Your Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria

Bessemer Community Center

Just before He ascended back to heaven, Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth!” (Acts 1:8)

            During this month of June, I get to teach Bible stories to women and children at the Bessemer Community Center on Thursdays. Yesterday, to my surprise, the assistant director said, “Jill, you’re teaching everybody today” – fifty women, children, and men!

            So, in accordance with 1 Cor. 11:3 (look it up!), I asked permission from the men to serve them from the Word of God. They said yes and a good time was had by all!

Jesus’s command two thousand years ago for His disciples to be His witnesses is still our charge today. My Jerusalem is Birmingham, my Judea: Alabama, my Samaria: the United States and beyond to the very ends of the earth!

I urge you, my friend, go forth today, mighty witness, in your Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and share the life-giving love of our Lord Jesus the Christ: the promised Messiah, the Son of God! 

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Moon River

Last night's moon over the Coosa River

The sun comes up; 

it’s a new day dawning;

it’s time to sing Your song again.

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me,

let me be singing when the evening comes.¹

            Yesterday after work, Phillip and I drove down to our Chancellor Ferry farm. He bush hogged the fields while I mowed the land along the riverbank. 

           We finished our chores just as the silver moon rose over the Coosa and sat for a while in the swing overlooking the lazy river. Katydids, hidden beneath the saw briars, crooned in harmony while bullfrogs croaked the cadence and rhyme. Fireflies blinked on and off, on and off, adding a glittery light show to our surround-sound moonbeam concerto.

            Let it be known to you this day, my friend, that the Almighty God who made rivers flow, crickets sing, and set that silver moon in the velvet night is able. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before you, have GREAT CONFIDENCE in Him!

"...being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised." (Rom. 4:21 NIV)

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O-o-o my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I worship Your holy name.¹

¹10,000 REASONS, BLESS THE LORD, Matt Redman

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God's Up to Something Good!

My loyal, praying friends

“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah…” (Col. 4:2-3 HCS)

            When God is doing a great work, He calls faithful intercessors to bathe His work in prayer. So the next time someone tells you, “I’ve been thinking about you and praying for you”, be encouraged! God is up to something good!

(By the way, I’ve been thinking about you – yes, you reading this blog right now – and praying for you! Love, Jill)

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Poison Ivy Prayer

Poison Ivy

“I will be like dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, and he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. His shoots will sprout, and his beauty will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.” (Hosea 14:5-6)

            My family found and bought our river property in late fall – the time when forests lay barren and dormant. When our land awakened from its long winter’s nap, sprouting leaves gave a fresh green welcome to the drab landscape; and among those new sprigs, we discovered poison ivy – lots and lots of poison ivy - overrunning our woods.

I prayed, “Oh Lord, just as this ivy has invaded our woodlands, I pray that, through the wonderful storybooks blog, Your love will invade people's hearts and their nations.”

Within a few weeks of that request, the blog's viewing audience increased from 26 to 69 nations: Russia, Germany, Malaysia, Canada, France, South Korea, Belgium, Romania, Peru, China, Kuwait, India, Belarus, Netherlands, Australia, Ireland, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Indonesia, Ecuador, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Nigeria, Argentina, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Colombia, Pakistan, Guatemala, Dominica, Brazil, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Egypt, Serbia, Japan, Croatia, Panama, Lithuania, Lebanon, Namibia, Oman, Slovenia, Bahrain, Macedonia, Qatar, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Singapore, Poland, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Israel, Norway, Morocco, Greece, Vietnam, Ghana, as well as the United States. Thank You, Lord Jesus!

As you read this post today, I pray that you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth of Jesus Christ’s love for you! May His all-consuming love invade your heart and your nation, in Jesus name!

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They Lived Life Well!!!

Ernest Glassco and his sisters' Sunday School Class, 1920s

“…we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us…” (Heb. 12:1)

            If my father-in-law, Ernest L. Glassco, were still on this earth today, we would celebrate his 100^th birthday on July 14^th. In his honor, my remarkable husband used his dad’s famous recipe and spent hours barbequing 26 pounds of Boston Butt, 6 whole chickens, 50 country ribs, and 6 pounds of Conecuh County sausage for their family reunion on Saturday.

            Then on Sunday, we attended a sweet memorial service for my beloved sister-in-law’s dad, Ivan C. Yates, who passed away Saturday morning. Mr. Yates served our country as a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army Reserves as well as a valuable engineer for NASA during the zenith of space travel and Apollo missions.

            Two Alabama men who lived life well as:

followers of Jesus Christ,

            faithful servants of God,

hard workers,

                        loyal husbands, and

loving fathers, then grandfathers, and then great-grandfathers.

Oh, that we would do the same!

Thank you Mr. Glassco and Mr. Yates for being awe-inspiring examples!

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My Father's World

Granddaddy, my brother, Mark, and me, 1957

Thank you, Granddaddy, for your gift of stories and songs.

Daddy, Mark, Rocky, and me, 1959

Thank you, Daddy, for loving Mother like a queen and me like a princess. You made me believe that I could do anything.

My Phillip and our children, 1986

                                  

Thank you, Phillip, for being Super-dad to our children, Super-granddaddy to our grandchildren, and Superman to me. You are the greatest man on this earth.

Stephen, Rebecca, and my grandkids, 2010

Thank you, Stephen, for being an amazing father to my grandchildren and a wonderful husband to my daughter. You are God's answer to my prayers!

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for unconditionally loving me so much that You sent Your only Son, Jesus, to die in my place, and You gave me the free gift of forgiveness of my sins and eternal life with You forever. You are THE GREATEST in the heavens, on the earth, and under the depths of the seas!

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise;
The morning light, the lily white declares their Maker’s praise!
This is my Father’s world, He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.

THIS IS MY FATHER’S WORLD, Words, Maltbie D. Babcoack, 1901. Tune, Terra Patris, Franklin L. Sheppard, 1915

                                                                        

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