settingatthepoolofgrace

Earth, wind, and fire recorded a song ” Keep your head to the sky”, it was written by one of the group members; Maurice White.  In it’s essence the song was a spiritual revelation, most of us get caught up in the rhythm or beat of the song; seldom do we concentrate on the words of the song.

This song was written about a conversation between The Father, Creator of all things and one of his sons; his creation.  It reveals the directions given by the Father to the son to successfully navigate this life.  It acknowledges mistakes by those traveling life’s road can be expected, to make wrong choices which require repentance; is part of the journey.

It stresses the importance of taking responsibility for ones actions, living in the real world, and recognizing we all have a purpose; our purpose can be found when we seek  the Fathers will.  The Father will reveal his will for us through the Holy Spirit. Faith is a very important element of this equation, we must believe.

Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains if it is true, that too is a gift from the Father; he has planted in each of us a portion of faith.  The more our relationship with the Father grows, the stronger our faith becomes.  The trials we face on a daily basis are the tools the Father uses to strengthen us, there by increasing our faith.

The song writer was right, we must; keep looking up.  The word tells us to “look to the hills from which comes our help, our help comes from the Lord.”  When we look up; the clouds, sun, moon, and stars display the majesty of the Father.  When we look up; we elevate our minds to a higher consciousness.

When we look up; we open our hearts to the lessons taught by the universe.  All nature declares the glory of the Fathers power to create, opening the heart to him will allow him to re-create in us the likeness of his son; Jesus the Christ.  Who was the expression of his own character encased in human flesh.

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men.  How marvelous  is his love for his wayward children, he never stops seeking to bring them home again; he is forever standing by waiting for them to reach out to him.

He is the only answer to the problems that plague us all.  We must realize without him we are but dust; in him we move, breath, and have our being.  He is cooling shade on a hot desert, water to erase our thirst, and manner from on high to feed the soul.  If you are seeking a safe port from the storms of life, look up; keep looking up.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

 

The years pass so quickly, you realize there are so many things you thought you would have accomplished that remain undone. You wonder where the time went, what did you do with the time you had?  Thoughts of your children flash in your mind, you see them in your minds eye; crawling, then walking, laughing, crying, talking and now they have children of their own.

One year becomes 10, 10 years become 20, 20 years become 50 and as you look into the mirror you see 70 plus years starring back at you.  Your hair is mingled with grey, your brow showing signs of life in the tiny wrinkles appearing there.  You don’t seem to move as swiftly as you once did, you find it harder to stay awake; a nap is needed in the middle of the day.

As you do a rewind of your life, memories flood your heart like a spring shower.  Tears of joy and sadness; special birthdays, weddings, births, and lovers appear from the dark corners of the mind. Some you had long forgotten find their way once more to the light. You find it hard not to smile at the remembrance of your life. You realize how much you have to be grateful and thankful to the Creator for.

Each 1st step taken, each first I love you grandma, each smile and each hello and goodbye.  They are all etched into every fiber of your being; you contemplate if you have used the time given you wisely, if you have learned from the mistakes made along the journey, and what would you like to rewind and do over again. would there be anyone you need to forgive or ask forgiveness from? apologize to or say i’m sorry for  whatever reason.

With the progression of time you realize the importance of every moment you are blessed to enjoy, as you enter the twilight years the memories accumulated tell the story of a Love Supreme, the radiance of a star shining in the eye of the Creator, beloved of the ONLY begotten Son, and jewel in the universal tapestry of life.   One soul that recognizes the beauty of life is a gift from the Creator.

Every experience life brings is designed to teach a lesson, each lesson designed to draw the student closer to the Creator; closer to the Ultimate source of love. I’m so grateful for this life I have, NO REWIND necessary.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

 

For many years the phrase “cast not  thy pearls to swine” has caused me great confusion. What did this really mean? what was considered pearls? and what did the swine represent? Is this a question you have every  wondered about.  After many life experiences I have come to a better understanding  many of the mysteries of my youth.

I have learned that the pearls of life are the memories of love shared, the people who are dear to us, the wisdom granted to us by the Creator, and the very essence of life; breathe in the body.  These are the important moments that comprise our day to day lives, moments captured by the camera lens of our minds; stored in the chambers of the heart.

Treasures that cannot be replaced which should be protected, the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul thy going out and coming in.  He shall cover you with his wings that no harm shall over take you.  Trust him with all that you are and all that you hope to become.

We are warned to keep what is treasured from those who are unworthy to share them. Swine is another name for pig or pork, which is a unclean thing; it’s purpose is to cleanse the earth of filth. Swine will consume anything placed before it. Swine will give no importance to anything but it’s own satisfaction and gratification.

They will give no value to your treasures, In life we will find there will be those who give no value to what we may value; the same will apply to us. It is human nature to value what is important to you above what is important to someone else.  The pearls of life that we are privileged to enjoy must not be given to or shared with those who do not appreciate their importance in our lives.

The Joy of Jesus the Christ, the peace of Jesus the Christ, the hope found in Jesus the Christ and the forgiveness granted by Jesus the Christ are all pearls to be shared, however; all will not be willing to accept these gifts. Therefore, we must not”cast our pearls to swine” but give freely to those willing to accept and treasure these precious pearls.

Jesus the Christ is willing to give to all who will receive him, the path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day when Christ shall return.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

The court room was buzzing, whispers could be heard coming from every direction in the room.  The Sheriff’s escorted the prisoner in and sit him in a chair facing the bench where the judge would sit.  The jury gazed upon his face, he showed no remorse; he seemed to have no regret for his actions.

The Bailiff with a booming voice declared “all rise”, ” here comes the judge”/ The prosecutor painstakingly presented his case against the defendant to the jury before resting his case and taking his seat.  The Judge asked the defense attorney if he was ready to present his case or if he wanted an adjournment.

I’m ready your honor, as he rose from his seat; many in the room wondered what he would say that would change the information presented by the prosecutor? it was apparent to all he was guilty.  The defendant sit quietly with his eyes focused on the Judge, he knew this person held his fate in his hands.

He thought he would be found guilty by the jury, but the Judge would be the one to give the sentence for the crime.  As we traverse this life many will find themselves in this circumstance, the crime could be very small; however, the consequences could be greater then expected.

Many of us may never commit a crime, but; we commit sinful actions on a daily basis. We sin in our thoughts, known and unknown; in words spoken and unspoken.  we sin when we seek to join ourselves to those who plot evil doings.  Seldom do we stop to consider the sins we commit so easily in our daily living.

We fail to remember if it is contrary to the Laws the Father has given it is sin. He gave us his Ten Commandments that we would know his will for man,  we must also remember all our actions whether great or small will be called into judgement by the Judge of the universe. Every lie, every evil thought,  every hateful act, and every prideful and selfish endeavor.

Our big brother told us he would be back to redeem us unto himself, on that day every eye shall see him; the cry will go forth to all the earth, ” HERE COMES THE JUDGE”. Who will be ready?

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

I’m sure whether we are male or female we have used an iron at one time or another. Learning to be self sufficient is the lesson our parents spent many hours trying to teach us.  To clean wherever we live, to cook to feed ourselves, to wash, dry, and iron our clothes and to work to pay our bills. They desired to raise productive individuals, confident should they not be in the picture; we could survive without struggle.

Most of us learned those lessons well, now we are passing those lessons on to our children; we too wish to eliminate the possibility of struggle from the lives of our children.   We desire to instill in them good character, compassion for others, and love for self.  As parents we hope they learn the lesson, but; we have no way to really assess whether they have grasped  what we are trying to teach.

It would be nice if we could turn them inside out to see what is hidden on the inside that can’t be seen on the outside.  This thought resonated in my spirit causing me to ask myself the question” what would be seen if my life was inside out”?  On the surface we tend to project what we want others to see, we keep our true selves hidden; for many what is seen is totally different from what is hidden from the eyes.

We try to keep all flaws hidden from sight; we hide our stress and anxiety, envy, hate, jealousy, and selfishness.  If you could see on the outside what was hidden on the inside how would it change you? Could you still love those people?  The choice is yours, Love can hide a multitude of faults; we all may have skeletons in our closets.  Our insides and outsides are reconciled when our lives are guided by the Holy Spirit.

It’s then our inside will reflect what the outside is displaying, the essence of Christ brings joy, peace, caring, patience and in some cases sacrifice.  Christ in us removes all guilt of the past, cleans our body temples from the basement to the attic, cleans our windows so that we see the world around us with clear vision and makes us one with him and the Father.

Like the delicate handling of a special fabric which needs ironing, turning it inside out; The Father and son gently transforms our characters into one harmonious unit, the inside and outside become the same.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

The kids lined each side of the street, their excitement grew as they saw the beginning of the Carnival Parade; the roar of laughter filled the air as the clowns passed.  The elephants, loins and tigers drew loud sighs as they passed.  The carnival was the highlight of Summer.

The rides, food and side shows drew large crowds of every age.  It seemed the entire population of the city was under the big top or waiting to get into the big top.  The amazing side show attractions created the greatest illusions; it was hard to tell what was real and what was memorex.

Some you knew were not real, but; you just couldn’t figure out how they were created, leaving a big question mark in your mind. Was it magic or just a trick?  The Ring Master was leading the show under the big top, all the acts were introduced by him. Each side show attraction had it’s own tent along the midway.

Each one move stranger then the other; the two headed man, the human mermaid, the half man half goat, and  the adjoined triplets just to name a few.  Most of us are mesmerized by the illusions created at the carnival; but, we think very little of the illusions created for us in our daily lives by the greatest Illusionist known to man.

It is said his greatest delusion was to make man believe he didn’t exist.  We tend to forget he once stood next to the throne of the ALMIGHTY, was created in ultimate beauty and deceived many heavenly beings to believe in his cause which resulted in his and their ejection from heaven.

He gained control of the earth by deceiving our first parents; under his influence the world became evil continually. It was because of him the world was destroyed by a great flood with only eight survivors.  Generation after generation was bewildered, beguiled, and deceived, mankind was once again headed for destruction.

His goal to destroy the ALMIGHTY’S earthy creation was being realized by the great illusionist; so he thought.  The ALMIGHTY loved his creation and earthly children so much he made preparation to redeem them through the blood of his ONLY son. Through him many believed and were redeem and given the gift of salvation.

Eyes have not seen, nor ear heard,neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  The illusionist is being unmasked, his deceptions illuminated, and mankind now has the strength to resist him through the shed blood of Jesus the Christ.

We must not forget the illusionist came from the heavenly court of God, he lost his position through disobedience; his desire is to destroy any chance mankind may have to inhabit where he is forbidden to go. Don’t be deceived by him any longer, invite Christ into your life; he will give you of his spirit to keep you from the hour of your temptations and give you victory over the tempter.

Remember he can appear as an angel off light, only when Christ lives in you will you be able to see through his disguise.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

 

 

Nothing special, no holiday; yet, the kitchen was smelling up the house.  The aroma could be smelt as you approached the front door.  The neighbors could tell someone was preparing a feast.  You could smell chicken frying, collard greens, mac n cheese,sweet potatoes, and corn bread.

Whoever is doing the cooking is putting a lot of love in each dish; you could hear the neighbors saying.  A crisp white table cloth adorned the table, fine chine was placed meticulously at each seat, a napkin with shiny silver wear atop nestled next to each plate.

What is the occasion? is there a visitor coming? why is such a table of plenty being prepared?  Puzzled looks grace each family members face; each trying to solve the mystery of the event they see unfolding.  It’s Sunday, maybe the pastor is coming; it could be moms sister who she hasn’t seen in awhile.

The table is set, the food prepared; now we await the guests.  The Father of all creation has set his table with his righteousness, he sent his Son into the world to invite the world to come to the celebration.  His life was to show the world what the Father was really like.  To show the heart of the Father to all who would receive him.

He was crucified and rose from death; he rejoined his Father telling him about all those he invited to come to the celebration. All who received him and who were preparing for the feast. Those who turned away from their wickedness and began to keep his commandments.

Those who became more loving to others and those who studied his word daily.  The Father’s table of plenty is spread, soon the Son will return to the world to escort those deemed worthy to the celebration.  He has extended the invitation, will you be attending?  I accepted his invite some time ago; I will be there, hope to see you there//

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

As the day breaks, the first beams of sunlight peak through the window; I’m reminded of the mercy and grace of my loving Creator.  Soft clouds seem to drift by as nature awakens from her rest.  The smell of someone cooking captures my attention, this is the way a Sunday morning should be resonated in my mind. Then I remembered I was alone, so who was cooking?

It was just my imagination telling me that morning peace should be comprised of those quiet moments before the winds of a hectic life begin to blow.  We all need time to regroup, to strengthen our defenses, and fortify ourselves through a conversation with our Creator before we greet the new challenges the day ahead may unfold to us.  Each morning he sits waiting to hear our first foot steps, to see us place the coffee cup on the table and open his book.

His heart rejoices because we didn’t forget about our time together with him.  He anticipates the peaceful mornings the two of us spend before anything else happens in our lives; he knows if we don’t miss our appointment, he will be included in the entire day.  There is nothing better than the warm fuzzes you receive from talking with an old friend to light up the heart and tattoo a smile on the face.

As we traverse the hidden traps, potholes  and unforeseen circumstances of life; we are reminded of those warm fuzzes, we feel loving arms caress us telling us; I’m here, you’re not alone.  Blessed is every one that trust in the Lord, that walk in his way; they shall eat their bread in peace and all will be well for them.  When we take time to spend each morning with our Creator, friend, and lover; he prepares us for the unknowns of life.

He knows there is a dark presence that is seeking to destroy us by any means possible. Friends, foes, and family become pawns in his attempts to lure us into darkness and away from light.  When we miss our morning conversations, our defenses are weakened; making it hard to recognize him when he comes to us. His greatest tool is deception, without fortification we can easily be deceived.

It is so important we begin each day in a conversation with our closest friend, carry his essence with us throughout the day and end each day thanking him for his companionship;  it all begins with MORNING PEACE.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

Everything I do is wrong, everything you do is right; you were my first love, I was your first fight. I walk on egg shells & pins the moment you come through the door. Is love suppose to feel this way? I don’t know how to place my feet on the floor, not sure if you’re happy or sad we are together; you’ve changed so much since you said you would love me forever.

I’m so confused, how do I know if this love is real? Is this the way my heart should feel? At times it seems so complicated, should I leave or should I stay; to keep me here what would you say? We’re on an emotional roller coaster, sometimes up then sometimes down; you make me think it would be better if I were not around.

How do I know it’s real? can you relate to how I feel? Do you know where the answer can be found? It is so hard to continue this way; never knowing what I should do or say. Some would say I’m searching for love in all the wrong places, searching smiling faces with hearts of stone.  Wouldn’t it be better to be alone?

To thy own self be true, to love others you must first learn how to love you. Find the source from which love flows; unconditional, free, and true.  The love you’ve been searching for, is searching for you; it is not demanding, selfish, or untrue.  It’s arms are open wide to hold you inside, love for which you don’t have to compromise.

From the beginning of time you were in it’s heart, it has always loved you. The source from which love flows id divine, reaching out to all who feel left behind.  God is love, ONLY he is real; he alone can transforms the heart of stone.  Christ is the Father’s example of  what love should be.

Use his life as the standard by which you choose the person you devote your life to, if they fall short; don’t delay turn and walk the other way. The love of God flows full and free and reaches into eternity.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

The trees were in full display, their splendor reaching the sky; Spring had come. Birds of all species fill the air, flowers of unimaginable radiance catch the eye.  Nature arrayed in her new dress steps into full view.  Every creature comes alive with new birth, hibernation is over; the sun is shining once more in her strength.

The rivers and streams team with life waiting to be caught for the supper table. Fresh fruit hangs from all fruit bearing trees waiting to be picked; apples, pears,peaches, and oranges. God’s bounty is reflected in all nature. He has wisely provided the best for the well being of all his creatures.

Little stepping stones to his children that project his love for them. Each blessing of life is a stone, each protection given is a stone, every trial over come is a stone, every provision is a stone and each dream realized is a stone.  He alone should be given praise and thanksgiving for the stepping stones he gives to each of his children.

We are all his, but; our needs vary, he made each of us unique creations.  Just as the stones found in a small stream, he carry’s us across the water when calm or raging.  His love for us is his first priority, he wants us to know how important we are to him.  We can do nothing that would separate us from his love.

We are told to “cast our burdens on him”, he alone can sustain and provide all our needs.  When we are weak, he gives us his stone of strength. When homeless, his stone of shelter. When naked, his stone of covering.  These stepping stones may grow in accordance to our circumstances.

Some small and some large, no matter the size needed; he is the provider.  Each stone is building the bridge that brings us closer to the greatest lover, the safest harbor, and the Home coming celebration of the ages.

My revelation as i sit by the pool of grace.