A tribute to Pat.

  I could buy a card, but I can never find one that say's how I really feel about the one I love.  I was listening to a Garth Brooks song today many times,  it was titled "If tomorrow never comes".  I may not have spelled all the word's right,  and I may have made some errors, but my feeling's are from my heart.
  My one love of life was born on the 29th day of July to Marvin, and Mary Louise Barkley, at the St.Ann's hospital, in Watertown So. Dakota.  A small town on the plains of So. Dakota.  It wasn't a great day to many people, but to her parent's, sister, and brother, it was a highlight of their lives.  Now her birth has become a highlight to many lives.
  Pat has given life to three wonderful daughter's, Kerry, Daina and Rachel.  They have given birth to five wonderful grandchildren Kaylee, Macy, Emma, Carson and Grace.
  Now Pat could have been selfish and spent her Birthday doing something for herself, but being the mom, and grandmother she is she wanted to be with those she gave life to, a testimony of her love for other's. Pat is full of love, and grace for those who her life revolves around.
  Marvin, and Mary Louise may have thought that they just had a baby girl, Patricia Mary, but they had a child that has brought life, and love to so many.  She not only has the ability to make people to feel better about themselves, she also know's how to love them when when they are unlovely, I know she has loved me for 39 year's.
  So all I want't you to know is how much, I love you, and how much you mean to me.  If tomorrow never comes, will you know how much I loved you, have I shown in the past a love that has to last if you are all alone. I want you to know that you are everything  that any husband could ever want as a wife, mom, and grandmother.  You have written great report card's for others, and hear is one for you.  And above all I can say nothing compares to you being a child of God. Happy birthday love Del.   

Super Hero

    Picture it like this:  an army of evil beings are bearing down on planet Earth intent on enslaving and destroying all of its inhabitants.  If this were a movie, we all know how it would play out:  there would come a super hero--one who is able to defeat this evil army because of abilities specific for the purpose.
     In real life, believe it or not, there is just such an army of evil beings, who are intent on enslaving us to sin.  They capture us and put us in dungeons where we are tormented by demons of lust, addiction, anger, hurt, unforgiveness, greed, fear, and, well the list goes on and on.  We live in a world of spiritual warfare, and the results of that warfare are seen in the physical realm.
     Our family has been attacked over and over by a warlord I will call "The Breaker of Marriages."
He commands a legion of demons such as anger, unforgiveness, jealousy, greed, to name a few.  We can't fight against them on our own.  Along comes our Super Hero--Jesus, who long ago paid the price for our release from this army of evil!
     The Lord woke me up this morning with these verses:
     "Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord's mighty power within you.  Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan.  For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies--the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world.
     So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is over, you will still be standing up.
     But to do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God's approval.  Wear shoes that are able to speed you as you preach the Good News of peace with God.  In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.  You will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
     Pray all the time.  Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit's wishes.  Plead with him, reminding him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere"  Eph. 6: 10-18.  TLB

Oh so lonely...

 Have you ever walked down the street, and wondered how many that you have met are redeemed?  Or as you are driving along, how many lost souls have you gone by?
  One day I was sitting in front of the house, and two men approached me, and asked if I would take a ten question survey.  I agreed, at the end of the last question was; between 1-10 ten being the most sure; how sure are you that you will go to heaven?  I answered 10.  Then I asked them:  what kind of answers do you get to that question?  They replied, "We hardly ever get 10 for a answer.  Some say, I'm a good person oh at least a 50-50 chance.  I thought that is so sad.  Then I asked "Well do they go to church?" I was surprised when they said most of them had claimed to belong to a church.
  I had a nursing home ministry, and one day the nurses asked Jimmy if he would like to go to church.   They were surprised that he said yes. The nurse told me "He never wants to go to church!"  As the service went along I said, "If you ask Jesus into your heart, when you die you will go to heaven."  Jimmy had been in a accident 25 years earlier, and was brain damaged.  As soon as I said those words, Jimmy threw up his hands and started to say Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, as tears were streaming down his cheeks.  Even though, after a short time he went back into his former state,  I expect to see Jimmy in heaven.  I believe he accepted Jesus as his savior that day!
  Another time, Marge a lady we knew, was also in a service.  When the I asked the question, " Do you want Jesus in your heart?", she responded with raisied hands, and tear filled cheeks.  Shortly after that time, Marge passed, and I expect to see her in heaven.
     Jimmy and Marge each had an appointment to know Jesus.

     In the first situation, with the survey takers, the people who thought they had a 50-50 chance of going to heaven, and had gone to church, SHOULD have known whether or not they were going to heaven.
     Jimmy, the man who was brain-damaged, most people would think that he COULDN'T know.
     Marge, because of the life she had lived, and her age, most would assume she didn't WANT
to know.
     So , the next time you come across one of these lonely people, don't be afraid to share The Lord with them--ask them if they want to know Jesus.  It could be their appointed time!

I'm so sorry; please forgive me...

     In this life, there's a lot to be angry about.  Someone cuts you off in traffic.  Someone lies to you.  Someone gossips about you.  Someone's dog chews up your newspaper.  Someone bullies your grand child.  Someone tells your boss bad things about you.  Someone breaks your daughter's heart.  You get the idea, right?
     There is such thing as righteous anger, and that is ok.
     The problem comes when it turns from righteous anger to un forgiveness.   That is when the one who made you angry is no longer your worst enemy, and you become your own worst enemy.
     It isn't necessarily easy to forgive and forget, and quite honestly--you might never forget.  When you say to yourself,  "I am justified in my anger, and I will never forgive him for what he did to my family!",  you basically send yourself to a prison where the enemy of your soul can keep you.
    But if you choose to admit to your anger, but leave the door open for The Lord to help you eventually forgive the object of your anger,  you will be much better off.
     There are at least 31 verses in the Bible about forgiving others.  I am not going to write them all here, but I will say this much:  God expect us to forgive others, and that is a prerequisite to his forgiveness of our sins.  It says in Luke 6:37, "Judge not, and you shall not be judged;  condemn not and you will not be condemned;  forgive, and you will be forgiven."  and Luke 6:38 "For with the same measure you mete withal it shall be measured back to you."  So basically,  if you refuse to forgive others, it causes not only problems for you here on earth, but eternally!
    If there is someone who has wronged you, even if they never repent, forgive them!   And if you're saying, "I can't forgive.  The hurt is too bad."  Or, "I could say I forgive but I don't, and furthermore, I don't want to forgive.",  that is where you seek God.  Tell him how you feel and ask for his help in doing what seems to be impossible on your own.  He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

Why not?

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given  to you."  James 1:5

  Such a simple thing, such a simple truth.  Yet how often to we forget to do it?
   I am pondering this because there are situations in our lives, that, frankly, we need wisdom.  Some of life's most important decisions are being made, and the people involved have not asked for wisdom from the one who can truly give it!  We can talk all we want to our family, to our friends--we can seek direction from a counselor, from our horoscope, from Dear Abby.  But the one who knows all, whose heart longs to help us--he is the one we don't bother asking.
   Are we afraid he might tell us something we don't want to hear?  Probably.  The truth isn't always easy.  But truth is truth, and wouldn't we be better off knowing?

   The Bible also says, "You have not because you ask not."
   Maybe we need to be asking more often!