Jean Stockdale...

I Once Was Blind

Spiritual Sunday

On my recent trip to Atlanta, Ga. I traveled through their enormous airport. Air travel is not without its aggravation these days, and it seems to have put most passengers into a very bad mood. After landing in Atlanta, I headed to the baggage claim via the subway train that connects the terminals. As I stepped onto the tile floor of the subterranean train station, the sound of a tapping cane immediately caught my attention. Up ahead, was a dear lady who was obviously visually impaired. I marveled at her courage to travel through the Atlanta airport without the advantage of sight. 

As a sighted person, I am always a bit nervous as I try to transverse the vast complex. I also noticed that her tennis shoe had come untied. Since we were approaching the escalator, I know her loose lace could possible be dangerous for her. I quietly slipped up beside her  and began to speak to her in a gentle tone as as not to frighten her. I offered my assistance, which she graciously accepted. She stopped and I bend down and tied her shoelaces, giving her the lay of the land as I did. She took my arm and we walked towards the escalator.

Within minutes of meeting each of us had identified ourselves as believers and soon we were chatting like old friends. As we approached the baggage claim area, I stopped to read the signs that indicated the particular carousel for each airline carrier.  An airport employee offered to help and asked which airlines we were flying. I paused to let her respond. As my newfound friend responded, the employee, having taken note of her cane and obvious limitations, casually pointed in the appropriate direction. Now did I mention, the lady was blind! Pointing does very little good for an unsighted person! The woman needed more help than a sign or a point in the right direction. She needed someone to take her by the arm and show her the way!

I could not help but think of the blind man's response after Jesus restored his sight, "I once was blind but now I see." God did much more for us then simply point to heaven. He did more than pronounce judgment on mankind after Adam and Eve sinned. He actually clothed Himself in humanity and came unto His own. John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

I once was dead in my trespasses and sin. I once walked according to the prince of the power of the air. I once indulged the desires of the flesh and of the mind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 

I once was blind, but now I see!

For more inspiration click here and read more Spiritual Sundays.

In Christ

I am studying and teaching the book of Ephesians. And frankly, the more I learn-the less I know! The study is entitled "High Stepping in Heavenly Places." The on-line version is available here if you are interested.

In the book of Ephesians Paul writes some phenomenal doctrinal truth, especially in Ephesians 1:3-14 which comprise one long sentence in the original language. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him  also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 1In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,  who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Paul writes we are blessed by every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. . We are predestined to adoption as sons. We are accepted in the Beloved (1:6 KJV). We are forgiven and redeemed in Christ. God lavished His grace upon us. We are sealed in the Holy Spirit of God, who is the pledge of our inheritance and God's guarantee of our final and future full redemption in heaven when we die!

Can I unravel all this doctrinal truth? No way. But I accept it by faith. Great minds are debated the meaning of this passage and others like it for thousands of years. I certainly cannot add anything to that. And I will not be drawn into debate. I am not smart enough to go toe-to-toe on this theology AND I am way TOO SMART to be drawn into a divisive debate on what cannot be dogmatically and emphatically proved.

I accept these glorious truths by faith and I can let God reconcile these great mysteries of the faith in His finite mind without doing any damage to the doctrine of salvation. Frankly, I am not nearly so threatened by what I cannot explain as I am by what I do understand yet do not obey!

God's chose of me and my response to His gracious invitation as a "whosoever will may come" seem like parallel truths and how they are operate can only be reconciled in the finite of almighty God! That is just fine with me. In the meantime, I am trying to live out this truth and enjoy the fact that I am Accepted, Blessed, and Chosen in Christ Jesus and raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly places.

So, you will understand when I was thrilled with this birthday gift from Craig.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am Accepted, Adopted, Blessed and Chosen. Want to discuss this? Not hardly. Intend to live like it - "to the praise of the glory of His grace"? You betcha!

Word of God Speak . . .

• Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

2 Timothy 2:20-21

God has many vessels to chose to use in kingdom work. Some are "well-known" public people of honor. Others are rather plain-earthenware and wood-common and average. Yet, the vessel God uses is the one who has deliberately made himself/herself clean by the washing of the Word. Clean. Not just "imputed righteousness", but personal holiness. Practicality righteousness. Paul is writing about a christian who aggressively seeks to live a life of personal holiness and practical righteousness. He/she is the vessel God will chose to use-regardless of the vessel's worth, according to the world's standard (rich or poor, public or private, known or unknown, young or old, well-spoken or tongue-tied.) Personal cleanliness-that is what God is seeking. Do you want to be engaged in kingdom work? The deciding feature is, "Are you clean? Are you willing to live clean?"

For more Word Filled Wednesday, committed to flood the internet with God's Word, just click here.

Photostory Friday

For more Photostory Friday click here and visit My Chaos and Bliss.

 

Our grandson is looking up. What has captured his rapt attention?

 

His daddy, Jason, was leading a time of praise and worship with Imago Dei.

 

If you are a mom or a dad, don't kid yourself. Someone is always looking up to you. Someone is watching you. Someone is looking to see if Jesus is real to you or not.

Proverbs 1:8-9 says "Hear, my son, your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching; indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck."

When your child looks at you, what do they see?

More Than Words

 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt. 6:19-21).

So what are you investing in? 

For some more Wordless Wednesday click here. Over at 5 Minutes for Mom there is more to see. And Ordinary and Awesome has some great ones. Extraordinary Mothers has a bunch.

Word of God Speak . . .

I am studying the book of Ephesians and teaching it to a wonderful group of MOMMAS. So much of Paul's letter to the Ephesians is hard to grasp. While I cannot unravel many of the divine mysteries of this book, I am gladly receive them by an act of faith and rest in God's ability to reconcile in His infinite mind what my finite mind cannot begin to decipher. 

In Ephesians 2:12-13 Paul wrote, Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ,excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.But now in Christ Jesus you who (AN)formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

I cannot explain it all, but this much I know: I once was blind, but now I see. I once was dead; but now I am alive in Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

For more Spiritual Sunday click here.

Six Words Saturday

Describe your life in Six Words:

                  In Christ I'm ACCEPTED and BLESSED.

According to Ephesians 1:3-14 I am chosen, blessed, accepted, predestined unto adoption, forgiven, redeemed, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, and given the indwelling Holy Spirit as God's down payment of final redemption! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Want to hear more click here to download my series on Ephesians called "High Stepping in Heavenly Places." 

Would you like to read some more Six Word Saturday? Click here and enjoy.

Living Stones

In Ephesians 2:22 Paul wrote, So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household,having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Here is a portion of the Body of Christ, gathering in Memphis for the Living Proof Event.

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Living Proof

I was so blessed by the Beth Moore Living Proof event at the Fed Ex Forum here in Memphis this past weekend. Here is a short video on what we saw. The written Word of God was proclaimed. The Living Word of God was praised. 

The power of God descended-turning the Forum into a sanctuary and the sports-plex into holy ground.

With Or Without Words Wednesday

Hang Tough

Taken in New Orleans during a stroll through the French Quarter.

 

Hang tough! Moss growing out of a plastered brick wall. This pictures speaks of endurance to me. Against the odds, the fragile fern fronds sinks its' roots deep into the unrelenting brick until it can find a hairline crack to anchor itself. With courage and determination, the tiny green sprouts unfurl and reach for the sun.

So it is with faith. Reach for the Son.

James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

For More Wordless Wednesday click here. Or click here for 5 Minutes for Moms version of Wordless Wednesday. And click here to go to Ordinary and Awesome and click for more at Extraordinary Mothers and click here for Wordful Wednesday and Word Filled Wednesday. Blessings.

Not Me Monday!

I DID NOT get to go and see Beth Moore at the Living Proof event in Memphis this weekend.

I DID NOT go for the first time to one of these huge arena events. I first heard Beth Moore over 10 years ago at Bellevue Baptist Church before she WAS Beth Moore.  I still remember well, and knew God has His hand on her life. I was invited to go to dinner with her and about 8 other Bellevue ladies. I sat next to her and we chatted about balancing the challenges of teaching and studying God's Word while raising a family. Her girls were about 12 and 14 I think. My boys were just a bit older than her girls. She was sensing God was calling her to write a Bible study. I am sure I counseled her to go with that! 

I DID NOT arrive at the door of the Fed Ex Forum at 4:45 for an event that did not start until 7:30.  The doors did not open until 5:00 but there I stood, with about 13,300 of my closest girlfriends in the Lord.

I DID NOT push or shove in order to get a good seat. That would be rude. Really and truly, I did not push or shove but I did THINK ABOUT IT. And as a man thinks in his heart, so is he!

I DID NOT sing myself hoarse during the worship and praise time. If you were sitting in front of me, I apologize!

I DID NOT have trouble breathing as Beth opened up the Word of God and the power of God fell upon that place.

 

I DID NOT have trouble winding down and going to sleep that night due to the huge rush of spiritual adrenalin that swept me into the presence of the Lord.

I DID NOT get up at 5:00 a.m. on Sat. in order to be get there by 7:00 and stand at the doors along with 13,300 of my closes sisters in Christ and wait for the doors to open at 7:30. No, I DID NOT. That is crazy talk.

I DID NOT relish every moment of the Living Proof weekend.

I DID NOT come home renewed in my mind, reflective in my emotions, resolved in my will, refreshed in my spirit, and revived in my faith!!

For more on my Living Proof weekend click here.

For moreNot Me Monday click here and visit with McMama.

And don't forget to join our on-line Bible study for MOMS called High Stepping in Heavenly Places by clicking here. Blessings.

Did Not Our Hearts Burn?

When Jesus opened the eyes of the understanding of the 2 on the Emmaus Road and disclosed Himself, they said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32). 

This weekend I attended the Beth Moore Conference at the Fed Ex Forum in downtown Memphis. Ray-Ray and I headed downtown early on Friday afternoon to allow for dinner and an early arrival to get good seats. The event started at 7:00 p.m.. The doors opened at 5:00. By 4:15 we noticed a large crowd beginning to gather at the doors - standing in the drizzling rain and cool evening temperatures. 

 

After dinner Ray and I joined the gathering throngs of women (and a few courageous men) sporting orange wristbands (on the right, not the left, arm) to wait for the doors to open. 

 

At 5:30 Ray and I and about 13,300 women congregated to meet with the Lord in a sports-plex better acquainted with athletic scrimmages than spiritual battles, but God visited nonetheless! As the church, the body of Christ, gathered - the arena became a sanctuary, a holy place, a place that could not contain the presence of God.

 

As the ladies filed in, Ray and I texted our menfolk to share the growing sense of anticipation.

 

The praise and worship team was lead by Travis Cottrell, who frankly can bring it, and the presence of the Lord descended like the early dew on a warm spring morning. *

 

Beth opened the Word of God on Friday evening. We were bathed in God's glory.

  

 

And Saturday morning we gathered again. Beth, on her knees, prepares to open in prayer.*

 

She waded out into the audience before she opened the Word. God made His written Word come alive to us through the anointing of His Holy Spirit on His choice servant.* (*These pictures were taken by Cecily Richardson.)

 

Word of God speak . . .

The Word of God is alive and sharper than any two-edged sword. It has the power to divide between the soul and the spirit, to reveal the motivations of the mind,to divulge the condition of the heart, and to bring the Truth to bear on the spirit of the willing student of God's Word. The Bible is living, pulsating with the life and the breath of God. 

Stunned by His presence. Staggered by His Word. Word of God speak . . .

"Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?"  Amen.

Thankful Thursday

I am exceedingly blessed and for that I am thankful. 

Today I want to praise the Lord for the privilege of ministering to MOMS. Yesterday I spoke to a group of MOMS at First Baptist in Collierville. About 60 MOMS (and 2 sweet daddies) gathered to study God's Word and apply His Truth to parenting. As I taught from the book of Philippians about the Birthmarks of the Believer (grace, peace, joy, harmony, unity, honorable life, gentleness, seeking to live in peace with others, getting along for heaven's sake, and living a life that matters for the kingdom) I was staggered by the rapt attention these moms were giving to the teaching of the Word of God. Committed to study and obey God's Truth, these moms intend to be involved in kingdom work and conformed to the image of Christ. I was blessed. I was thankful. Capture the heart of the mom and you can impact and influence the whole family to the third and fourth generation. I am thankful to know some great moms and be able to invest in teaching them.

I am passionate about teaching MOMS, investing in their lives and helping them take the profound truths of God's Word and make them practical for daily living. I want to see them hand down a living fatih to their children - not religious rules, rituals, or dead works of self-righteousness. I want them to aggressively pursue a life of personal holiness and practical righteousness. There is much at stake. The next generation needs to know about the saving grace of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Who will tell them Jesus saves? Who will show them a life worth living? Who? "Here I am. Lord send me!"

If you are currently raising or releasing children, please consider joining our 10- week on-line Bible study on the Book fo Ephesians called "High Stepping in Heavenly Places" on Sept. 24. Our study offers a workbook ($15.00) to do homework 5 days a week, a 45 minute video message on-line (at no charge) or Podcast, and a "small group style" discussion on-line to share your insight, connect with other moms, and study God's Word.  Click here for more details.

I am Thankful Thursday for a God-given passion to instruct MOMS in the Word of God and encourage MOMS with the Spirit of God. To read more Thankful Thursday click here and let the salve of thankfulness soothe your heart today.

Under Grace - Over Coffee

Under Grace and Over Coffee. Love it! I found Andrea and her fun blog as I have been strolling through the blogosphere. Miss Cute Thang describes herself this way: I take my coffee with milk, sugar, and the joy of knowing Jesus.

Get atta town! Me too!

She hosts this cutie meme called Caffeinated Randomness every Friday. The idea is to share about whatever is in your silly little (G-rated) head. Here is my Caffeinated Randomness.

I have been in a terrible funk. I have been battling some tough physical issues brought on by the fact that I am a woman of a certain age, thank you very much! Bummer. I had all kinds of health problems when i HAD hormones and now that I DON"T HAVE hormones, I am having all kinds of problems. Does that seem right to you? Me neither. Which is why I am in a funk. A funk I tell you. A funk. A serious funk.

You could say I am conflicted and have issues and you would not be wrong!  Frankly, the physical maladies of being of a certain age have worn me down. I have had 3 migraines in 6 weeks after going several years with nary a one. I have had hot flashes of the thermo-nuclear variety. I have quit sleeping. Quit. Notta. No sleep people.

Now understand I am typically an enthusiastic woman with a joyful, albeit unrealistic, (I'll admit it-I have a Pollyanna mentality on life-you wanna make something of it!?!?) take on life. I look at life through my rose-colored bi-bifocals! So when I, with my sanguine cheery personality, get down in a funk . . . well it ain't pretty. For months I have labored under the weight of this funk. I have LOST MY JOY and I have lost courage. For those of you who know me, you know this is an unusual state for me and represents a seriously miserable and dangerous time in my life.

My physical issues have contaminated my spiritual life. I have lost my spiritual equilibrium and struggled to regain it. But then yesterday happened. 

I am out of town. I am on a short trip to Louisiana and staying at a hotel. Yesterday I woke up in the Hampton Inn. The hour was early but I had managed to actually get some sleep - a real victory over the night before when I never did go to sleep. I know! That's what I'm talking about! But on Thursday morning I woke up in my hotel room in Louisiana. The room was dark and quiet. The sheets felt cool. The hotel provided feather pillows and I was all balled up in a stack of 'em. 

As my thoughts drifted from my sub-conscious mind to my conscious, I was aware that my mind had been meditating on Eph. 6:10-18, the passage on the armor of God. Gently I heard the very loud and inaudible voice of my Savior in my inner man. "Child," He whispered. "You are under attack. The enemy is upon you. He has you by the wrist. Don't you feel his fiendish hot breath on your neck. He is moving in for a kill. Pull your sword, My child. Pull the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and run him through." And as God's Word came to my mind, Satan and his funk evaporated. 

• "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed ; perplexed, but not despairing ;persecuted, but not forsaken ; struck down, but not destroyed ;always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:8-11).

I was sitting up in bed, hearing God speak, experiencing the sweetest peace and presence of the Lord.

I have been under a spiritual assault. I am about to launch an on-line Bible study for MOMS on the book of Ehpesains and Satan does not want MOMS to learn how to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. In 2 weeks I will start teaching MOMS at Bellevue Baptist Church. The messages will be live streamed. Podcast will be available. I will be speaking in several churches this fall. Teaching God's truth puts me in the cross hairs of Satan and his hellbent minions. 

I usually have my armor on and I intentionally keep my guard up. But this particular onslaught has been so heinous and so intense that I have buckled under the ungodly onslaught. Satan  has pulled out all the stops and I had finally caved under the pressure.I was the target of friendly fire - being misunderstood and maligned. Financial pressures are tapping out my mental capability (and I know many of you are in the same place). My emotions are raw. Both of my children and their families were being repeatedly rattled by the wiles of the devil. One child was having severe headaches and we were very concerned. If you are a mom, your children will prove to be your "Achilles' heel." Touch my child and you touch the apple of my eye. I am the most vulnerable at the point of my children and the pain the enemy can inflict on my mother's heart by attacking my children (and/or their family) . . . well, it causes me to writhe in pain. A funk. A serious funk. Unable to right myself. Unable to regain my spiritual equilibrium. Until yesterday. Yesterday God showed up!!

Would you like to read some more Caffeinated Randomness. Click here and enjoy.

And MOMS, please join me for my on-line Bible study on the book of Ephesians entitled High Stepping for Heavenly Places. Click here for more information and check back on Monday for more details. 

My study for MOMS is free, non-denominational, and designed to help MOMS of toddlers, tweens, teens, and all the way through turning 'em loose! You will be able to view my 45 minute lectures on-line, as well as download my PODCASTS at no cost. My 192-page workbook will be available here for $15.00 but is optional. Homework and on-line discussion will be a part of this study which will provide accountability, small group interaction with other MOMS, and tons of Biblical truth peppered with sanctified humor and personal illustrations. I would be honored to be able to invest in your life and bless your family as you develop the fine art of Christian mothering. Blessings.

Thousand Word Thursday

For my participation for Thousand Word Thursday I have a rather difficult and painful post. To pretend or deny the pain that accompanies all of us as we walk out our Pilgrim's Progress would be foolish at best and unconscionable at worst. The Bible says, "Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil" (Job 14:1). The Lord Jesus Christ is described as a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). Gentle reader, this life is marred with sin. James writes, "You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). 

My 1000 Word Thursday is a tribute to the brief (according or man's standards) life of Michelle Sanders.  

Michelle Sanders is a member of my church, Bellevue Baptist, in Memphis, TN. She is a 41 year old wife to Bill and mom to 3 little boys. William(12 years), Johnathan (6 years), and Hudson (5 years). Listen to how Michelle describes herself in her own words on her FaceBook page. 

Trying not to be dorky or overly serious but if you ask about me I must tell you what moves my heart and makes me breath each day. Jesus! He is my hero who will ride in on His white horse named Faithful and True one day to take me home to live forever! I navigate my life according to all that Jesus teaches and my passion is to know Him, pursue Him, and love Him with my heart, my time, my energy, my emotions, my plans, well...my life! My second passion is to learn to love others well-my husband and boys, my family & friends, my neighbors, and even my enemies. With all this said I must admit that most of the time I fail miserably in these endeavors. Henceforth, I am never able to point a finger or judge another for their failings and must always find myself at the mercy of my Lord for help, forgiveness, and grace. 

My beliefs are not religious but relational. Here are a few of them: God-the Self-existent One who created the world and all who live here; who sent His Son to do what we could not do for ourselves; who continues to woo us through Creation, His transcendent love, & His mercy and grace. Who through His Son, has revealed Himself as Father and Abba to those who believe. Jesus-My Lord, Savior and Friend, who rescues us from an eternal separation from God and reconciles us to God by pouring out His blood-the only blood that could finish the need for sacrifices of any kind as payment for our sins; pleasing our Holy God's demand for pure & right payment for our iniquities; imputing on us His righteousness and breaking the chains of sin and guilt. And then if that wasn't enough-giving us His nature through the Holy Spirit that provides us with Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Goodness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control; giving us abundant life while we wait and work for His Kingdom to come in finality; teaching us to love everyone and see every man as Jesus does-with a servant love, indiscriminate mercy, and abounding grace. 

On Wednesday morning Michelle dropped her children off and went to Bible study with our pastor’s wife Donna Gaines, as she often did. (All of my facts are secondhand so forgive me if every detail is not exactly correct. I am currently out of town, but felt the need to share my heart and honor Michelle and her walk with the Lord.) During the study Michelle felt faint and slipped out of the room. Concerned, Mariah Kurlick, an R.N. and Bible study participant, went to check on her friend. Michelle apparently had a seizure. The ambulance was called and she was transported to St. Francis Bartlett, a hospital 10 minutes away. The medical team unable to stabilize her, Michelle slipped from this life into the next. 

Using my sanctified imagination, this is how I picture that moment: Jesus speaks."Welcome, Michelle. Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into all that I have prepared for you." Michelle falls on her face at His feet. Her hands reach to touch Him. Faith becomes sight. Choruses of praise erupt. Michael, the archangel, stands and proclaims, "Worthy, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. Worthy is He to receive glory,honor, praise.Echoes of praise resound with the anthem, "Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord God Almighty, Who was and art is, evermore shall be." With no physical barriers to contain the volume or sound,the praises of those who reside in the eternal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ sound like thundering waves crashing on endless shores. Michelle buries her face in the hem of His garment. She tries to speak. Her voice seizes in her throat-unable to give sound to her praise. She pauses. She turns her face slightly and mouths these words to us who remain. “Love JESUS. Live for HIM. JESUS alone is WORTHY. Worthy, Worthy is the LAMB.” 

Michelle stepped into eternity yesterday in response to the call of Jesus. She answered, “Yes Lord” and He welcomed her into Heaven! This is not rhetoric or just preacher stuff - this is reality. Our lives are a fleeting moment in contrast to eternity. The apostle Paul said “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). 

Whether you have become a Christ-follower or not, you and I can clearly see from her own words that hers was a life well lived. Michelle had it right - it is not about religion but a relationship with Jesus. God is rich in mercy and abundant in loving-kindness to all who call upon Him. The Lord Jesus is the Savior - the only answer for the sin problem separating us from the Father and His love. Jesus ransoms, rescues, and redeems us by grace. He even restores the broken relationship from the Holy God caused by our sin. Reconciled to God through Jesus, we too can say “I am convinced that neither death nor life ... will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Michelle’s was a life well spent because she loved, trusted, worshiped, served, and followed Jesus. I wonder if your life is one well spent or mostly squandered? If you would be judgment-day honest before God right now, could you freely confess “Jesus Christ is Lord” and “He is my Savior because I am trusting Him, Him only, and Him always for my salvation”? If not, I urge you to answer His prompting in your heart, and simply say, “Yes, Lord”.

Like the apostle Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day" (2 Timothy 1:12). I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him, I have eternal life. Heaven is my guaranteed home for all eternity. I know my friend, Michelle Sanders, is there. With Jesus. With all those who have died in the faith having received Jesus Christ. I know where she is. I know where I am going. This is the question. Do you? 

For more Thousand Word Thursday click here and visit with my bloggy friend, Jen. Blessings.

Things I Love Thursday

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know that I love the Lord Jesus Christ. I love Him and I belong to Him. Song of Solomon 6:3 says, "I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine." Without apology, I confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Roman 1:16).

Because I love the Lord Jesus Christ and have accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, I love His Word. As a stay-at-home wife and mom, I have dedicated myself to becoming a student to the Word of God. As a college dropout, I am quick to tell you that a high degree of education is not necessary in order for you to become a studentt of the Word of God. I am a huge supporter of education. I believe in higher education. However, that is not my story. I was a poor student in high school - rebellious, spiritually lost, separated from God and His Christ, unmotivated, and resistant to all authority. 

AND THEN I MET JESUS. Since that time, nothing has been the same! At the age of 24 I heard the glorious news the God loved me and had a plan for my life. But I had a problem. Because of what Adam had done in the Garden of Eden, I was a sinner. My sin separated me from God. God had sent His only begotten Son to die for my sin and the sin of all humanity. If I was willing to invite Jesus into my life by faith and receive His grace gift of salvation, God would forgive my sin debt, give my life meaning, guide and direct me, and take me to heaven when I died. I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ.  He forgave my sin debt. He sent the Holy Spirit to live in my human spirit and act as my internal control; I had His Word to be my eternal control. God gave my live meaning and I live with the promise of heaven awaiting me when I die. 

One of the many things I love about belonging to Jesus Christ is His Word. A source of strength, a guide for living, promises to claim, hope for facing crisis, relevant instructions for being a wife and mom, precepts and pricnicples to build a fulfilling life on the foundation of Christ, and a Book that a stubborn, fractured, damaged, weak, college drop out can read, understand, and apply to daily life. So, (0ne of the many) Things I Love on this Thursday is God's Word.

Word of God speak . . .

For more Things I Love click here and visit The Diaper Diaries. And don't forget to come by and play 5 Things Friday when we will post 5 of My Favorite Things.

And please join me for my on-line Bible study on the book of Ephesians entitled High Stepping for Heavenly Places. Click here for more information and check back on Monday for more details. My study for MOMS is free, non-denominational, and designed to help MOMS of toddlers, tweens, teens, and all the way through turning 'em loose! 

You will be able to view my 45 minute lectures on-line, as well as download my PODCASTS at no cost. My 192-page workbook will be available here for $15.00 but is optional. Homework and on-line discussion will be a part of this study which will provide accountability, small group interaction with other MOMS, and tons of Biblical truth peppered with sanctified humor and personal illustrations. Blessings.

Word Filled Wednesday

Word of God speak . . .

 

"Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." 

Psalm 33:3

Jason and Declan (2 years old and minus a shoe!) share a moment of worship and praise after the Sunday evening service. This is what I call a "kiss from the King!"

Sweet MOMS, I want to invite you to study God's Word online with me. For 21 years I have been writing and teaching a Bible study for MOMS. On September 17, I am beginning a my new series for MOMS on the Book of Ephesians called "High Stepping in Heavenly Places." Using personal illustrations to teach Biblical principles, I will be sharing God's Word with practical applications and large doses of sanctified humor. For the first time, we are going to offer an online study for MOMS. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, please check back on Monday for more details. 

In the meantime, download one of my PODCAST messages on Philippians to get acquainted with my style of teaching. I hope for an opportunity to instruct you and encourage you in the Word of God! Please invite all your MOMMY friends. From moms with toddlers to teens to turning loose adult children, I am inviting you to grab a Bible and a pen and join us online for a MOMS Bible study!! Blessings. 

Now for more Word Filled Wednesday click here. Our hostess this week is Penny Raine. Leave her a comment and thank her for creating another opportunity for us to share God's Word online! And stop back by my blog on Friday to play 5 Things Friday with me. This week is 5 of Your Favorite Things. Post photos or use your words to describe 5 of Your Favorite Things.

Sunday Selections

Life is hard. Face it. It never gets easy. Nothing about it is easy. Relationships. Finances. Communication. Balancing the demands of life. Relaxing long enough to enjoy life. Keeping the plates spinning. Discerning the difference between the urgent and the important. And so on. So on. And on and on. You get the idea. 

The Lord does not deny that life is not without its challenges. He simply reminds us to lose our lives in Him and He will take care of the rest. How utterly simply. How often overlooked.

Jesus said, "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life ? And why are you worried about clothing ? Observe how the lilies of the field grow ; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith ! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will wear for clothing?' "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things ; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  So do not worry about tomorrow ; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:-25-34).

Sunday blessings for today and all week long.

Front Porch Friends

Wordful Wednesday

On Monday I drove all the way to Braden, Tn., which is only slightly past Somerville, to sit on the front porch and sip tea with 2 precious sisters in the Lord. Fran Thomas,Teresa Cocke and I enjoyed sweet fellowship in the Lord. Teresa lives in a beautiful anti-bellum home that has been in her husband's family since it was built. Isn't it lovely?!?! I love old homes and this one is lovely. It was a treat just to see inside this wonderfully well-loved family home.

Fran (on left) attended the MOMS ministry at Bellevue in 1998 at the invitation of her cousin, Michelle Sumner. (Michelle is now leading MOMS at First Baptist Collierville.) For a timeline reference, Jason was a freshman at Mississippi State and Dawson was a junior at Evangelical Christian School. At the end of the semester Fran and her family moved to Jackson, TN. She connected with me on Facebook and through her blog Blessed by Him.

Teresa and I connected via her blog, A Refreshed Heart, and on Facebook. Teresa is involved in Community Bible Study and this year will be leading it in Somerville at First Baptist. We were have corresponded online we have often commented that one day we just had to make plans to meet for a face-to-face visit. Monday that happened!

Fran met Teresa on her blog and discovered a number of mutual friends in Jackson, which was Teresa's former place of residence. They had connected as a Women's Ministry event in Jackson and have become fast friend. Fran drove over from Jackson and I drove up to Braden to sit on Teresa's porch for tea.

Then we shared a wonderful lunch of her homemade chicken salad and a ice creamy apricot almond thingy for dessert that was just too good to be true. Words flew. Testimonys were exchanged. Tears streamed. About a million words were exchanged. Thank you, sweet friends, for a time of soul-stirring refreshment in the Lord.

What a blessing! I love being a part of the family of God. Salvation places us, not only in the body of Christ, but in the family of God. "Who is My mother and my brothers?" Jesus asked. "Whoever does the will of MY Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother." Our covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus changes everything!

For more Wordful Wednesday click here and visit with Angie.

5 Things Friday

5 Things I Know For Sure

1. I know that I have enjoyed being a wife to Craig Stockdale and mom to our sons, Jason and Dawson. All I ever wanted to do was be a wife and momma. God has granted the desires of my heart and enriched my life to the fullest. I am exceedingly blessed beyond measure!

2. I know that if given the choice, I will always choose Mexican food. Give me some chips and (mild) salsa and I am a happy girl. It doesn't take much to make me happy, and salsa does it every time. Oh, and add some queso and, oh my soul, I will be beside myself!

3. I do not like to get up early. In fact, I don't like to get up at all! I am a night owl and enjoy nothing more than sitting up all night long and then sleeping in the next day. Sadly I have discovered the whole world system runs to accommodate morning people! I do love me a nap! But again, my world does not seem to share my enthusiasm for sleeping in the daytime.

4. I know my faith, my family and my friends are very dear to me.

5. I know my ABC's. In Christ I am ACCEPTED, BELOVED, AND CHOSEN in Him according to Ephesians 1:3-14. I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. "I am my beloved and my beloved is mine" (Song of Songs 6:3).

This is what I know for sure. How bout you? What 5 Things Do You Know For Sure?

Write your own post on your blog and share your list of 5 Things You Know For Sure. Grab my button from HERE. Link your blog post (not your HOME PAGE but the URL of your 5 Things Friday post) in the new MckLinky below. Thanks for joining in. Stop back by next Friday and play along. Invite your bloggy friends to stop by and play. And please check out all the other participants in 5 Things Friday and leave them some comment love. Oh and I love me some comments too! Blessings.  

Next Friday I hope to have a fancy dancy new button for 5 Things Friday. Next week our list will be 5 Things You Like To Do. And please click here and read my blog post on the upcoming PODCAST for MOMS. You might want to give a listen. I will soon be posting all 10 messages on my Bible study for MOMS entitled "Joy in the Journey." While the study is insightful for all women determined to grow in the Lord, it is especially written for MOMS. Check it out! For more information about my available Bible studies click here.