Tag Archives: Jesus

Five Keys to Make This New Year Happy

28 Dec

“We play games every night,” my friend said. “We’re miles apart but we spend time enjoying a game online. It’s great fun.” Imagine that. Sharing time online, playing, enjoying and connecting with loved ones without having to hop in an airplane.

“How cool is that!” I said. “It’s like being close to the person, interacting and enjoying the cyberspace company.” I pondered on what my friend shared. And since I have the habit of trying out what I hear is fun, interesting or enjoyable, I decided to check out this new pass-time.

Sadly, I lack the time to play games. So I thought I’d try my own version of online connection. I’d connect with God, with His Word and with His guidance on a more intimate level.

Here are five ways I plan to connect with Him in the cyberspace of His love.

1. When He makes the first move to open the door to serve Him, I respond with no reservations.

2. When He moves a tough situation my way, I respond by seeing the possibilities, not the obstacles.

3. When He makes the move to bless me, I’m quick to move into the gratitude mode.

4. When He seems silent and makes no move to answer my prayer, I respond with gratitude anyway.

5. When He moves, displaying His discipline, I respond with requests for wisdom to learn.

Maybe I’ll begin that game before the New Year. I’ll make the first move: “…Cast my cares on the LORD…” and He will respond with His promise: “He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22).

Father, for this New Year, I plan the online connection with you to be rich, my efforts to be rewarding and my satisfaction, profound. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• With whom are you connecting lately?

• Who brings the satisfaction that fills your soul?

• What new connections will this New Year bring?

Legacy

Janet Perez Eckles,

Grateful for the privilege of inspiring you…

My website in English

En Español

My story (video)

Inspirational video  just for you.

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What Is Your Legacy

16 Nov

“Do you remember how Joe would make us laugh with his silly comments?” I said to my sons at the dinner table the other day. They affirmed. And we all laughed remembering his wit, his unique insights and his gusto for life.

As I relish on my son Joe’s sweet memories, I reflected on the memories I, myself would leave behind. How about you? Do you ever wonder what will people remember you by? What will your children’s children talk about when your name comes up? Will they know what you wanted them to know?

In good times and bad, we’re subtly creating a legacy, weaving memories and painting strokes on the portrait our family will hold in their hearts. The portrait will display the life we lived, the values we held, the dreams we made come true, and the answers to these questions:

  • did we choose to see life beyond circumstances, or did circumstances see us to despair?
  • did we face challenges with determination, or did we allow them to determine our destiny?
  • did we look for tomorrow with passion, or did momentary trials rob the passion for today?
  • did we reach out to others to encourage them, or did our own discouragement reach out to hold us back?
  • did we live life rich with God’s reassurance, or did we look to insure our own way?
  • did fear steal our joy, or did God’s joy erase all fear?
  • did we do things for our own interest, or did we first take interest in God’s ways?
  • did we follow our plans, or did we first plan to follow God’s path.
  • did we fret over petty things, or find the power of God’s precepts?

No matter what the answer, “…from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him and his righteousness with their children’s children-with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts” (Psalm 103:17-18).

Father, I pray your everlasting love nourishes my desires, goals and dreams. I ask for wisdom to leave a legacy that honors you, resonates with my children’s children, and reflects my obedience to your precepts. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• What memories will you leave behind?

• What do you want to be remembered by?

• What would you change if you knew tomorrow was your last day on earth?

Janet

Legacy

Janet Perez Eckles,

Grateful for the privilege of inspiring you…

My website in English

En Español

My story (video)

Inspirational video  just for you.

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Where is Papa?

12 Oct

“Where is Papa?” my sleepy 5-year old granddaughter said the moment she opened her eyes in the morning.

“Papa already left for work,” I said, grinning at her love for her Papa.

“I want to be with him…I just want a hug from him. I love him so much,” she said.

After the sweetness of the moment faded, a not-too-sweet reminder came to mind. What about me? Do I ask for my Father’s presence the first thing in the morning? Rather than my soul longing to be with God, in His presence and to seek His company, my thoughts often turn elsewhere. How different it would be if I did wake up each morning with a yearning to be held by Him. To be reassured by Him. And to be guided by His grace.

God knows that weakness. He knows how we begin our day by letting worry nag. How we allow stress to creep up. And how we give in to restlessness. But because He also knows how deeply we want peace, security and victory at every stage, He gives His direct instruction: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Father, I confess that worries fill my head when I wake up. I have been a fool to seek you only when troubles com, when challenges show up or gloom threatens to step in. I ask that you give me wisdom to first choose my thoughts and fill them with you every morning. In Jesus’ name, amen.

  • What fills your mind when you open your eyes in the morning?
  • What longing fills your heart?
  • What is the order of your priorities lately?
Papa

Janet Perez Eckles

Grateful for the privilege of inspiring you…
My website in English
En Español
My story (video)
Inspirational video  just for you.

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Old Age is Not the End

11 Oct

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders



How do you measure life, my friend?


Life on earth is not the end.


God fashions us with a Master Plan


to love and care for our fellow man.


 


Reach out and touch another soul-


a kind deed can be your goal.


Hearts are lifted from daily care


by sincere concerns and heartfelt prayer.


 


I yearn to hear a friendly voice,


to see a smile or two.


I know that God hasn’t changed,-


I see His love in You!

				
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Investigating Family Ties~Part 3

	
		7
		Oct
	

	

	

		
My Take


DiVoran Lites


Mother’s other grandmother was Florenda Jane Bingham Bedell Britton. Anyhow, Florenda Jane was born April 6, 1847. When Dora was six years old Author, Poet and Artistand her grandmother came for a visit, she came to Dora’s room every night and they kneeled by the bed and prayed together. That TLC, Mother said, was what helped her want to become a Christian later in life. Florenda Jane belonged to the Church of God Holiness. I assume from the name they were what we now call charismatic. Florenda Jane died December 28, 1936 at eighty-nine years of age. I was born two years after she died. I wish I had known her. We’ll all sit down and have a fine chat in Heaven some day. Please join us when the time is right.


One of my mother’s grandfathers was Ezra Marshall Bedell. He was born in Syracuse New York in 1844. During the Civil War he was taken prisoner for eight years.


This brings us to Mother’s parents, Mabel and Roger Bedell. They lived on an apple ranch just outside town and settled in to raise apples, vegetables, chickens, a few cows, a son, and two daughters. Roger was manager of the Gas Company from 1917 until the town got electricity. They made water gas. The formula came down through the family, but I’m glad I don’t have to make it in order to have lights and cooking fuel. If the light over the dining room table began to dim, it was time for Roger to get the machines going again.


During the Great Depression, relatives who needed a place to stay came and went. My family has a history of feeding other people. I imagine if you investigate, your family does too. In those days, if you had food, you shared it. Now you can share knowledge with your children about their ancestors. It will make them stronger and more self-confident, especially if they hear stories about how their relatives loved and served Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

				
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Choices

	
		2
		Sep
	

	

	

		
My Take


DiVoran Lites


DiVoran Lites


Doesn’t it drive you nuts when you decide to do something and you get so many choices you can’t make up your mind? For instance we recently changed cable systems and it seems the new one has even more choices of channels than the old one. They are up into the thousands now. I hear you can delete some of the channels and someday I may do so if I ever care enough to bother. I have found, “The Waltons,” and, “Little House on the Prairie,” and those should last me a while.


What about choices on our computers? We can do things one way or maybe we’d rather do them another way. The only trouble is, it seems to me as if sometimes one way works and at other times that way doesn’t work at all. Sound confusing? Think of the state of my poor mind.


Today I was browsing through a magazine that had pictures of several different kinds of artisan salt in it among them: Black, Red, and fleur de sel. By the way, new research is debunking the 100-year-old-idea that salt is supremely bad for everybody. Thank heavens. Anyhow, I might send away for the fleur de sel some day. Here is its description: fleur de sel is the caviar of salt (but honey, I wouldn’t eat caviar if you paid me, oh well, never mind.) It goes on: “made from the delicate crystals that blossom on the surface of crystallizing sea salts; delicate flavor; violet-like aroma: maintains integrity on wet foods. Now that sounds lovely and exotic, doesn’t it?


Don’t get me wrong, I really don’t want fewer choices in the world, I’ll muddle through the way things are. But how about religions? We have the Christic religions. That is an entirely new word for me that means what we once called Christ-centered. Or at least I assume from the context that’s what it means. Then we have Zen Buddhism, Hinduism. Humanism (yes, I do call that a religion), and a whole bunch more and within each they have denominations and branches galore. I’ve read a bit about some of them and I see some good things in some, (some really scary things, too), but the precepts that seem right and good to me are right there in the Christian Bible too. They were probably there first. To be more specific I like the Zen idea of being in the moment, but I know we have lots of scriptures that tell us the same thing. Jesus Himself did only one thing and I know he was paying attention when he did it. What did Jesus do? WDJD? He did whatever He saw His Father in Heaven doing at any given moment. And with this, I come to the crux of my rant. I keep coming back to Jesus every time I see another choice of religious precept. He is the one and only the all-in-all, the master, the bread, the salt. He is everything to me and will be everything to anybody who wants Him even a little bit. Then He and the Holy Spirit within us can help us make our choices, large and small, a very present help in trouble and in daily life. Psalm 46:1

				
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Standing on the Promises

	
		22
		Jul
	

	

	

		
My Take


DiVoran Lites


Author, Poet and ArtistEvery family has trouble and sorrow. Our’s is no exception, but one day when I had come to the end of my resources, I discovered that God made promises in the Bible. Nothing has ever been the same since.


As I began to see scripture as promises I wrote them down in a small, red, velvet book. Soon it was filled with promises and quotations from godly folks I trust.


Now many years later, I’ve seen the fulfillment of those promises. Not only have they been fulfilled in the family we started with but in our descendants as well. My greatest hope has happened. God is good.


How about you, is there a special promise you have claimed in trying times?


“All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 53:13


 


If you would like to read more from DiVoran she can be found at Rebekah Lyn Books

				
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The Epitome of Love

	
		14
		Jun
	

	

	

		
The Epitome of Love


” One word frees us of the weight and pain of life; that word is “love.”


The irony of that quote is it was written before Christ by a Greek


Tragedian.  We are so blessed to know that God came in the flesh to


redeem us back unto himself. That was true love.


I thrive on love.


There is promise in the air.


I stand on the word of God.


I see Him everywhere.


He is in the air I breathe-


His promises fill my soul.


Without Him I can do nothing,


With Him, I am whole.


We are all so different-


Still all of God’s own plan.


I marvel how He leads us


To support our fellow man.


I thirst to hear the words you speak-


I long to know your soul.


Tho diverse in our interests-


Our similarities make us whole.


 


 

				
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Cloudland

	
		20
		May
	

	

	

		
My Take


DiVoran Lites


Author, Poet and Artist


 


I was telling about Mother playing with us and training our imaginations by showing us how to find dogs, cats, and worlds of imaginary creatures in the clouds.


There’s a lot to be said about clouds, though, and I’m saying more. It occurred to me that electronic devices use Cloud technology and God uses it too, in a manner of speaking.


Have you ever been concerned that you didn’t pray hard enough or long enough about a situation or that you had to constantly remind God of a need or your prayers wouldn’t get answered? Well, my printer set me straight on that one. I realized that all I had to do was hit, click, or press print and the item I wanted would store itself in the printer and, all things being equal, not go away until it was printed. I began to know that God was like that too. He doesn’t forget. In fact, the Bible says He, or Jesus, or The Holy Spirit, or all three pray diligently for us all the time. Yes.


When I was looking at the clouds I took it a step further. I have a computer, an IPod, and a Kindle. I no longer have to worry about having enough Gigas or whatever it was that happened when I first got a computer. All my devices have lots of room and if they run out of room, it can all go to the cloud and be there if I ever need it again. I guess God has enough memory too. And the thought went even further to trying to remember what I need to do, and ideas I have about things I’d like to do or write or whatever, it gets to be a lot, but hey, maybe all that is in God’s cloud too.


I have one technical question. If God can handle all that “stuff” and God lives in me, does that mean that there’s a place in me that keeps it all and that if I need it, He can make it available to me? Hmmm. Experiment time.


Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.


 


Cloud


 


 

				
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God’s Creation Carries On

	
		6
		Apr
	

	

	

		
A Few Thoughts


Patricia Franklin


I’m sitting here in my backyard on Holy Saturday morning recalling the shocking events of Good Friday. I imagine what was going through the minds of Jesus’ followers…  the let down, the unbelief, the grief and pain.  After suffering through the crucifixion and death of their Saviour, the followers of Jesus are devastated and confused, as are all of us. Is there any hope?  What lies in the future? What are they to do?




The sun is shining brightly today. Nature is still intact. My yard is showing signs of new life as the grass is beginning to green up and a few plants are peeking through the brown earth.  I listen to the sounds of the birds. While the doves are still mourning and proclaiming the loss of the Lord, the robins, red finches, blue jays and sparrows are loudly singing joyously… in anticipation of what is coming.  There is a cacophony of song, along with the staccato of the woodpecker chiming in with the chorus. The birds are totally focused on serving their Creator in the only way they know how.  Do they, in some strange way, instinctively understand and anticipate the resurrection and its significance? 




Then suddenly it is quiet, as they all go back to their silent vigil of waiting… only the mourning sound of the doves continues.  All at once a little red finch lights on a branch close by. He begins quietly chirping, as though speaking to me and explaining that everything will be ok. Then a song sparrow chimes in. Together they are proclaiming to me and to the world that there is hope! In spite of all that has happened, God’s Creation carries on.

				
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