settingatthepoolofgrace

“There is no greater gift , that a man give his life for a friend.” The flag waves as the battle rages, hero’s fall and victories are won. There is no right or wrong when a commitment  is made to serve. The warrior is the keeper of peace, he stands upon the wall.  His sacrifice goes unnoticed sometimes but his blood flows for all.

Faces he will never see and voices never heard to say thank you. He fights for the right of all to be wrong if they choose to be wrong. He fights for the rights of all to be right if they choose to be right. He leaves behind those he loves to protect others he may never know.

We sleep peacefully in our beds because the warrior has vowed to serve. When we leave our homes from day to day we feel safe because our warriors are serving on shores far away. He may be faceless and nameless too but when a warrior falls as so many do, his blood is shed for me and you.

While we celebrate the country of the free, celebrate how that freedom came to be. The price was paid by the flow of RED from Calvary’s Hill to the battlefield.

Pray for those who are willing to give all they have in the service of peace for  all man kind.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

They looked at the trees as their majesty reached toward the sky, the lush green pasture stretched before them as far as the eye could see and the sun glowed brightly as if a great jewel. Yet, something was missing. Creatures large and small roamed freely, birds of all types filled the air with song and the waters teaming with life  flowed quietly reflecting the brilliance of the sunlight. Yet, something was missing.

Everything their eyes feasted on was good, yet; something was still missing. They longed in their heart for completion but there was still work to be done. They knelled in the dust, as their hands begin to move a form took shape resembling who they were. From the first one came one and from the two came many sons and daughters in the likeness of their Creator.

One golden thread of life intertwined through out every generation of all that was created leading back to the one source, it’s CREATOR. What was perfection was hidden by shadows, confusion, and differences. Separations that caused turmoil & pain, injustice & power struggles and greed. Some wanted more while others had none. Some were content with what they had and inclined to share.

Everyone had free choice but not everyone used it wisely. The most important ingredient; love had been replaced by selfishness. Love stands at the ready arms open wide to reclaim any who is willing to come inside. Love will renew the spark given at the beginning and remind us we are all ONE strand woven together in the tapestry of our CREATOR who is LOVE

Glory to the name of the Lord,Only you are worthy of Glory and Honor. Your hands hold the worlds in the universe,you speak and life unfolds, and by your power all nature is feed. How great thou art,there is none like you. You are just and holy all the people of the earth benefit from your great love.

It was disobedience that caused the separation from your presence and sin to enter into our world. Thank you for such great love that you did not leave this world without hope. Because you loved us so much you gave the greatest gift in the blood sacrifice of your only son.

Father thank you for this day please send your Holy spirit to lead and guide us,keep our spoken words that we say nothing that dishonors you, speak to our hearts word that uplift and encourage, and remove any unclean thoughts from our minds and fill them with your presence.

Engulf us in the light of your love. We are so grateful that you cared enough to grant us your grace and mercy. You have changed our direction and opened our eyes to  a new life of joy. We are assured of your help in time of turmoil and challenge. You have provide for our weakness and failures, forgiveness is ever present to lift us when we fall and stray away from your safety.

When we are on the mountain top you are there, when we are in the valley you are there; you never leave us alone.You know our wants, needs and desires. You are the first and last answer to all of life’s dilemma. Your Love is all encompassing, it shines through to everyone we encounter when we allow you to lead us through the Holy spirit. We are limited but you are limitless, we are powerless but you are all power and we are all your people connected by your love and grace.

We are your “Special Possessions” you paid a price for our deliverance from the bondage of sin when we were so unworthy of the sacrifice you gave. yet, you still gave. In our humanness how do we express gratitude for such a Great gift? What can we do to show you how thankful we are? and  What do we have we can bring to you as our gift worthy enough to lay at your feet?

Unconditional Love and Total surrender is all we need to give////

Ever given any thought to what you would do if you were told you had 1 week to live?. Who would you want to spend your time with? and what would be the most important things to accomplish?. Life has no guarantees one curve ball can derail the train. You would have to step to the challenges ahead; decisions must be made and plans changed. How do you prepare for the unknown when you have no control over the situation or circumstances that surround you.

What will your legacy be? Will you still be able to show love during your dark walk with destiny? Will your faith sustain you or will you “curse God and die?.”  Life will be filled with uncertainty making you realize how limited your control, the only hope you have is found in your connection too the life giver. No matter what hand you have been dealt by life the answer is always found when you give the problem to the problem solver. A gleam of light will always shine through the darkest cloud, the sun will shine between the rain drops and there will always be someone or some memory to make you smile.

Remember no matter how devastating the news may be love is the best cure. No matter how long or short the time you have love is what will be remembered.Celebrate those you love with each opportunity you are given. Love is the golden thread that connects us to the HEART of GOD.

Thank you Lord, you are my burden bearer. You have restored my joy and my soul cries out Glory to your name. Your love showers me and I am so grateful.Whisper to my heart your tender mercies that I might meditate on your goodness. You have heard the silent desires of my heart and granted those desires. What was lost is now found. I will continue to give you all praise  for the love that you constantly send to me.  All nature sings of your goodness, the rain refreshes the grass with your kiss of renewal, the sun shines it’s rays of love and life springs forth. Your handy work is seen thought out all creation.

You are my provider, healer, strength in weakness; I look to you for my sufficiency.I wait on you and listen for your voice and instruction. Give me to know the task you have set before me that I may give myself to your use. Speak to me through your Holy Spirit,lead me in the path I should go. Search my heart erase all that makes you frown or turn away from me. Speak the word and I shall be made new. Teach me to honor thy laws and be obedient  to thy will. Let me see through your eyes that I may know how to love others as you love them. Keep me in all my ways as it is your will.

Remove  anything that distracts me from hearing your voice when you speak; eliminate any spitefulness, envies, or any malice you find within me and cleanse me thoroughly. Let not my transgressions consume me but forgive them and teach me thy ways. Transform me into thy perfect will for me and be thou my guide in all things.      To be with you is my greatest desire……..AMEN

We set aside days of the year to celebrate holidays and those we think have been great contributors to our world. However; God breathes life into our nostrils each day we are above ground, we love him when he answers our prayers by giving us what we ask. Yet, he sacrificed himself to a horrible death so we would know how much he loved us. He covered himself in humanness and enter a world of decay and darkness to show the lost the way to glory. In the beginning we were given two precious gifts, life and choice.

We live as if he doesn’t exist and we choose to honor ourselves. We amass material things to make us happy,we only help those that can return the favor, and look away from those who may truly need.  Our thoughts are consumed with “I” and “me” we live as if nothing else matters that does not begin with “us”.We close our eyes and hearts to others in pain,to their smile less faces  and to their cries for help,forgetting how lost we were needing to be rescued. Torn and tattered by the sharp rocks of life and desperate for saving grace. We have forgotten the unseen love that wrapped us in its arms,lifted us from the mud,washed us off, and gave us joy.

We forget about him until we need or want something we feel we can’t do ourselves. He seeks us daily with out stretched arms, a heart of love, and a desire to be close to us. We should celebrate him daily who gave deliverance and salvation. His name is Jesus; celebrate his life, his death,  his resurrection and his promised return. Let us open our hearts and fully surrender to the love he is so willing to shower upon us. Submit to his will for our lives, accept his gift of the Holy Spirit and plan for eternal life with him. When we allow him to change our character there will be love where hate once lived, where there is injustice equality will reside, peace will calm the storm of confusion and prejudice will see beyond the outer appearance and recognize the HEART///

When your sister & brother are hungry will you feed them?, when they are cold & lonely will you clothe them?, and will you hold them in your arms to allow your joy,peace and love surround them?. Do you tell them that they are important to you? As the light of Christ love shines on me I will walk in his love that others may find their way to him through the light that shines through me.

I was once trapped on a desolate island of sin confused by the storms of life and feeling hopeless. His forgiving love pierced the darkness in my life and rescued me from the chains of sin that held me captive. Through his redemptive love I have been restored. His gift of restoration has given me joy and peace in him,strength to stand in time of storm,faith to know I can be victorious and the desire to lead others that are enslaved.  To him who can break all chains and bring healing and restoration to all who wish to be free.

No valley is to deep that he will not seek after you or no mountain to high that he will not seek after you, his arms are open to receive you. You must choose to be restored, only when you open your heart and invite the redeemer in will forgiveness & restoration begin.  Therefore I will be my brothers keeper; I will feed him , pray for him,clothe him, and I will hold his hand through the storms. I’m so grateful that Father God has given me the opportunity to serve even the least of them.

They called him a healer, he was; they called him a teacher, he was. The lessons he taught were lessons of life,of love and of sacrifice. The teachers responsibility is to share the lesson with his students. He has no control as to how long it will take the student to understand and master the lesson. Some students will grasp the lesson immediately, some will take a little longer and there are those who will find it very difficult to learn the lesson.

Some students may be visual learners and learn by example. They will need to sit at the feet of the teacher, hang on every word and take many notes.  All the students are of great importance to the teacher. His greatest desire is for his students to be prepared for the challenges they will face. The student must invest what is necessary to complete their studies.

Only those who are persistent will be prepared for victory. The teacher will give the student as much help as they need to accomplish their task.  As Christians we too are being prepared for the challenges ahead. Our teacher has asked that we share his story with the world. A story of unconditional love for all creation. A story of his desire to reunite his family. He has given us a helper in the Holy Spirit to instruct us on how to tell the story, to erase any doubt that would keep us from accomplishing our task and to prepare us for victory.  We must stay under the shadow of his wings, we must be persistent in the study of his life, his word and his example. On graduation day he will say “enter into my kingdom my good and faithful servant” Well done, well done.

How often do you find yourself thinking back over your life and wondering how it would have been different if you had made different choices? We write on the pages of our hearts all the things that make us smile. People,places,and special events enhance our lives with their essence. These are at the fore front and the first memories to emerge.

We hide in the crevices of our minds those things that cause us pain, sorrow, or disappointment. They remind us of things we don’t care to remember.  Words we said that have hurt others and words others have said that hurt us. Pain we have caused others and pain others have cause us. To relive these memories would remind us of how unforgiving we are.

We carry the scars of our hurt and pain as if they were a badge of honor to justify why we have not forgiven and forgotten the hurts of the past. By holding on too them we decrease the room in our hearts to chronicle more joyous experiences and create new memories.  It only takes a flicker of light to shine in the darkness.

God has created us from his love,love that surpasses all our faults,inconsistency, and issues of our past. Love that clears the cob webs in the dark corners of our minds and erases the pain and hurt hidden in those corners.

His love will give us the strength to forgive ourselves and those who have hurt us as well as forget the pain they may have caused. Leaving clean pages on which we can pen the memories to come.

There will be a time in the life of every one when we look in the mirror of our lives and the truth of who we are will flood our minds like a tidal wave.  All the words spoken in anger, the lies told, the pain we have inflicted on others for our own gratification,our own sadness and coldness of heart as well as un forgiveness will look back in our faces.

We say we know God we have a relationship with him but we exhibit none of his character. How can you say you love him who you have not seen, and hate your brother who you see? there is no love in you. How can you feel you are worthy of respect when you can’t give respect?How do you consider what you need or want is more important than the needs or wants of others?.

God is not your father, you serve the DECEIVER. Your heart is filled with envy,hate,lying and deception. You are consumed with your own selfish desires, you throw stones and hide your hands thinking no one has seen you. Your goal is to cause others to join you in your sadness, anger them and cause hate to grow in their hearts; stealing their joy and peace. Your mirror will reflect that you are captive of the MASTER DECEIVER and he has encased you in darkness.

You can escape his grasp if you recognize you are a captive and allow the light of love to penetrate the darkness of your heart. The love of God transcends any power the deceiver may have over you.You must fervently seek the face of God, ask forgiveness of those you have mistreated and forgive those you feel have mistreated you and then yield your will to the ONLY ONE who knows all your secrets.  The hurts, the lies told, the rocks thrown, and the stumbling blocks placed in the path of others.

ONLY he can release you from the prison you are confined in and give you back your joy, peace of mind and love you with an unending LOVE.  He is your only hope for change, don’t you think you should open the door to your heart, he’s knocking for you.