Good Morning!

I am just going to jump right in. I have a heavy heart this morning for some issues in our society that just really blow my mind.

I went through some rough years with my eyes diverted and my heart numb to a lot of things.  I guess you could say I was blind even though I was a Christian, I numbed myself to a lot of moral issues and just joined right in some and at least approved by accepting the behaviors of others. Oh yeah, I thought I was having fun.  They are not the proudest moments for sure.  But then I have nothing to boast of in my life but my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

I feel like a lot of Christians so easily get sidetracked and off course for many reasons.  One reason is the truly Christian views of a lot of issues are so unpopular in our society today.  I have such a hard time grasping just where these people get there opinions of what is right and wrong.  You know - just what is acceptable.  I believe there is a strong belief system but it is so often clouded by the desire to be acceptable.  And of course everyone wants to be fun, carefree and popular.  Well I have to say that I have never had so much fun or felt so carefree and popular as I do when I am freed by the truth ( the absolute Truth) of the Almighty God!

Do those performing gay marriage use the Bible in the ceremony?

Jesus settled the marriage issue once for all, declaring that God had made them “male and female ... a man ... [and] his wife” (Matthew 19:4-5).

Why do they get so upset when someone quotes Scripture?

 God’s word identifies husband-wife relations as “natural relations” and homosexual relations as “unnatural ones” (Romans 1:26-27) and “perversion” (vs. 27).

Not only the ones involved in this practice but those who approve.

Romans 1:25-32

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

 28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

I am really tired of having to walk on eggshells and try not to hurt anyone's feelings over this issue.  I am convinced that we who believe the Word of God need to speak out.  

I wasted a lot of my years not standing up and speaking out!

I want to speak out now in love for people I know and love, this country and our churches.  Our nation needs to hear the Word of God and not just the parts that fit their lifestyle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can someone be a Christian and not believe the Bible is the Word of God?

People can be redirected in their life and God is Able to change anyone, so we must look to Him and His Word and His Love.

Prayers in Jesus Name, Meme

 

 

Softly Singing

Listen closely you can hear,
A song so sweet upon your ear.
It’s in the trees and through the rain,
Softly singing a peaceful refrain.

Listen closely you may know
The sound of peaceful falling snow.
You must be still and quiet too,
Allow the song to come to you.

Listen closely you feel the joys
Of giggles from sweet girls and boys.
Laughter makes such a wonderful song
You find you want to sing along.

Listen closely the flowers grow
Their song the colors of the rainbow.
For colors make a song so bright,
I call this tune a song for sight.

Martha Susan Owen / 2008 March 21

Colossians 3:17

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Oh to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ in everything we do! And Be truly Thankful!!!

How can we keep this promise?  Giving thanks in every word and deed?  

You know it is really hard to glorify the Lord when we are ranting and raving or yelling sarcastic remarks at strangers much less our loved ones!  How can we be thanking God the Father through His Son Jesus when we are in such a horrible state? I honestly believe so much of this comes from being in a hurry.

We must tame our tongues and tempers....we must learn to get our disagreements settled in love not hate.  Every dispute can be solved in love if we look to Jesus to guide us.  We can slow down and look to His example to reach out to others in love and understanding.  

Patience is one thing that we must practice....  Our lives are so hurried and everything seems so important that we miss out on what really, truly counts.  Slow down.  Feel the touch.  Listen carefully. What really is the hurry?  Where just where are we all rushing to?  Why can't we listen to each other?

Meals together are rushed.  Fast showers instead of relaxing baths.  Microwaves rather than ovens.  Instant foods, phones and ipods growing out of our ears....who can listen?  I know I sound old but well...I guess I am.  But you know what everyone is rushing to get old and then they will get there and say what was the hurry?  Where did the time go?  How did my children grow up so fast?  Why don't they come to see me or have time to just talk?  I am very fortunate that I have so many interests and also have a lot of time to enjoy and I get to spend a lot of time with my family.  But I still get in a rush and stressed and yell.  I am forever working on my patience.

We can take time to give God the Glory and enjoy and thank Him for the many Blessings He bestows.

Praise to our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ His Son!

In His Love, Meme

 

What a beautiful night of Worship!  I just have to write my morning post tonight because I have been so blessed by the Wonderful service of Praise and Worship of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!  Our Church Choir, Band, Orchestra, Living Water -Human Video and the whole congregation praising God in song and prayer. 

This night made me realize how very fortunate we are to have this freedom to worship whenever we want, wherever and how.  We have the freedom to witness to others and share our testimony of how Jesus died to save us from our sins.  How lost we get into busy lives of the worldly things we do and neglect to actually ask the questions of our neighbors to find out if they believe and shout our praise for what Jesus means to us.

Oh that we may recognize the privilege we have, the wonderful freedom to spread the Good News.  God is So Good and So Mighty and Loves us all!  Jesus is our Good Shepherd, our Lord and Saviour, our All in All!

In God's Love, Meme

 

 

Good Morning!  

What a beautiful day......Thank you Dear Lord!

Gratitude!  Someone, somewhere told me to first thing each morning make a gratitude list.  Also each evening add to the list.  It is amazing how your perspective changes with this practice.  Priorities fall in place and attitudes lift and lighten.  Actually this is the same as we were told all our lives to " Count your Blessings."  Just think of the hymn which sings " Count your many blessings, name them one by one.  Count your many blessings, see what God has done."  Even though we know God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent,  we still are amazed at the wonders he performs each day.  Look to Him each  day and see what He has in store for you.  Life with Jesus is so exciting! 

Have a Blessed Day with Jesus!

Love, Meme

 

Is it possible to be happy and sad?  Joyful but also mournful?  I feel happiness and joy in the Lord and thankful for so much each day.  My list of blessings goes on and on.  I have been given so much.  There is so much love in my life.  God does provide for our needs, He knows what we need before we even ask.  I feel sadness for the hurting world - the abused and abusers.  The angry and heartbroken, those with no self respect or no  respect for others.  I mourn our nation's loss of faith and contentment.  I am saddened to see children's innocence stripped away by the pictures and voices bombarding them each and every day.  Children who feel they can not be comfortable admitting they enjoy being children ( growing up too fast).

I am not making predictions, I do not claim to know anything on my own, but I believe the Word of God to be true and my heart breaks for the things we all take for normal now in our society. The numbness that takes over when inside we cringe at what we are seeing or hearing but do not speak out against it because it's too big a task or things will never change or we can never go back or whatever.......

Prayer, gratitude, repentance, mourning, more prayer.   Peace only comes in my heart by knowing Jesus as my Saviour.  My only Sanctuary - My only Rock. 

God is and always will be in complete control - no matter what men choose by their free will given them by their Creator.

2 Timothy 3

Godlessness in the Last Days

 1.But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2.People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3.without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4.treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5.having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

 6.They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7.always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8.Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9.But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Paul's Charge to Timothy

 10.You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11.persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12.In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13.while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14.But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15.and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16.All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17.so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

 

Grrrrr.........Grace!

James 1:19
for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

- woman's anger.......even with all my smiles and cheerful attitudes, this is such a tough trait to control.  

I grew up pleasantly - I don't remember anger being a part of my life.  In my adulthood jumping into the frays of not every body liking me and so many people controlling me, this monster began to raise it's ugly head and scream with all it's might.  I tried to blame it on all I had been through and I am sure it all played a big part, but the biggest thing is I did not know how to handle all the hurt and disapointment and I took my quiet resolve and meek demeanor too far the other way and wanted my voice to be heard!  Well - it was.  And everyday I struggled with how to get my points across with stronger people who didn't care about my points.

Today - and everyday I have to work on controlling my anger. I still have a right to be angry for the proper reasons.  Now my anger is directed at the way people treat others instead of how they treat me.  Which is an improvement but I still have to remind myself that others don't have to agree or even listen.  And my points are still valid even if no one listens or reads them.  Also my voice is heard much better in whispers than shouting.  

There is a book by Kay Arthur - "How Can I Be Blessed?" which describes meekness so well.  And it shows the case for righteous anger where Jesus even showed His anger at the moneychangers in His Father's House.   I need to refresh my memory of this book often.

There is the Best Book - God's Holy Word - The Bible.  Oh that I could follow these instructions better.

So here's to those I have ever hurt in my angry voice - Please forgive me for I was wrong. 

And to those who have hurt me in their angry voices - I forgive you.

And to My Precious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ - Thank You for forgiving me!

James 1:19-21

New International Version (NIV)  

Listening and Doing

 19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

 

 

Good Morning! 

Today there are so many things on my mind.  There is an aching in my heart for people everywhere who have heard the Good News of Jesus and yet are not convinced that it applies to them.  Those who are unwilling to accept His Mercy and Salvation because they don't want to change their ways - yet these same ones are so miserable and constantly seeking more in their lives.  More fun, excitement, satisfaction, peace, and the list goes on.  One of my prayers today is that people might see a change in me - so the message I write and talk about will be inviting and clear.  I want to be able to show the message of God's Love in my life.  I know I fall short of this message in so many ways.  I just pray that The Potter uses this broken vessel today. 

 Love, Meme

My six year old granddaughter Allison reminded me of this one day during Vacation Bible School.  She said, " Meme, I have been learning all of the ways I am suppposed to act and things I am supposed to do and I realized that I  don't need to just hear them but I need to do them."

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”- James 1:22

 

Be Still

Long time since I have written here....busy, busy.  June and July are always busy and the summer goes by so quickly. 

Seems like I was just watching for the leaves to pop out and the flowers to bud.  Suddenly the flowers are drooping and the steam is rising from the road.  The ants have already made two marches around my kitchen.  And we have born and almost raised a family of kittens.  It's just me and the boys now - one cat - one dog - one Meme.  Quiet.....for now. 

Ahhh...but just at the right time I am anticipating those girls bursting through the door with excitement of joy or terror.  It is always something - and always exciting.  Hopefully joy!  I do really miss the voices even though I cherish the stillness.  It's okay, I get to have both. 

God does speak to us in those blessed silent times.  Just listen and you will feel something you may not have noticed before.  I am reminded in the stillness to take a deep breath, something I sometimes forget with this illness.  I like the sound of the fan and even the click of the keys on the keyboard.  Faces of friends and family come into my mind and I am reminded to pray for them.  In the busyness of so much going on I do forget.  Oh, I try to pray extra hard to make up for it and I know Jesus understands.  I also know I must keep making time to spend alone with Him in quiet and to Be Still and Know that He is!!!  And to Stay in His Word and Pray without Ceasing!

My God is So Big - So Strong and So Mighty - There is Nothing My God Cannot Do!!!!!

With Love,  Meme

 

 

A Work in Progress

If we really want to love we must learn

how to forgive.      Mother Teresa