Seed Time and Harvest

Austin at The Foundry Community Center
To learn more about the Foundry Rescue and Recovery Ministry visit:
www.thefoundryonline.org

Jesus said,  "...wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest!" (John 4:35)

       

         On Thursdays, I get to study the Bible with 60 plus men, women, and children at The Foundry Community Center in Bessemer, Alabama. In September, six precious souls raised their hands expressing their desire to receive God's free gift of eternal life and forgiveness of sin through faith in Jesus Christ. It's harvest time in Bessemer!

        Jesus commissions Christians to labor in the fields of the world - some to sow seeds, others to water, and yet others to reap the harvest. Go to the fields, dear followers of Lord Jesus, and work until He comes!

"They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest." Psalm 126:6

        Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
            Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
        Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
        We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves! 1

1BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES. Knowles Shaw, 1874

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Happy Birthday, Hot Rod!

Memaw and Granddaddy's little Hot-Rod, 2007

"The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God's grace was on Him." 
(Luke 2:40)

          Happy 8th Birthday, 
               Hot Rod!!!

     Eight years old! WOW! It seems like yesterday that your mom, dad, granddaddy, and I were taking turns holding you all through the night because you slept only if you were snuggled up in our arms.
      God has given you amazing gifts and talents. You are an incredible builder! Even at two and three years old, you blew our minds with your seemingly impossible creations. 
       I'm so grateful that you are growing up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord - learning to love and obey Jesus. I hope you will always hold your memaw's hand; but more importantly, I fervently pray that you will forever hold tightly to the hand of Jesus! I love you sooooooooo much!
                                                                                          Memaw
   

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Ordinary to Extraordinary

Frison Chapel 

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself." 
(Matt. 22:38-39)

       In Jesus's goodness and glory, sometimes He graciously pours an extraordinary blessing onto an ordinary day as we go about our ordinary routine. He did that for my family once upon a summertime in 1997.
           On a hot July afternoon, I loaded the kids in the van and dashed to a neighboring subdivision to pick up another teenager for football practice. As we passed a tiny church on the edge of that neighborhood, the Lord said, "Jill, I want you to paint that church!"
           At supper that night, I told my husband and children what I believed I'd heard. Phillip wisely advised, "Jill, you can't just walk up and start painting a church. You need to ask permission."
           After several calls, I located Joseph, Frison Chapel's pastor at that time, who told me that he and his wife, Mary, had been praying for months for someone to come help! (Yes, Mary and Joseph - can you believe it!)     

Work day at Miss Mattie's, 1999
L-R Dan, Ben, and Phillip

          Within an hour after we started painting the chapel, enthusiastic people from their congregation joined in on the fun, and among those wonderful parishioners were two godly saints: Mattie B. Taylor and her brother Fred Cross.
         We grew to love our Miss Mattie and Mr. Fred like family, and our children's lives were deeply enriched by an extra set of grandparents sent straight from heaven!

Miss Mattie (in her 90s) and Rebecca, 2000

        As you go about your ordinary days in ordinary ways, please listen for the sweet voice of Jesus. He may just drop an extraordinary gift into your life if you'll trust and obey!    

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Possibilities

L-R Ben, Rhett, Rebecca, April, and Dan
Shenandoah National Park, 2001

"When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went away rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea." (Acts 8:39-40)

    "With people it is impossible, but not with God..." (Mark 10:27a)

     The Glasscos and McKenzies met in 1984 and instantly became fast friends forever. In 2006, I told Rhett about my "impossible prayer list" - things I was asking God for that were possible only through Him. Rhett asked, "Miss Jill, would you please put me on that impossible prayer list, and ask God to help me meet this year the girl I'm going to marry?"
     Months passed, December ended, and a new year began with no new girls in Rhett's life. He said, "I guess God said no to my impossible request." 
      HOWEVER, only a few months later, he and Lauren - a girl he'd known since middle school - began dating and were married in 2008. God had already answered Rhett's prayer before it was even spoken! For their wedding gift, we gave them a beautifully framed rendition of Matthew 19:26 which reads:
                "....but with God all things are possible."

     Bring to Jesus your list of impossibilities. Who knows, Almighty God may have already set into to motion the circumstances to make your dreams come true!

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My Hilarious Faux Pas

Miss Spindle (me) and Sweet William, senior play, 1974

"Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes."
(Proverbs 19:2)

     You've probably heard the old saying "think before you speak." Well, yesterday, I undoubtedly spoke before I thought.
      In preparing for my first radio interview to promote Secrets of Shiloh, I had predetermined in my mind that when the show host said, "Good morning" that I would respond with an enthusiastic "And good morning to you!"
      But that shrewd man "tricked" me by saying instead, "Welcome to the show!" And before I knew it, with great haste and no forethought, the ridiculous words "Welcome to you!" spewed from my lips! It was hilarious!!! The poor guy probably thought what kind of cuckoo bird am I interviewing today?

    SO....I encourage you to always think before you speak or perhaps, better yet, say nothing at all! "For even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered, wise (Prov. 17:28). James, the half brother of Jesus, wisely taught, "be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger" (James 1:19). 
     And if you make a mess of your words like I did, I hope you will laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and then learn from your mistake.

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Biblical Parenting

My Rebecca and friend, Nikki, 1998

"It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes understanding to make it strong. " (Prov. 24:3)

        As a teenager, my daughter was passionate about the homeless, the outcast, and bringing the world to Jesus but just a bit apathetic when it came to cleaning up her own bedroom. One day while she was at school, I stepped into her "space" only to find clothes heaped on the floor, on the bed, under the bed, on her desk...you get the picture. As I planned, in my frustration, the dire consequences that I would heap upon my "Miss Messy's" head, the Holy Spirit whispered, "I have a wiser plan."
        At His instructions, I left this note for Rebecca:

         Help, Help! Please have mercy upon us! We are homeless
         and would appreciate any shelter you could offer - a drawer,
         a closet, even a dirty-laundry basket! Please, please won't
         you help us!!!!
                                                                                Your clothes
                                                                                                                  
         With a smile on her face (and in her mama's heart), Rebecca cleaned her room that very afternoon. 

          Need some godly, helpful, wise parenting advice with your toddler, child, or teen? Listen to Pastor Chris Hodges' excellent sermon "Biblical Parenting" at www.churchofthehighlands.com 

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Weeds in My Garden

My neglected garden

"But seek first (God's) kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matt. 6:33)

       I planned to weed my neglected garden on this beautiful fall day, but during our visit this morning, God gave me my "to do" list:

1. Tell My story again to your dear friend in Japan and pray for her
2. Start writing that next storybook (you've been dragging your feet, Jill)
3. Call your cousin and sing Happy Birthday (I'm really supposed to sing, Lord?? Yes, Jill, make a joyful noise!)
4. Write notes of encouragement to your prayer partner and your uncle
5. Finish shopping for your grandson's birthday
6. Follow up on Phillip's advice (you know what I'm talking about)
7. And then, you may weed that garden

       Yes, Sir! What joy it is to serve You, my Lord and Master!

       Which "to do" list are you working on today? Yours or God's?

"Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it if for us to understand His decisions and His ways! For who can know the Lord's thoughts? Who knows enough to give Him advice? And who has given Him so much that He needs to pay it back? For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory! All glory to Him forever! Amen and amen!!!" (Rom. 11:33-36)

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Seeds

My sweet mother-in-law holding luscious fruit from her garden,
late 1980s

"Now (God) who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply  and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness." (2 Cor. 9:10)

         My parents-in-law were master gardeners. For many years, we enjoyed the delicious fruits of their labor.
         In John 15, Jesus taught that He is the vine and that Father God is the Master Gardener. Years ago, our heavenly Father planted a seed of love-for-His-Word in my heart. The seed grew and bore fruit. And within that fruit are guess what: multiple seeds to sow in the Father's fields!
          Today, I labor, with joy, on the Lord's Triple "B" Farm:
                    - Bible studies, Books, and a Blog -
sowing seeds of His powerful, everlasting Word.

          As you journey through life, what seeds are you sowing in your family, your friends, your workplace, your community? Seeds unto eternal life or corruption? "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life!" (Gal. 6:7-8)

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Overcoming Fear

Our granddog, Lucy (photo by Rebecca)

             "For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
                        but of power, 
                                 and of love, 
                                         and a sound mind!"
                                                    (2 Tim. 1:7 NKJ)

        Summer of 2012, Phillip and I volunteered to keep our granddog, Lucy, while my daughter's family went on vacation. Even though she was in the shade, in a spacious pen with plenty of food and water, Lucy cried and cried and cried when her family left her behind. Several times, I went outside to reassure her that she was okay and that her family would come back soon.
        Finally, the crying stopped, so I assumed that the pitiful pup had settled down and gone to sleep. But when I went to check, Lucy was gone! We later learned that she had heard children playing across the lake behind our house, wiggled under the fencing and swam all the way across the lake to those children (probably thinking they were her boys and girl).
         When we told Rebecca and Stephen the story, Stephen said, "But Lucy hates water!"

         Ambrose Redmoon once said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the judgment that something else is more important than fear." I like better what the Lord said: "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isa. 41:10). 
          Therefore, I pray that we will all learn to courageously overcome fear by trusting, with great confidence, that our all-powerful God is with us and will help us!

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My Funny Girl

Our beautiful, funny Rebecca

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy." (Psalm 126:2a)

Smile for the day:

      Even after my children were in college, I still went to the doctor with them. On one of those visits, a sweet nurse handed my daughter a "specimen" cup and simply said, "Go to the end of the hall."

      Naive Rebecca said, "Thank you!" and then proceeded to to the water fountain beside the restroom. When she came back drinking from the cup, the nurse almost fainted and sputtered, "What are you doing???" 

     We laughed until we cried. Later, Rebecca said, "I wondered how she knew I was thirsty!"

     The point of this story? Just to add a little joy to your day (and if someone hands you a cup - never assume!) HA!

             "A joyful heart

                   is good medicine,

                        but a broken spirit,

                           dries up the bones."

                                       (Prov. 17:22) 

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He Leadeth Me

This weekend's Gulf of Mexico, Fort Morgan Beach, Alabama

                       
                       "He leadeth me! O blessed tho't!
                                O words with heav'nly comfort fraught!
                        Whate'er I do, where'er, I be, 
                                Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me!" 1

       When Phillip asked the Lord what to give me for our anniversary this year, the Lord answered with a grand idea: a romantic beach get-away. Thank You, Lord!!! Thank you, Phillip!!! 

      Jesus, our loving and caring Great Shepherd, will lead us beside quiet waters and guide us down paths of righteousness (Psalm 23) if we will follow Him. But Jesus also said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23).
      I'm realizing more and more how extremely, much more "self" I have yet to deny! 

      Dear Lord Jesus,
              For me to follow you daily, You must increase and I must
      decrease (John 3:30). Please help me, Lord.
                                                                             Amen and amen!
                                                                              

1HE LEADETH ME! O BLESSED THOUGHT. Words, Joseph H. Gilmore, 1862. Tune, William B. Bradbury, 1864.

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Loyal Friend

Our granddog, Gabe

"But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to Me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of the land." 
(Numbers 14:23-25)

     "Loyalty" is the foundation of the old proverb "a dog is a man's best friend." Just look at Gabe. As soon as Dan got on the 4-wheeler, this 90-pound friend-that-sticks-closer-than-a-brother hopped in his lap, because the desire of his heart is to stay close to his master.

     In the book of Numbers, the Lord commanded Moses, "Send 12 men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give you." Forty days later, the spies returned reporting a beautiful land flowing with milk and honey where a single cluster of grapes had to be carried on a pole between 2 men! "But, nevertheless," they said, "the people are strong, the cities are fortified, and we saw giants! Woe is me; we are surely done for!"
     Yet loyal Caleb believed God and shouted, "We should by all means go up and take possession of the land! For we will surely overcome it, because the Lord God Himself will certainly bring us into the land!"
     The book of Joshua (the only other spy who, along with Caleb, believed what God said more than what he saw) records that forty-five years later, at the age of 85, Caleb took the hill country of the promised land - the place of the giants and fortified cities - because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully! 
     As to the other 10 spies? Their corpses lay in the desert sands of fear and unbelief.

      WARNING! Do NOT allow fear and unbelief to cause you to miss the promised blessings of God. Stick to the Lord like glue, be His loyal friend, and then follow your Master into the promised land!

     

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Relentless Love

Our Jamesly in Haiti, 1998 (World Vision Ministries) 

"Jesus prayed, 'O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.'" 
(John 17:25-26)

     I'm reading Katie Davis' New York Times bestseller Kisses from Katie. O my! Through her incredible story of relentless love, God has gripped my heart and won't let go.
     Katie journaled:
     "Sometimes working in a Third World country makes me feel like I am emptying the ocean with an eyedropper. And just when I  have about half a cup full of water it rains: more orphaned children...more abandoned...babies...more people infected with HIV...love is the reason I just keep filling up my little eyedropper, keep filling it up and emptying my ocean one drop at a time. I'm not here to eliminate poverty, to eradicate disease, to put a stop to people abandoning babies. I'm just here to love."

    God doesn't call everyone to Uganda, Africa, but He does call everyone. Today, let us relentlessly carry out the purpose to which we are called: love, love, love people!

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Encourager

Our children and friends on Robin Hood Lane,
 ready for school, 1990

"And Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet." (Acts 4:36-37)

     Life comes in seasons. One very special season for my family fell between 1989 and 1993 when we lived on Robin Hood Lane in Pine Bluff, AR. Even though 20 years have passed, Monday night, one of those beloved, former neighbors emailed this most encouraging note:

     "Secrets of Shiloh finally arrived on my door today. Congratulations on such a well written book! I've anxiously read every word and will do so again to grasp well all the truths you've presented and to ponder your questions more fully. We discussed in Sunday School recently what a parable is - the definition being, an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Seems that is just what you have written..."

     Thank you, Sissie, for being a timely "Barnabas" to me!!!

     Today, let's all follow Barnabas and Sissie's examples:  encourage one another and build each other up! (1 Thess. 5:11)

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One Heart

"They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them."
(Jer. 32:38-39)


"My beloved is mine and I am his..." Song of Solomon 2:16

Senior Prom, 1974

"May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." 

Song of Solomon 1:2

Wedding Day, September 10, 1977

"For your love is better than wine." Song of Solomon 1:2

Our Family, 1987

"How handsome you are, my beloved!" Song of Solomon 1:16

Rebecca's Wedding Day, 2004

"Where you go, I will go." Ruth 1:16

Ben's Wedding Day, Honduras 2008

"Your people shall be my people." Ruth 1:16

Dan and Mandy's ceremony 2009

"Your God shall be my God." Ruth 1:16

The Phillip Glassco Family, 2013

"How beautiful is your love!" Song of Solomon 4:10


Happy 36th Wedding Anniversary, Superman!

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Perfect Timing

My Dan's USMC Graduation, Parris Island, 2004

"'It shall be WHEN you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, THEN you shall act promptly. for then the Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.' Then David did so, just as the Lord had commanded him..." (2 Sam. 5:24-25a)

     In 2004, from the sideline bleachers of the Parris Island drill field, we sat in awe of the company of new Marines who, after only weeks of training, executed a step-perfect march in flawless timing.
     Just as David inquired of the Lord before EVERY battle, we must inquire of the Lord before

Illustration from Secrets of Shiloh

EVERY step of our endeavors. For two weeks, I've held back submitting a questionnaire to my Secrets of Shiloh publicist until today, when I believe the Lord said, "NOW!"
          God's plans are great, His instructions are worthy to be obeyed, and His timing is always, always perfect. What's on your "to do" list today? NEVER assume. Inquire of the Lord! Then move in His perfect timing!

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Jail Break!

Auburn University BSU Choir Tour 1975
L- R Ben Polidoro, me, and my brother, Mark

"They laid hands on the apostles and put them in public jail. But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 'Go, stand, and speak to the people...this whole message of this Life (in Jesus Christ)!'" 
(Acts 5:18-19)


       After recently coming to the heart-wrenching realization that someone I love dearly is literally imprisoned by her fears, I began praying fervently for her rescue. Very soon, I believe the Lord answered, "Jill, I'm planning a jail break! In the meantime, encourage her to do three things:
      1. Do what Paul did when he was imprisoned: 
           a. Write letters of encouragement to others, 
           b. Pray for others, and 
           c. Sing praises to the Lord.
      2. Start a project - something to work toward.
      3. Plan something to look forward to."

       Just as Satan tried to use the Roman government to stop the apostles from telling the good news of Jesus Christ, Satan uses FEAR to imprison servants of Jesus and tries to stop them from fulfilling God's call to be His witnesses. "But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Cor. 15:58)
       Are you imprisoned behind those seemingly impenetrable bars of Fear Penitentiary? Seek the Lord NOW! and He will answer you, and deliver you from ALL your fears! (Psalm 34:5) And as you wait on Him for your jail break, write someone a letter of encouragement today, pray for others today, and sing praises to our living God today!

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Walking Home

I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger.      

"Generations" - my parents leading their granddaughters - 1994

I'm traveling through    this world of woe.
Yet there's no sickness, toil nor danger
In that bright world to which I go...

I'm going there to meet my Savior.
To sing His praise forevermore!
I'm just a going over Jordan,
I'm just a going over home. 1

     This past summer, we toured Bluesprings Caverns with our grandkids. Located in Lawrence County, Indiana, this cave is the longest subterranean river in the United States with 21 miles of surveyed passages and 3 miles of navigable river. As we floated along the underground waterway, our guide, Aaron, piped a mesmerizing tune on his native American flute.

     As soon as we returned to Alabama, I ordered a beautifully hand-crafted, cedar, Sparrow Hawk flute from Arizona and yesterday,"mastered" the old folk hymn "I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger".

     As this old world becomes increasingly laden with woes, take courage Jesus-people, "for this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come! Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name. And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God!" (Heb. 13:14-16 NLT)

"Now may the God of peace - who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with His blood - may He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen!" (Heb. 13:20-21 NLT)


1 I AM A POOR WAYFARING STRANGER. American spiritual/folk song. Early 1800s.

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Victory!

My Dan at Parris Island, 2004

"but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers (and sisters) be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord!" 
(1 Cor. 15:57-58)

           If you asked me who I look to as my mentor, I'd quickly answer, "Evelyn Baskin!" My Miss Evelyn is a beautiful, wise, African-American lady about one generation ahead of me in age.
          Yesterday, I asked, "Miss Evelyn, what is God telling you these days?"
          Without hesitation, she said, "God is talking to me about the young women. So many of them are not strong in the Lord as they should be. And when things get hard, they want to quit. They're not willing to go through the struggle. Even Jesus Himself learned obedience from the things He suffered (Heb. 5:8). So I tell them, 'Don't pray for easy; pray for victory!' Because, if you commit your battle to prayer, God will move! It may not be today or tomorrow. It may not be next year or the next. But God will give the victory!"

          Amen and amen! What's become hard in your life - your marriage? your job? your kids? Don't give up! Be willing to go through the struggle. Learn obedience. Commit that hard place to God in prayer. And thanks be to God who will give you the victory through Jesus!
                                                                   

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BOLD!!

My Gabbi and my Ben

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most!" ( Heb. 4:16)


        For Labor Day, we picnicked with our our boys and their wives down at our farm on the Coosa River. For fun, we shot at targets with a crossbow. 

        (I'm in a hurry this morning to get to Bible studies, so this is the only picture I could quickly come up with for "BOLD". HA!)

        Dr. Henrietta Mears once said, "God is the source of love, Christ is the proof of love, service is the expression of love, and BOLDNESS is the outcome of love." The more we know God; the more we trust Him. The more we trust God; the more we love Him. The more we love Him; the more confidence we have in Him to BOLDLY run to Him for help in time of need.

Today, in our love for the Lord God, let us BOLDLY come to His throne and find the help we need! Then, "we will BOLDLY say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.'" ( Heb. 13:6)

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New Life

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect!" (Rom. 12:2 NLT)

         Yesterday, I saw so many butterflies along the Coosa River bank - all sizes and colors from small to large, pumpkin orange to sunshine yellow. This lovely blue lady graciously posed long enough for me to snap her photograph. It's hard to believe this beautiful creature once was a creepy-crawly caterpillar!

          Second Corinthians 5:17 says that "anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 

Today, as believers in Jesus Christ, may we no longer crawl around in the dark sins of the world, but choose to spread our wings and fly in the righteous power of new life in Christ Jesus!

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