Early Monday morning I received some very sad news.  A friend had passed away unexpectedly.  The last few days have been spent remembering his young life of 48 years and how he brought joy to all who were blessed to know him.  You see, my friend had a way of making you laugh either when he was sharing stories of his childhood or when he was explaining something that may have happened to him at the office.

It was not that my friend was a comedian or that he was even trying to be one.  He just had a way of bringing laughter to any given situation. What made his stories so funny was how he was able to laugh at himself and how he wrinkled his nose when he laughed!  All who knew him will remember his laughter.   Even now, I can still hear him laughing.

When I sat in my quiet office today, I could still hear him laughing.  His office is right behind my office and although there is a wall, I would often just hear him chuckling away.  I could only guess that someone was in his office and he was sharing one of his stories with them.  Or perhaps. they might have been sharing a story of their own and he was just so full of joy that he laughed with you.  Even now, I can still hear him laughing.

Needless to say, my friend will be missed.  No longer will I meet up with him in the break room as we made fresh pots of coffee together.   All the while, we fussed and laughed because the persons who had been there before us obviously took the time to pour the last cups of coffee but did not take the time to start a fresh pot.  No longer will I run into him near the copier machines and we joke about something that may have happened to us during the work day.  No longer will I hear stories of how his mother raised him and his brothers and the things they would get into.  And, no longer will we pass each other around the office and just look at each other and laugh without saying a word!

Although tears have been shed the last few days and there is a heaviness in my heart, I am so thankful for my friend and the time we spent just laughing.   I am thankful for the times we were able to take something serious and make each other laugh about it.  I am so very thankful that even now, I can still hear him laughing!

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To every thing there is a season. . .

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

(Exodus 2:7-10) Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall  I go and get one of the  Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” “Yes, go” she answered.  So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.  Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son.  She named him Moses, saying. “I drew him out of the water.” 

When Moses was born he was destined to have two mothers.

Two mothers to care for him and two mothers to love him.

  A Hebrew woman gave birth to him.

 An Egyptian woman raised him as her own in Pharoah’s palace.  

 These two mothers made choices that were all a part of God’s plan for Moses. 

 They both were chosen to be his mother.

And, they both loved him as best they could.

Most of us are blessed to be raised and loved by the mother who gave birth to us. 

Then some of us are also blessed to know other women who are like mothers to us.

Grandmothers, aunts, older sisters and other kind-hearted women who have played major roles in our lives.

Mothers are caring and nurturing.

Mothers are the women who encourage us and inspire us.

A mother’s strength guides us through the good times and bad times.

A mother’s love is unconditional.

Mothers are chosen by God to help fulfill our purpose in life.

I thank God for my mother for she gave birth to me.  And, I thank Him for my Othermama!  For it was my Othermama who drew me out of the water and cared for me.

To all Mothers, I pray you have a Happy Mother’s Day! 

We’ve all heard the old saying “promises were made to be broken”! I am not sure who first coined that phrase but it is obvious they were either on the receiving end of a broken promise or they broke a promise to someone.

If you have had any disappointments in relationships, you might believe this is a true statement.  Remember when you met that special someone, and all appeared to be going well in the relationship?  You tiptoed around as if you were walking on air.  You could finish each other’s sentences and you stayed on the phone just listening to each other breathe.  You promised to  love each other forever.  You promised to be true to each other.   It didn’t matter that you were only 16.  It was a promise! Then came the unexpected break up.  The tears flowed and your heart was broken!  You just knew you would never love like that again.  “Promises were made to be broken”.

Then there are those special friendships where you promise to be friends forever!  Today, the term is BFF (best friends forever). You shared secrets and promised not to tell.  The next thing you know that secret you told was  being broadcast all over town, on the school yard and even at your church.  You learn the hard way that the best kept secret is the one you just don’t tell.  “Promises were made to be broken!”

The word promise is defined as a declaration to do, to give or to arrange something.  A promise can also  be a declaration not to do something. It is a pledge or a vow. And oh, how it hurts when you realize a promise made to you will not be kept or was never intended to be kept!  How could you have been so gullible to believe the promises spoken to you were truthfully spoken?

When I was in my brokenness because of broken promises, I called on Jesus!  I wanted to know why. Why would anyone want to hurt me with false promises? Why would anyone tell me lies and still continue to look me in my face? Why would they not keep their promises to me?  Why?  I can’t tell you that I have ever found the answers to any of my whys.  I just know these were some experiences I had to go through in my life’s journey.

 When you enter into a relationship with the LORD, you will come to know that He will keep His promises.

 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act?   Does he promise and not fulfill?    I have received a command to bless;  he has blessed, and I cannot change it. (Numbers 23:19-20)

He gives us instructions to do right and we can receive what the LORD has promised.

 Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors (Deuteronomy 6:18) 

He can be trusted!

Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. (2 Samuel 7:28)

Even in times of trouble, He promises to sustain you.

Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. (Psalm 119:116)

If we believe in Him, He promises us eternal life!

For God so loved the world, that HE agave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

And this is what he promised us–eternal life. (1 John 2:25)

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Dear LORD, Thank you for your promises!  Thank you for loving me when promises that were made to me were broken.  Thank you for sustaining me.  Forgive me, LORD, for uttering promises that I did not keep.  LORD, I thank You for being gracious and merciful.  LORD, help me to do right and to live right so that I may continue to receive your great promises in my life.  I thank You for the promises that have already been fulfilled and I thank you for the promises that are yet to be! Dear LORD, I thank you, that even in my brokenness, you were restoring me with your promises.  In the name of Jesus, I say, Amen.

“When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the court and put the case before Him. Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery!” (John 8:3-4)

The woman in the scripture above had been caught in the very act of adultery. Her accusers thought they were taking her to be judged and then stoned to death for her sins!  Back then, that was the law.  She was caught committing adultery and she should be punished according to the law.

This woman’s accusers brought her case before Jesus!  They wanted to hear Him say she was guilty. At first, it appears that He is ignoring them.  When they persist on hearing Him accuse her of being an adulteress,  Jesus simply responds with:

 “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”(John 8:7)

Wow! That is such a powerful statement and it should resonate among us even today. We all have sinned.  Some of us have shameful secrets.  Yet, even in spite of our own messes, we continue to point fingers at others and we are quick to  judge.  We continue to pick up rocks to throw at others.

Put the rocks down!

 We need to be more like Jesus, compassionate and forgiving.  Perhaps, if we take into account our own sins and change our ways, we just might set a positive example to the one who is committing adultery, to the one who is stealing, to the one who is gossiping,  or to the one who is selling drugs. Many of us have experienced at least one moment in our lives where our sins and transgressions have led others to judge us or ridicule us.  This is not a good feeling. So think about how it may make someone feel to know that you are judging them.

Put the rocks down!

Eventually, in the scripture, it tells us that the woman’s accusers left her with Jesus.  Jesus told her that he did not condemn her for her sins.  He told her to “go on your way and from now on sin no more.”  Imagine her joy when she realized she had been set free by the Master!

Sometimes those of us who are believers in Jesus Christ are so quick to judge that we often miss out on bringing a lost soul to Christ.  We often miss out on an opportunity to say He will forgive you for your sins. We miss out on telling them, that we know this because He has forgiven us!   The scribes and the Pharisees missed this opportunity because they were judging her for her sins and they were testing Jesus to see what He was going to do.  But even in her brokenness, she was led to Jesus and He freed her from her accusers and most importantly, He freed her from her sins!

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Dear  Heavenly Father,  forgive me of my sins and transgressions. Thank you for not condemning me even when my accusers did.  LORD, I ask that you use me to be a blessing to someone who is lost in sin.  Please allow me to speak words of love, compassion and understanding to them so that they will have a desire to draw closer to you.  God, if I should attempt to pick up rocks to condemn someone, I ask that you gently remind me that you have forgiven me of my sins and that I should put the rocks down. I thank you for your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ wonderful name, I say Amen!

“As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.” Luke 23:26 (NIV)

There is an old hymn, “Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone”, that I am reminded of as we approach Resurrection Sunday!  The words to this hymn were written in 1693 by Thomas Shepherd and the song simply says:

 ” Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free?

No, there’s a cross for everyone, And there’s a cross for me!

The consecrated cross I’ll bear, till death shall set me free,

And then, go home my crown to wear, For there’s a crown for me.

Upon the crystal pavement, down at Jesus’ pierced feet,

Joyful, I’ll cast my golden crown and His dear name repeat!

O’ precious cross! O glorious crown!

O resurrection day!

Ye, angels, from the stars come down and bear my soul away.”

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Dear LORD, I thank you for Jesus!  I thank you for allowing me to take up the cross and to follow Jesus.  God, bless me this day as I go forward to tell others of what you have done for me.  I thank you that even in my brokenness that I was hidden behind the Cross and you were restoring me.  I thank you that in times when my cross seems heavy, you are making a better way for me.  LORD, I know that as I carry my cross, you will get the glory! I praise you and honor you. Thank you for Jesus! In His mighty name, Amen!

Are You Carrying The Cross?

At the beginning of this year a dear friend challenged her Facebook friends to come up with one word to take them through the year.  I chose the word DETERMINED!   The word determined is an adjective that means having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it!

I purposely chose the word determined because I have it resolved in my spirit that I am moving forward in this life and not backwards.  I am determined not to allow past hurts and disappointments take me back to a dark place or time in my life.  Galatians 5:1  In this freedom Christ has made us free; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery which you have put off!

I am determined to walk in victory no matter what people say about me or think about me!   I am determined to encourage myself even when no one else does.  I am determined to receive the blessings and promises God has in store for me!  Psalm 23:5  He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  He anoints my head with oil; my cup runs over!

I have made the decision to live each day as a blessing from God.  I am determined to find joy in each day that I am able to wake up, even when I know I will have to face some challenges.  Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!

I am determined to spend more time with my Father!  The one who can comfort me like no other; the One who truly listens and understands me for who I am.  I am determined to draw closer to the One who  has given me purpose and direction.  Psalm 121:1-2  I will look to the hills from where my help comes from! My help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth!

I am resolved to be a better person because I want to be more like Him!  Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them!

 I am determined to take better care of myself.  I am determined to make better food choices. I am determined to exercise more.  I am determined to live more healthy and more holy!  Psalm 139:14  I praise Him because I am fearfully and wonderfully made! 

I am determined to trust God more and more with all aspects of my life.  I trust him with my family, my friends, my career, my finances, my ups and my downs! I am determined to let go and let God, because I know how awesome He truly is!  Psalm 24: 10  Who is the King of glory? The Lord Almighty—-He is the King of Glory!

Even in my brokenness, I am determined 2b restored!