Once Upon A Time

I held the future in my hands. I kissed the sweet lips of a promise and marveled at the power of love.

From that first moment I knew my heart would never be the same.

I am so thankful for miracles. Thankful for a God who answers prayer.

Thankful that He hasn't stopped.

And amazed, even now after 20 years at the love He has for me.

You heard the prayers of a young mother who wanted just one more baby when the doctor said it wouldn't happen.

You used that little life to renew my passion for you through a healing.

You have kept him all these years, even from what should have taken his life.

And now I have the pleasure of watching him seek after You.

Once upon a time You fulfilled one promise by giving me a lifetime of love.

Thank You for giving me 20 years with my baby boy. I will never be a ble to praise You enough.

I remain Your servant, always!

Line Upon Line

I recently had a very intense conversation with someone.

Intense and eye-opening.

I would like to be able to state to you today that I have legendary Bible knowledge, that I was one of those that could quote and quote and quote with perfection.

I have tried to memorize scripture. And I have succeeded in small ways. But, I just haven't ever been grand at it.

Don't get me wrong, I have studied the Word. I will never cease to strive to expand my knowledge of it. It is a live, vibrant thing that never fails to touch some part of me that I never even knew was longing to be touched.

The Word of God is my comfort, my friend.

Yet, during this intense discussion I recently unwillingly became a part of I longed more than ever before to have that infinite knowledge of every passage.

I have noticed a growing trend among the Christians of today. More and more I find that people are turning to a "Cafeteria Style" Christianity.

You go through through the Bible "picking and choosing" what you want to believe and passing by what you don't want to believe.

I have always **thought** this, but during my intense conversation, this way of thinking was confirmed as the person I was talking to said, "That's why it says in the Bible that there are good and bad things in it and you just pick what you think is good and leave the bad."

So, at this point in the conversation is where I wanted to be able to say: "I have memorized every single scripture of the Bible and can quote them each verbatim-HENCE I am able to tell you that is simply NOT located anywhere in the Word of God."

My real response was much more lame. After I managed to close my mouth that had dropped to my stomach when those words were tossed at me I ever so eloquently stated, "The Bible does not say that!"

"Yes it does!"

"It most certainly does not! Where is that at in the Bible?"

"Well, I don't know right off hand, but I could try to find it."

Good luck with that one.

I have found nothing in the Word of God that states anything remotely resembling that statement. And if you are standing in the Cafeteria Religion line thinking you are getting fed, let me give you some real food for thought:

Matthew 5:18-19 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot of one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Isaiah 28:9-13 Whom shall he teach knowledge?and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept; line upon line, line upon line, here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not...

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us...

Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY word of God.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 John 5:7-8 for there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these tree are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit,and the water and the blood: and these three agree in one.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Timothy 4:2-5 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teacher, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Revelation 19:13-16 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almightly God. And he that on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

If His Word is true, which I am certain it is, then HE is the WORD.

That being said, if what was told to me was true then His Word was saying there was BAD in Him.

I may not have the whole thing memorized but I know there is nothing but Goodness in my God. And that would also mean that we were able to pick and choose what about Him we wanted to accept.

See, here is one way I do not agree with some. I have heard so many say that "So-In-So Accepted Christ as their personal Savior."

How arrogant is that statement?

To think that He is waiting with baited breath to see if I will ACCEPT HIM---The King of Glory?!?!

I think not!

The question is: Does He accept ME?

When I am standing before God, I will know who HE is, without a doubt, for the Word says "Every knee shall bow," and that includes mine.

But will He know me?

Have I lived up to His Word? Have I lived it Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept?

Because on that day, that line will become all too important.

So, are you living your life by the Cafeteria Plan?

Or are you living your life by His Plan?

The Music of a Life

Memories tread lightly, shifting through darkness, peaking around corners....

So many years....so many times....




And the memories come out of nowhere, tied to a moment...

Like sitting beside them both in the front seat of the car.....



Sitting up front, just my Mama and me....



Listening to their old records and pretending I was there, too....



And riding on the coat-tails of my older siblings teen-aged years....



As they found their paths and left me to find mine.....



Nights out with Mom and Dad....impressing my friends at 40 year olds that still listened.....



Times I struggled to find out who I was....



Times when I thought I had it all figured out....



And then when love came....



And I thought I was "All Grown Up" but life showed me different....



So I turned to Him....



While rocking my babies....



And although I stumbled and fell....He was waiting to pick me up...



How could I not give Him all of my praise....with all He has given me....



He has been my strength in times of trouble, my comfort in times of need....

He has given me the courage to say "Farewell for now" to my wonderful parents....



And a life filled with love and memories...the best life...one lived for Him....

No Turning back.....



Because I know the best is yet to come....



And someday....when my time comes....I want to be ready.....



But every now and then a memory will come gliding in on the wings of a song....



And I am transported to another place and time.....



And I remember....



Suddenly it becomes more than a song....it becomes a piece of my life....

Replayed once again.

Separated at Birth

Although it is rare, there are many recorded instances of Identical Twins that were separated at birth, some even for the sake of research.

What has been found in each study is that both have many of the same mannerism and characteristics.

Such is the case of the 2 Jim's:

Jim Lewis and Jim Springer first met February 9, 1979, after 39 years of being separated. Both were very nervous at first, but now consider the reunion "the most important day of my life." Amid the euphoria over their rediscovery of each other, they came across astonishing similarities in their lives and behavior. Both had been adopted by separate families in Ohio, and had grown up within 45 miles of each other. Both had been named James by their adoptive parents, both had married twice; first to women named Linda and second to women named Betty. Both had children, including sons named James Allan. Both had at one time owned dogs named Toy.

Researchers of these separated twins seek to discover if it is "Nature" or "Nurture" that causes a person to become who they are. But ultimately, research has discovered that it is "Nature via Nurture" that shapes the person. It is our own inherent characteristics that develop out of our environment.

But it is the nature of who we are that dictates how we will react to our environment.

These twins may have had similar traits but their lives were different based on the environments they were raised in, their belief systems were different related to the fact that they were raised in different homes with different values.

When we experience the New Birth we bury the old man of sin and are "Born Again" as the Word of God teaches. That experience should mirror the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as we "REPENT" which is the turning away from the old ways (the death of the old man), and then are Baptized in the Name of Jesus, which represents the burial and filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost (representing the resurrection). (See Acts 2:38)

It is through that New Birth that we become separated from the world, that we "Come out from among" those that live in the world and begin a new life. And although we are still made from the same flesh and blood as everyone else, we are not the same.

As a child of the King of Kings I don't walk the same, I don't talk the same, I don't desire the same things.

And it is the nature of that separation from the things of the world and the nurture His Spirit that changes the fiber of who we are, causing us to act different, to make different choices.

It is the change in the very environment of our lives that begins to shape us and there is a marked difference in even the things that make us happy.

And while the world at large searches for the similarities between us and them, it should be our differences that are most noticeable.

People should be able to tell a Christian from the world.

The genetics that we received from our "Father" should allow those around us to know Him through us, see His eyes when looking in ours, hear His voice when we speak, and feel His touch from our hand.

Jesus signed our **New** Birth Certificate in His own blood. And it is that very blood that flows from Calvary in a crimson stream through the veins of all that are His.

What about you? Do you feel like there is something missing from your life? Maybe a part of yourself you have yet to discover?

Let me introduce you to your Father.........He has been waiting to get to know you.