"How's Your Hospitality?"

The meaning of hospitality is cordial and generous reception of or disposition of guests.
Last week our church had the opportunity to show hospitality to a mission group of 3o who had been to Mexico and were traveling back to Akron, Ohio. One of their vans hit a deer and they needed a place to stay for the night. Many members got things ready for them in the fellowship hall, breakfast items were bought for them, and one of the deacons worked late that night on their van to get it repaired. That is what hospitality is! Working together in unity for the glory of God!
In Romans 10:13 it says, "Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.We should reflect God's love to others and be willing to help others.
It tells us in Hebrews 13:2, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."One never know how far-reaching an act of kindness might be. We are told in God's word to extend love to strangers.
We are to serve for God's glory. In I Peter 4:9 it says, "Be hospitable to one another without complaint. Love is intensely practical, not just emotional. In Peter's day, love included opening one's home and caring for other needy Christians, such as traveling preachers. It also included opening one's home for church services. Scripture also teaches that Christians should be hospitable to strangers.
Step back, and think how you would feel, if you were traveling and broke down, and needed help, and everyone turned their back on you!! Be gracious, Be hospitable, Be kind, Be loving!!! See God's blessings and Praise His name for the opportunity to BE HOSPITABLE!

"Seeking God's Direction!"

So many times in our lives we seek direction for one thing or another! We need directions to another town, directions on a recipe, directions on how to put something together, directions to a doctor's or dentist office, and many other things that we seek directions for!
The greatest book, the Bible, our road map, our compass, is the best thing we can go to get our direction! Seek God in Prayer and Meditation for whatever you face in life and read the Word of God! Claim His Promise's!
Scriptures on Seeking and Direction:
1."The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9
(Our Sovereign God overrules the plans of men to fulfill His purposes.-See Gen. 5:20, I Kings 12:15, Ps. 119:133, Jeremiah 10:23, Daniel 5:23-30, and I Cor. 3:19, 20)
2."Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way." Proverbs 23:19
(The way of wisdom is the only right way.) (See Proverbs 4:10, 11)
3. "I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps." Jeremiah 10:23 (Man is incapable of guiding his own life adequately. (Reference to Proverbs 3:5 & 6, and Proverbs 16:9 above)
4. "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul." Deut. 4:29
5. "And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
6. "I love those who love me' And those who diligently seek me will find me." Proverbs 8:17 (Wisdom's love for the one who receives it is proven by the benefits mentioned in Proverbs 8:18-21)
7. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33
8. :Ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7
9. "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Col. 3:1
Remember in whatever you are seeking and needing direction in to go to God and His Word!! He should be the "Pilot, not the co-pilot " of our lives!!!

Do You Sparkle for Jesus?

Last Saturday night I was sitting at the computer desk in our back bedroom and I looked down at my left hand and the diamond in my wedding ring was gone!!! Needless to say I was hollering and tellling my husband, we were searching thru the house, on the floors, everywhere!!! For 20 minutes we searched and we didn't find it!!! I was almost sick to my stomach!!! It was the sentimental value of the ring. My husband had given me the engagement ring over 38 years ago!!! I was upset!!! My sparkling diamond was gone!!!
So many times in our lives we don't "sparkle" for Jesus! We let our flesh, our attitudes tell us what to do, instead of listening to the Holy Spirit and obeying Him. We are told in God's Word, "And You Shall Love the Lord Your God With All Your Heart, And With All Your Soul, And With All Your Mind, And With All Your Strength." Mark 12:30. We get upset with our husbands or children when things aren't done exactly the way we want them to be. We are so impatient!!! Just think how God's patience should run out on us, but He is ever faithful and longsuffering and wants the best for each and every one of us!!! We fret over material things (me-my ring). God gave his precious Son for us. He died on the cross, He took our sin debt upon Him, We are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus when we admit we are a sinner, believe in Jesus Christ, and confess our sins and then we are saved!! Our Life Now Sparkles With Jesus Christ!!!

My Prayer is that each and every day I "sparkle" and proclaim Jesus in all I say or do!!
Oh, by the way, Saturday night, I was putting on my pantyhose and something "sparkled" on the floor, I reached down and touched the sparkly thing and guess what, IT WAS MY DIAMOND!!! Thank you Lord, for putting the "sparkle-(Light)" in my life when I accepted you as my Savior at age 10 years of age and for letting me find the "sparkle-diamond"for my ring!"

Follow me, I am the Light!
John 8:12-"I am the Light of the World......."

Walk in Light:
Ephesians 5:8b
"But now you are Light in the Lord, walk as children of Light."

Go out and "SPARKLE FOR JESUS TODAY!!!"

Does Jesus Have A Pocket?

During a recent worship service, I was moved to tears.   They came suddenly and unexpectedly.   Rolling down my face.. falling uncontrollably from my heart.     As usual, I  was unprepared for this event.   I never have tissue in my purse.   Most of the time I don't even have a purse.  You would think that having been a Girl Scout leader for 12 years, I would at least follow the most basic of the Girl Scout Laws;   "Be Prepared".    But, not me.

Fortunately, my dear friend was  sitting next to me in the church pew and she noticed my dilemma.   She is ALWAYS organized and prepared and I don't know if she ever was a Girl Scout.  It is her God given gift to be prepared. 

She reached into her ever ready and always well stocked purse and produced a hanky.

Well, actually it was a man's handkerchief.

Seriously?   She actually had a handkerchief in her Mary Poppins bag of surprises.     I am not sure why she carries a man's handkerchief in her purse.   Who in the world carries a handkerchief  anymore?

Maybe she believes that at some point in time her big manly man husband will burst into uncontrollable bouts of  crying and she will be able to come to his rescue.

Or maybe she has sat beside me in church for so long that she knows that at some point in time I will have the need for a hanky and, as always, be without one.

She has such a sweet heart.    She is a sweetheart. 

Nevertheless, she armed me with the handkerchief and I was able to wipe the tears from my face and eyes and produce a  smile.    A hanky is sooooo much nicer than a tissue.

She comforted me.

It made me think of Christ.    He is our Comforter.      

There are two words used in the Bible which are translated as 'comforter'.

The first is from the root word Nacham which means  "to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted, suffer grief, repent, to comfort oneself, ease oneself."  

This is a good thing that we can comfort ourselves.  It is healthy to be able to acknowledge our circumstance, to feel regret or suffer grief and comfort ourselves.   We can do this by counting our blessings, by looking for the silver lining, by drawing close to God.

However,  self comfort  can also be self destructive, such as when Esau was so jealous of his brother Jacob that he actually tried to ease the pain of that jealousy by plotting to kill Jacob.  (Genesis 27: 42 When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, "Your brother Esau is consoling himself with the thought of killing you.")

When we think we are wronged , do we comfort ourselves with thoughts of revenge?   of getting even?

On the other hand, when we do something we know is wrong, do we try to justify and console ourselves by wrong thinking and reasoning?   We are sorry, but it has to be somebody's fault.   Do we comfort ourselves by placing the blame elsewhere?

The other word for comforter is from the Greek word  "parakletos" which is translated as:  summoned or called to one's side or to one's aid;  or one who pleads another's cause before a judge, an advocate;  an intercessor;  or of Christ in his exaltation at God's right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins;   in the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant;  of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.

Jesus is the Parakletos.  He is The Comforter.    The Holy Spirit.  

I don't believe that I can add anything to that definition.  

Isn't it grand to know that when we are overcome by the cares of the world,  Jesus comes to our side to hold and comfort us... to catch our tears in His hands?  Does He have a giant handkerchief in His pocket to wipe away our tears?   Does Jesus even have a pocket where He can keep a hanky? 

When we are wronged, He is  our strength.   When we do wrong and repent, He stands before the Father pleading His blood over us. 

He is the Spirit that moves my friend to be prepared with a hanky just when I need it.   It is her ministry to a sister in Christ.    It is Jesus acting through her to be the Comforter. 
  
We get to choose which comforter we reach for in times of stress and trouble.  No matter what the circumstance, we have a choice.     Do we choose to comfort ourselves?   Or do we allow THE Comforter to come to our aid? 

It is astonishing that a single act of kindness to a hurting heart becomes an act of Holiness.    We can all take a lesson from the handkerchief.   Allow God to use us to reach out to others in their pain and be Jesus to them.

Thank you my sweet friend.

ONE YEAR

Father this pain revisited
Is as hard as the first
For a mother's arms left empty
Long for that living birth.
We're haunted with shadowy dreams -
Left longing for something more.
Reaching out across time and distance
All the way to heaven's shore.
They say time changes loss
and memories seem to dim -
But a mother's arms left empty
Never seems to forget them.
Our hearts are left longing
of what might have been
And we are left dreaming
of seeing them again.
Father this pain revisited
Is as hard as the first
So hold me as I weep again
over this loss of birth.

Cleansing

Down, Down to the pits
of the miry clay
Deep, Deep down the path
of the darkest way
Out, Out to the furthest
Places of earth
Giving, Giving new life
- a new birth
Bright, Bright
is that crimson flow
Cleansing, Cleansing
the forsaken soul
Thanks, Thanks to the one
who gave His all
Redeeming, Redeeming
those lost in the fall
Praise, Praise to the King
the slain lamb
Power, Power comes
from the Great I am
Redeemed, Redeemed
set apart by the blood
Freed, Freed because
of that great love.

Uncommon Call

I stand at the crossroads
of the Uncommon call
One way leads to the world
the evidence of the fall
The other up sacrifice hill
a forsaking of all
No More demanding
to have my own way
No more excuses for
the reasons I stray
Simply a road of
trust and obey.