settingatthepoolofgrace

How often do you find yourself asking”what’s for dinner?” This is a phrase said in households across this great country that we live in called America. A country rich in resources, a country that reaches out to other countries in their time of need, a country with a sordid past; yet, still a great place to live.

It is hard to think that our country in all it’s greatness is still lacking in empathy for it’s own people. Why is it that in this country of plenty children go hungry each night, have no where to rest in safety, some motherless, some fatherless, and some just alone. A country where you work hard all your life but in your twilight years you can’t afford to buy medicine.

Your income is just enough to survive on, not enough to live comfortably with out worry. Though you worked hard the money you invested in social security is called a handout. Your country spends more money in products of war then it is willing to spend helping it’s people.

Those who have great wealth will only share with others who are like them while they take more and more from those who have so little. Where has the love gone? Is there anyone who still believes in giving a helping hand? It seems only those who have so little are willing to share with those who have nothing.

In a land so richly blessed by God; how can we forget to bless others, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, love the fatherless and motherless, and comfort the hurting. Our country is a melting pot, it’s people all different; yet we are still one people. Our hearts should ache for those who are the least of us.

In this great country we should care that they are hurting.  As the holiday season approaches consider those in this country who are without the simple necessities of life. If you are among those blessed with the essentials for a happy home and you can ask the question”what’s for dinner?”

Remember that in every city, town, or village in this great country; someone is wandering if they will even have dinner// Find a way to share your blessing with someone this Holiday.

My revelation as i sit by the pool of grace.

Have you ever wondered why the things you know you should do are sometimes so hard to do? while the things you know you should not do, you do so easily/  Why you find yourself stating something that you know is not true, a lie; but you say it any way.

Then you tell yourself it wasn’t so bad, it was just a little white lie; it”s not going to hurt anyone. However, white or black a lie does cause ripples that could turn into a roaring flood. No lie is unimportant or harmless.

We do what will allow us to gratify whatever our desires dictate at the time. Self is the most important entity to us and our actions will reflect our selfishness. I’ve heard it said ” I comes before U in the dictionary.” Unfortunately many have this attitude in today’s society.

Our world is riddled with indifference to the needs of others, forgiveness, deception and all manner of evil.  we are confronted daily with the choice to follow the crowd or resist the desire to gratify self; the battle is real and the choice important.

Consider the source of the worlds decay, how it is affecting you and how you are affecting others. In the book of life it is written, from the beginning all was perfect; until one angelic being wanted to be greater than his creator.

From his desire sprang a hatred of all his creator loved causing the decay of everything he touched. You & I are the crowning masterpiece of the creator, therefore he is relentless in his efforts to destroy us, draw us away from our creator and cause disobedience to his spirit’s leading.

We must not be deceived we are no opponent for this great adversary; the battle is real and we need a strong general by our side. You may say this fight is not your concern, but should you take this stance you are without protection.

To choose not to fight in the army of the creator, you choose to be destroyed. There can only be one champion who is victorious, the enemy knows he is defeated but as long as he can confuse, distract, or deceive you & me he will continue to fight.

You must make the choice to resist his temptations and stand strong in your faith. Though the battle is real, the enemy strong; God’s people will be victorious through Jesus Christ. The enemy will be eradicated never to reign again.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

 

Life seems short, the time span long; so it’s best to choose to do right and not wrong but mistakes matter too. Sometimes we make the wrong choice expecting the right results, however; nothing right  can come from doing wrong. Opposites don’t always attract.

When wrong is chosen corrections become necessary and may require the act of forgiveness. We must learn when we make a mistake it is our responsibility to correct whatever damage is caused by that choice.

Sometimes a simple “I’m sorry” will do, then there are times when the hurt of your actions may be so deep it is not enough. We must care enough to know the difference. We know when our actions have caused pain.

Yet, in our own self righteousness we feel our actions were justified because we chose them.  Never admitting or owning our responsibility in correcting the injury we may have caused someone.

Life is filled with uncertainty, we may not get the opportunity to correct our mistakes; it is important to recognize when we are in error and respond accordingly. Guilt has a way of wearing heavily on the mind when wrongs are not made right.

Acknowledgement is a sign that love is present, you desire to heal the wounds, and change the circumstance from a negative to a positive. By this we grow in character. Our worth as a friend, family member, or acquaintance increases in value.

You might even say mistakes have their purpose. There is a saying ” love hides a multitude of faults”, even so; love should be the reason we consider our actions before we make them.

Self should be removed from the equation first then we should consider how others will be impacted by what we do or say.  We all make mistakes so we should never be ashamed to ask forgiveness.

Christ while on the cross forgave his enemies expressing love even in death. How can we who are imperfect not follow the example of one who showed perfection to the world. As long as we have life mistakes will be made.

We must recognize, own, and correct them remembering mistakes matter too.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

There was  once an old women who lived in a shoe, I know everyone knows what comes next; well I could say I was that woman better yet, I am that woman. I have always loved children but never considered being a mother.

Mothers were in my eyes are super women; they take care of the children, cook the meals, clean the house, work outside  and inside the home, heal the wounds and nurse the sick back to health. They seem to have time for everyone but themselves.

Their shoulders are so broad they carry everyone’s burdens or so it seemed to me. I knew I could never measure up to what a mother should be, at least not in my own eyes. But God in his infinite wisdom knew just what I would need to order my life, to be the change.

To help without being asked, to feed those who hunger, clothe those in need, wipe crying eyes, and comfort the hurting. In my life I have been blessed with 2 children by birth, 9 children by marriage and 12 children by adoption( they all adopted me).

They are like a rainbow of love shining through my heart, with each thought of them I smile; they have taught me so much and I am very thankful for the lessons. Each one is different, some have blue eyes, some have brown eyes, some are dark skinned, some are white skinned but they are all mine.

They are the tools in the hand of the God that created the change in me. It was through them I have learned to love unconditionally, to pray constantly, to listen with an open mind, to speak softly, and to give more than I knew I had to give.

Sometimes it’s the little things we do that make the biggest impact, the time we share that is needed and appreciated the most, and the bond created by love can be as strong as the bond created by birth. Love doesn’t change because of time or separation, it doesn’t grow old or useless.

Love never fails to reach out to catch you when you are falling and it will only rest when it knows you are safe.  Every good mother  place’s the needs of her children before her own. They are never to old that they can not find a place in her arms. Her heart will always be open to them and the Father’s ears ringing with prayers for them.

I can’t say I’m a super mom, but as it is said”the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”,  I will say as I look upon all the branches I smile; for I am grounded in God the Father who’s love flows through me to all my children and I am forever changed by the love they give me in return.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Have you ever been in a state of urgency and needed to get in from the outside? Maybe you thought you were in danger or just in a hurry, you knock on the door and it seems to be a lifetime before someone answered.

There could be many reasons you must depend on someone inside to open the door,this is not your home ; you are visiting. You may have lost your keys or it may be to dark to see how to open the door without light.

Having keys doesn’t assure you access; the locks could have been changed leaving your keys of no value.  Doors are not the only thing you could be locked out of, many of us have put a lock on our hearts.

Your heart was broken by someone you trusted, maybe even loved; they betrayed that trust so you locked it up determined to let no one in anymore. The problem is a locked heart can’t really love.

It goes through the motions but it has no emotion attached to it.  The longer it remains closed the colder it grows. The hurt continues to hold the heart hostage to the pain that caused it to break. The heart must be healed before it can be opened to love again.

The question is where do we find the healing? Who can we trust? I stand at the door and knock, if you will open the door I will come in and sup with you. The son of love is willing  to renew, restore, and heal all our hurts.

He will take away the coldness  in the heart, fill it with the warmth of his love; love that is unchanging, unlimited, and unconditional. Love that can be trusted, that will never abandon, and is given freely.

Love that only requires you to open the door, please open the door; to live without love is to have no life.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

I’m sure many of you can remember as a child your parents would let you go outside to play, but; they would tell you very matter of factually ” don’t go out that gate”. Like children will do, the more you say no the more they want to do it. Parents know beyond the gate can be dangerous.

All types of mysteries to tempt those who are not aware await on the other side of the gate. They worry that should you decide to disobey them they may not be able to get to you in time to keep you from getting hurt. The gate is there to protect you, providing a place of safety.

Sometimes curiosity gets the best of us, we are compelled to go beyond the gate leaving our place of protection.  Unsure of what we will encounter we try to prepare for whatever circumstance we might find ourselves entangled within. We are on our own, no one to rescue us from the danger waiting to consume it’s prey.

I’m sure you don’t think of yourself as prey, but; that’s how the enemy sees us. Leaving the protection of the gate allows him to tempt us with the things that draw us into his snare. Fame, importance, fortune and power are the fruit he dangles in our way. As in the beginning, all it takes is one bite.

we are his captives. His goal then becomes to entangle us so deep we lose ourselves totally in his web of deception; taking us farther away from the gate. He hopes to erase the protection of the gate from our minds. We are in bondage to him only,he will not risk losing us.

The gate ,however; is hard to forget. Behind the gate was peace, joy, love, happiness and carefree existence. Everything we needed we had within the gate, we may not have been wealthy by the worlds standard but we had enough to share with others. We find ourselves longing to be back within the safety of the gate.

we want to be free from the bondage we are held by, unable to free ourselves we cry out for help; hoping we’ll be heard our voice pleading to be rescued.  All is not lost, the gate keeper is listening. He hears our cry, he is always looking for lost sheep to return to the fold.

To once again place them in the protection of the gate. He will fight any foe to free his sheep, he will not give up until he has won the battle and reclaimed his own.  Once he has freed us we must submit to his keeping, knowing we must never again venture beyond the gate.

my revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

 

 

In my solitude a vision comes to mind of stars reflecting the moon as they lay atop a black velvet sky, while the only sound heard is the song of crickets as they serenade the landscape. In my solitude the rain touching my skin is absorbed refreshing it as it refreshes the fields bring new life.

I contemplate on the waning moon and the rising of the sun, the changing of the seasons; fall to winter and spring to summer. I ponder why the sea only kisses the shore, never swallowing it up.  I reflect on the different varieties of trees , yet; they are the same. They remain a tree.

In my solitude I think of the amazing miracle of birth by which the greatest gift any one could receive was given.  The birth of a child, who grew into a loving man, and sacrificed his life for all; knowing all would not understand his sacrifice. This world is filled with miracles and wonders.

The mind of man can’t conceive or fully understand the mysteries to be discovered nor revelations to be revealed. It was in my solitude his loved was revealed, his story understood, and his voice heard in my heart. I escape from the turmoil, hatred, and indifference of this world when I meet with him in solitude.

He surrounds me with his love as we reflect on our journey together, then he strengthens my faith by removing my doubts. He assures me he will pick me up should I fall. When I leave his presence I’m renewed, anticipating the next visit with him in solitude.

Where do you find your peace? how do you escape the trails and evils of this world? If you are struggling to find a way out of turmoil, find your place of solitude and invite the peace giver to meet you there.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Nature is weeping, her heart broken she is grieving her lost children. Evil has captured the attention of all leaving bleeding hearts. Mothers are missing their daughters and sons; fathers not understanding why his special child had to die. Hugs that will be missed, smiles to be seen no more, soft words spoken will not be heard and I love you no longer said.

The question ringing in everyone’s head ” I just don’t understand, why”. Why did this happen, what was the cause, and how do we heal our bleeding hearts. The enemy is rejoicing what he considers victory. He deceives those who follow him to believe what they do is right but it will only lead them to the darkest night never again to see the light.

The question will remain unanswered, evil needs no reason to thrive, each one who hates keeps hate alive. The enemy will do whatever he can to keep one man hating the other man. The more we hate the stronger he grows, the affect of his power no one knows. He consumes all in his grasp who decide to walk on his path.

The dark cloud will pass, the sun will shine again, and the Father will wipe away all your tears. The enemy has not won the fight although right now your lost in the dark of night. The hurt will pass but loves memories will last until the day the Father sends his son to bring his children home. Try to forgive the lost soul that caused your heart to bleed, Pray for those he left behind to grieve.

Remember evil can only grow when hate continues to live, set your heart to shine loves light where ever evil has tread. Starve your fears and feed you faith so that only good will grow. Reach out to touch the hurting heart of someone you may not know, share your strength and tell them they are not alone. The Father wants you to let his love shine through you to heal a bleeding heart.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Like pieces of a puzzle each space in the picture is different and unique, no other piece will fit in the space designed for you. Only you can fill your place in the frame of life being created by the Father.  The thread on the loom will only reveal the beauty of the tapestry when each thread is woven into it’s perfect place.

The rainbow is composed of many colors, each touching the other; together they reflex it’s magnificence. We have each been created with individuality; different in skin color, eye color, hair color and abilities. Yet, together we are the picture inside the frame of life. we all have the same Father who loves each of his children with unconditional love.

His heart breaks each time one of his children steps from beneath the umbrella of that love. When they do they forget his heart is entwined with theirs. Love cries when it is replaced and the heart becomes infected with the darkness of hate. The eyes become cloudy and the truth can’t be recognized.

whenever one member of the family is subjected to that hate the whole family is affected. When our protection is lost the enemy tries to sever the threads that bind our hearts to the heart of the Father. Each action that is contrary to the will of the Father  sends us spiraling deeper into darkness.

Each time you treat your brother with injustice, each time you falsely accuse them, each time you destroy life or turn your back on the Father you sink deeper and deeper until no light is present in the heart. When family members leave the fold the frame is broken and the picture distorted.

The Father gave his children choice knowing not all of them would choose to be part of the family. His desire was that none would be lost,choosing to remain in the shelter of his love. When the choice is made to leave the family, he will not override the choice of his child. He will pursue them until all hope of redemption is gone.

He then repairs the frame of life; reaches out with his love to those who choose to remain and just like the roots of the mighty tree entwines themselves in the soil he draws them closer to his heart and entwines them in his love.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

There are many things we do on a daily basis that we don’t give much thought to. We rise from sleep, brush our teeth, comb our hair, and decide what we will eat to start our day. Our next big decision is what will we wear, for many of us what we wear is determined by our plans for the day; we tend to dress for the occasion.

A visit to the gym, shopping, and recreation all require a different type of dress.  Some like to dress more casually no matter what the occasion, then there are those who want to be considered glamorous at all times. Some never wear make up while others never leave home without it.

We change clothes sometimes two or three times a day depending on the necessity. Many of us are very active in sports, some labor at very dirty jobs, some work where it is very important to have on clean clothes at all times, and some unfortunately have no clothes to change into and no where to change if they had clothes.

Seldom do we think about those in this circumstance until we meet them on the street; our thoughts are not how can I help but move you dirty bum or why don’t you get a job. Never do we consider the question how did they get to this place in their lives? We don’t see ourselves in their plight but circumstances can change so quickly, we could be walking in their shoes.

I would like to propose something for your consideration, there is something more important that we must change. We greet each day thinking the way we are is perfectly fine. We think it is natural for us to be self centered, sometimes arrogant, unkind, and important in our own minds. We excuse our behavior by saying this is who I am, like it or not.

We need a change in our character, but how do you change your character when the world you live in is filled with darkness? Many do not realize our characters have been tainted by the darkness that surrounds us. Changing is not easy, but anything that is worth having is worth the fight to have it.  The darkness can only be expelled by the light of love. Love transforms everything it touches.

No matter how hard we try if we don’t have love we loose the battle. Some believe in the Christ and some don’t but we must all agree that the character of this man as he lived was above reproach, his love unconditional, and his actions without prejudice. Some believe in Satan and some don’t but the influence he has on this world is real; darkness has caused man to hate, envy, separate, become selfish, and impact each other with negative actions.

My questions is with who’s clothes are you adorning yourself? A robe of light or a robe of darkness? Is it time for you to change your clothes? Adorn yourself in the light of  love by connecting with the giver of light and life anew. He was born, he died, and he rose again; just for you.

My revelation as I sit at the pool of grace.