Will You Walk By Faith?

It is easy to say we will walk by faith when everything is going our way. When we do not have any stumbling blocks or trials it makes it easy. 
I have had to walk by faith many times in my life, even when things seemed so dim, it is not an easy thing to do. And being totally honest, I did not always succeed in doing so.
This week a wonderful man who loved the Lord God with his all met the end of his journey here on earth and began his eternal journey in heaven with our Creator God. This man had a beautiful wife and precious young daughter. They have stood by him for the last year and a half as he fought a fierce battle of leukemia. He fought with all he had. He never gave up or lost faith, totally believing that God would meet his need and the needs of his family. 
Even though I never got the chance to meet this man in person we became friends through facebook. His brother who does live near here introduced me to him when he found we had something in common, first of all our Lord Jesus, but also leukemia. I thought I would get a chance to meet him in person this past Christmas, but that was not to be. I was so sorry for that. But he could no longer travel.
I would share my blogs with him, and he would send me encouraging words as well.  That is a friendship I will always be grateful for, and I so look forward to that face to face meeting some day. 
This man showed many how to face his illness valiantly, boldly, and fiercely. He never lost hope, even when the brighter side was growing more dim, I believe he found the brightest of all sides. 
This spoke to me this week when he moved on to eternity. Until the very end he believed the Lord Jesus had the best for him. I thought how was this the best? Because he is pain free, disease free, and in glory with our Lord Jesus.  Sure his wife and daughter will have this heartache that none of us can help with. But they too walked by faith and knew whatever the outcome, that Jesus is carrying them through this journey.
So I asked myself, when I am struggling physically, not feeling well, am I still walking by faith. Do I let my circumstances control my faith? I pray I always walk by faith, but I know there are times I grow weary. I do not want to be weary. I want to be the example of someone who has that faith like none other, that only comes from God. 
How do we deal with our situations, stumbling blocks, or disappointments?  Do we hang on to our faith in God, knowing He is always in control? Knowing without a doubt God has us in His arms, carrying us when we cannot walk, wiping our tears when our hearts break, reassuring us that everything will be okay. 
So I thank you James, thank you for all those encouraging words and that mountain of faith you held on to. I will meet you face to face someday. 

I have attached a song that has always ministered to me, I hope it helps you as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQMUa96ZTHA

Easter!

Easter, what does it mean to you?  It can mean a memory, special family times, an easter egg hunt, and on and on. Or it can mean something indescribable, a very deep spiritual meaning that so many do not understand. To me, it means my freedom, my redemption, my forgiveness. All because this was the day Jesus Christ rose from the grave, defeated the devil and hell, defeated death. This is the day that we can rejoice because we are redeemed and can spend eternity in heaven with our Savior.
Sure, as a child I remember getting all dressed up in my new Easter clothes, going to church, then coming home and having a wonderful dinner.  My Mom was the best cook! Many times we traveled to Pennsylvania or Virginia to see grandparents and family. Those are very special memories.
But even as a child, I knew what Easter was about.  Not all about the candy, or hunting eggs, and so on. It was the day the stone was rolled away and Jesus rose from the grave and changed history forever. Our Savior made a way for us to be redeemed and forgiven. 
Just a note-I will leave the details of Good Friday and the cross for you to read on your own. I wanted to keep this about the day Jesus rose. 
As years have gone by, I never forgot about how special Easter was to our family. We never forgot what the true meaning of Easter is. In today's world many children grow up thinking it is about bunnies.  Well it is fun to throw a "fairy tale" in the mix as long as the true meaning is not forgotten. 
I know everyone has their own traditions.
I can still taste my Grandma Sallie's coleslaw. Nothing but the best. And my Mom would bake a delicious ham.  My aunts in Pennsylvania made the best potato salad.  Those things I truly miss about our childhood traditions.  
I remember in Sunday school receiving a little cross that would glow in the dark. Fond memories.
Now back to the real reason we celebrate Easter. 
The Bible tells us in-
Romans 3:23-24-
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
You see there would be no Easter without Jesus dying on the cross, and 3 days later rising from the dead. There would be no hope for us to have that eternal life in heaven, because we would not be redeemed from our sins. And we are all sinners. We all need redeeming.
Jesus Christ loves us more than anything, so much that He died on the cross so that we could live and be with Him in eternity. 
This Easter I encourage you all to take a moment and think about Easter. Reflect on the many things that bring us joy, but don't forget Who the author of that joy is. Jesus is the reason we can rejoice.
Happy Easter everyone!

Let's Talk About Hope (and April the Giraffe)

Hope! Some seem to have hope no matter what the circumstance is that surrounds them. Some seem to know there is hope but cannot seem to grasp it. Some are always looking for that hope. And then there are some that just say there is no hope. Where do you place yourself in this category?
For myself, I place myself in the "always hopeful" category. Early on in my life I faced many hurdles with my health. No matter how bad things got, I told myself I would not lose hope. When I asked Jesus into my life I knew exactly where that hope comes from. 

Luke 19:10 (HCSB)   10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

Before I started following Jesus I knew there was hope to be had, I knew there was a God in heaven that loved me unconditionally. I just didn't understand it. When I began reading God's Word and studying it I began to see the bigger picture. What does the above Scripture have to do with hope?

That Jesus Christ came to seek you, seek me, seek all others. That alone speaks hope.  The Son of God, our Savior came to this earth for you and for me. He came with unconditional love for us. He came in hopes that we would allow Him into our hearts and accept Him, accept His love for us. For me, knowing the Savior of this world, the Lord of all creation, the Ruler of this earth loves me, He wants to live in my heart, He wants that personal relationship with me, all of this speaks HOPE to me.  

I have been watching the live feed of April the Giraffe getting ready to give birth. I was seeing some of the comments, and most of them speak of hope, and people searching for a reason to be hopeful. This beautiful animal is God's creation, and that baby inside of her is God's creation. April is an animal, but knows who gives her life. The creatures of this world know who the Creator is, yet so many of us want to deny that fact. Some of the comments others were making were to the fact that something like this brings light, joy, and hope to this world full of evil. These folks are searching for hope. 

I know where that hope comes from, our Lord Jesus. So no matter what your situation is, whatever you are facing, call unto Jesus, He is the source of all hope. He loves you unconditionally, and He wants to pour that hope and love into you. 

The Bible also tells us that hope will not disappoint. We must remember, we may be thinking of only one possible solution to our problem. But Jesus may have a different solution. So when our answers come in different ways, that doesn't mean Jesus deserted us, but it means Jesus chose the best for us. 

So the next time you are facing a difficult situation, or a crisis in your life, reach out and call to Jesus, He will be there to hold you and fill you full of hope and His love. 

Be hopeful my friends.