Merry Christmas

What a wonderful day to be alive! We had Christmas with family last night and as my dear sister prayed over the food, such a sense of peace filled me. This is what it was all about. People who love the Lord, gathered to celebrate together the tremendous gift of Salvation that began so many years ago in a meager little stable. The Scriptures foretold of Christ’s first coming, and it came to pass. They also foretell of His Second Coming … it too will come to pass. What a glorious day that will be!

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus here at Mountain Home, we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! May the Lord bless you with peace that surpasses all understanding, hope in things not yet seen, joy to overflowing, and love that knows no boundaries.

Merry Christmas!
Ray & Lee Ann

Grammy Justice

It’s nice to be back in the land of the living. These cold fronts come through and knock me to my knees. In the winter, I watch the weather to get an idea of how to pre-plan meals and chores. But, like everyone knows … you really can’t predict the weather. Some days, I feel a lot like a broken yo-yo. But for right now, I praise God for a clear-headed, productive day.

I got a phone call a few days ago from my eldest son. I should have known that something was up when the first words out of his mouth was, “Mom, are you sitting down?” Well folks, I’m going to be a grandma. At first I was just stunned. (like my mama was when I broke the news to her back so many years ago) News like that brings so many thoughts to mind. The child I gave birth to almost 29 years ago is now going to be a Daddy. He’s going to look down and see the tiny person in his arms that is part of him, yet a completely unique individual. The moment of conception, the Lord spoke this child’s name. He or she at this very moment is being formed in the image of his or her Creator. Pretty heady stuff when you think about it. Despite the circumstances, I’m getting really excited. My future daughter-in-law has a little boy that I’ve heard so much about. I’m looking forward to meeting my future grandson and in a few short months … my new grand baby.

When I think of the future, I can’t help but look to the past. Remember when you were a child and felt that your parents’ rules were so restrictive & unfair. How many times did you utter the words ‘why?’ ‘That’s not fair!’ and ‘you don’t trust me!’. Bring back memories? Did you ever declare that when you have kids, you would be different? For me, it was the words “Because I said so”. I hated that phrase with a passion! I swore that when I have kids, I would never use those words! Years rolled on and I found that in times of total chaos and frustration, “because I said so” are the only words that comes to mind when my children were out of control and insisting on a reason for my rules. This particular son chaffed when he felt that the rules were too restrictive. The mother in me smiles at the thought that finally, he is going to be the ‘bad guy’ – the one that will have to make rules designed to protect the children and maintain peace in the home. He will have to stand firm as his children accuse him of being the ‘meanie’. I guess justice does come to those who wait. I’m just sorry that I didn’t pay closer attention to Mama when she was spoiling my children. As with everything else, I could have learned so much about being the fairy godmother. When my kids were little, Grandma was Santa Clause, the Easter bunny, and the tooth fairy all rolled up into a fun woman who made awesome cookies and let everyone stay up late at night.

Parenthood is truly the hardest job you’ll ever love. And after all these year, I’m continuing to reap the wonderful rewards of having some pretty awesome kiddos. Do you still have children at home? First chance you get, reach out and give them a great big hug. Smile to yourself knowing that one day, if the Lord tarries, justice will eventually come.

Isn’t there a bumper sticker somewhere that says, “Grandkids are God’s reward to you for letting the children live”?

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

Being Blessed by God pt2

It’s another cold day here at the cabin. It started out at about 9 degrees and has warmed up to about 15 at this point. Rumor has it that another snow storm is coming in this afternoon. Oh well, tis the season.

Back to being blessed by God. After reading my last post, Honey told me that I make the blessings of God appear undesirable. Please let me finish the thought before you come to that conclusion. I was afraid that cutting it off too soon was going to leave that impression.

The Scriptures are full of examples of people who were blessed by God. The prophets of the Old Testament were simple men that were chosen by God to deliver His message to the people. To be chosen by God is a great honor and blessing. In being faithful, each of them faced some pretty intense circumstances in their lives. They were ridiculed, chased, threatened, exiled, and hated by the people; merely for being messengers for God. I’m sure that the old adage ‘Don’t shoot the messenger’ was in their thoughts as they stood alone to proclaim the Word of the Lord.

I guess the one person that stands out the most in my mind when I think about being blessed is Mary. Mary was still a child when the angel of the Lord told her that God had chosen her to give birth to the Messiah. What a blessing! She grew up in the teaching that God would one day send a Messiah. She knew that God’s promises were as absolute as the stones in the fields and the stars in the sky. What an honor & privilege to be the one chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah. She endured the birth pains, she shielded Him from the cold, she watched Him take His first steps and she trusted God to guide her as she mothered & nurtured the future King. The Catholics exalt her as being this wise and knowing saint. But in reality, she was simply an innocent girl who believed God. By the time she was probably in her early 50’s, she watched the One that she gave birth to, the One who called her Mama, being tortured and nailed to a cross to die a horrendous death. I’m sure she knew His destiny, but she was a Mama. I suspect that as she watched Him suffer and die, her mind remembered back to the days of His childhood, His sweet smile, His gentle laugh. The pain of watching your child suffer in any form is heartbreaking to a Mama; but for her to watch Him die in ridicule and shame must have been a nightmare beyond anything I can comprehend. Yes, He was God in the flesh – but He was also her son.

But Mary’s story didn’t stop there. She was there when Christ rose from the grave! They were reunited … not as son and mother but as Savior and humble follower. Her blessing at that point was complete.

I guess where I am trying to go with this, is that God blesses each of us in a very special way. To some He gives great wealth, to others He gives talent, and the list can go on & on. But being blessed by God does not mean that He just gives us ‘stuff’ for our benefit and comfort. All that we are, all that we have, is designed to be used for His glory. Let’s look at just a few more examples:

Ester – she was blessed with great beauty. Some would scoff at this blessing, but Ester used that beauty for God’s glory and to protect His people. If you don’t know the story, please take a few minutes to look it up.

Deborah – she was blessed with great courage. She used that courage for God’s glory and helped lead His people into battle. Her story can be found in Judges Chapter 4.

Samson – he was blessed with great strength. His story is well known. He was only human, like each of us. But in the end, he returned to God and used that blessing for God’s glory.

All of the examples given to us in the Bible were of real people, just as average as you and me. What made them stand out as special was the fact that they recognized the blessings from God and chose to use them for God’s glory. Saints, you have been blessed. And God has even greater blessings to give to you – but are you ready to use those blessings for God’s glory? Or are you still holding on to the selfish idea that God’s blessings are designed merely for your ease and comfort?

Do you have a comfortable home? How well does your car work? Look around you. If you can read this … you have been blessed. Are you ready to go to the next step in walking with God? Do you hunger for a deeper relationship with Him? Then take some time to evaluate all the ways that He has blessed you, and prayerfully give it all back to Him. Great rewards often come only after great struggles.

Let me leave you with one final thought:

Jesus was the Beloved Son of God, yet he was born into a meager lifestyle. During His adult life, He never had a home of His own, He never married nor had children, He was tormented by the religious leaders, and He died the most horrendous death known to man. Yes He was God in the flesh … but He still had all the feelings, emotions, and temptations that we have.

I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of the lesson for me. I think that God is about to take me to the next step as I learn to let go and give everything to Him. When you ask for God's blessing, do you really mean it? If so, are you ready to be blessed?

Have a wonderful day, and may the Lord bless you.

Being Blessed By God pt1

I'm finally over the worst of my dental troubles. It was an ordeal that I never want to go through again. Bless the dentist's heart, I'm sure he got tired of seeing me in his office every other day.

The cabin is surrounded by about a foot of new snow from the last snowstorm. We survived it pretty well. Praise God! The temperatures have been steadily dropping; but so far, it’s bearable. Honey has heard so many rumors about when layoffs may or may not happen. I figure that it will be like last time, he’ll make that last delivery and be told not to come back until spring. I am a creature of habit and the uncertainty of tomorrow could be unsettling. But, I have got such a peace about all of this. God is in control. I am learning to let Him lead us one step at a time, without worry or complaining. I still get a little anxious, but I just talk to Him about my cares and put my hands to the tasks He has given me today.

During the past few days, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be blessed by God. When you ask for God’s blessings – are you truly prepared to be blessed? This is what I’ve come up with so far…

Being Blessed

How many times have you prayed for God’s blessings for a friend or loved one? Or like many of us, silently pleaded for God to pour out a little of His blessings on you? This started rattling around in my head the other morning as I was asking for God to bless my husband as he was leaving for work.

In looking back through the Bible we are given example after example of the people that God had blessed in one form or another.

Moses – born into poverty, yet was adopted into royalty. OK, now that’s a blessing most can understand. While living the life of a prince, he watched ‘his people’ mistreated and abused by the very establishment that cloaked him in fine linens and placed exotic foods at his table. To some, that alone would be torture. In rising up against that unfairness, he was driven into the wilderness by the consequences of his ‘justice’. We all know God sent him back into Egypt to lead his people to freedom. From that point on, he spent the rest of his days wandering through the wilderness with all those folks whining & complaining day in and day out. His blessing was the opportunity to serve God and help free his people. But somehow I think he had days where the blessing felt almost like a curse.

Solomon – was given the choice of blessings. He chose wisdom. In addition to great wisdom, he was blessed with wealth and power beyond our imagination. Now that’s what we hope for when we pray for God’s blessing! Take note: he also wrote the book of Ecclesiastes … beginning with

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever … there is no new thing under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:2-9)

These don’t appear to be the words of a happy man. At the end of the book of Ecclesiastes we learn that Solomon figured it all out,

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Jesus spoke of Solomon when talking to his disciples, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Matthew 6:29) Solomon truly did receive the blessing of wisdom, but with all those wives and concubines, one has to wonder if he didn’t have frequent lapses in judgment.

Zacharias & Elisabeth, parents of John the Baptist – Every parent dreams of having a child that God would single out and use. It is such a heady thing to go out into the community and have everyone know that ‘your child’ was chosen by God to serve a mighty purpose. Zacharias was an important man in the church; Elisabeth was barren and too old to conceive. Yet, they were blessed by God. Their son was chosen to be the front runner for Jesus … an awesome responsibility and blessing; but I’ve often wondered what Zacharias & Elisabeth thought about their blessing when he grew to be a man in the wilderness, eating locus & wild honey. As they went about the community, among the ‘church folk’, do you think they may have wanted to slide into the shadows of obscurity at least occasionally? It’s not easy being the parent of a child that thinks and acts outside the norm. Do you wonder if Zacharias & Elisabeth ever turned to each other and said, ‘He takes after your side of the family’?

I hate cutting things off in the middle, but I’m out of time. I want to explore this thinking further over the next few days. God has really been teaching me so much about what it means to be blessed by Him.

Have a wonderful night, and may the Lord bless you.

Rough Few Days

Fresh baked bread on the counter cooling, my third batch of apples in the slow cooker to be made into apple butter tomorrow, and all is right with the world … well almost.

Do you get the feeling some days that it’s just going to be one of those life times? I had a tooth pulled almost two weeks ago. The aftermath of the ordeal is still giving me grief. For future reference, NEVER have a tooth pulled before a major holiday, such as Thanksgiving. By the time I realized there was going to be a problem, the holiday weekend had started and the dentist office was closed. Dry socket is difficult in the short-term, but over a four day weekend, it gets to be a little much. Excederine Migraine medicine is truly one of the best drugs on the market today. Without it, I don’t know how I could have coped.

To make a long story short, Monday the dentist packed the hole, and the day was spent waiting for the pain to ease. Tuesday I was starting to come back into it. I processed some apple butter and made the first real supper in many days. As we sat down to eat, the packing came out. Back to the dentist on Wednesday … same long day. By this morning, I was coming back into it again. While I was waiting to put the bread in the oven and start carving up more apples, I noticed that the packing in my mouth was acting like it was trying to come out again. Now the tooth that originally occupied that hole had been irritating me off and on for quite a while now. But if I had known that taking it out was going to turn into such an ordeal, I would have kept it.

Suffice to say I’m cutting this very short tonight and I covet your prayers. I should be back up and going again soon. But until then, have a wonderful night and may the Lord bless you.

Black Friday

As I sit at my desk in my little room downstairs, I’m listening to the rain and thinking about how nice it is to be inside, warm & content. The weather alerts keep popping up to tell me that the cold weather is on it’s way and indicating that the rain will more than likely turn to ice before it’s all said & done. But for the moment, I don’t care. There are cares around every corner, trouble just outside our four walls, and heartaches a mere phone call away … but for right now, we have given our cares and concerns to the Lord and the world can’t touch us.

I was reading earlier about how a woman in Clarksville, Tennessee had been trampled by other shoppers at a ToysRUs ® store. My first thought was – and we wonder why God is going to chastise this country! Back when I was a kid and families would get together over the Thanksgiving weekend. The men would often watch sports or go fishing/hunting together. The women would either sit around chatting or go down to the mall for some group shopping on Friday. (Men hunt one way - Women hunt another!) Both groups would have a relaxing day with family & friends. Later they would gather around the supper table for leftovers and cards. In the 80’s that all seemed to change. Remember the Cabbage Patch Dolls ®? The obsessive frenzies in acquiring these ugly stuffed dolls was making news all over the world. People were shocked and horrified at the idea of people going insane over buying a child’s toy. Not anymore. Every year it’s the same thing. Stories of mobs, riots, and carnage rarely even make it to the newspapers unless someone dies. And we wonder why God is going to chastise this country! Let’s see … selfishness, greed, waste of God-given resources … the list goes on and on. Whenever I let my guard down and start looking at the ads for gifts for family & friends, I read something like this and get slapped back into reality. NO! The celebration of the birth of Christ is not going to be tainted by selfish commercialism! My Lord did not come to earth to live & die for this. I have again resolved to boycott black Friday and all non-essential shopping between now and New Years day. I encourage you to look at yourself, at your lifestyle, and consider doing the same. I’m aware that the economy of our country is in the toilet and that the spreading of the wealth through the plazas and malls is considered a patriotic gesture on our parts … but the economy can be bolstered just as well by stepping up to the plate and paying our bills and providing for the needs of our neighbors. Someone lied and convinced us that our children will be emotionally scared if they didn’t find the latest contraption under the tree on Christmas morning. We bought into that lie – hook, line, and sinker. If only we/they would be contented with just 1 contraption. Commercials and advertisements have shamed us into believing that the entire room must be filled with boxes stacked on top of boxes filled with expensive gifts to be assured a merry Christmas for one and all.

Honey and I were talking about this the other night and I made a prediction. For the next six weeks, watch and see if the crime rate in the United States doesn’t go up to record setting numbers. With between 20 & 25 percent of our workforce unemployed, theft will skyrocket everywhere. Food and essentials will only be a small portion of the items stolen. People will feel so pressured to provide ‘christmas’ for their families that what can’t be stolen and recycled under their own trees will be sold on the black market for cash. I suspect Craigslist & ebay will be full of ‘new’ gift-giving items just in time for Christmas. There will probably be more violent acts and suicides committed due to the enormous pressure and frustration people will be feeling due to the ‘need’ to provide stuff. And Christians will not be immune from any of this.

Folks, have we truly gotten to this point? Have we let the lies of the world into our homes to the point where we have bastardized the birth of Jesus? Christians, we’re as bad as everyone else! Children are dying all around the world for lack of food, shelter, and clean water while someone is getting trampled at a ToysRUs ® store!!!

Gone are the days of leisurely shopping with the girls. Gone are the days of saving the spare change all year to buy a simple doll out of the Sears & Robuck catalog and selling a hog to buy shoes for the kids. Gone is the innocence of “Silent Night, Holy Night”.

I know that my little boycott won’t make any difference to the stores down at the plaza. But God and I will know. That’s all that matters anyway. Oh by the way, I have one of those ugly dolls on a shelf in my little room. A woman that my Aunt used to work with made it by hand years ago.

Have a good night, and may the Lord bless you.

My Pastor

What a glorious day! It's been unseasonably warm for November around these parts. By this time the ground is usually frozen and snow everywhere. These mild temperatures are truly heaven sent, and we are so thankful!

I’m in love with my pastor. How many women would confess that? Just to clarify things … my husband is my pastor. My pastor doesn’t work just a couple days a week. He's on duty 24/7. It’s not uncommon to have ‘church’ at supper, over morning coffee, and during our trips to town to buy groceries.

I’ve commented in the past how our church service generally has a congregation of one – me. Well, this past Sunday my Pastor provided me a written version of his sermon to post on Sojourner2Heaven. I don’t often double post, but I wanted to share it with you as well. Keep in mind, this is a much shorter version than the one I heard.

After being up most of last night, due to having a tooth pulled yesterday, I'm going to turn today's post over to my Mountain Man while I slip back into a semi-conscious state. And by the way, if you happen to find any typos ... blame the editior. She's not real 'with it' today.

The Closing Act

The Scriptures warn of how life will be as the end of this age draws to a close. In the book of Revelation it warns how if these times are not shortened even the elect would fall. Some say that refers to those who come to the Lord after the rapture and others say it speaks to now. In either case I think the Bible is clear. We are living at the end of this age.

I have become so disillusioned with the "church". Very few in my area seem willing to address what I feel should be screamed from the rooftops. Repent!! The Lord is returning soon and is even at the door. Christians should be focused on two things, Get right with the Lord and reaching the lost. This should be the urgent message to all.

I listen with huge disappointment to Christian media and I cannot believe the time and money spent to bring messages of everything from seeking God's blessings (money) to weight loss. Selling self-help books on Christian living and trying to understand your child and how to manage your money, and how to get out of debt. The list goes on and yet the answers are all in the book, the Bible!

Where is the fire? Where are the leaders who preach salvation and admonishment and lead Bible studies on serving the Lord and living for Christ? All the answers to life's questions are in the scriptures.

It is no wonder that a so-called Christian nation has voted into office a government that stands in complete rebellion of everything Jesus stands for. But the Bible foretold all that is happening now. The hard times that await this country have to come to pass for the antichrist, that is waiting in the wings, to appear on the world's stage. The Bible tells how mankind will wax worse and worse, lovers of self, liars and adulterers. Having a form of Godliness without believing the power thereof. The scriptures are clear that the entire world will come against Israel. This nation, until now, has always stood in defense of the nation of Israel; but that stand has been steadily withdrawn for more than a decade until we now have a government that opposes Israel.

Wake up people! We are NOT going to change Washington. As Christians we may be fortunate enough to escape the total collapse of the United States, but we will not change it. Christians need to focus on our primary cause. Reaching the lost for Christ. This should be our only focus, no ... DRIVE, in life. The church should be screaming at the top of its collective lungs to get the Love of Christ out there to the lost souls of this world.

Yes, feeding the hungry, clothes for the needy, these are all part of showing the Love of Christ to a lost world. Losing weight, understanding your teenager, and living in prosperity are not. The proper way to raise children and care for the temple and manage finances is all in God's Holy word. Buying more and more self help books is a waste of the resources God Blessed us with when people around the world are stepping into eternity every day without the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

There is one book with all the answers to life's problems. It does not need rewording, repackaging, or costly seminars to understand it. Read God's word with a sincere heart, for hearing God's will for our lives is all it takes. $30 for a good Bible and a pastor who is on fire for the Lord and not afraid to lead according to God's word and you have all you need in the self-help category.

On that day when I see Jesus, I want to hear Him say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter now into the rest of your Lord". Do you want also to hear Him say this to you? Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this is the time for which we were born. Join me now and let's work the harvest. A Holy harvest for our Lord and Savior. Now is the time, and the workers are few. Lets reach out, in His love, to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

Simply walking in faith, Ray

Everyone have a good day, and may the Lord bless you.