What a plan! Are you a partaker or forsaker?

In God's book are written all the days ordained for each and every person ever born. God, in His sovereignty and foreknowledge, set the number of our days even before we were born.(Psalm 139:16)

God knew, because He doesn't dwell in time (His creation), whether or not we would abuse our body or nourish our body. And He set our days according to that.

Every disease, every illness, every addiction, everything that depletes and destroys our body and our soul (our mind, will and emotions)- comes from that choice Adam and Eve made that day- in the garden. Their sin of unbelief, disobedience, choosing to be their own god- had results that were absolutely devastating- on mankind and all of God's creation which groans and suffers (Romans 8:22).

God knew. He knew even before "in the beginning". 

God had a plan.

And His original plan was NOT thwarted by sin or by evil.  

He perfectly incorporated His glorious means of redemption into His original plan.

He did not plan the sin of Adam and Eve.

Oh, His purpose and plan for man is much greater than redemption- the forgiveness of sins.

But in His sovereignty and foreknowledge, He knew.
And He planned.
Before the foundation of the world, He planned.

Friend, Jesus is the Plan. 

He has always been the Plan.

Jesus is the only way to "set things right".

Not just to save man from sin for God's calling is much greater!

God in His grace and mercy:

He had to come to be born a babe- and yet not conceived by an earthly father.

He had to live- and grow in wisdom and stature.

He had to come into His time.

He had to share His life with at least 12 others...which grew into a multitude of male and female disciples- which followed Him.

He had to be adored then-

He had to be ignored then-

He had to be hated, abused and tortured..

Then He bled.

When He bled His blood- pure spotless, clean, disease-free, illness-free, addiction-free, holy, healing Blood was shed for the forgiveness of sin.

Then He died.

When He died He took with Him- IN HIM- HE became- SIN.

So that He could put sin to death.

To separate YOU from SIN.

And then He AROSE.

He DID NOT stay in the grave.

For if He did- we would still be in our sin.

And when He arose, those that believe in Him- arise to a new life also. A life IN HIM and HE IN ME and WE are in GOD.

A new, completely new, brand spanking new- man.

Exchanged!

The old sinful inner man put to DEATH, through His death!

A new holy, righteous, blameless inner man risen to new life, through His resurrection!

YOU, oh believer, child of God- are NOT who you used to be!

I have been crucified with Christ.

Jesus Christ lives in me!

The life I now live in this physical body- that will be planted in the ground someday to await it's resurrection- I live by the FAITH of the Son of God who loves me-

And has given His life for me.

And now the Father has many sons.  The Son has a body.  The Holy Spirit has a temple.

God's ultimate original plan and purpose.  

This physical life is temporary.

Your body will die some day.

Are you prepared for what is after this life?

Are you IN Christ or still in your sin?

Your days are set for you.

And you do not know the number of them.

God, in His wisdom, sovereignty and foreknowledge- has a plan for you. 

You can choose Him.  

But it's your choice.

He wants you to choose Him but He will not force you.

The Church, His Body

I have yet to read in the letters of the New Testament Paul, or John, or James, or Peter or the author of Hebrews or Luke in his account of Jesus and the beginning of the church- that "their" "church" was the only or the best.

As a matter of fact, whenever you read about the church it is always mentioned as one body of believers.
I will be honest with you, I dislike seeing the shirts or billboards that pronounce "I love my church"- or that "their" church is the best. Why? Because it's not talking about what the Bible describes as the church but a PLACE or BUILDING where a group of people meet together. This is very divisive. It's also a deception since most people have come to believe that the church is a building or a place. It's also putting one body of believers...and their pastors above the others. It's all very self-centered. The church is not a ball team. 

I often wonder if people AND pastors that pronounce their church as the best, or even the only church, really know what God says, through the Scriptures, WHO the church really is. I often think they are so busy preaching themselves they forget WHO the head of the church, Christ' body IS. 

The church is Christ's body. The church is made of those in whom Christ lives in because they have believed in Him. There is no division. 

The church is not a WHAT or a WHERE.
The church is a WHO.
His body. His bride. The household of God. 

Colossians 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church;
Ephesians 5:23
as Christ also is the head (Husband) of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
Ephesians 5:24
But as the church is subject to Christ,
Ephesians 5:25
as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
Ephesians 5:27
that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:29
for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
1 Timothy 3:15
but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

How about read John 17.
The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.- Jesus in communion with the Father (v 22-23)

"Will the Church, redeemed by His blood from bondage, live only unto herself, seeking only what He can do for her? Or will she be awakened to her responsibility of living up to His ultimate intention? Only as she comes under divine authority can she truly exercise authority. It must be total submission to the Head to live under the complete glad-hearted leadership of His Spirit."- Devern Fromke

The Father has a vast family of son's (children) conformed to the image of His only begotten Son. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son who is the Head in union with His body, the church, which is the expression of Himself. The Body is a glorious temple built of living stones in which is the eternal habitation of the Holy Spirit.- Devern Fromke. 

A family of love, a body of life and and a temple of light.

Yes, tell me.....

'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'
~ Mary Oliver

Ireland and Peg's Cottage

July 9 at 6:28am ·

SE

So I decided to go with SE as my grandmother name. Pronounced "Esse". 

It's my initials. : )

Lynne

One of my dearest friends passed away last night/early this morning. My neighbor, my friend- Lynne.

Lynne, wasn't your "typical" believer. She was one of those that would literally give the shirt off her back to you. She would give you her last penny. She would give you her bed to sleep in. She would give you her last morsel of food. She had a deep trust in God.

I never knew her to go to church except once, Allison's wedding. I can still see her sitting in the pew. It kind of looked odd. Here was this wild beautiful daughter of God- a loner, a homebody inside of a manmade building. It just didn't look right.

Her sanctuary was her back yard. The wind blowing through her hair, the sun on her face, dirt on her hands, knees and clothes. Flowers blooming EVERYWHERE and she knew their names and background.

Many many times through the years we would sit on the back porch and spoke of Jesus. We had true fellowship of spirit and Spirit on that back porch. I learned a lot about this God that you can't put up and leave in a building. I learned what really TRUSTING God from this beautiful woman.

A woman whose husband had a debilitating stroke when she was 36 that changed the course of their lives- along with their young children 9 and 12. And her two stepsons that she loved like her own. A woman that bore a load that most woman would crush under. A woman that still loved her "little man" Lamar when he was healthy and to the last day he died 15 years later. She babied him and she DIDN'T baby him! She loved with a selfless love.

I don't remember her much opening her Bible but I saw Jesus being lived OUT. Jesus, a name she spoke with intimacy and knowing.

I thank God for Lynne. For Brandi McCallister and Jesse Thomas McCallister. I thank God for Lamar, dear beloved Lamar. For Connie and Jason.

I learned more about who God really is by watching a woman knees on the ground and face lifted to the sky- than I did from about anyone else.

I told Lynne recently, "You've been through a lot in your life. You've had a lot of sorrow." She said to me, "I don't see it that way- I think I've always had a blessed life."

I love and miss you....and yet I know who is walking through the great gardens of heaven with Jesus- smelling the roses.

***There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven. A time to give birth and a time to die. A time to mourn and a time to dance.- Ecclesiastes 3:1,2.4****

Roman Michael Wofford July 6, 2016

The last few days have been so- exciting with some moments of sheer fear in my heart. Fear when only in my heart and mind I was praying, "Please Father, please...keep our girl and baby safe." 

I may have looked calm on the outside but in the inside a prayer of deep love a mother has for her daughter and for her daughter's child was pouring like a mighty torrent to my beloved Father. In the moments when I couldn't remember words, the Holy Spirit prayed for me.

Romans 8:26
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

Father, of all grace and mercy. 

Jesus. Jesus. "I am your Peace." 

Did you know that in Luke 2:51 when it says Mary "treasured, pondered" these things with her heart that word in Greek is diatereo? Diatereo means to "guard with care".

That verse should read, "His (Jesus') mother guarded with care these things in her heart."

That's how I was feeling- "guarding with care" these things in my heart. Jesus knew my fears and He knew that my emotions also needed to be "guarded with care."

But this I also know...my Father was guarding with care...Allison, Roman and Ben.
Trust. Let Me hold you together. I am all you need. Every moment. 

When Allison was in recovery she asked Ben to come and get me. When she saw me, she and I both cried. My heart with relief. Her heart with relief. We both were happy to see and touch one another. 

She said, "Mom I felt so alone and scared."
I said, "Al, you were never alone. Christ in you. Jesus is always with you."
"Yes," she said. Yes. 

If you prayed for Allison, Ben and Roman- we thank you. I knew the only way we could really get through this is ON/IN/THROUGH prayer. You all lifted us up and held us up. 

He is faithful. Always. No matter what.
He is present. Always. No matter what. 

We thank you.

3 yeas ago!

July 1, 2013 · Spartanburg, SC · 

 

July 2nd, our 25th wedding anniversary. Nick Ellison, I sure love you. Thank you for sticking with me all these years! You are more than I ever thought you would be. Thank you, for loving me. I don't know how many wives feel as loved, as cherished, as adored as I do- you make me feel so special.

How many men, when baking a cake, sets aside a bowl of batter just for their wives, cause he know she loves the batter best? 

Countless countless ways you have shown me through the years your deep and abiding love for me. From starting to run, cause I like it. From watching sifi, cause I like it. From going to the boys detention center every Thursday night, cause that is where God has called me to minister (and you too!). 

You have been a great example to our boys of how a man should love his wife and provide for his family. 

You have been a great example to our daughter of how a father loves his daughter- and how a son-in-love should love his daughter also - my Daddy would agree with that! 

: )
You have always worked hard to provide for us. You did whatever it took to put food on our table and the electric on! You are hard working, cherishing our home of 20 years by caring for it and maintaining it. 

You listen when I talk. You don't laugh at me when I am verbally trying to work out what's going on in my mind. You talk to me. You share with me. 

You laugh with me. We enjoy so much together! You are always game for whatever I would like to do. You have such an open, giving, loving heart!

There is no one as tender as you. 

25 beautiful, crazy, topsy-turvy years. Together. Just us. Raising our kids, building our life together. 

I am honored to be your wife. I am honored to be the one to which you have chose as your life-mate. NO MATTER WHAT. The good, the bad and the ugly!

But most of all, my beloved Nick- I see Jesus in you. You love as Jesus loves- with grace and mercy. No condemnation in you- just love. 

I am blessed. Thank you for loving me. 

Happy 25th Anniversary, my sweet Nick! I still think we can make it to 70 years!