME, HE REPLIED, "HERE I AM"
IN THAT SAME STILL SMALL VOICE SAYING,
"I HAVE A PLAN"

"FROM THE BEGINNING, BEFORE YOU WERE BORN
I KNEW OF THE WAY YOUR FLESH WOULD BE TORN
FLESH AND BLOOD WOULD SEEM TO BE CRUEL
BUT THERE WERE DARK FORCES
YOU MUST LEARN TO RULE

NOT BY YOUR MIGHT, NOR BY YOUR POWER
I SENT MY SPIRIT TO SAVE IN THE HOUR
THAT YOU WERE FOUND SEARCHING
FOR TRUTH IN THE WAY
AND OBEYED MY VOICE, IN ALL I DID SAY.

THOSE WEARING ROBES OF VANITIES PRIDE
DID STRIKE THE HEART BLOW ON EVERY SIDE
I KNOW HOW YOU'VE SUFFERED
YOU MUST NOT REGRET
FOR IN LIFE'S SURE ENDING
YOUR FATE IS NOT SET
EXCEPT IN MY WORKINGS
MY WILL AND MY WAY
IN THIS YOU ARE SEALED
BY MY SPIRIT THIS DAY

YOUR JOURNEY'S NOT OVER
NOR ER SHALL IT BE
FOR ON THROUGH THE IONS
YOU'LL WALK CLOSE TO ME

THERE SURELY ARE THOSE
YOU WILL OFFER YOUR HAND
SOUL'S SEARCHING LIKE YOU DID
THROUGH SIFTING SAND

BUT THEY SHALL FIND MERCY
AND THEY SHALL FIND GRACE
THE KIND YOUR MOTHER FOUND
CHANGED HER DEAR FACE

THERE WAS NO MORE SORROW
THERE WAS NO MORE PAIN
SHE TOO, HEARD MY VOICE
AND WAS NEVER THE SAME

YOU'VE SEEN THE WORK
AND YOU'VE TASTED THE TEARS
YOU'VE WAITED LONG
OVER LONG WEARY YEARS

AMAZING GRACE HAS SET YOU FREE
AMAZING GRACE, YOUR WALK WITH ME
AMAZING GRACE, HAS BID YOU COME
TILL ALL MY WILL AND WAY IS DONE.

TIS SO SWEET

 

 

This picture captured my heart this morning.

The Holy Spirit moves upon the new creation in me to "see" with my heart the things that give our Lord great joy.

 

When we bought this small humble home, just over a year ago, an elderly lady in her 90s had left behind what I thought might be a Philodendron plant, which she stuck in the corner of the living room all by itself. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was the most pitiful and neglected plant I had ever seen.

Now I am no green thumb, by any means, and I know this sounds ridiculous, but I had such a feeling of compassion on that plant, so when "Mr. Moses", my husband, told me to throw it out, I whimpered as though he wanted me to turn my back on my best friend.____ I know, I know.

I couldn't back down from what I felt in my heart about this plant. Mr. Moses took great sympathy on my outrageous attachment to a dying plant and gave me a set time to see what I could do.

I wish I had a before and after picture to show you. I'm not kidding about the fact that the plant only had about 4 to 5 leaves left on it. It was root bound in a small pot for it's size. When I questioned in my heart about transferring it to a larger pot, I felt a definite no.

I didn't have a clue what to do and just followed my instincts. Now again, this will sound crazy, but what I thought were instincts became inner promptings, like when to water. I placed the plant into the corner of our sun room (dining room) where we spend 90 percent of our time. Right between two adjoining windows which get the morning, afternoon and evening sun.

Oh I could just go on and on about my relationship with a dieffenbachia plant. Yes, I even felt to know it's real name.

 

 

The flower is similar to a calla lily, a close relative, which are typically grown as foliage plants. They are of the arum family, which includes elephant ears, pothos, monstera and eternity plants. I'm sure that is of little interest to most of us, kind of like I just love my grandma, and any one before her, who's dead, doesn't interest me. Boy! did I just say that?

Well, here I am a year later, and still wrapping my arms around my friend "Dieffen". Beautiful Dieffen. He is loaded with a total of 14 blooms to the amazement of all who see him/her. I've been told that I must be loved, because they only bloom when they are happy.

 

 

There's a world of Love that goes on all around us. Even in the pause of a forest fox to partake of the scent of a golden daffodil.

Lord, teach me today, to stop, to pause to share with you the simple yet magnanimous joys of your gifts of love. To look up and see Your loving gaze upon me, and the "knowing" that I am your special creation, and feel your embrace.

Lord, You make me so happy, I bloom for You!

DARK PLACE OF KNOWING

 

Lord, of late I am cast down to face the lions of my own making. In this dark place of Knowing who will deliver me out sure and victorious.

My shame, is that I am not here out of another's will, me being persecuted for my faith and commitment in You, but out of a need to know that it wasn't self-righteousness that landed me here.

I see these lions as mighty in Your hands, to strengthen my heart and faith in You. You shall deliver me, even from myself. Thank you for allowing me to be shut up, and confined with these lions that have, are and will always prove the intent of my heart toward receiving, sharing, and applying Your will and the ever forward progressing fulfilment of Your purpose in Christ Jesus your Son. I'm OK down here with Your lions, my appointed companions in faith.

THE BAMBOO AND YOU

One day I decided to quit....
I quit my job, my relationships,
my Spirituality..
I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have
One last talk with God.

'God', I said.
'Can you give me one good reason
not to quit?'

His answer surprised me...

'Look around', He said.
'Do you see the fern and the bamboo?'

'Yes', I replied.

'When I planted the fern and
the bamboo seeds, I took very good
care of them. I gave them light.
I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor. Nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.. And again,
Nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo'.

He said. 'In the third year, there was still nothing from
the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.

In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from
the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.

He said. 'Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.
Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had Spent the five years growing roots.
Those roots made it strong and gave It what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a Challenge it could not handle.'

He said to me. 'Did you know, my child, that all this time
you have Been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?
I would not quit on The bamboo. I will never quit on you.
Don't compare yourself to others..'

He said. 'The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they
Both make the forest beautiful.'

'Your time will come, ' God said to me. ' You will rise high!'

'How high should I rise?' I asked.

'How high will the bamboo rise?' He asked in return.

'As high as it can?' I questioned..

'Yes.' He said, 'Give me glory by rising as high as you can..'

I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.....

Never regret a day in your life.
Good days give you Happiness.
Bad days give you Experiences.
Both are essential to life.
Keep going...
Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrows keep you Human,
Failures keep you Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going!

Have a great day!
The Son is shining!!

God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love, and so small He can curl up inside your heart.

Author Unknown

THE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN

 

Lord, thank you for the love of the brethren. For those who are moved by your Spirit to give prayerful council and encouragement. Not like the friends of Job, but those who are still before you and ready to be used as true comforters___those who speak your own heart, who seek your peace and rest for them as a balm for their mind and soul.

Today, more than once, you comforted me with the love of brethren. You showed me what true peace makers are. Yes, there are those who try to bring peace out of conflict, or peace in the midst of confusion, doubt and fear. But we usually think of it in humanistic terms, of the home, community, the nation and the world.

But there are those peace makers that come in the midst of personal conflict. When one needs to be encouraged with your Word, a clear Word of wisdom, comfort, or guidance. A Word of prayer, that touches the throne and stands with you until there's an answer.

Sometimes I wish there was another term for thank you. One that truly conveys that which I am helpless to say.

So I will say thank you for seeing my heart, and knowing it in it's true intent. Be praised above all else, my Lord for the at-one-ness of Your love through the brethren. Amen