Because I was gone several days last week and then my husband was sick for two days, I have not been able to get my thoughts together for my blog.  I was just reading Debbie Harris' blog, "She Graces Her Home In God's Beauty".  It was very thought provoking and a wonderful message to all of us.  Her blog always includes beautiful photography and I know you will enjoy it.  I requested her permission to refer my readers to her lovely site this week and she graciously granted it.  Her blog site is http://shegracesherhome.blogspot.com/ and the title of the post is "A Sinful Woman Forgiven".

I hope you take the time to visit and become a regular follower of her blog.

I did get a card done for Word Art Wednesday and here it is:

I made the card using the color prompts from Ginny Maxam's site.  Her button is on the side.  Give her a visit too.

Have a good week.

FACES

While riding in the car this week, I was listening to the Enlighten channel on the radio.  This channel plays only Southern Gospel music.  A song came on by a group called Greater Vision.  They sing many good, solid Christian songs and many of them minister to me. 

The song they were singing was called, “Faces”.  I felt impressed to share the words with you.  The words of the song help encourage me when I look back over my life and become discouraged because it seems like I have not done anything worthwhile for the Lord.  I think of the people who have crossed my path, the classes I have taught, the prayers I have prayed, and the other things that I have done for the Lord and cannot see the kind of results I had hoped for.  But God sees the big picture.  People come in and out of our lives and often our influence is never apparent to us. 

We must just keep on being God’s witness and reaching out to others.  It is not meant for us to see the end result.  Some things are known only to God.  But there will come a day when the books will be opened and we will see how much our witness has meant.  He said, “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life”  Revelation 2:10.

I am not working for a reward. I just want my life to be an influence that will rescue some souls who are lost and turn them to Jesus.  When the time comes for the review of my life, will I see any faces of those who have found the Way because of me?

Here is the song.  I hope it will bless you and encourage you to keep trusting, obeying and working even when you do not see results.

Faces

Greater Vision

I dreamed my life was done
I stood before God's son
It was time to see what my reward would be
With love He reviewed my life
To count what was done for Christ
For that is what will last eternally

See I'd done my best to share
That Jesus really cares
And He would save if they just believe
Oh, but seldom did harvest come
And so few did I see won
Until the Lord said, "turn around and see."

(Chorus)
Then He showed me the faces of the ones who'd come because of me
So many faces that my life had led to Calvary
All those years I thought nobody saw as I labored in lowly places
That's when Jesus smiled and showed me all the faces.

He said though you did not see the yield,
You were faithful to plow the field
At other times you helped me plant the seed
No matter how small the task, you did just as I asked
And thanks to you these souls have been set free.

(Chorus)
Then he showed me the faces of the ones who'd come because of me
So many faces that my life had led to Calvary
All those years I thought nobody saw as I labored in lowly places
That's when Jesus smiled and showed me all the faces.

Tag:
And for those years you thought
Nobody saw as you labored in lowly places
One day He'll smile and show you all the faces.
... the faces... you'll see their faces.

Here is my card for the week… 

I tried another card for Word Art Wednesday

Fear not tomorrow...God is already there.

Just thought I'd give you a peek at my entry for the Word Art Wednesday challenge.

Hope you like it.  

Have a good day!

How Firm a Foundation 

I love the old hymns.  Many of the old hymns praise God with such majesty.  Songs like, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty”, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”,  and on and on we could go.

One of my favorite hymns of all time is “How Firm A Foundation”.  The words of this hymn are taken from Scripture.  It is such a comforting song.  The first verse encourages believers to find refuge and a firm foundation in God’s Word - His excellent Word.  

Why do we need a new message when like the songs says, “What more can He say than to you He hath said” in His Word?  Everything is in His Word that we need to direct us and encourage us in our spiritual life.

How Firm a Foundation 

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said—
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy trouble to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not harm thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

“The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”

Take a look at the second verse and then read Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Then again the third verse almost quotes Isaiah 43:2a When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:

Again the fourth verse refers to the second half of that scripture, Isaiah 43:2b …when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

But oh the last verse!  He will never, never forsake us if we lean on Him.  The word repose means,

      To lay; to rest, as the mind, in confidence or trust (to have trust or confidence in a person's

      constant truthfulness ) and to rest in confidence. (I repose on the faith and honor of a friend.)

What a comfort in our times of testing and trials.  He will never forsake us.  He is closer than anyone else can ever be.  It may seem like He doesn’t hear us when we cry out to Him during the hard times, but He said He will not leave us and we can bank on it

Look at what Hebrews 13:5 says, …for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

I hears someone say something lately that has been a blessing to me, “The teacher is always silent during the test.”  Even when it seems that the heavens are brass and our prayers bounce back instead of going through, He hears and His grace is sufficient for our every need.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

How I love Him!  And I can trust Him!

My card for this week using Word Art Wednesday's verse Revelation 2:7.  The verse is hard to read since it is small.

Have a blessed week and remember that we can rely on Him in a world full of turmoil.

“How Firm a Foundation” was first published in 1787 in A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, which was edited by London pastor John Rippon. The melody is an early American tune, and the author of the text in Rippon’s volume is only marked as “K.” There are a number of potential authors, including John Keene, who was the music director at Rippon’s church.

JUDGE GENTLY

An event happened to me recently which made the following poem so real and personal to me. 

A lady attended church off and on for a while.  She always came in late and was dressed in beautiful clothes, yet they did not seem to match her or be a combination that was normally worn to church. 

Because she sat in another area of the church, we had never met.  She always came and sat with a couple that she knew.  She appeared sad and was quiet and reserved. 

One week she came in and the couple with whom she regularly sat had left after Sunday School.  She looked around and did not see them and I motioned to her and told her they had left because they did not feel well.  She turned and walked out the door. 

I realized that I should have invited her to sit with us. So I got up to go ask her to come sit with us and she was coming back into the auditorium.  I told her we would love to have her sit with us and 

she came and sat by me.  She listened attentively. 

At the end of the service I asked her name and told her she had such beautiful clothes.  Her response was that her ex-husband was very abusive and bought her beautiful clothes to make up for it. 

How easy it is to look at someone and form opinions when we do not even know what they have gone through.  Jesus was a person of compassion and we are to be Christ-like.  I know that in this present world we must be careful, but if we follow God’s leading when we someone in need, we can maybe be just the one that can reach them in their need.

I found out her address and sent her a card telling her that I was glad she had sat with us. That I knew she must have had a very rough time in life and that I would be praying for her.  If she comes to your mind it would be nice if you too would say a prayer for her.  God knows who she is so you don’t even need a name.

This brought back to my mind the poem below.

Judge Gently

Pray don't find fault with the man who limps

or stumbles along the road,

unless you have worn the shoes he wears

or struggled beneath his load.

There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,

though hidden away from view,

or the burden he bears, placed on your back

might cause you to stumble too.

Don't sneer at the man who's down today

unless you have felt the blow

that caused his fall or felt the shame

that only the fallen know.

You may be strong, but still the blows

that were his if dealt to you,

in the selfsame way, at the selfsame time,

might cause you to stagger too.

Don't be too harsh with the man who sins

or pelt him with word or stone,

unless you are sure, yea, doubly sure,

that you have no sins of your own -

for you know perhaps if the tempter's voice

should whisper as softly to you

as it did to him when he went astray,

it might cause you to stumble too. 

Author Unknown

My card I want to share is

Have a wonderful week.

I made this card for the Word Art Wednesday challenge.

Truly God's Word never changes.