settingatthepoolofgrace

You were such a tiny thing, I was not much more than you. Your eyes twinkled with the amazing world and mine did too. Who could have known the journey we would take together, not always walking the same path, but joined heart to heart in love. I was the sister you never had, I shared the dreams you dared to dream, the secrets you wouldn’t tell anyone were whispered in my ears. Life has a way of stealing who we dream to be and changing us into who the world wants us to be.

We chose different directions to travel, yet; love kept us from being separated. A card, phone call, or text just to keep in touch; how I loved hearing you say “hey cuz” as only you could. The conversation always started with “girl” this or that so we could catch up on each others lives. The distance between us couldn’t break our bond of friendship. Death is a separator, it cuts the ties; leaving a void in the heart. The memories are all that is left.

The joy, laughter, tears, heartache all pictures in your mind of days gone by. How do you hold on? After you’ve shed your tears of sorrow and the pain is still inside, what do you do? When your heart is leaking who has a bandage? Questions in the fog of grief you can’t seem to answer. Yet, there is an answer; Jesus is His name. He was there with you when you said your final goodbye’s and He is here with me wiping the tears from my eyes.

We talked about Him so often, how good He was to us both; that since we found Him we would never let Him go. How grateful we were to know how much He loves us, shed his grace and mercy on us even when we didn’t recognize He was there. I’m so sad to know you have left me, but; we’ll be separated only for a short time. I too will cross the bridge you’ve crossed and sleep in the peace of Christ, but ; until then I will hold you in my heart from all the memories you left behind.

Mourning once again as I sit by the pool of grace.

I’m not sure how many may relate to this, but; when I was growing up all our refuse was placed in brown paper bags from the grocery store. In our back yard was a large brick structure in which all garbage was dumped and burned along with ashes from the wood burning stove, we called it the ash pit. I know you can imagine how wonderful and exciting it was for me to see a bright shiny tall garbage can in our kitchen. No more taking out the trash every day, now it could be once a week; or so I thought.

Have you ever walked into a space and the odor took your breath away? You search, but; can’t put your finger on where it’s coming from. The smell may not be very strong, yet; it is very unpleasant to your noise. Then it hits you, the garbage can needs to be emptied; so much for once a week. This is your first realization, when garbage accumulates it cause an unpleasant atmosphere. I hope I don’t offend anyone when I say” we have become human garbage cans.”

What we feed ourselves is what we become. Many of us are so mesmerized by the violence, lewdness, and greed we watch everyday on TV and in the games we play in our homes. We have become de sensitized to the violence we see in our real lives, garbage in. Our dress has become more provocative, the more skin you show the more fashionable you are deemed, garbage in. Our language is so rude and foul at times we are called pottie mouth, garbage in. We are so quick to believe the worst of those not like us, we are so much better than those people, garbage in.

When we stop, take time to reflect on our world today; we must realize our garbage cans need to be emptied and sanitized. Our cans are so filled with garbage the atmosphere of our world is putrid. How do we change our atmosphere should be the question. Once we recognize the garbage that has infiltrated our lives, we must choose to clean our cans; the rubbish of hate, anger, indifference, lewdness, violence, greed and pride must be flushed out. That is just the first step. What do we do to keep it clean?

It is said, when the unclean spirit is gone out a man, he walked through dry places, seeking rest and find none. Then he saithe, I will return into my house from whence I came out. And when he is come, he find it empty, swept and garnished. Empty, that is the problem; we must guard against the return of old habits by replacing them with good. We must fill our lives with the beauty of heavens pride, Jesus the Christ; His love fills all the emptiness in our lives and changes the atmosphere from a worldly one to a heavenly one.

When we accept His cleansing blood we become new creations in Him. Although we will still live in a world filled with garbage, it will not FILL US.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

On last evening as I drifted off to sleep, I experienced a troubling dream. I heard a voice saying to me “why waste your time praying; you’re a liar, you bend the truth”? I could hear myself say ” that was once true, but that’s not me anymore”. I was so uncomfortable I began to toss and turn, yet; I couldn’t awaken from the dream. The voice came again this time it seemed irritated as it said” you were very harsh in your words to your child yesterday, in fact I would say you were very angry.”

My mind began to race as I tried to remember, suddenly I could feel guilt and sorrow over shadow me; to think I mistreated my child. Could this be true? Had I allowed anger to take control of me? As I tried to calm myself the voice came again, “what makes you think you are so good”? I was quiet for a moment, I know who you are was my response; what you say is not really true for the truth is not in you. I have never professed to be good, I’m but flesh born in sin and in need of a savior.

In my ignorance I did many things I’m not proud of, but; that was before Gods love surrounded me drawing me to His heart. God you say as he laughed at me, does He exist? Do you not know He is a myth. Tossing more vehemently , I knew without a doubt; it was Satan speaking to me. You old devil was my retort, you know better than I He is real; that’s why you hate Him with such zeal. Soon your time will be done, you won’t be able to tempt anyone. His laughter stopped, quiet he became; to me he didn’t speak again.

Awaken, I lay quietly in the darkness of my room thinking how grateful I was that Jesus died for me; giving me the opportunity to be sin free. There was a time in my life I was blind and couldn’t see, then Jesus whispered in my ears how much He loved me. On my knees I repented of my sins, was baptized and born again. Walking now with eyes open and heart renewed, seeking daily to be closer to Him; I’m a child of God.

The enemy is relentless, you must always be prepared; even in your dreams he may appear. You must be ready to cast him out without any fear. The Father is seeking everyone who wants to be free, just like He sought after me; give him your heart and you too can be a child of the MOST HIGH KING.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

With the stroke of the clock, the old is gone; the sentiment we share is we all must move on. The question is “where do we go from here”? “Will all our problems just disappear”? We breath in fear from the air, hate continues to grow everywhere, yet; many are hopeful a new day has come, not just for some but for everyone.

Decision time, the choice is ours; the direction we travel should be on all our minds. Each one can reach out to one to make a change, share the hope and the pain. Lift up those to weak to walk, give a voice to those afraid to talk and open our eyes to really see what impact we have had on the least of these.

Yesterday is gone, the future remains unknown; today is all we have, now is the time to act. We must choose the part we will play to make today a better day. To dream a new way to live, erase all hate and fear letting love blossom and grow throughout the year.

Our problems wont just go away, but together we can work to solve them. To learn how to respect another’s right to choose their contribution to the task, we can have victory at last. No big I’s no little u’s everyone thinking of his brothers good. United in heart and mind we can leave the past behind.

Let me be very clear, it will take all of us to make the dream come true; there can’t be victory for me without you. We must join hand in hand to restore peace and joy to our land. Decision time, what will your choice be, to walk in peace and love or misery and fear? To help recreate our world or watch it disappear.

Please weigh your options and if you agree, take my hand and walk with me.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

The decision wasn’t as hard to make as some decisions are, it was decided by love. Love that willingly made the sacrifice that was necessary. A sacrifice that required a total transformation, to leave behind what He cherished to become a babe; helpless in a world of turmoil and hate. The baby born on a silent starry night in Bethlehem was the beginning of the plan to save erring man.

His parents were His instructors in life as He grew in statue and grace, love, compassion, and obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. His mission could not be deterred, though His enemies tried; His focus was clear the fate of mankind primary on His heart and mind. To show the love of God was the plan as He healed the sick and raised the dead.

Not all were accepting of the words He spoke, not willing to give up the riches of the world. They turned their backs to truth, spit in the face of love, and cried crucify. The babe now a man was ready to finish the plan to save erring man. As a lamb to the slaughter, thorns placed on His head, carrying His cross He walked to His death. They were not satisfied to just take His life, so they cover His body with stripes.

Excruciating pain accompanied each step, yet; the plan must be completed, the souls of men the prize. From His birth to the cross His death the cost to save mankind. The cost was paid to give all men the opportunity to be free from sin. This gift is one we must accept, we have the choice to refuse; those who accept loves priceless gift will find by His stripes they are healed, no more slaves to a world of sin.

Released from bondage, hearts filled with praise, joy and thanksgiving for Gods loving heart; not willing that any should be lost. Death was defeated when He rose from the grave redeeming the world He came to save. The Father was delighted that the world would see the love He holds for you and me, His ONLY son he willing gave that we could all be family again.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

How often have you said these words, “where do we go from here?” “What do we do now?” The experiences of life cause us to ponder these questions, many times we find ourselves in a fog; not sure if we are going the right way. That was the plight of those traveling in the wilderness ages ago, always dissatisfied and complaining; the words “what do we do now” readily on their lips. Dishonoring their Creator by their doubt and faithlessness, but; their leader was a praying man. He had the answer; he knew what to do, where to go, and he expected deliverance would come.

Nineveh was a great city in it’s day, however; it was so wicked it was scheduled for destruction. Gods message of pending doom was given, the question asked” what do we do now?”; recognizing their very existence was at stake, was the key. They changed their clothing from the apparel of the world and put on the dress of repentance, a prayer of forgiveness in their mouths; deliverance was granted. In contrast the cities of the plains failed to ask the question, continued in their sinfulness; warnings went un heeded. Destruction came upon them, fire rained down from heaven; nothing remained.

These should be examples of what happens when greed, intolerance, selfishness, and lust for power are allowed to thrive. We as a people have fallen prey to the few who hold the power we gave them to uphold what is good and right for the masses, yet; they have enriched themselves while the many are impoverished. The question I’m asking is “where do we go from here?” “what do we do now?” Are there any who will stand in the gap for a people gone astray, a nation that has lost it’s soul, who is wandering through the wilderness of greed and selfishness. Who is willing to answer the question, who knows what is necessary to heal the land?

Is there any who will remove their blinders and realize we are headed towards a cataclysmic ending, the people of prayer have the answer, they know where to go, and they know deliverance will come. “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and will heal their land”. This promise from the Father Creator is the answer; at this time in human history when so many are feeling the sting of disease, homelessness, hunger, unemployment, and yes; even death. It is clear that we should be on our knees in earnest prayer.

The stains left by darkness can only be erased by light, truth is light; it must shine in every dark place to bring restoration and renewal. People of God around the world must join voices in a unified humility and pray for the healing of the land.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

It’s so amazing how from the darkness of sleep the body awakens you when it needs to relieve itself. How each member has it’s own unique function which contributes to the whole body. The intricacy of the skeletal system, the brain, heart, eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet and the muscular system still have secrets that have not been revealed.

The magnificence of the human body continues to excite the imagination of those who seek to know more about it’s inner workings, how even when one member is lost; the whole will continue to function as it previously did. Life is constantly reminding us there is no permeance in this world, we enter but for a moment; some moments longer than others.

We will all come to the close of our moment and must make our exit, I’ve heard it said “it is what we do between the dash that is most important.” In the beginning we were a thought in the heart of God, from the birth canal of the mother He chose we emerged from our comfortable growing place into the unknown of this world.

Our journey begins, as we grow and learn we are helped along the way and we help others on their journey. Each journey is different, the lessons we must learn are the same, however; we gain the knowledge through experiences tailor made for each of us. They are designed to bring us to the same realization at the end of our moment.

We began in the heart of God, we must live our moment that we can return to the heart of God. The choice is ours, how we live our moment is in our control; what we do between the dash has eternal consequences. The journey will not be one of ease, there will be trials, obstructions and pitfalls that must be overcome. We must show we are ready to be in Gods presence.

Our lessons must be completed, we must master how to live in love, peace, forgiveness, compassion and humility. At the end of our moment the memories we leave behind to those we leave should sing a love song in their hearts. Live your moment that your love song will leave this world a better place, your last note is heard and the your moment between the dash is written.

In mourning as I sit by the pool of grace

“No man is an Island, no man walks alone; each man is my brother, each land is my home”. Tell me how does these words resonate in your spirit? What do they mean to you deep in the recesses of your heart? Do they bring forth unity, truth, transparency, understanding, and compassion for all? As our world grows darker each day with hate, greed, indifference, and separation; the thought of being on an Island alone away from the madness is very tempting.

For most of us we just want to live quite lives, raise our children, work to have the best life we can and love our God. However, there is a question that we all must answer; “how can we love God whom we have not seen and hate our brother who we see”? If you by any small reach of your imagination believe you are Gods creation by His own hands, the breath from His own mouth gave you life, and His love for you is unchanging; then you must know man was His master creation.

He spoke everything else into existence, by the words of His mouth they became. Man was ordained to live in harmony and peace with all that surrounded him, be fruitful and populate the earth, but; that plan was interrupted by disobedience. As it was then, so it is now; man has once again strayed far from His creators design. The destruction that awaits is inevitable if the light of love is extinguished. The darkness of hate and greed grow stronger each day, separation from truth widely accepted, and evil in every form rapidly engulfing the hearts of men.

Island living doesn’t sound so bad, but; the current atmosphere can be changed. Those who know what is true must stand against the lie, call it out; let truths light shatter the confusion caused by the lie that is spoken. Request Our Father to give sight to the blind, clarity to the closed minded, and speak peace to the fearful. To change the hearts of the proud, the self-righteous, and those in places of power. Open the eyes of those who say they are Christ followers, but; are not.

No man needs to walk alone, no man has to fight alone; we have been given a companion who is willing to share our journey, lead us into all truth, and shine light into our dark spaces. We just have to accept His companionship, allow Him to lead the way, and walk where He leads. We were created by Love, redeemed by Love’s blood and Love waits to welcome us back into the safety of it’s arms. We can choose to accept Love or walk in darkness, know that darkness will be destroyed, light will abound.

The proud will be humbled, the hungry fed, the lost found, the homeless sheltered, the mourning comforted and the Fathers heart will rejoice that His prodigal children have come home. Love will again reign in the hearts of men, hate will be dispelled; replaced with truth. Forgiveness will rule the day, it’s light will erase all semblance of evil. The enemy of the ages will be defeated, never again to rule. The secret of life revealed, my blood runs through your veins; your blood runs through mine.

What affects one also affects the other none of us is exempt, we are all part of the only race; the human race. Gods breath gives us all life, Isolation is not an option.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

It was a really harsh winter, the morning air crisp, each breathe taken could be seen floating in the air. There were very few footprints in the snow, as she saw the top of the little schoolhouse; she wondered how many would be in attendance, who else had been brave enough to come to school? Entering the little class room to her surprise there were three other students sitting at their desk, all expecting to learn some great truth; none of them realizing they had learned the lesson of persistence.

Deciding something was important enough to over come any adversity to accomplish their goal. Everyday he could be seen on the same bench, in the same park, and feeding the same birds. Visitors to the park could set their watches by him. A smile, soft good morning or friendly wave of the hand greeted those who would glance in his direction; he was dependable. They could count on seeing him as they entered the park gate.

Christmas was a special time in the William’s household, though money was always scarce; all 3 children would receive something under the tree. Charlie was the eldest of the 3, now a young man; he knew the struggles of his parents to do their best for them. This Christmas would be different, he had worked all summer cutting grass; the money he earned would buy nice gifts for his parents and his siblings. He couldn’t wait for Christmas morning, their surprise when they looked under the tree and the smiles on their faces as they opened the gifts, it will all be worth his sacrifice.

Life is a school that we are enrolled in the moment we are born, the lessons taught will enrich our journey or make it turbulent depending on how we perceive the lesson, assimilate it, and respond; we alone choose how we will be affected by the lessons we learn. Some lessons are grasped immediately, but; some require time and consistency. They are communicated to us through nature, relationships, experiences both good and bad. Each day brings new opportunity to understand more and more about the world in which we live and ourselves.

The source from which knowledge is gained is very important, not all knowledge is good or beneficial. We must glean diligently for the knowledge that perfects the character, that leads us to exemplify our best selves, and respect all that came from the mouth and hands of the Creator; we are all his children. Unfortunately, many of our family members have forgotten who their Father is; greed, hate and power has captured their attention.

They still call themselves His children, yet; they fail to exhibit his character. They mistreat their family members failing to love or forgive while feeling entitled to the same love and forgiveness they are not willing to give. ” By their fruit you will know them”, we make our mouths say things we don’t really men; our actions however betray us. When we become immersed in things of this world we forget who we are meant to be, we justify things we know are wrong. We say things like “the lesser of two evils” because we might agree with one or the others belief.

Our Father requires we take no part in what is evil, support evil doers or keep company with them. His love dictates if we love Him we learn the lessons of humility, forgiveness, compassion, dependability, persistence, sacrifice, faith, truthfulness, and charity. That we walk in the knowledge of love, for our Father is love; he that loves not is not of the Father. Who is your teacher? It is time to recognize who we are learning from//

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

“It wasn’t me” was always the answer when mother would ask, knowing I had done something I shouldn’t have done. How many times have you found yourself denying something you were guilty of? We assume the truth will not be made known or we look for someone else to blame for our actions. Seldom do we consider the consequences before hand, but; after we have committed to the action we contemplate the repercussions.

Whatever we think is hidden will eventually come to the light, nothing remains hidden forever; nor do the consequences disappear. To deny a course of action you have taken is equivalent to a lie, the father of lies then compounds the situation with guilt; your heart feels the weight of that guilt causing anxiety over the truth being known. Peter denied his Lord 3 times, something he thought he would never do.

How many times have we denied Him? I know you are wondering in what ways that might have been done. Do you profess Jesus the Christ as your Lord and redeemer? Do you study His word? Do you think His character is reflected in you? If the answer is yes, have you fed the hungry, clothe the naked, sheltered the homeless, comforted the prisoner or the lonely; this is what he did.

Who have you forgiven as he has forgiven you? He spent His time among those others rejected as unworthy, if we have not done these things; we too have denied our Lord. We honor Him with our words but our actions say otherwise. Peter has left us a message of hope, he was sorry for the denial of his Lord and repented of his actions; forgiveness granted. We must recognize our lack of action.

Remove the false face we hide behind and seek the Lord with a surrender heart, ask for forgiveness; forgiveness will be granted and we can through the Holy spirit walk in the true character of Our Lord, Jesus the Christ.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace