Tag: our Lord and Savior

God Sees It All

On By CarmenLeave a comment

I can’t help but write about what I consistently tell my husband most mornings after watching the news.

God sees it all!

You may feel the same way I do after watching the news on politics and all the other happenings by people who lie, scam, steal, and kill.

My husband and I like to stay informed on current events in our country and around the world, but we have had to limit the amount of news we watch because it is so grievous.

If I didn’t know God and His ways, I would think there is no hope in the world today.

I know that such offenses have always occurred, but it seems so rampant today.

It’s refreshing when we see stories of decent people helping others because they want to do what is right, but I can’t help thinking that the tide has turned now in recent years with so much evil in our nation and around the world.

And, I have often pondered how we got here.

I think it’s because most either don’t believe in God or don’t believe God.

We don’t take the time to study, learn, contemplate what God has already told us in His word, the Holy Bible.

We are blessed as a nation built on Christian principles to have God’s word, but we don’t delve into it for understanding.

For example, while reading in 1 Kings recently, I came across how the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, because of ungodly leadership with the majority of the people following along in sin.

King David loved the LORD and is called by God, “A man after his own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14)

King David was certainly not without sin. However, when he was reprimanded by God, he was repentant and accepted the consequences that God gave him.

God forgave him because He knew David’s heart, but there were still consequences.

Later in life, as King David was grooming his son Solomon to succeed him as king, he instructed him as a young boy to seek wisdom.

He was teaching Solomon God’s wisdom and to seek and follow God in every choice he would make as a future ruler as well as to avoid making wrong choices and falling into sin.

When King David died, and Solomon was crowned king of Israel, God told King Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom. God was pleased with his choice and made him not only the wisest of kings, but also the richest.

Having wisdom is great but following it separates the wise from the fools.

King Solomon started out well, but over the years he turned away from God’s laws and ways which led him into idolatry and caused the kingdom of Israel to be split in two.   

For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely. 1 Kings 11:4-6

I highly recommend you read 1 and 2 Kings to understand the full story and implications of King Solomon’s straying from God which led most of the subsequent kings and nation of Israel into sin and severe consequences.

When we sin (individually or corporately as a nation), we sin against God. We anger God.

He is a jealous God who deserves our worship and praise. We should seek after Him and abide in Him.   

Why?

Because it is God who has given us life and everything good thing that we have and experience.

We should always walk humbly and follow His statutes and His ways.

When we don’t, there are consequences that we won’t like.

Because we are all human, we are all sinners. The Bible tells us not one of us are without sin. (Romans 3:10-18)

The only human who ever lived and never sinned was Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son. He alone is our example of how to live.

So, what do we do when we sin, and we realize the error of our ways?

We turn back to God, ask for forgiveness, ask Him to help us follow Him, and stay away from what makes us sin.

When we are sincere about repenting of our sin, He is faithful to forgive us and helps us move forward.

He puts away our sin as if it never happened. (Psalm 103:12)

In King Solomon’s case, his continued sin of idol worship led the whole nation into sin which later caused the division of Israel into two kingdoms, constant wars, invasions by foreign countries, and eventually exile to foreign lands.

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” 1 Kings 11:9-13

With the division of Israel into two kingdoms (Israel and Judah), the Jewish nation fought against itself and set itself up for invasions by foreign countries.

The majority of the kings who ruled Israel and Judah after King Solomon also failed to follow God and continued in their sin of idol worship.

Idol worship is putting anything above God—pride, money, position, power, material things, various wrong behaviors, etc.

When the leader of the nation sins and refuses to follow God, most of the people will do the same, and the nation falls in to despair and destruction.  

The good news is that God is a forgiving God.

In His word, He tells us that if we who belong to Him will repent of our sin and humbly turn back to and pray to Him, He will restore our nation.

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

If you are as concerned about the state of our nation as I am, please commit to pray with me for our leaders and fellow citizens to

  • turn back to God and seek after Him—putting Him first in our lives
  • repent of their sin and turn away from their sin
  • teach our children at home and in school to walk with God and follow His precepts
  • seek forgiveness and forgive one another
  • unite as “one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all” as we used to recite daily in school from the Pledge of Allegiance
  • humbly serve God and one another as He instructs us in His word
  • treat one another as we would want to be treated

I love Jesus Christ, and I love these united states of America where I was born.

My hope is for us to turn back to God before it’s too late.

May God bless you and may He bless the United States of America.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Tragedy: When We Just Don’t Understand Why

On By Carmen2 Comments

The news of the flood in Kerrville, Texas, has been very difficult to watch and very emotional for many of us. I kept thinking why, LORD, why did this have to happen to so many unsuspecting people enjoying time in a scenic place of relaxation and recreation?

It is especially heart-breaking to know that so many young girls were lost at a summer camp that was supposed to bring them joy and lasting memories of their childhood.

I can’t imagine the pain the family members of the victims are feeling, but I am certain that they have the same question—WHY?

My goal is not to place blame on any agency or the government. Hopefully in time, these much-needed answers will come, and regulations will be put in place so that an effective notification system will be employed to warn those in the path of any future similar disaster.   

Today, I want to be able to share hope with the victim’s families so they have something to hold on to that will give them a sense of peace about their loved ones who they sadly lost.

I am writing this also for anyone who has tragically lost a loved one and needs to know that they can live again despite the tragedy; they can let go and trust God; they can smile and laugh again; they can be reunited with their loved ones.

First, I do not know why such tragedies happen. What I do know for certain is that we live in an imperfect world with sin, evil, and death.

I also know that God is good and is very much in control. He is not the author of destruction and pain, but of love and life.

When I start to question why in certain circumstances, my mind goes to Job in the Bible. The Book of Job is 42 chapters in length and deals with tragedy, despair, a search for answers, temptation to curse God, unwavering devotion to God, and hope.

I will give you the short version of the Book of Job, but I highly recommend you read it for yourself.  

Job was a wealthy man, good and honest. He was loved by God who spoke very highly of him to Satan. Satan wanted to prove God’s assessment of Job wrong and asked for permission to exasperate Job so that he would curse God. God’s only restriction was that he could not kill Job.

Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health. As if this weren’t enough, he was insulted by his friends who came to see him. They suggested that he (and his children) had unconfessed sin which led to these tragedies.

Job maintained his innocence and throughout his suffering questioned God as to why all this hardship when he had been a good man and served God.

His wife even told him to just get it over with, curse God, and die!

Job would not curse God, because he knew God was good. He said that he would go to his grave believing such and that he would indeed bless God!

All Job could do was ask God why he had to endure this tragedy and curse. He said that it would’ve been better that he was never born to have to go through all of this.  

He just didn’t understand why.

Eventually God spoke to him and his friends. God rebuked his friends for assuming they had the answers. And God answered Job with a lengthy discourse of questions (Chapters 38–42).

Some of the questions (there were many) God asked Job that resonate with me are:

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone?” Job 38:4-6

“Can you raise your voice to the clouds,
So that an abundance of water will cover you?
Can you send flashes of lightning, so that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?” Job 38:34-35

“Can you drag out Leviathan with a fishhook,
And press down his tongue with a rope?
Can you put a rope in his nose,
And pierce his jaw with a hook?
Will he make many pleas to you,
Or will he speak to you gentle words?
Will he make a covenant with you?” Job 41:1-4

Job could not answer any of these questions and neither can we.

We can only trust God and continue to believe that His plan is best—even when it hurts.

As time passes, we may look back and discern some good that came from the tragedies we experience or we may understand partly why, but we will know completely when we get to Heaven.

God understands your pain and distress and He sympathizes with you. He will show you how to live your next moments, days, months, and years.

He knows the pain you feel. He watched His only Son, Jesus Christ, die on the cross for all mankind. It was a painful experience for Him, but it was necessary for us to receive eternal life.

I believe that Jesus was present in the flood in Kerrville, Texas, and all the little girls who died in this flood were received instantly into His loving arms. Jesus loved children and He took these to a better place where there will be no more death, evil, pain, or sorrow. They are happy and they are waiting for the day they can be reunited with their beloved family and friends.

I also believe that all of the age of accountability who died in Christ were also received instantly into our Savior’s arms.

I will go a step further.

I believe God gave any that were unsaved another opportunity in the flood waters to surrender to His Son Jesus Christ. Perhaps there were some who turned to the LORD in their despair before they died.

Below is a scripture verse that I hold onto for all my family and friends who are not saved.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

For all of you who are struggling and hurting because of the loss of a relative or friend in this heartbreaking tragedy, please know that one day there will be a great reunion filled with joy and laughter with those you lost in the LORD.

He knows your pain, give it to Him. He understands your questions, your grief, your anger.

Let Jesus heal your heart. Trust Him with your unanswered questions until He either shares some insight with you through the Holy Spirit or He reunites you with them when He calls you home to be with Him.

As I have been following the many stories regarding this flood, I came across a mother who lost her beautiful 8-year-old daughter while at Camp Mystic.  

Her outlook is exactly what I wish to convey in this message.

Lindsey McCleod McCrory lost her daughter, Blakely McCrory, while at Camp Mystic and described her daughter as a “’live wire’ with a ‘fun, spirited attitude’ and ‘the type of child that doesn’t stay down for long.’”

She said, “I’m just so grateful to keep her spirit alive.”

McCleod McCrory continued, “And we strongly believe that it happened quickly. She didn’t have to suffer. I just have this feeling. She’s with all those campers and staff who died, and other children. I just imagined it as a happy place, a peaceful place.”

Wow! What faith this mother has!

McCleod McCrory has had her share of tragedy lately.

She lost her husband, Blake McCrory, at age 59 to a battle with cancer recently. She also lost her brother (also 59 years old) earlier this year.

What strength! I believe it comes from deep within due to her faith in Jesus Christ.

I am praying for those who have had to deal with such a tragedy in their lives who are hurting and searching for answers.

May God bless you and grant you the peace that surpasses all understanding. May you have joy again and continue to live your life with hope and meaning—just as the ones you lost would want you to.

Below is one of my all-time favorite Christian songs that I hope will bring you consolation as you listen.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Prayer That’s Powerful

On By CarmenLeave a comment

I have been wanting to write about prayer for some time, because I have personally seen God work miracles in my life and the life of others when we pray to Him and trust Him with the answer He gives us.

It’s important to know that God hears the prayers of His children.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Prayer is a direct line to God and is welcomed by God. He wants you to communicate with Him and go to Him for your needs.

Prayer is a way for us to spend precious time with God and to draw near to Him. It is during times of quiet prayer that we often hear from God through the Holy Spirit what we should do when we are searching for answers.

And God is perfectly fine with you just spending time with Him in thankfulness and adoration.

Jesus tells us we must put God first in our lives.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. Matthew 6:33

All these things refer to our basic needs—food, shelter, clothing, etc. In the sixth chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells his followers to not worry about their needs in life, that God will provide because He already knows what they need.

Of course, we should not be lazy and wait for God to place our basic needs neatly in our laps. We should always work to achieve what we can and leave the rest to God. He knows our hearts and intentions and enables us to provide for ourselves. It is when we are not able that He intervenes by answering prayer in His loving, powerful way.

We should indeed ask God for what we need—according to His will.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

God is a good Father and He enjoys blessing His children just as you enjoy blessing yours.

This does not mean that if we pray for whatever we desire, God will give it to us. We must ask according to His will something that will be good for us now and in the future.

I’ve learned in seeking God that sometimes He says yes to my prayers, sometimes He says no, and sometimes His answer is delayed for the proper time to receive it.

For example, years ago when I was single, I was praying to God for a husband.

After some time seeking and asking God, I finally understood that He had to prepare me to be a good wife to the husband He would give me. He was not yet done molding me to be the wife I needed to be for the husband He was going to give me.

When I decided I would surrender it to Him—no matter how long it took—and wait for His best for me, God answered my prayer. He gave me a better husband than I asked for.  

Looking back, I am so happy that God did not give me who I wanted to be my husband at that time. Instead, He had someone in mind for me who would come along side me to be a loving husband and a great partner to achieve dreams that He has given me.

I believe that when we give our concerns to God and trust Him with His choices for our lives, we are blessed beyond what we could imagine.

God will give only His best to His children, not what will harm or destroy us.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:17-18

Firstfruits means the first and best of God’s creation. He placed man above all His creation on earth to be good stewards. He even made us in His image and gave us intelligence and abilities far above the rest of His creation.

God is good to us.  

He will not answer a prayer that will lead you into you sin or keep you in sin.

He will not answer a prayer that will do you harm.

He may choose to have you wait so that you can grow in your faith toward Him if you will seek Him and abide in Him. This is a good way to know God and to understand Him.

When we look back and understand that God did us a favor in saying no or making us wait for the right time, we appreciate His goodness toward us, and we trust Him even more.

I have come to realize that I am walking with God today because my dear grandmother prayed for me. She was the best grandmother anyone could have, and the greatest gift she gave me was her prayer over my life.

When we pray to God for something that we are concerned about and He says yes, we become captivated by His love for us.

In my first post, God Still Performs Miracles, I shared how my oldest brother was brain dead and I traveled home to say goodbye and to help my parents with the burial process. When I visited him in the ICU, all I could do was beg God for his salvation primarily and then for him to be given another chance to live. My family gathered around him and prayed that God would heal him completely.

AND HE DID!

I will never forget God’s goodness to my brother and my family during that week that I witnessed this miracle happen! It seemed impossible from our perspective, but NOT FOR GOD!

Jesus tells us when we pray together in His name, we are heard by our Father in heaven.

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:19-20

Will you pray along with me?

A few of my current prayers are for a friend who was just diagnosed with brain cancer, a baby girl and a church member’s husband who both need heart transplants urgently, freedom from addiction for certain family members, Israel and Ukraine to overcome their enemies, and salvation for those who have not yet surrendered to our LORD Jesus Christ.

If you have any prayer requests that you would like to share, I’ll be happy to pray along with you.

I would like to close with a beautiful song by one of my favorite Christian artists.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Another Day, Another Miracle!

On By CarmenLeave a comment

Hello and Blessings to all!

I was planning to write about the Proverbs 31 woman this week, but I am happily compelled to share another miracle I witnessed a few days ago.

This was the impetus for starting this blog—to write to you about how very good God is!

So, I must share these occurrences when they happen to give glory and praise to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ and to encourage you to continue in your faith.

Last Monday, President’s Day, a few members of our family decided to go hiking and we took our dogs along. One is a golden retriever named Bella, and the other is a miniature schnauzer named Lulu.

Bella is our beautiful 8-year-old sweetheart. Lulu is about five months old, new to the family, and we absolutely adore her. She is our grandchildren’s first dog, so she is very special because they have been wanting a dog for a few years.

After we returned home from hiking, I was warming up some soup in the kitchen, and all of a sudden, I heard a commotion going on in our breakfast room. My husband and stepdaughter were frantically trying to free Lulu from Bella.

This was a freak accident—the dogs were playing as they usually do in a friendly manner, but somehow Lulu’s collar got stuck on one of Bella’s lower canines.

I suppose they noticed it when neither Bella nor Lulu could break free, and poor little Lulu was dangling from Bella’s mouth. They tried and tried to free Lulu but couldn’t and were beginning to panic.

I ran to try to help, but none of us could free her and time was running out. Lulu was fighting for her life and bit all of us as we were trying to help her.

I heard my Bella yelp in pain, and at this point my husband focused on keeping Bella calm and still while my stepdaughter and I worked to free Lulu.  

I ran to get the scissors to try to cut little Lulu’s collar, but I couldn’t get my finger under the collar to cut it. The collar was so tight it was strangling her.

NOTHING was working!

We saw Lulu go limp and my stepdaughter started crying, “Lulu! Lulu! Please don’t die, Lulu!”

Then I cried out, “LORD Jesus, please help us!”

Suddenly my stepdaughter decided to lift Lulu’s limp body up and was able to break her free from Bella’s tooth. I worked quickly to cut her collar, hoping for the best.

She laid little Lulu down and she was not responding, her body was limp, and her tongue was blue just hanging out of her mouth. The poor baby had defecated on one of our phones and it was all over the floor and us.

No doubt, little Lulu was dead, but I kept saying, “LORD Jesus, please help us, please help us!”

I heard my stepdaughter say, “now mouth to mouth!” So, she opened Lulu’s mouth and started breathing into her as we both worked to pump her heart. I could tell my stepdaughter was losing hope, so I started giving mouth to mouth to keep the momentum going and to give her a break.

Suddenly, Lulu opened her eyes!

I grabbed her and held her upright and started shaking her gently to help her breathe. Then I felt her heart starting to beat again—we were so relieved!

The poor puppy was dazed and just stared at me for a while.

Our grandchildren were in the foyer of our home, scared for their puppy, while we were trying to save her, but immediately came running over when we said, “she’s breathing, she’s alive!”

THANK YOU, LORD JESUS!

To YOU be all the glory!

We witnessed a miracle in our home before our very eyes!

The three of us (my husband, stepdaughter, and I) agreed without hesitation that little Lulu was dead.

We are not overly emotional or tale-telling people, but more reserved in our personalities and behavior.

Jesus went to the extreme to show me once more that He cares about us and what we care about. He knew our hearts would be broken if we lost little Lulu so tragically.

I believe He did this to also show some that day who may not believe in Him that He is indeed alive and powerful as our LORD and Savior.

In the Bible, Jesus tells us to believe in Him and to have faith in Him. He healed many sick people and even brought some back to life.

Below is the story of Jesus bringing his friend Lazarus back to life.

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.…So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”…he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”…Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days….So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him….Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit…. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”…It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

John 11:1-44

Not long after Jesus restored life to his friend Lazarus, He Himself was resurrected from the grave three days after willingly dying for ours sins.

Resurrection power belongs to Him and God our Father alone!

Jesus is still raising the dead to life today!

If we will believe IN Him and believe that He CAN raise the dead, He will show us His power and perform a miracle before our very eyes!

In fact, I started writing this blog because of the miracle healing he did for my oldest brother. He brought him back from the dead also. See my first blog, God Still Performs Miracles.

I share this with you because I want to share good news.

Jesus is the Good News in our lives now and into eternity!

If you haven’t already, I pray you place your trust in Him and let Him show you his miracle working power.

Below is one of my favorite Christian songs that I hope will put a smile on your face and help you to believe in his power.

“Rattle!” – Elevation Worship

A Life Well Lived

On By CarmenLeave a comment

In this post I would like to honor my uncle Gerald who recently passed away in November, just one month short of his 85th birthday.

He was born on Christmas Day in 1939 and was the younger brother and only sibling of my father.

My husband and I were in Louisiana visiting family for Thanksgiving and for a quick getaway.  

While in New Orleans, I received a call from one of my cousin’s wives who told me he was in the hospital and the doctors said he was not going to last long. He passed a couple of hours later, but…

I am happy to say that I know he is with our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

The day he died, he made a call to my father and spoke with him and my mother. My dad said he was in good spirits and told him that he had a good report from the doctor—he was cancer free and had received his last round of treatment. He was making plans to drive down to my parents’ home to go out for lunch and then start traveling again.

Growing up we lived two hours apart, so we did not spend a lot of time together, but we did make an effort to get together during the holidays.

The last time I saw him alive was the previous year (2023) during the Christmas holidays. We took my parents to see him and visit with him and my cousins. It was a good reunion where we talked about growing up and remembering many funny things we did at our grandparents when we were kids. We had some laughs and did some catching up.

As we were about to return to my parents’ home, my uncle looked at me and said, “Carmen, please pray for me.” I told him I would and I prayed for him then and throughout the year of 2024.

I knew he was concerned about his health, because he had cancer and some other health issues, but he still looked good and strong to me.

After he went to be with the LORD, we took my parents to his viewing and I spoke to my cousin who found him unconscious at home and had him rushed to the hospital the day he died.

It was so touching to find out that uncle Gerald was in his chair at his desk going over his Bible study lesson for the upcoming Sunday.

May I be doing the same when the LORD calls me home!

In fact, may I do many of the things that my uncle Gerald did while he was alive!

These are the memories that I have of him:

He loved the LORD and he loved his family.

We may not have seen each other often, but I do know how he acted when he was around us.

He was a humble man.

He was not self-centered. He never talked about his accomplishments, his wants, his rights.

I never heard him complain, although I am sure he had reason to at times.

He often played with us as children out in my grandparents’ yard, just like my dear grandfather.

He was not focused on being a millionaire, instead he was focused on being a provider for his family and having a loving relationship with his wife, children (five sons), and other family members.

He worked at the same place of business for 42 years until he retired.

I never saw him argue with anyone, never saw him swear.

He was not judgmental and he never talked down to anyone.

One of my cousin’s wives who lived near him said, “I’ve never heard him say a bad word about anyone. He always found the good in them.”

He exemplified Jesus!

He was able to laugh at himself and laugh at funny memories that he and my dad had of their childhood.

He was respectful to us (nieces, nephews) as grownups and was genuinely interested in our lives as we moved out on our own, got married, had children, and shared our experiences with him.

He loved to travel. I had to ask my cousins for help on this one as I wasn’t sure of all the places he visited. I was informed that he had been to most all the 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. He also traveled to Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and missed out on Israel due to Covid shutting things down.

He served in the church he attended for 60+ years. He was a Bible Study teacher for most of those years until he became ill, and he also served as a deacon.

When he retired, he looked for even more opportunities to serve others. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, he went down with his church a few times to serve food to the people who were devastated. He also volunteered in Alabama when they were hit with multiple tornadoes in 2011.  

When his wife, my aunt Billie, passed a few years earlier, he did not become angry, bitter, or reclusive. He continued to live his life for the LORD and continued his relationship with his children, their wives, his grandchildren, and other family members.

For me, my uncle Gerald was a good example of how to live life for God and for others. He simply gave of himself until his last breath on this earth.

I am sure that he heard those words that all of God’s servants long to hear when they graduate to heaven to be with the LORD for eternity—“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”  

I want to share one scripture verse with you of how God wants us to live our lives.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

Thank you, Uncle Gerald, for showing me and many others that it is possible to live a life according to God’s will.

May we all do the same.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful song I have included for your listening pleasure.

“Well Done” – The Afters

Heeding Warnings

On By CarmenLeave a comment

We have just entered hurricane season which starts in June and typically ends in November. Reports are already out that this year will be an exceptional year for hurricanes with a good chance for La Niña to add to the severity of storms.

Do you remember Hurricane Ian and the devastation it wreaked on Ft. Myers Beach two years ago? It was incomprehensible to many that there would be so much devastation. To this day, they are still recovering from this violent storm. Many chose to stay and ride out the storm. Some of these people did not survive because the water surge was so high.

Why didn’t they heed the warnings to evacuate?

I remember there were warnings of at least a 12-ft surge from the gulf waters. Many who stayed and survived said that they would most definitely evacuate for the next hurricane if advised to do so.

The only way to avoid such devastation is to heed the warnings and prepare according to the experts’ advice.

The same is true for our spiritual lives. We have a Master Expert who has created us, our earthly home, the galaxies, and heaven. God has created all things. (See Genesis 1)

God our Father, our Redeemer Jesus Christ, and our Counselor, the Holy Spirit, created us to have fellowship with Him because He loves us and wants us to have an abundant life on this earth and one day return to Him. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John writes that there will come a time when we will have no more pain and no more sorrows, if we belong to God.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 
Revelation 21:1-4

As much as I cherish my life in the here and now, I know that as seasons change, so will my life. I know that as I get older, my life will be different, although I am not sure how. I know that there will be disappointments and hardships, perhaps physical pain or illness that I will have to endure.

This life is not perfect, but it can be abundant. Currently, I am enjoying an abundant season of life and I thank God for this, because I have been through seasons of hardship and uncertainty.

We are told by God that He has a better life for us with Him in the future, whether He takes us to be with Him in heaven before the second coming of Christ or we are raptured up to heaven—that is, if we belong to Him.

If you are concerned, uncertain, or you just don’t agree, let me go a little further. Let’s read what God told the apostle John to write down in the next few verses.

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” 
Revelation 21:5-8

It’s wonderful to know that God will forgive our sins when we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior (the fountain of the water of life) and when we repent of our sin. To repent means to change directions, in other words, to turn away from our sin. There is not one of us alive today that hasn’t sinned, so we all need God’s grace and forgiveness and it is given to us for free.

God is always truthful and straightforward with His message. Let’s look at the last of these verses. He starts with “But” or on the other hand, for all the sinners who don’t repent and choose to continue in their sin and refuse to believe His truth and heed His warnings, these will be cast in to the lake of fire and burn for eternity. Yes, hell is real and God describes it as fiery hot and painful. In other words, these unbelievers will go into eternal torment.

I will not try to expound God’s simple truth. I know that some of you understand and believe this truth. My concern is for those who do not. My sincere goal is not to insult you, but to share with you God’s warnings. Maybe you have never heard this before, maybe you don’t believe it. Maybe you feel that God has abandoned you and allowed too much difficulty in your life. As I shared previously, my life has had its share of difficulties and pain—everyone’s has. Don’t let your troubles shade your view of God. If you turn to Him and trust Him, He will show Himself mightily to you.

The Bible is His written word, full of promises and examples of others who overcame difficulties and sin. He also gives us examples of those who chose not to follow Him and their consequences.

God loves you just as you are and He is waiting for you to turn to Him. He wants nothing more than to have a relationship with you.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 
2 Peter 3:9

I pray that you will reconsider God’s warnings written throughout His word.

As I close, I want to share one more appeal with you. Lee Strobel, a self-professed atheist, set out to prove that there is no God. He started reading the Bible to prove it false. The more he read, the more he began to believe in God and His word. He wrote a book, The Case for Christ, and a few years later a movie was made about his search for truth. I would invite you to at least read this book and maybe even watch the movie before you determine to continue in your unbelief.

Don’t be like those who lost their lives in the hurricanes because they would not heed the warnings. After death, there is no opportunity to change our minds or the mind of God. Make a decision for Jesus Christ today and freely receive the Water of Life—now and for eternity.

The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel

Book:   https://www.amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Investigation/dp/0310350034

I started listening to Christian music years ago on my long drives to and from work. I would always feel so wonderful as if God were there in the car with me encouraging me to continue in my walk with Him.

Below I have included a special song. I hope you will be blessed and feel God’s presence today as you too continue your journey with Him.

“The Father’s House” – Cory Asbury