No more tears

Tyler and Chelsea 2001

I woke up at 3:30 this morning.  I really don't do that often. But when I woke up, I thought about Chelsea. 

I wrote this devotional after God kept putting Eternity in my head.  I've been feeling overwhelmed with all the pain that so many of my friends are enduring.  I know this is not our home, but it still hurts to see people suffer.

The devotional didn't come easy this morning.  I started out in one direction and this is where I ended up.  There will come a day - no more tears.

After I completed my devotional, Larry called.  As he was taking Tyler to school he had gotten a call.  The call we didn't want.  Chelsea passed away in night.  My heart is broken.  My prayer
is that Chelsea is running with her buddy Max, full of life and joy.  I have to believe God has a very special place for our pets.  They give more unconditional love than many of us ever experience.  That love is from God because God is love,  and I just can't imagine it doesn't live on.

http://youtu.be/k8gkDiTvloc - There Will Be A Day - Jeremy Camp

Isaiah 40:31 NLT
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.


http://youtu.be/fa8w7mGug0c - I will rise - Chris Tomlin

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

I don't like it when good people suffer. 

I know the reality is we live in a fallen world. Ever since Eve believed the serpent when he said "you won't surely die", this world did begin to die.  God created everything perfect.  At the end of each day of Creation, God saw that what He had created was good.  Then the serpent came along.  And the perfect existence that God created began to die.  The serpent was wrong.

Bad things happen - not because of God but because of the Enemy.  Because sin came into the world through one man - Adam, we all are sinners.  But praise God!  Because of one Man - Jesus, we can all be redeemed.

The Garden of Eden is no more.  Our choice - not God's.  We chose to believe the Liar.  But God is so gracious.  He made a way for us, to lift us up out of this fallen world.  He has prepared a place for us with Him for Eternity.  The price?

The perfect Lamb of God had to die for our sins.  Those who accept His gift are forgiven. Our old life died with Jesus on the Cross and was buried with Him.  Just as He was resurrected from the grave, we, too, are raised to a new life. 

In this world we will have troubles.  John 16:33 - "...Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  Because of Jesus, I have a new life that will last forever.  Bad things happen in this world, and I don't like it.  I don't like seeing people hurt and suffer.  But we believers have a future so much greater than we imagine. Compared to my future with Christ, the worries and cares of this world will seem like nothing.  That's hard to understand when I'm in the middle of the pain.  But I hold on to that promise. I fix my eyes on things that cannot be seen.  I focus on the realities of my home in heaven - not on this temporary earthly life.  My real life - everything I thing, do or say, should be focused on my Eternal Home.


Colossians 3:1-3
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
1 John 2:15-17 NLT
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 
And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

http://youtu.be/k8gkDiTvloc - There Will Be A Day - Jeremy Camp


Father thank You for Chelsea and her sweet little spirit.  Please keep her safe in Your care until we can meet again in Eternity. Thank You for the hope we have because of what Jesus did for us.  Thank You for the home You have prepared for us with You.  Help me keep my eyes on that Hope and not be distracted by the pain and suffering we endure while on this earth.  Our future is with You.  In Jesus' precious Name I pray. Amen. 



Our grandson Bobby praying with Chelsea.  Bobby's sisters
had left him alone in the backyard and
he was asking God to help him not be afraid. 
It almost looks as if Chelsea has her eyes closed, too.



Jars of Clay

http://youtu.be/ar8m_m426KA - Inside Out

I found this short little video on YouTube.  It really spoke to my heart.  Many of us were broken just like that clay jar,  and we felt beyond repair, good for nothing.  But our brokeness opened our eyes to how much we need our Savior. 

The broken pot with the light pouring out is beautiful.    
 That's what I want to be. An empty vessel for
Christ to fill with His light. 

from youtube:
Uploaded by communityin1 on Feb 27, 2009



What if God shone most brightly through our broken places - our sins and our wounds? What if we let him pour his grace into us, and out into those around us? What if we were beautifully consumed by Him and transformed into His likeness?

Lyrics "Inside Out" by Hillsong United

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

My heart, my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out


2 Corinthians 4 NLT

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.


7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.


11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.


13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.


16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Paul suffered through so many trials and persecutions.  Through it all he trusted Jesus to get him through those times.   "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Paul continues in 2 Corinthians 12:10 - "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong."


We are nothing more than jars of clay - empty vessels with nothing to offer - until He fills us up with His light.  When we come to that place where we know how much we need Jesus, how much we depend on Him for everything, that's when we stop trying to do things on our own.  We get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit take control.  Then His light can shine. 

I am a jar of clay and I need my Savior.

----------
from Power Prayers to Start Your Day - Donna K Maltese

LORD, when I hear what other people say You have done in their lives, their testimonies buoy my own faith.  It give me chills when I hear of the wonders of Your deeds.  Give me the courage to share my testimony with others, knowing this will draw unbelievers to You and strengthen the hearts of those who already know You.  Thank You, LORD, for hearing my prayer. 

http://youtu.be/wrRd-NZjdcg - Dependence - Jamie Slocum

All of Creation sing with me now...

http://youtu.be/O7bD02ZmTqk - All of Creation - Mercy Me



Tyler and Britton - Halloween 2000



Tyler and Britton have been best friends since Tyler was three and Britton was five.  It's been an amazing friendship and I'm so thankful that God put these two friends together.   Actually, they're more like brothers.










Tyler and Britton 2010

 This fall was difficult. Britton graduated and left for college.  Saying good-bye was not only difficult for Tyler, it was hard for Larry and me, too.  We miss Britton.  We miss hearing his laughter ring throughout the house.  Britton's not near in distance any more, but he'll always be close in our hearts.

Yesterday when  I checked my messages and Facebook for prayer requests, I saw a post from Britton.
His words touched my heart and just reminded me of what a special young man he is.  I asked Britton if I could share his thoughts on my blog.  He said that it would be fine but really God should get all the credit.  = )  He makes me (and his mom)  so proud.

Here is Britton's post: 

I just spent the past hour and a half upstairs in the art room working on a project that is due in the morning while listening to casting crowns, hawk nelson, and pillar on my zune. after finishing I walked outside to head to my dorm and looked up at the night sky. I saw a lone star (its cloudy and the light pollution blocks out all but the brightest) off to the side of a very bright, full moon. Instantly I felt humbled and at awe with the beauty of the Lord's creation as I gazed at those two great lights in the sky. Thoughts and feelings came to me that formed into words that I am feeling very strongly on my heart right now. more than I know how to write, but it's something like this:


God I see you in the sun, the moon and the stars. I hear you in the rocks, the wind and the running waters. I feel your presence in the mountains and in the forests. The power of your creation surrounds me and in the silence of the night I can't help but be stirred to thank you for every blessing you've poured out on me. Dear Lord, use me and my talents to show others your light. let my life be a testimony to your awesome power and love. May I never shy away from persecution and allow me to always be a positive influence to those around me. God you are truly wonderful beyond comprehension, all glory and honor be to you...


To my family and friends near and far, as well as those I barely know or haven't met yet. May God bless you in every good thing you do and I hope that he will always protect you and keep you safe.


Didn't I tell you Britton was a terrific young man?

I love those moments when it's just me and God.  There in the stillness of the night or early morning hours when no one is stirring, it's just me and God.  Like Britton, I can't look into the night sky without feeling an incredible sense of His Presence and Power and love.  I think at those moments, God draws us close to His heart.  God spoke to Britton - not in words but heart to heart, spirit to Spirit.  because Britton took the time to be still and let his mind go to the Creator of the Universe - even in the middle of the night.  Britton's thoughts turned to His Father.  And His Father reached down and gave him a little hug.

The night sky that proclaimed God's beauty and majesty last night, Britton, it was just for you.  He loves you so very much.  And so do we.

http://youtu.be/DcF75h4BHk8  - How Great Thou Art - Alan Jackson

Psalm 104
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.  He wraps Himself
in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of His upper chambers on their waters.  He makes the clouds His chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.

He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.  You covered it with the deep as with
a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.

But at Your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of Your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over
the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place You assigned for them.
You set a boundary they cannot cross, never agian will they cover the earth.

He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.

He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:  wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.


The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers.

The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.


 He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.
You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.


The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens.
Then people go out to their work, to their labor until evening.

How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.


There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.


All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time.


When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.


When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath,
hey die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created,
d you renew the face of the ground.


May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works—


He who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.


May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the LORD.


But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more.


Praise the LORD, my soul.

Praise the LORD.

Why did God create us?

http://youtu.be/Pt7OZyBj5Ik - Who Am I - Casting Crowns

Why did God create us?  I guess we'll never fully know the answer.  But this article sheds some light on that age-old question.  http://www.icr.org/articles/view/537/215/  The article below is from the Institute of Creation Research website.

The answer to why did God create us might be easier to understand if we ask ourselves this question:



Richey, Amber, Jayce and Bryce



Why do we choose to have children?

My answer is not unlike God's answer in Revelation 4:11.  I decided to have children for my own pleasure.    As a parent, the love I have  for my children is probably the closest I'll ever get to unconditional love - to God's love.  Being able to lavish that kind of love on my children brings me immeasurable joy.  Watchng my children, interacting with them, loving them, all these things bring me great pleasure.  I think that's how God feels about us.   



Mikey, Jill, Brooklyn and Presley

 When we make a decision to have children, we understand the risks.  And we know that eventually, they will come to the end of their lives.  Why do we decide to have a child when we know that child is destined to die?  They may even have to suffer through illness, disease, hurtful relationships, all kinds of hardship.  In fact, they will endure some of those things, yet we still decide to bring our children into the world.  Why?  So that we can experience the incredible love they bring.  We want to love them, and we pray that they will love us back.  That special relationship between a parent and a child is worth the risk.


I think that's why God created us.  The love He feels for us brings Him so much joy, it's worth the risks.

Love - that's the reason God created us.

http://youtu.be/oWnvmKoLWUU - The Love of God - MercyMe


"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."  Revelation 4:11

Why did God Create Us?


by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

Some things cannot be fully comprehended. Infinite things, eternal things, matters of God's sovereignty—these transcend our finite and temporal minds. For example, why did He create us? Certainly He doesn't need us, for He existed in perfect love and unity before He even created time. Furthermore, He even knew beforehand that His image, recreated in man, would reject Him and His Kingship over their lives, resulting in unthinkable pain and suffering and death of all things placed in man's dominion. He foresaw ruinous mutations, debilitating injuries, devastating cancer, etc., as consequences. We can only approach an answer to this unanswerable question by following the hints given in Scripture.

In a more ultimate sense, God knew that man's sin would force His only begotten Son to die an unthinkably horrid death in sacrificial payment for man's sin, and that ungrateful man would even carry out the execution, for Scripture identifies His Son as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). In order to accomplish this fully sufficient sacrifice, the Son willingly set aside aspects of His deity, and "took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7), willingly limiting Himself to bodily form. Why would He do this? If we had not been created, it would not have been necessary. Why did He create us?


While we can never fully answer the question, it helps to recognize that the answer will come only as we recognize the character and attributes of God. First and foremost, God is a God of love, and love must be demonstrated by showering it upon the object of that love. His grace comes only to those who deserve punishment, and the demonstration of His love and grace and mercy stands without parallel among humans.

But in His love He desired reciprocal love, so He created man in His own image. Man was given the ability to respond to God's love or reject it. In the beginning man enjoyed full fellowship with God, but soon rejected Him, bringing the ruination of all creation. This wasn't God's intention, so He implemented His plan for creation to fulfill its intended purpose.

Perhaps the grandest statement of His purpose can be found in Revelation 4:11, where we see heavenly beings gather in His praise, saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." And there we have it! God created us for His pleasure, for His ultimate good will, because it is best in His estimation.

Unfortunately, the present world with sin and its penalty permeating all things and processes, temporarily experiences postponement of His ultimate plan, but it will not be forever thwarted. There will be the "new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (II Peter 3:13) once again. This is His plan, purpose, and pleasure.

Thus, it makes sense that He would have created things as stated in Scripture, in an orderly, rapid fashion. He would not have used billions of years to create in His image, and He certainly would not have used death, pain, extinction, and survival of the fittest. These are the results of sin and bring Him no pleasure at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank You Father for creating us.  Thank You for Your immeasurable love and patience towards us.  Thank You for allowing us, Your creation, to call You our Father.  I'm so sorry for all the times I must disappoint you with my bad choices and rebelliousness. I could never stand in Your Holy Presence on my own merit but Your great love made a way.  Thank You for sending Your precious Son to save me.  Thank You, Jesus, for covering me with Your righteousness so that I can bow before the Throne of our gracious God, spotless and worthy of His love, not because of anything I've done but because of Your great love and mercy.  You are worthy of all my praise and devotion.  Be glorified in my life, LORD.  Use me for Your Kingdom.  I am Yours.  In the Precious Name of Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, my Savior.  Amen.

http://youtu.be/ggGwDrxrC2k - God's love letter