AGONY

I've had a lot of physical pain in my life.  Granted, I do have a very high tolerance for pain so often I can continue functioning with it while some might have to go to bed with the same level.  Honestly, too, I don't think of agony in a physical sense.

When I think of true agony, I think of it mentally.  Agony to me hurts the heart to the core.  Yes, to the very core.  I can tell you that I've had those times too and were it not for my spiritual relationship with my heavenly Father, I possibly would have succumbed to whatever the terrible result would have been.

After Jesus had supper with his disciples, they walked to the garden of Gethsemane.  He asked them to wait for him while he went "further" to pray.  The account of that prayer gives me chills when I read it.  I don't know about you but I have seen time and time again the painting of Jesus in the garden, bowed at that rock, pouring his heart out to his Father.  "Father if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me....not my will, but thine be done."  That is a REALLY hard prayer to pray.

His disciples--his friends--got sleepy and fell asleep, totally obviously unaware of what was to come. I do that to the Lord often...begin to pray and then fall asleep.  He loves me anyway.  And, he loved his disciples.  Anyway.

The song of the day today is one of my very favorite of our choir Easter songs, titled "He was willing" and it goes like this:

"It must have been lonely that day in the garden when Jesus knelt a stone's throw away.
Bent low beneath the burden he prayed to the father, "Be thy will, let this cup pass away".
An angel came to strengthen the Savior, as fervently he knelt there to pray.
And sweat like drops of blood fell on the ground before him, deeply grieved he knelt there to pray.

The cross was just ahead on Mt. Calvary, in agony his life he would give.
But he could see beyond to that resurrection morning,
He would die so that others might live, might live...
Yes he would die so that others might live, might live!"

The song sang anytime but especially during the Easter season gives me chills and yet makes me rejoice at the same time!  My favorite phrase in that song is "But he could see beyond to that resurrection morning...".  I encourage you to see beyond to what a life with Jesus holds for you.  Life.  Life.  Life.

As George Matheson, a blind preacher of Scotland, once said, "Show me it is through my tears I have seen my rainbows."

Consider....

MY UPPER ROOM

As I continue my reading and study of events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection day, I am pondering the time that Jesus and his disciples spent together in the upper room with the communion time.  He was getting them prepared for what was to come.

You gotta love Peter.  He is adamant that he will never deny Jesus.  Yeah right.  I find myself a lot like Peter very often.  "Oh no, Lord, I will never deny you," I say just like Peter.  Yet I fail to share him with others as often as I could.

Then there's Judas who knows in his heart he has made a deal with the devil to betray this Jesus.  Sitting there, knowing.  Could Judas be pondering how he's gonna spend those thirty pieces of silver or is he already living with regret for what is coming?

Very little is said about the other ten disciples.  I often wonder their thoughts.  It's probably easy to figure but not so important to mention in the grand scheme of things.

Yet, even in that room of adamant proclamations of loyalty, potential regrets of actions done, and simple lack of understanding truly of what is going on, I feel the love of Jesus there for all of them. Just because that's who Jesus is and what He does.  Love.

How often do I go to the upper room in my heart, commune with Jesus, and go forth strengthened?  Hourly?  Daily?  Weekly?  Monthly?  Yearly?  Never?

Oh, the strength to be found in the upper room with Jesus!  He's a friend that loves, cares, comforts...the list of what he gives us is endless!

Before I got out of bed this morning, my mind went to another song.  This song is one I heard years ago and have never heard since, but the words stuck in my heart as it touched me so much at the time.  It goes like this:

"A friend when other friendships cease
A friend when others fail
A friend who gives me joy and peace
A friend when foes assail.

Friendship with Jesus
Fellowship divine
Oh, what blessed sweet communion
Jesus is a friend of mine!"

Consider.......

THERE'S JUST SOMETHING....

Jesus.  Jesus.  Jesus.

The name of Jesus spread far and wide .  "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46)

Just the mention of his name seemed to get attention of folks.  Many didn't understand him.  Many who had not physically met him wanted to.  Jesus made a difference in lives.  He still makes a difference today.

Ask the blind man who was blind but was then made to see.

Ask the lame man who couldn't walk but went running and leaping.

Ask the widow of Nain and Jarius, whose children were dead but lived again.

Ask the woman who knew she only had to touch the hem of his garment to be healed.

Ask Mary, Martha, and Lazarus what Jesus did for them.

Ask any of those 5000+ hungry people on that hillside how delicious those loaves and fishes were to their hungry selves.

Ask Zacchaeus how he felt after Jesus went home with him.

And so many more whose lives were touched by Jesus.  Jesus.  Jesus.

I will even go a bit further and say to ask my friend who spent the last two weeks and more fighting fevers, even up to 105.6, caused by the silent virus we fight right now.  Ask her what a difference Jesus makes in her life.

And I will say you can ask this blog writer about the difference Jesus makes in hers.  There's not enough space of time to tell you all.  For sure, this blog writer is grateful to know Jesus as a friend, a hope, a Savior and Lord.

The words of a popular Gaither song say it well:

"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus;
There's just something about that name.
Master, Savior, Jesus,
Like the fragrance after the rain.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Let all Heaven and earth proclaim.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away
But there's something about that name."

Consider.....

PALMS

Here we are!  A week before one of the most blessed of celebrations in my world and hopefully in yours, too.

Today is what is typically called Palm Sunday and the first of Holy Week, the week of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.  As my t-shirt says, "A lot can happen in three days..."  That t-shirt will be enjoyed this Easter week while I am here at home sheltered in place.  It will be a different sort of Holy Week this year....no planning of Easter morning church sunrise service, no full house for Easter breakfast, no typical Easter service.....but in spite of that, the celebration will not be diminished in my life.  If anything can be said for this year's conditions, it can be said that the thrill of Jesus will be even more magnified in my life.

No typical organized celebration can change the joy in MY heart for MY Jesus, what HE did for me, and what HE still does for me TODAY.  I will rejoice in HIM!

I invite you to use this week to read scriptures in the gospel leading up to the magnificent morning of the resurrection.  To me, the scriptures NEVER get old.

Check back daily this week for some word of rejoicing.  I'm yet undecided as to the format of the blog posts for this Holy Week but I pray each one will give you hope and joy.

If necessary that you dust off your Bible, I encourage you to do so or as technology will allow nowadays, read these online.  You will find the four gospels tend to on occasion be a bit different in details, but the story is the same wonder that it always has been.

So this week, consider......

Jesus rides into Jerusalem.....Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19
The Last Supper with the twelve....Matt. 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:3-39; John 13
Sold out....Matt 26: 1-16;  Mark 14:1-2, 10-11:  Luke 22:1-6
In the Garden....Matthew 26:36-56; Mark14: 32-52; Luke 22:39-53; John 17, 18:1-11
Guilty?.....Matthew 26:57-75; Mark14:53-72;  Luke 22:54-71; John 18:12-27
A Dark Day....Matthew 27:1-66; Mark 15:1-47; Luke 23; John 18:28-42
The Tomb....Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20

SPRING'S SERMON

I took myself and my camera to the mailbox this morning, then walked down the road to an area where two dogwoods of ours are blooming.  I took pictures for a while and as I was taking, I realized that not all the dogwoods had bloomed yet.  Rarely have I seen or paid attention to the un-blooming dogwoods.  

As I looked at them today, I found beauty in them as much as in the ones already spread out.  More than that, I realized that they, like the dandelions, have no idea of the turmoil and fear in the world and keep on blooming on time.  It goes back to that post a couple of posts ago where we "consider the lilies of the field".  I understood yet again this morning that the Lord above has all this mess and this beauty in HIS hands and again, I rejoiced.  Greatly.

Here's what I saw....you find your own sermon.

This one is a lot like me....a little scared to open maybe?

Once they open, look how the light shines on them!

Consider..........

HIS HANDS

As I begin a new week I woke this morning in prayer.  My prayer life has improved in the past couple of weeks.  Too bad I couldn't improve it without life's trials.

I haven't seen The Grandbaby for a week now except on Face Time.  Thank goodness my little bit of technology knowledge allows me to know how to do that on my computer.  While it's not a clear picture often, it's a picture and a conversation all the same.  The Poppa, she, and I end out conversation with her every time by blowing a BIG kiss and giving ourselves a BIG hug for each other.  How I long to be able to physically give her that kiss and hug!

I "talk" via text often daily to The Girl.  She relayed a story to me the other day about The Grandbaby that I'd like to share.  There's a true sermon in the story that applies so well to our daily lives at this point of time.

It seems The Grandbaby was at the top of their stairs holding coloring sheets, Baby Ariel (one of her two favorite "babies"--they all have princess names but are plain baby dolls), and Baby Ariel's church dress.  The Grandbaby says, "Mommy, I need you to hold my coloring sheets and the dress for me.  And maybe Baby Ariel.  I'm tired of holding her."  The Grandbaby begins to come down the stairs, holding the wall for support.  Then she says, "And I need to hold your hand."

Ahhh....isn't that where I am so many days, especially lately?  My life holds so many concerns that I'm so tired of holding them.  I tell my heavenly Father that I need him to hold my hand.  And thankfully, he does.  Always.

Scripture today comes from Isaiah:

"For I the Lord thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."  
Isaiah 41:13

"...Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine."  Isaiah 43:1

The Lord's hand is ALWAYS clean.

Consider.........

THE CHOICE OF CLEAN HANDS

I've struggled in my thoughts the past several days as I have so wanted to write a blog post but could never find the exact thoughts to share.  The world in which we live has been in panic and turmoil--quite a trial for our country.  A trial that is touching us all individually, as families, as Christians, and as everything.  The name causing this trial--Coronavirus.

So I know some of you are thinking--geez, all is hear is Coronavirus and now I have to hear it here, too.  Hopefully by the end of this reading, you will realize my words are not all about the virus.  Yes, The Husband and I have self-isolated at home since Sunday with him going to work daily and coming straight home and me going to the office on Thursday, then to the pharmacy for needed drugs for the parents, and then home.  I can guarantee one thing.  We will both be tired of my cooking at the end of this.  We have eaten at home for almost two weeks.  Sometimes the plate contents ain't pretty and sometimes the contents don't taste delicious but we're not going hungry.  We have abode by the "rules" of the government if you will and hopefully by doing that have not given anyone our germs nor gotten anyone else's--doing our part towards trying to tame the spread of the virus.

With the virus, I have learned totally (as The Grandbaby says) how to have ridiculously clean hands.  My hands have never been cleaner in my whole 60+ years of life.

Finally, today being the nice pretty weather day it is, I decided to take a walk.  I put in my gospel music and headed out.  Slowly is how I walk with this faulty back but I got going and kept going.  The more the music got into me, the lighter my walk became and with that lightness came a lightness of heart.  My eyes began to fill with water and drain down my cheeks as I heard the music, "there's healing and hope and love all around...when the praises go up, the glory comes down."

I slowed a bit as I walked the slight uphill and began to sweat.  Then I turned around and started the downhill walk, gaining speed (as much as I can gain) and felt the soothing wind in my face.  With that breeze, I was not only cooled of my sweat, but I was refreshed and renewed in my spirit.

Yes, there are concerns about the unknown of this virus.  Yes, I have learned that I have an adult child who is very bold about telling me I have to isolate because of my health issues (and my age...geez).  And you know, that's not a bad thing...shows a lot of love of that adult child.  Yes, there are concerns for our economy.  Yes, there are just many many concerns.

During this part of my walk, though, I looked down and saw several dandelions.  I saw myself as a child, pulling them and blowing the fuzzy part into the wind.  I loved that.  I realized that dandelions are still around.  The world is still turning.  The spring blooms are still blooming at just the right time.    I realized that if my heavenly Father knows about all these things and cares about them, how much more does He care about me and these things that are concerns to me.

No matter what happens in this world, that doesn't change the fact that Jesus died on the cross, rose from the tomb three days later, and lives today.  For me.  For you.  For us all.  There's still healing and hope and LOVE all around.

Keep your hands washed.....and....

consider Luke 12:27-31....

"Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
                                                          

2 QUESTIONS

The rains have come for a long time, gone for a short time, and come again in flood watch stage.  With that said, I have two questions....

1.  Would I be a redneck if I have my aged rain boot strap stapled because the buckle is broken?

2.  If the answer is yes, do I REALLY care?

☔🌧

SOME DAYS

Some days are like this:

But don't give up, all is not lost...

Consider...

THE DAY AFTER THE L-O-V-E HOLIDAY

The celebration continues!

At 11:59 a.m. 39 years ago on this day, a little one was born to The Husband and me and our lives as we knew them were forever changed.  A precious baby girl brought joy to us and continues to bring joy still.

It's so hard for me to believe The Girl is 39 today.  I laughingly say I have to subtract to know my age and sadly, I have to subtract to know hers as well.  Little did we know that day 39 years ago what time would hold for her and for us.

To say The Husband and I are proud of The Girl would be an understatement.  More than that, though, The Husband and I are forever humbled at the blessing simply of "her".

She reminds me of the woman spoken of in Proverbs 31, the virtuous woman.  Well, okay so maybe only parts of it.  She doesn't lay her hands to the spindle or make fine linen or some of those things, but she is pretty sharp on her circuit machine.  Those others things can apply to her--especially the strength and honor and wise parts.   She is not only an honor to her parents, her husband, and her child but she is an honor to her heavenly Father most of all.

31

So Happy Birthday to The Girl who made me a mama!  Prayers that forevermore will hold joy, joy, and more joy!


Proverbs 31:10-31:

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.0 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.