Beneath Your Strong Wings: I Miss You Daddy!

I Miss You, Daddy!

Your arms around me I will never feel now

At least not that I remember

I was born in late September

You died 11 years later.

I wish you could have waited

Until at least i could've had graduated

But death came to you by surprise

It really wasn't your choice.

I had to grow up without you dad

My future children you'd never see

But through my life and through my heart

You'll always live in me.

The others say you're not my dad

Because I am not of your own blood

But even though i am not yours

I still am part of you.

I forgive you dad for leaving me

You didn't ask to go

I'd only wish that you were here

Because I love you so.

I love you daddy, very much

You are my shining star

If you could I know you'd be here

But heaven's just too far.

DO YOU LOVE ME?

One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise. Ah! ... the beauty of God's creation is beyond description. As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work. As I sat there, I felt the Lord's presence with me.
He asked me, "Do you love me?" I answered, "Of course, God!
You are my Lord and Saviour!"
Then He asked, "If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?"
I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body and wondered how many things I wouldn't be able to do and thought about the things that I take for granted.
I answered, "It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You."


Then the Lord said, "If you were blind, would you still love my creation?"
How could I love something without being able to see it? Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and His creation. So I answered, "It's hard to think of it, but I would still love you."
The Lord then asked me, "If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?"
How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood. Listening to God's Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts. I answered, "It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word."





The Lord then asked, "If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?"
How could I praise without a voice? Then it occurred to me, God wants us to sing from our very hearts and souls. It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks. So I answered, "Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name."
And the Lord asked, "Do you really love Me?"
With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, "Yes Lord! I love You because You are the one and true God!"
I thought I had answered well, but God asked, "Then why do you sin?"
I answered, "Because I am only human. I am not perfect."
"Then why in times of peace do you stray the furthest? Why only in times of trouble do you pray the earnest?"
I had no answers ... only tears.



The Lord continued. "Why only sing at fellowships and retreats? Why seek Me only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly? Why ask things so unfaithfully?"
The tears continued to roll down my cheeks. "Why are you ashamed of Me? Why are you not spreading the good news? Why in times of persecution, you cry to others when I offer My shoulder to cry on? Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?""You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away. I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away. I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge. I have spoken to you but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away. I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all. Do you truly love me?





I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief. I had no excuse. What could I say to this? When my heart had cried out and the tears had flowed, I said, "Please forgive me Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child."
The Lord answered, "That is My Grace, My child."
I asked, "Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?"
The Lord answered, " Because you are My creation. You are my child. I will never abandon you. When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you. When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you. When you are down, I will encourage you. When you fall, I will raise you up. When you are tired, I will carry you. I will be with you until the end of days, and I will love you forever."




Never had I cried so hard before. How could I have been so cold? How could I have hurt God as I had done? I asked God, "How much do You love me?"
The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced hands. I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Savior. And for the first time, I truly prayed.

CROSS ON MY HOMEPAGE

Cross On My Homepage

I have a cross on my homepage

A simple reminder to me

Of the fact that I'm a Christian

No matter where I may be
This little cross is not magic

Nor is it a good luck charm

It isn't meant to protect me

From any physical harm
It's not identification

For all the world to see

It's simply an understanding

Between my Savior and me

When I logon to my homepage

For the new things to see

The cross is there to remind me

The price He paid for me
It reminds me too, to be thankful

For my blessings day by day

And to strive to serve Him better

In all that I do and say
It's also a daily reminder

Of the peace and comfort I share

With all who know my Master

And give themselves to His care
So, I keep a cross on my homepage

Reminding no one but me

That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life

If only I'll let Him be

-From the Poem by Verna Thomas-

All Things Wise: Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm leads to achievement. A sense of achievement - an awareness of accomplishment. Here is poise - poise through enthusiasm.

"We are often troubled, but not crushed;

sometimes in doubt, but never in despair;

there are many enemies, but we are never

without a friend; and though badly hurt at

times, we are not destroyed.

For this reason we never become discouraged.

Even though our physical being is

gradually decaying, yet our spiritual

being is renewed day after day.

And this small and temporary trouble

we suffer will bring us a tremendous and

eternal glory, much greater than the trouble."

(2 Corinthians 4:8,9,16,17)

Photo: Stormy Landscape by Rembrandt

ALL THINGS WISE: ACCEPTING YOURSELF

Why is it we spend more time looking at our faults than we do at our good points? We don't like our home or family background or even our hair color! But God wants us to accept ourselves as we are and to depend on His strength where we are weak.

In her book Love Adds the Chocolate, Linda Anderson recounted this incident: "I once knew a young woman who pointedly disliked not only what she was doing but who she was. She was convinced of her uselessness to both God and her fellowman, and she was certain that if the earth opened up and swallowed her nobody would miss her. After a few months of futile self-absorption, she came to the point we all must face if we are to find God's direction in our lives. One night she surrendered the peculiarities of her individual temperament to the Lord, piece by piece. she named them all and asked the Lord to put the pieces together and glorify Himself through them. To her surprise, over a period of years the very qualities she had once hated became polished gems in the Master's hands. She found to her delight that He was using them all!"

Whenever we feel guilty of looking too much at our faults and failures, let us remember who we are in Christ and thank God for the good points He's given us, and get busy doing things for others and for the Lord. It's the best way to begin accepting ourselves. Loving God above all, I am Ophelia Jane Julia thanking everyone who drop by my blog page and reminding everyone that: "Jesus wouldn't pay an infinite price for someone of no value."

Oil painting image was Expectations by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema taken from illusionsgallery.com

All THINGS WISE: Choose How To Grow Old

When I was in my teens, I admired a woman in her seventies - an active elder in our church. She dressed neatly, smiled a lot, and paid attention when i talked with her. I wanted to be like her when I got old.

I knew another woman in the same age bracket, but i surely didn't want to be like her. She seemed to do nothing but complain and was so self-centered that she wouldn't listen to anybody. She wouldn't take advice from anyone. She was a disgruntled old woman.

Psalm 92 shows us that those who believe in God and live in fellowship with Him and with His people will be in old age like a vigorous tree with wide-spreading, luxuriant branches.

If you want to stay optimistic and interested in life when you get old, start preparing while you are young. After trusting Jesus to be your Savior, make Him your chief model. Also select as living examples those who walk with Him. You will be kinder, gentler, purer, and more loving with the passing years. You and I choose each day the kind of person we will be when we are old.

O keep me sweet and let me look

Beyond the frets that life must hold,

To see the glad eternal joys;

Yes, keep me sweet in growing old.

~~Hazard

What you hope to be like tomorrow depends on the choices you make today!

Source for photo: abrahamescence1 of Flickr

All Things Wise: Not Ruled By Time

The ancient Mayans of Central America were obsessed with time. Early in their history they began to study the movement of the planets. Soon they noted a correlation between the cycles of the planets and the seasons, and they began to chart the stars. The priests interpreted their findings, and they devised an elaborate calendar which was as accurate as any calendar used today. With it they were able to calculate dates far into the past and the future. Mayan life was dictated by this calendar. Times for plantings, harvests, and sacrifices were minutely calculated and strictly observed.

Our culture too is dominated by time. Clocks and calendars, datebooks and watches keeps us marching rigidly on schedule. In some ways such attention to time is good, if it helps us to use wisely. Our earths and its seasons will one day pass away. And when they do, many of the things we tried to crowd into a day will not mean a thing. When we stand before God, will we be able to say that time did not rule us but that we ruled time?

If time could be our servant,

Our work would be sublime;

But if we do not master it,

We're only "serving time."

~~C. Hess

"To everything there is a season."

Ecclesiastes 3:1