settingatthepoolofgrace

As I approach another year to celebrate life, I’m reminded of your Love, Forgiveness, and Mercy. My heart cries out in thanksgiving, my lips sing songs of praise, and joy covers my continence. I spend time looking back over the years and recognize your presence working in my life.

Your deliverance flashed in my minds eye like a black and white movie, all the times you rescued me from the fate I had chosen wrongly. So many faces from my past, the present, and those I hope will continue to share in my future. Watching the smiles of my children, grands, great grands and great great grands.

Remembering all the times my table was filled and surrounded by all who entered my door, thankful I could share the bounty you shared with me no matter how plentiful or lean. Thankful for the grey hair that adorns my head, thankful for movement; even though it may be slow.

Thankful for the many years you stayed the enemy’s hand, not allowing him to take my life. I’m grateful you have allowed my eyes to see your hands moving in the lives of my children,  grateful that when my mind was filled with the darkness of this world you did not give up on me.

You continued to whisper, “I Love You” until it shattered the darkness and flooded my world with light. So grateful you have forgiven my sins through the love and sacrifice of our son. With your loving hands you touched my life and transformation began.  The years seem to move so quickly, one after the other like clouds moving across the sky then dissipating into thin air.

The older I grow the more I understand without you in my life, I’m but a dirty rag, a sinner destined for destruction, hopeless and lost; easy prey to be devoured by the enemy. Your love for me was so powerful you released me from the prison that held me captive, unlocking my bonds that I could be free in you.

Only you can see the hidden secrets of the heart, only with your help can I continue to overcome until your return. I seek your face in my moments of solitude, when  doubt is present, in the early morning and as the day closes it’s eyes to rest.  Father I lift my heart to ask in the name of your precious son; cover me in his blood, cleanse me of all unrighteousness, and teach me through your Holy Spirit to obey your laws.

Thank you for another birthday, as I continue to grow older keep me close to your heart and continue to sing your love song in my ears until you pluck my star from the heavens and I sleep in peace awaiting your return.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

 

 

At birth we are dependent on everyone around us for all our needs. Others love, protect,feed,clothe, transport, and teach us along with many other things that support our growth.  We learn to crawl, then to walk, and then we learn to run.

We become more and more independent as we continue through the cycles of life. These cycles are not guaranteed to be smooth sailing, often we encounter obstacles that change or impact our lives in unexpected ways.

Many experience mental challenges, some physical challenges, some financial challenges, unstable family environments, and separation from loved ones by death. Each of these can cause us to be overcome by depression.

They can cause loss of motivation, stagnation, withdrawal from others, and the desire to give up on life. The journey just seems to be to hard to continue, dark clouds seem to cover our sky hiding the sunlight from view.

Don’t give up hope, these feelings are sent by the enemy; he desires our defeat and total destruction. Though life’s journey can be hard sometimes we have a companion who has shoulders strong enough to help carry our burdens.

His arms are willing to hold us up or pick us up should we fall along the way, His heart of love keeps encouraging us to keep moving and he desires only our well being. He reminds us that the victory is not given to the swift but to those who endure to the end.

No matter what you may be dealing with in this life we must remember trials are temporary, they come to makes us strong; the sunlight will always come through the dark clouds. So when you can’t run, walk; when you can’t walk, crawl just don’t stop moving forward.

Jesus stands ready to help us overcome whatever our obstacles may be, he is just waiting for us to ask him for his help.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

The dim light graced the pages of the book laying open on the table, the steam was ascending from the cup of coffee setting close by; she sit silently staring down so intently she didn’t hear me enter the room.

Her face seemed to glow with a light I hadn’t noticed before, it seemed as if she had found something very valuable in the pages she was reading. When she noticed me a smile appeared, yet; she never lost focus on the book.

Mother’s are good at multi-tasking I thought, wonder if she will let me interrupt her with my problem. I didn’t dare interrupt her, I stood there in silence until she stopped reading and asked”what do you want?”

It was then I noticed she was reading the Bible. This was her quiet time with her best friend, Jesus. It was before she started her day of cooking ,cleaning, dressing kids for school, making lunches, and all the other things she did in the course of the day.

This was her secret, every morning her heart was filled with his love and his hands gave her the strength to do all the things she did for us and others. For the first time I saw her with a different understanding.

I understood why she so freely gave of herself; fed those she knew were hungry, sheltered strangers who became family, and would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need. Never complaining, she never seemed to be tired.

There were times I could see on her face her energy was drained. Little things made her happy and her laugh was contagious.  She has been sleeping in Jesus for many years now, however; as I reminiscence I can almost see her smile.

I can recognize how truly beautiful she was in spirit and heart. Her early morning meetings with her best friend made her life a joy no matter what she had to endure. Of the many thing she taught me I’m  most grateful that she introduced me to her Friend.

I meet with him daily in the quiet part of my day, I ask  him to fill my heart with his love and guide my hands as I place them in his hands. I pray one day my children will look back and smile at the thoughts invoked by memories of me.

The legacy a mother leaves behind can touch the lives of so many when her life has been touched by a best friend like Jesus. Her heart, his hands will move mountains, heal the sick, feed the hungry, and shelter the homeless. In him her joy will spring forth like a river and her children will honor her.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

What are you willing to take a chance on? To enter into a situation not knowing what the outcome will be or how it will affect your life. Everyday millions spend their hard earned monies on the lottery with the hope of a big reward.

We travel the roads and airways from one destination to the other not giving a thought to the chance we will not arrive there. Life is filled with chances we all take without any thought or anticipation.

We marry thinking we know the person we have chosen, have children and build homes; not until that person reveals the flaws in their character do we sometimes recognize we have made a bad choice.

People come and go in our lives, some seem to become very important; they are willing to share themselves with us not knowing how we will treat or accept them into that special place in our hearts. If we will value their friendships as they value ours.

We embark on the journey to increase our knowledge, we pay huge sums to institutions of higher learning with the hope of completing the course; we take a chance for success. Uncertainty looms around every corner.

Each time we open our eyes to a new day we step into the possibility of taking chances on one thing or another, none which have a guaranteed result; the out come could be good or bad.

Life holds only one sure guarantee, the love offered to each of us by the Father and the Son. It is freely given, yet; many are unwilling to take a chance by letting them into their lives.  We think what must be surrendered to this relationship is more then we are willing to give up.

We fail to recognize in this relationship between Father, Son and us are all life’S guarantees revealed. We experience abundant life, peace in turmoil, sunshine through the rain, light in darkness and the strength to stand in trial.

In this world that offers us no guarantees, what are you willing to take a chance on? Do you want to continue in the same rat race? Are you willing to give up self to the loving arms of eternal joy? Or would you rather chase the worlds enticements?

Don’t you think it’s time to give the Father and Son a chance to truly change life for you, It’s time to choose; LIFE or DEATH which will it be. Stop taking chances and make a wise choice.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

Our entertainment today features many TV shows which inform it’s viewers how to do all kinds of things.  The most popular of these are the make over or remodeling shows. Make overs are completed on buildings and people.  Everything that is needed to make them new and improved is used in the renovation process.

Once completed the project is revealed, sometimes the remodel is unsuccessful and must be done over. In the mind of our Creator was a beautiful and perfect thought to create a beautiful and perfect world; unfortunately, his creation was marred. It’s beauty diminished by the sins of man.

The earth was filled with evil, breaking the Creators heart; He had to make a change. Noah was his choice to preserve his legacy.  The rains came,the do over began; after the rains ended the reveal was made. Noah and those with him opened their eyes to behold a new world bright and beautiful.

Man had the opportunity to do what was right in the sight of his Creator, but; that was short lived. Man’s nature was to be disobedient so once again sin had dominion over him. He had not realized apart from the Creator, he had no strength to resist what was instinctive to him

The Creator is faithful, he had promised Noah he would never choose a complete do over again; he gave him the sign of a rainbow as a remembrance of his vow .  Something had to be done, he sent his son; He knew the only way was to reach each man one by one. Once again the do over had begun.

The love shared by the Son is still changing hearts today, If the world has you bound, it seems no relief can be found; get in line for a make over while the opportunity still abounds.  Don’t be like Sodom and Gomorrah who refused to turn around, to walk away from the evil that within it’s gates was found.

The heavens rained down fire upon their town destroying them completely, nothing was left that could be found.  Do overs are not always bad, there are times they are needed. Most of us recognize that one bad apple can spoil the bunch.  Evil left on it’s own will continue to flourish.

When we yield to the Holy Spirit the redesign can begin, changing everything that has defaced who we were meant to be. We were created in his likeness, the image of love covered our faces.  When our makeover is complete, the reveal presented; we will be like the Son of Righteousness…. A reflection of the love of God.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

The day started as usual, I was driving to my destination when I noticed out my window a really nice vehicle abandoned on the side  of the road. My first thought was ” what a really beautiful car, wonder what could be wrong with it?” From it’s outward appearance I could not imagine anything that would necessitate it being left on the side of the road without it’s driver.

It’s body had no blemishes, it’s paint job gleaming in the sunlight, and it’s wheels fully inflated.  I must admit this was not the first time I had seen a car on the side of the road, but; they usually have dings, signs of accidents, or signs of old age. Had this been the case I wouldn’t have given it any thought. As my day continued the thought of the car which had no outward appearance of defect periodically entered my thoughts.

I realized many of us are just like that car, what we show  the world on the outside doesn’t always reflect what’s going on within us.  We know we shouldn’t judge others by what we see, however; that is just what we do.  We judge things like clothing, hair, shoes, cleanliness, and smell.  If the person we see meets our expectations we assume the best about that person.  We tell our selves they must have a good job, home and family that loves them.

On the other hand when we see someone who is dirty, smelling and hair disarrayed we immediately think of them in a negative light. We assume them to be homeless, lazy, and without loved ones.  Of course we could be totally wrong on both accounts.  It’s the same for those of us who profess to be Christians; we put on our smiling faces when we greet each other, shake hands and hug, speak words of encouragement and offer help when needed.

We do the things we think others expect from us as Christ followers, unfortunately; some have not experienced a heart change.  The outward appearance is shiny but the inner man is still full of worldly influences. We all need a heart transplant if we would be like Christ.  All envy, malice, hate, lying,gossiping, combativeness and indifference must be removed from our characters.

We must allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of cleaning our lives and redefining our character into one which reflects Christ.  Our inner man must under go a radical transformation.  This is not a quick fix program; it will require a long term commitment to the Holy Spirits leading, total submission to God the Father, and to Jesus the Christ. This journey is for a lifetime, at the end of the journey those who have stayed the course will reap the rewards.

The love of the Father and the Son will radiate from our hearts like a beacon atop a hillside drawing all who bask in it to desire to know him for themselves.  The outward appearance and the inner man will be in harmony as the character of Christ develops on the soul.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Every athlete, soldier, or emergency res ponder knows the importance of being equipped with sustaining strength. Strength is defined as “the state of being strong” or “a good or beneficial quality of a person or thing.”

We all have been endowed with a portion of strength, some more than others; it may be physical for some and it maybe mental for others. Some are blessed with both physical and mental strength.

Endurance is the next essential ingredient needed to have sustaining strength, allowing the completion of any task attempted.  As human beings we depend on our own ability to demonstrate the amount of strength and endurance we possess.

We use every means available to us to enhance our strength and endurance. Some lift weights,some run long distances, some walk, some visit the gym religiously, and many exercise at home routinely.

We make every effort to increase our ability to exhibit our physical and mental prowess.  Have you heard the term”proverbial student”.  These are people who are constantly increasing their mental abilities.

They never seem to get out of school or they are always studying to increase their knowledge. Some of them wield their knowledge as power against those they consider unlearned. I would like to pose this question.

Does physical and mental abilities always equate to sustaining strength? can you possess these abilities and be morally weak? Devoid of character, heartless, and self exalting. Do you use your strengths to emphasize the weakness of others, to control, or dominate?

Often we forget how vulnerable as vehicles of dust and breath we really are, failure to acknowledge we have no true control leads us to a false sense of self worth. Where does the strength come from to run into a burning building?

Where does the courage come from to place your life at risk for the sake of another no matter the circumstance? When we recognize; all we are  and all we have comes to us as a blessing from our Creator, we learn to be strong; yet humble.

We learn to use knowledge wisely, having a balance of strength and knowledge. Only through Jesus the Christ can we develop the sustaining strength necessary to over come self, to display love toward others, to respond to the call in the time of trouble, and to stand before all as a reflection of his character.

To him our weakness is his time to show his strength; strength that is sustaining at all times and in all circumstances.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Their faces were somber, eyes swollen from many tears shed, confusion danced in their minds and the feeling of great loss consumed their thoughts. This was not the way they thought it would be. He was dead, their beloved leader was no longer with them.

What would they do now? fearful of what the Jewish leaders and Romans would do to them caused great concern. Should they stay in hiding or should they leave was the question on all their minds.

The faithful few although mourning their leader tried  with all they had to hold onto a fragment of hope. Guilt had found it’s way into the hearts of some of them, one denied him and others abandoned him.

They loved him, yet; their human frailties showed it’s face when he needed them the most. It was the morning after, Sabbath had begun; a day of rest and rejoicing but they saw no reason to rejoice.

Their lives had been drastically changed now that the Teacher was gone. The tomb was sealed and guards posted at the request of the Jewish leaders, they remembered he said “in 3 days I will rise again/”

Doubt of this reigned in their hearts but they needed to be sure the tomb was secure.The women had to wait until Sabbath had ended to do the rite of burial to their Master, He wouldn’t want them to dishonor the Sabbath; not even for him.

Early the first day of the week, Sunday; the women approached the tomb. Shock covered their faces, the stone was rolled away; the Master and Teacher couldn’t be found. The brothers had to be told of this mystifying circumstance.

Could it be true? had he really risen to life/ The question was answered when she heard  her name called, she had heard that gentle voice many times. Her heart was over joyed as she gazed upon his face, her Lord and Master stood before her radiating life.

Go tell my brothers I live was his assignment to her. Today he is saying to you and me tell my children I live, I desire to embrace them in my love, to forgive their sins and restore them to my Fathers heart.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.  Happy Resurrection Day

Tick tock, tick tock; goes the old grandfather clock as it counts down the hours, minutes, and seconds until the next chime. For some a very familiar sound while others have never seen or heard the sound of a grandfather clock.

Sometimes the hardest thing we contend with is time, there never seems to be enough or there seems to be to much; either way time can be a concern.  Time is relevant to every facet of our lives.

We are told in the book of life there is a time to be born, a time to die; a time to laugh, a time to cry; a time to sow,  and a time to reap.  Once in a while the mechanisms used to measure time slows down and stops.

This requires winding them or replacing the batteries, however; time itself doesn’t stop moving forward. It continues to march at a steady  pace not being deterred by the desires of man. Centuries have passed since 3 crosses dotted the landscape.

Elevated on a hilltop, 3 stood accused; one innocent of the charges, but he willingly accepted the verdict of death at the hand of the enemy to free those who were lost and enslaved. It was on that hill that time seemed to stand still.

Nature cried out as it’s creator gave his last breath for the breaching of the gap between creature and creator. Death rejoiced for it was victorious, there seem to be no hope left for the lost. The enemy did his happy dance thinking the fight was over and he could claim the prize.

It was the eve before the Sabbath when the only son of God was placed in a the hillside tomb. The sun set and rose again, on the third day so did the crucified one. Death held his head in surprise, he had been defeated.

The enemy vowed this is not the end , the fight has just begin; time to prepare for war. The battle is still raging, we are the prize; the enemy does whatever he can to influence our lives. He has no control unless you allow him in.

Once you listen to his voice the darkness and blindness will begin. Time is counting down, soon the creator will come again; where will you stand when he returns? Do you find this a hard question to answer?

If so it’s time for life reflection, change of heart and submission to the Love of the Lamb who shed his blood for all who will except his gift of Salvation. Soon the clock will stop and time will be no more. Only those who choose the right path will experience life eternally.

My reflection as I sit by the pool of grace.

 

When he wrote our story he saw the twinkle you would put in my eyes, when he wrote our story he saw little hands that would one day wipe away my tears. He wrapped you in joy that would continually fill my heart. He whispered your name into the annuls of time and you became the smile on my face.

He entwined you in his love for me then entwined your heart to mine, two hearts inseparable by death or time.  You were the beginning of my life, teaching me how to live. You are the foundation that still gives me strength when I need a shoulder to lean against until my strength is renewed.

Your voice still brings joy to my ears each time I hear it, it’s echo resonates in my heart. On this day began the greatest earthly love story, a story I couldn’t have dreamed  for myself. The Creator allowed me the privilege of giving birth to one of his rare jewels, her name written in my heart before she existed.

As I look back over the years, I’m so grateful My Heavenly Father saw my garden of life needed some beautiful flowers for me to grow into an understanding of his love for me. You were the first seed he planted, today is your birthday; 53 years later I have no words to pen what is in my heart.

I can say no greater love fills my life, through you the Father Creator has displayed his great love for me; I am continually grateful.  Happy birthday to my 1st born.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.