Heaven's Gate   “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22:8     If you only knew The treasures that await For you, My precious child, Behind Heaven’s gate.   If you could imagine The diamonds and the gems, The hills and mountains, The roses and blossoms,   The waterfalls and streams, The eternal Sunlight, The glory of the days, The absence of night,   The songs of birds, The lamb’s dance with the lion, The peace, the joy, the love Of Eternal Zion.   If you only knew, My child, you would not fear, For you would remember All your treasure is there.   So I ask you for a moment To come be with Me, Close your eyes right now, Envision eternity.   For there in Heaven Is your beautiful treasure, Sweeter than your dream… [more]

  Heaven's Gate “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22:8   If you only knew The treasures that await For you, My precious child, Behind Heaven’s gate.   If you could imagine The diamonds and the gems, The hills and mountains, The roses and blossoms,   The waterfalls and streams, The eternal Sunlight, The glory of the days, The absence of night,   The songs of birds, The lamb’s dance with the lion, The peace, the joy, the love Of Eternal Zion.   If you only knew, My child, you would not fear, For you would remember All your treasure is there.   So I ask you for a moment To come be with Me, Close your eyes right now, Envision eternity.   For there in Heaven Is your beautiful treasure, Sweeter than your dreams, Rich beyond … [more]

  Soaring in Spirit   “…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31   Soaring so high, Flying so free, The vast world below Now I see,   Amidst the clouds, Close to the sun, In the arms Of the Eternal One,   Up with the birds, In soul-freeing flight, My heart beating With rhythmic delight,   This is how I feel, Pure, strong, free; This is how I feel Because You love me.   So my heart soars To the heavens it seems, Sweeter than sweetest Of all my dreams.   To You, my Jesus, My heart I give, For to fly toward heaven Is for You to live.   To new heights Each day You bring, My soul flies free, My heart does sing.   Blissful, beautiful, Divine, rich and true Is the love I feel Flowing from You.   So amidst… [more]

  Smile amidst Trial   When my heart is heavy, When the day is gray, When the clouds hover On a dark stormy day,   When challenges face, When trials are near, When I feel in my heart A sense of fear,   I call on Your Name, And to me You run, Your face more radiant Than the midday sun.   You lift me up, You hold me tenderly, You remind I am Yours For all eternity,   “What have you to worry, My child, My friend? Remember My love for you Has no end.”   “It matters not If it does rain or shine, You are always in My care Perfect and divine.”   “So let Me wipe your tears, Let me hold you near, To My heart forever I hold you dear.”   “No challenge, no storm, Can stop My love for you; I love you always, Know this to be true.”     And as You say this, I feel my heart smile, Yes, I can feel pure joy Even amidst trial.   For You are with… [more]

Poem: Mother's Love   “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” ~ Psalm 127:3   Precious you are to me, A gift from God above, Child, you are my treasure, One I will always love.   The moment you were born Was love at first sight, Glimmering from your eyes Was warm gentle light.   You knew me instantly, And surely I knew you; Connected we are forever No matter what you do.   So hold my hand, child, Stay ever close to me, Trust that your mother Loves you eternally.   Should the rain fall, I will shelter you in my arms, Praying that my embrace Comforts and warms.   Should you hurt yourself Amidst your carefree play, Know you can run to me Any moment, any day.   Yet remember there is One Who loves you more than I do; Stay close to Jesus, For so much He loves you.   When I cannot be there, When the distance is great, Your co… [more]

  Holy Week Poem: Calvary   "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." ~ 1 Peter 2:24   The skies are gray, The thunder roars, From the crying heavens The rain downpours,     For here on Calvary, There on the tree, You, O Lamb of God, Bleed now for me.     My heart quavers To behold this bitter sight, On this Good Friday Dark as the night.     A crown of thorns Pierces Your head, From every inch of flesh Your blood is shed.     I shudder to realize This is all for my sin; In Your blood, my Savior, New life does begin.     With eyes of compassion, Shining through the pain, You whisper, “Forgive them,” Time and time again.     How can it be That You pray for me too? How can it be, my Jesus? How can it be true?     Were I the only one Upon th… [more]

It’s a scary world we live in. Having been a scientist all my life, raised in a family of scientists, the concept of God was a touchy subject. My father is a known agnostic, leaning towards atheism, many of my coworkers were non-committal, not to be confused with non-denominational…they didn’t outwardly announce that they were agnostic, but they practiced no obvious faith or belief structure-except, that, of their own self abilities. The problem with many scientists is that God is a rather intangible subject. Prove it!! Wow…how do we do that? The existence of God is a bit hard to prove. After all, when one prays, and a prayer is answered, the non-believer tends to just blame it on, luck, karma, or some other intangible thing. Yet a believer, knows that there is no other explanation. When one has simply asked, and thus it was delivered, a believer knows that it was by the presence of our Lord above, through His grace and love for us, that those prayers were answered. “The… [more]

God in some area of our lives has blessed us all. I pray we not waste what God has blessed us with or gifted us with (made us rich in) for our own self-indulgence, but remember to use these gifts to the glory of God. I Timothy 6:17-19 AMP As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment. Charge them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal and generous of heart, ready to share with others. In this way laying up for themselves [the riches that endure forever as] a good foundation for the future, so that they may grasp that which is life indeed. If you're thin, or have a beautiful figure, do you flaunt it to be seen of men? Or use it to tell yourself you are a step above others who struggle with being fit? Or do you adorn it with modesty and humility, clothing it with good deeds as unto our … [more]

Image courtesy www.freedigitalphotos.net Springtime Song “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 The days begin to lengthen, Spring is drawing near, The music of songbirds Begins to dance in the air. ~*~ The snow begins to melt, Grass soon will grow, Flowers will blossom where Once there was snow. ~*~ A promise of warmth, A sign of regeneration, A kiss of pure sunshine, A dance of celebration, ~*~ For the cold days Now give way to spring, Just as I give way To my Lord, my King. ~*~ For You, O Jesus, Warmed my shivering heart With love perfect and true From the very start. ~*~ Your Sonshine smiles Melted away sin and pain, Bringing blossoms of joy After the seasons of rain. ~*~ Your divine embraces Brought light to my soul, Renewing my spirit, Making me whole. ~*~ So as days lengthe… [more]

Celebration of Creation “… Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” ~ Isaiah 12:6   Crisp blue sky, Trees stretching tall, Wind dancing freely, Songbirds call, ~*~ Such is the beauty, The grandeur You create; Surrounded by Nature, Your love I celebrate. ~*~ In the trees and flowers, In rivers running free, In the sun shining, In the clapping tree, ~*~ I hear and see You, Jesus, You are here; In Nature and her beauty, Your love shines clear. ~*~ Your loving hand Colors the sky bright, Your joyous smile Gives the sun its light, ~*~ Your kiss of mercy Clothes the fields with dew, Your life-giving touch Does all things renew. ~*~ So of You and for You This song I do sing; Your love, sweet Jesus, Creates everything. ~*~ So as the trees sway, As the sky shines blue, As the birds sing joyfully, I rejoi… [more]

    God’s Graces “And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16 Thinking of You, I feel my heart sing, I embrace the goodness Your grace does bring. ~*~ Within and outside, Here and all around, Surely Your sweet graces To me do abound. ~*~ They pave my path, Carving the way for me; Yes, Your sweet graces Lead to eternity. ~*~ They sing in the birds, Dance in the flower, Laugh in the children, Kiss in the shower, ~*~ They fill me with joy, Envelop me with love, They sparkle in the stars Lighting the sky above. ~*~ They light up my eyes, Bringing joy to my song, Your graces remind me That with You I belong. ~*~ So on this grace-paved path I will sing of Your love, Keeping my eyes fixed On true treasures above. ~*~ And, my Lord Jesus, For all that You do give, I give You all of me, Yes, this very life I live. ~*~ I long to please You, To perform only Your wi… [more]

Journey with Jesus Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ~ John 14:6 ~*~ Unfolding before me, A path narrow and straight, Heading to a horizon, Sunshine to celebrate, ~*~ Such is my journey, Such are my travels with You, Such is my pathway Purposeful and true. ~*~ Jesus, my Guide, Hold my hand ever tight, Lead me on Your way, Shine upon me with light. ~*~ My heart I feel beat For You ever strong, My spirit I hear sing, “With You I belong.” ~*~ My eyes I feel aglow With Your joy and love, My sight is ever fixed On Your throne above. ~*~ So upon this pathway I walk with joy and peace, I hold You close to me, All else I release. ~*~ Your truth paves the way, Your words the foundation, Your joy the blossoms, Your love the celebration. ~*~ You are Life and Truth, You Yourself are the Way, So I walk upon the rock Of every word You … [more]

I read Elisabeth Elliot’s daily devotional today and how it pierced my heart.  Tenderness, that quality we don’t often think of in our culture, but how many walking wounded there are among us who need tenderness.  My late husband was tender, not harsh sharp or pressing.  In all our married life I can only recall one time he was harsh with me and how it wounded.  It’s as if he knew right away his words had been conveyed too harshly, and his tender side coupled with his love for me took over healing my heart almost as quickly as the harshly spoken words had wounded it.   1 Peter 3:7 (AMP) says, “In the same way you married men should live considerately with [your wives], with an intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honoring the woman as [physically] the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace (God’s unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. [Otherwise you cannot pray effective.] Tenderness,… [more]

Song of Joy “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!” Psalm 47:1 A song of joy In my heart does play, Lyrics of love As I follow Your way. ~*~ Beautiful this song, Precious the words, Beating in my heart, Singing with birds. ~*~ Trees and clouds Join the celebration, Together we dance For the gift of salvation. ~*~ You are our Song, You bring us delight, You are our Sonshine, Our Star in the night. ~*~ So for You, O Jesus, We sing this song; We rejoice in Your love, Wide, deep and long. ~*~ Sweeter than life, Than all we know, Is this precious love To us You do show. ~*~ You pour of Yourself, You give us Your all, You kiss with grace All things, big and small. ~*~ Everything and everyone Is touched by Your love: To us it streams freely From Your throne above. ~*~ So a song of joy The entire earth does fill; We sing of Your glory, We delight in Your will. ~*~ T… [more]

Follow Me “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 “Come follow Me,” Lord, I hear You say, “Come follow Me, Follow now My way.” ~*~ “Straight and narrow Is this way I lead, It leads to Heaven, I fill every need.” ~*~ “The flowers of virtue Blossom and grow Upon the sacred way Which I now go.” ~*~ “Storms may come, But I calm them all, I promise to carry When you stumble or fall.” ~*~ “So come follow Me, Stay nigh unto My side; Come follow Me, With Me do abide.” ~*~ “Treasures I have for you, So many in store; How can I do less For the child I adore?” ~*~ “Take My hand, daughter, See how I love you? I will show you the way, Teach you what to do.” ~*~ “Shower You with love, Surround You with grace, Lead you with light, Warm with My embrace,” ~*~ “For no p… [more]

  Image courtesy www.freedigitalphotos.net Giver of Good Things “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” ~ James 1:17 ~*~ A song in my heart For You does play, A spring in my step As I follow Your way, ~*~ A light in my eyes, As of You I speak, A strength in my arms, Though I am weak, ~*~ A joy in my soul, Rich, deep and true, A smile on my face As I think of You, ~*~ A peace in my mind Sweeter than all I know, A love in my heart As You I follow, ~*~ A hope in my heart, A laughter in my voice, A delight in my spirit, As in You I rejoice. ~*~ How can it be These treasures are mine? How can I savor Gifts rich and divine? ~*~ You are the Source, The Giver of good things; It is for You, Jesus, My heart ever sings. ~*~ My spirit, my soul, My heart, my mind, All You transform With Hands loving and… [more]

Image courtesy www.freedigitalphotos.net ~*~ Praise Him “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11 Let us praise Him, God, Father and King, Let us adore Him, Let our hearts sing. ~*~ Son of Righteousness, Messiah, Mighty One, Root of Jesse, Only Begotten Son, ~*~ Alpha and Omega, The Great I AM, Consolation of Israel, Shepherd and Lamb, ~*~ All are Jesus, So let us sing praise; He is Life, Love and Truth Now and always. ~*~ The Bread of Life, The Chief Cornerstone, For us He does pray, Save and atone. ~*~ Righteous Judge, Redeemer and Rabbi, Lord of Lords, God the Most High, ~*~ The Amen, the Anointed, Creator of all things, Bright Morning Star, The King of kings, ~*~ Emmanuel, Redeemer, The Eternal Head, Wisdom, Word of Life, True Vi… [more]

What’s that thing called Grace? It’s a funny thing this thing called Grace.  We all want it.  We don’t like to give it.  We often try to give it with strings attached.  We want it back.  Often we demand it!  God gave us this amazing gift, called “Grace”, often defined as “unmerited favor”. One of my favorite scriptures about grace is 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest me me.” Forgiveness Grace, at least as how we describe or define it, is often interpreted as “forgiveness”. God forgives us for our sins, as well as for the sins of our ancestors.  The entire concept of “original sin” is one often debated and has enjoined much discussion.  Why is it that we are found guilty of something that we had no control over, nor any ability to make a choice about? Well,… [more]

Path of Life “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11 (Send as an Inspirational Christian eCard!) Lord, I call unto You, Hear my humble prayer; Lord, I search for You, Make my way clear. ~*~ At times it seems Dim is the path before me; At times it seems It is too difficult to see. ~*~ Yet in those moments I feel Your hand reach; The perfection of Your way To me You teach. ~*~ “Daughter, I am here, You need not worry or cry; Daughter, have faith, Look up, for it is I.” ~*~ “I am here with you, I will show you the way; Come here into My arms, Listen to all I say.” ~*~ “The path of life For you, My child, I pave; I give everything I have To love and to save.” ~*~ “So come nigh unto Me, I promise to carry you; Eternal pleasures I give With joy rich and true.” ~*~ In saying these word… [more]

Who goes to your church? I am sorry if this question unsettles you, or if this writing does. But maybe you need to be unsettled. Maybe the Body of Christ needs to be shook up a little, or a lot. Maybe it's time we wake up, look around us in our church pews, and ask ourselves this question. Who goes to our church? Are we tucked safely inside warm, cozy churches with row after row of manicured hands, hose and heels, dresses and diamonds, neatly trimmed mustaches and much of everything clean and in order? Do we forget to cut the labels off our kids' church clothes? Do we hug each other because we are familiar and secure in the comfort of our zones? Our pat-each-other-on-the-back, "how was your week?", God bless you, God bless you, see-you-next-week, are-you-coming-to-the-potluck churches, secure, secure, secure. Who goes to your church? Do sinners go to your church? Or are you immune from sin, and do the members of your church tuck their sins and secrets safely into their closets and cupb… [more]