My Christian Valentine to You!

February has crept in and January is now a memory!  How fast time passes by in our earthly life!  But the Lord's timing is eternal, never ending, and never rushed~ even though he can and will change our lives in the blink of His eye...

Isaiah 40:31 is one of my most favorite verses. ♥
  "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength: They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run, and not be weary and they shall walk, and not faint."  Are these not words to live by?  I have an elderly friend, even older than me-ha!  She, knowing this was my favorite verse, printed it for me in calligraphy and framed it for me.  I treasure such a gift and have it hanging always on my wall.

What is your favorite verse?  What inspires you and reinforces your faith?  Surround yourself with reminders of God, His wisdom, His great works, His never-ending love, His Grace and Goodness.  When you surround yourself in the Word of God, you will find comfort, hope, strength to face anything that comes your way.  For if God is with us, who can be against us?  Another favorite!  Roman's 8:31

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:28-31

Have you ever noticed that a person loving God and living by His way, seem to have a glow about them, a light in their eyes glowing from within and a happy countenance despite their circumstances.  I have always noticed this.  I think it is because they don't let the evils of this world color their life resulting in wrinkles melting away and softness of heart and God lives within them.

Do you want to feel that way?  All you need to do is invite God into your heart along with His Son, Jesus who died on the cross for all of us and our sins.  A one-time sacrifice never needing another.  Accept God's gift by thanking Him for coming into your heart (being born again because you start your life anew as a Christian.)  Share the Joy of your Salvation.  When I did this, I jumped up off my couch and jumped for Joy!  It was back in the 1980's and though I thought I was a Christian before that, I knew that it was at that moment that I became a new being in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17

New International Version (NIV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

And the Lord says we must confess with our mouths

Romans 10:9 

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

A change of heart, a change of mind.  All you need to do is accept.  Any questions?  Write me.  May you all be blessed each and every day and I pray you have taken a blessing away with you today, it would be my JOY!

My Christian Heart to Yours...

Kerrie ♥

A BLESSED MORNING TO YOU!

I have missed you all!  My computer has been down and I really missed it!  It is a great way to communicate the love of the Lord, though a worldly thing :)

Have you heard of "The Fullness of Time"?  In the Bible Christ came in the Fullness of Time.  Alexander the Great had built great roads facilitating the spread of the Gospel like no other time in history.  

He also declared Greek as the dominate language, also aiding the spread of the good news far and wide.  He was not aware that he was doing these things for Christianity but God can use anyone as his instrument and it is so true in these recorded historical events.

I love having miracles explained.  It does not lessen my faith but only reinforces it!  The incident of God speaking to Moses from the burning bush for example.  There are bushes in the east that contain so much oil in their leaves that in the heat of day, can bring about spontaneous combustion.  I love this!  It does not mean that God did not cause it, but what a way to get someone's attention.  It can happen just that way and is not just a "story". Exodus 3

I am fascinated learning all of the ways the "Fullness of Time" came into being and thus 'paved' the way for the coming of Christ.

I hope you take away a blessing today and please leave a comment or a prayer request as I treasure them.

Wishing you serenity today....

Kerrie

My Christian Heart to yours...

Listening to God...

Are you listening for God's words?

How do you talk to God?  How do you LISTEN for what he offers you for a life's plan?


   If you are doing all the talking, how can you hear God?  If you are talking to a friend and you do all the talking, you don't find out much about your friend, or Their life, their loves and concerns.


It is that way with Jesus and our Lord.  It is hard to hear God's answers when you are praying if you never thank God and his Son for listening to YOU, nurturing you, blessing you in so many ways that you do not even notice because you are so full of yourself.  Be still, God is listening and knows your needs and your thoughts as soon as they occur to you.  God is all-knowing and omnipotent.  He is ever present, everlasting, and all powerful.  If you approach the Father and the Son with a humble, thankful heart, He will answer you. Sometimes, it is only a whisper, from God's lips to your ears.  So be still.....  I wrote a doodle on my desk blotter that says, "shhhh!  God is speaking."  It calms me when I look at it.


Places to hear God:  Nature, sunshine, animals- wild and domestic, fishing, meditating, walking and of course church, if you are not distracted by what the people next to you are wearing or their singing voice or how you look, etc.  If we let go of "me", we find THEE.


Bible references:  


James 1:19 ..."we should be quick to listen and slow to speak." 
Matthew 11:15 ..."he who has ears to hear, let him hear."
"He who answers before listening--that is his folly and his shame." (Proverbs 18:13).  

Listening is hard work as is giving someone or the Lord your full attention and patience.  And when you ask for things and do not get them, you have to accept and acknowledge that God does say "NO" at times.  He sees the best plan for your whole life.  You are living in your past, your present and your future.  You should be living in the present, looking for blessings that are sent your way if you open your heart and ears to see and Hear them.


Suggestions:  Find a quiet place where you can let go of all that is in your head (working, family chores, bad memories, regrets, holding grudges, etc.) of the world.  Perhaps reading a passage from your favorite Bible verses, proverbs or psalms will trigger your peace.  Tell God you are ready to listen and just relax, see what thoughts come to you.  Hold your hands palms up expecting a blessing....


Before I wrote today's post, I was checking e-mails and face book but the theme of listening to God came over me and wallah!  A post was born!  It is amazing how the Lord works and much fun to see what he has in store for my days!  So now I am going out to cut my lawn, excuse me I mean weeds!  And my heart is full of joy from the Lord so my burden will be light....


Thank you for coming today, you are blessed and I am blessed.

My Christian heart to yours...

How Great Thou Art.....

Sometimes and many times, I am overwhelmed with all that the Lord has made.  My adrenalin flows just thinking about how mighty God is and my chest is tight with emotion.  I love the Hymn, "HOW GREAT THOU ART".  God has made every good thing on the earth.  I am humble and thank him for all his works.
 
Psalm 147:5  "Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.

Mocking Bird       ©Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

Deut: 10:17  "For the Lord your God is God of Gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe."

  His greatness is beyond measure. This beautiful scene is what I see of God's works on daily walks...

   Take Time to reflect on God's greatness.  I received a little prayer card in the mail many years ago from Salesian Missions and use it as a marker in my bible.  This is what it says:

   TAKE TIME

Take time to think, it is the source of power.

Take time to play, it is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to read, it is the foundation of wisdom.

Take time to pray, it is the greatest power on earth.

Take time to love and be loved, it is a God-given privilege.

Take time to be friendly, It is the road to happiness.

Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul

Take time to give, it is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to work, It is the price of success.

Take time to do charity, it is the key to heaven. 

How would you describe God's greatness?  Making lists of things we are thankful for is not only fun but brings to light the things of God's world that we delight in every day.                    

Kerrie with brother Joe
1947

   From the time I was a little girl, I always knew there was a God, someone Greater in power than all the earth.  I do not remember anyone telling me about God when I was 4 and 5 yrs. old, I just knew it.  I clearly remember praying to ask God's help in family situations.  I love the greatness of the Lord and it fills my heart with Joy in all situations for "when I am weak, that is when I am strong" in the Lord.

Kerrie 2010  with Juvenile Hawk

Last year a friend came to visit who is a licensed raptor trainer.  He asked if I wanted to hold the hawk.  Though somewhat apprehensive, I dearly wanted to connect with God's beautiful creature!  So I put on the glove and there he perched on my hand.  What a thrill.  I stepped out in faith knowing God would protect me and what I received was the joy of holding this beautiful wild creature.  Don't miss out on opportunities of any kind for God is with you in all things good and there is nothing that you and HE cannot handle today or any day. 

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you will take a blessing away with you today. I love your comments and visits! Come again soon and take time to enjoy all the greatness of the Lord! Sing from your heart right along with the video on the right of this post. Blessings and love to you all.

My Christian 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...

Having a blessed Fall Sunday...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT...

I OFTEN write and doodle my best work in pencil and then later work them into something permanent.  I am so inspired by Autumn and every sunset and flower and crisp early mornings that I am just bursting with creativity.  I love the fall so much!  Please continue to the rest of this page for a message from Genesis, Thanks

             

            AUTUMN

   ©Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

Basking in Summer's afterglow
Autumn approaches ever so slow
Kissing the earth with golden tones
And scenting the air with evergreen cones.

Bass are still jumpin' in the little pond
Catching Dragonflies all around
The Mums are blooming red and gold
And the morning air is almost cold.

Leaves turning yellow and red

Adorning the lawn and flowerbed

The days are shortening hour by hour

The sunsets are richer but shorter by far.

Such a warm and colorful time of year

A last splash of color before Winter Drear

A welcome sight to one and all

Loving the changes that come with Fall!

              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our God is so generous in his gifts!  He gave us the earth to keep and till.  We should be so grateful for the world in which we live and certainly we must take care of it or it will no longer be there.  Go green in every way that you can and preserve this place for generations to come.  I doubt that we will ever live on the moon or any other place but earth that was created by our Father in Heaven.  Just think of all the billions of dollars spent on the space programs---how much this would mean to help the poor, the diseased, the indigent in this world!

Genesis 1:15  The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till and to keep it. 

  That means keeping it "watered", healthy, productive to give back to man what he has put into it.  God did not say, Go to the moon and live there where there is nothing but desolation and you must wear a suit in order to breath the very breath I give to you.  I love every plant and flower, every drop of water, every sunrise and sunset.  I appreciate every day that the Lord gives to us, every Rose even though I must accept the thorns to also have the beauty...

  The warring factions have existed since the beginning of time right in the same area where they are today: Iran, Iraq, Jerusalem.  Because God gave us the ability to "choose" we make our own trouble.  If we were all obedient to God's word and to his intention for us, we would know true peace.  The thing we have to remember is that the Devil is alive and well in our world.  And we have the human choice of rebuking him or joining him.  Whenever something bad is happening in your life, or in your mind, simply say "I rebuke you Satan! In the name of Jesus Christ, My Lord!" Kind of like the old folks when they said, "Satan, get thee behind me!"

  Start each new day with "God before me, God beside me, God behind me."  Oh for His hand upon our backs each day so that we do not wander from the path of righteousness.  In the workplace, never compromise your faith to fit in.  Without you speaking a word, your actions and faith will rub off on others by your example and if they follow their own agenda, let them go.  The Lord will guide you strongly if he wants you to continue a relationship with someone who is worthy of His love and yours.  Anyone who keeps you from your faith should not be embraced.  It is amazing to me that the Lord brings Christians together even in Cyberspace!  Remember that God can use anyone or anything for his instrument.  He will bless you so that you may be a blessing to others. The Bible tells us so!☺

  Hopefully, I will have some of my praise tapes available after this blog is underway.  I love sharing the Lord in song!  And maybe even a video if I can figure out how to do that on my laptop-ha! 

  Thank you so much for visiting and whether you agree with my teaching and comments or not, you are always welcome here.  You may question my authority in teaching the Bible, as well you should.  I believe God speaks to everyone's heart at one time or another and though I have never wanted to insinuate that I am a know it all, I do have credentials-ha!

   I am a certified Bethel Bible Teacher and lay minister since 1984 after an intensive 2 year course on the Old and New Testaments.  I was active in my church in our hometown for five years in missions and contribution to music ministry and Christian book ministry.  When I moved to SC, I became active in a TV ministry for several years where I sang and shared faith as well as work in their live phone ministry for the same Dove Ministries, administering to those who called the program with problems.  Later, I became active with my son-in-law's ministry which included ministering to Street Reach in Myrtle Beach.  My son-in-law preached (as a licensed minister in addition to his public school teaching position) and I provided spiritual music.  After the service we both counseled those who had a need and came to us.  I also shared my music ministry for the last 22 years of living in SC where I sang special music once or twice a month at church services at several churches in the area as well as Ocean Lakes Family Campground.   I love singing and making a "Joyful Noise Unto the Lord!"  I am enriched by every experience I have had working for the Lord and have reached a time in my life that I feel God is guiding me to actively share the word again.

  God Bless you all, and I hope you will come again soon.  In Christian love, Kerrie

There may be Agony in The Garden but there is peace on the Wondrous Cross.