Historical Markers

Hubby and I like a lot of the same things. However, I love historical markers and him not so much. I also love turning around and going back to see something we pass. He rarely is willing to turn around and go back.

Oh beloved, what kind of historical markers do you like to visit? And how often do you turn around and go back to something passed?

I mean the historical markers of your life. Those things that were life changing but now they are in the past. Why do you keep going back to those things? It takes a lot of time to go back. It wastes a lot of time rethinking about historical episodes. God isn’t in the past revisiting your trials, traumas or trips of hardship. So why should you?

God wants you to know this morning that you are in the present and you should be experiencing His Presence. Don’t let your mind keep bringing up the past. If you have built markers to remind yourself, tear them down. You can’t relive the past and change a thing by returning. It’s in the former days. And it’s covered under the Blood of Christ. Even good times can wreck your timeline. Memories are meant to be blessings and hardships are meant to be reminders. But going back isn’t fit for the Kingdom royalty you are! Keep going, keep living, keep making new memories and having new highlights of faith!

God loves you and He is for you. He isn’t bringing up the past to make you live a melancholy, miserable, unfortunate life. Run to Him this morning and ask for reconciliation over all the markers of your life. And live forward in the Light of your future so bright!

Isaiah 43:18-19 Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Philippians 3:13-14 But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Ecclesiastes 7:10 Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.

Family Reunions

Family reunions. We’ve had a few in our lifetime. It is such a good thing for families to get together. Young people hearing old people share stories of trials and overcoming obstacles, along with talking about where their people came from and how they settled in new places along the way. I recall one thing – those older family members didn’t sit around and recall even the most troublesome things as horrible events they couldn’t get over. No, they shared how amazing their lives were, even when things were hard.

Oh beloved, are you living life from a reunion viewpoint? OR are you living in the tragedies as though they are right now and full of fresh pain? Look to your ancestors. They didn’t get where they arrived by fearing pain or reliving sorrow. Look to your spiritual ancestors as well. Look to Daniel. Thrown in a lion’s den! Look to Joseph. Thrown in a well! Look at Ruth. Both social and economic tragedy! Throughout the Word we see stories of faith’s triumph as God came into the situation and gave each one a miracle of help. And He turned their tragedy into history!

God loves you and He is for you. Always! But He wants you to rise up and leave your past troubles in the past. He says write new stories about the faith you gained after you moved on from the trials and tribulations of life. Tell your story and don’t forget to make Jesus the headline of your life, as you live in the Light of His wonderful glory and grace!

Ruth 2:20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”

Daniel 6:10 Three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Genesis 45:7-8 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Romans 8:28 We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. AMP

Your Youth- Can You Skip?

It seems to be a trend to see if you can still skip. Now young folks can. But this gal is having a bit of a problem skipping. I can still do it, but it’s not anything you’d want to sing about. LOL I’m thinking this is one thing you want to keep practicing all your life. Who wants to admit they can no longer do a simple skip across the floor? Maybe this will help our brains stay young, if we keep skipping occasionally.

Oh beloved, God says our youth will be renewed like the eagles. Maybe it’s time to cast off the traditional thoughts of getting older. Maybe it’s time to skip a little and enjoy life more. Maybe it’s time to rely more on what Scripture says than on how we feel. I sure didn’t feel like skipping, but I had to try anyway! And so it is with all of us. We may not feel like dancing, laughing, climbing, skipping, enjoying life, pursuing new things, going to new heights. But we need to try anyway. And with the Lord, when we put our weak efforts into Him, He promises renewal, strength, courage, joy, unlimited possibilities!

You are not the sum of your weakness in any area. It does not define you…unless you let it. The definition of a believer doesn’t change through the ages of our lives. We have within us, the fountain of youth, so to speak – renewal by Holy Spirit, who stays with us, increases our stamina, helps our weaknesses, and causes us to be more than conquerors. That’s who you are in Christ, by faith and in accordance with God’s Word!

God loves you and He is for you. It’s not time to settle down. It’s time to find new horizons of faith to walk in. As you get up this morning, change your focus. Focus on what the Lord says – which is your spiritual DNA. Focus on the good things, like sunrises, good coffee, and the Word of God. And live in the Light of your wonderful life being renewed every day!

Psalm 91:16 I will satisfy you with a full life and with all that I do for you. For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your loving devotion, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Memorial Day -Friendly Fire

I read a soldier’s info report on another friend’s page yesterday. He has been sharing about casualties from the Viet Nam War who were local area young men. The one yesterday died of “misadventure”, which is the official word for friendly fire.

I looked into friendly fire incidents in the VN War and found this information. “In the desperate fight for Hill 875 in South Vietnam’s Central Highlands, at least 20 soldiers from the United States Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade were killed in one of the deadliest friendly-fire incidents of the entire Vietnam War.”

On this Memorial Day, we remember those who died for the cause of freedom. Not just all soldiers, but particularly those who died for the cause. That includes misadventures. And I think back to my own kids who sometimes caused a sibling pain. “It was an accident” was often cited. And I remember my own father saying “Accidents don’t just happen. They are created”.

Oh beloved, God is reminding us this morning that we are people of the Cross. We may die for the cause, although America hasn’t been known for spiritual casualties. But may we never cause harm from friendly fire. Every word we speak either wounds or heals. It either lifts up or pushes down. It either encourages or disheartens. What a beautiful reminder on this Memorial Day that Someone died so that we could live. And to live for self isn’t our cause. To receive friendly fire from the hand of another is one thing. But we must not be the one who gives it out to another. Our words are our greatest asset. Our attitudes are our finest weapon – praise destroys the enemy; praise strengthens our comrades. And you, beloved, are not the casualty of another’s friendly fire. You can stand in your position of blessing, walk in your authority with love and live in peace no matter what. That’s your birthright as a soldier of the Army of the Lord!

God loves you and He is for you. Don’t let what has happened to you become a memorial of painful memories. Instead fight the pain with praise, fill your life with new memories and speak the Word over yourself. Thank the Lord for valiant soldiers who died for freedom’s cause. And always know that you are protected and provided for in the Light of the Blood of the Jesus, who went to battle for you and won the war!

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.

Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

Matthew 18:33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?

One Way Streets And Jesus

I remember this morning that a friend and I went to downtown Little Rock to shop while my dad was at a doctor’s appointment at the VA hospital. Somehow, we got on a one-way street going the wrong way. Thanks to a very nice man, honking and pointing, we got turned around! It could have been a disaster. One way actually means only one way. That has stayed with me all these years.

I’ve seen posts about celebrities lately that concern me. Bruce Jenner says “I hope when I get to the pearly gates I will hear, aw come on in, you were good enough.” And then this morning I read that Tina Turner credits her Buddhist faith and chanting for her clarity in life. She was very specific about chanting giving glory to a Buddhist deity. She was raised in a Christian faith , but turned away from that for Buddhism.

Oh beloved, there is only one way. In Christ alone my hope is found. How about you? There is no other god but the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth. We have a choice to make. Do we worship God? Do we find strength in other things? Do we follow the trends? And do we mix true faith with other things to find happiness, strength and purpose?

You are so precious to the Lord. He says He knew you before you were in your mother’s womb. He watched as you were being formed in secret in the inward parts. Not a thing about you has been left to chance. You were born to live in peace and have true salvation. Don’t let anything or anyone change your life into a reasonable facsimile of true faith. God wants to give you a grown up faith. The kind that will stick with you in the trenches, comfort you in the cold days, and give you light in the darkest of times. Each of us must find our way to an encounter with the Only Living God. It’s okay for you to know that you know that you know you are in Christ. For He is THE way, THE truth and THE life. How blessed are you that God is calling you to lay down your life for His and pick up your cross and follow Him. Don’t give up now. There is no strength the world offers that will give you what Jesus gives. You are far too precious to settle for anything less.

God loves you and He is for you. Oh, what a joyous account that you can say you are born again and living for the Lord! Reach out this morning to Him and renew your devotion. Give Him first place and nothing else will matter, as you live in the Light of His wonderful mercy, grace and peace!

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

Ephesians 2:17-20 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

I Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus