Life has changed for me over the last couple of years. Within a 13 month timeframe, we have lost 10 members of our family on both mine and my husband's side of the family. The closest were my mother in June of 2012 and my brother in March of 2013. I have also had an aunt and several cousins and my husband has had 2 uncles and an aunt to pass.
My "core", as my husband says, has been lost. Although I have "half" and "step" siblings who I love dearly, the 2 people who have been with me all of my life are no longer here. This is what really brings me to this post.
On Christmas Eve, my family has always gotten together to eat, open gifts and just spend some quality time together enjoying all that Christmas really means: faith, family, and future. We embrace our faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us so that we could have eternal life. We embrace our family as special gifts from God the Father and love each other with a thankful heart to have each other. Finally, we embrace our future, living a life pleasing to God by listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit to guide our footsteps.
But as life goes on without my "core", I also realized that my Christmas Eve tradition is no longer a reality. So instead of just sitting at home and getting emotional about all that I've lost, my husband and I have decided that it is time for a new tradition. So this year, we have decided to visit some people who are elderly or shut-in. Whether it's singing some Christmas Carols off-key, taking food baskets, or simply just showing others that we care about them, I think "our new" tradition will live on. We will still be able to share our faith with others, add "new" members to our family and look to the future as being able to spread the Love of Jesus to at least a little part of our world!
May God Bless each of you this year and throughout the rest of the years of your life and see what God would have you do to "Be a Blessing this Christmas" and all the other days that God gives us.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thanksgiving 2013
This year will be different that all the ones of the past. With my mother and my brother both in heaven this year as well as countless other relatives like my aunt Lola and my husband's aunt Louise, there is a bit of sadness about all the festivities. Yet, when I look at what Thanksgiving is all about, I have to remember all of the things for which I am thankful. First, I am thankful for those who are no longer with us, but that God allowed them to be such a part of our lives for so many years. I'm thankful for my husband and my children and extended family. But mostly, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God's only begotten son, who gave Himself for my salvation and who now makes intercession with God the Father on my behalf and has sent the Blessed Holy Spirit to walk with me daily. Things are different. I have a longing in my heart for heaven that keeps growing as time goes by. Yet, I have so much in this life to look forward to doing, witnessing and just beholding. Life is a blessing. Thank you Lord!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Turn to Jesus Before It's Too Late!
I wrote this on Saturday Morning on Barry's FaceBook wall for the benefit of his "friends". However, I feel that I should post it to my "friends" as well. Here it is:
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This post is for the benefit of Barry Taylor's friends. He mentioned some of you in the weeks before he passed away. He also expressed regret over lots of things in his past.
Barry was an "intellectual" who always wanted things "proved" to him. He fell into satan's trap of even denying the very existence of God, much less salvation through Jesus. Barry started breaking free of satan's hold when... our mother was diagnosed with cancer last year. Many times my mother had prayed that he would find out the truth that it took only a simple childlike faith and God would confirm to his mind with a heart change. At the end of our mother's life, she expressed her visions of her journey crossing "Jordon" to get to the Promised Land of heaven. Barry was able to witness first hand what happens for a true believer in the power of Jesus Christ.
At that point, he realized that his atheist leanings were flat out WRONG! He started searching again. This time instead of buying blasphemous books denying God, he purchased a new Holy Bible! God's true Word for mankind. He read, researched and still was struggling from an intellectual standpoint because it is faith not logic where that missing link appears. His heart knew that there had to be a God but his intellect just couldn't connect.
Barry was then diagnosed with terminal cancer. He realized that according to all the research, his physical life was going to be over soon. Then he was hit hard with his own mortality.
Once he made the connection about life and death and an eternity spent somewhere, he accepted that God did, in fact, exist and believed.Then, he was too ashamed and felt too unworthy to repent of his sins and ask God to forgive him. He had wanted to but knew he didn't deserve salvation. Finally, he realized that none of us deserve salvation. It is simply a free Gift of God through His grace.
Once Barry cried out to The Lord for salvation, there was an instantaneous change in his heart on the inside and a miraculously obvious change on the outside.
You see, prior to his conversion, we saw an extremely sick man whose face was showing mortal fear. He already knew that there really was a heaven to gain and for him a real hell that he was destined to go to. But once he received the gift of God by accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior, he was filled with the Holy Spirit of God on the inside that came bursting to the outside. He went from a broken, fearful man of death and despair to a restored, redeemed man of hope and an eternal future with God.
Today he IS in heaven! And friends, he would love to see you there too one day when you lay your mortal body down. Those of you who don't know the free pardon of sin, Barry would plead with you today to turn to Jesus before its too late.
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This post is for the benefit of Barry Taylor's friends. He mentioned some of you in the weeks before he passed away. He also expressed regret over lots of things in his past.
Barry was an "intellectual" who always wanted things "proved" to him. He fell into satan's trap of even denying the very existence of God, much less salvation through Jesus. Barry started breaking free of satan's hold when... our mother was diagnosed with cancer last year. Many times my mother had prayed that he would find out the truth that it took only a simple childlike faith and God would confirm to his mind with a heart change. At the end of our mother's life, she expressed her visions of her journey crossing "Jordon" to get to the Promised Land of heaven. Barry was able to witness first hand what happens for a true believer in the power of Jesus Christ.
At that point, he realized that his atheist leanings were flat out WRONG! He started searching again. This time instead of buying blasphemous books denying God, he purchased a new Holy Bible! God's true Word for mankind. He read, researched and still was struggling from an intellectual standpoint because it is faith not logic where that missing link appears. His heart knew that there had to be a God but his intellect just couldn't connect.
Barry was then diagnosed with terminal cancer. He realized that according to all the research, his physical life was going to be over soon. Then he was hit hard with his own mortality.
Once he made the connection about life and death and an eternity spent somewhere, he accepted that God did, in fact, exist and believed.Then, he was too ashamed and felt too unworthy to repent of his sins and ask God to forgive him. He had wanted to but knew he didn't deserve salvation. Finally, he realized that none of us deserve salvation. It is simply a free Gift of God through His grace.
Once Barry cried out to The Lord for salvation, there was an instantaneous change in his heart on the inside and a miraculously obvious change on the outside.
You see, prior to his conversion, we saw an extremely sick man whose face was showing mortal fear. He already knew that there really was a heaven to gain and for him a real hell that he was destined to go to. But once he received the gift of God by accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior, he was filled with the Holy Spirit of God on the inside that came bursting to the outside. He went from a broken, fearful man of death and despair to a restored, redeemed man of hope and an eternal future with God.
Today he IS in heaven! And friends, he would love to see you there too one day when you lay your mortal body down. Those of you who don't know the free pardon of sin, Barry would plead with you today to turn to Jesus before its too late.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
There's a Song in the Air
It seems as though I have songs constantly coming into my head. As an event or moment in time "happens," I am reminded of a song. I have noticed that as I get older that the songs are more on the spiritual side than the secular.
I use to think of country songs or jingles as life's little events, but not so much any more. Perhaps, the most poignant songs are the songs of my childhood and teen years. The songs that my parents use to sing. As those songs come flooding back into my memory, I catch another glimpse of heaven.
I'm not going to say that things in this life won't hurt me again, because I know they will. But I've gotten more of a longing for what awaits me on the other side of this life, the proverbial Jordon.
When I cross that river, it was worth it all to me.
All the splendors of heaven, before my eyes I could see.
There stands Jesus and there's Mom and Dad, they've been waiting for me,
When I cross that river, it was worth it all to me
Oh, that's just one of the many, many songs that come to me and comfort me. I've pretty much decided that whatever happens in this life is really nothing to fret too much about. The only thing that matters in this life is doing what God wants me to do in order that more people will come to know Him, thereby, making their way to heaven in the end.
I'm anxiously awaiting that day when the Lord calls me home. But until then, I'm going His way and doing His will.
I use to think of country songs or jingles as life's little events, but not so much any more. Perhaps, the most poignant songs are the songs of my childhood and teen years. The songs that my parents use to sing. As those songs come flooding back into my memory, I catch another glimpse of heaven.
I'm not going to say that things in this life won't hurt me again, because I know they will. But I've gotten more of a longing for what awaits me on the other side of this life, the proverbial Jordon.
When I cross that river, it was worth it all to me.
All the splendors of heaven, before my eyes I could see.
There stands Jesus and there's Mom and Dad, they've been waiting for me,
When I cross that river, it was worth it all to me
Oh, that's just one of the many, many songs that come to me and comfort me. I've pretty much decided that whatever happens in this life is really nothing to fret too much about. The only thing that matters in this life is doing what God wants me to do in order that more people will come to know Him, thereby, making their way to heaven in the end.
I'm anxiously awaiting that day when the Lord calls me home. But until then, I'm going His way and doing His will.
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