Show me the one, show me the way, help me to know just how to share the love You gave.

Look around you! There is probably someone who could use some love! All too often, we find ourselves surrounded by people who are going through some difficult times. Perhaps you are! Whether it's unemployment, family problems, health problems, depression, loneliness, or whatever, all of us would like some relief from what we are going through. We need to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

And there is! The Light of Lights, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is willing and more than able to lift us from our darkness, into His pure and safe haven of light. He promises His love and presence to heal and deliver, to strengthen and help, all those who call on Him.

Like the beam from the mighty lighthouse, that directs ships safely back to harbor, His Light is there to show us the way to Him, for Jesus is truly the Way, the Truth and the Life.

It is my prayer that this site encourages you to reflect His light to those around you who need to know Him. Let Him use you to share His love. And as you embark on this remarkable journey, please share your experiences so that all of us can grow together in our quest to reach all the world, lest anyone should perish.

May God richly bless you!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16


Friday, March 22, 2013

A Coat and A Cross

This week my 91 year old mother-in-law said goodbye to her 98 year old husband. They had been married for 73 years, and she has never lived alone. My father-in-law's funeral was the day before yesterday, and even though it was technically Spring, the snow was falling, the wind was blowing and it was around 20 degrees. After the church service, we were to gather at the gravesite. In an effort to make sure she was dressed warmly, my husband looked in her closet and found a longer dark blue coat. He helped her into it, and off we went.
Afterwards, she told us that the coat belonged to her husband. And while she sat in the chair underneath the tent at the gravesite, she realized that, and felt like she had her husband's arms wrapped around her. She didn't feel alone.
It was only a coat. But it smelled like her husband, and its warmth comforted her. She felt close to him by wearing the coat.

This makes me think about the cross. To some people it is just wood. Criminals hung on it to be crucified 2000 years ago. But to Christians, the cross means much more. It stands for love. God's love for mankind.

For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him,
shall not perish but have everlasting life.
             - John 3:16

God knew we would need a Savior, and demonstrated His own love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He was the perfect Lamb, to ultimately pay the price for our sins. By accepting His free gift of salvation, we become heirs to the Kingdom and inherit everlasting life.  All through a cross.

To my mother-in-law, that coat meant that her husband was near...

To you, what does the cross mean?

As I stand before the cross
and I gaze upon its beauty
I see You... I see You
A symbol of Your love
the perfect sacrifice
I see You... I see You
You gave Your life up on that cross
redeemed me from my sins
No longer death would have its sting
new life in You begins
Forever I will worship You, my King
Forever I will glorify Your Name
As I stand before the cross
and I gaze upon its beauty
I see You... I see You
I can hear the hammer pounding
and the ground begin to shake
I see You... I see You
Your face is filled with anguish
drops of blood begin to fall
I see You... I see You
The chosen time is coming soon
in the twinkling of an eye
I'd hate to think how things would be
if You hadn't paid the price
Forever separated and in darkness we would be
Jesus, You paid the price for me
Oh, Jesus, You gave Your life for me.
                                                      -  'I See You' by Mary Latona

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

This Is The Pope Calling

I have to laugh at what I read today in the Yahoo News. The Pope, who is used to doing things on his own, decided to place a call through the Vatican receptionist. Apparantly he identified himself as Pope Francis. This is a nono, as the Pope isn't supposed to do his own calling. So because it was never done before, the receptionist thought it was a prank call. He replied, "Yes, well I'm Napoleon!" That receptionist didn't recognize the 'Holy Father''s voice!

This incident made me think of our conversations with God. What, you don't have any? Oh, sure you must! When God, who is our Heavenly Father, calls you, do you recognize His voice? Or do you think you're hearing things? That maybe it's a prank call...maybe from your own thoughts, or even from the master of lies, the devil!

If you are like me, thoughts come into your mind. Some are subconscious, and you don't give much thought to them. Your mind may be trying to solve an issue, so you go over different solutions. Other times, you begin thinking negatively, without realizing it, and soon you have critical thoughts about a person, or you aren't content with your life or situation. And then, there are thoughts that give you a sense of peace.

Where do these thoughts come from, and which ones are from God? I believe what we listen to and look at sow seeds to our thought content, and eventually lead to our decisions and actions. Satan wants us to have miserable lives, and listening to him always leads to that. But God wants us to have blessed lives, so what He puts in our minds always lead to that. Here is what the Bible says on this:

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -
think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me,
or even seen in me - put into practice.
And the God of peace will be with you.
                                                                - Philippians 4:8-9

Jesus came to be our Savior and our Shepherd. John 10:27 tells us that Jesus' sheep listen to His voice. He knows them and they follow Him. He gives them eternal life, and they shall never perish. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then He is your Shepherd and is watching over you. When He calls your name, you recognize His voice, and follow Him. You may want to read Psalm 23 again. Our lives can be filled with not only good days, but bad ones, as the devil is like a wolf, lurking in the shadows, trying to devour us! Knowing we have a Shepherd who is right beside us, is very reassuring and comforting. We need to recognize His voice!

Perhaps you are trying to navigate life by yourself, but it isn't working out. Maybe you are being bombarded by negative and troublesome thoughts, and they are making you miserable. If you don't feel you have a Shepherd but are searching for Him, then now is the time. It is very simple. Just pray this prayer, sincerely, with your heart:


Dear Jesus-
I come to You now, asking You to be my Savior
and my Shepherd. I know I have sinned against You,
and I ask for Your forgiveness.
Please come into my heart, be my Lord and Savior,
and lead me to eternal life.
I want to hear Your voice, so that I can follow You.
In Your Precious Name,
Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer, then rejoice! You now have a Savior and a Shepherd who promises to be with you, guide you, comfort you and lead you to eternal life. Make every effort to find a Pastor to share this with, and get into the habit of reading the Bible. Find a Bible believing Church and enjoy the fellowship of other sheep. The best is yet to be!

And then, when God calls, you will recognize His voice!



Friday, March 8, 2013

While I'm Waiting

I'm beginning to believe that life is all about waiting. We wait to grow up. We wait to get married. We wait for children. We wait for that promotion. We wait to retire. We wait for Fridays. We wait for dinner. We wait for vacation time. We wait....and wait....and wait. Why do we spend so much time waiting?
I happened to think about this recently when I looked at my prayer list. It seems to be growing. Requests for healing. Requests for jobs. We seek answers to our questions. It seems like we want immediate resolutions, but once they come, we begin to wait for something else! Aren't we ever content with the present condition of our lives?
The Bible has alot of things to say about waiting. There are seasons in our lives, and as in nature, we have to go through one season before we experience the next season.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.
                         -  Ecclesiastes 3:1

We have to crawl before we can walk. We drink milk before we eat meat. We are young before we grow old. Everything in its proper order. But it all involves waiting. And though we get impatient and want to hurry things on, we need to wait on the Lord to fulfill everything in its proper time. If we try to stay in His will and allow Him to work in our lives, the results will be far better for us. He has a purpose and a plan behind making us wait. Even though we may not be aware of it, He is working behind the scenes in our situations. Perhaps our character needs improvement. Maybe we need to trust more in Him.  His timing is perfect and flawless.

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
                                     - Psalm 27:14

How can we be better at waiting? I truly feel that by keeping your thoughts on the Lord, and His love and provision for you and your situation, your mind will be at peace. By remembering that He is the perfect provider and knows every detail of what you are going through, you will be reminded that He is in control.


And we know that in all things
God works for the good
of those who love Him,
who have been called
according to His purpose.
                           - Romans 8:28

Are you waiting? Are you waiting for Him to meet your needs and desires? Are you waiting for His return? While you are waiting, look up to Him, and thank Him for what He is doing in your life!




Friday, March 1, 2013

Texting God

Communicating these days is so different from when I grew up. In a world not that long ago, people used the telephone to talk to each other. And usually it was a phone that hung on a wall in a main room in the house. There was no privacy, as everyone could listen to your side of the conversation! Especially embarrassing when you were talking to a boyfriend!
Or you would take some stationary out and write letters to your friends. And you would excitedly wait for the mailman to drop off the letters they would write to you. I have a huge stack of letters that my husband wrote to me when we were dating. They are wonderful to read, now that we have been married over 30 years!
Now, it seems that people are in too much of a hurry to wait for things. Snail mail has been replaced by email, and texting. Complete sentences are no longer used, but abbreviated words. As a result, I have noticed that people in the same room don't look at each other, but stare at their phones, while their thumbs race over the keys to send their messages. Not long ago, while I was at a popular restaurant, a young couple were seated at a table, and it looked like they were dating. But both of them soon got out their phones, and instead of talking to each other, face to face, they were busy staring into their phones, texting messages! People have turned communication into a nonpersonal activity, with no room for face expressions, body language, or touch. And people aren't really sharing what's on their minds. No deep thinking. It's no wonder that people aren't feeling love. Technology has replaced God's design in human interaction.
What about your communication skills with God? Do you have any? Are you in such a rush that a day or two will go by without spending time with Him? Do you rush through your prayers? Especially without allowing Him to answer you? Are your prayers only out of necessity, with demands, instead of praises and thankfulness? Is your Bible reading sparse, and abbreviated to short sayings that you see on Facebook?
God loves you and me so very much, and desires a deep relationship with us. How can we get close to Him, and experience the blessings of knowing Him in an intimate way if we don't take the time to communicate with Him?  He deserves so much more than we are giving Him.
Take the time to put everything else aside. No cell phones. No people. No technology. Just you and God. Take your Bible, and open it. Read His love letters to you. Close your eyes, and express your love for Him. Then, you will have a truly rewarding face to face encounter with Him, and the intimacy you will be sharing will soon be the most desired relationship you will have. A relationship designed by Him for you!