Never Alone

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Marie

We live in a world of more than 8 billion people (7.87 billion in 2021). With that many people, why is it so common to feel alone at times?

God creates loneliness in us so we will seek Him. When we do this He gives us wisdom and understanding. (Proverbs 4:5) When we are troubled, stressed, and just plain tired He gives us strength. (1 Chronicles 16:11)

Merriam-Webster defines this feeling as being without company/cut off from others. In Hebrew, it can also mean solitude and desert.

Yet, this (God) was something Jesus sought often. In nine different passages of the Gospels, He goes to a solitary place to seek God. (I’m sure there were more!) Why? Because He needed to set apart alone time, to be away from other people and distractions, to seek His Father’s will. (Luke 9:18)

We are rewarded when we diligently seek God. (Hebrews 11:6) When we spend set apart time with Him what we ask we will receive, what we seek we will find, when we knock He will open the door. (Matthew 7:7-8)

Abba, Father, help us recognize that our feelings of aloneness are invitations from You to talk. Open our hearts to Your welcoming voice. Comfort us and give us the peace that comes from being in Your Presence.

Shades of the Same Color

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Marie

When are we going to learn? When will we stop characterizing people by what we perceive as the color of their skin? God never intended this when He created us. We are all simply shades of one color.

There are as many as 250 shades of brown. They encompass all the ways God uses them in nature. The color is perceived as stable, safe, traditional, and conservative (from https://simplicable.com/new/brown-color). Add to that 30 shades of beige, all the combinations of those, and the possibilities are almost endless.

Where am I going with this? I’m tired of all the violence and drama related to the color of our skin. Consider this list of Not All…

NOT ALL whites are racist
NOT ALL blacks are thugs
NOT ALL people are perfect
NOT ALL cops are brutal
NOT ALL Christians are judgemental
NOT ALL gun owners are evil
NOT ALL Middle Eastern people are terrorists

What does God think of all this? Check out these verses.

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritismbut accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:34-35

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:9

Mandisa and Toby Mac say this so well in We All Bleed The Same.

Here’s an additional thought… Black and white are not colors. Just sayin’ ………….

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone. Hebrews 12:14

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Father’s Image

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Marie

I look like my dad. It’s hard to describe how happy it made me when I was given this picture. Dad is about six years old here and the child beside him is his twin brother . I really don’t know why this had such a profound affect on me. Throughout my life I’ve felt a special connection to him. (Dad went to be with Jesus several years ago.) He loved, supported, respected, and cared in ways that only the most special dad’s can.

These are the character traits I saw in my dad and part of why he was the Best Dad Ever.

He put my mom first.

He loved, respected and supported we three girls.

He was always there for us!

He provided all we needed, even though that meant he might not have the things he wanted.

He saw us as individuals, allowing each of us to have room in his heart but not placing one above the other.

In Romans 8:39 we are told that nothing can separate us from our Father’s love. I knew this to be true of my ‘daddy’ (I called him that through adulthood.) and it has helped me understand my Abba.

My Father’s Eyes by Amy Grant

This beautiful song My Father’s Eyes puts words to music. Click on the picture to listen.

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

5-Minute Friday

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Marie

I am joining the flash mob of writer/bloggers for 5-Minute Friday. Today’s word is – fill. If you’d like to join in the fun head over to Heading Home, Kate Motaung’s blog and join in.

Immediately my mind goes to the Professor who brings a glass jar filled with rocks to a lecture and asks the class if they believe the jar is full. Of course, the class says yes. He then proceeds to fill in the empty areas with small gravel. When asked if the jar is full the class says yes. After adding sand he asks again and gets yes. He then adds water and asks is the jar full. Well of course it is, so he asks what is the significance of this exercise…

Unless we put the large rocks in first we won’t be able to fit them in later.

I have found this to be true in so many areas of life but nowhere more so than in my relationship with Jesus. The basics have to be put in place each day to be filled to the brim with life nourishing water.

Look at it like this;

The rocks are the early morning times of prayer and praise.

The gravel is reading and studying the word.

The sand is asking for His help, encouragement, love, and forgiveness in all of the day’s situations.

The water is His response to my request…filled to the brim…overflowing…adding more as necessary…never letting the jar (me) run dry.

My 5 minutes has run out but …

Wonderful words from His Word – John 4:4-14

Fill My Cup, Lord

Heavenly Fill me to the fullest with Your Living Water. Let it wash over not only me but everyone I come into contact with. Hear my prayer, Lord, in the Precious Name of Jesus.

Recall Notice

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Marie

Sometimes I wonder if God would just like to RECALL the whole project. I know He loves us more than anything but I really think He gets tired of it all. Don’t you? A dear friend sent me this and I thought it would be good for all of us to read.

Dear Human.

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype unit’s code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been identified as “Subsequently Internal Non-morality”, more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed. Some of the symptoms include but are not limit to:

Loss of direction…Foul vocal emissions…Amnesia of origin…Lack of peace and joy…Selfish or violent behavior…Depression or confusion…Fearfulness…Idolatry…Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect. The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component. No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems to numerous to list, and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.