A Saving Passion For Sanctified People

The Holy Spirit cannot conquer the world with unbelief, nor can He save the world with a worldly Church. He calls for a crusade, a campaign, and an adventure of saving passion. For this enterprise He wants a separated, sanctified and sacrificial people.
-- Rev. Samuel Chadwick

Lord, I want to be in this world but not of this world. Yes, by faith, please include me in the adventure of Your saving passion. Make me (by the indwelling presence of Your Holy Spirit) to be a separated, sanctified, and sacrificial saint for Your glory, that is, make me exclusively Yours. In the Name of Jesus, I ask these things. Amen.

High Priestly Prayer of Jesus to the Father for His Disciples:
(15) My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. (16) They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. (17) Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. (18) As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world. (19) For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. -- John 17:15-19 (NIV)

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Souls Ablaze for God

Spirit-filled souls are ablaze for God.
They love with a love that glows.
They serve with a faith that kindles.
They serve with a devotion that consumes.
They hate sin with fierceness that burns.
They rejoice with a joy that radiates.
Love is perfected in the fire of God.
-- Rev. Samuel Chadwick

Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we feel on fire as He (The Resurrected Jesus) conversed with us on the road, as He opened up the Scriptures for us?" -- Luke 24:32 The Message

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful

Do You "Really" Love Me?

There's an old love song imbeded in my brainwaves (from way back in my teen years). It's an inspiring tune that declares deep devotion with these words: I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow.

Recalling the lyrics of this old love song these days, causes me, as one who claims to be a fully devoted lover of the Lord, to immediately ask a couple of personal and penetrating questions:

(1) Has there been any period of my life when I have loved Jesus more than I love Him presently?

(2) Will I really love my Lord more tomorrow than I do today?

I have had the sacred privilege many times to stand on the banks of the Sea of Galilee in the place that remembers where John 21 actually happened. In John 21:15-23, Jesus challenged the deep devotion of His disciple, Simon Peter. Yes, there where the waves met the shoreline, the seeking Savior asked the floundering fisherman not once, not twice, but three times a personal and penetrating question: Do you love Me? It would not be a stretch to add one word to the question Jesus asked. Do you "really" love Me?

I believe that Jesus still asks those of us who claim to be fully devoted to Him, Do you "really" love Me? Can we answer with these words? I love You more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow? Is our love for the One called Wonderful ever-increasing everyday!

O, how I "really" want to love You, my Jesus...
...more today than yesterday, and even more tomorrow!
Grateful

Worries, Cares, & Problems?

Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about and watching everything that concerns you.
-- 1 Peter 5:7 (TLB)

And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust Him, too, for each day's problems: live in vital union with Him.
-- Colossians 2:6 (TLB)

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Does The Love of Christ Control Us?

For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us...
-- 2 Corinthians 5:14 (Amplified Version)

We are ruled by Christ's love for us.
-- 2 Corinthians 5:14 (CEV)

Love never fails...
Grateful

Everything New

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” -- Words of our Lord in Revelation 21:5 (NIV)

Lord, when I think of the most wonderful words to define "revival", I know of no other words more wonderful than Your words recorded in Revelation 21:5 -- "everything new."

Indeed, "revival" is intimately aligned with "renewal" -- You making everything new again!

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful

Tell Everyone About Me...

I baptize you with water so that you will give up your sins. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
-- Words of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11 (CEV)

But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about Me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.
-- Promise of Jesus in Acts 1:8 (CEV)

I'll be Your witness, Lord, Your witness, Lord... to the end of my life!
Grateful

Without Holiness...

If you're not walking in holiness, you're not walking where God wants you to walk. The very nature of God can be ours.
-- Leonard Ravenhill

...without holiness no one will see the Lord.
-- Hebrews 12:14b (NIV)

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful

Can We Live Without Revival?

If we can Iive without Revival?
Then we're not where God wants us to be!
-- Leonard Ravenhill

Let's humble ourselves before the Lord, praying and seeking, that is, desperately gasping for Revival with every breath we take. Let's turn from all other deceptive imitations of life-support, and only inhale and exhale God's holy invitation found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 -- yes, indeed, His invitation to breathe, to really live in the realm of Revival for forever and today.

If My People... Will? I Will! -- God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14
Grateful

But He Intentionally Ignores...

In my reading and reflecting from the Old Testament Proverbs, the contrast in this verse stopped me in my tracks:

The Lord will not allow a righteous person to starve, but He intentionally ignores the desires of a wicked person.
-- Proverbs 10:3 (God's Word Translation)

If my thoughts had been sinful, He would have refused to hear me.
-- Psalm 66:18 (CEV)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.
-- Words of Jesus in Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

Click here: YouTube - Hungry w/lyrics by Kathryn Scott

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful

Feeling Weak & Helpless? Help is Coming!

As long as you feel your own weakness and helplessness, you will find help from above. -- John Wesley

Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak,
I am strong. -- 2 Corinthians 12:10 (CEV)

Click here: YouTube - Jesus Loves Me - Best 7 year old singer

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Were You There?

Probably, you are familiar with the old spiritual song titled Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? I try to imagine often what the life of my Lord might have been like as He walked the dusty roads of The Holy Land. How must it have felt to live with the weight of His crucifixion looming on His horizon?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?

Indeed, these sobering lyrics help out my imagination:

Click here: YouTube - Were you there? by CRYSTAL LEWIS

When He was on the Cross, I was there. So were you.
We were on His mind. Yes, and we were in His heart.
Grateful

Sleep is Spiritual

...for He grants sleep to those He loves.
-- Psalm 127:2b (NIV)

Sometimes God cannot get at us until we are asleep.
-- Oswald Chambers

Dearest Loving Lord, just as a skilled surgeon cannot bring us healing until we are put to sleep so the problem can be addressed, You also, our Great Physician, come to us as we sleep to administer holy healing -- heart, mind, soul, and strength. So, especially as we receive from You the gift of sleep, search us during our seasons of spiritual slumber, our God, and make us whole. Restore and renew us according to Your wonderful will. In Jesus' name. Amen.

I know it's February, but as I think about sleep being a blessed, spiritual gift that God gives to His beloved ones, I can hear one Christmas Carol echoing from the heart strings of my being:

Click here: YouTube - Silent Night - Sarah McLachlan

Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
Grateful

You Can Trust Me.

I've been focused on Proverbs 3:5 much of my life and especially this year. Hear it from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.

In four words, God is giving this invitation: You Can Trust Me.

Crystal Lewis sings a song that's simply titled: Trust Me.

Click here: YouTube - Crystal Lewis Trust Me

TRUST ME. (lyrics)
Close your eyes
Take a step
It’s okay
I know where we’re going

Don’t fret
I’ve been before
Through these valleys
Down these long and dangerous roads
Yet dark as they seem

(Chorus)
Trust Me
Though you can’t see
You can Trust Me
The way may be steep
You can Trust Me
Let Me lead...
Trust Me

Open your eyes
But don’t let go of My hand
Let your tears give way to smiles
See the joy inside the trial

Don’t worry
You’re safe with Me around
Rest assured
I’m on your side
I won’t let you hit the ground
But close as it seems...

It’s true that what’s in front of you
Isn’t always clear
But you must believe it in your heart
That I’m here - I’m here!

My Friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble.
-- James 1:2 (CEV)
Grateful

My Jesus, I Love Thee

On this Happy Valentine's Day, let us truly declare these holy words with genuine devotion?

We love because He first loved us.
-- 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

Lord, let me declare from the depths of my being, "I love You so much because You first loved me too much! Your Name, Jesus, is my heart's delight! Amen."

Click> YouTube - MY JESUS I LOVE THEE with Lyrics

God is Love!
Grateful

Jesus Saves & Delivers From All Sin

John Wesley once said: I see the necessity of preaching a full and present salvation from all sin.

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. -- 1 John 1:7 (NIV)

Dearest my Lord Jesus: Thank You for dying not only to forgive my sins -- the actions, yes, the deeds of sinning, but to also deliver me from my Sin -- especially the attitude, the disposition of my self-centered ego. It is true to say of You -- JESUS SAVES FROM THE GUTTER MOST, TO THE UTTERMOST! Your Name is Great and Greatly to be praised. Amen.

By Faith. In Faith. (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Soon-Coming Jesus! Right-Now Readiness!

The Happy Goodman Family used to sing a Gospel song that said: What a beautiful day for the Lord to come again!

One of my life verses contains five words spoken by my soon-coming Lord Jesus, followed by four echoing words spoken by John the Revelator. Those four echoing words of John's, very often cry aloud to my soon-coming Lord Jesus from the depths of my desperate-to-see-Him soul:

“Yes, I am coming soon.” -- Five Words of Jesus

"Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." -- Four Words of John

-- Revelation 22:20 (NIV)

Finally, Crystal Lewis sings a song of urgency that reminds (those who know God) and warns (those who do not know God). The title of the song is People get ready! Jesus is coming!

Click>1YouTube - People Get Ready, Jesus Is Coming - Crystal Lewis

If you sense you are not ready, please come to Jesus. Turning from sin and turning to Him, He will exchange your sentence of death for His gift of eternal life.

Click>2YouTube - Come Just As You Are - Crystal Lewis

Our soon-coming Jesus is our right-now Readiness!

Grateful

The "Good" Shepherd Disciplines His Own

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
-- David, The Shepherd-boy King's Words in Psalm 119:67 (NIV)

(5b) “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. (6) For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” (7) As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? (8) If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all. -- Hebrews 12:5b-8 (NLT)

Roy Gustafson, who has led many parties to The Holy Land, tells in his book "In His Hand" (p.46) that on one of his visits, on the road down from Jerusalem through the Judean wilderness to Jericho, they met a shepherd carrying one of his sheep with a splint and a bandage on its leg. Said their guide, who'd lived nearly fifty years in that area, "The shepherd broke that sheep's leg himself."

And it was true! It was explained that this was a sheep that was always wandering off, and in the process leading other sheep astray. Membership in the flock carries certain responsibilities, and as much as the shepherd feels a real affection for his animals, discipline is the only thing that will keep them together, as they must be kept together for their well-being and their safety. So to cure this sheep of its self-willed ways, the shepherd had broken its leg, and then hand fed and carried it till the bone was mended ... and (hopefully) its waywardness.

The Twenty-Third Psalm (KJV)
(1) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(2) He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
(3) He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
(4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
(5) Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
(6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Baa. Baa.
Grateful

Seeking the Lord & Reaching the Lost

Our being with God is of use only as we expend its precious benefits on men. --E. M. Bounds

Monasticism was only a success when; as with the Celtic Monks, the Lollards, and Francis of Assisi; seeking God in prayer and in His Word was coupled with a missionary zeal to reach the lost with the Good News of Jesus Christ. -- Monk Preston

(35) Jesus went to every town and village. He taught in their meeting places and preached the good news about God's kingdom. Jesus also healed every kind of disease and sickness. (36) When He saw the crowds, He felt sorry for them. They were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (37) He said to his disciples, "A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. (38) Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in."
-- Matthew 9:35-38 (CEV)

Click here: YouTube - The imperials Live Lord Of The Harvest

Count it all joy. (James 1:2-4)
Grateful

Unforgiveness Leads to Spiritual Death

A friend of mine with the same initials as mine, "K.W.", sent me an e-mail yesterday about the dangers of holding grudges. It inspired me to write these words:

Unforgiveness is like a plague leading to certain spiritual death. Holding onto hurtful yesterdays paralyzes our lives today and keeps us from entering hope-filled tomorrows.

Remember The Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor?
It's Recorded in Matthew 18:21-35 (NLT)

(21) Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” (22) “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
(23) “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. (24) In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. (25) He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. (26) “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ (27) Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. (28) “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. (29) “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. (30) But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. (31) “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. (32) Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. (33) Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ (34) Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. (35) “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” -- Luke 23:34 (NLT)

Lord, forgiving us caused Your physical death. We don't want unforgiveness towards others to cause our spiritual death.

Click here: YouTube - Amazing Love - You Are My King (with lyrics)

Count it all joy. (James 1:2-4)
Grateful

Not Wanting Anyone to Perish

Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that. The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others. He will be like the brave fireman, who cares not for the scorch or the heat, so that he may rescue the poor creature on whom true humanity has set its heart. If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for. -- Charles Spurgeon

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
-- Jesus' Words in Luke 19:10 (NIV)

(8) But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (9) The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
-- 2 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)

The lifesaving book says we have to go out. It don't say nothing about coming back.
-- Motto of the U.S. Lifesaving Service

You have to go out, but you do not have to come back.
-- Patrick Ethridge, The Keeper's original charge to lifesaving crew

No Vision? Souls Perish! Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
Grateful

You Will Tell People About Me Everywhere

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. -- Words of Jesus in Acts 1:8 (NLT)

Lord, let the proof that Your power reigns in me (through The Holy Spirit) be as You have said: I will tell people about You everywhere. Lord, be in my mouth. Move my lips in the presence of others so that I will speak the truth in Love about You before souls perish. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click here: YouTube - James Taylor-Go Tell It On The Mountain

Count it all joy. (James 1:2-4)
Grateful

Keepers of The Lighthouses

A friend of mine, Keith D., found the words in italics below on a page of a book titled, "Leaves of Gold". He sent the words to me because our local church's annual men's retreat to The Outer Banks of North Carolina (now in its seventeenth year) is called "Keepers of the Light". Being raised along the coastline, it's a moving piece of literature for my heart, mind, and soul:

Keepers of the lighthouses do not launch any ships, it is true, but they keep many a good ship from going to wreck. The light shines farther than keepers of the light can see, and brightest when they cannot see at all. Two things they have to remember -- to keep the light burning, and never to get in between the light and the darkness they've been set to lighten.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. -- Words of Jesus in Matthew 5:14 (NIV)

Lord, I want to be a keeper of Your Light, that is, I want to keep the light of Your Hope that burns within me shining at all times. Also, help me not to block out the light, lest those lost in sin's dark night would not see the shine of Your Presence and tragically not find their way Home to You. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Click here: YouTube - The Crabb Family -- The Lighthouse

Be Light. Go Shine.

Grateful

To See How Wonderful You Are...

Psalm 27 is a prayer of praise to the Lord, written by David, the shepherd-boy king. I am particularly moved deep within my heart as I hear the Contemporary English Version of the Psalm. Verse 4 is the high road saturation point of the holy hymn for my heart:

(1) You, LORD, are the light that keeps me safe.
I am not afraid of anyone. You protect me, and I have no fears.
(2) Brutal people may attack and try to kill me,
but they will stumble. Fierce enemies may attack, but they will fall.
(3) Armies may surround me, but I won't be afraid;
war may break out, but I will trust You.
(4) I ask only one thing, LORD:
Let me live in Your house every day of my life
to see how wonderful You are and to pray in Your temple.
(5) In times of trouble, You will protect me.
You will hide me in Your tent and keep me safe
on top of a mighty rock.
(6) You will let me defeat all of my enemies. Then I will celebrate,
as I enter Your tent with animal sacrifices and songs of praise.
(7) Please listen when I pray! Have pity. Answer my prayer.
(8) My heart tells me to pray. I am eager to see Your face,
(9) so don't hide from me. I am Your servant,
and You have helped me. Don't turn from me in anger.
You alone keep me safe. Don't reject or desert me.
(10) Even if my father and mother should desert me,
You will take care of me.
(11) Teach me to follow, LORD,
and lead me on the right path because of my enemies.
(12) Don't let them do to me what they want.
People tell lies about me and make terrible threats,
(13) but I know I will live to see how kind You are.
(14) Trust the LORD! Be brave and strong and trust the LORD.

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Cut Straight to Our Hearts

For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
-- Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

God's Holy Word is very clear, even compared with a double-edged sword for its sharp penetration into our lives.

Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. -- 2 Timothy 3:16 (CEV)

Here's a passage from the Old Testament Book of Wisdom, Proverbs, that is about as clear, sharp, and penetrating as one can imagine:

(20) Obey the teaching of your parents--
(21) always keep it in mind and never forget it.
(22)Their teaching will guide you when you walk, protect you when you sleep, and talk to you when you are awake.
(23)The Law of the Lord is a lamp, and its teachings shine brightly. Correction and self-control will lead you through life.
(24) They will protect you from the flattering words of someone else's wife.
(25) Don't let yourself be attracted by the charm and lovely eyes of someone like that.
(26) A woman who sells her love can be bought for as little as the price of a meal. But making love to another man's wife will cost you everything.
(27) If you carry burning coals, you burn your clothes;
(28) if you step on hot coals, you burn your feet.
(29) And if you go to bed with another man's wife, you pay the price.
-- Proverbs 6:20-29 (CEV)

Lord, let Your Holy Word cut straight to our hearts that we might be saved from all sin and shame. We ask it in the name of "The Word Who became flesh and made His dwelling among us" -- Jesus, the Christ. Amen. (John 1:14)

Count it all joy.
Grateful

God's Word on a Grave Marker in Cairo

Through the night there has been chaos in the streets of Cairo, Egypt. Dangerous political demonstrations are underway in Tahrir Square. Still, there's peace in my heart about it all and the reason for my peace may seem like an unusual reason to some. You see, Rev. Oswald Chambers, author or My Utmost for His Highest, died in Cairo, Egypt while serving as a chaplain to the British troops who were stationed there in World War I. Brother Oswald was buried in The Old Cairo Cemetery and his grave was (and still is to this day) simply marked with a white cross-engraved headstone. Luke 11:13 from God's Holy Word is also profoundly inscribed at the foot of that grave marker:

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (NIV)

You too can rest in unusual peace, Cairo. Only come to the Prince of Peace. Indeed, the Son of God will give you rest for your unrest (Matthew 11:28-30). Also, God the Father will give you The Holy Spirit if you only ask (Luke 11:13). There's an early 1900's grave marker, yes an old white cross-engraved headstone in your old city's burying grounds that declares this message to be true.

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

P.S. The Biography of Oswald Chambers is titled "Abandoned to God". A great life story of one fully devoted disciple of our Lord Jesus.

The Most Obvious Confession of a Witness

In my mind over the past week or so, Philippians 3, verse 10, has been coming and going and coming again. To me it is the most obvious confession of one who longs to be a true witness of Christ. Dare I say, it is perhaps the most honest desire and proof of one who is and/or longs to be a true disciple of Christ as well?

(10) I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, (11) and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (12) Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (13) Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
-- Philippians 3:10-14 (NIV)

Click here: YouTube - Steve Fry - Oh I Want to Know You More

Click here: YouTube - Steve Green - Oh, I Want To Know You More
Click here: YouTube - Cadet Sisters - Oh I Want To Know You More

Count it all joy. (James 1:2-4)
Grateful

On Wings of Butterflies

“On Wings of Butterflies”

Ruth Paylor

The day had come, the scene was set, soft music filled the air,

Family and friends had gathered, this special day to share.

The hour came, they entered, each took an honor place,

With hearts so full of happiness, reflecting on each face.

And then my daughter entered, a radiant bride was she.

The groom with sunlight on his face was handsome as could be.

My son and his wife were standing there, they made a charming pair

And then my heart grew heavy, for the son who wasn’t there.

Now a butterfly has always been a special joy to see.

It seemed from out of nowhere, the air was filled with three.

Then four, then five, then dozens began to fly about,

They lit on bridal party, they fluttered o’er the crowd.

They flew above the altar with sunshine on their wings,

My heart which once was heavy, began to leap and sing.

The minister began to bless, this special hour of love,

And God who wished me happiness, sent blessings from above.

I knew my prayers were answered, the day was bright and fair.

The son who couldn’t be there, I seemed to hear him declare:

“I bring you joy to lift you up, a joy your soul can feel,

For God who hears and answers prayer, the broken heart can heal.

I’m with you mom in spirit, with sister, brother, dad,

And memories of the years we shared, the good times that we had.

So when your heart is troubled and teardrops dim your eyes,

Through God I’ll send you joy and peace…On Wings of Butterflies!”

Note: My dear childhood friend, Jeffrey Kent Paylor, made his passing at age 19 after a very heart-wrenching car fatality. His mom, Ruth Paylor, who was like a second mom to me as a boy, wrote these words on the day of her daughter, Linda’s, wedding a few years after Jeff’s departure. My only son, Grayson, bears Jeff’s middle name as his own -- Grayson Kent Willis.

Your pain is still in my heart, Mrs. Ruth.

I'm grateful for you.