settingatthepoolofgrace

Crayons of every color lay atop the desk near a book of drawings needing to be filled with color.  At first glance one would think a child was sitting here, but; no child is present in this home.  Not far from the desk nestled in the corner of the room sets a easel with a blank canvas affixed to it; brushes, paint, cleaning solution and rags cover the small stand next to the easel.

It is only natural to assume this is the home of an artist, the evidence is overwhelming that someone here is interested in creating beautiful pictures .  The world we live in has been graced by some of the most praiseworthy art; from the civilizations of Africa, the shores of Italy, England, and the Americas. Julie Mehretu, El Anatsui and Cheri Sambas sons and daughters of Africa.

Leonardo De Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael sons of Italy; William Blake, Henry Moore, and Tracy Emin sons and daughters of England; Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Norman Rockwell Americas shining stars.  All have been gifted from the Creator with vision to see beauty in the simplicity of nature, the human form, and the written word.

Every good and perfect gift comes from above, it was by his voice the sun, moon, and stars decorate the sky, the grass covered the earth, trees of every shape and size; color and hue excite the eyes of all who behold them.  It was he who gave the birds their song, set the rivers and oceans in motion, and scattered the fields with flowers.  In six days he created this world and all that in it is, when he completed his handiwork he declared it perfect.

I’m sure you have heard the saying “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” this causes use to consider what we think of beauty. Some find beauty in the outward appearance, some in the personality, some in mental stimulation and some in a pure heart.  The word of God teaches beauty should not come from the adorning of fine clothes, wearing of jewelry or the styling of the hair, but; from a gentle and quiet spirit.

The essence of Christ’s character in each of us is the beauty the Creator sees when he looks in our faces, in Jesus we are made perfect and righteous in the eyes of God.  With the stroke of a brush the artist paints a masterpiece, when the heart is yielded to the transforming love of Jesus Christ our lives become his masterpiece; colored perfect by his love.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Often we say to others as we depart from them”God bless you”‘ these words seem to flow from our mouths easily, we also find ourselves saying it when someone has served us in some manner as a polite gesture.  Many times we don’t give any further thought to the reason we say it or what  we are really saying to that person.  If by chance you are a believer, you recognize you are a created being; formed from the dust of the ground by a loving Creator who desire companionship with you.

To Bless, be blessed, or be a blessing is to be held in reverence, bring pleasure, contentment, or good fortune also to honor in worship. We are reminded of the power of the spoken word, from the mouth comes corrupt talk, blessings and cursing, every word spoken will be called into judgement and by our words we will be justified and by our words we will be condemned.  We are warned whoever keeps his mouth and tongue will keep himself from trouble.

To have life was the first blessing we received, the Creator gifted us with his own breath and we became a living soul. Next he provided everything we needed to be happy and thrive until words of deception caused separation from the source of love that created us.  Those words were a curse on all mankind which continues to plague us until the present day.  Our first parents were deceived, we became prey to the enemy of the Creator, yet; the love of the Creator was to strong for us to leave us in our circumstances.

Once again we were blessed by a loving Creator, a way of escape was provided to all who choose to be free of bondage. However, the price of that freedom required blood to be shed; the penalty being death to the transgressor.  Our Father God through Jesus our Christ was our sacrifice for redemption, reconciling us to himself again.  He alone is worthy of glory, honor, praise and blessing; with our lips we should bless his name continually. To know his will for us we only need to ask, he will gladly make known his desire for us; we are blessed with choice, he will never suspercede our decision, this is free will; another blessing.

Is this not amazing love? To love someone so much you are willing to die for them, knowing they may reject you.  This too is a undeserved blessing granted to a undecided people, for he makes the sun to shine on the just and unjust alike. Each day we wake to see the sunshine, hear the song of birds, smell the fragrance of  flowers in bloom and touch those we love; we are touched by unchanging, unconditional love that seeks to enclose us in its arms. In him we have redemption through the blood, the forgiveness of sin, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

To those who choose to serve him, his mercies are new every morning.  We are blessed that we might bless others, it could be something as simple as paying for someones gas, buying a meal, or helping with a financial need; as God’s children we should do the work of our Father sharing with our sisters and brothers unconditional love.  We are all one blood in Jesus Christ our saviour, as he gives to us we are to give to others.  The question is”how are you using your blessings”?  Do they bring glory to God or  to you”?

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

It’s slow right now, I need to step away for a minute; can you cover me? How often have you said that to a co-worker or friend? The phone rings hello; hey girl a few of us are getting together tonight, would you want to go?  Wow I would love to go, but; it’s a bad time for me, have no money.  Don’t worry I’ll cover you girl, I got your back.  Maybe this is a conversation you are familiar with.

We use the phrase cover me on many situations in our daily lives never fully realizing the full implication of the phrase. To cover “put something such as a cloth or lid on top of or  in front of something in order to protect or conceal it”, what in your life would you want to be covered up?  We all have done or said something we would like to keep hidden, we all have skeletons in our closets.

In today’s climate when we hear so much about the leadership of our country doing so many things about which they wish the general public would never know the truth, in these situations the phrase cover me is equivalent to cover up. Those in power often require those beneath them to keep them from scrutiny, especially when they are doing what is deemed incorrect or illegal.

It’s the little guy who seems to always get caught up and not those responsible.  There is a very demonic force working in the world in which we have the misfortune to live, he is relentless in his pursuit of our destruction.  Every method available to him will be used for this purpose.  We have been warned how to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong, ” by their fruit you will know them”.

We have been given a guide to follow that if followed will bring peace and good benefit for all mankind.  Ten rules that lead to the best possible life, they encompass instructions for every circumstance of life we may encounter. They teach us to have integrity, compassion for others, love for our Creator and his creation, truthfulness, and obedience.

When we choose to follow them we are afforded a blood covering for our sins and shown the way to salvation through Jesus the Christ.  when we follow them we are given strength to overcome the influence of the powerful to do what is wrong, we develop moral fortitude which covers us when the enemy attacks, and we are protected from his onslaught.

Each of us in our daily walk are bombard with choices that could lead to our destruction if we are not covered under the blood of Jesus the Christ,his blood our only umbrella of protection;we are prey for the taking and the enemy will  ponce like a lion waiting for it’s dinner.  We will all eventually come to the crossroad of decision, recognize we are traveling the wrong path; realize we can change direction and call out to the ONLY one that can recreate us anew.

Our cry will be “Lord please Cover me”.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

when we stop the rat race of life, take the time to quiet ourselves; review our journey we find through all the changes we endured we had a way maker along with us as we journeyed.  When our tears flowed like water from a broken heart, when our loved one left and we couldn’t say goodbye, when everything we owned was taken away, and when our health was it’s worse; Love stepped in to comfort our aching heart.

Brought peace to our spirit, restored what the enemy stole, and touched the body with healing hands.  Our minds reflect on a empty refrigerator that was mysteriously filled, shoes and clothing received when the purse had cobwebs in it, and the day we were so down and the one person who always made us smile; knocked on the door.  Life keeps us so busy at times we fail to recognize all the ways that are made for us daily.

No matter the situation things just seek to work themselves out for our best good.  Do we ever stop to think, is it circumstantial or is there more we should be considering? What do we control or what is controlling us?  There is a battle being fought, we are pawns in the battle; the prize to be won our defeat or victory.  Unfortunately, we have a adversary who is much more powerful than we are; fortunately choosing the right side makes all the difference.

We have a general whose love for us has been demonstrated in our lives whether we have chosen him or not, he still reaches out to us hoping we will recognize him as our way maker and chose to join him in the battle. If we fail to chose him, we have made our choice for the enemy of mankind who desires our destruction.  There is no in between the decision has to be made for one side or the other.  The enemy hides his true intentions with distractions, misinformation, and worldly rewards.

Loves general when chosen grants us strength for our weakness, faith for what appears to be impossible, discernment and clarity for confusion, and joy in the time of storm.  His titles are many, he is known as our Way Maker, Redeemer, Saviour, Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, Healer, and the Only son of God the Father; Jesus the Christ.  CHOSE HIM

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

It was just a joke, everyone thought it was so very funny, but; you didn’t see the humor. It wasn’t funny to you because the joke was on you.  Rarely is the person who is the butt of the joke happy when someone makes fun of them.  You will not find anything like this anywhere, it is an original; I’m discounting the price just for you.

Though you thought the price was to high, you purchased it anyway; only you would have one.  To your surprise it was not so original after all.  Every now and then we are faced with a decision about which we are unsure, we ask ourselves is this real or a trick; sometimes it seems to good to be true.

What to do? Are you willing to take a chance? Once bitten, twice shy; it is hard to avail oneself to chance when you have been hoodwinked.  The lesson you learn is a good thing is not always what it is cracked up to be, everyone can’t be trusted, and follow your first mind if uncertain.

There are times we are dazzled by the glitz and glamour our eyes see causing us to drop our guard. Blinded by the light we lose ourselves before reality can restore our focus.  The worldly bug has bitten us, the infection has begun; an antidote is needed to stop the spread of the infection.  What is the cure? Where can it be found? what will it cost?

So many questions but few answers, a soft voice penetrates the dark heart; I have the answer, are you willing to take the chance?  The cleansing blood, rich in love can remove the infection and restore to life that which was dying.  It can stop the tricks from the trickster, remove blindness from the eyes and uncover the enemies disguise.

No longer confused, you don’t have to be afraid of decisions to be made; once bitten twice shy has been buried in the grave.  Indecision is destroyed, doubt erased, restoration and faith has taken their place.  You are reborn anew in the love God the Father offers through the blood that was shed for your rescue.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

The passing of time brings change, you wake up one morning and say to yourself; it’s time.   You have waited long enough, that closet will not clean and organize itself; out with the old, in with the new.   That song everything must change is so true, nothing stays the same; life throws you a curveball when least expected.  what seemed normal suddenly takes on a different look.

The closet door opens, you are faced with all the stuff from years you have refused to let go of.  Those clothes that are now to large because you don’t want to get rid of them, then need them again; those that are to small because inside you’re hoping you will get back  to that size with a little determination.  Decisions, decisions; we’ve all been at the crossroad of decisions, what if I make the wrong one? How will it impact me or others?

Most of the time we’re not thinking of the impact our decisions have on those around us, only ourselves and whether we benefit or lose from the choice.  Sometimes the choice is made from our emotions, we don’t think about the far reaching implications that affect others as eventually beating on our door; I’m not one of them we tell ourselves before we realize we too will be affected.

You start to pull out all those clothes that need to be let go, as room appears in the closet you realize there is space for something new; something that fits you right now. Ok, you say to yourself I guess I can tackle the dresser and chest of drawers next, no telling what I will find in them.  Once in a while we all need to start the cleaning process by saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new.

Removing the clutter from our lives  that leave no room for what’s truly important and necessary for growth, time for self evaluation; a long look in the mirror of the heart. Eliminating the emotional aspect and looking deeply at what’s hidden below the surface that you don’t want others to see or know about you.  The hidden secrets of the heart; the hate, envy, the fury behind the smile you project to the world.

The greed and I’m better than you attitude, the very traits you consider so vile in others has filled your closets.  No one wants to recognize these traits in themselves, so the focus is outward; it’s so much easier to point out what’s wrong with you than to accept truth about self. Unfortunately, we all share some or all of these traits; some more than others, but nonetheless they are there hidden away from the sight of the world.

There are exceptions, they don’t try to hide anything; the closet is so full it’s spilling out all over everyone and everywhere.  They don’t really care about anyone but themselves and their wants and desires.  The closet doors no longer close, all their dirty laundry is showing for the world to see.  So often we see it, but refuse to accept it for what it truly is. We find ourselves making excuses for what we know is unacceptable behavior that hurts or hinders others.

We think what happens to them won’t happen to us, we wonder if history does repeat itself or can it?  It’s time for every closed eye to wake from sleep, say goodbye to the old ways of hate and divisiveness and say hello to love, understanding and unity. TIME to clean out those closets, so let’s get busy. The new year brings new opportunities.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

 

No one could have imagined a time when the world was silenced, no music playing, media gone off the grid; no tv, internet,car horns blowing or noise of any kind.  Communication around the world ceases as if each country was catapulted back in time.  Each generation since time as we know it began has grown in all types of innovation; moving mankind to new heights.

Each one closing the gap that separates us; language, traditions, ethnicity, gender and heritage.  Most of us never think about who we would be if we walked in someone else’s shoes.  what would be the experience if you were the slave, not the master; a woman rather than a man or vice versa. It could be you were born in another country and had to adjust to a environment that was foreign to you.

It is hard today to imagine a time when we traveled by horseback or wagon, when communication was done with pen, paper, and the pony express.  when the workforce was mainly male and women had only two roles; wife and mother.  When  the world was thought to be flat and people completely different, one group from the other;no common denominators.

History has shown us in every generation  mans advancements come with a down side; the strong seem to prey on the weak, wars are fought over man’s desire for power, greed is more important than love and  life, and hope for better days is blowing away in the wind.  Technology has erased many of the worlds borders, we now see we are more similar than we are different.

We all love, laugh, cry ,hurt, experience joy and loss. However, there comes a time in man’s struggles that reminds us change is possible.  Each year during this time man is reminded of a love that surpasses all mankinds faults. Hope is reborn, hearts are awaken to understanding and a seed of love is planted.  Who would have thought the birth of a child could make such an impact on the lives of all people.

Wait, what made this birth so important? He was a special child, Immanuel; God with us. A glimpse of glory through the eyes of a child, a big brother seeking his siblings and the love of a Father trying to reunite his family. We are all of one bloodline, we are all his children.  It was his hands that made us, his breath that gave us life and his love is calling out to us to come home.

No matter our differences, our location in the world, or the roles we were given in this master tapestry called life; we will always be his children, all of us.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Take her to room 9, broke the barrier of pain that intensified moment by moment; the room quickly filled with people that seemed to come from every direction. A  Doctor and  nurses  dressed in clean white apparel, faces masked surrounded the table on which I lay.  Ok, stop smiling; many are now remembering when they first had this experience. While this is a experience many women share in common, it is not always a joyous one for  them all. Sometimes the reason we take the journey is unwelcomed, for some it’s a very lonely journey; their circumstances sends the message, this will be a hardship for which they are not prepared.

Many others have planned for this day from the time they said “I do” to the partner of their dreams.  For some this experience became the results of their trust taken advantage of and their choice taken away by a stronger person placing their desire’s above others without consent.  The time leading up to the final moment changes everyone who is taking the journey. Whether walking hand in hand with a partner or alone, no one goes unchanged by the experience.  “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her time has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.  Behold children are the gift of the Lord.

Every birth of a child is by design of the Master Creator, if you feel alone; he gives you the strength for the journey, he will be all you need.  If you feel this is not what you need in your life, you can give the gift of motherhood to  someone who desires but can’t have children of their own.  The joy a child brings to the family is infectious; their smiles, innocence, dependance, and desire to be loved transforms even the coldest hearts. Hurry, come see; she looks just like her mother, I think she looks more like her grandmother.  It doesn’t really matter who they look like, every child is beautiful in the eyes of those who love them.  This causes me to imagine how his mother must have felt as she looked into the eyes of the Christ child born so many years ago.

I can only imagine how the shepherds felt who said ” hurry let us go see the child announced by the Angel this night. It was not until I turned my eyes upon Jesus the Christ, looked into the face of love; I wanted to say to everyone,” hurry come see what love looks like.”

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

What do you consider in your life as a priceless gift?  To many it was the day they said “I do”, when the cry of their first born was heard, when they graduated from High school or college, or maybe the keys to a dream home or even that perfect job.  Life holds many opportunities that could be seen as priceless, they are as varied as we are different.

Some of our dreams are small and some are gigantic, some we can’t imagine will ever come to fluishen, yet; we continue to dream.  When we were young children with innocent hearts these were not the things our thoughts were occupied by.  Each day with our family and friends was priceless, each game played or toy shared.

The cycle of life offers the privilege of creating and storing in our hearts and minds a countless number of priceless memories, some very unexpected which adds to their value. That’s what mankind received the Divine shed his divinity  and clothe himself in flesh, came from eternity into mankind’s earthly realm to shine his loving light into a darkened world.

This is the reason we celebrate this time of year. It reminds us of the true perfect   and priceless gift  given to mankind many years ago on that silent night in Bethlehem. Heavens gift of love to the world, announced by Angels from on high. Open your heart to the love this precious babe came to bring, giving your heart a reason to sing.A saviour is born.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

 

The December wind chilled the air, the streets were silent; no one seen or heard.  The shoppers have finished their gift buying, the stores closed for the night; hoping the new day will bring new shoppers and greater profits.  Most homes have decorations of lights shining off their winter coat of white.  A festive atmosphere permeates even the smallest hamlet and village.  The air waves ring with songs of joy and good will to men, stockings hung by the chimney, and silver Bells.

Preparations for a special feast to celebrate the season are underway, family and friends have been invited to share this special day; some come from far some from near, but; all looking forward to Christmas cheer.  The children anticipating Santa’s coming find it hard to wait, the cookies and milk are ready; everyone is sung in bed with the dreams of presents dancing in their heads.  Have we forgotten the reason for the season? The importance of the Holy Child, born during this season to save all mankind.

A babe lying in a feeding troth as animals reverently keeping vigil, no sound from the stable not one single cry; yet, the angels fill the heavens with their sweet lullaby.  Joy to the world the Lord has come, let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare him room, while heaven and nature sing.  Not every heart is happy, some have no reason to smile; their homes are cold and lonely, the tables are bare, and no family or friends gather there.  Some are blessed with shelter, away from the blistering winds.

Some huddle together to keep each other warm, sharing only the love they hold in their hearts.  This is why the Holy Child came, to change the fate of man; to live a life of sacrifice, show love no man can explain, and to find and reclaim the lost in his Father’s name.  The lame shall walk, the blind shall see and not one eye shall shed one single tear.  While you celebrate the season, as family and friends gather in your homes; think of those who are all alone, homeless, and without food or warmth.  Allow the love of the Holy Child shine from your hearts.  This Christmas season think of someone other than yourself.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace