DEVINE INSPIRATION, PRICELESS

How did your day go today? Mine was the same old, same old. Nothing especially different or unusual. I was inspired, however, to make a lasagna casserole today differently than in the past. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be an improvement or a disaster.

As I pulled back the aluminum foil covering of my finished baked lasagna my husband quietly indignantly explained to me my “dish” was not supposed to look like it did. He asked me “shouldn’t a person have to slice out a helping of lasagna rather than spoon out a soupy mess? I had to be honest and agree that he was correct on his understanding.

He said he was not eating that! And I said “Well I could just toss the whole 3 casserole dishes of lasagna in the trash. But that was not going to happen. I was determined to at least try out the weird looking “experiment” before throwing it out. I then “spooned” it out of the container into my waiting bowl. Now I was not eager to do this, but I must, for the sake of at least looking like it might have a small chance of being eatable.

Eating the full bowl of my “experiment” I’d rate it a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10, maybe. And now I have a couple months of ready to eat meals all to myself, not that I’m unwilling to share them with my husband, mind you. I just don’t think he is going to take me up on the offer.

Maybe I should be regretful of having tried a different way of making my casserole as I did today. But I’m not. I learned not to make my lasagna like this in the future, ever. I will not be wondering if I missed the chance of improving future lasagna casseroles,

It didn’t harm anyone, not too much. My husband did decide to make his own supper of a baloney sandwich with some leftovers from the refrigerator. And suggested I might learn to do the same as he in the future rather than experimenting as I had today.

It could have been a different story had I changed my experiment in a different manner though. And I might do that in the future, the distant future.

How about you? Are you willing to try something new and different? Are you up to risking a possible disaster as well as possible success? What do you want to change in your day-to-day life? What are the gains or losses you face if you should or should not take the risks?

I pray that I change a lot of things in my lifetime that I have left here in this lifetime, however long that might be. My human nature, you see, needs a lot of changes. A little more spice in some areas, a little more flavor all around. A lot of salt, good salt. “Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” One thing that was excellent about my lasagna casserole today, is that is was good and hot. And that is another thing I pray to be in my spiritual life. Revelation 3:15-17  15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

God is good, I was inspired by a seemingly failure today to witness what God has done for me today. Blessings to you and yours.

LISTEN CLOSELY, WHAT DO YOU HEAR?

Does to seem time is on a tread mill with you having to race to keep from being thrown off the machine? Or things just aren’t happening quickly enough, taking what seems forever to come about. Need help with figuring out what your next step should be? And the next ones after that?

JEREMIAH 1:5  “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” We are also formed by God and known by God before we were born as well. And plans were made for each one of us that God had created us for. That is why we can declare the truth that there is no unwanted child, not by God! Nor can our birth be a “mistake”. God does not, he cannot make mistakes.

We may not understand the plans God has for us but if we choose to follow God’s leading, to trust and obey, we will achieve them. victory will be ours, by the grace of God.

How many others felt they weren’t getting anywhere in life? When what they thought was defeat in reality was actually victory in disguise.

Joseph could have thought he had failed, being sold as a slave by his brothers, thrown in prison in a foreign land. How could Joesph have known the events, the who-what -when- where-why or how future event were to happen? That he would be second in authority under the ruler of Egypt. Joseph remained faithful trusting God and did not give up! Oh, that we might be as lovingly faithful and wise.

James 1:17 ” …. with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. ” God is faithful, never changing. We must keep praying, hoping, and believing God’s promises. And should we find ourselves losing faith, we must pray as the man spoken of in Mark 5:23-24  23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Confess to the Father, ask in Jesus’ name, with our lips our need for help to believe, it is no sin to ask for help. Matthew 7:7  “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”. As long as we are not asking “amiss”. Truley, when desiring the LORD”S will, God’s way, God’s timing, even when we feel God is too early or too late, His timing is perfect, right-on time.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.” Ephesians 6:11-12 11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Pray for one another that we have ears to listen to God’s guidance, and faith to believe God hears our prayers. Pray we always hear the still soft voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts such as we read of in 1 Kings 19:11-13.

John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

May the LORD God keep you and yours in the palm of His right hand.    

READY OR NOT

Where in the news media are we reading the news of the King of Kings returning to this earth? There are some references, but are we discerning the times we are living in? The signs are unmistakable! Read the book of Revelation. There are blessings promised to those who both read and heed the book of Revelation. We need to read thoughtfully and prayerfully, taking our time to carefully think on its message. Reread and read again and again. Take our time, not rushing through. Asking, seeking, knocking. We are promised the door of understanding will open. May God bless you and yours and keep you in the hollow of his hand. We know not the hour nor the day, but we are given signs of the time we are living in. Brothers and sisters, it looks like the time is near, don’t you think?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Author, Robert Martin Campbell: Sometimes, in our deepest time of loneliness and difficulty, it’s not the hand of a spouse, a significant other, or other human hand that can help us. There might not be a human at hand to hold and hug you, to let your tears fall on their shoulder, to help lift you up when you have fallen. But that doesn’t mean there is no one to help.

Sometimes, our greatest help and comfort, is of a heavenly nature. Angels that watch over us. Hands reached out that can only be seen with eyes of faith. Our spiritual cheerleaders. Forces longing for our success.

So if you are lonely, your heart is aching, and you long for comfort – just realize that there is a team of God’s angels surrounding you, listening to your cries, comforting you in your pain, speaking peace to your heart at storm.

If only our eyes weren’t blind to the forces and powers Christ has sent to our aid, that He dwells with us and we can rest in Him, that His Holy Spirit longs to fill our empty hearts, and that His love is always enduring, and His grace always within prayers reach… We would never lose faith.

You don’t fight this battle alone. Even if it feels like it. Even when satan and his demonic forces try to speak lies into your heart, telling you that nobody wants you – remember that Christ loves you. He sends His angels to guard and protect you. He sends His Spirit to fill you with hope and truth.

You are not alone.

THE MOSAIC OF LIFE

JUST A PEBBLE IN THE ROAD OF LIFE

LYING THERE IN THE DARK OF NIGHT

NO BUILDING DO I HELP SUPPORT OR HOLD

UNABLE TO CARRY LIFE’S HEAVY LOAD

BUT WITH MY SAVIOR AS MY ROCK I STAND

UNABLE TO BE MOVED BY PRINCIPALITIES OR MORTAL MAN

FOR HIS STRENGTH IS SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY ALL MY NEEDS

BY THE POWER OF JESUS SHED BLOOD HE SAVED AND LIFTED ME

ON HIGHER GROUND IN A CITY SOMEDAY

I’LL BE ONE OF CHILDREN IN THE KING’S FAMILY

WHILE HERE ON EARTH I MUST HELP TO GUIDE

WONDERING SOULS TOWARDS HIS KINGDOM ON HIGH

ALONG WITH MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS I HAVE FOUND MY USE

IN PREPARING THE PATHWAY TO GOD’S WORDS OF TRUTH

HIS STORY MUST BE TOLD TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

BY NO OTHER NAME THAN JESUS IS THERE ANY HOPE OF OBTAINING THE NEW BIRTH

JESUS SHED BLOOD IS THE MORTAR THAT HOLDS AND BINDS

EACH PEBBLE IN PLACE THROUGH THE AGES OF TIME

NO LONGER A COLD AND LIFELESS STONE LYING THERE

NOW BECOMING A JEWEL, SO LOVELY, SO PRECIOUS, SO FAIR

LIFE’S TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS SMOOTHING MY ROUGH AND JAGGED EDGES

WITH THE HEAT OF CHRIST PASSION MY HEART IS REFASHIONED

WE EACH HAVE BEEN CREATED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE MOSAIC OF LIFE

ITS THEME BEING OUR CORNER STONE, JESUS CHRIST 

AUTHOR, BY GOD’S GRACE

SHARON ROSE LAWLESS

I HAD STARTED THIS POEM ONE DAY WHILE THINKING OF HOW CHRIST WAS OUR ROCK OF SALVATION.  AND HOW I WAS NOT EVEN SO MUCH AS A STONE, JUST A SMALL PEBBLE, NOTHING MORE IN THIS HUGH SCHEME OF LIFE.  SO INADEQUATE FOR THE WORK OF MY LORD.  I HAVE NOT CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO THE LORD’S WORK, AND HAVE FAILED SO MISERABLY, SO OFTEN, SO POORLY.  I HAD STARTED THE FIRST TWELVE LINES PRIOR TO HAVING WENT TO THE WOMAN’S RETREAT IN TENNESSEE.  THERE WE WERE INFORMED OF A TALENT EVENT TO BE HELD THE NEXT NIGHT. 

I THOUGHT ABOUT SINGING A SONG,  BUT I WAS NOT SURE IF THAT WAS WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.  I ONLY KNEW THAT I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE LORD.  I WAS CONCERNED IF THE INCENTIVE WAS TO BOOSTER MY EGO OR TRULY TO PRAISE GOD.  I HAD A CD I HAD BROUGHT ALONG, NOT KNOWING THERE MIGHT EVEN BE A CHANCE TO USE IT TO SING DURING THE WEEKEND MEETING.  I JUST THOUGHT THAT I MIGHTY LISTEN TO IT.  BUT I KNEW I WAS NOT THE BEST VOCALIST AND THOUGHT THEREFORE I SHOULD TRY SOMETHING ELSE.  

I HAD NOT BROUGHT MY POEM ALONG THOUGH.  SO, I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO ASK HIM TO REPEAT IT TO ME ON THE PHONE.  BUT I STILL FELT THAT I NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE POEM, SO I PRAYED AND TRUSTED GOD TO ALLOW FOR THE POEM TO BE COMPLETED ON TIME FOR THE TALENT EVENT. 

THE NEXT NIGHT I WAS STILL WORKING ON THIS POEM, AND THE POEM WAS COMPLETED ONE MINUTE PRIOR TO THE LADY CALLING ME BY NAME TO COME AND PERFORM MY TALENT.   

THAT NIGHT I WAS BACK IN OUR CABIN, THINKING OF LISTENING TO MUSIC CD I BROUGHT ALONG.  I OPENED THE CD HOLDER, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE CD ITSELF WAS NOT IN IT. 

I THINK THAT GOD WANTED TO LET ME KNOW THAT I HAD DONE SOMETHING RIGHT, FOR THE RIGHT REASON.  I COULD HAVE EASILY OPENED THE CD AT ANYTIME PRIOR TO THE TALENT EVENT.  AND KNOWN THAT I COULD NOT DO THE SONG BECAUSE THE CD TRACK WAS NOT WITH ME.  BUT GOD KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO KNOW I HAD DONE SOMETHING FOR THE RIGHT REASON, FOR HIM, UNSELFISHLY.  SO OFTEN, TOO OFTEN, I AM SO SELFISH, SO FULL OF ME.  GOD KNOWS WE NEED TO BE ASSURED THAT HE IS IN OUR HEART.  THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN  NEVER REST,  HE IS EVER TELLING US WE ARE NOT TRULY REPENTANT, TRULY TRYING, NOT CARING, NOT FORGIVING, NOT EVEN FORGIVEN.  AND WITHOUT THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE AND UPLIFT US, IT WOULD BE ALL TOO EASY TO BELIEVE SATAN’S FALSE TESTIMONY.  THAT WE ARE NOT TRULY REPENTANT, FORGIVEN AND A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST. 

I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE OF THE HISTORY THAT THIS POEM ENTAILED.  GOD IS GOOD AND WAS GRACIOUS TO HAVE PROVIDED THE WORDS NEEDED FOR THIS POEM.  I AM MY MOTHER’S CHILD, UNABLE TO EXPRESS MYSELF ADEQUATELY IN A ONE-TO-ONE CONVERSATION.  BUT, WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.  I KNOW, HE PROVIDED THIS POEM, I AM NOT GOOD WITH WORDS. ALSO, THE THEME OF THE LADY’S MEETING WAS ABOUT MOSAIC, THERE WAS A LARGE MOSAIC IN THE BUILDING, AND WE MADE SMALL MOSAICS AS WELL. 

ALSO, THIS POEM HAD NO TITLE WHEN WRITTEN, BUT THE THOUGHT OF SMALL INDIVIDUAL PEBBLES BEING USED TO CREATE A PICTURE LEAD TO IT’S TITLE.

     I BELIEVE NAMES WERE DRAWN FOR PRIZES. MINE WAS ONE OF THOSE DRAWN. GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS. I HAD NEVER WRITTEN A POEM BEFORE THIS ONE. I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN POEMS. BUT I HAVE FOUND I LOVE WRITING POEMS GIVING PRAISE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GOD. GOD IS SO GOOD.

WHAT HAPPENED ?

Maybe you might be asking the same question. I’ve been away for about two and a half years! I thought I’d be up and posting on this site. And just as often felt a sea of emotions. Fear, overwhelming fear, got the best of me. How do I get myself in these situations? I don’t know anything about this web posting. Even with my son’s help I am inapt about computers. I don’t mean to be “belittling” myself; it is just not something I am knowledgeable about.

So, these past years, I lost the chance to reach out to those I had intentions of sharing the love of God with. At least through this site that is. Then I thought, maybe I was not ready myself, for public scrutiny, for criticism and whatever might come my way.

But here I am, praying without ceasing, that with God’s grace I can do what I feel I should have been doing all this time.

Maybe you have been in a similar situation in your life. We all have “ruts” we dig ourselves into now and then, don’t we? Some deeper and wider than others at times. I hope together we will be able to give one another the gentle push, the strong but loving nudge needed to take off running the race God has created each one of us to run, for the glory of God. That is our reason for living, serving God and fellow mankind.

Past mistakes are not useful if we let them bring us down permanently, rather than teach us a valuable lesson. I’ve heard the old saying that time is money. Time however is more precious than money. Time is something we cannot buy, beg, borrow, or steal. It is God’s gift to each one of us. The clock keeps going forward, regardless of whether we do or not.

So, today is the beginning of the “rest of our life”. I hope each day forward will see both you and I making progress in our daily lives. We only have one race to participate in. It is a daily race, but still one race, lasting our lifetime, and I want both you and I to win! God wants us to win! By God’s grace, it is possible.

If we should fall, just reach out and touch the hem of Jesus garment and ask God’s help. The Holy Spriit is our comforter and will guide you and I throughout our race. May God speed and keep you in the palm of His hand.  Lord, please help us to have the patience we need in our journey here on earth. And thank you for another day of life. In Jesus name we pray and thank you. Amen.