God's Continuous Grace

   

Every time I look in the mirror I thank God for His grace and mercy toward me.  I thank Him for my health. I especially thank Him for my immune system when I think about the cancer cells, from the 5 tumors in my breast, entered one of the sentinel lymph nodes, and became inactive.  It entered but didn't exit or spread to other parts of my body.

I don't know why or how cancer formed in my body the first time or this second time.  But God halted the spread of cancer cells through spiritual and medical intervention.

A Christian friend of mine is a source of encouragement to me.  She lives with a cancerous tumor in her brain every day. At age 78 she remains active, living her life to the fullest. There are others with metastatic breast cancer, yet God has granted me mercy, grace, and healing.

I must fulfill His purpose for my life while I can.  I can't comprehend or understand His love for me. Yet, I experience His love every day! My desire is to share the same love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness to others that He has and continues to show me.

Identical

While visiting my daughter and her family, I had a senior moment regarding my twin granddaughters.  We (I and their older sister, Tonia) were sitting in the car waiting for the younger twin to get off from work.  When she came out and began walking toward the car I said to Tonia,  "Tiana looks just like Briana."  She gave me a confused look but didn't say anything.  The following day I burst out in laughter when I realized why Tonia looked at me in the way that she did.

Briana and Tiana are identical twins!  They're supposed to look alike! This truth reminded me of Christ of whom we are being formed to resemble. (Rom. 8:29)

My twin granddaughters look alike on the outside, but they are different in character, gifting, and creativity.  The Christian's outer appearance doesn't look like Jesus' outer appearance, but our devotion to God and love for all people should resemble Jesus' devotion to God, and love for all people.  If it doesn't, we need to re-examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5) to see if we are truly the children of God.

The Day After

Today is the day after my 63rd Birthday. It's been a good day, a good birthday, a great week.

I'm making this entry from my bedroom window, at my desk, under deep blue skies, listening to the evening tweets of birds preparing to settle down for the night.  There doesn't seem to be any visible stars, or moon, at least from my window view.  There's a peaceful quietness among my neighbors in the complex where I live.  A perfect ending to a beautiful day.

Censored?

It's been awhile since I posted.  I've been busy writing my weekly column for a local community newspaper, and working on a book that I hope will be finished by Thanksgiving.  Yesterday, a reader asked was I still submitting articles to the newspaper because my articles were missing.  After checking the online publication of the newspaper I discovered that several issues did not include my articles.

I was disappointed, but not angry. The publisher has the right to accept or reject what I write.  That is his choice, its his paper. And since I'm not a paid columnist, it doesn't affect my livelihood. 

Writing, speaking, and acting on Truth is not always acceptable when money is a factor. We will always be forced to decide which is more important, our salaries, or our principles.

Three times in my life I choose Christian ethics over salary.  And each of those times I became unemployed and blackballed.  Yet God provided for me in each circumstance.  However, there was a time (before the above mentioned situations) when I chose acceptance and salary over Christian beliefs.  I incurred mockery, workplace abuse, and a cut in salary.  I promised if God delivered me I would never again compromise my faith for the sake of money and acceptance.

I've been told that I will never be rich or enjoy an upper middle class income if I continue to make decisions based on my faith.  And they've been right, but God has graced me with everything I need.  The most precious thing I've received from the Lord is peace, and joy.  Peace, the result of trusting Him for all my needs, and Joy in knowing that I am safe in the Savior's arms and no man can do anything to take that away from me.

Today, April 19, 2017

Today I am 62 years old.  It's been a long journey, yet short.  

As I look back over my life, I can truly say that I've lived a full and abundant life. What I lacked in riches, was made up in knowing and experiencing the True and Living God.  No one can tell me that the Lord does not exist for I know He is.

The earliest memory I have of the Lord is at age 6 when He visited me in a dream.  At age 20 He called me to preach the gospel, it came to pass 12 years later.  

God's Word has been "a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."  He has guided me through the storms of life-----, held me together when I was alone and frighten, enabled me to walk on water with Him in ministry, and so much more.

There's a song (written by Andre` Crouch) that comes to mind on this day.  It says ----

"How can I say thanks for all the things you've done for me.  Things so undeserved, yet you gave to prove your love for me.  The voices of a million angels cannot compare my gratitude.  For all that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to thee.  To God be the glory, to God be the glory.  To God be the glory for the things He has done."

Thank You, LORD, in the name of Jesus, Amen. 

Praise the Lord!

Happy "almost half-way-through the New Year" Post!

I was startled at the fact that I hadn't posted at all this year until today.  I am still water walking with Jesus!

No Ways Tired!

An old song came to mind this morning as I ate my breakfast.

"I don't feel no ways tired.  I've come too far from where I started from.  Nobody told me that the road would be easy-----I don't believe He (God) brought me this far to leave me."

I've been so tired lately.  But the revelation, that followed last night's Bible Study regarding a past tragedy in my life, have greatly uplifted my spirit.

Satan has done everything he could think of to destroy God's purpose for my life.  And I am blessed and empowered to declare that he has failed in his self-appointed attempt to destroy God's plans for me.

Here I am Lord!  I'm ready for my next assignment.  Use me for Your Glory!