Tears Can Bring You Blessings

At the end of the day...

Thoughts of Jack helping me ran through my mind....

Thankful tears started to swell in my eyes...

Tears filled and overflowing with love....Oh how I appreciate...

                        

                              Thank you Father...

                                For blessing me with a son so thoughtful and sweet.

Jack, I do appreciate your time with me spent...

Peace and tenderness you can truly possess...


Your future wife will be so blessed.

Lord, please bless Jack....

With a wife of Your choice...

Someone to share in bringing You glory. 

Help them build a home filled with

     Your joy, love, and peace; 

   To rejoice in You Lord, always.

© Sheri * September 2014

My son, Jack, came over and helped me put together a swing for the deck....he was so helpful!!!!! Actually...he did most of the putting together...I just tried to be helpful. Usually I can put things together by myself quickly from written instructions....but today was one of those days when just reading the directions seemed like too much work...in other words...too complicated!...for today anyways, (no more giving up and just throwing in the towel...or the glass, or whatever's at hand : )

I was so thankful at that moment to be spending time with Jack; doing so helped restore some faith in me for mankind. It was so amazing to see a grown man not hesitate to read instructions, AND ask questions....honestly...I'm not being sarcastic. Working alongside him was so pleasant....he can be so patient (maybe a good thing I can't read minds though), but there was no body language that stated he just wanted to get it done and get going. And when I commented on how good he was at putting things together, he replied with something like...."Well, maybe someday I will have a wife that will appreciate that in me." I was instantly touched at how thoughtful he was, that he would even think that may be important to a woman...a true sign that he will appreciate having a wife.

When I went to bed that night, Jack taking the time to help me ran through my mind, and thankful tears started to swell in my eyes...tears filled and overflowing with love. And then...a poem started to flow out with those tears...

At the end of the poem, Philippians 4:4-8 (KJV) comes to mind:

 ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

⁵ Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.     
        

Cross/Bible clip art: Microsoft

Heart/key clip art: Fotolia

Missing in Action?

Do we take the time to choose to equip ourselves with God’s Armor when we start our day? Do we allow the busyness of our schedules to forget we are not alone, no need to pray?

With purpose we should tighten His belt of Truth around our waist; for it is not a noose like some may think, for ourselves or anyone else, all our lives are at stake.

When girded in His Truth, His belt in its proper place, the breastplate of His Righteousness will then fit perfectly, as we are seen in Christ. Beware of imitations though, for they tend to try and steal God’s Glory, using mirrors for their magic tricks, basking in the reflection of their own selfishness.

To be able to stand firm, to be ready for battle, our feet must be fitted with the Gospel of Peace, which helps us to want to move about Christ like; spreading the Good News of Christ’s Peace to the ends of the Earth; to be on guard and protect; looking forward for His return.

We should never give up. We have His shield of faith to keep the enemy from piercing our hearts, which could otherwise render us immobile without His hope. God gives us grace for the day when we take refuge in Him; we are not alone, He is with us. The battle is the Lord’s, one He has already won, and we should live like we know this.

In case we should fall (and we all do sometimes), we should put on our helmet of salvation, which helps to keep His Truth, His Living Word of Jesus, intact in our brain; this will help prevent the lies of the enemy from setting up camp in our minds, giving us clarity on whether we are following His Truth, or following a lie (the façade of sin is usually thought of as being alright, and sometimes feels oh so good).

To keep fighting the good fight, we need to take up the sword of the Spirit, His Word. We need to keep renewing our minds with His Word, letting Christ bathe our thoughts in His Righteousness, for in our minds is where our actions are conceived. And if we let bad thoughts continue to grow, they will spread to our hearts, giving our actions an unhealthy birth.

So, Armor up! And be of good heart; don’t let fear rob you of His Joy in life. God gave us His only Son to help us; His Holy Spirit is provided to be our Helper by God Himself. Don’t miss out on His sacrifice. We can experience His Peace right now in this life; no need to wait for an eternity, for His Eternal Life is within us.

© Sheri * September 2012

About the “Missing in Action?” poem:

While contemplating how a person can change from being in a war, fighting in combat, killing another person, or watching others die from the act of it, made me wonder what affect it would have on me, which is one of those things you would not know for sure until you experienced it yourself. And thankfully, so far, I have never had to do so. But there are many people that have experienced it, and their lives have been changed because of it, and for most, not in ways they care for…if only people could just get along.

Thinking about the effects of war also made me think of the spiritual war we fight every day, which many of us seem to be unaware of, or tend to forget about at times, hence came the poems name “Missing in Action?”…which refers to just that, being unaware of the battle we are in, WE are missing in action so to speak, blinded by the visible of the invisible. We tend to put out of our minds what we cannot see with our eyes.

It takes a conscious effort to live life with a purpose. With the constant whirlwind pace of life so many of us have niched out for ourselves, or bang our heads together trying to do so, we seem to forget what life is really about…people (processed from another great sermon from Pastor Jeff Arnett at TVC ~ Soul Shift #2)… http://thornapplevalleychurch.podhoster.com/index.php?sid=779). After all, God gave His only Son for us, so we may live eternally through Him with God. I would also say that means GOD LOVES PEOPLE!

Inspiration imbedded in this poem, and most others that I write, contain verses or meanings from Scripture, which is part of the process of letting Christ renew our minds; some verses are from the Bible, I don’t always remember where exactly.

God’s Word helps us see God’s love for His people, and in reading Ephesians 6 we can clearly see that we were not designed to do it all on our own, that we need God, and in His strength, we can do anything God calls us to do. But we do have to make a choice…to let Him be our only God, to receive His help, and live our lives as His children; to not cultivate our own selfish pride and be too grown up and self-sufficient that giving God glory is removed from our minds, our hearts, and our souls.

(Photo by: Google Images)

God's Word

In a world that makes it so easy to desire to be our own gods, doing so at times unwittingly, and at times purposely, casting aside His Word, His Love…neglecting to test His Wisdom, thinking we alone suffice, not needing His advice.



When living in our arrogance, we set ourselves up upon a pedestal, denying our foolishness in setting ourselves up for the fall. But the laws of time will show us of our quarry; the reaping of our sowing, in hindsight, the harvest of it all.


I am so thankful for God’s Word…thankful that our Father loves us like He does, providing us with such an awesome navigational tool to guide us throughout our journey. The Bible is a never-ending and reverent source of God’s passion for His creation; His Truth to draw us closer in Him through His Son, our Savior, Christ Jesus.

© Sheri * February 2012
Clip art by: Microsoft Office

About the “God’s Word” poem...



After praying, praising and thanking our Lord for the sale of my house, these thoughts in the poem came to mind. Because of my fallen inner insistence of resistance to let God be my only God, I still at times suffer the consequences of being my own god...seeking to develop my own will, instead of seeking God’s.


Thankfully though, I am discovering God’s unconditional love, letting His grace set me free from my regrets of those unwise decisions, and having victory through His strength. And because we do reap what we sow, sometimes we tend to learn the hard way.


We are blessed by learning of His character through His Word, applying His love, His wisdom, in our life through His strength; allowing God to bless others through our actions through His Holy Spirit.

Home Sweet Home

  H--happiness
O--obedient

      M--Masterpiece

E--eternity

 **

“Home is where the heart is” …because “a house is not

always a home.” Home is where we will find our stored up

treasures…something that can be evident when we examine

our life’s path, and being thankful for how many, or less, of

the footprints we may see in the sand.

My heart shares occupancy with the Lord; my heart has

become our home. Although, I’m sure at times I barely give

Him any room; my mind tends to crowd Him out, especially

when I whine, lie and say I’m fine at times when I’m not, or

even when I pout. 


I need to expand the space I permit my Lord; by being less of

me and more of Him…by allowing Him to change me, to be

one with the One who created me, to be who I was meant to

be. We will grow together, Him and me; along with all the

other children that choose to come, follow, and dwell with

Thee, O God.

While it’s true that His Holy Spirit dwells within me, His

saving grace has made my heart His home, He is also with

our Father, preparing me a place in His heavenly realm...for

it is written the day will surely come when I shall see His

glorious face. 

© Sheri * January 2012

About the "Home Sweet Home" poem...


While contemplating moving from my home where I’ve lived

for the past six plus years, there are so many things I will

miss about this dwelling place, but I’m ready to move on.

Hopefully, the people I have been praying for to come along

and buy it are here at last, and that they also will enjoy the

place and find the peace that I have found living here. And

though I will be losing a lot of equity by selling at this time, I

have gained so much within by living here these past years. 


True happiness is found within one’s heart, no matter what

one’s circumstances, but there are those blessings in life

that truly enrich our lives, even when they tend to cost. And

because we are not our circumstances, we can make any

place a home, as long as we put our heart into it...because

that is where the Holy Spirit dwells...His living and saving

grace, making us His living Masterpiece, growing with us and

changing us throughout our lives...into eternity...Amen!


We are the happiest when we live in harmony, are obedient

to what God calls us to do...to love Him above all else, and

love others as ourselves. And that is something we cannot

do by ourselves; we were designed to need God, as we were

created in His image.


The choices we make, how we react to our circumstances,

will determine what treasures we like to store for ourselves

here and now...and more so, what will become of our hearts

treasures when they are tested by the fire on Judgment

Day...what have we done with the life that God has given

us? Will the account of our lives bring glory to God?


There are times when I have allowed the regrets in my life to

haunt me fiercely, handicapping my life in serving God and

His people. That is one of the ways the enemy works,

making one think they are not worthy to do God’s work,

blinding one to the fact that without God’s saving grace none

are worthy. And through accepting His sacrifice, through His

saving grace, we are worthy...we just have to make the

choice. Knowing we are worthy in Him, helps us to be worthy

like Him.

**House sign is made and copyrighted by:

www.yourgingerbreadhouse.com

 

A Beautiful Heart Lasts Forever

Physical beauty fades with age.

People would be much better off if they put more precedence

developing their character, their inner person,

instead of trying to "look the picture" for

others that don't have their best interest in mind...

a temporary instant gratification.

That's not to say we shouldn't take care of ourselves to be

physically healthy, because we should...but out of respect for

the gift of life for the One who created us.

And women should be shown respect...

something she won't get if she doesn't require that

from others...by BEING more of a person from showing off less

of her exterior, letting true beauty shine through from her heart,

not by displaying herself as a sexual object to impress others...

because we are so much more than that.

Hold on... and Wait on the Lord

Hold on...for we all must wait for that day when we are called back home (yes, someday you and I will be going home too!).

In the meantime, when life gets rough – and your thinking “Lord, I’m not that tough!”...JUST DON’T GIVE UP! Reach out and grab the Lord’s hand (to someone else that could be in yours or mine : )

Stand in prayer – have faith, life will work out. Just wait, you’ll see. Sometimes you have to give it all just a little bit more time.

Keep holding on; with Christ’s Love in your heart, sharing His Love with others, letting His Light shine upon the world. But beware, being careful to keep the light lit...to not let it burn out; don’t let your light grow dim and put it all at risk; you may get lost, wasting years not being able to see through the fog.

Keep looking towards His Son, keeping Him in your sight, walking in His Light. Because you just never know, this could be your last night.

So, live throughout this life in His Joy. Living in His Kingdom gives everyone the best opportunity; patiently anticipating the journey back home. Home...Heaven is our final eternal destination; reuniting with the Love we were created for throughout eternity.

Hold on and wait on the Lord.

© Sheri * October 2011

Photo: Google Images

This poem was inspired from a dream I had a few nights ago about Rob, and also from the teasing encouragement from one of my co-workers to write a poem about it, saying she expected to see the poem come Monday (which gave me the weekend to get together with the Lord and write one).

In the dream Rob visited me, from Heaven (he passed on last June), giving me some more words of wisdom (some things never change : )

Rob apparently was in my dream to reconfirm, to make sure that I knew, reminding me while saying: “You know you have to wait to go to Heaven until you’re called. And until then you have to wait and hold on.”

The picture I used with this poem is from Google images, and to me it captures the meaning of the poem and the dream. God’s Light is our beacon, and we have to choose to keep looking for His Light, or risk getting ourselves (and usually some others close to us), lost and/or wounded. Life has its ups and downs, the smooth sailing days, and the turbulent storms of troubles.

Our Lord wants to be a part of our lives, in the joy and the sorrow; He is true Joy, and He is our strength to get us through the rough storms in life. We can count on Him to get us through anything. Sometimes we may wonder why and how we will ever make it through, but we just have to remember to hold on and wait on the Lord. He will see us through it, we just have to keep our focus, our priorities in life centered in His love, and sharing that with others.

While thinking about the dream, and thoughts of going home to Heaven, I thought of the word “home” ...noticing what the letters could represent: Help-Out-My-Enemies. Loving our enemies is just what the Lord told us we are to do in His Kingdom; “But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Pride keeps us from loving others, it obscures God’s Light within us, and we can no longer see others as God does. We are unwittingly turning even ourselves into our own enemy, greatly limiting the joy that can be found in His Kingdom, and before too long, one is unable to truly love, even themselves.

Risen With Christ

Oh, catch me Lord, for I have fallen once again.

My heart and mind Lord, at times I wonder
if they are really even mine.

But then Your love shines through within...

Bringing truth on wings of grace...

Filling me; engulfing me with your peaceful embrace.

How great is Your faithfulness!

And then I am truly thankful...

No, I am not all just mine...

For I have risen with you, my sweet and fearless Lord!

Jesus ~ Savior of my soul!

About the “Risen with Christ” poem...



If we do not pay attention to where we are going, considering the consequences of our actions, from the path we choose to travel, we can wind up in a place we would rather not be in. And speaking from experience, this can happen in a blink of an eye if we are not mindful of what we are doing.

The most recent experience would be of a quick glance off from the road while driving, big mistake. In a heartbeat, because of my negligence, I unintentionally drove onto the too soft shoulder of the road and was sucked over into making my own new path: an extremely bumpy one from hidden small tree limbs on a grassy terrain that was still partially covered with the late last snow of the season. I just missed sideswiping a long stretch of fencing, and also miraculously avoided a telephone pole and utility post. Fortunately, I was able to drive out of there and back onto the road without much assistance (there were a few people that stopped to see what in the world is wrong with that woman?... and coached me back onto the road once they seen I was okay and no apparent damage to my car or the property I had invaded). “Thank you, Lord!” was pretty much all I could say.

Although my car seemed alright, a week or so later I found I had done some damage to the K-frame underneath...I had broken the cross members...part of the framing that helps hold the engine in place, which is fixable. Again, Thank you Lord!

The broken cross member part got me to thinking though about our relationships with other Christ believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ. How our actions really affect one another. And with loving God, like we should love in a marriage, we don’t do things to get Him to love us more, or don’t do things thinking He would love us less if we did them...we simply live life through His Son, who let His life be broken for ours, so we could live through Him.

As in healthy marriages, friendships, family relationships, relations with our neighbors, and our relationship with God (which affects all of our other relationships), our love for another speaks through our actions. We do things to help the relationships grow, and we don’t do certain things in order to help protect the relationships from corruption. Because we are a fallen people, we cannot do that without God’s love in our heart. And so, we can choose not to sin out of love...with Christ we can break the chains that bind us to sin. Therefore, because we are fallen, and Christ has risen, we can keep rising with Him daily...letting His love free us from the bondage of sin.

Since I had written this poem, a friend of mine, Rob, was in a fatal and tragic motorcycle accident. Knowing he was a much better driver than I, I am having an awful time accepting what has happened...along with the loss and sorrow that everyone else that knew him is going through. I pray for his family, friends, and all those co-workers that seen him on an almost daily basis; for such an empty and quiet loneliness that must be there now, because when Rob was around, you knew it...he filled the area with his presence (mostly audibly : )


Among many things, Robbie was great at fixing things, and had done the last repair to my car, replacing the K-frame, charging me much less than what he could have...but that was Rob, he would do for others and not ask for much in return. He had a very big heart, and he was not afraid to share it.


This poem has a much deeper meaning to me now, especially knowing that Rob has risen with Christ, and he is no longer held by time like we are (thankfully, or else he would be missing his Ashley something terrible!). And... we are still connected with Rob in spirit, and someday the Body of Christ will be reunited for eternity, living in love the way it was meant to be.


© Sheri * May 2011
Photo clip from Google Images.com

Parameters of Prejudice

The lines of the spoken and the unspoken rules of prejudices...

   Something we may see every day.

   Something we may be a part of everyday.

   Something we may try and hold people captive by every day.

Going over the lines of the spoken and the unspoken rules of prejudices...

   Something we may try to free others and ourselves of everyday.

Parameters of prejudice....

Imprints of indifference stamped in our minds...needing to be exchanged in the heart...our fears with that of acceptance....

to know that it's okay to be different,

but not just as individuals, but together, because together we are only one race, the human race.

So let “the” race begin, and finish as one with Him who has made
us all to be different together in Him.

 Let us all meet together at His Cross.

~About the “Parameters of Prejudice” poem...

This poem I awoke from a dream from. In the dream our “comfort zone” became a physically visual thing that we could move and make adjustments to according to one's liking...or to other people's liking. It was like a tent canopy with mesh siding, so you did not feel confined...you still seemed free to be you. Although ironically, you often had to keep moving it for those around you because of the differing opinions they held of the differences of others.

So, in the dream it seemed like I was always picking up the four corners of my parameters and moving them back and forth just a few feet here and there...physically moving the parameters of those spoken and unspoken rules in some relationships, but realizing I had to look beyond the parameters...time for us all to let go of those deep-seated fears or misconceptions from childhood, or even worse, prideful superiority in adulthood.

God says He has created us all to be equal...to be good...to love one another as He loves us.

© Sheri * March 2011

(Cross photo from Microsoft Office Online)



Heaven is at Hand

God’s will is wonder-full; Heaven is at hand.

Although, there are times we don’t see it...

And feel as though we’ll never understand.

So, keep reaching out...that’s it...reach out!

 Keep it up and never give up!

That’s right; give it all you've got...

Because His love cannot be worn out or ever fade away.

His love is with us to stay!

Receive His Life and let His Word lead yours.

Walk with His Son; crawl if you must until you can trust.

Embrace Him...share His love with others; Heaven is at hand.

© Sheri * January 2011

About the Heaven is at Hand" poem...

Living one's life for God involves making a conscience effort. Without His passion our lives can become rather dull, less colorful and even flavorless of His goodness, causing one to possibly crave unhealthy ways to sustain themselves instead.

Bad habits can easily be made but can be hard to break. Repeating behaviors become habits and can become so automatic they may even seem void of right or wrong. One can easily establish a pattern of living and begin to take their life for granted, losing the wonder of God’s precious gift, becoming insensitive to His passion.

His Word teaches us to seek God through His Son Jesus...John 14 gives us confirmation that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the only way to our Father. Matthew 4 shows us our Lord has asked us all to repent, that the Kingdom of heaven is near...specifically stating that it is written we are to worship the Lord our God and serve Him only.

Embracing Him is claiming His promises, empowering us in His strength to live in His will. Luke 17 shows us the Kingdom of God is within us...we need to acknowledge His presence and share His love with others...heaven is at hand.

The picture with this poem is from Microsoft Office Online. To me it captures how we need to keep seeking God, searching for His higher calling on our lives...to not settle for less than what His will for our lives would be. Through His love, grace, and forgiveness we can start each day new...it is our choice, our gift to open...one we have to make, move towards, and act upon.

****Originally, I wrote and posted this poem as "God's Will" but have often thought of changing it to "Heaven is at Hand".... just seems to fit better, and since there have been others that think that also, Wala! Thanks for your input, Greg  (two years later : )

Will You Still Love Me?

Will you still love me when I’m old and gray?

When my eyes are no longer doing myself or

 anyone else any good?

Will I still hold any value to you in the eyes of your youth?

Hoping your coming to see me will not seem like

having to pull another tooth.

When you do spend time by my side,

And find me with a glob of peanut butter on the skin

 of my ever-sagging chin...

Just remember, I’m praying right now that by then

 neither of us will fret,

And that you would graciously just wipe it off and forget...

But within your heart being grateful we both learned that being

vain was such a pain. 

© Sheri * November 2010

About the “Will you still love me?” poem...

Pride can hide in the deep crevices of aging skin, and so it is that our vision usually also betrays us in our aging years. I used to think that was just one of God’s mercies for vanity addicts like myself : ) Now seeing the effects of aging with my own eyes, of my own eyes, I now look at that differently...especially while trying to read labels.

Needless to say, I did not grow up unscathed in a world that puts so much value on the superficial aspect of a person, especially for women. In our youthful years it is very easy to look at life and think one has “forever” before getting “that old”; investing considerable time in pruning the outer person, not setting precedence on cultivating the inner person...deceived in planting superficial seeds of vanity through our own hidden or blatant selfish pride. The laws of time do not let us escape the reaping of our harvest though. Pride has deep roots that can obstruct God’s grace from opening us up from the inside; preventing us from the growth in becoming the person God has called us to be...keeping us from accepting His true love for ourselves and the ability to share His love with others.

Truly, God knows what’s best for us; to seek His face and not our own.

I am not suggesting that we do not take care of our bodies, because we should. Our bodies house the Spirit of our Lord, and we should worship Him by taking care of the gift of life He has given us, but we should not worship our bodies, for they are only temporary. We should do our part in taking care of ourselves to be able to do what God calls us to do, in His strength, right now in His kingdom.

My writing this poem has to do with the process of letting God’s grace change me; allowing Him to show me the need for continual growth in helping me to be who He has called me to be. And also, to be able to accept the things that cannot be changed...and relying on His wisdom for discernment. He has helped me let go of many a hindering things and ways...and I am coming around to seeing things more through His eyes, with His love.

Next to God, the love my sons may have for me is something I treasure, something I don’t ever want to lose. And that no matter how old I grow to be in this life, I pray they will never outgrow their love for me. And that they continue in their lives to grow and allow their Savior Jesus Christ to help them become the men our Heavenly Father has called them to be... to never give up or lose hope in God’s love, truly sharing that with those in their lives.