Count Your Blessings

 

“Praise the LORD, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention  that His name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.” Isaiah 12:4-5

Hey Gang, as you end this difficult year, look back and count your blessings. Hard to remember? Prepare for remembering in 2022.  Watch for God to do great things in the New Year. Write them down and put them in a blessings jar or box. Reread at the end of each month.  Be alert to the little things and big things that God is doing for you and your family.

Growing up we sang “Count Your Blessings, one by one.”  (Sometimes we changed it to Count your blessings ton by ton!) We can even count our blessings when in the middle of difficult times.

This from December 28 of Mornings with Jesus.  It shows how creative one person was in gathering friends to celebrate God’s blessings. (We don’t all have a pool but don’t hesitate to share your creative ideas.)

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  John 10:10 (NIV)

Last year my friend Mary Ellen decided to host a “Swell Life” party.  She gathered our close-knit community together to celebrate the blessings of the past year.  We spent the day biking, riding paddle boards, and other fun activities.  Then we met in the evening and shared dinner.  After dinner, we gathered around her pool, and she handed us each a white tea candle to place on a floating flower.  After lighting our candles and thinking about one thing we were thankful for that year, we each places our candle on the water.  I thought about how Jesus came to give us abundant life, including gratefulness for this community of people God had put in my life.

We stood around the pool, holding hands, watching the glimmering, floating candles meander around and mix together. One my right was my husband, Zane, who had survived intense hip-replacement surgery.  He has a bleeding disorder, so it was a complicated procedure.  On my left was my friend who was in the midst of battling a rapidly spreading cancer. Across from me stood a young, smiling, recently engaged couple. I don’t know what everyone else was thinking because we all had different experiences, some heart-wrenching and some joy-filled, yet we stood together and gave thanks.

After a few minutes of silence, another friend prayed out loud to conclude our time.  Music started playing, we released our hands, and I spent the evening celebrating the swell, abundant life Jesus gives to those who love Him.                             ____Jeannie Blackmer

Faith step: Gather your family this week for your own simple “Swell Life” Party and have everyone share how Jesus had helped them live their life to the fullest.

Sooo, family and friends, good idea  - to praise God for his faithfulness in the past difficult year and watch for His blessings daily in this New Year of 2022.

Blessings and Happy New Year

Gma J

Are You In The Planting Mode?

 

Thursday, December 29, 2011

 “He hath sent us to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound - and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of vengeance of our God and finally to comfort all that mourn.”  (Isaiah 61:1) 

I have said it before and I say it again, we have been truly blessed to have been used by God to send out Gramps Morning Thoughts – 395 of them.  But I sense it is time to stop, at least for a season.  We are packing the car preparing to head to Bartlesville, once again, where we will work \volunteer at the Voice of Martyrs ministry for three weeks and then off to Kansas for a month or so with family. 

The work at VOM is hard for folks that are older than dirt and we probably should spend more time in a rocking chair, but we thoroughly enjoy being with the people and knowing that each piece of mail that we touch is an opportunity to send a blessing along to a persecuted Christian someplace in this world.  And the neat part of the hard work  -God gives us the strength to put in eight hours of hard labor five days a week!

As I write this final message, my bride is out (you might have guessed it) volunteering her services at a local ministry.   I do not know how many hours we have spent in such services this year but do know we have driven over 4500 miles in getting to and from projects and will surpass the 5000 mile mark before the year turns.

Luke 6:38 has been our guide and the foundation of all that we have tried to do with our lives.

Luke wrote, “Give, and It will be given to you”. Wow, I like that Lord!  You mean I have something to say about the blessings I will receive?  I believe that is what He is saying;  “They, (the blessings) will pour into your lap a good measure- pressed down, shaken together, and running over”.  Now notice these final words of this text, “FOR BY YOUR STANDARD OF MEASURE IT WILL BE MEASURED TO YOU IN RETURN.” Does that not deserve a double Wow?

The rock on which we have tried to build our lives has been based on Paul’s words in Galatians where Paul warned, “We will reap what we sow in our lives!” (Gal 6:7) Matthew adds to this in the ‘parable of the sower’ when he tells us we will reap more than we sow and it makes a difference where and how we sow.  (Matt. 13:3-9)

Returning to Paul for the fringe package that goes with ‘Seed Planting’, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”  Now, notice the power part of this verse- “Each must do as he has purposed in his heart not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”. 

 Do you want grace to abound in your life?  Do you want to have all sufficiency in your life?  Do you want to have ‘abundance’ for every good deed in your life?  Then know “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Cor. 9:6-11).

Soooo, my good buckaroos, my prayer for you is that you, too, will be a “seed planter”, and that you will have a hunger and thirst for His Word and be a sacrificial giver to those who are not as fortunate as you are and need to see God’s love and plan of salvation through you.  For those reading this who might not know Jesus as Savior, we pray that you will read John 3:16, ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, and seek out a friend or pastor who will help you grow.

There is a season for farmers to sow, wait…. Then comes the Harvest.  The time for Spiritual Seed planting is NOW….  And nurturing and mentoring…(encouraging and sharing the Word… But Harvesting is up to the Holy spirit.   Gma J

Blessings, 

Gramps

God Sightings- The Maker's Mar

 

Monday, December 5, 2016

“Without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).

Hey Gang:  I have said it before and I say it again, my bride is a compulsive reader.  I have also said it before and say it again, she does not read books, she consumes them.  I have also heard it said opposites attract.  In this area of our relationship I would totally agree. So, I rely on her to do most of the new reading and, when something truly rings her bell, I find a book on my desk with a note or bookmark which means “READ THIS”.

This morning was one of those times.  I judge her love of books, and she does truly love books, by opening the cover and seeing how many times she has read it.  In the coming weeks, ten or twelve or if I find a new one, thirteen books will get a repeat performance for her highness, the queen of my castle.

The following story by Elizabeth Sherrill is taken from a book in her archives from 2005.  It remains part of her library because it contains some very neat stories of victories in people’s lives- and we need to dig into and pay special attention to them - victories in Believer’s lives.  But there is another reason it remains firmly implanted on her bookshelf of very special books, it was given by a very special friend who has since gone to be with the Lord.

Elizabeth addresses a problem that I have heard many people voice in the modern day of “You must fill every moment of every day with something that will make you rise on the totem pole.   I recall a story written by Max Lucado about his trip to Israel.  He thought it would be an experience of walking and hearing the voice of God.  Such was not the case for him in Jerusalem but in the Galilee…

 Elizabeth wrote:

It’s December, the season of Advent, when our thoughts should focus on the coming of Jesus – as a baby in a manger and the King of kings at the end of time.  But., oh dear!   With shopping and mailing and writing cards and getting the house ready for guests, I often forget the point of it all.

 So as left the house today, I murmured a quick prayer; Don’t let me lose sight of You today, Lord!

 Answers to my pleas came all day long.  Driving down roads recently cleared by snowplows, I recalled other obstacles also cleared away - like getting in to see the doctor whose schedule was “completely full.” And I saw God as the One Who, time and again, has opened a way for me.  Outside the grocery store, a bell-ringer stood beside a Salvation Army kettle.  Jesus has compassion for the poor.

 

In the children’s clothes section at a department store, a woman worried over the fit of a pair of boys’ jeans she was sending as a Christmas gift.  How perfectly God fit His Gift to our need.

 

At the drugstore checkout counter, a manager was blasting a tired clerk for entering the wrong key on the cash register.  Jesus took abuse from the authorities, too.  ‘Let me not lose sight of You’….It must be a prayer God loves to answer because all days, everywhere I looked, in everyone I met and everything I saw, there He was!

 

This year I’ve remembered specific God sightings, past and present.  Today He told me, “There is nothing you can see, nothing you can hear or touch, where I’m not.” 

 

Tonight, after the boob-tube is silenced and the house is quiet get out your Sword and ask God to lead you into a new level of understanding, and read David’s word in Psalm 139 and ask, “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any ‘hurtful way in me. And lead me in the everlasting way” (vs. 23-24).

 

“Christmas is the White-hot moment when Eternity melted into Time.” Christ in the Carols by Christopher and Melody Lane

 

Blessings,

 Gramps

Enlarge my vision to see Jesus in all my situations now and on the coming days.

Is you JOY Meter Engaged?

 

Hey, gang, We had a wind storm that took out our electricity yesterday (Saturday). Thanks to family and neighbors they got my generator started.  Rumor was it was to be back on early evening.  However, the time came and went, and the update said Monday evening! I was not thrilled with joy. (We don’t run the generator at night.)

Family and friends prayed for peaceful God-filled sleep. And I slept well.  Awoke to a text from neighbor that electricity was on, and he would be over to help disconnect!!  What a pleasant surprise!  My heavenly Father watches over me!  Thank You Jesus!  You continue to send special surprises!

What a special blessing as I started my morning devotions, “Morning with Jesus” and read this special JOY-filled story which I choose to share with You. Be blessed.

 

“You will go out with JOY and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before You, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12 (NIV)

 When Scott and I got the news by text from our realtor that our offer had been accepted on our new home, I had to bust out in a few nineties dance moves. Since college, the Running Man has been my dance of choice.  Flinging back my head, I pumped my arms, proceeding with a jig of jubilation.  Scott started laughing. His laughter wasn’t just because of my superior dance skills or the fact that I could keep up the dance for only about seventy-two seconds. It was brought on by his sheer unadulterated JOY.  We had been surprised, once aagain, by the goodness of Jesus--upended by His amazingness.  He blessed our socks off. It is what He does.

When Mary learned that she was going to miraculously give birth to the Son of the Living God, she broke out into a hymn of praise about the Lord’s goodness.  When her cousin Elizabeth, who was living out her own pregnancy miracle, greeted Mary, John the Baptist broke out into his own dance of JOY…in utero.  They were all caught off guard by the promise and presence of Jesus. The Savior. Emmanuel. God with us. Jesus is too wonderful to understand.  His ways are too marvelous to behold. He delights in surprising us with His mercy, grace, and love  in the most out-of-the-way places and in the most impossible circumstances. Jesus is always waiting to break into our lives with His goodness.  In this Advent Season, embrace His JOY.                       _____ Susanna Foth Aughtmon

SOOO dear family and friends, watch for ways Jesus blesses you with JOY, not just at this special season when we often look for miracles, but throughout the whole year!!

Blessings,

Gma J

A Personal Note from Gramps

 

Monday, December 21, 2015

The older I get the more I am convinced we can make Christmas as stressful, or as peaceful and joyous as we desire. I do believe with the increased pace that we are living today, it has become more stressful for many. The holiday get-togethers, shopping for just the right gift, and the hanging of indoor and outdoor decorations all add to making the season more chaotic one.  I have to admit this year has been especially void of the true Christmas spirit, for me.   Me thinks I have let outside influences steal my joy and take my focus off the real meaning of why I celebrate Christmas. 

I have found I am not unique in the “older-than-dirt brigade”.  As we get older trying to come up with the perfect gifts for loved ones becomes more difficult.  This day and age when, if we want something we go out and by it, makes it tough on those of us who do not have a clue what the needs of loved ones are.    Let’s face it folks, there are enough distractions in our world to cloud our minds and keep us from focusing on the ‘Reason for the Season’! 

There are two major things, and a zillion smaller ones, that sadden my heart in this so- called age-of enlightenment.   One is the great multitudes of children who no longer will sit with their families on Christmas Eve listening to the patriarch of the house read the Christmas Story of how God loved the world so much He sent His only Son to come and free us from the bondage of sin.   As I sat on the edge of the beds of the multitudes of kids that have passed through my life, the “I want more than anything” theme always centered on “I wish only to be with my mom and dad in a peace and happy home”.

If you have had that in your life, you are truly blessed and should be abundantly thankful.

In recent years I have become a compulsive researcher. I spend many hours seeking that one pearl-of- great price that is hidden in the words of those who have had victory over the alligators to share with you, who avail yourselves to the Gramps Morning Messages.  I found the following pearl in a devotional that I read to my bride each night before we cash it in for the day. 

I believe it is the finest gift I can give to you this Christmas.  The writer began by saying, “I would like to share three passages that help focus our attention on the true reason we celebrate Christmas – Jesus come to earth!”  The first reason we celebrate Christmas is John 3:16; the words Jesus spoke to Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world and perfect fellowship between God and humankind was broken.  Jesus came to remove the barrier between God and humanity by dying on the cross and making salvation possible for those who turn from their sins, place their faith in God, and follow daily in obedience to His Word.   We celebrate Christmas because Jesus came into the world to make reconciliation between us and God possible.  Wow, can you say Hallelujah for that this morning?

The second passage that helps our focus is John 10:10 where Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”  Jesus came that we may discover the life that God intends for all who follow Him.  A life that experiences the virtues of the Spirit (Galatians 2:11-23; 2 Cor. 6:6-10; Eph. 4:2; 5:9’ Phil 4:8-9 and Col. 3:12-15).  Which comes through a relationship with Christ and a surrendering of our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We celebrate Christmas because Jesus came so that we might receive all that God intends for our lives to be.

The third passage is John 14:1-4; “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension to heaven gives us, as believers, the hope of eternal life with God.  We celebrate Christmas because Jesus came that those who place their faith in Him will live with God forever. 

We celebrate Jesus’ birth because it honors the Savior who came into the world.  Several thousand years ago, the angels proclaimed this great news to the shepherds.  This news brought with it the message of hope, peace, and salvation for the world.

We, as believers, have the opportunity of pointing others to the good news of Jesus’ coming and the difference it can make in their lives.  The world needs to understand that Christmas is more than programs, parties, and presents.  Our world must be guided to the truth that the true meaning of Christmas is found in the birth of Jesus and the difference His coming has made on the world.

So, my friends, my challenge to you his Christmas Season is to turn off all the electronic devices, gather your loved ones together and share the story once again that Jesus loved you so much He came to die on a hideous cross so that one day you can be with Him for all eternity in the that place He has prepared for His children.

Folks, last Christmas we celebrated Jesus’ coming with our family intact.  This Christmas there will be an empty chair at our table.    I tell you this only to challenge you to make sure you are sharing God’s love and His salvation with your family, friends and even your enemies, if you have opportunity for you have no guarantees you, too, won’t have an empty chair at your table.

Blessings,

Gramps