God is in Control...

Good morning dear hearts!  Peace be with you.  I have been very downhearted since my hubby fell and bruised his face terribly but am thankful that he did not sustain any broken bones.  His journey fighting Multiple Myeloma is painful enough and causes us to question our faith at times.  As humans we all go through times when we wonder "What is God thinking to let this happen?)  But we are not able to see the whole picture as only God can.  Today, I want to share Dr. Stanley's message as it was so appropriate for how I was feeling.   For updates on my hubby's condition, you can go to http://caringbridge.org/visit/billmarquart  
The photo of hubby on Christmas Eve (HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!) opening presents.

December 28 How to Experience Christ's Peace John 14:27-31 "My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). Jesus spoke these amazing words just hours before   His crucifixion. His peace isn’t dependent upon external circumstances, but rather, it transcends them.  Although He gives His peace to every believer as a gift, our experience of it is related to our  faith in the following truths: God is in control of everything. Without this assurance, the world is a scary place. He loves me and will see me through every circumstance, no matter how difficult    or painful it may be. To have Christ’s peace, I must surrender my life to Him. When I hold onto my ways    and plans, I’ll experience turmoil. I have a limited perspective and understanding of my circumstances and God’s  purposes for allowing them. His goals for me are greater than my immediate comfort. The Lord promises to work all things out for my good. He is continually working to    transform my character into Christ’s image. I must live in sync with God, walking in the Spirit and promptly confessing and     repenting of sin. Scripture is my foundation for peace. It increases my trust in the Lord’s goodness,     assures me  that He keeps His promises, and reminds me of His sovereignty over     every situation. Sadly, many Christians live their whole lives without consistently experiencing this    incomprehensible peace. Perhaps faith and submission are the most challenging issues. But only as we surrender  control of our lives to Christ and trust in His plans for us will we discover tranquil rest for our   souls. For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley,  please visit www.intouch.org. Used with permission from In Touch Ministries, Inc. © 2009 All Rights Reserved. If you or a loved one is going through a most difficult time, I pray that  your faith in God's  wisdom will sustain you and uphold you in your difficult  journey.  Ultimately, God is in control. Have faith as the woman did who felt if she could just touch the hem of  Jesus' garment, she would be cured of her illness and she was....Matthew 9:20 My Christian Heart to Yours...

Ain't it funny how time slips away?♫♫

  I don't think any of us are ever totally prepared for Christmas in our earthly world.  We scurry here and there buying presents, food, greeting cards and the reason for the celebration is pushed to the back of our minds.  We are all wanting to put CHRIST back in Christmas so start with yourself.
   Take time each day to focus on the wonderful blessed birth of our savior JESUS.  What a miracle he was....and still is.  In my journey with my Husband's Multiple Myeloma cancer, I turn to God for strength every day.  This February will be seven years since he was diagnosed and on chemo.  The chemo is no longer working and there is no cure.  He was given 5-10 yrs. so we are very happy to have another Christmas together.  He has started radiation treatments on his lower back however, to try to help the horrendous pain he suffers. 4 down and 9 to go daily except for weekends.  So I have been very busy driving to the radiation center.  He also had to have 2 more pints of blood after falling last Thursday in the night and losing much blood.  He is black and blue on half of his face and his eye is just now open again.
   So I feel badly when I do not have time to write here on my Christian blog but I am thinking of you all and praying for all those in need in the side bar.  Little Rylan is doing well, he is a little miracle.  I also met 2 people at the radiation center this week, one with lung cancer and one with a brain tumor so I am praying for them as well.
  Just remember that God is there for you through the storms of life, no matter how severe they may be.  So look up instead of down and thank the Father for being there in our times of need...

This is my granddaughter Kelsey on the right
Distributing toys for tots, a college project.

  Merry CHRISTmas to all and to all-walk in the Light of Jesus.  Unto us a child is born...

My Christian heart to yours...

When Morning Gilds the Skies...

When I arose this morn at dawn, the full moon was just setting as the sun was rising in the East.  So beautiful!  God is always there to greet us with his wonders, what a blessing!

•  

When morning gilds the skies

1. When morning gilds the skies,
   My heart awaking cries:
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
   Alike at work and prayer
   To Jesus I repair:
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
2. To Thee, my God above,
   I cry with glowing love,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
   The fairest graces spring
   In hearts that ever sing,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
3. Does sadness fill my mind?
   A solace here I find,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
   Or fades my earthly bliss?
   My comfort still is this,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
4. When evil thoughts molest,
   With this I shield my breast,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
   The powers of darkness fear,
   When this sweet chant they hear,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
5. When sleep her balm denies,
   My silent spirit sighs,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
   The night becomes as day,
   When from the heart we say,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
6. Be this, while life is mine,
   My canticle divine,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!
   Be this th' eternal song
   Through all the ages long,
   May Jesus Christ be praised!       
6. I Pray that you are all have a most blessed Sunday

New update link for Rylen

Rylen's Mommy has a site just for his updates! So if you would like to check on him at any time, this is the link:
Update site for Rylen  Now Mommy has a fever so pray for her, also.  Thanks to you wonderful prayer warriors !


It is wonderful being a family in the Lord, isn't it?  


♫♫"Long time ago in Bethlehem, so the Holy Bible say,
Mary's boy-child, Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day!
Hark now hear the angels sing, a new king born this day
And man can live forever more, because of Christmas Day!"♫♫


Do any of you remember Harry Bellafonte's album with this wonderful song on it?
JESUS is the reason for the season!  Put Christ back in Christmas.

My Christian heart to yours.....

Update for baby Rylen

Done! Rylen did well. Dr Honeycutt took 200 cc's of fluid from his head. We get to see him in an hour. God is good because Rylen was in the hands of a praying Surgeon.(Per his Mommy)
Today: Rylen is waking up slowly. The nurse just told me that he is holding her finger. Typical Rylen style. :) Hoping to see my baby boy soon. 

A New Merry Christmas Song

First, I had an update for Rylen recently that he has gained 6 oz.!!  Praising God!


Secondly, our Pastor e-mailed this "new Christmas song" to me, and it surely says it all!  Let's all put Christ back in Christmas, it is not just another holiday.  Click on the sidebar>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Sending love and hugs to all of you.

My Christian heart to yours...

Update for Rylen

Just got this update for Rylen, he is doing great so far!

Alicia (Rylen's Mom) " He is doing better than the drs expected him to do. He is still not eating 60cc's like the dr wants but we have him up to 40. His temperature is regulated which was something else the dr didn't think he could do, not to mention he lets us know when he is hungry, dirty, and cold. I have no doubt he is a miracle baby. We might be coming home in a few weeks to try the shunt. Not sure though how that will go."

Keep those wonderful prayers coming!  Thanks!

 

LIVING WATER

"Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.  As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water."  John7:37-38


God's word, love and caring is ever flowing.  God is there at all times to receive your prayers, your sorrows, your joy, your all.  This is why the Bible is called the Living Bible.  It is never out of date, it does not limit its hours, it does not require scholars nor expense to study it.  It speaks to us wherever we are in our lives.  


If you are thirsting for Living Water, for comfort and solace, you will find it in God's and His Son's words in the Bible.  Read on, all you who are thirsty....

Dear hearts, I just learned of another battle lost, but heaven's gain.  One of my dear blogging friends has lost her brother-in-law to Multiple Myeloma.  She said he was ready to go and was looking forward to being with the Lord.  He removed his oxygen mask and was gone almost instantly.  We are all praying avidly for a cure to this horrendous cancer that devastates the bones in the spine preventing the normal production of blood.  Perhaps it is too late for some of the victims, we pray that the future will hold hope for others who suffer from this or any deadly cancer.  Thanking you for all of you who pray for my husband and for the others on the Prayer List in the sidebar.
   God bless and see you next time...

My Christian heart to yours...

A Battle Lost

Dear Christian hearts, a dear lady, Sandra Bennett of Thistle Cove Farm just lost her husband who was fighting cancer on November 5 due to a massive heart attack.  Needless to say she is needing prayers more now than ever.  Thank you for praying for them both and we all will continue to pray for Sandra now in her time of need.

Lord, we know that you hold David now in your sheltering arms 

And that he will feel no more the earthly pain.

We rejoice in your goodness Lord and know you hear all

Widow's cries when the anguish of their loss overwhelms them.

Thank you for taking mercy on all and for easing their pain as you see fit.

David you will be sorely missed but Sandra knows you will be waiting at the gate....

"Let the Little Children Come" and Blessed Sunday with Rylan

Just look at this beautiful family!

Rylan, Mommy and Daddy

Reagan, the Daddy,attends SouthWestern Baptist Theological Seminary Class of 2013

 

Alicia, the Mommy, her father is Pastor Frank Wescott, of the First Baptist Church in Moravia, NY.

Thanking everyone for prayers! We all know that God is holding Rylan in the palm of His great hand...

"And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them.  But when Jesus saw it he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.' And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them."   Mark 10:13-16

This is my one indulgence "Let the Little Children Come".  Wonderful china doll figures of Christ with the little children who are always precious in His sight. They are in a corner china closet in my living room as a testimony to God's love and caring.  God knows that we are not all scholars or learned men, but when we come to Him as a child, he hears our every word and gathers us in.

Climb into the Father's lap, you will never be turned away.  Have a most wonderful Sunday and keep those prayers coming for little Rylan and his parents!

My Christian heart to yours...

New Update for Rylan

Good Morning Sweet prayer Angels!!  Letting you know that little boy Rylan took the most cc's of his Mother's milk than he has ever taken at a 9pm feeding last night!  Hurray!


God is so good.  These parents are indeed brave trusting with all their hearts in God's Grace for their precious child.  Pray for them to have great strength to see them through in his care.  Thanks to all of you.


                    RYLAN


Precious baby, God's own child
How you have us all beguiled!
Loving every tiny part
We ask the Lord to bless your heart.


And to the parents tried and true
We pray for strength to see them through.
For every tiny improvement achieved
We will rejoice as we believed
     In prayer and in God's love.


                ©Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart 


When we were first married all those years ago, we lost the first two children after full term pregnancies in a row.  I remember clearly knowing God would do a much better job of raising them, a girl Beth, a boy William, than I could ever do.  And both times it appeared to be a doctor's fault.  But I forgave them in Christ and never lost faith.  We went on to have 2 healthy girls and a boy.  We have truly been blessed.   You can survive great tragedies in life WITH GOD'S HELP.  Our timing is not His timing and what he has in store for us is not written down on our calendar.  No, we must put our whole trust in Him from beginning to end.


And when my husband was diagnosed with cancer almost 7 yrs. ago, like all mortals, we questioned God-"Why?"  He is such a good man, has helped people all his life monetarily, compassionately, and encouraging support.  He did not drink or smoke.  He is a wonderful father and our love for one another has been a beacon to all, what more could we ask?  Multiple Myeloma is a terminal cancer of the spine where blood is made and is cruelly painful.  It destroys the bones.  The original prognosis was 5-10 yrs. and we have been blessed with almost 7 now!  While his kidney function is diminishing and his pain is great, there is never one day that he does not find something to make me laugh and smile.  He is amazing.  How does he do this?  With God, like the Apostle Paul though suffering, we can accomplish anything!


If you or a loved one is suffering from a serious illness, please let us know as we believe wholeheartedly in corporate prayer.  God loves it when we turn to Him, He wants our dependence and faithfulness as we are all saved by His Grace alone.


There is a wonderful FREEsite that you can create your own page to keep loved ones apprised of progress or the lack of.  We have used it all through my hubby's illness and this is the address:
http://caringbridge.org

Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound.....

My Christian Heart to yours...

Update for Rylan

This is the update for Rylen written by the baby's father that I received from my cousin this afternoon.  God is so good!  Keep those prayers coming!  

This morning I and Alicia’s parents attended chapel at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. We could not ask for a better extended family than the family of Southwesterners.

This afternoon at the hostpital Dr. Honeycut drained 150 milliliters from Rylen’s head or just under two-thirds of a cup. According to My parents this gave a rim look to his head, but the doctor said that would go away in a day or so.

Alicia and I have removed the IV and are treating Rylen like a normal baby and letting the Lord do what he wants with him.

Tomorrow Alicia will be discharged from the hospital along with Rylen and they will spend a few days here in Fort Worth, and then everyone is going to Midland on Tuesday.

We thank everyone for their prayers and ask that you continue to pray in the days ahead.

 

This was posted by the baby's father yesterday....

 

going home with his momma & daddy this afternoon....how 

wonderful!!

Special Request

I am so touched by a request for Rylan.  A little precious boy who was born hydro cephalic and suffered a stroke in the 20th month of pregnancy.  His parents are lovely Christians who are believing in God's wisdom for his fate. I hope you will pray for this precious child.  I am starting right now.  God is so good.  I usually do not post pictures but little Rylan just clutched my heart and if his short or long life be lived, I want him to be showered with blessings and prayers.  Thank you my friends, You are all precious to me.

"suffer the little children..."
From all of our lips to God's ears....

Kerrie
My Christian heart to yours...

When God says "no"

I am sharing In Touch  with Charles Stanley this morning because the subject is so pertinent and can be applied to all of our lives!  When God says NO, how do we respond??  This article touched my heart for sure as I keep praying for a cure for my husband or at the least, for his pain to lessen...

November 17 Sufficient Grace 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 I thought the Christian life was going to be easier than this. Have these words ever  entered your mind?  Sometimes we come into the family of God thinking that our  heavenly Father will fix  all our problems and devote Himself to our happiness and  comfort. However, that is not the reality  portrayed in Scripture.  Paul was a man whom the Lord used greatly, and yet his life was anything but easy. In fact, at one point, the apostle thought his pain was too much to bear, and he  begged God to  remove it. There’s nothing wrong with asking the Lord to relieve our suffering,  but what should  our response be if He doesn't? Paul probably had no idea that His experience would find its way  into the Bible, to comfort and guide  believers throughout the ages. The promise  God gave him applies  to us as well: “My grace is sufficient for you” (v. 9). God’s grace could be defined as His provision for us at the point of our need. The problem is that sometimes it doesn’t seem as if the Lord truly is meeting  our need. But He  frequently sees deficiencies, outcomes, and complications that we don’t. His goals for us involve spiritual growth, the development of Christlike character, and strong faith. And trials play a vital role in achieving  these. The important issue is how we respond. If all you want is relief, you could  descend into anger and  doubt. But if your desire is to become the person  God wants you to be, you’ll see  each trial as an  opportunity for Christ to display His character and strength in you.  ~Charles Stanley

Work While you Wait upon the Lord

Goodness, where does the time go!!  The days have sped by and here it is the middle of November!

Our resident squirrel works constantly, finding seeds and acorns to store for the winter,  and when I throw him a peanut, he usually buries it-ha!  Here he or she is resting in one of the bird houses that he took over by chewing the opening to accommodate his size.  He needs to work so he can make it through the winter.


  When the early Christians heard of the Second Coming of Christ, some of the people felt no need to work, that they would just remain idle until Christ came.  Paul in his second letter to Thessalonians, admonishes the idleness. 

2 Thessalonians: 6-15


  "Now we command you, brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition you have received from us.  For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, we did not eat any one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you.  It was not because we have not that right but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate.  For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat.


  For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work.  Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living.  Brethren, do not be weary in well-doing."


  So what should we do?  We need to be ever faithful in our wait for the Lord, doing good whenever and wherever we can.  If you do not work outside the home, you are working taking care of your family just the same.  Volunteering is a great way to serve the Lord while waiting.  Hospitals need both men and women to volunteer and could not do without volunteers.  You can also volunteer at Hospices.  Visit the sick and home bound.  There is always work for you do do.  Pray to be enlightened as to where you may be of service best for God.  I do alterations for others in our neighborhood.  I earn a little pin money and I charge a small amount for my work, much less than it would cost at a dry cleaners.  I like seeing people as I am pretty much home bound in the care of my hubby.  And people appreciate any little extra I do for them.  It is a great feeling.


  God Bless and be productive while you are waiting on the Lord.

My Christian Heart to yours...

Honesty, friends, kindness

Proverbs 11:16  Honor goes to kind and gracious women, mere money to cruel men. 17: Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel."

Proverbs 10:27-32  "Reverence for God adds hours to each day; so how can the wicked expect a long, good life?  The hope of good men is eternal happiness; the hopes of evil men are all in vain.  God protects the upright but destroys the wicked.  The good shall never lose God's blessings, but the wicked shall lose everything.  The good man gives wise advice, but the liar's counsel is shunned.  The upright speak what is helpful; the wicked speak rebellion."

Many people are mistaken in the belief that Nuns and clergy are ignorant to real life happenings because they lead a sheltered life.  Not so.  They deal with people of all walks of life, just as we do in our journey.  The photo above is of Sister Teresina, my father's sister who went into the convent at age 16.  She knew early on that she wanted to devote her life to God, Jesus and being a humble servant of the Lord.  (Next to her is a teen younger sister, Anne.

Sister Teresina ( given name Helen, nick-named "Nellie") was a very wise and very kind woman.  She taught at the Holy Family Church in our hometown for over 60 yrs!  She helped the poor, could advise on all domestic problems and the beautiful shining light in her eyes and on her face, came not from a sheltered monastic life but rather from God dwelling within.  She died in the Mother House in Rochester NY in her Eighties.  She had a wonderful sense of humor and I loved her very much.  My husband and I used to visit her near the end of her life and attended her service when she passed.

How can you lead a selfless life, How can you have God shining from your own face?  I have prayed from the moment I became a born again Christian in the early eighties: "Lord, let the joy of my salvation be in my heart and on my lips."  When I worked, I prayed every day before I got to the place of employment, "Lord let me not compromise my faith at work today."  Workplaces are full of temptations, foul language and down right sinfulness in today's world.  Pray for yourself to have strengths to get you through a day without compromising your faith.  If something offends you, speak up.  Friends will not be offended, only those that are lost to sin.

Be kind to everyone because it sets you free from caustic remarks, the stresses of our world.  If I am thinking about Jesus and Lord, I have no room to dwell on any unhappiness.

Proverbs 11:24, 25  "It is possible to give away and become richer!  It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything.  Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself."

♫♫Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below.  Praise him above ye heavenly host, Praise Father, son and Holy Ghost.  Amen♫♫

My Joyful Hear to Yours...

Present day Site of the Ascension of our Lord

Hello dear Christian hearts!  I watched a journey to the Holy Land on television Sunday about all the sites in the Holy Land.  In my ignorance, having never been there, I did not realize that all the places of the Bible are preserved to this day.  That in itself is a miracle.  With all the wars going on in that part of the world, God must truly be present to protect these shrines that document in a tangible way, the life and miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It was like a revelation to me.  So I am sharing just ONE of the sites.  Thanking God and modern technology that though I may never see these sites in person, I can visit vicariously through the media.  Enjoy!

Location of the Ascension (source: Wikipedia believe it or not)

 

The place of the Ascension is not distinctly mentioned in the Gospel of Mark. Luke 24:50 states that the event took place in Bethany while it appears from Acts that it took place on the Mount Olivet (the "Mount of Olives"). After the

The Ascension edicule

 Ascension the apostles are described as returning to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, within a Sabbath day's journey. Tradition has consecrated this site as the Mount of Ascension.
Before the conversion of Constantine in 312 AD, early Christians honored the Ascension of Christ in a cave on the Mount of Olives. By 384, the place of the Ascension was venerated on the present open site, uphill from the cave.
The Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem today is a Christian and Muslim holy site now believed to mark the place where Jesus ascended into heaven. In the small round church/mosque is a stone imprinted with what some claim to be the very footprints of Jesus.

The Ascension rock, inside the edicule, is said to bear the imprint of Jesus' right foot.

St. Helena erected over the site a basilica called "Eleona Basilica" (elaion in Greek means "olive garden", from elaia "olive tree," and has an oft-mentioned similarity to eleos meaning "mercy") in 392, which was destroyed by the Sassanid Persians in 614. It was rebuilt in the 8th century, destroyed again, but rebuilt a second time by the Crusaders. This final church was also destroyed by Muslims, leaving only the octagonal structure (called a martyrium—"memorial"—or "Edicule") that remains to this day.
The site was ultimately acquired by two emissaries of Saladin in the year 1198 and has remained in the possession of the Islamic Waqf of Jerusalem ever since. The martyrium, though now only bare stone, enshrines the rock said to bear the imprint of the right foot of Christ as he ascended, and is venerated by Catholic Christians as the last point on earth touched by the incarnate Christ. The Crusader building was converted to a mosque but was never used by Muslims since the overwhelming majority of visitors were Christian. As a gesture of compromise and goodwill, Saladin ordered the construction of a second mosque and mihrab two years later next door to the chapel for Muslim worship while Christians continued to visit the main chapel. Though still under the control of the Muslims, this Chapel of the Ascension is currently opened to visitors for a nominal fee.
The Russian Orthodox Church also maintains a Convent of the Ascension on the top of the Mount of Olives.

I hope I have peaked your interest for visiting other pertinent sites from the Bible on line.  Many videos are available containing trips to the Holy Land also, all you need to do is put it in your search line.

Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you are blessed today and every day.  Pray often, take time for quiet reflection with the Lord, He loves spending time with you!