One-Way Ticket to Heaven!

"Baptism"
(That's her daddy, by the way)

"Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a Lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ!" (1 Peter 1:18-19)

           This precious, little girl has a one-way ticket to heaven - not purchased by her daddy, but bought by the blood of the Son of God: Jesus Christ!

"For the life of every creature is its blood." (Lev. 17:13-14)

"The wages of sin is death." (Rom. 6:23)

"According to the Law...all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Heb. 9:22)

"Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him." (Luke 22:63)

"After twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head...They spat on Him...and began to beat Him on the head." (Matt. 27:29-30)

"When they came to the place called 'The Skull', there they crucified Him..." (Luke 23:33)

"But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." (John 19:34)

"In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." (Eph. 1:7)

"From Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father - to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever! Amen!" (Rev. 1:5-6)

Got your ticket to heaven? Pick up the phone of faith and call 

J-E-S-U-S!!!

"Jesus said to him, 'I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" (John 14:6)

"heavenly sunset" at Chancellor Ferry Farm - photo by Ben

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Impossibilities!

"spiderweb" - photo by my Rebecca

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?...When the morning stars sang together...Or who enclosed the sea with doors when, bursting forth, it went out from the womb...And I placed boundaries on it and set a bolt and doors, and I said, 'Thus far you shall come but no farther; and here shall your proud waves stop'...Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, and caused the dawn to know its place...Can you lift your voice to the clouds, so that an abundance of water will cover you? Can you send forth lightnings that they may go...Do you give the horse his mane?...Do you make him leap with the locust...Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, stretching his wings toward the south?" (Job 38:4-39:26)

"Jesus said to them, 'With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible!" (Matt. 19:26)

         Is it not totally mind-boggling, astounding, wondrous, and amazingly inconceivable to you that a spider - an eight-legged, air-breathing arthropod - can extrude proteinaceous silk from its  tiny body and create an intricately woven cobweb? Almighty God purposefully parades His miracles before us each day - enticing His children to seek Him for the impossible!

           Over the years, I've witnessed our omnipotent Lord transform impossibilities into realities: lost as a goose to saved and justified, prodigals to Christ followers, near divorces to blossoming marriages, failures to paramount successes, singles to grooms or brides, sick to healthy, loss of jobs to better jobs...

            Does the solution to your problem appear impossible? Seek the One who commands the morning, sends forth the lightning, authors spiderwebs, and is able to do the impossible for you!

"I AM the Lord, and anyone who trusts in Me will not be disappointed!" (Isa. 49:23)

"cherry blossoms" photo by my Rebecca

             

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Times of Refreshing

Mama and her ducklings 

"Therefore repent and return...

My foot-loose and fancy free grand-princess

so that your sins may be wiped away...

"Bluebirds" photo by my Rebecca

in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord!" (Acts 3:19)

       One day, many years ago as the mother of three, whining preschoolers, I totally lost my temper and yelled, "Shut up!" Immediately, I was drenched with God's conviction from the crown of my head to the tips of my toenails, and those angry words have never crossed my lips again.

           After King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, he penned, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me...Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:2,10,12).

           At the sound of the rooster's crow, Peter went out and wept in bitter repentance for denying Jesus three times. Afterwards,   however, Jesus used Peter to build His church!

           Rev. C. H. Kilmer once said, "Repentance was perhaps best defined by a small girl, 'It's to be sorry enough to quit.'"

         When the children of God sin, we are made sorrowful by the Holy Spirit of God, according to the will of God, for the purpose of repentance and restoration. "If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

          Got sin? Confess, repent, and be free! Ahhhhhhh...sweet  times of refreshing in the presence of the Lord!

"Butterfly" - photo by my Rebecca

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Taking Back

                                                                                      ^
My Dan, 2004
(Parris Island, US Marine Corps)

The Lord God said, "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given to you...Be strong and courageous...for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!" (Joshua 1:3,9)

        The book of Joshua is the story of how God, to whom the whole earth belongs, at one stage in the history of redemption reconquered a portion of the earth from the powers of the world that had claimed it for themselves."1 With Moses in the grave, the Lord commissioned Joshua, "Arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them."

         In Acts 26, Jesus Christ commissioned a Pharisee named Saul, "Get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness...to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God!"

         In 2006, while ironing in my prodigal child's bedroom, I heard God's commissioning via Ron Hutchcraft's message on Christian radio: "Take Back What the Enemy Stole!" 

         Ladies and gentlemen, all around us, that great dragon, the old serpent who is called the devil, holds captive that which belongs to God - entire communities, neighborhoods, or perhaps even our own children! It's high time to arise, go forth in Jesus name, and in the power of His love, set the captives free! Amen? Amen!
    

1 Zondervan: NASB Study Bible, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999), 271.

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Faith: Our Pathway to Promises

my grands last Saturday

"For indeed we have good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them because it was not united with faith in those who heard." (Heb. 4:2)

         For my grandchildren, Saturday's sunshine and mild temperatures were a welcomed respite from the blanket of snow, which had shrouded the landscape for weeks. Even though snow returned on Sunday, they stand firm in unwavering faith that spring will indeed come!

          Almighty God liberated the children of Israel from the shackles of Egypt, made them a dust trail through the Red Sea, and promised them a beautiful land flowing with milk and honey. Yet, those unbelieving Hebrews failed to secure the good news with faith.
         Andrew Murray wrote: "the land was waiting: the rest was provided; God Himself would bring them in and give them rest. One thing was lacking; they did not believe, and so did not yield themselves to God to do it for them what He had promised. Unbelief closes the heart against God, withdraws the life from God's power; in the very nature of things unbelief renders the word of promise of none effect."1

         I continue to write storybooks not because I've seen exorbitant success, but because the Master has said, "Don't get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time, you will reap a harvest of blessing if you don't give up" (Gal. 6:9)
         Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." What wonderful things await you if you will only unite faith with the promises of God?

"Little faith will bring your souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your souls."  ~Charles Spurgeon~

 God promised "as long as the earth remains, there will be seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter,
and day and night shall not cease" (Gen. 8:22).

1 Andrew Murray, The Holiest of All (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1996), 144.  
         

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One of Those Days

"Crazy" Glassco Family, Christmas 2013

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ!" (1 Peter 1:3,6-7)

        Yesterday was one of those days. We've all had them - a crazy day when not one or two, but everything seems to go a-rye. My day began with our furnace breaking down. Next, we traveled to the hospital for the team meeting with my doctors to map out the cancer treatment plan. (I had envisioned gathering around a conference table talking. AU CONTRAIRE! Instead, the doctors gathered around half-naked me to see what they could see.) And then at the end of our taxing day, my sweet husband who had flown home all night from California with no sleep and a history of blood clots, his leg began to swell.

        Are you in a season of those days - storm-tossed and not comforted? Let us take valuable instruction from Hebrews 3:1 - "Holy brethren (and "sisteren") partakers of a heavenly calling, [be still and] consider Jesus!" 
         Dr. David Jeremiah recently wrote: "Whatever's going on in your life, you have a Great High Priest seated on the throne of majesty at the right hand of God, making intercession for you. He sympathizes with your infirmities, identifies with your temptations, prays over your distresses, and dispenses grace and mercy in time of need. He brings your cares to the attention of the Father, and sends His Holy Spirit to support your fainting heart. He gives His Word, keeps His promises, strengthens His children, and readies heaven for our use!"

Ahhhhhhh, the peace of God...thank You, Lord Jesus!!!

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Window into the Womb

Colton Alexander Glassco
Estimated date of arrival: May 17, 2014

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations!" (Jer. 1:5)


My precious little Colt,
        This is Memaw! You don't know me yet, but I know you! Your little heart cannot fathom the depth of love I have for you, and I'm so very eager to hold you in my arms.
         Every morning, I ask Jesus to make you strong and healthy in body, soul, and spirit so you will grow to be a mighty man of God. You haven't met Jesus yet either, but I'm confident that you will! One day you will understand and believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only way to abundant life on earth and eternal, never-ending life in heaven. I  promise I will do my best to do my duty to introduce you to Jesus as quickly as possible!
          Colton Alexander, I pray that you will love the Lord Jesus with all your heart, willingly obey His voice, and always hold fast to Him - for this is your life! I pray that you will serve Him with your whole heart and a steadfast mind, completing the work He has marked out for you to do for His great glory!
          The Lord has given us the miracle of peeking at you in the womb, but your family in the United States and Honduras can't wait till May to see you face to face! See you soon, li'l un!
                                                                I love you SO much!
                                                                          Memaw 

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The Last Hour

Greenfield Village
(photo taken on childhood family vacation, 1967)

                "Children, it is the last hour..." (1 John 2:18)


          During summer vacation in 1967, my family stepped back into American history at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. From Thomas Edison's Menlo Park laboratory, to the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law, to the workshop where the Wright brothers invented the airplane, we revisited determined lives of men and women who persevered through hardships, fulfilled their destinies, and helped shape a nation.

          Since I teach Bible studies, sometimes I'm asked, "Do you believe man is living in the last days?" 
          "Most definitely," I reply, "because Scripture defines 'the last days' as that period of time between Christ's first and second coming." 
           In 1 John, Jesus's beloved friend, John, heightened the urgency of today in writing: "Children, it is the last hour!"
           If you knew Jesus would return in one hour, what would you do? Ask for His free gift of eternal life? Confess sins? Tell someone the good news of Jesus Christ? Ask for someone's forgiveness? Tell someone you love them? Whatever you would do, why not do it today?

"We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when on one can work." (John 9:4)
           

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Because I Said So!

"Babygrands" - Easter 2011

"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses...Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life! And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land..." (Deut. 30:19-20)

        When our children ask, "Why???, most of us parents have at one time or another answered, "Because I said so!" (I remember saying, "You don't have to agree, you don't have to understand, but you do have to obey!")

        According to Deuteronomy 20, God sets before each of us life or death, blessings or curses dependent upon whether we choose to obey Him or rebel against Him.
         On a scale from "lacking" to "bounteous", "curses" to "blessings", how's your life measuring up these days? Want a better life? Choose the "because- God-said-so" way to finances, relationships, jobs, habits, everything. You don't have to agree or understand, but you do have to obey! And when you do, He'll bless your socks off! It's a promise!

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The Family of God

Family Fun, Fishin' on the Farm

"I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God!"1


             After the morning worship service yesterday, we met our sons, daughters-in-law, and grand-dog down on the farm. Blue skies, mild temperatures, and a fun afternoon with family made for a "pert-near" perfect day.

         Did you know, do you understand, that every person on this ol' earth is God's creation, but according to John 1:12, only those who believe in the name of Jesus, God's Son, are given the right to belong to God's family as His children? Are you a child of God?

         One night long ago, a Pharisee named Nicodemus came secretly to Jesus. Jesus told him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God." (In other words, you'll never see heaven.) 
          Amazed, Nicodemus asked, "How can someone be born again?" 
          Jesus explained that everyone is born physically, but to be born again you must be born spiritually by believing in Him. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus] that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:1-16)

         You do the believing; God does the rebirthing! He forgives, removes your sins, and gives you forever-after, never-ending life with Him - a free gift that isn't deserved and can't be earned.
          Jesus is the only way into God's family (John 14:6). Call on His name (Romans 10:13) today. Welcome to the family, O child of God!

1THE FAMILY OF GOD, Bill and Gloria Gaither, 1970.

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Can't Help Lovin' That Man!

My sweet honey and me, senior prom, 1974

                   "Fish got to swim and birds got to fly,
                         I got to love one man till I die,
                    Can't help lovin' that man of mine!" 1

          One warm, spring evening, many years ago, the Methodist youth group was playing whiffleball in the churchyard. A couple of Baptist boys crossed the street to "see what they could see." The strongest, tallest, and most handsome of the two saw me. Because I was barefooted, he picked me up in his arms and carried me across the parking lot so the gravel wouldn't hurt my feet. Ahhhhhhhh.......

September 10, 1977

                  Six years later, I became Mrs. Phillip Glassco.

  It's been almost forty-three years since that whiffleball game, and

   I'm holdin' my man tighter than ever!

                            Happy Valentine's Day, Superman!

                                              I love you!!!!!

"They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is [their] Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him!" (Psalm 92:14-15)

1 CAN'T HELP LOVIN' DAT MAN, WORDS: Oscar Hammerstein II; MUSIC: Jerome Kern, 1927.

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When God Says No

My friend, Cynthia Marie Gordon Carriere
March 28, 1956 - April 8, 2013

"There was given to me a thorn in the flesh...concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'" (2 Cor. 12:7-9)

         For a month, my precious family and wonderful friends have prayed that I don't have cancer, but a biopsy revealed that I do have a "tiny" malignancy in my body.
       When the Lord grants our requests, we praise Him and boast of His goodness. When He says no or wait, what should we do? Praise Him and boast of His goodness!!!
        God is always good. Nothing can separate us from His love. His grace is sufficient. He is worthy to be trusted, and He will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose!

        Dear one, has God told you no? Trust in His love! Praise Jesus and boast of His goodness!

"See now that I alone am He; there is no God but Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal..." (Deut. 32:39)

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways an My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isa. 55:8-9)

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord gives grace and glory; He does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity. Happy is the person who trusts in You, Lord of Hosts!" (Psalm 84:11-12)

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Time with the Family

My baby holding her baby, 2011

Jesus prayed, "Father, I want these whom You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they will see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began!" (John 17:24)

         A few nights ago while Rebecca bathed her 4-year-old, he said, "Mommy, I wike you! I wike the way you smell. I wike your face. I wike your clothes. I wike eeeeeeverything about you!" That sweet boy loves to be with his mama!
         At the crossroads between Jesus's earthly ministry and His journey to the cross in John chapter 17, our Lord prayed that His family (us) would be with Him.
          Initially, I thought, in heaven where we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17). Hallelujah! But, in reality, we can be with Jesus now, spending time in His Presence everyday -communing with Him through prayer and His Word. 
          First Timothy 4:8 says that physical training is good, but training in godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. So, I've adopted the 4/1 workout program: training spiritually 4 times longer than physically. Every morning, I soak in God's presence for an hour and then exercise my body for 15 minutes.

         O Christian, the Lord Jesus wants to be with you. The abundant life He promised in John 10:10 is found in time with Him!
         

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After 20 Years, God Answered YES!

My babies, 1986

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the Truth."      (3 John 1:4)

        As little lambs, all three of my children willingly followed Jesus, the Shepherd, across green pastures and beside still waters. But, beginning in adolescence through the next twenty years, at least one of them, at any given time, would stray from the Shepherd, wandering into the dark wilderness of the world.
        TODAY, however, this mama is over-joyed to report that all three sheep have their eyes on the Master, desiring to following Jesus down His path of righteousness! Hallelujah! Praise You, Lord Jesus!!!

         To all the mamas or daddys of prodigals: Pray without ceasing! Do not give up on the Shepherd! Jesus who began a good work in them will complete it - even if it takes 20 years!

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6)

"Before the presence of the Lord; lift up your hands for the life of your little ones!" (Lam. 2:19b)

Our flock, Christmas 2013: rams, ewes, lambs, and pups

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Jehovah-Rophe: the Lord Heals!

Sunset on our farm
(Photo by my Ben)

"You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our Savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth." (Psalm 65:5)

      On Friday, I came down with a yucky cold, but by Saturday - yes, the very next day - it was gone, vanished, virtually nonexistent. Hasta la vista sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes!

      Thank You, thank You, Lord, for the shortest cold in the Guinness Book of World Records, but I'm curious as to why?

      Then it occurred to me, as I wait to know whether or not I have cancer, my precious family and an army of wonderful friends, are praying for my healing. I believe whole-heartedly that my cold got caught in the cross-fire between Almighty God and fervent prayers of beloved ones, and God healed it!

        On the other hand, almost twenty years ago, when our sweet son was diagnosed with epilepsy, we prayed fervently (still do) and church elders anointed him with oil according to James 5:14, but he still has epilepsy. So what's the deal?

       The true deal: God promised to heal all our diseases (Psalm 103:3), and Jesus bore our sicknesses in His body for our healing (Isaiah 53:4), and at some point, what God promised and Jesus paid for will come together - perhaps on earth but always in heaven (Rev. 21:4)! 

O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by Your strong hand and powerful arm! Nothing is too hard for you! (Jer. 32:17)

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for healing! We trust the whens and wheres to Your unfailing love.

       

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Watch and Pray!

My GRANDkids, 2009

     "Keep watching and praying that you may not come into

         temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak"

                                       (Mark 14:38)

      Today's picture has absolutely nothing at all to do with today's message, but aren't my grandkids just the cutest things EVER! :)

       Anywho.... 

       Yesterday, I read "watch and pray" in the context of Mark 13  where Jesus offered His disciples a lesson on His return in the last days, and then afterwards admonished them to stay their post - keeping watch in prayer so they wouldn't be found sleeping.

        I confess to the Lord and you that twice yesterday I "dozed" allowing a sarcastic remark and later, a selfishness comment to ooze from my tongue. (Sounds nasty doesn't it!?! Sin is!)

      Through another devotional reading today, the Lord reiterated "watch and pray" - this time in the context of Mark 14 where He warned: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!

      O readers, let us watch and pray!

O Holy Spirit, please help us to stand our post, keeping watch  in prayer! "May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer!" (Psalm 19:14)

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Joyfully In His Love

"Butterfly princess"
(my 6-year-old granddaughter)

Jesus said, "Abide in Me...[let] MY words abide in you...abide in My love...These things I have spoken to you so that My JOY may be in you, and that your JOY may be made full." (John 15:4,7,9,11)

        Tho' the world about me reeks with sin, sickness, and pain, life in the fragrance of Jesus is quite beautiful when I abide in Him, His word, and His love.

         So where are you today - suffocating in the stench of the world or enJOYing the sweetness of Lord Jesus?

      If a day could be perfect, this is it, Andi thought as she strolled beside Sam to the old shed. A gentle breeze across the hollow cooled the blaring August sun hanging in a sky as blue as the cornflowers in Nonie's vegetable garden. Honeybees buzzed from blossom to blossom, and cicadas crooned their most spirited song in the warm summer air. Her brown eyes danced as she lifted the lid of the wooden box sitting in the shade of a rickety table leaning against the shed.1

1 from Hoot Owl Hollow - my next storybook in the making.

         

          

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