Verse for 2017

From The Message (a paraphrase) 1 Peter 3: 8-12:

Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life
    and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do:
    Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
    run after peace for all you’re worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
    listening and responding well to what he’s asked;
But he turns his back
    on those who do evil things.

New American Standard, 1 Peter 3:8-12:

  8To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

10For,
         “THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS,
         MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.

11“HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD;
         HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

12“FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS,
         AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER,
         BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.”

2016- A Great Year 2017-New Beginnings

Every New Year's Eve or New Years morning I write in my journal a review of the year. I also write down my hopes, dreams and goals for the New Year. I love reading what I wrote last year- and seeing if maybe some of the hopes, dreams and goals came true or were accomplished. I also like to write down the unexpected journey's God took us on.

God was faithful in 2016. Our first grandchild was born. And Roman is such a joy! When that little boy looks in my eyes- my heart just about overflows. A friend and neighbor who I meet to walk with at times told me one of the greatest joys would be to see my daughter be a mother...and she is so right! It has been beautiful. To see Ben and Al be the parents God created them to be has been one of life's greatest joys. To see our boy raised to know and love Jesus...and allow Jesus to love Roman through us has been a blessing.

Our boys are doing great....and I can't wait to see what God has in store for Cody and Johnie in 2017. I love watching our boys become men. Oh Jesus, grace upon grace!

I am so thankful for Nick and for xaralto. : ) We've had so much fun exploring the South Carolina State Parks and some National Parks. We've also worked on and around our house a lot this year. We've enjoyed having family down a lot this year!

It's been another year of joy and sorrow. We've had a niece pass away who was young and full of life her passing has left a deep void. We've had beloved neighbors and friends pass away. I don't know what people do without the hope we have in Jesus. Well, that's not true. I do know. I lived that way for many years of my life. In darkness and constant chaos- fears within and fears without- desperately lost.

I've seen God say yes...and I've seen Him say no. I've heard Him say, "No..no not yet...wait...just enjoy Me." And I've heard Him say, "Are you ready, My child?"

2017 is going to be year of "for in Him we live, move and exist"- He has spoke to me about a certain plan and set my boundaries- this is the appointed time.

"Yet Lord, not my will but Thine."

I encourage each of you to sit down and reflect on God's gracious blessings on your life in 2016. I encourage you to write your joy's and sorrow's. I encourage you to pray...seek this Joy God, the Peace God....and KNOW Him. Write it down....so next year...yes...oh yes...you can see how His journey unfolded in you..to you...for you....and through you.

What is He speaking into you about 2017?

... for reason of this I bow my knees to the Father, from whom every family in the heavens and on earth is named, that He might give you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man, for Christ to dwell in your hearts through faith, being rooted and being founded in love, so that you may be fully able, with all the saints, to comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ surpassing knowledge, so that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God. Now to the One being able to do exceedingly above all things that we ask or think, according to the power working in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all the generations of the age of the ages. Amen.- Epheisans 3:14-21

Infinite Love Prayer

Loving Father, I am overjoyed that Your lavish love has declared me to be a child of God. What an honor to be Your daughter. It is my heart's cry that each of my children (Allison, Ben, Cody and Johnie) and grandchildren (Roman and future) will allow their roots to sink deeply into the rich soil of Your infinite love. May Your affection and care nourish and strengthen them in disappointment. May they shift their focus from their circumstances and onto Your unfailing and dependable love. I ask, Father, that they would recognize that human worth and value come from the dignity You have bestowed upon each person and not from performance or the evaluation of other people. May Your love be their strength and song. Amen.

- from A Grandmother's Prayers by Kay Swatkowski

Suffering

Starla Ellison

December 28 at 8:56am · 

Believer, whoever told you that in life we would not have trials, tribulations, circumstances and sufferings- lied to you. Scriptures are VERY clear that we WILL have those- especially those of us that are in the household of faith.

At times in our life- we will suffer. No one escapes suffering. God wants us to find our all-in-all in Him. Joy, strength, power, peace, comfort, life. Only through experiencing afflictions, tribulations, sufferings do we go to Jesus and find all our deepest needs met. Find that He perfects (completes, finishes) through suffering- suffering strips us of self (flesh) and brings us to reality and truth. Suffering, in it's truth and completion forms us into the image of Christ. IF we allow God to bring suffering to completion. Some choose to wallow in the suffering- and not allow God to perfect the suffering in them.

Yes, some suffering we bring about on our self and some suffering happens to us. But don't allow suffering to define you and become your identity. Because it's a false identity and you'll be living in a lie. Which will bring about more suffering by living in a lie.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

Philippians 4:11-13
11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

A Grandmother's Prayer Devotional

Starla Ellison with Karen Groves.

December 28 at 7:29am · 

I am so excited to start this 60 day devotional about praying for not only Roman but all of our future grandchildren.

I don't know where I'd be if it hadn't been for my grandmother praying for me. My Grandma Cleary sure loved Jesus. I can remember coming in from playing outside and her kneeling by the bed praying for each of us by name.

My prayer for my children and my grandchildren and great grandchildren down the line is they have a deep abiding intimate relationship with Jesus all the days of their life. If I leave them any legacy I pray it's that they know their Esse loves them, prays for them and also loves Jesus with her whole being.

Thank you Karen for sending me this book I will always treasure it and our ever-growing friendship and fellowship.

We don't really know the exact date of Jesus' birth. For whatever reason December 25th was the date chosen to celebrate His glorious birth.

My prayer for you this day we celebrate the birth the Lord Jesus Christ is you seek to KNOW this One more deeply, more intimately, and more truthfully in 2017.

The beautiful words of life-change from Jesus to me are these:
"I have come that you have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

Are you living the abundant life He has given you through Himself? Friends, He is our abundant life. As we know more intimately (known and be known)- as we experience Him (grace, truth. love, joy, peace, patience, kind, good, faith, gentle )- we begin to understand what life is about. We begin to enjoy this life. We live this life instead of life living us.

I leave you with these beautiful words to us:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:9-13

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." John 1:14-18

Free!

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.- Matthew 10:8

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,"- Jesus, Luke 4:18

and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.- Jesus, John 8:32

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.- Jesus, John 8:36

and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.- Acts 13:39

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.- Romans 6

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?- Romans 8:32

Milestones

A couple of years ago I went through an 8 month discipleship training class. The class was to equip me to disciple/counsel/mentor others- to be a safe place for others to be open and real. The focus of the counseling is on the reality of the New Covenant that occured when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and rose again. Most people are like I was- I didn't really know about the New Covenant or what Jesus did for me, to me, on the cross- much less live a resurrected life.

I struggled greatly with oppression, depression, fears, anxiety, anger- and I just never ever felt right or real.

But through God's magnificent grace He brought people into my life that began to speak and teach truth into me. I had NO idea Who God really is, what He truly did for me on the cross and through His resurrection. I had no idea He came to set the captive free, to give me a new life, make me a new creation- to LIVE in me.

After He began to reveal these things to me- He brought the ministries in my life that TEACH these truths so that I can teach these truths.

Tonight was a milestone. I've taken a few people through half of the discipleship process. But tonight- my friend (who shall remain nameless) and I finished the whole process. For 8 months we've been meeting on a weekly basis going through discipleship/counseling process. We've laughed, we've cried, we've shared, and we've even ran together- we've talked talked talked- and God has been the great Healer. He has been our Focus and our Center.

You know, I know this discipleship is so others can receive the freedom and healing through Christ that I have- but I got just as much out of it as my friend. To see God reveal Himself to her- and she GET IT. To see her whole demeanor and countenance change through this has been beautiful. To see Jesus become her All-in-All and her Life- has been so tender and wonderful. I am so thankful to be simply a vessel that shares Jesus. It's humbling and it's inspiring!

Thank You, Jesus providing Yourself as our healing. Thank You Father for providing for us the Way to healing. Thank You Spirit for guiding us into all Truth. I pray she and I both continue to receive- all that You desire to give us.

Thank you for the beautiful flowers and CHOCOLATE my sweet sister and friend. I pray you continue to experience and abide in intimacy and oneness with Jesus- all moments of your life.

An enormous thank you to Abundant Grace Ministries, GracePointe Ministries, Grace Life International, Journey in Christ, InYou Ministries and Abiding Life Ministries- all my counselors, teachers, instructors and friends- thanks for sharing the whole gospel.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live but Christ live in me and the life I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

He Giveth More Grace

1. He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
   He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
   To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
   To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
2. When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
   When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
   When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
   Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
3. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
   Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
   Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
   The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
4. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
   His power no boundary known unto men;
   For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
   He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
5. -Annie Johnson Flint

To read about Annie Johnson Flint:

He Giveth More Grace

Philippians 4:5-7

I looked more into the meaning of the words: 

By 

PRAYER 

(literally, to interact with the Lord by switching human wishes (ideas) for His wishes as He imparts faith ("divine persuasion") 

and

SUPPLICATION 

(deep heart-felt need) 

(and oh haven't we prayed those prayers!) 

WITH THANKSGIVING 

(eucharistia- the giving of thanks for God's grace) 

let your requests be known to God. 

AND THE PEACE OF GOD
 - His very own peace, 

He-Himself IS our peace- 
WHICH SURPASS ALL UNDERSTANDING

WILL GUARD

(keep watch- like a military sentinel; (figuratively) to actively display whatever defensive and offensive means are necessary to guard) 

our HEARTS and MINDS IN Christ Jesus! 

Peace, Himself, gives us Himself, Peace- 
and keeps watch over our hearts and minds.
Oh...what a Great Shepherd!

More Crazy Days

When I went to bed Sunday night I was hoping for a good nights sleep,knowing this was my heavy work week coming up.

But that was not to be.  I woke up at 3am with my mind whirling, whirling and whirling.  Of course it was about things I can't control.
I know a lot of people like Christmas.  I guess I do too.  I like the simplicity of Christmas.  But I feel more pressure at Christmas than I do anything.  And financial burden.  I hate it but that's just the way it is.  Not just the actual shopping which I hate but spending the hard earned money.  I know.  Part of me is Scrooge.  Then there's the other things.  Operation Christmas Child. Angel Tree.  Families in need.  I don't mind those things at all but it's just so much for one month.  I wish I was dedicated enough to do the shopping and saving throughout the year.  But I am not.

Also, Nick and I are working to pay off our mortgage.  We really really really want to be debt free.  We pretty much are except our mortgage.  We want to pay our house off in 10 years.  We work extra to pay on our mortgage.  

So, I woke up at 3am early Monday morning.  At 3:30 I just got up for the day.  I finished some online shopping.  Just to get the whirl out of my mind.  

Monday:  run 7 miles, clean a house 3.5 hours, cleaned two offices 5 hours.  Got home at 9:45pm and my sweet girl had sent some soup to us.  I ate a bowl of soup- after a wonderful shower (one of the offices is absolutely filthy, it's a landscaping sales offices and the DUST/DIRT!!!!) and went to bed and slept wonderfully.  It's also that "exhausting" time of month if you know what I mean- it just takes a lot out of my body these days, literally ; ) but enough of that.  . Also, during the day- I am trying to send a small package to a friend over seas.  Oh boy.  The shipping rates are awful. $66 to send.  So I am trying today (Wednesday) to just send the essentials of the package.  It's so frustrating.  It's not much at all, less than 4 lbs and it's that much to send. 

Tuesday:  Out of the house by 8:30 to Dollar General.  Then a house to clean 4 hours.  To the office to pick up my check.  To a hunting club, cleaned  there from 2:15 to 7:15pm (8 beds to wash and put back on!).  Home for half a sandwich then to clean another office.  I finally got home around 10pm.  Shower and bed.  

Today:  I am still tired.  My body is tired.  And achy.  My right arm is bothering me.  Oh well.  And I had a terrible toothache at times the last couple of days. I ate some comfrey root last night.  I hope it helps that tooth.  And then my "monthly" has been really bad.  It just drains drains drains all of me.  I have a house to clean today.  Trying to send package to send to friend over seas. Then my young friend comes for counseling tonight.  

Tomorrow- well, I'll write about tomorrow- another day.  Let's just say I am praying.  I know all is well but...still.  Tomorrow. Jesus, You hold all things together.  Trusting You- honestly isn't always easy.  But I do find comfort that not only do You know what the future is- but You even hold the future in You- and You can control the future. This world is not the finality of our lives- and it is not our home.  Our time here is but a breath.  Oh Jesus, let all my words and actions but of You.  

You are my Dear One.  

Seasons of This Life

As I sit here, watching the sun rise- winter has arrived in South Carolina.  It's 23 degrees and frost is on the ground.

It's truly been a long hot summer.  Hottest on record.  Factor in the lack of rain and we are in drought.  We need 11 inches of rain to catch us back up.  Now, the seasons have begun to change.  The roses and daisies that were blooming in the winter have wilted with the frost.  

I sense seasons beginning to change within my self also.  I feel God, not calling exactly, but as if the time of waiting, working, resting, being- are ready to spring forth it's fruit.  

As if the "time" has come.  What "time" would that be, Lord?  

I was reading Oswald Chambers this morning:

God pushes you to the limit of your individuality where a choice must be made.  The choice is either to say, "I will not surrender," or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge.  The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing, individuality.  God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot.  "....let him deny himself..." When you deny the independent right to yourself then the real life- the spiritual life is allow the opportunity to grow.  

A long time ago I learned that I cannot do all or be all to all.  I had to make a choice.  Well, Nick and I had to make a choice.  I'm sure all parents have to make this choice.  And it's an individual choice.  My choice doesn't make mine any better or worse than yours and vice versa.  Parents have to take all things into consideration and do what's best for their family.  

When I was little my mother was a stay at home mother.  She also kept our house immaculately clean.  She cooked breakfast and dinner.  She had a laundry day.  She had a huge garden and canned food.  My mom was always working.  Everything was always so nice.  When tobacco stripping time came around, she would do that to make extra money for the family.  My Mom and Dad worked so hard to provide for the family- to give us a comfortable and warm home.  We didn't have a lot but what we had was worked for and taken care of.  

And then one Saturday in April when I was 9, my Mom was killed when a drunk driver hit our car and our life completely changed.  No longer did we come home to a clean house after school but a cold, lifeless house.  It felt to me that the light went out of our home that day.  

When our children started school I told Nick that I did NOT want my kids to come home to a cold, lightless house.  So we did what we had to to be home with our children.  For a long time, Nick worked nights and I worked days.  Then finally when Johnie was starting school Nick got on day shift and I started cleaning houses while the kids were in school so Nick took them to school and  I could pick them up every day from school.  Cleaning houses allowed me the flexibility to arrange my own schedule and to make really good money for parttime work.  

Last year I cut my schedule down a bit.  I now work some days and some some nights (cleaning offices).  I have been with two of my families I clean for- 16 years and 14 years.  They are like family to me.  

Cleaning has allowed me to 1) make the money our family needs 2) flexibility 3) I just wasn't made to "be still" so this helps me to stay moving 4) I like being by myself so I put an audiobook on and my day is good to go!

But to everything there is a season.  Read Ecclesiastes 3. 

My children are grown.  They don't need me to pick them up or be home when they get home from school.  The truth is- they don't need me.  Not really.  They are all self-sufficient adults.  Just like we raised them to be.  Our philosophy was "God willing they will be adults longer than they were children so raise them to be great adults."  Our role as children-raising parents is over.  Now were are, well, parents to adults.  Again, to everything there is a season.  

I see God's hand guiding my past.  I see how He has used what Nick and I lacked individually growing up and how it shaped us as husband and wife- and as parents.  What we didn't want for our children.  Nobody wants to go through hurt and suffering but- what if when God reveals Himself to you, and you trust and believe in Jesus- and Jesus makes you His home- and He begins to "clean house"  in you and "put things back in proper order" in you- what IF you learn that He has allowed all those hurts and sufferings to form you into Who He created you to be?  He didn't cause the suffering and hurt because people make choices- and the choices have consequences and those consequences affect many.  But He used  suffering and hurt to bring YOU to HIM- the HEALER.  

What is mean't to be evil, God intends for good- not just my good, or Nick's good but even our children and our children's children good.  And many others. 

For when Jesus brings healing into your life- emotional, physical, mental, spiritual- it's not just for YOU.  It's for you to share of His mighty power of resurrection.  What was dead, is now alive.  What was a death for you-  through the might of His resurrection power is now life to others.  2 Corinthians 4:12, 2 Corinthians 1:2-4

To quote a secular song, "Where do we go from here now that all the children are growing up?"

Well, again, not surprisingly God has been preparing me- and Nick for several years.  Like I said before, I can't do it all- not without getting wore down.  

2017 is coming and God has been speaking to my heart.  He has "nudged" me.  He is rearranging me- and Nick.  And it's awesome that He is preparing us both so we can do what He has called us to do.  I thank Him for creating me not to be a "dive on in" type of woman but one who "eases into".  He knows if I dive in- I will be overwhelmed and drown.  He also knows that it takes two, Nick and me, for us to ease into the next season without being overwhelmed.  Nick is as much a partaker of God's great healing in our lives-individually and as one in marriage- as I am a partaker.  

We are ready, Lord.  I am looking forward to what You will do and speak to me, in me, and through me in 2017.  I pray others will also receive Your healing through the power of Your resurrection- so they, too , have can Life and have You abundantly.  

Seasons

Boy, oh boy, this fall and marching into winter has been so so busy. 

In the fall my work load increases because of cleaning the hunt clubs. 

One of my houses has been having her kitchen remodeled, and it's football season- so I am at their house a lot more.  Getting her house ready for Thanksgiving- and now Christmas.  Taking care of the dogs while they go to football games.  

It seems like days just flow by fast and furious then before you know it, it's dark and I'm tired.

I've been trying to get out to the She Shed and straighten it for over a week but I've not had the time and it's turned off cold and I just don't like taking the time for it to warm up.

I had a lot of company for Thanksgiving which was great but it's hard to plan for that- and work and get everyone else ready for Thanksgiving.  Then, afterwards, I have to clean my house and get the other places cleaned. 

Nick spent four Saturdays in a row under the house putting insulation under the floors. 

We've been trying to cut down dead leland cypress trees, they are dying from some disease.  We've also been trying to replace the lelands with another barrier ours and our neighbors property- something high.  We bought hedges to plant back in October but the ground was so hard for lack of rain that we couldn't plant them until Saturday.  Saturday was spent cutting down trees, hauling them to the burn pile then planting hedges.  Crazy.  

Now I have tons and tons and tons of leaves to rake up.  I plan on that Tuesday and Wednesday.  

Tuesday evening the kids will be here for putting up the Christmas tree and dinner.  A family tradition.  

Christmas shopping.  Ug.  Allison helped me get the angel tree gifts for two children, then gifts for 3 children who are being raised by their grandmother in which our SS class is helping her with Christmas.  We also got Santa gifts for Kentucky.  Allison will wrap all those too.  

Karen is getting our little nieces and nephews gifts, so that really helps me.  I just give her money.  : )

I do not enjoy Christmas shopping.  I think I'd love Christmas if it wasn't for that!  But part of me just wants to get it over with and onto January.  All the time and money just seems excess to me.  But it's gotta be done, I guess.  

My mind is already moving onto January anyway.  Planning a women's study and more individual counselling.  That's what excites me!

Busyness makes me feel less- connected to Jesus.  Note that I said 'feels' because I KNOW I'm still just as connected as I ever was- it's just I don't experience the closeness, the fellowship, the communion, the intimacy.  

I really feel empty and lost then.  

Jesus, fold me deep into Your arms.  You, my dearest never-leaving Companion.  I love You.  

God of all Comfort

Last night I had the privilege and honor to attend a candlelight service for victims of violent crimes. One of my dearest friends has went through one of the toughest life situations- for the last 5 years- of anyone I have ever seen. She has walked this walk with deep dependence on Jesus- with all of His grace, and yes, His joy.

What a beautiful service. As sit there- with a beautiful acapella choir (the Bailey Newcomers), as they sang with loud, rich voices, swaying and clapping- I looked around the sanctuary of the church-

And it looked like heaven to me. These people whose unimaginable sorrow filled a room- singing, worshiping- of all colors- together- making their praises ring high.

What struck me was that sorrow bound the people there in a way that nothing else in this life could. Color was not an issue. 

But what bound them- us- together- more than anything in this life was Jesus. Yes, it was heaven on earth. That's how it's supposed to be. The Scriptures makes the clear. 

It's just a shame for us to come together, to worship together- it had to be because of enduring the violent crime of a loved one. 

But the encouragement and hope that was spoke over all that attended by Chuck Wright, Jennifer Kindall, Barry Barnette, Tommy Sparks, Amos Durham, Ashley Arrowood, Donna Phillips and Tyrone Jackson made the time of remembrance- a time of worship. For each have found their hope and life in Jesus and they shared this truth with all. 

 http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/33850195/spartanburg-co-deputies-host-annual-candlelight-service-for-victims-of-violence-tragedy