settingatthepoolofgrace

Excitement filled the streets, each store window dressed in an array of beautiful lights; shoppers pass each other with smiling faces.  Everywhere it seemed preparation for the gathering had begun. From many homes the aroma of tasty treats drifted into  the air. Cookies, cakes,and pies; roasted turkey, ham, and sweet potatoes.

Preparation for the gathering was in full swing, yet; not everyone will be participating. Some of us look forward to every opportunity to get together with those we love; it could be a birthday celebration, a marriage ceremony, or even a sad occasion such as in death. During these times we gather, cook, and enjoy each others company.

We relive  moments that have past and share our future plans.  We talk about how the kids have grown over the year and who has had great achievements. However, in some homes this bright light of life doesn’t exist; no celebrations, no gatherings, and no fellowship.  The pantry is bare, no aroma floating in the air.

They only had each other, now well up in age all their family and friend were now gone; they were the last of their generation and feeling forgotten.  She was so confused, her parents just didn’t understand her; they couldn’t know how she was feeling. What else could she do but leave; the street has now become her home, lost and alone.

In life there is two sides to every circumstance, when there is celebration, somewhere there is sadness.  Not everyone enjoys the privilege of the gathering.  Those who enjoy this privilege must be mindful of those in our midst who are not as fortunate, we must consider them by including them in our gatherings.

It doesn’t have to be a big celebration, small celebrations bring the same joy and happiness to those who are lonely and lost.  Any kindness we extend is appreciated by those who feel they are forgotten.  I’m sure most of us don’t realize it was a very small gathering many years ago that changed the world for all of us.

On a hillside in Jerusalem the event occurred, attending was Mary, Joseph, some shepherds and a small group of animals.  The starry night held the wonder of anticipation;  the king had arrived and joy  had come to the world.  This one event was the beginning of the greatest story of a life that has ever been told.

A babe born to save the world from the decay caused by disobedience.  A life freely given in sacrifice for others.  The example of unconditional love and selflessness.  Shortly we will gather in homes across our country to commemorate this wonderful gift to mankind; your gathering may be large or small,  reach out to someone who maybe alone or without resources to celebrate during this season of giving.

The greatest gift one can give or receive is the gift of love, share yourself with someone this holiday season.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Often in life we find we are so busy we don’t have time to breath. If it’s not our employment, it’s our families, or it maybe we’re trying to complete our education in an institute of higher learning; no matter what consumes our time, it seems there is never enough time to share with others.

We become so caught up in living from day to day we forget how important it is to keep our relationships filled with vitality. This is done by taking the time to share ourselves with others.  It may be necessary to re-prioritize our lives to make room for everything and everyone of importance to us.

When we take the time to spend with those we love we reaffirm our love for them, strengthen our relationships, and allow the joy of fellowship to slow our pace for a while from the hurried life we choose to live.  There is an old saying ” take time to smell the roses” which indicates we should never be so busy we forget to enjoy the beauty of the world Our Father has given  to us or the people he has enriched our lives with.

Unfortunately, we tend to let life separate us from family, friends, and most important from Our Heavenly Father.  We sometimes feel that friends and family will understand, they will accept the fact that we just don’t have time for them; but we’ll change that as soon as we have time.

Yet, he who is the giver of life should never have to wait to spend time with his children.  Each moment we take a breath should remind us to thank him, given him praise, and stop everything to spend time with him before we start the day.  There is a evil presence that is trying to keep us distracted, caught up, and hurrying through life.

He wants us to forget how important it is to share our time with the Father, family and friends. It is his goal to remove us from any source of pure love in our lives then replace it with the superficial love of worldly things.  To combat his efforts we must share our time daily with the Father that we can be fortified against these attacks.

Fortification will give us clear vision to recognize the enemy, to recognize the importance of control of our lives and not being controlled by our lives. Fortification will allow us to maintain harmony and balance in our lives, we will not neglect, but share our time with those important to our well being.

With each new day we will rise renewed anticipating our time with the Father before we greet the world.  As we approach the celebration of our Saviors birth take time to share with all placed in your pathway his story of love and sacrifice, remember your reflection of Christ’s love just may be the only way to lead others to him.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Fences can be seen as very inconsequential or very important, they can protect or hinder.  There are many kinds of fencing materials; wood, metal, plastic and wire.  The material is usually chosen according to the purpose and size of the fence.

In life we find we crate many fences, some to separate  us and some to contain us. The proverbial  American dream includes a house with a white picket fence around it; this was the essence of what every family desired, it said to others you had arrived.

However, what looks to be perfect on the outside is not always as perfect as it looks.  It only takes one brake in the fence to cause a great breach. What was meant to be kept out can gain entrance and what was meant to be kept in can easily escape.

Broken fences should be mended as soon as a breach is discovered, it is the same with relationships; often we fail to realize that a breach in a relationship has occurred.  As flawed human beings we tend to hide our true  feelings from each other.

We hope things will correct themselves without us having to acknowledge any responsibility for the breach or any responsibility to repair the breach.  Unfortunately, a breach that is not acknowledged only grows wider with  the passing of time.

The more time that passes the greater the distance to reconciliation and forgiveness.  Sometimes it is as simple as saying “I’m sorry, you misunderstood what I said”; to mend the broken relationship or just letting someone know their feelings mattered to you.

Everyone wants to feel they are important, that they matter, and the relationship you share is special.  Our heavenly Father admonishes us to forgive that we can be forgiven, we must therefore mend any broken fences discovered in our lives.

It is important to protect the relationships we cherish; we must restore, nourish, and close any breach that may threaten them. As you build your relationships strengthen them with love and fortify them with faith.

Using the right materials will grantee the fence will endure, when we Trust in the Lord he shall preserve our going out and coming in from this time forth and forever more; his arms will be our fence of protection.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

 

Have you ever experienced something you could not explain? Has your needs been met from an unexpected source, when no one knew you had the need? Have you started out to go somewhere early, but; for some reason a delay made you late, you then find out had you been early your life could’ve changed because  a tragic accident occurred on the road you would’ve been traveling.

Has there been a time in your life that you found yourself somewhere and not know why you are there, someone needs help; you are impressed to provide their need.  It would seem you were in that place  for such a time as this.  It could be said you where that persons Miracle.  Miracles happen everyday, unfortunately; we don’t recognize them for what they really are.

The doctor said it was cancer, you gave the problem to the Great Physician; no more cancer.  You were told your child would be born with a debilitating defect, but; your baby was born fat and healthy.  Sometimes it’s just the little things, hearing your child’s first words or see their smiling faces, these we take for granted. However, the blind don’t see what you are privileged to see nor do the deaf hear what you can hear.

To awake each day is your miracle, the opportunity to be a Miracle Maker for someone in need.  Miracles come in all sizes nothing you do for someone else is to be considered to small; help someone across the street, feed the hungry, or offer transportation.  Little miracles are just as important as big ones.  To be the unexpected miracle in someone’s life creates hope in a time of hopelessness.

Allow the love that flows from the Father to touch a heart that needs his touch, this will fill your heart with joy knowing you have been a vessel he has used.  Thou will show me the path of life, in thy presence is the fullness of joy; Our Father grants us the miracle that is life each day, we must honor him by living the best life we are capable of living.  Be vigilant; eyes open, ears open and heart open knowing you can be a UNEXPECTED MIRACLE MAKER in  someones life.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

Can you keep a secret? is the question asked before someone whispers in your ear, they must share; the secret has become to burdensome to carry alone. This usually happens between family or close friends. Most of us feel strangers can’t be trusted with secrets of the heart, but; we can trust those we love.

Unfortunately, this is not always true; sometimes family and friends are the greatest betrayers of the trust placed in them.  Each time you share your self with someone you take a risk, as you open your life to them you hope they can be trusted. In life at one time or another you will have to consider those you invite into your life.

The doctor, neighborhood police officer, the fireman, teacher, and even the market you shop at all provide services you may need and depend on; you trust these providers, some even with your life.  If they are trust worthy is never a concern when interacting with any of them.

Our environments have changed so rapidly that is no longer the case, now when dealing with those same providers we have great concerns; today it is hard to trust the police officer even though he is sworn to serve and protect.  It is hard to trust the food you purchased from the market is fresh as it can possibly be when sold to you.

It is hard to trust that your doctor is giving you the best advise and treatment for your health complaint and not just trying to increase their financial status with unnecessary procedures or give medication you can do without to benefit pharmacy companies. Each day we start out in faith, believing we can trust our decisions and actions.

As uncertain as life is, there is still a very trust worthy friend we can always depend on;”eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”.  Our Father is always available to hear the concerns of our hearts, share our burdens and will never betray our trust in him.

We never have to worry that he will be to busy for us; like some of our family and friends may be, he will always have time to hear our voice when we call out to him in prayer. We must just believe and we can receive the petitions of the heart, however; we must trust him to know what is best for us and accept his decision.

So my question to you, CAN YOU BE TRUSTED?

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

“I love you” is so widely used in our everyday dealings with others that it has almost lost the truth of it’s meaning.  It seems we say it in passing without any thought to what we are really saying to the person it is directed to.

when you search out the definition of love you will find this,”a quality or feeling of strong or constant affection for and dedication to another” but does that really explain what love is? There are many expressions of love.

Parents to their children, a husband to his wife, siblings for each other and friends for friends.  It seems they are all different, but; the common denominator is love. We have been given a clear example of love in action.

“For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son”; he gave denotes action, therefore love is an action.  His Son came to show us what love looks like. In his earthly life the character of Gods love was displayed.

Love healed the sick, feed the hungry, clothed the naked and comforted the lonely. Love was misunderstood, ignored, and rejected.  This did not change love, it continued to reach out and give of itself to all who would accept it.

To those who would receive love, love said “abide in me and I will abide in you, my Father will also abide in us and we will be one in love.” As we abide, love changes our characters; love shines forth from us to those we surround ourselves with.

We will then follow the example love gave by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, and befriending the lost and lonely. Our love will be reflected in our actions and not in words spoken.

There is a saying “you can make your mouth say anything” but ” actions speak louder then words”.  It is in our actions love is expressed, the Father’s Son gave his earthly life in sacrifice to express his love for us.

Real love will give all it has for the sake of those it loves, however; only when we abide in the Father and Son can we express real love for others, LOVE comes from the Father, FOR GOD IS LOVE.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Dinah Washington sang this song in 1959, it went like this;”what a difference a day makes, 24 little hours for the sun and the flowers where there use to be rain”. She was not the only songstress to perform the song but I think she was the first.

This song reminds us that there are very few constants in life, everything changes; we can count on there being changes in our life’s journey, some for the better and some not so much. However, each day brings new opportunities.

We have the opportunity to correct mistakes of the past, to ask forgiveness for hurts we have created, and  grant forgiveness to those who may have hurt us. It is very important to take advantage of every opportunity, for some tomorrow may not come.

There is one day however, that is more important than any other day of the week; it was separated by our Creator as a day to meet with him and rest from the daily cares of life. In the world of today there is a difference of opinion as to which day that is.

The Creator knew this would happen so he gave us a reminder in his laws to keep us on the right track, the 4th commandment states ” remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy, 6 days shall thou labor and do all thy work but the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God”.

Which is the 7th day is the question many will ask, some know the true day of worship but refuse to change old habits; others don’t know the truth they just follow the crowd. The answer is simple, but will you be willing to accept it’s truth.

Have you been following the crowd so long that what is wrong is natural and feels so right. The law was written in stone which means it is unchangeable, the enemy takes pride in confusing those who would seek to give God true worship.

Man has done what the Creator did not intend by changing the day of worship from the 7th day to the 1st day, but it was the 7th day(Saturday) that God made Holy from the creation of the world. Please don’t misunderstand I know there are sincere worshipers in every denomination.

We do what we know to do until we learn better, the truth will only be found when we earnestly seek for her. History holds the key, when we start the search; truth will reveal itself. We must be willing to chose to make the change and meet with our Creator on the day he set aside just for us.

We are all his children no matter the church we choose to worship in, it will be our hearts the Father will search. He has many folds and many sheep, we all fit in one of them; remember with each new day comes new opportunity.

Yes it is true, a day can make a great difference; it depends on your choice.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

Most of us really look forward to planning a vacation , relocating to a new place to reside or  taking a trip with family or friends who’s company we enjoy; yet, we always look forward to our return home with greater anticipation.

Home is that special place where love for you  is always waiting with wide open arms. Where  smiling faces say ” I missed you”, with each return.  Home gave you the first example of what love should be, taught you what love is not, and how to know the difference between the two.

Often we fail to recognize the impact the home has on the rest of our lives.  we exhibit what is familiar in our actions toward others, in how we love ourselves, the way we look at life and who we choose to keep company with.

when our environment is filled with joy, understanding, patience, and instruction given in love, we grow in these character traits and pass them on to others we come in contact with. Unfortunately, the same is true if our environment is filled with jealousy, envy, intolerance and hate.

These will be the character traits we pass on to others, we  may never know which environment those we meet on life’s journey have experienced, but; if we have the light of love dwelling inside us, no matter their experience; we can make their interaction with us feel like a beautiful home coming.

The love that permeates our lives should surround them with joy, understanding, patience, and lead them to the source of love that they can share in the light that transforms.  The time is approaching rapidly when we will have to answer to the sound of the trumpet’s call.

Our beginning will not matter, who we kept company with will not matter, but how we lived our lives will be called into question and who we have served will determined whether we can participate in the greatest Home Coming.

Our Heavenly Father, Eldest Brother and Our guide are waiting with open arms to welcome us back home. If you have not chosen, it’s time to choose.

My revelation as I sit at the pool of grace.

We are taught to prepare for the future; for retirement, for unexpected circumstances, and  to be ready for whatever may come our way, sickness or death.  These plans usually require financial substance. Some will rely on savings in the bank, some have retirement benefits from employment, and some will count on inheritances.

Then there are those who come from wealth, they don’t really worry much about the future; they feel secure in their lives and feel they are prepared for any challenge they might face.  Many of us are so intrigued by the future we seek every avenue we can to know what the future holds for us.

We visit mediums, psychics, fortune tellers and even witches or warlocks. We fail to recognize these avenues are from the EVIL ONE, they entrap us in his clutches. He appeals to our basic nature which is prone to do  what is wrong. He offers enticements he think will draw us in; money, fame, popularity, and power.

He promises us a bright future filled with glitz and glamour, but; he doesn’t give us the end results of this alignment with him. ” There is a way that seems right unto man, but the end there of is death”, eternal death.   While the future may be unknown we can be assured from the promises given to us in the  Heavenly Fathers words.

No matter the circumstances he will stand with us, he will never forsake his children; even when we are wrong and recognize our error, repent and ask forgiveness he will hear and forgive. There is a glorious future promised to everyone who aligns themselves with the HOLY ONE, Jesus the Christ.

When we submit our will and way to our Creator we become his sons and daughters. Our inheritance is sure, eternal life; however our obedience is mandatory. we must accept the gifts he offers to us; faith, grace, unconditional love, extreme joy, and peace that passes understanding.

We will be tested, we must be worthy of our inheritance. Each test we master we grow in our faith, trust, and love for our Creator. Our way will not always be clear, yet; Our Father will always be there to give us directions. If we keep our hands in his hands, he will lead us into the future he has planned for us and it will eventually lead us home to him.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

The human body is the most intricate of all God’s creations.  It is a multifaceted organism that still mystify’s scientist today, each organ works with precision in corporation with the other organs that comprise the whole being.

Although they are all important allow me to draw your attention to just one, the heart.  Our hearts beat 100,000 times a day pushing 5000 gallons of blood through the body every 24 hours. It  enriches our tissues with nutrients and removes waste.

Anytime the function of the heart is impeded we say we have a “heart problem”.  The heart is also considered in most circles a sign of love. During the month of February love is celebrated, you find hearts everywhere; on cards,candy, and clothing.

There is one love story that stands out in my mind, it is about sacrifice and forgiveness.  When you think about the condition of your heart, is it open or do you have a “heart problem”?  What are you willing to sacrifice for love? What are you willing to forgive?

How far are you willing to go for love? If put to the test how would your heart rate?  The test was given, but; mankind failed.  The world became a dark place, only glimpses of love could be seen through the darkness.

Love would not be denied, it gave it’s all to correct the heart problem that was consuming the world.  The blood that ran from this heart was for the healing of the nations and every opened heart received renewal and forgiveness.

Love that was unconditional began to remove the darkness allowing love’s light to shine through.  We must remember the heart can be deceitful, only after the heart is bathe in the sacrificial blood of Christ can it be trusted.

The change of heart will come when it is open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  My question to you, “is your heart open”? are you ready for the transforming love of Christ? ONLY he can fix your “heart problem”.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.