Things Change...Through the Years

Things change... Through the years

The dress label number has increased...

But you don't seem to notice...

Your acceptance of me never ceased.

My face is betraying me when I catch my own reflection...

But from you I receive no rejection.

My hair is fading in it's color...

You don't see that it's duller...

The gleam in your eye makes my hair shine...

To you it's divine.

We don't feel the need to talk and talk...

With you beside me I will joyfully walk...

You're holding my hand...

As we travel down this road...

We share each others load

The empty nest...

Discovering each other...

We are so blest...

As we turn down the road that will bend...

My forever friend...

Left up to me it will never end...

You calm my fears...

Even sometimes there may be tears...

When others have jeers...

I'll always be here...

That will never change... Through the years.

Written to my dear husband Steve Roy by your wife JoAnne

On the occasion of our 31st Anniversary... With all my love.

All that glitters is not gold

Steve and I were recently in New Orleans for the SBC. After the convention was over, we set out to explore the city. We went to Bourbon Street. The sights and sounds and smells were overwhelming to the senses. Not just a bombardment of my senses, but of my soul. As we were walking down the sidewalk, my attention was drawn to a place on the sidewalk . The owner of the shop had sprinkled some beautiful, gold glitter on it. The glitter laden sidewalk was right in front of a place that said, "Angel readings". As I stopped to look at this, I realized that it was a place where you could go and get a "fortune telling" done. This grieved my spirit. We are told in Leviticus 19:31 "Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the LORD your God." I wonder how many people went in there because of the beautiful glitter on the sidewalk, or the attractiveness of the place. My heart was so sad for this woman. So I stopped there and prayed for the woman who would be doing these readings. I prayed that she would come to know Jesus as her Saviour. The God we serve knows our future. He holds our future in His hands. I don't know about you, but I don't want to know my future! God created us so that we would not know the future for a reason. It would keep us in a turmoil and scared all the time to know the bad things that may lie ahead for us.

We should not be surprised by this. This is Satan's mode of operation. II Corinthians 11:14 reminds us that ..." Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." This is what he is so good at! Making sin look attractive and beautiful!

Next time you are tempted by something that looks so enticing remember that's how Satan works. He disguises the sin into a thing of beauty. That's how the serpent got Eve! The unfortunate thing is you don't see where it leads. Oh, there is a definite trail, but to where?

It may lead to your destruction.

James 1: 15 says," Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings for death."

Thomas Gray in 1742, in an "Ode on A Distant Prospect of Eton College" wrote these wise words, "Not all that tempts your wand'ring eyes And heedless hearts, is lawful prize; Nor all that glitters gold."

If you can't remember the Scriptures, the next time you see something that is shiny, that glittering thing of beauty that would be oh so tempting, just remember this little phrase...

"All that glitters is not gold."

Sing a Song in the Night

Last night I was staying in a hotel room and a bird sang late into the night keeping me awake. At 4:30 in the night, the bird started singing again and woke me. This time God spoke to my heart. He said to my spirit, " You need to be like this bird, and sing songs to me in the night. Sing songs to me when you are at your lowest, not just in the good times."

Job. 35:10 says,"But no one says, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night."

This inspired me to write a poem, such as it is.

Sing a Song in the Night

There's a nightingale singing in the night

God speaks to my soul...be like this bird.

Sing a song to me in the night.

When the night is long, all is not calm... all is not bright.

You can't see me in the dark,

Reach out to me.

It takes faith...

Faith sings when times are stark.

Sing when your soul is bare.

I inhabit praise.

You will find me there.

I have led you to this dark place so you will find me.

Find me sweeter... Find me dearer...

To find your voice is stronger.

Let it soar to the heights!

You could sing before, though weakly.

The night brought out your richer tones,

More melodic and bright.

Sing a song for mercy.

Mercy that brings you through the valley

Where I am walking with you.

At times I even carry you.

Sing a song of deliverance.

Until you see the dawn break through.

Just know that I am leading you.

Whatever I may bring you to.

Until that welcomed time where the dawn is born.

Keep singing to me that song.

That song that I gave you.

That sweet song in the night.

"Nevertheless"

This past Sunday we were so privileged to hear Mark Sweeting speak to us at Hocutt. Mark and Sharon are Missionaries. I will not say where, but as I was thinking about all that they have sacrificed to go, I came across this verse, "And Simon answering said unto him, Teacher, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net." (Luke5:5 KJV)

Simon, James and John had been toiling and fishing all night without catching any fish. Fishing like they did 2000 years ago would be tiring. They would throw the nets out over and over again, and pull them back in. I imagine they were tired. Human reason and physical exhaustion would make them want to stop. But Jesus told them to try it one more time. Simon said one word that caught my attention, "nevertheless". In other words, even though I'm tired from fishing all night, nevertheless, I will obey you.

William Chalmer Burns was a missionary to China in 1847. After seven years he wrote, "I do not know of a single soul brought to Christ through me." Nevertheless, he persevered.

The country that Mark and Sharon have gone to is very dangerous. We hear about it on the news, car bombings and other things that would make anyone apprehensive about going...nevertheless, they went.

Mark and Sharon has children and grandchildren that they dearly love and miss... nevertheless, they went.

What is your "nevertheless"?

God may ask you to sacrifice your time, talent, treasure, family, home, comfort. He may ask you to toil in your menial, everyday tasks and live in obscurity. No one may ever know the things you do for the Lord, and for His kingdom. Whatever the situation, are you willing to say, "Nevertheless Lord, I will obey you"?

Let us live, and obey in the magnificent word...Nevertheless.

Walk Through

Sunday evening I stood by the bedside of a friend... a 47 year old man who had struggled and fought with his body betraying him. I listened to Kez his wife tell about how he had also struggled with the Lord. What made this a bitter sweet time is that Kevin, in struggling with the Lord, I believe from what Kez told me, received answers from the Lord... and so, there was a resolve... a release that took place in Kevin's heart and soul.

The next day I pondered many things. One being a portion of the 23rd Psalm. " Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I fear no evil, for You are with me."

Some phrases in this that played over in my mind were... "walk through". For the Christian, death is not a wall, but a doorway. We proceed through this doorway with Him. We may be weary, even injured, but we arrive at our destination. How? Because the Lord Jesus is with us with every step we take.When we "walk through"the valley, He is right there with us.

The second phrase is, " shadow of death". I was thinking about shadows. You could be walking down a trail in the woods and come across the shadow of a bear. The shadow itself cannot hurt you. It is just a play of the light reflecting a certain way that makes the shadow. A shadow can only be seen when the sun is shining! This is not a cloudy, gloomy day for the Christian. So when we are walkingwith the Lord, we need not fear the "shadow" of death, for it's just a shadow. When you are a child and you first discover a shadow, you may be afraid until your Mom or Dad that is with you explains it. They may say, "Oh honey, there's no need to be afraid, it's only a shadow and shadows can't hurt you." I believe this is what it's like for the Christian when they face death. We don't need to fear death because when Christ is walking with us, it's only a shadow.

In Randy Alcorn's book,"If God is Good" he says, " Although death is the last enemy, the ghastly result of the Fall and the Curse, Christ made death a passageway into the loving presence of God, "Sothat by His death He might destroy him who holds the powers of death- that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." Hebrews 2: 14-15) Christ has liberated us from the need to fear death." Why? Because He conquered death!

So for the Christian, when we come to the end of our journey here in this life, we can continue to "walk through". We can walk through the valley of the "shadow of death", where God will comfort and calm fears, where our cups can overflow, and this is a place where we can rejoice and look forward to an eternity of being with our good and loving God.

So, walk through Kevin, and walk on with your Lord, dear Brother. It was just a shadow, and the Son is shining bright on the other side!

I want to have 12/12 vision

I used to work in Eye care. Most people think that if you have "perfect vision" that it is "20/20". Actually, you can have vision that is better than that, but that is not the point of this post. Today I read Romans 12:12.  It says: "Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer." In reflecting on what this verse means, I decided that I want "12/12" vision! Okay, I don't think that is very good when it comes to vision for your eyes. I want this kind of vision for my spiritual eyes.

How can we have 12/12 vision?

 We can have this because Christ is raised from the dead. This is where we find hope. His death looked bleak, but His resurrection brought hope for a new tomorrow for all of us, if we are believers. "Hope", that is a beautiful word. Burns said, " Hope is the cordial in every human heart." We get up and go every morning because of hope. It gives us something to live for. I can live my life rejoicing in a hope like this!

The second thing mentioned in the verse is "Persevering in tribulation". I am told in Scripture to expect tribulation. It will come. But I am to persevere through it. With the Lord's help, I can go on, through the tribulation. Isaiah 43:2 says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you." Notice it doesn't say, "If" you pass through the waters, but "When". But the second part of the verse is how we can persevere through the tribulation. It says He will be with us. The Holy Spirit will be with us, guiding us through the trials and tribulations.

The third thing is, "Devoted to prayer". If you are devoted to something you are dedicated to it. It becomes something so important to you that you become single-minded in it. If I am devoted to prayer, it becomes such a part of my life that I do this like breathing. I Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing." We can only pray like this if we are devoted to it.

Lord, Help me to have 12/12 vision. To be ever "rejoicing, persevering, and devoted" to the things that are important to you. I want to look at life through spiritual eyes like this. For it is then that I will really begin to see things clearly... as You would have me see.

Cross references:

1. Romans 12:12 : Rom 5:2
2. Romans 12:12 : Heb 10:32, 36
3. Romans 12:12 : Acts 1:14

 Picture:                                                

Source: borntomakeanimpact.tumblr.com via Kalyn on Pinterest

What about your heart?

Things we guard:

Our children, from dangerous situations.

Our home, by using locks and security systems.

Our computers, by implementing a password.

Our property, by using a guard dog.

Our skin, by using sunblock.

Our finances, by saving money.

Our car, by using a car alarm.

What about your heart?

Did you forget to guard one of the most important things?

The Bible says in Proverbs 4: 23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." (NIV)

This word guard means to protect, keep, watch, inspect, like the guarding of a fortress.

We are guarding everything else, why aren't we guarding our hearts? If you are not careful with your heart, it will lead to "heart"ache. The repercussions can be terrible. You have the potential to not only ruin your life, but the lives of your family and the people you say you love.

Don't start the "innocent" flirting, there is no such thing! The confiding in someone other than your spouse. That is giving a piece of your heart away that should be for them alone. Only let your spouse be your confidant... not anyone of the opposite sex if you are married.

Most affairs start out innocently. You think it would be just fine to friend your ex girlfriend or boyfriend on facebook. In my opinion it's not fine... it's dangerous and playing with fire. If you are married you need to be careful of who you allow to be your friend in life AND on facebook! Too many marriages have failed because of facebook. I know of several.

You might think, wow, you sure are strict! Yes indeed I am. I'm trying to guard my heart.

We guard everything else... why not our hearts?

After all... if you don't guard it... you might not have anything much left TO guard. The rest may be left shattered in a million pieces...

Something to think about...