The Grave Robber

There's a step that we all take alone,
an appointment we have with the grave unknown,
like a vapor this life is
just waiting to pass,
like the flowers that fade,
like the withering grass,
But life seems so long and
death so complete
And the grave an impossible
portion to cheat,

but there is One who has been
there & still lived to tell,
There is One who has been
thru both Heaven & Hell,
and the Grave will come up
empty handed that day,
Jesus will come and steal us away

Where is the sting,
tell me where is the bite?
When the Grave Robber
comes like a thief in the night,
Where is the victory, where is the prize?
When the Grave Robber
comes and death finally dies
Many still mourn, many still weep
for those that they love
who have fallen asleep,
But we have this hope
tho our hearts may still ache,
just one shout from above
and they all will awake
And in the reunion of Joy we will see,
Death will Be swallowed in sweet Victory

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.

"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

1 Corinthians 15:54 & 55

Lyrics: Petra

all pictures were taken from our trip to Jacksonville, Oregon last December.

A Tangible Love

Lift your eyes and look upon Me. For though you have forgotten Me, I have not forgotten you. While you have busied yourself with your daily occupations, I have still been occupied with you.
When your mind has been captured by the affairs of life, My thoughts have been of you.

My little children, you cannot weary My love. You may grieve My heart, but My love is changeless, infinite. I long for you to return to Me. My hands are full of blessings that I desire to give to you. I long to hear your voice. You speak much with others--oh, speak to Me! I have so much to tell you.

I am not a remote power: I am an intimate person, even as you are. Have you forgotten that I made you in My own image and likeness? It is not that I am as you, but you are like Me. Do not let material and physical elements destroy your comprehension of Me as a person.

"Touch Me and handle Me," I said to Thomas (John 20:27). To you I say: Cast yourself upon Me; pour your love out to Me. You will discover that I am as tangible to you as I was to Thomas. Reach forth your hand, and lay it upon My broken heart. Yes, take hold of My nail-pierced hand. Now, can you still doubt my love?

Taken from the book: "Come Away My Beloved" from Frances J. Roberts

Image courtesy:
John William Waterhouse

A few weeks back I dropped by my friend Fairmaiden's blog, Sea Cottage, and she had posted a quote from a book she was reading entitled "Come away my Beloved." It simply took my breath away. So, I went online and bought a few of the Authors books including a 365 day one minute devotional. I thought I would share one of the days thoughts with you.

As Rains of Refreshing
from "Come Away my Beloved"

Do not be anxious concerning tomorrow.
You shall encounter nothing of which I am not already aware.
my mercy is concealed within every storm cloud.
My grace flows beneath every crosscurrent.
The storm is not a thing to fear but rather to welcome.
As soon as you have made the discovery
that in the time of stress and strain
you have the clearest revelations of Myself,
you will learn to head into the wind with sheer delight.

"From 365 One-Minute Meditations from Come Away My Beloved,
published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by Permission.

I love the imagery that within every storm, if we choose to see, there's a blessing waiting for us and it's during those times that we see Him more clearly.

Oh, the Author is Frances J. Roberts.

Because he has set his love upon Me,
therefore I will deliver him.
I will set him on high
because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me and I will answer him;
and I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
and show him My salvation.

Psalm 91: 14-16

You will guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth
that I desire beside You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my
heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73: 24-26

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men.
The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren,
whatever things are true,
whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report,
if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—
meditate on these things.

Philippians 4: 4-9

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

I woke this morning to the sound of pouring rain beating against the window panes. I can't remember how long its been since its rained this hard or for such a long period of time. Usually when the weather man says, "There's rain in the forecast" it rains everywhere but here. On our drive to Jacksonville I was shocked at how low the lakes and reservoirs were.

As I lay there in bed listening to the rain beat against the windows I was reminded of one of my favorite scriptures and thought I would share it with you. It's from Isaiah 55: 9-11

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

I hope you all have a wonderful rain soaked day, but not too soaked.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
Psalm: 119 verse 105

Image taken on my visit to Roger's Gardens

Foto taken while on my visit to Roger's Gardens

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

1 Peter 1: 6-12

The LORD also will be a refuge
for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name
will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not
forsaken those who seek You.

PSALM 9 verse 9 & 10

As for God, His way is perfect;
the word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
For who is God, except the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength,
and makes my feet perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
and sets me on my high places.

Psalm: 18: 30-33

Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.

Luke 6:38

The lifestyle Jesus is calling for here might be summed up in the phrase, "Give more than you expect to get." This is a philosophy foreign to our "success"-oriented society--but in God's economy, it works extremely well. If I give of myself to those around me--my family, business associates, fellow church members, and so on--God will use His measure to give back to me. And, try as I will, I cannot outgive God. If I give out love, I will receive even more love in return--perhaps not from the person I gave it to, but in some other way. God is the master mathematician, and His measure, "pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap." If I love liberally, I will be loved liberally in return.

True Freedom

Behold, I stand at the door
and knock.
If anyone hears My voice
and opens the door,
I will come into him
and dine with him,
and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20


Therefore, if the Son makes you free,
you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of them that bring

good news.

This morning as I was doing my daily devotion I stumbled upon this scripture. I've read it so many times over the past 24 years but, somehow, today I saw it in a different light. The part that struck me was the, "as much as depends on you (me)!" It's my responsibility to get along with that difficult person now matter how disagreeable they may be. It's my responsibility to smooth things over with them and not expect them to smooth things over with me first. It is my responsibility to humble myself and to esteem them above myself. It is my responsibility to treat them as I would want them to treat me.

Hear my cry, O God;
attend to my prayer.
From the end of the earth
I will cry out to You,
when my heart is overwhelmed;
lead me to the rock
that is higher than I.

For You have been
a shelter for me,
and a strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Psalm 61: 1-4