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Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 529

June 1, 2021///

I pray you had a great Memorial Day and that you remembered those who made it possible for us to celebrate with our families or those around us.

We must remember that Freedom cost someone.  Freedom is not free. Those who came to this land to find freedom to live out their convictions faced hardships, death, and wars!

Theodor Roosevelt said: “We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage.”

Eleanor Roosevelt said: “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.”

This morning I ask you if you understand the sacrifices made for our freedom enough to be responsible to pray for its continuation.

Our Christian freedoms are being attacked on every side.  I mention just a few of them!

• Class Valedictorian gets push back from principal as he proofed her speech beforehand.  One sentence was “My future hope is found in my relationship with Christ”.  She went on to declare she wanted to honor Christ with her life!

                     (This was her speech not a declaration of the school’s stance.)

• Elementary physical education teacher is on leave because He refused to call his students by their preferred gender rather than the way God made them.

• Judge ruled, College of the Ozarks, a Christian College, must open dorms to persons of the opposite sex.  This would include bathrooms and bedrooms.

• Young Life a long-established campus ministry is coming under attack.

There is more that could be shared but the point being: “Where are our freedoms going”!

May I point out that freedom of religion is not freedom from religion!

May I also point out that we are losing our religious freedoms of choice quickly, and subtly, and we must wake up!

The Bible teaches us to pray for those in authority over us.  This means our elected and appointed leaders.  

Each of us have a free will.  We can pray that right invades the hearts of those who have authority over us and those around us or we can bury our heads in the sand and reap the results.

God wants to Bless our Nation and we as his TRULY FREE children are responsible to take up the battle cry on our knees.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for all people’s sins.  Did He die in vain?

We must be up and about His business of fighting a war that is really a spiritual war between good and evil.

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Our battlefield is on our knees! Prayer is the answer.  Prayer will give us boldness to stand in the face of those who desire to destroy our freedom to worship the creator God in all His Power and Glory!

John F. Kennedy said: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

I believe the key to that is to ask not what God can do for us, but what we can do for God!

May we, the true born-again Christians rise like a mighty army and take victory in the Power of prayer!

Father, forgive us for being lazy in our prayer lives. May all who reads this understand that this is a spiritual battle.  Give us wisdom and boldness as we pray and defeat the forces of evil.  Let our lights shine brightly for you!

Prayer is Powerful!  Love, MeMaw

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 528

May 25, 2021///

What is life about anyway?

THE ULTIMATE GOAL FOR THE UNIVERSE IS TO SHOW THE GLORY OF GOD!

WHEN ANYTHING IN CREATION FULFILLS ITS PURPOSE, IT BRINGS GLORY TO GOD!

Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP)
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

FINDING YOUR PURPOSE:

• IT ALL STARTS WITH GOD.   (The purpose of your life fits into a much larger purpose that God has designed.)
• YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT. (You are alive because God wanted to create you!)
• WHAT DRIVES YOUR LIFE?  (Knowing your purpose gives meaning, simplifies, focuses, energizes your life, and prepares you for eternity.)
• MADE TO LAST FOREVER. (This life is not all there is: This life is preparation for the next.)

The Father created you for a purpose.  You are to grow in grace, be filled with good attributes that represent the Lord Jesus Christ, declare to others what He has done for you, and worship Him and give Him Glory for who He is!

2 Peter 3:18 (KJV)
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.

Philippians 1:11 (KJV)
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Psalm 96:3 (KJV)
Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

Psalm 29:2 (KJV)
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Psalm 57:5 (KJV)
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

YOU BRING GLORY TO GOD BY:

• GETTING TO KNOW AND LOVE HIM: Worship is a lifestyle of enjoying God, Loving Him, and Giving ourselves to be used for His purpose.)

• LEARNING TO LOVE OTHER PEOPLE IN GOD’S FAMILY: Fellowship…be part of the family.

• BECOMING LIKE CHRIST: The more you develop Christlike character, the more you will bring Glory to God.

• SERVING OTHERS: God wired everyone to have a ministry or serving niche. The way you are wired is not an accident.

We are created with the freedom to choose what we will do with our life!  We can live for our pleasure, to please others, to be applauded, successful, and many other things.

Or we can choose to live a life of Glory to Almighty God in all we do and that is the Best Life!

The enemy will try to pull us to the world system of living by declaring that to serve Jesus Christ is confining when actually it is more freeing that we could every imagine.

Giving ourselves to live in our purpose brings great Peace, Joy, and Security from the Creator God and brings His Kingdom to earth!

“WHO ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE FOR-YOURSELF OR GOD?”

Father God I come in the name of Jesus and ask you to fill us with your purpose and the call to bring Glory to your name by being your hands extended on this earth.  Live through each of us and may our lives reflect all you are and bring your Kingdom to earth as it is in Heaven!   Amen

God Bless all of you richly, Love, MeMaw.

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 527

May 18, 2021///

Psalm 37:23 (KJV)
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Question One: Who is ordering your steps?

Question Two: How are we good?

Are the decisions we make or the places we go or the people we are with or the things we do, just random choices?  Are they guided by the crowd, the desire of the flesh, the desire to please others, or the desire to please Our Savior Jesus Christ and Our Father God, the God of the Universe?

Good overcomes evil every time and when we do all we do as unto the Lord Jesus, when we live to honor and lift Him up no matter what small or large chore or task we are undertaking, we do good!

But who can be good?  It is only those who submit their lives into the Lordship of the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, can goodness flow from!

Luke 6:45 (KJV)
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

It is the condition of the Heart that determines whether we are able to be and do good when there is evil all around us!   A heart that is right with God through receiving the cleansing of the blood Jesus shed on the Cross, allows Him to live through us and that makes us good and helps us to do good!

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The power of Jesus Christ Living through us makes being and doing good easy as we let Him order our steps.  We allow our minds to be transformed by His touch and His word and that allows us to live out the good that Jesus calls us to!

Romans 12:2 (KJV)
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Did you notice that it is a transformation of heart and mind by Jesus Christ that makes us good?  Not works, not a list of things to be checked off, but a heart that is in tune with the compassion and love that comes from the one who gave His all for us!

We do not have to strive, worry, fret, we just allow the Holy Spirit to live through us!  We are to be like Jesus to a world searching for something real to guide their footsteps.

I ask you again, “Who is guiding your steps”?  Are you just reacting at every turn to do whatever? 

We must realize that all good things come from the Heavenly Father who loves you more than you can comprehend!

This Daddy God who wants to give us good and help us be and do good can make all things to work for us as we put our Trust in Him and ask Him to lead us in everything we do!

We must understand that our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ desires to be part of everything we do or everywhere we are and every decision we make.

Just as most parents guide their children in the way that is right and best for their growth and maturity, our Heavenly Father does the same!

If you have not received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, right now, just ask him to come into your heart and guide your life and declare you are giving Him control!

We must all listen to that inner feeling to guide us in all we do!

As we surrender our steps to the one who knows best, we can walk in the truth of Philippians 1:6!

Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

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Father in Jesus Name I ask that you help each of us understand that the best life is lived letting you live through us and guide each step we take.  May each of us be able to say with confidence: “Our steps are ordered by the Lord!”  Amen

Love, MeMaw

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 526

May 11, 2021///

MOTHER: Kind, Caring, Loving, Sweet, Energetic, Forgiving, Comforting, and Wise.

Those are just some of the attributes that Mothers are known for.  Of course, we are not all of those at the same time.  Maybe we are not ever some of those!

My Mother is in heaven.  She left this world Fifty-Four years ago last January, but her influence lives on today in the lives of her descendants. 

2 Timothy 1:5 (KJV)
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

When I think about growing up, I do not remember the clothes or shoes I wore.  I do not remember my mother being the greatest housekeeper or making sure I had every advantage possible.

What I do remember is being Loved and being taught that Jesus Loved me!

I remember the security of home and how safe and loved I felt there. 

I remember my Mother’s Faith and the example of that faith in both watching her life and watching her as a Pastor’s wife encouraging my Dad when he would face obstacles or discouragements.

I remember my Mother standing before a hot stove, with no air conditioning, and frying apple pies with sweat running down her face as we girls sat at the table eating them as they got done.

I remember my Mother spoon feeding me soup when I was sick, and I remember my Mother praying for me and guiding me with her sweet spirit!

Mother did not preach nor sing.  I never saw her stand behind a pulpit nor in front of a congregation and yet she preached a sermon every day of her life.

She was not perfect but the Love and Faith she lived overcame any imperfections.

I can think of many things my Mother could have done different, but I am so thankful that she and my Dad kept “the main thing, the main thing”.  They had a personal relationship with Jesus, put Him first and not only taught that but lived that in front of us girls!

My mother was heavy, but I never thought of her as anything but beautiful and all the padding just made her hugs so much better.  Over fifty-four years later I can still feel the warmth of those hugs.

In the scripture at the beginning of these thoughts, Paul was encouraging Timothy to remember all he saw in his mother and grandmother.  Paul was building Timothy up by sharing that he saw the same faith in him.

I pray that I can walk in Faith that is caught as well as taught the way I saw it expressed in my mother.  I pray that I have and am still passing along that lived love and faith to my family.

We are in the season of great-grandchildren now and I so desire that from our son and daughter, their spouses and on down the line the faith that is from receiving Jesus as personal Savior is invading them.

However, I realize that some of you did not grow up in a Christian home.  Maybe you did not even grow up in a good home.  You may have been abused and neglected but may I tell you that Jesus can be the one you pattern your life after.

Psalm 27:10 (KJV)
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

Look at Jesus who was filled with Love and Compassion and use His life and attributes as an example. 

Let His Love give you the courage to forgive your parent or parents that were not the secure and loving example they should have been.  Rest in His Love and Care and follow His example.  

Deuteronomy 5:16 (KJV)
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

We need to honor our parents, no matter good or bad.  God then will honor our lives. We must let go of hurts and just let God love through us!

Whether we were blessed with a childhood of love or a childhood of pain, Jesus is the way to a secure and fulfilled life of walking in FAITH, LOVE AND VICTORY!

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Father, in Jesus’ name I ask you to touch each person who reads this with the desire to live life as an example of the trust we have in you.  May we leave a Faith and Love example as Paul reminds Timothy of. Heal childhood hurts and scars and set each of us free to worship you with our lives.  Amen

Love, MeMaw

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 525

May 4, 2021///

We hear much about the Virgin Mary and how she was the chosen one to bear the Savior of the world, but we do not hear so much about Joseph, Mary’s husband and the one who was Jesus earthly father.

As I read the scriptures that give us a picture of Joseph I am impressed by his faithfulness and obedience to do what he is instructed and needs to do.

Joseph was indeed a major person in the life of the Lord Jesus.  In the years of Jesus life we have no record of, Joseph was teaching and training the Son of God to make things with his hands and to follow His real Father in heaven!

Matthew 1:18-19 (KJV)
¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

Joseph and Mary were betrothed.  In those days, betrothal was as binding as marriage except they were not living nor sleeping together until the additional marriage ceremony.

When Joseph found Mary was with child, he could have had her stoned for unfaithfulness to him.  But he loved Mary and was a kind man.  As we see in the scripture above, he decided to put her away (or divorce her privately to avoid more embarrassment and shame to her).

• He was faithful and kind!

Matthew 1:20-21 (KJV)
²⁰ But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Joseph’s response could have been: “well that was an interesting dream, but evidence is that Mary has been unfaithful”!

But Joseph was a godly man and believed and received what the angel had said. From this point in the scripture Joseph was set on doing whatever he was instructed to do regarding the child Mary carried.

• He was godly and obedient!

Can you imagine what may have been going through Joseph’s mind!  He was going to be responsible for the Savior of the world!  How would he ever carry out this mandate and purpose?

May we look at something right here.  This man knew he and Mary would receive ridicule and rejection and yet he kept his eyes on the goal and purpose that was given him.

He took Mary as his wife.  Jesus was born and as they could find no place but a stable for the birth, I am sure Joseph may have felt a little like he had failed.  Maybe he said to himself: “I am responsible for the Savior of the World and I cannot even provide a good place for Him to be born”!

Yet he continued in his journey to fulfill his calling and purpose! 

He followed the instructions given him at all times and kept the child and Mary safe. 

• He persevered in spite of obstacles.

In the years we have no record of, based on what we see in Jesus’ ministry years we can be sure Joseph was faithful to teach Jesus all he knew about His birth, and about life as they lived it out as a family.

• He taught what he knew by word and by deed.

May I challenge you today to look at your own life.  Maybe your name is not known and maybe you are not looked at as someone who matters, but you have a purpose!

Just as Joseph, your purpose is a vital part of the plan of God for your family, those around you and the world!

Let us be: Faithful and kind, godly and obedient.  May we persevere in spite of obstacles and teach by word and deed!

May we be as Joseph and just do what we know we are put here on earth to do!

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Father, thank you for this obedient man who followed you and is such and example of just doing what we should whether anyone takes notice or not!  Stir up within each one who reads this the desire just to be open to all you desire of them.  You just ask us to be true to you.  In Jesus name I pray! Amen!

Love, MeMaw!

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 524

April 27, 2021///

Luke 7:12-15 (KJV)
¹² Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
¹³ And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
¹⁴ And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
¹⁵ And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

Today, I want to share some thoughts with you about how this event in the life of this widow can teach us vital lessons about our own life.  The Word of the Living God, the Bible, teaches us multitudes of layers of truth that can lead us into a higher realm of life with Jesus. 

Someone once referred to the Bible as having layers of truth like an onion, and as we peel back those layers, we see more clearly the awesome ways of God.

In those days, a widow had no means of support except for her sons.  In this case this was an only son.  She was on her way to bury him.

She was on her way to bury her only means of support.  Not only was she deprived of her precious boy, but she also now had no means of support.

Let us compare this to the Dreams and Desires the Holy Spirit has placed within us.  What are we burying that is the end of our reason for being here on this earth?  You do know you were created on purpose, for a purpose!

Maybe we have tried and failed, or maybe we are scared to try!  Maybe the desire and dream seem so out of reach that we falter under its weight.  Maybe we feel we do not have the opportunities that would propel us into our destiny of letting that dream propel us into a place of security, peace, joy, and life in the Lord Jesus!

Discouragement, defeat, despair, even people will keep you from your miracle of the revival of all that God has placed in you.

Don’t you know that this unnamed widow felt all of those?  Perhaps well-meaning neighbors had already begun to put doubt in her heart that she would survive without any means of support.

She had given birth to this child and now he was gone. 

May I ask you what dreams have you given birth to that now feel dead and are no longer living and inspiring you?

Maybe you tried and just decided it was never going to work and gave up completely and decided to put those dreams in a grave!

But may I tell you that when you in your desperate situation come into the Presence of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, things change.

We have no record that this woman asked Jesus to raise her son but in His Presence all things become new.  Jesus saw her, had compassion, and spoke life into her son, the one who had come from her body!

The good news today is that Jesus looks at each of us with compassion when we allow ourselves to come into His Presence.  He restores life to those dead dreams and desires and when Jesus Speaks, whatever He says is done.

Jesus speaks life into the ideas He gave you and you have called dead.  Jesus speaks life into those talents and abilities you decided you did not really have and so you have let them die.

In His Presence is Life!  Life for the dead things deep in our Spirits.

Maybe it is the Spirit of the Living God within you that needs to be raised.  Maybe you do not have that relationship you once had with the Creator God through Jesus!

May I encourage you to understand that there is an encounter with the Life that comes from Jesus Christ, just waiting for you.  

Take the time to sit in His Presence.  Put on Praise Music if that helps, or if silence is better for you, sit in silence.  But open your heart and ask Jesus to revive those things you consider gone and buried.

As you sit in the Presence of Almighty God, ask yourself the question I asked a small group once.  What would you do if time, money, or ability were no problem?

Answering that may well be the answer to why you are here on earth.  Remember God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called!

God has promised to provide all we need and when we put Him First, He will help us accomplish more in less time!

I pray that today you will spend time in His Presence and revisit all that you have ever desired to do in this world.  Let the Holy Spirit sort out what is of you and what is of Father God.   Then allow Him to give Life to that dream, desire, and purpose!

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Father, in Jesus Name, I ask that you stir up within each person who reads this the desire to be all they were created to be.  If we are breathing it is not to late to fulfill what we have been placed on earth to do! May we release the dead dreams to the Life of Jesus.   Amen

Love, MeMaw

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 523

April 20, 2021///

Today I want to share a Me-Maws Thought from way back in 2011.  It is more relevant today than ever.  I pray it touches and encourages you today!

NUMBER 28////JULY 19, 2011

I am doing an unusual thing as I write this.  It is a little after eight o’clock AM and I am eating a TOMATO SANDWICH.  This is made from a tomato grown on our deck.  That is not a normal breakfast and I do not normally eat anything this time of day as I am reading the word and praying for all of you, but there it was…sitting on the counter, all ripe and ready to be cut.

Now for those of us who love tomatoes, the tomatoes grown in our yard or on our deck, compared to the tomatoes purchased from the store, are like a different food.  A just picked Tomato sandwich with plenty of mayonnaise, salt and pepper is an experience that cannot be described. 

As I started making the sandwich the Holy Spirit began to reveal some truths to my spirit.  These truths can be applied to any food that you eat.  Fresh made or freshly grown are better in any food, from apples to cakes.  But since a tomato caused this reflection to start, I will use it as a point of reference.

Some might say that the tomato lying on the counter tempted me to eat it.  But unlike the temptation that Adam and Eve succumbed to, this tomato was not forbidden.  It was good for eating and good for me.  Adam and Eve were tempted by the fruit on the forbidden tree that look so good to the eye.  My question to you is…in our lives are we showing the love of Christ to others so they will want to partake or are we showing things that look good and tempting but are forbidden by the Heavenly Father in His word.  

WHAT ARE YOU TEMPTING THOSE AROUND YOU WITH??

COLOSSIANS 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Are we showing those around us the REAL JESUS?

Some of the tomatoes we have pulled from our vines, have had bad places on them and parts that cannot be eaten.   Fortunately, we have not had any totally rotten this year, but some tomatoes look great on the outside, but are rotten thru and thru.

What kind of Jesus are we reflecting by our life?  Are we genuine, loving and kind?  Do we really care about those around us?  Are we loving in deed and not just in word?  If we cut into the center of the Jesus we portray, what would we see. 

A true tomato eater can buy a tomato from a roadside stand that is proclaimed to be vine ripened, and the moment they taste it, or sometimes just cut into it they can tell the proclamation is false.  The truth is in the inner parts.

Are we looking good on the outside and tempting people to come to Jesus, only for them to find out that our lives portray “dead men’s bones”, or rotten places through and through?  Our words sound ok and our outside looks appealing but inside we have not relinquished our lives completely to the Lordship of Jesus and when someone looks at us, they see a fake not a genuine!

A tomato that has rotten places or is rotten through and through is still a tomato, but there is some of it or all of it that is not fit to use to benefit us by giving us good nourishment.  A person can be saved by the blood of Jesus but not surrender to His Lordship.  Jesus wants to use all of your talents, abilities, and the wonderful mind He has given you for Building His Kingdom on earth.

I have cut into a store-bought tomato that looked real and tempting on the outside and found it tasteless and bland. Our lives can look like a wonderful walk with Jesus on the outside, but inside are tasteless and bland.  We have nothing to give, because the things in our world have crowded out the life-giving wonder of serving a living and risen LORD.

1 JOHN 3:18    My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ^

The point I want to leave with you is that we need to portray the REAL JESUS by letting Him have full reign in our hearts so that we can tempt people to lay down their self-centered, world aligned thinking and come to the one who can give real joy, peace, and love.

May we feed people the real nourishing genuine gospel, rather than a corrupt half rotten, half-truth gospel. Because the word says that “They (and us) shall know the Truth and the Truth will set them FREE.  Free to live life to its fullest and to fulfill the destiny they were born for.   May we all walk in the truth and the love of Jesus!

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Father, let us be real and walk in truth.  Let our lives portray the fresh genuine Jesus. I ask this for myself and all who read this.  In the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Please serve the Real Christ!

Love, ME-MAW

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 522

April 13, 2021///

Years ago, I traveled some for the company I worked for training people in accounting.  I was busy on these trips but if a place had a known sight, I tried to squeeze in time to see it.

On one such trip I went to an office in Saint Louis Missouri, home of the “Gateway Arch”.  This is a 630-foot stainless steel monument to the westward expansion of the United States.

After a day of training, I found my way to the Gateway Arch, excited to see this amazing structure.  However, I clearly remember the disappointment when I parked and took a good look at the arch that was supposed to be so amazing. The anticipation took a dive into the thought “What is the big deal?”.

Ever had an experience or experiences like that. I have had many but that one stands out in my memory.

But then my mind goes to trips to the beach over my lifetime and I realize that I have never been disappointed or let down by that vast amazing never-ending Ocean and the Sky that seems so much larger there.

It may be raining, storming, cold, way too hot, or exactly right, but always the consistent waves and the vastness of the water and the unending sandy beach never lets me down, never disappoints. 

I may be viewing it from shelter so as to not get wet.  I may be wrapped up sitting in a chair on the sand, or I may be enjoying perfect temperature, a light breeze and digging my toes in the warm sand, but the ocean is sending its waves back and forth, back and forth in a never-ending motion.

May I tell you that the enemy of your soul draws you toward things that seem so good but when you reach them, they are disappointing, they are a letdown! It may be a job, a person, a place, a financial goal, success in a certain field or any number of other things.  But there is no lasting satisfaction in those.

John 14:27 (KJV)
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

But a real relationship with our Creator God through Jesus Christ is likened to the beach.  His Love is vast and never ends. It is steadfast and sure.  It is consistent and His Love is there whether our life is in a storm, cold, hot, or exactly right.

Philippians 4:7 (KJV)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

What are you going through right now that seems to have no end nor answer? Are you in a storm that blinds you to the light of all that God is and His vast Love that knows no bounds? I encourage you to remember the Ocean and the greatness of the Lord God we serve!

Isaiah 40:12 (KJV)
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

If we understand the Power and the Goodness of our Father God, we will know that He will guide us in every way and satisfy the deepest longings of our soul.  He will refresh us, and we will be like a watered garden.

Isaiah 58:11 (KJV)
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

The vastness of our God is amazing.  But even more amazing is that He fellowships with us, His creations.  He fills us with Peace, Joy, and true Satisfaction!

Philippians 4:7 (KJV)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

His presence is so very real.  To know Him and to feel His Spirit deep inside and all around and to comprehend that He knows me and understands me and has an incredible plan for me is better than anything imaginable.

I so desire that ever person in the entire world feel the presence of the Lord God Almighty and understand His Love is unconditional and more consistent than the ocean waves.

Habakkuk 2:14 (KJV)
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Don’t you long for the earth to be filled with the knowledge and glory of the Lord?

Let it start with you!  Understand the vastness of His Love and Care!

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Father, thank you for the Ocean that reminds me of the vastness of your Love and Power! Thank you for your presence in my life that cannot be explained only experienced!  Thank you for touching each person that reads this with your indescribable Love, Joy, Peace and Glory!  May we be vessels of your Grace and draw others to your life-giving water.  In Jesus name I pray! Amen!

Love, MeMaw

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 521

April 6, 2021///

This morning there is one part of one verse of scripture that I want to bring to your attention.  This is found in the first part of John 21:15.

The truths in the 21^st chapter of John are many and I am not going to address all that was going on or the entire conversation but want to zero in on this question Jesus ask Simon Peter!

John 21:15a (KJV)
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?

This scripture has been taught with different views as to what Jesus meant by these.  Some say Jesus is asking if Peter Loves Him more than the other disciples. Others if Peter Loves Him more than his fishing business which he knows and is good at. And still others if Peter Loves Him more that the fish or the results and blessings of his talent as a fisherman.

I believe Jesus was probably addressing all of that and more!  His basic but deep question was:  Peter do you Love me more than anything else in your life?

Jesus saw great leadership and anointing in Peter but knew that to accomplish the plan God had for him, Peter must Love Jesus with all his mind, will and emotions and above everything else in his life!

I believe that Jesus is asking that same question to each of us today!  

(your name), do you Love me more than (_______)?

What thing, things, person, persons, situations, jobs, talents, abilities, relationships, hobbies, etc. do we put ahead of Jesus our Savior and Lord?

Consider your life.  What would be the most difficult to give up if you had to?  What is the thing or person (other than Jesus) that we depend on more than any other?

If this thing or person were taken away, would we waver in our Faith? Would we lash out at God and be angry and bitter, or would we understand that our most vital relationship in life, which is Jesus, can never be taken away?

Is there something or someone in your life that is more important and in our human thinking more vital to life than Jesus?  I tell you a million times over, when we put God first in our lives and Love Jesus above all, nothing that happens can destroy us!

In the story of the rich young ruler who came asking Jesus about eternal life, we find he went away sorrowful because Jesus was basically asking him if he wanted to find real life more than he wanted to hold on to his riches!

Think about what would make you sorrowful if Jesus asked you to give it up?

Do not misunderstand.  Father God, our Daddy God, wants to Bless us exceedingly, abundantly, above all we can ask and imagine in every way! But the key to that kind of Blessed life is to truly be willing to lay it all at His feet, to release all to His Lordship!

Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

He desires us to be willing to release to His Mighty Hands every person, talent, situation and need that are important to us!

When we realize that Jesus Loves us with a deep love we cannot understand, we can safely place our Trust and all we hold dear into His Hands.

One of the things I do in my prayer time is to release each of my family, naming them by name, to Jesus Lordship because I know that He Loves each of them so much more than I do!

The security and Peace that comes from being able to release people and situations and things into His capable Hands is a mighty awesome thing.

We have a Loving Heavenly Father who sees us and Loves us and desires the best for us, even so much that Jesus came and dwelt among us and showed us how to walk in complete submission and Trust and then paid the price for the sin of all!

Just as we desire good things for our children, God desires the best and better things for us.  Just as we ask of our children, He desires obedience and respect and Love!  His Heart wants to give us all things!

What is our part?

Mark 12:30 (KJV)
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

“LOVEST THOU ME MORE THAN THESE?”

Father, thank you for your Love! Thank you that you desire to Bless us beyond measure! I ask that you give each of us, through the Power of your Spirit, the courage to understand that we can release all things and people to your Lordship and Trust that you do all things well.  I ask this in the matchless name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!  Amen!

Love! MeMaw!

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 520

March 30, 2021///

In my Bible study I am reading about David.

Yes, the one who Samuel had anointed as the next King of Israel.  The one who slew Goliath with Goliath’s own sword and became King Saul’s son-in-law and was a mighty military leader.

David knew his God, knew God had chosen him as the next King of Israel and I am sure felt as if he was in a position now in the kingdom to be ready to take the Leadership of this Nation when it was time.

But then there was a cog in the wheel!  Are you familiar with this old saying? It means the wheel stopped turning!

The people praising David’s warrior ability stirred up jealousy in Saul who had already been told by the prophet Samuel that because of disobedience the kingdom was being taken from him.

In his desire to keep the Kingship he set out to kill David.

So here was the next King of Israel, instead of dwelling with the King and getting in place to rule, running for his life!

1 Samuel 22:1 (KJV)
David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.

Even David’s family was having to get away from Saul for fear of what he might do to them.

May I ask you to take a moment and consider how David must have felt.  We tend to think of David as victorious and mighty, and he was that, but he was also human.

I think he must have gotten discourage and even considered that maybe the prophet Samuel had gotten it wrong.

Maybe it crossed his mind that if God had really anointed him as the next King of Israel, he would not be running for his life.  I wonder if he ever just got so tired of running and fighting that he was ready to give up and let Saul find him and kill him.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever felt like you missed what God was telling you to do? Have you ever decided that you need to give up that dream and settle for the status quo and the familiar?

I think David must have had those times.  And then I think of him hiding and considering his relationship with God Almighty. I can picture him remembering back when he cared for his family’s sheep, how his heart praise the God of Israel with his words and playing on his harp.

Maybe he started softly singing in the cave where he was hiding:

Psalm 8:1 (KJV)  

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Psalm 18:1-3 (KJV)
¹ I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
² The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
³ I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Perhaps he sang; “Lord you are my Shepherd, and I shall not want!”   And continued, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me”!

David remembered the God who was his strength and his deliverer.  This gave him the strength to press on to the victory the Lord God had for him. 

We know that David became King just as God said and led Israel with a strong and mighty confidence in the God who had called him.

What about you.  When it looks like things are going opposite of what you have felt God has called you to, do you know intimately the one who gave you the assignment.

Can you look back and say, God did it then and He will help me now.  Can you remember the times God showed up in your life and gave you victory? 

Can you begin to sing of His goodness when thing look anything but right in your life?

May I encourage you to relive the promise in you heart and mind and understand that in spite of obstacles from others, the enemy, or our self, God will take us to the throne He has called us to if we will bow at His throne with Praise and understanding of who He is!

As I close, let me remind you that David, knew who he was and who His God was.  Yes, as the Psalms clearly show us, he got discouraged and in despair, but he consistently knew that Praise was his weapon and used it to overcome!

Do you know who you are and who your God is!

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Father, in Jesus’ name I come.  Thank you that you are my deliverer, my very present help in trouble.  You are my strength and my guide. And your plan for me will prevail! Help each person who read this to understand that with you nothing is impossible, and you will fight for them as they use the weapon of Praise.

Love, MeMaw