If You're Happy and You Know It

Our happy babygrand





"Shout JOYfully to the Lord, all the earth!" (Psalm 100:1)

Babygrand is quite the happy baby. As soon as he hears the song, "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands," he immediately claps his sweet, little hands and smiles. 

Oftentimes, life circumstances are not happy whatsoever; they're hard. 

However, 

for believers,

in God's presence is fullness of JOY and

at His right hand are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11),

because

JOY is fruit of God, the Holy Spirit, in us (Galatians 5:22).

And

the Holy Spirit is in us

because

Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,

who for the JOY that was set before Him,

endured the cross...and has sat down

at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

The JOY of Jesus is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Therefore,

beloved,

be JOYful in hope (Romans 12:12) on

happy days

and

hard ones.

For one glad, glorious day,

we will sing together,

"JOY to the world,

the LORD has come,

let earth receive her

KING!"

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Go Tell

"The Lord will protect your going out and coming in from this time forward and forever."
(Psalm 121:8)

This morning, precious friends of ours from another state embarked on a two-year journey; and they just happened to board the plane behind a team from our church. How cool is that!

Beloved, whether going to the grocery store or Timbuktu, tell the Good News of Jesus the Savior to hurting people.

"Arise and work, and may the Lord be with you!" 

(1 Chron. 22:16)

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Only God Gives the Increase

My country man, Butch our dog, and me -1978
(Yes, that's a dead snake he's holding - yuk!)





"A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the LORD." (Proverbs 21:31)

Last night, my Phillip and I attended a retirement dinner for two of his colleagues. The evening ended perfectly when one of the men read Proverbs 21:31 - a quote he'd kept in his desk drawer over the years to remind him that the mind-boggling success of their now international company can only be attributed to the Lord Almighty. 

He reminisced about the lean years when several men (my Phillip included) would, every Monday morning at 7:30, pray on their knees to God for help. Father God answered exceedingly, abundantly above all they asked or could ever imagine - making country foresters into highly successful business men.

Beloved, may we never forget that the LORD our God alone gives the power to make wealth and every good and perfect gift is from Him!

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It's Shake 'n Bake, and I helped!

My 2-year-old Rebecca making biscuits,
1983





"As each one has received a gift, minister to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (1 Peter 4:10)

In a 1960s TV commercial, a little girl helps her mom fix dinner and proudly announces, "It's Shake 'n Bake, and I helped!" 

Yesterday, two precious ladies in Bible study told heartwarming stories. J's son is incarcerated. He received one of my Christian storybooks, and it's being passed from inmate to inmate to inmate around that prison. E's son lives in a home for the mentally ill. He took one of my Bible study guides and is teaching the Word of God to other residents. Praise the Lord! God is at work, and in a small way, He let me participate. "It's Shake 'n Bake, and I helped!"

Even though little hands produce half the work in twice the time, parents enjoy working with their children and so does Father God.

Beloved...

"Trust God for great things; with your five loaves and two fishes, He will show you a way to feed thousands." ~ Horace Bushnell

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Underrated Miracle

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Washington D.C., 2001





"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)

My godly, wise son, Dan, recently said, "Physical healing is not the only miracle; going to heaven when we die is the greatest miracle of all."  

While on earth, Jesus Christ healed the sick and even raised the dead; but in every case, sickness and death visited again. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father." (John 14:12)

What did Jesus mean? Because Jesus would shed His blood on a cross, die in place of sinners, be buried, rise on the third day,  ascend into heaven, and sit down at the right hand of God the Father, believers in Him will have forgiveness of every sin they have or will ever commit and never-ending, forevermore, eternal life in heaven with God forever and ever and ever - the GREATEST miracle of all!

Beloved, don't miss the only Way to heaven. Ask Jesus for salvation - the most spectacular miracle of all. (Believers in Jesus Christ, thank Him for His miracle of grace and praise His holy name!) 

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All Things New

New spring violets on the farm
(photo by me)




"And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new." (Reveation 21:5)

Mama duck and her new babies
(photo by my Rebecca)




"The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

our newborn princess-grand
2007



"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

1977 Newlyweds: my Phillip and me

"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4)

(photo by my Rebecca)

"Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!" (Psalm 96:1)

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Strength Training

My beloved daddy and my eight-year-old Ben
1991

"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." (Hebrews 12:11-13)

When my Ben as a youngster karate kicked the screen out of his pawpaw's back door, my daddy said, "Come on, boy, your going to help me fix that door." Ben learned the lesson and never  repeated that mistake.

Beloved, let us take seriously the loving discipline of Father God and cooperate in His character strength training. It truly is for our own good and His glory!

"For the LORD corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights." (Prov. 3:12)

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A "Grand" Day!

Babygrand
(He's gonna be a fisherman like his daddy!)




"Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged..."
(Proverbs 17:6a)

I'm having a "grand" first day of spring - 

spending time with 10-month-old babygrand and Jesus.

Beloved, I pray that you have a grand day with Jesus, too!

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Wax On, Wax Off!

L-R My Ben, Rebecca, and Dan
1988




"I am at rest in God alone; my salvation is from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken...Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him." (Psalm 62:1-2,5)

As I dressed for my post breast cancer checkup this morning, I felt a bit unsettled; so I prayed. God Almighty answered immediately, "Wax on; wax off!"

Do you remember the scene in the old movie, The Karate Kid, where Daniel LaRusso becomes fed up with the menial, seemingly pointless chores for Mr. Miyagi, but then discovers that the moves that he's done over and over and over again are actually defensive karate blocks?

Well, a couple of months ago, the LORD instructed me to memorize specific passages of Scripture and recite them day and night; and today, I understand why.

Wax on...

"Haven't I commanded you; be strong and

courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged,

for the LORD your God is with you wherever

you go!" (Joshua 1:9)

Wax off...

"I will say of the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust." (Psalm 91:2)

Sand the floor...

"No evil will befall you, nor any plague come near your tent."

(Psalm 91:10)

Paint the fence...

"The LORD will guard your going out and coming in

from this time forward and forever." (Psalm 121:8)

Side to side...

"You will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever you do, you'll prosper." (Psalm 1:3)

Scripture is the most powerful weapon against unrest of the soul. Dearly beloved, are you unsettled? Wield God's powerful word now!

(By the way, I got a great report. All is well. Thank You, Jesus!)

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I am His

Wild Pear Blossoms
at the farm






"For now the winter is past; the rain has ended and gone away.
The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing has come,
and the turtledove's cooing is heard in our land...
My love is mine and I am his."
(Song of Solomon 2:11-12,16  HCSB)


I belong to Jesus, and Jesus belongs to me;
therefore, today, tomorrow, and every tomorrow to come,
 I will love Him, trust, and obey.

Will you?

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Daniel Knew When Messiah Would Come

My Rebecca's family
Easter Sunday, 2010

"Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler - the Anointed One [Messiah] - comes. Jerusalem will be rebuild with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times." (Daniel 9:25 NLT)

It's hard to believe that Easter Sunday 2015 is just two weeks away. Bonnets and bows, anthems and egg hunts will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus was born a Jew, but many of His own did not believe.

Jesus wept. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't have Me." (Luke 13:34)

Had the Jews carefully studied the Old Testament prophecy in Daniel, however, they would have recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. For in Daniel chapter 9, God sent the angel, Gabriel, to tell:

"Now listen and understand! 

Seven sets of seven 

[7 x 7 = 49 years]

plus sixty-two sets of seven 

[62 x 7 = 434 years]

[49 + 434 = 483 years]

will pass from the time the command is given

to rebuild Jerusalem

until Messiah the Prince." 

In other words, there would be 483 years between the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the Messiah. And sure enough, 483 years after King Artaxerxes issued a decree allowing Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem's streets and moat (Nehemiah chapter 2), Jesus road into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday, was crucified on a cross that Black Friday, and rose from the grave on the third day - the first Easter Sunday - by Jewish calendar calculations, on the very date Gabriel foretold the prophet Daniel!

Hallelujah, Jesus is alive

Death has lost its victory

And the grave has been denied

And Jesus lives forever

He's alive

He's alive

Yes, Jesus is alive!1

Beloved, will you bow your knee to Jesus as Lord?

1 JESUS IS ALIVE. Ron Kenoly. 1991.

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Wayfaring Stranger

"Bell"

"Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourself cozy in it...Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when [Jesus] arrives." (1 Peter 2:11-12 The Message)




On Saturday, a "stranger" visited our the farm - a beautiful black lab with a gentle, quiet spirit. On Sunday, "Bell" returned and stayed right at our heels all afternoon. We're wondering, "Is she just passing through or has she found her new home?"


Through the writings of apostle Peter, God reminds His children that this ole earth is not our home - we're only passing through. As we sojourn, our spirits should be gentle and kind and loving and patience and joyful and humble and self-controlled, which win's lost souls to God's side.

Are you walking gently, O wayfarer?

I am a poor wayfaring stranger

While traveling through this world of woe

Yet there's no sickness, toil, or danger

In that bright world to which I go

I'm going there to see my father

I'm going there no more to roam

I'm just a-going over Jordan

I'm just a-going over home

I'm going there to see my mother

She said she'd meet me when I come

I'm just a-going over Jordan

I'm just a-going over home

I want to wear a crown of glory

When I get home to that good land

I want to shout salvation's story

In concert with the blood-washed band

I'm going there to meet my Savior

To sing His praises forever more

I'm just a-going over Jordan

I'm just a-going over home

POOR WAYFARING STRANGER. Minor-key, American folk hymn, early 1800s.

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Mr. Satan, I'm keeping the towel. Thank you very much!

Mrs. Willowkins from Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer
Illustration by my dear friend and talented artist, Dawn Parker Copeland






"The Lord will help me.
Therefore I have not been humiliated.
Therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame."
(Isaiah 53:7 HCSB)

This illustration of Mrs. Willowkins captures my expression after figuring my taxes last night and realizing that, for the third year in a row, my expenses in Wonderful Storybooks have once again exceeded my revenue. 

Satan whispered, "Throw in the towel, you silly woman!"

I stomped my foot and retorted, "I will NOT quit, you wicked ole devil, unless God tells me to."

Therefore, Mr. Greenleaf (the puppet) and I are chomping at the bits to visit schools, libraries, day cares, and assisted living facilities this May through August to tell children and seniors his amazing adventures across Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer.

So, beloved, "let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up!" (Galatians 6:9 NLT)

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Mercy Rising

Highland Lakes' sunrise

"I still dare to hope when I remember this: 

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! 

His mercies never cease. 

Great is His faithfulness;

His mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, 'the Lord is my inheritance; therefore, 

I will hope in Him!'"

(Lamentations 3:21-14 NLT)

This morning, a dearest friend texted a photo of today's breath-taking sunrise and the verse from Lamentations. Then I read:

"Let God's promises shine on your problems."

~ Corrie ten Boom ~

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.

J

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Family Portrait

My Dan's family portrait, 2015

"And they sang a new song, 'You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For You were slaughtered, and Your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And You have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth."




Years ago, a beautiful African-American nurse helped me carry flowers from my mother's hospital room. She held up a lovely bouquet of blossoms of various colors, shapes, and beauty, and said, "Every tribe, tongue, people, and nation." Immediately, I knew she and I were sisters in Christ.

My Rebecca and Gracie, 2004

One day, the Kingdom of God will be complete, and His family portrait will include every tribe, language, people, and nation.

Beloved, are you in the picture?

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Come Boldly; God is Satisfied!

The Cross at Hope Haven Farm

"And since we have been made right in God's sight by the Blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God's condemnation." (Romans 5:9)

On Saturday, a SERVE team (my superman's in the tractor) from the Greystone Campus of Church of the Highlands, built and erected a beautiful cross at Hope Haven Farms - a place where children in challenging circumstances can frolic like calves let out to pasture.

In the Bible's Old Testament, God told the Israelites, "When I see the blood [of the lamb] I will pass over you" (Ex. 12:13).

In the New Testament, Jesus, our Passover Lamb, shed His Blood on a cross, and "in Him we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7); for "according to the Law...without shedding of Blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22).

"We need forgiveness for the sins we have committed, lest we come under judgment; and they are forgiven, not because God overlooks what we have done but because He sees the Blood... holy and righteous God has the right to say that the Blood is acceptable in His eyes and has fully satisfied Him...The Blood has satisfied God."    ~ Watchman Nee ~

Therefore, beloved, come boldly to God's throne of grace, not by your merit but by His. Come on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ - constantly remembering that God is satisfied.

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

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Economics Got It Wrong

Maud Lindsay Free Kindergarten
(1898 - present)





"For the wages of sin is death, but the FREE gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 6:23 NLT)

In economics, it's taught that "there is no such thing as a free lunch" meaning that it's impossible to get something for nothing. I say, "Economics got it wrong."

Author-teacher Maud Lindsay (1874-1941) was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama and was a childhood friend of Helen Keller. In 1898, she established the state's first FREE kindergarten on Cole Avenue in the cotton-mill district of East Florence and taught there for 42 years. My mother was one of her students in the 1920s, and the school is still in operation today. Over the decades, thousands of children have received much for nothing. 

(Miss Maud's classic children's books, Mother Stories, is a valued treasure in my library. A "motto" precedes each story offering a life lesson for mothers to teach their children.)


Scripture teaches that God offers a FREE gift - forgiveness of sins and eternal life - to whosoever will believe. No one deserves it, and no one can earn it. God's gift is received only by faith.

"God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a [FREE] gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT)

"So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a FREE gift."
(Romans 4:16 NLT)

Believers got something inconceivably great for FREE. It cost us nothing, but it cost Jesus everything. Hmmmm...maybe economists are right after all.

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Want a Longer Life?

Our oldest grand, #34

"For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having  promise of the life that is now and of that which is to come. " (1 Timothy 4:8 NKJV)

In addition to sledding with the kids last weekend, we also got to watch the grandsons play basketball. Go Aces and Bears!

In Scripture, God says that physical exercise is good, but spiritual exercise is better and even holds promise for prolonged life:

"You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess." (Deuteronomy 5:33)

"If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments...then I will prolong your days." (1 Kings 3:14)

Beloved, have you exercised body and spirit today? Why not take a walk and talk to God?

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So Abram Went

Cover design by my son and talented graphic artist, Ben Glassco
Artwork by my friend and talented artist, Dawn Copeland

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 17:24)

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your country...to the land which I show you"...So Abram went... (Genesis 12:1-4)

During January's 21 days of prayer and fasting, I believe the Lord said, "Jill, in May through August, go on a Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer reading  tour to schools, daycares, libraries, and assisted living facilities. So I'm preparing to go.

Beloved, what's the last thing God told you to do? Have you acted on it?

Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer

Coming April, 2015

Mr. Greenleaf had lived in a tiny cave beside the goldfish pond in Mrs. Willowkins' flower garden a long as he could remember. Each night, when the sun slid under Double Oak Mountain and stars sparkled over Blue Heron Lake, the little tree frog stretched his slim, lime legs and hopped outside to hunt and play. But when Caiaphas Croaker, the most voracious bullfrog in all of Shelby County, suddenly invades the small pond, J. Jehoshaphat Greenleaf's typical life changes to not so typical whatsoever; and his journey in search of a new home leads to greater heights for his little green body, soul, and spirit.

Children and adults are invited to enjoy the beautifully illustrated and soon-to-be-released Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer together as a family devotion, small group curriculum, or engaging story time. Questions, Scriptures, and hidden PEN POINTS at the end of each chapter make this fun storybook a valuable discipleship resource.

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Out of the Fog

Yesterday's Fog at Highland Lakes

"Therefore we do not lose heart...For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

When my Phillip came home from work yesterday, we took a stroll in the evening fog. 

Oftentimes, life is a fog - a dim place where we're unable to see a path forward.

Our dear friends recently endured a heavy financial and career crisis, but through the affliction of those challenging circumstances, a loved one was saved - an eternal work of glory far beyond comparison with their momentary "fog". 

Beloved, when the fog of difficulties rolls into your life, look not at the things around you, but fix your eyes on God, the unseen. Trust Jesus to lead you through uncertainties and produce eternal works of glory!

"You called. You cried. You shattered my deafness. You sparkled. You blazed. You drove away my blindness. You shed Your fragrance and I drew in my breath, and I pant for You" [O God]!

~ Augustine Hippo ~

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