PEACE BE WITH YOU.....

LAST DAY OF NOVEMBER! Can you believe it??  Too often the Christmas Season is full of stress, anxiety, focus on $ and presents when the focus should be on the Birth of a Savior!  That is why I chose to focus right now on Advent this year and the soft peaceful colors that represent the tradition. 

As you can see in my new table scape photo, I have softened the look by changing the candles at the side to white tapers and two smaller lavender candles in front.  I could not find a lavender taper in either store that I visited yesterday.

   We have so much stress in our lives, but we need not.  God will give you enough time for everything HE wants you to do.  All your worrying and rushing around will be in vain, Just let go, let God.  This is one of my favorite sayings!   And it does take the pressure off if you remind yourself with this phrase when feeling pressured to meet deadlines. 
   Isaiah 9:7  Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already approved what you do.
   Isaiah 9:11,12 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time.
   Micah 5:2  But you O Bethlehem, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from the old, from the ancient days.  (The coming of Christ.)
  Matthew 2  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews:  For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him."  When Herod the king heard all this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.' "
  This is one of the reasons the Jews did not believe that Jesus was their Messiah.  He was an ordinary man by their standards.  He was Joseph and Mary's son, the son of a Carpenter, how could he be King of the Jews?? 
  This is one of my most favorite renditions of Mary and the babe Jesus:

I do not know who the painter is at the Moment but the title is, "The Madonna of the Poor."  She is not gloriously portrayed with crowns, halo, heavenly angels.  No, she is just glowing from the inside with the joy of her new Babe, Jesus.  She and the Babe who is sleeping, are so beautiful.  She is humble.  Mary was only 14 years old when she gave birth to Jesus.  I have always been in awe of this fact. 

  I oil painted this picture twice in the last 50 years.  Once for my Son and once for myself.  He still has it hanging in his dining room and always loved it as I did and more so as his Mom painted it-ha!

  Yesterday, my dear friend Marydon sent this card to me in the snail mail.  I was so thrilled to receive it and she also said she really likes this portrayal.

   As we spend these next very few weeks waiting for the Birth of Jesus celebration, try to focus on the meaning of Christmas.  It is okay to have Santa for the children if you balance that with the true meaning of WHY we honor His birth.

Thanks for coming and I hope you take some blessing away with you today.  Please leave a comment, I love them!! 

♥KERRIE♥ 

My heart to yours...

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

    I love the colors of Advent: Purple (Lavender), Blue, Pink and White.  Today is the First Sunday of Advent.  The coming of Jesus.  The season of hope and expectation.  Not a whole lot has changed in our world since the beginning of the Hope of a savior.  We still have much sin in the world.  We still have much war and new ones all the time (North Korea repeats itself).  But we do have something they did not have then, someone-Jesus!

    ECCL 9:17,18  "The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler of fools.  Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good."

    We still want the same things, to be delivered from our agonies both personal and worldly.  Advent begins the longing for our Savior.  Wise men still seek Him.

The old Testament tells us in prophesies what is coming.
Star of Bethlehem  Numbers:24:17 Balaam said:
   "I see him but not now;
     I behold him, but not nigh (near)
     A star shall come forth out of Jacob

     And a scepter shall rise out of Israel."

Isaiah: 7:14  "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.  Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel (that is God is with us).

Our longing and our expectations are coming soon as we rejoice in the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Light your first Advent candle if no other place but---in your heart.  Pray for forgiveness, pray for peace for the world,  pray that we will see Christ again.



A vintage post card depicting baby Jesus



This is my table today with lavender trimmed runner and lavender Mum cuttings.  I definitely need some purple candles though-ha!  I shall get some to complete my Advent colors.

Thank you so much for visiting this beautiful day!  Come again soon and I hope you read something that you will take away with you and ponder.  That you will be inspired to learn more about Jesus and his Love...



♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours....

GIVING THANKS...




Thanksgiving 2010

 

 

































GIVING THANKS...
      ©Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

When first I fold my hands in prayer,
All those far away, are present here.
If not in sight but in my heart,
God unites us in every part~
   Together on this day.

Another Thanksgiving memory
With family, a gift from God to me.
I will look back on this day
And smile at what was your way
   To make me laugh as in time's past.

The warmth of candles, oven and love

Filling the kitchen, my heart and some

Left over to spill on days ahead

I'll remember all as I break bread~

   On ordinary days.

All God's love shining down

As the Egret flies and Mallards come

Visiting the bank in Autumn sun

Gracing my world by the Holy One.

Thanking you for every tiny thing

You have ever given to me

Without you Lord,

Where would I be?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

Here's hoping you are all having a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!

Come back soon....

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours...

Good Sunday Morning!

♫♫This is the day that the Lord hath Made,
Let us rejoice and be glad in it,
This is the day that the Lord hath Made
Let us rejoice and be glad in it,
This is the Day, This is the Day,
That the Lord-Hath-Made!♫♫
   Thankfully, you cannot hear me singing this-ha!  But I loved singing this in our hometown church, it still puts a big smile on my face!

Bible Study and Interesting facts:

Symbolic numbers:
  Many numbers had symbolic value in the Bible.  The number one symbolized God's Unity.  Three came to symbolize the Trinity.  Seven was a number of completion and perfection, since God rested on the seven day of creation.  Twelve symbolizes the 12 months of the year, the tribes of Israel, and the number of Apostles.  Forty days or years was a common time frame in which events unfolded.

A friend once sent me this e-mail that I will share with you as I found it most interesting.

THE MIDDLE OF THE BIBLE
Did you know that:
Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the entire Bible?
Psalm 117, before Psalm 118 is the shortest chapter in the Bible.
Psalm 119, after Psalm 118 is the longest Chapter in the Bible.
The Bible has 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after Psalm 118.
If you add all the chapters except Psalm 118, you get a total of 1188 chapters.
1188 or Psalm 118 verse 8 is the middle verse of the entire Bible.
Should the central verse not have an important message?
"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did and I can see several of you checking this out immediately to see if it is true-ha!  It is, it is.  The Bible is so amazing.  It is called the "Living Bible", because we continually find out new things that are revealed to us through the Lord.  Also, because it is timeless in that it applies to our lives now as it did in times of old.  Our children have the same problems that we can apply answers to from the Bible, men have the same problems today that they did then, and on and on.  There is not one phrase in the Bible that we cannot apply to our lives in some way.  It lives forever.
   Even in history, the Greek philosophers wrote of troubled youth and times that if you did not know it was ancient history, you would think easily it was taken from a newspaper of today.
  Be diligent in seeking knowledge from the Bible.  If it is hard for you to understand in the Old English language, purchase "The Book" published by Tyndale House publishers or any other that helps you understand in simple language.  Then GO BACK to the verse in the King James version or others that you have and read the same passages.  You will be enlightened and understand so much more.
  May the Lord bless your going out and your coming in, Peace be with you all.
  Celebrate!  It's the Lord's Day!!

Above is a likeness of Jesus.  It is a watercolor on heavyweight paper.  I have tried to find information about the artist and origin but was unable to find it anywhere.  It is quite beautiful and was a gift from my sister many years ago.  It hung in her house for as long as I can remember and now hangs in my bedroom.  I love the softness about it.  If any of you have information on this painting, I would love to learn, thank you!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

ADVERSITY

Romans 8:28 "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose."

  I have always found that Adversity causes growth.  Like this tiny Pansy that has found its little piece of dirt to flourish in between the huge cement slabs.  And doesn't the weed or flower always come up through the crack in the pavement?  These little rays of sunshine overcome adversity and bloom!  We can do that too.  God is with us through all adversity and has a purpose in mind.  That is why he allows us to experience hardships and pain, so that we might bloom for Him.

   1 Peter 5:7-11 "Cast all your anxieties on Him, for he cares about you.  Be sober, be watchful.  Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world.  And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strenghten you.  To Him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

   What adversity are you facing today?  Give it to the Lord.  You Can't, HE Can!  Lay all of your burdens at His feet.

Lord, I pray for everyone that is going through adversity at this moment, that you would give them the strength to hold fast to their faith and know that something good is in store for them at the end of their suffering, pain, or whatever adversity has them fast at this moment.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

                       ♥KERRIE♥
                       My heart to yours...

THE LIGHTHOUSE....

                    
                        THE LIGHTHOUSE

♫♫There's a lighthouse on the hillside that overlooks life's sea
And when I'm lost, it sends out a light that I might see.
And the light that shines in darkness will safely lead me home,
If it wasn't for the lighthouse, my ship would sail no more.

All the folks who live around me, say "Tear that Lighthouse down.
The big ships don't sail this way anymore, there's no use of it standing round."
Then my mind goes back to that stormy night, when all at once I saw the light
The light from that old Lighthouse, that stands there on the hill.

And I thank God for the Lighthouse, I owe my life to Him,
For Jesus is my lighthouse and from the rocks of sin,
He has shone a light around me that I can clearly see
If it wasn't for the lighthouse, where would this ship be.♫♫

   I really love this praise song!!  I have recorded it many years ago on cassette and I have no idea how to record it again with the computer and save to disc but hoping I will learn so that I can share.  Meanwhile, my favorite version is by Elvis Presley.  Play it in the side bar.

   Remember that Jesus IS our lighthouse.  He is the Light of the World.  He brings us all out of the darkness and guides us into light and safety by His word, His love and His Grace.  We all have gone through or are going through "that stormy night" when it seems noone is there for us and all at once, Jesus comes to us in the storm and leads us out of it!  He is so amazing!  So many times when I thought I could not stand one more moment of agony, stress or pressure, He comforts me, he reaches down to pull me up, giving me all the love and help that I need.  Because I believe...  Do you believe?  Do you ask God and Jesus the Son for their help?  That is why I love having a personal relationship with the Savior.  I can "talk" to Him directly, not through intercessions but directly to Him one on one.  God loves our dependence on Him and His Son.  Just like our earthly Dad wants to see us happy and help us in any way that he is able.  That is what it is like with our Heavenly Father, "Abba" tenfold!  So do talk to the Lord, he already knows your needs before you even speak them but he likes to be asked. 

  Luke 11:9  "And so it is with prayer-keep on asking and you will keep on getting; keep on looking and you will keep on finding;  knock and the door will be opened.  Everyone who asks, receives; all who seek, find; and the door is opened to everyone who knocks."  (THE BOOK-1976 Tyndale House Publishers, Inc)
  
Study the words of the song and see how you can apply them to your own life when you have been in a storm and your prayers were answered, leading you to a holy light.  Please tell me in a comment how you are moved or not moved by the song.

Come again soon!    Hugs from
♥ Kerrie♥  
 my heart to yours...
  
    

BEING THANKFUL...

Paul is writing to the Philippians 1:3-6
  "I thank God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for you all, I always pray with joy becasue of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ."  Paul is thankful to the Philippians for their faithfulness and for their good works.  When God begins a good work in us, he will not abandon us, but will carry us through to its completion while we are waiting for the second coming of Christ.

Colossians 3:15-17
   "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing spalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Thess 5:16 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 100: 1-5
   Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is Good.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continutes through all generations."
   Once you are in the habit of giving thanks, it carries over to everything you do.  You will find yourself saying Thank you more often to each other, to family and friends.  My hubby and I always thank each other for the nice things we do for each other even if it is the tiniest thing.  It means a lot to each of us that the other appreciates and loves us.  When I pray thanking God for blessings, I always thank him for the ones yet to come and also for the "thorns" among the blessings because these make us humble and compassionate towards one another.  I am thankful for all of my cyberspace friends who are Christians that I can share my faith with.  What are you thankful for today?

MATTHEW 5:33

Matthew 5:33  "Again you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord!'  But I tell you, do not swear at all; either by heaven, for it is God's throne, or by earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  Simply let your "Yes" be "yes" and your 'No, No'; anything beyond comes from the evil one."

   Do you use Face Book?  I do as it is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends who live far away.  But I am distressed with all the vulgar language written there.  I have blocked some persons because of their bad language or the suggestive content of their posts.  Why is it that the youth, especially, feel the need for profanity?  Is it Ignorance?  New found freedom? e.g. college students.  It is very denegrating .  And in these times, all is public.  Future employers can see what is written.  And the structure of Face Book is such that real privacy is non-existant.  So another tool of man can be used for good or evil.

   I am not picking Face Book out for its own sake but as an example only of public profanity use.

   I have one relative whom I love dearly but she uses vulgarities as a normal way of speaking--for her.  This person knows it is offensive to my hubby and to me but it does not stop her.  I have spoken out about it.  Do you speak out when you find others speech offensive?  I pray for those lost ones.  I do not know the remedy for this but another blogger who also writes a Christian blog says he starts out by saying, "Do you kiss your wife with that mouth? Then why do you let that filth come from it?"  I think this would be effective.  But I do not want to be confrontational.

  

   Jesus was clear on this matter, however.  And we have always tried to set a good example for others.  Words can be beautiful.  I have always loved the study of words, language and their origin.  (Etymology)  I always liked the Reader's Digest page that gave the quiz for the meaning of words and gave the answer on the next page.  It was fun and educational.

  Praying for those who curse that they would be enlightend by God's word.

Lord, may the joy of my salvation be in my heart and on my lips, not from pride but from the glow of happiness...

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

DO NOT WORRY...

MATTHEW 6:25-34  Do Not Worry

  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes:  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

   And why do you worry about your clothes?  See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If this is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?  or What shall we drink: or What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worrry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

  My husband and I have always loved the hymn, "His Eye Is On The Sparrow".  I found this rendition in the side bar by Dottie West, Country Music Star.  Her voice is lovely and the images wonderful!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

House Sparrow on our feeder on the shed.

   

♥Kerrie♥

My heart to yours...

I MISS WORKING....

TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I STOPPED WORKING PART TIME to be home with my hubby.  We have always had a special great love between us and when he became ill with Multiple Myeloma, he had terrible separation anxiety.  I was only working 3 mornings a week but when he began to call just to hear my voice when he was feeling down, I knew I just had to be home and there for him.  So why would I ever miss work?
All of us need to be productive in our lives but not for that reason either.  It is because the ride to work was always my special time with God.  The first turn of my key in the ignition ignited the spark of praying in me as I shared my worries, my joys, my pleas with Jesus and his Father.  I always started out with the Our Father prayer and then went on to pray for all those in need including my hubby.  At times I could feel Jesus beside me in the car, right there listening.  Sometimes I would sing my favorite hymns loud and strong because no one could hear me, just the Lord-Ha!  So now I need to find a special place or time when I can pray and talk to God again as the peace and strength of that faith got me through a lot of days!  I pray a lot and study the bible but there was something special about that "ride with God" in the mornings that is close to my heart.
Do you have a special place that you like to pray??  I would love to hear.

   2 Thessalonians 3:6-13  "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.  For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.  We were not idle whenn we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it.  On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.  We did this not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.  For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "if a man will not work, he shall not eat."
  We hear that some among you are idle.  They are not busy; they are busybodies.  Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.  And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right."

   Paul's letter to Thessalonians had affirmed that Jesus could return at any time. This prompted some to quit their jobs and do nothing but wait for the second coming.  Paul then strongly warns against idleness.

   My hubby loved to work also and still would be working at 71 if only he could!  He retired twice.  After the first time, he was called back to oversee a special project and it was when he fell from scaffolding that X-rays showed the Multiple Myeloma in his spine.  So he was forced to retire again. But that does not mean he is idle.  He may not have endurance for the physical labor he was once able to do and sometimes just a walk to the mailbox causes fatigue and pain.  But when he can, he works with wood in our little shed and creates the most beautiful things......

  And God has blessed me with crafty hands that crochet, knit, sew.  I also do a few alterations for neighbors in our community.  So we each work in our own way in which we are able.  I have met so many wonderful BUSY Christians from blogging.  God is so good...

SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Can you just imagine how exciting it must have been to see and hear the Savior preach??  Out in the open under the heavens, the crowds came to hear the Good News he offered!  I like to picture him when I walk along the beach, praying to the masses.
  When we first moved to SC and the ocean was so near, there were some net fisherman who walked nets (seines) out into the sea or they would drive a small tractor out dropping the nets as they made a semicircle back to shore.  Then by hand, the men would pull the net into shore again and it would be full of fish!  I immediately thought that I was witnessing the way the nets brought the fish in the bible, pulled by hand by the men.  Awesome!  And I like picturing that Christ could stop and preach at any chosen spot and the people would come.

Matthew 4:5 "Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his deiciples came to him.  And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.  (God will lay his healing hand on your shoulder when you are mourning and comfort you with his word and his gentle presence)

5 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall abtain mercy.  (When we show others mercy, we are acting as Jesus would.  Despite the station in life, all persons are worthy of your mercy and God will also show you mercy)

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the Sons of God. (This day is Veteran's Day when we honor all of those who have served their country in the past but also now and in the future to keep America free and may we continue to have religious freedom!! God Bless our troops!)
 
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

   Later on, Jesus said:
14 "You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hid.

15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all the house. 

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

   We may not be able to stand on a hill and spread God's word to the crowd but it does not matter when we can preach by our demeaner, by our face, by our posture, by our attitude towards others.  You never know who may be moved by your Christian light shining in all that you do.  Your smile, your warmth, your caring nature can nourish those around you who thirst for knowledge, who will also want that special something that shines through you to them--"Blessed to be a Blessing!"
   Celebrate Verteran's Day in remembrance of all who served, are serving or will serve in the future.  Pray for World Peace.  There is nothing you cannot accomplish today or face with God at your side.
                   Thanks for visiting and do come again soon.  If you have prayer concerns, please state in your comment or e-mail and I will add the names to our prayer list.
                           ♥Kerrie♥
                      My heart to yours...

There will be peace in the valley for me one day.....

No sadness, no sorrow, no trouble I see, There will be

peace in the valley for me!

HOPE ....

Source: Cross Cards

Put your Hope in His unfailing love! Psalm 147: 10-11

"Music in itself is healing... No matter what culture you are from, Everyone loves music." - Billy Joel

Psalm 150:1-6

"Praise the Lord!  Praise him in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!  Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his exceeding greatness!  Praise him with trumpet sound: praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with timbrel and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!  Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!"

   I love that we are encouraged to praise God in music!  Several of my readers said they thought of the hymn, "Whispering Hope" after reading yesterday's entry.  That was one of my Mom's favorites and she could play it on the piano...

I often remarked to our Music Minister when I participated in the Singing Christmas Tree at a local Myrtle Beach Church, that I sometimes got more nourishment from the singing than from a sermon!  Many feel like that.  There was something very special about hearing 80 to 90 voices in harmony singing praises to God!  The very first time I went to rehearsals the first year, I got so choked up from the sound that I could not sing.  I participated in 5 of the performances and it was a wonderful experience.  I went from my country western alto voice and style to being able to sing Soprano with vibrato!  What a thrill to share the word of Christ with a sold out crowd!  People WANT the Lord in their life!  What joy, happiness and HOPE we find when enveloped by our Lord and fellow celebrating Christians!

I HOPE the Word will set you free!
  When reading God's book, you will see
How very much he loves his child.
  Oh, How he loves you and me.

"Oh how he loves you and me,
Oh how he loves you and me!
He gave his life, what more could he give?
Oh, how he loves you,
Oh how he loves me
Oh how he loves you and me."


One of God's precious creatures in our back yard lake this morn
Photo by hubby Bill...

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours....



HOPE....

HOPE fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation that it can laugh while tears are in the eye, sigh and sing all in one breath; it is called "the rejoicing of the hope." (Hebrews 3:6)  - William Gurnall

There is a great need for hope in all of our lives.  It may be hope for a healing, hope for a life to be spared, hope that we and the world may find peace.  If we did not find hope in Jesus and his promises, how else could we bare the ills that befall us and/or our loved ones.  And yet when our hopes are realized and we are rejoicing, we may forget to "thank" God for the blessings.
 
   We cannot bargain with God, "If you give me this, I will do that" or "if you give me this, it will exhalt you even more!"  Have you ever done this?  I have.  I confess.  When I learned that my husband had Multiple Myeloma, I tried EVERYTHING in my praying to make a terminal cancer NOT be terminal for him.  Now five years in, I just thank God for every little moment that he lets us be together and I pray only for him to be free of pain.  If God offers more, we will be blessed and thankful!
   I cannot "push" God.  Nor do I want to now.

   My hubby's HOPE makes him smile after a night of pain in which he could not stand, sit or lie down because it was so severe.  He makes me laugh every day and I am glad to mop his perspiring brow when he is in the grip of pain. 

   The pain of Jesus on the Cross is a love story.  God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son to save us.  Jesus loved us so much, he went to the cross willingly to save us once and for all time.  So we do not HOPE for salvation, we are blessed with it and all we have to do is confess our sins, have a change of heart and invite Jesus into our hearts.  Accept the gift.  He is waiting for us with open arms, he beckons to us.  Remember when Jesus beckoned to Peter to come into the boat but Peter's faith wavered and he began to sink.  Jesus had waves roll under his feet to keep him above the water.  We can make it to Jesus' open arms, we need only have faith. 
 
  I have sung that song many times in churches when I did special music and I loved the line, "When Simon Peter walked abreast, putting his faith unto the test, he said, Master wilt thou bidst me come to thee?  Jesus said, 'come' so Peter went and when his faith in him was spent, Peter sank low but Jesus had waves roll under his feet!  Under his feet, Under his feet, there's not a problem that you'll face, he cannot meet.  Whenever you've waded out too far in waters too deep, Remember when waves are over your head, He's under your feet!"

   Jesus gives us the Hope that things will get better if we have Faith in Him.
   Let Jesus and His father fill your whole heart and there will be no room for fear, sins, sadness, ad infinitum!  Thank you for visiting today, please come again soon!


Source CrossCards.com

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours....



Matthew 6:5-16

                             Source:  Screensaver by CrossCards

And How do I pray??  Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:5
"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and the street corners, that they may be seen by men.  Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
  My maternal grandmother, Rachael, would say this very thing. "Honey, God can hear you praying in your closet just as well as in church."  So why do we need to go to church?  Because we need to be nourished!  It is likened to a burning ember.  Joined by many embers, they glow for a long time but take one ember and separate it from the others and evenually, its light goes out, it loses its warmth and dies.  And if for any reason we cannot attend church, we have our Christian friends to fortify, encourage and support us.  We can reach out to others and pray for their illnesses, their problems, their sorrows. There are times of course when we want to be alone and God says that is when we are closest to him.  For when we are alone, we turn to him wholely.  We can "hear" him speaking to our heart.  Take time from our busy days to listen.  Like the hymn,  "I love you Lord, and I hear your voice.  What a sweet, sweet sound, Oh, my Soul, Rejoice!"   And take time to pray as Jesus taught us to pray:

    "Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy Kingdom come,
     Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread;
     And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us
     not into temptation, But deliver us from evil."

And does anyone know the origin of the added, "For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.  Amen"

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours...

       

I Luv U Lord by 4-year old

This is just so cute!  I wanted to share!  I should have found one singing "Jesus Loves Me"  but no one will mind that my poetry does not match the hymn of praise above.

Jesus Loves Me...
   by Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart
"Jesus loves me, this I know",
Many times he has told me so.
Lifted me up when I am down
Makes a smile from my own frown.

Blesses me from day to day
He wouldn't have it any other way
Asking nothing in return
Except our love and desire to learn
About his Father, Lord of all!

Jesus loves me, children sing
Hope, love and light to us, he will bring!
Listen with a child's ear
Then Christ, Jesus you will hear.

Softly speaking of his love
For every creature here and above
Guiding us through every day
In God's love and light, we will always stay.

♥Kerrie♥
 My heart to yours...

JOHN, THE "I AM" BOOK....

See note at bottom of my post.*

THE WORD, "I" appears 134 times in the gospel of John.  John often uses the pronoun when quoting Jesus, thus focusing the reader's attention on Jesus.
  I am...
   The bread of life-sustains us-John 6:35
   The light of the world-illuminates our way- 8:12
   The gate for the sheep-admits us to life-10:7
   The Good Shepherd-cares for us and guides us-10:11
   The Resurrection and the life-provides us life-11:25
   The Way, The Truth and the Life-guides us-lamp-14:6
   The True Vine-makes us productive- John 15:1
When I was studying John in my second year of study, I had difficulty memorizing the "I Am" chapter.  So I made up a little song about it:
   The Word was made Flesh,
   I am the Bread of Life,
   I am the Light of the World,
   I came so that they might have life.
   I am the good shep-herd,
   Washing the disciples feet,
   Love one another as I have loved you,
   The Spirit will guide us into all truth,
   The high Priestly Prayer.

John 6:35  Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger and who believes in me shall never thurst." Is this not comforting to you?
  When Jesus said this, the Jews then said of him, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?"  Much written in the bible is symbolic and the Jews did not understand this.  They asked, "how does he now say he has come down from heaven?"
  Jesus answered, (vs 34) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."
  Jesus is the nourishment that we partake of to attain eternal life.  We follow his teachings and are brought closer to his father.  The more we partake, the more we are filled with his love, understanding and light.  When we celebrate the body and blood of the savior, we are not being cannibalistic as some would translate, we are doing this "in Memory" of Him.  Just as you would keep a tradition within your own family to remember your Father.  Some of the symbolism was for protection, much as the sign of the Fish so that Christians could identify one another without being persecuted.  Though much of the Bible is a mystery to most, it need not be.  When you study, ask God to guide you, ask Jesus to guide you and he will.
   One of my daughters likes the mystery of the Bible and does not want any of it's miracles explained by practicality.  But I am happy to solve a mystery-ha!  Not in its entirety but for example, I loved it when I learned that certain plants in the desert have such a high oil content in their leaves that they can spontaneousy combust from the heat of the sun!  I liked learning this because it brought to me the reality of God speaking from the burning bush!  The burning of the bush got the attention and God spoke.  I like thinking that a burning bush was not a common thing but it was a reality!
  If you like Christian Historical Fiction, I have a book for you!  I just finished reading a new author's book, "The Preacher's Bride" by Jody Hedlund.  This is an account of the Puritan's struggle in the 17th century in England.  It is based on the life of John and Elizabeth Bunyan and their family during a brutal time of persecution.  My heart was pounding as I was transported back in time and felt the suffering they endured because of their belief in Christ.  You can see my review on my Kerrie's Korner, SC Blog  http://kerrieskorner.blogspot.com/
       Thank you for visiting and come back soon.  Please leave a comment as I love reading them.  Blessings to you,

    *Wood carving by Kerrie of the head of Christ.  This is my interpretation of what Christ looked like in his Crown of Thorns.  It is at least 30 years old and I only did 2 of these.  I had the other on Display at a Craft Show.  A little girl kept passing by it and finally, I said to her, you like that, don't you?  She said yes, she did, very much.  So I gave it to her.  I kept this one original and it has warped through the years carved from a pine board and the color has become much richer than its original light varnished pine.  I like it better now than when I first carved it...
                        ♥Kerrie♥
                     My heart to yours... 

THAT'S GOD...

Asking for special prayers for a special lady who is going through facial cancer.  She is traumatized by her surgery on her nose with grafting and while it is healing, she will need much encouragement.  And of course be diligent in praying for all of those with cancer as always.

   This following was sent to me in an e-mail and worth repeating I felt:
   Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it was going to get better, how the hurting would stop, how the pain would ease, but now you look back on it...That's God passing us through tribulation to see a brighter day.
Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to?  That's God wanting you to talk to Him.
   Have you ever just been sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like doing something nice for somebody you care for?  That's God talking to you through the Holy Spirit.
   Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven't seen for a long time and then the next thing you know you see them or receive a call from them?  That's God.  There is no such thing as coincidence.
 
"Fear not, for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed.  I am your God.  I will strengthen you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."  Isaiah: 41:10

"He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen.  For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him.  That is why he is not afraid, but can calmly face his foes." Psalm 112:7,8

"You are my hiding place from every storm of life; you even keep me from getting into trouble!  You surround me with songs of victory."  Psalm 32:7

  When praying for my family I always ask God to "surround all the children and grandchildren with your love and protection always.  And we pray for everyone who needs you Lord."  We have faith that God will do just that, surround us all with His great love and protection as only He can. 

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES...
    ♥Kerrie♥
My heart to yours...

  

GOOD MONDAY MORNING!

Ahhh! The first of November, can you believe it?!  I was so touched by a blogging friend who lost a follower because she did not agree with her Sabbath keeping post.  The blogger felt bad at first but then thought that if she led one person to the Lord with her post, it did not matter that she lost one follower!  This is what I wrote back to her:

(Now note that I have nothing against Catholics mentioned in my comment, as I raised my children for many years as Catholics and it was the particular church that drove our family away and not the religion.  Felt I need to clarify that.)

"I thoroughly agree with you and if you lose many to gain a few for the Lord, He is well pleased with you, apparently a few hundred agree with you-ha!  Many years ago I left a Catholic church as the parishioners were arguing about who sat where in the newly built church.  When we worshipped in the fold up chairs, everyone was happy.  The new church brought many problems with personalities coming into play.  So I literally went looking for a Bible-teaching church.  I found one but the door was locked.  The Catholic Churches always have open doors.  But I knocked as there was a car in the lot.  A young man came to the door with a paint brush in his hand.  He literally opened the door and I found our new church home!  He was there painting and an active member of the church.  It was the most wonderful, warm and God-filled place I had ever been!  2 of my children got baptized there and 2 of them got married there.  "Knock and the door shall be opened....."  Just wanted to share with you.  That person has CLOSED THE DOOR and you tried to open it for her to no avail.  Happy Happy morning to you!"
     We may not agree with every one's view of religion, but we respect it.  We all share the same Lord.  He will lead us in the paths that he would have us follow.  Sometimes the path is littered, full of stones and ruts.  But do not be deterred as God will get you to where he wants you to go!
   For some reason, half of my post was deleted and I cannot get it back.  Going to take my hubby for chemo and will come back and see if I can retrieve it, if not, I will post a second time with the rest of this day's post.  Joy to you all!