Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

There I was sitting in the sand, my heart heavy with my decision. Would I? Could I? Should I?

It was the summer right before I turned fifteen years old this particular year and we were on our family vacation at the beach. I was falling apart that year; the weight of the sexual abuse I had experienced was weighing me down mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I was not just dealing with the abuse of my dad, there were others and I felt totally helpless, worthless, like trash. I had decided that if this was what I was born for I did not want to live another day; I was going to take my own life. Walking out into the deep seemed like a peaceful way to go. I could just slip under the dark murky water and take a deep breath and then it would all be over and I would be at peace, right?

I had walked out several times and went under holding my breath as long as I could, but the courage I needed to inhale was not there, so I went to sit on the beach, and there I sat, crying, staring out to see and asking God with my last ounce of faith for help and then…he walked by, no not Jesus, but the one sent to help me.

I am digging my hands in the sand, my eyes staring out at the ocean, my heart pounding wildly in my chest and I quietly say, God please help me? Is this all I am, do you even love me, do you really care, help me please; what am I to do? As I sat there lost in the swirl of emotion, I suddenly realized someone was talking to me, this guy in glasses, hair to his shoulder’s blowing in the wind, long swim trunks on and a white button-down shirt, partially unbuttoned ballooning out as the wind blew; he is leaning in and I hear him say: “Hey, are you okay?” “You look as though you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, want to talk?” And as I looked at him it all came flooding out, without hesitation, every hurt I had carried and never spoken aloud to anyone else but God came rolling out of my mouth and my heart between sobs. I talked and he sat quietly listening, somehow not seeming shocked by anything I was saying and then I confessed that I was going to take my life as soon as I had enough courage; at this point, I stopped talking, and that is when he started talking all the while never touching me physically, he just sat beside me and began with; I am so sorry this has all happened to you. I am so sorry you feel that taking your life is the answer, it isn’t the answer, God loves you and he can and will help.

He said a lot, mostly reassuring me of God’s love and that He had a plan and a purpose, and that He (God) could somehow make it all okay. Although he had no answers to the how God would do it, he was solid in is belief that God could. He asked me how old I was and eventually just every day normal stuff. As he got up to leave, I found myself getting up and walking beside him, no longer feeling that tug of the water to end it all, but instead feeling a fresh wave of “maybe, just maybe,” there was another way. We walked and talked for most of the day, I found out that he was in Catholic school studying the necessary things to go into the priesthood. He was the one God knew he could trust with this all-important assignment, me. I am sure there was no big announcement made to him that he needed to go rescue a teenage girl on the verge of suicide, he was just out for a walk in the sun, but when he saw me sitting there, something stirred his heart to stop and he listened and obeyed.

God used him that day, as he shared how God loved me my heart began to come back into focus with the things I knew to be true about God, things I had learned from church and my grandmother. The pain was not pounding in my heart louder than God’s word any longer and so when he got up to leave I without any thought got up followed him and abandoned my plan to end it all. As the day progressed we laughed talked and just enjoyed the sun and sea. At the end of that day, this guy gave me his address and we parted ways. My heart not overwhelmed, my faith made stronger and a new friend in hand. It was a good day.

I wrote to him for many months, he was always encouraging and he gave me the courage to share my secret, and one day I did. I do not know where this man is, but I know God used him that day in my life. When I asked for help it came in the form of this soon to be a Catholic priest in a button-down shirt strolling past me. God had an audible voice that day, he spoke through this man. God uses whatever means he wants to do in you and through you what His will is for you. When I cried for help, it came, literally that very moment. I can look back now and smile on that day; I smile at all of it. God is so good, so gentle, so kind and he meets us where we are. Sun, sand, sobs…God!

I leave you with this verse:

Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Psalm 39:4-7 “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. 6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.
7 But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.”

So many Christian’s walks this earth as though they are going to be here forever. This is their home, this is where they will always dwell, this is their heaven. They are trying to gather as much as fast as they can. They want it all! They have no qualms about going into debt to get the things this world tells them they need.

We see all the goody’s that the world hangs out and we have this desire to have them all. It is the “I want” syndrome. And the worst part is many of them have forgotten how to be kind, thoughtful and generous. Not all, mind you, but many.

I happened to see a post on an Instagram a couple weeks ago where someone had taken a picture of some random person’s home as they went by. They were criticizing the look of the home, how it was not as neat and tidy as it should be. Clearly, this was a very modest home and the people who lived there were not rich, and maybe had not been taught to keep their home in the best of conditions, or maybe they just did not have the means to do so. I would venture to say they were doing what they perceived to be their best. They had several things piled up near their home at the end of their driveway, more than likely because they did not have an outside shed to put them in, so they made the best of it.

Obviously, neither I or this person posting can know for sure, but the comments that were posted for all to see were not kind and they were saying how angry it made them seeing such. My heart hurt for the person’s living in the home, not for the well to do person posting it. I know this person and know that they live very well. I like the person that posted, it is not that, it is their total lack of concern for the possibility that maybe, just maybe these people were doing their best and posting their home for their audience was not very kind. Where was their compassion when they were judging this person?

This is just a small instance where I have seen people who have climbed the ladder of success, “by the grace of God,” who have more and get to experience life in a more carefree way passing judgment on those that they see as “less than.” The world is not made up of all wealthy people. Not everyone gets to get a great job with the big money. Some just barely make it through, not because they are lazy, but they just never get ahead for whatever reasons, and some choose to live simply because they realize this is not our permanent home they are just passing through. And by living smaller they can be more generous with their money and their time.

As we just read in scripture, our lives are like a mere Phantom. We are just a dot on the landscape of life, here one day and gone another. We are not promised tomorrow; so we need to live today like it was our last. We need to be purposeful in our love toward others. We need to give and love as Jesus did, not counting the cost, not looking back, but always looking forward to that day; what day you ask? It is the day we leave this earth either through death or is coming, but either way, gone we are, in a moment. Those who loved us much will remember us, but for the world, not so much, we are gone and they don’t care.

That job you love so much will be given to another before you know it and although you worked long and hard, this new person will take over and it will be as though you never were. We think way too much of ourselves and our importance on this earth.

I say live it well. Live with intentionality. Live with overflowing love and kindness to all people. Give generously without fear of not having. Trust God more and this world less. Keep your word. Love your neighbor as yourself. Look at your own faults and surrender them to Christ first, before you judge others. Give mercy and grace to all just as you have received it. Look for His coming more than you look to fill your bank account. Live with less and do more. Love, love, love, love, love… Just like Jesus did!

And when you die, “and you will,” or if he returns you are not so weighted down with stuff that someone else has to clean up after you when you are gone. Walk softly peeps…love God and remember who you’re not, and whose you are!

God you are:
A perfect match for my every need.
I am weak, you are strength.
I am unable, you are capable.
I am hesitant, you are assurance.
I am desperate, you are fulfillment.
I am confused, you are confidence.
I am tired, you are rejuvenation.

I opened my Bible and was flipping through the pages waiting for the Lord to direct what I read today. I landed on these words that I had written down at some point, most likely words my pastor has spoken. As I read each word the truth of each statement lept off the page at me. God is everything we need in every area of our lives. I know for myself I have felt each of these feelings, sometimes to the point of tears. As I have waded through the muck of my emotions seeking the Lord’s help, I can never recall a time when he did not comfort and help me; he gave me all I needed every time.

I wanted to look at scripture that clearly states each of these statements, in God’s own words.

Psalm 16:5 “You, Lord are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.”

2 Corinthian’s 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 on me.”

Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wastelands.”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Proverbs 3:5-7 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in our own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

Psalm 62:8 “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord, will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

2 Samuel 22:33 “God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect.”

Nehemiah 8:10 “…the joy of the Lord is my strength.”

Psalm 31:24 “Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.”

Psalm 61:1-4 “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. 2 From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of they wings. Selah

These are just a few scriptures. Isn’t it wonderful to know that we are held securely by the hands of the one who created it all!
What ever you need…He is.

I have just returned home from watching three of my grandson’s while their parents were away for the week. My goodness, we had a lot of fun! It was full of love, hugs, slobbery kisses from the littlest one, running, loudness, helpfulness and so much more. As I was reflecting on a particular day it occurred to me that this joyful, busy, loving chaos was pretty much what the body of Christ looks like. How?

We need each other, it is really that simple. Each person in the body of Christ has different abilities, strengths, weaknesses. Some have great faith while others have little faith. Some know how to do much and others not so much. Some are leaders and some followers and some who simply have not learned how to do much of anything.

My grandsons are 7, 5 and not yet 2 years old. The middle and youngest look to their eldest brother to help them and lead them.
He knows how to do so much more than they do. If he does the wrong thing, then they usually are involved because they follow him. They think he knows it all, yet really he is just a beginner in life also, just further along in his journey. When the baby wanted to be comforted and I was busy at some task, he went to his oldest brother to be loved and reassured.

The middle one wants to do everything his older brother does and if his older brother is not around he misses him and longs to see him again soon. They each have strengths and similarities, yet are completely different and independent in how they see things. They have the same parents, yet each looks and acts a little different, but yet have different parts of their parents in them that you can see.

We as the body of Christ are like family. We need to be available to one another, loving, helping reassuring one another as we walk this road of life. Some of us have stronger faith, some of us have stronger strengths, but the one common denominator is we are all children of God. We have the same Father, we have a common faith, but we are different in how we live out that faith. Some may be involved in ministry, others are behind the scenes type people. There are those who counsel and those that need it.

But the underlying heart is Christ, our Father, our Faith. We work separate yet together to further the kingdom here on this earth. Our tasks do not look the same, yet each one fulfills an important role in the body of Christ. Just because some are baby Christian’s and have not figured it all out does not mean they are not important. Maybe someone has been saved for a while, yet still unsure how to do the things that seem easy to a more mature Christian, kinda like the middle child.

God loves us the same, uses each of us, yet makes each of us unique in the family but much needed in the family. We also need to remember that as a family we are constantly looking for someone who has different abilities than us, possibly to learn ourselves how to be stronger in a certain area.

Never think that you are less than because of where you are in your walk with Christ, in the family. Keep looking to Him and when necessary come alongside another who has been where you are and can gently help you along. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and be willing to be taught. And in those times when you need to be comforted by “someone with skin on,” go to a fellow believer whom you trust and rest your head on them, receive a much-needed hug of encouragement. There is no shame in it!
We need each other, just like our earthly families need each other and are made complete by the sameness and differences that each brings to the table.

Sometimes it is noisy, messy, joyful, full of chaos fun, even in the body of Christ!

1 Corinthian/s 12:5-6 “There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”

1 Peter 4:10-11 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen”

Romans 12:3-8 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these membe4rs do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith, 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

If we pretend for a moment that we are window displays in some fancy store and there are hundreds of people walking by looking, peering in…What would your display tell say? What would they see just by looking and watching you? Sometimes when I look at a window display I love what I see, even the faces of the manikin’s look content and happy and other times they are blank-faced and sometimes even angry looking. Also, their outfits either delight my eyes or make me go…woe!!!

Would they see a very worldly person, shaken and uncertain about the world we live in, life in general? Would you be dressed in such a way that you screamed this earth is my home and I plan on staying on it forever!! Or, maybe you would be dressed modestly, yet stylish, hair fixed just so and you would have this look of peace, a settledness in what you believe, a glow even because your mind is fixed on things above!

Often times people do not get the chance to talk with us, live among us; they only get to see glimpses of us as though we are a display in a window, but even in a glance you can sometimes tell a lot about a person. I have passed people before who just the sight of them made my heart ache. They had such a look of bewilderment and sadness that I wanted to hold them and tell them it would be okay. I have seen people who and they have looked angry and mad at the world at large, they cannot even make eye contact or say a polite hello and I wonder what has caused this?

No, I am not saying that everyone who looks a little too worldly is not saved, I am simply saying because we are the only Bible some read we need to have God displayed in us and on us at all times.
God displayed his glory through many things, lastly through Jesus and now that He is not on this earth it is displayed in His children, those who wear the name of “Child of God,” “Redeemed.”

Yes, I believe we should look different and if we do not then we need to ask ourselves, why? We are told in Hebrews 13:14 “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” Then we see where Jesus said these words in John 17:14-16 “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of this world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.”

We need to look different, we need to act different, we need to let Christ rule our lives in such a way that He is on display in all we do, all we say and even what we wear. It really does matter. Yes, God looks at our hearts and He alone knows the content of it and if we are truly his. But if we look so much like the world; if we carry so much of it in our hearts, on us and in our continence that others do not see Jesus in us, then we are not living the way we should.

Our window dressings should be such that before our garments are noticed our faces are reflecting Christ in us, an eternal hope that radiates past our earthly circumstances. Joy bubbling up from the living waters in us. Ask the Lord to help you “not wear this world,” but to let his light shine in you and through you so that others see His glory displayed in all you do!

I know this seems like a strange request, maybe you are not suffering at all right now, but trust me if you have never suffered (which I find hard to believe), are not suffering now, at some point you will. Does it matter how you suffer? Yes, I think it does according to the word of God.

We need to remember that everything in our lives is under the Sovereign hand of God. Nothing touches us unless it is through him. Not even the devil himself can touch one of God’s children unless God says it is okay.

We are told in 1 Peter 5:6-9 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

First, we see that we are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. We need to submit to whatever the suffering is at the moment; it could be the loss of a job, an illness that persists, a death of a loved one or an array of other things. Suffering comes in all kinds of forms. Yes, God brings the suffering to us, but it is not meant to crush us completely, but cause us to run to him and humbly submit to it; possibly a lesson from our Father in heaven is being given and we need to have our hearts turned toward God and our spiritual ears attentive to him and be ready and willing to receive whatever He is showing us.

We need to remember that He loves and cares for us, his intent is for our good. He is stretching our faith, growing us in ways we did not know we needed to be grown. We need to remain vigilant because the enemy of our souls sees our suffering and knows we may be down for the count and it is often at this time he moves in for the kill. He sees weakness and uncertainty and his desire is to kill and destroy us. However, he can do neither! Oh, he can push our buttons and make us turn our eyes away from the Lord, for a time, but the true child of God will always find their way back. What he cannot do is still our salvation!

God tells us to resist the devil and if we resist him he will flee from us. James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Isn’t it wonderful that God tells us everything we are to do when we suffer? He gives us a guide to follow if we only will.

The other thing we see in this passage is that we are not experiencing anything that other believers all over the world have not experienced or will experience. Christian’s are promised trials and tribulation in God’s word. John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world, ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Once we have submitted ourselves under God’s hand and opened our hearts to see and understand that God is moving and working in us, perfecting our faith; we need to rest secure in the knowledge that our suffering will end maybe suddenly, maybe over time, but end it will. God will strengthen us, and settle us once again. And during this entire process that can take days or months or maybe years for some, God is there; we are never, ever alone. Each day is an opportunity to submit ourselves, to lean in close to the Lord and sit at his feet while he feeds us, even in our suffering.

We also need to remember that even in our sufferings others are watching us. They may be seeing from us what it looks like to suffer in submission and maybe even joy while walking through a hard time. Our trial may be what has given them courage when it is their turn. Have you ever known someone who seems to flow through a trial with such grace that it almost seems too much to believe? That I believe it what it looks like when we submit to God’s Lordship, His discipline, His lessons for us in trials. Our suffering is never wasted, God uses it not only in our lives, but in the lives of others.

I personally have been close to friends who were suffering some pretty awful​ things, yet their faith was strong, their trust in God made more complete with each passing bad report. They leaned in and trusted themselves to the Almighty and truly it was a thing of beauty to behold. I want to be so close to God that even when I am walking through a trial or tribulation, others see Jesus in me.

We can trust our Maker to do in us what needs to be done and no more than needs to be done. We can trust Him to hold us even in our suffering and to get us safely on the other side of it. Hold tightly to His outstretched hands and let him be the one who takes you through deep waters all the while holding you afloat.

Suffer well children of God and may He be glorified and may you be changed to look ever more like your Lord and Savior!​

Yes, He is! I was eating at a restaurant the other day and I saw these words “indescribably good” on the wall describing the food they had. As I looked at it I laughed out loud, why? I thought to myself, well yes, this food is good, I like eating here, but it would not be hard for me to describe to others the reasons why I liked the food. However, my very next thought was this,”Jesus, is the one who is indescribably good. When I exhaust all the words I know to describe him, He is still better than my limited vocabulary.

Here are just a few: Savior, Lord, King, Healer, Redeemer, Holy, Shephard, Wise God, Friend, Provider, Sustainer, All Seeing, Victorious, Way Maker, Good, Kind, Beautiful, Majestic, Powerful, Almighty, Great…
All these words and yet there are so many more. The Bible says the most about God, it tells all we need to be saved, to live a Godly life and to help us as we travel this foreign land.

I am sure when we reach heaven we will finally know all there is to know about our Lord and all the words used to describe him. Our imperfect limited bodies and minds will finally be perfect. Oh, what a glorious thought! When I tell others about Jesus I must use the words I know to describe him, but he is so much more than what I can tell them. I feel all those unspoken words in my heart (if that makes sense.) It is an unspoken awareness of who he is. An awareness that goes beyond what I can explain. An awareness of his holiness, that humbles me.

Here are words that the Bible uses to describe God. I think letting it speak for me is best.
Jeremiah 10:6 “There is none like You, O Lord; You are great, and great is Your name in might.”

1 Chronicles 16:25 “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods.”

1 Chronicles 29:11 “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.”

Nehemiah 12:6 “I said,”I beseech You, O God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

Isaiah 12:6 “Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Psalm 47:2 “For the Lord Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth.”

Psalm 47:7 “For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm.”

Luke 1:49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.”

Psalm 77:13 “Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God?”

Psalm 104:1 “Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.”

There are so many more, I suggest you look for yourself and as you do not only will your knowledge of the names of God grow, but your faith will grow as you see truly how indescribably good God really is! Bless you as you read, pray and seek to know Him more and more!

What does it mean to extol something? The dictionary says this: “Praise enthusiastically, go into raptures about/over, wax lyrical about, sing praises of, praise to the skies, acclaim, exalt, eulogize, adulate, rhapsodize over, rave about, enthuse about/over, overpraise, go wild about go on about, laud.” Websters says this: “to praise highly, glorify.”

Wow, that is a lot to soak in. When you think of the person or thing you extol the most what comes to your mind? What should come to your mind? Who is it that deserves our adoration, our praises? It is Jesus of course! The one who came down from heaven walked this earth, lived, loved, healed, cried, died. Jesus, our salvation. The word made flesh.

We as a society seem to get really excited about a lot of things from food to fame; celebrities, chefs, people who renovate houses just to name a few. It is not wrong to admire people who have accomplished great things, but when we are focused more on this world and the people in it that we think are all that, then we have sadly missed the mark. We are to be praising and glorifying our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ above all else. He deserves all of our praise; he is the one we should be raving about to others. He should be our first love.

We see so many scriptures that tell us exactly what we need to be doing. Our eyes, our affection our adoration needs to be redirected from this world that is passing away to the one we will one day spend eternity with if we are his.

1 Chronicles 16:28-29 “Ascribe to the LORD O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD IN holy array.”

Psalm 33:1-5 “Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.”

Psalm 34:1-3 “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boasts in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.”

Psalm 100:1-2 “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.”

These are just a few verses to meditate on. We need to check our hearts to see what we hold the closest and we need to listen to ourselves to see who or what we esteem the most. Sometimes when we do not take our thoughts captive and the lusts of the flesh are in full swing we can start sounding a lot like this world we live in. We can start desiring things or people here more than we desire a relationship with Christ. And we can start lauding those here rather than the one who deserves ALL our adoration and praise.

If you find that you have moved from adoring the Lord and praising him on a daily basis get on your knees, repent, ask him to forgive you and get up praising His Holy Worhty name. Your heart will feel lighter and I know he will be pleased by your praise!

I have just returned home from a wonderful eight-day vacation with my family in the Carolina Mountains. Thirteen of us in a beautiful cabin. It was very loud at times and I joked that our eating time was like kitchen aerobics, very loud and with much movement. My grandchildren range in age from twelve years all the way down to twenty-one months of age. The little guy Luke is a busy little boy, all over the place at a fast pace. If you blink you will miss something he is up to. He is smart and knows how to go outside on his own, climb on anything, escape from his bed and climb up and down the stairs.

It was on one of these stair occasions that he was going down and suddenly started to fall, his daddy was above him and reached down and grabbed him in the nick of time, pulling him up and close, reassuring him that it was all okay, he was there and had him. It warmed my heart to see it and it warms my heart once again to tell it. Another time they were on the deck and I saw my son take off at a run to grab Luke before he went down the two flights of stairs to the gravel below, again saving him from getting hurt. That is what we expect from our parents, that they are there for us watching out for us.

On another occasion, while we were on a hike we went off the path down to the water which had a few whitecaps and was fast moving, the kids decided to climb on the large rocks, but in order to do that they had to sit on a log and shimmy across, which was the best and easiest way across unless you are afraid. My oldest granddaughter who was afraid to cross the log decided to try to step across two rocks with water going between; she is very tall for her age and has really long legs, so she thought she could do it, and she was right, she got across, but she lost her flip-flop in the process, a very expensive flip-flop. She was visibly upset by the attempt and the loss of her shoe.

We were two miles in on a very rocky, root filled, water-laden path in spots, what was she going to do? My daughter seeing her upset and shaking went to get her. She calmed her a little and told her to meet her on the log and she promised to get her back across. Through tears and shaking she made it. My daughter then proceeded to give my granddaughter her tennis shoes, although a little tight they went on and she could now walk back, however, my daughter had to do the walking without shoes in her socks; rocks, roots, water and all. That is what parenting looks like. Being there for your kids at all times.

These are just a few examples of how my children helped their children in their time of need. They were there jumping into action with no thought. However, they cannot always be there to jump in. There have been times and will be times when they just cannot physically be present to help or grab or talk through. They are limited, but God is not, he is with us every second of every day of our lives. He never sleeps, he never misses anything.

I wonder how many times a day I am saved from something. There have been times when a car has stopped suddenly in front of me and I have avoided hitting them because of my breaks; but was it my breaks only? I don’t think so, it was my heavenly Father watching out for me, there in a blink of an eye, saying not today, I have you! I attributed my good fortune to breaks, but it really wasn’t that at all. Everyone who drives should have brakes, or at least I hope they do, and not everyone gets saved, not even me at times. I have been rear-ended before, I have run into someone who stopped in front of me suddenly, and the only reason I was not hurt was God my Father said not today.

He does not always stop circumstances or illness in our lives, but sometimes he does. Even when he allows the wreck, or an illness, the injury; we are still in his care, under his watchful gaze and he only allows that which he feels we need, or maybe the other person needs. God is with us always. There is never a time when his head is turned and he is not there, he does not see, nothing surprises the Lord. If it has touched our lives he allowed it, but even in the touching, he is with us to help us through, to show us his grace and mercy through the trial we are going through.

The next time you need a little reminding about God’s love and care for you read these scriptures.

Psalm 121:3 “He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.”

Matthew 6:32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

Matthew 10:30-31 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. “So do not fear, you are more valuable than many sparrows.”

Luke 15:20 “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”

Psalm 91:11 “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

Hebrews 1:14 “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

We are loved, we are looked after, we are never alone. When we call he hears us and answers.

1 Peter 3:12 “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:15 “And is we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request that we have asked of him.”

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Psalm 34:17 “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

If you are his, he is watching, waiting and he will help you and answer your prayer in your time of need.