It is 4:38 A.M. I have just come from moments spent in the Prescence of the Beloved of my soul... I praise Him... there are no words to describe the Comfort He alone can give. The joy and peace that washed over me in waves... as I wept and worshipped and gave Him every care... Thank You my Jesus... my everything... my All in All...Precious Holy Ghost!
Two songs are on my heart right now: "In His Prescence There's Fullness of Joy", and "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"
And, as I settle to go back to sleep, I cannot help but think of the lyrics to another one: "Oh what peace we often forfeit... Oh what needless pain we bear... All because we do not carry... everything to God in Prayer..."
I'm so happy, content, and joyful I just had to share it!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Comfort from God's Word
I have found such solace, such comfort in God's word. It never fails to amaze me that whenever I am going through a trial, there is always a scripture, a passage, or a chapter in the Bible to help, encourage, and strengthen me. Isn't the Lord good?
Here are some scriptures that are encouraging my heart today:
Joshua 23:10: "One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you."
Psalm 121:
1 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."
Here are some scriptures that are encouraging my heart today:
Joshua 23:10: "One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you."
Psalm 121:
1 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."
Don't Forget - The Lord Fights Our Battles!
Sometimes, when the enemy comes against me, I forget that I am not fighting alone! A few moments ago, the Lord reminded me of the vast resource of help, power, and strength available to a child of God. It is hard to comprehend, but oh - so - thrilling, and most of all, TRUE! We have the God of the universe - mighty and all powerful ready to fight our battles for us! (If we will seek Him and trust Him and be obedient to Him)
We must also always remember that He never has and never will leave His children defenseless and alone; He loves us, and is as close as the mention of His Name. Here are some scriptures that are really encouraging me today:
Psalm 138
3 "In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul."
7 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."
8 "The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."
Psalm 108
13 "Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies."
Psalm 91
7 " A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."
Psalm 118
6 "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?"
Joshua 23
10 "One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you."
We must also always remember that He never has and never will leave His children defenseless and alone; He loves us, and is as close as the mention of His Name. Here are some scriptures that are really encouraging me today:
Psalm 138
3 "In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul."
7 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."
8 "The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."
Psalm 108
13 "Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies."
Psalm 91
7 " A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."
Psalm 118
6 "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?"
Joshua 23
10 "One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you."
Thursday, July 1, 2010
"...those brave Americans..."
This series of special Fourth of July posts is dedicated to the memory of Rev. Jarel "Papaw" Derese; and to my Great - Uncles: Art, Olen, and Buddy; brave and courageous men who served their country with honor and valor and sacrifice. It is also dedicated with much thanks to everyone in my family that has served in the U.S. military; in Vietnam, and Germany, and Desert Storm. I am so proud of you all!
Tuesday, July 6, 1944
To the man sitting in the bow of the U.S. Coast Guard landing craft, just off the coast of Normandy, time seemed to move in slow motion. Any conversation among the men around him had ceased, as each of them felt the weight of the moment hit him somewhere between his heart and his gut.
They were members of the oldest division in the United States Army, the V corps, First Infantry Division, and they knew what they had to do; what their commanding officers, their country, and even the entire free world depended upon them to do. And they were ready, that Summer morning, off the coast of France.
They could see the cliffs of Omaha Beach looming ahead in the gray dawn, as the rough waves pitched them about relentlessly. And the man sitting in the bow felt his stomach roll with nausea at the movement of the sea - that traitorous, watery enemy that had already swept some of the men from the boats, annihilating them before the Nazis even fired a shot.
They were nearing those threatening cliffs, now, and each of them could see the mined obstacles erected by the Germans, sticking up through the surf like a dark, malicious welcoming party. And then the order was given, and the ramp was lowered, and they began to surge forward as one man, a well - oiled machine; those brave Americans, rising to the occasion, as Americans have always done, to defend the helpless and the downtrodden, and to fight for liberty.
And the man in the bow moved forward, too. And he saw the face of his little girl, as the force of the waves nearly knocked him to his knees; and he heard his wife's sweet voice, over the inhuman fury of the German's machine guns, and as the artillery of the pillboxes rained death down on them from the cliffs. He held the memories of home and family close to his heart, as he slogged and slipped his way through the surf, dodging mines and bullets. And it was not only for them that he fought, but for all of the wives, and for all of the children, and all of the oppressed, everywhere, that deserved to live free. he ducked behind one of the obstacles to his left, using it like a shield, just as a fellow soldier went down to his right, the foaming water around him red for an instant, as his life drained away.
The man behind the obstacle raised his arm, firing again and again; his M1 carbine rifle becoming an extension of his body, as he crouched there in the water, the weight of the heavy pack on his back becoming heavier by the second. It was not going well. The place where they had landed was nearly impossible to breach, and the Germans were relentless in their assault. Still, he deliberately forced down the fear within him, and inched his way forward, refusing to stop, determinedly fighting his way towards the French coast held by the Nazis. He was an American, and they were going to take that beachhead by nightfall.
He struggled ashore, that July morning on Omaha Beach, as others fell all around him, giving their lives to liberate France and the free world from an evil madman; a deranged monster that was a slave to his own twisted delusions of glory and power. The cries of the wounded and dying mingled with the sound of the ocean, the shelling, and the exploding artillery, into a symphony of sacrifice. Some men died instantly; some lay in the surf and drowned, wounded and unable to move, their blood pooling at the water's edge, flowing onto the sand and forever staining it with the ultimate symbol of the sacrifice for freedom. The tanks and armored vehicles coming to assist the fighting men were foundering in the heavy swells, and most of them did not make it to shore.
Still they fought on, those Americans; fueled by raw grit, courage, determination, and a soul-deep devotion to their comrades, to freedom and to right. And they were helped and strengthened in the task by Brits, Canadians, Australians, the free French, and others that had a hunger to live in the light of freedom. They were all men that had heard the call to rise up for liberty, and who had selflessly answered, not turning away when required to take a stand. They stood shoulder to shoulder, relentlessly storming the beaches that morning; teaching the Germans a much-needed lesson, and turning the tide in favor of the Allies, in that western theater of the second great World War.
To this day it is impossible to get an accurate number of how many gave their lives that day; and even now, bones and skeletons are unearthed when the area is disturbed. It is believed, however, that somewhere between 2,500 and 6,500 men of the Allied Forces died on the beaches of Normandy; the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. estimates that 4,900 of those that perished were Americans. One thing we do know for certain, however, is that every one of them was a hero in the truest sense of the word.
We must never forget those patriots of WW2. We must teach the children of our time about the Greatest Generation; those sturdy and couragous men and women that have taught us yet again that freedom is never free, but that Americans have always answered the call, and are willing to pay the price.
Tuesday, July 6, 1944
To the man sitting in the bow of the U.S. Coast Guard landing craft, just off the coast of Normandy, time seemed to move in slow motion. Any conversation among the men around him had ceased, as each of them felt the weight of the moment hit him somewhere between his heart and his gut.
They were members of the oldest division in the United States Army, the V corps, First Infantry Division, and they knew what they had to do; what their commanding officers, their country, and even the entire free world depended upon them to do. And they were ready, that Summer morning, off the coast of France.
They could see the cliffs of Omaha Beach looming ahead in the gray dawn, as the rough waves pitched them about relentlessly. And the man sitting in the bow felt his stomach roll with nausea at the movement of the sea - that traitorous, watery enemy that had already swept some of the men from the boats, annihilating them before the Nazis even fired a shot.
They were nearing those threatening cliffs, now, and each of them could see the mined obstacles erected by the Germans, sticking up through the surf like a dark, malicious welcoming party. And then the order was given, and the ramp was lowered, and they began to surge forward as one man, a well - oiled machine; those brave Americans, rising to the occasion, as Americans have always done, to defend the helpless and the downtrodden, and to fight for liberty.
And the man in the bow moved forward, too. And he saw the face of his little girl, as the force of the waves nearly knocked him to his knees; and he heard his wife's sweet voice, over the inhuman fury of the German's machine guns, and as the artillery of the pillboxes rained death down on them from the cliffs. He held the memories of home and family close to his heart, as he slogged and slipped his way through the surf, dodging mines and bullets. And it was not only for them that he fought, but for all of the wives, and for all of the children, and all of the oppressed, everywhere, that deserved to live free. he ducked behind one of the obstacles to his left, using it like a shield, just as a fellow soldier went down to his right, the foaming water around him red for an instant, as his life drained away.
The man behind the obstacle raised his arm, firing again and again; his M1 carbine rifle becoming an extension of his body, as he crouched there in the water, the weight of the heavy pack on his back becoming heavier by the second. It was not going well. The place where they had landed was nearly impossible to breach, and the Germans were relentless in their assault. Still, he deliberately forced down the fear within him, and inched his way forward, refusing to stop, determinedly fighting his way towards the French coast held by the Nazis. He was an American, and they were going to take that beachhead by nightfall.
He struggled ashore, that July morning on Omaha Beach, as others fell all around him, giving their lives to liberate France and the free world from an evil madman; a deranged monster that was a slave to his own twisted delusions of glory and power. The cries of the wounded and dying mingled with the sound of the ocean, the shelling, and the exploding artillery, into a symphony of sacrifice. Some men died instantly; some lay in the surf and drowned, wounded and unable to move, their blood pooling at the water's edge, flowing onto the sand and forever staining it with the ultimate symbol of the sacrifice for freedom. The tanks and armored vehicles coming to assist the fighting men were foundering in the heavy swells, and most of them did not make it to shore.
Still they fought on, those Americans; fueled by raw grit, courage, determination, and a soul-deep devotion to their comrades, to freedom and to right. And they were helped and strengthened in the task by Brits, Canadians, Australians, the free French, and others that had a hunger to live in the light of freedom. They were all men that had heard the call to rise up for liberty, and who had selflessly answered, not turning away when required to take a stand. They stood shoulder to shoulder, relentlessly storming the beaches that morning; teaching the Germans a much-needed lesson, and turning the tide in favor of the Allies, in that western theater of the second great World War.
To this day it is impossible to get an accurate number of how many gave their lives that day; and even now, bones and skeletons are unearthed when the area is disturbed. It is believed, however, that somewhere between 2,500 and 6,500 men of the Allied Forces died on the beaches of Normandy; the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. estimates that 4,900 of those that perished were Americans. One thing we do know for certain, however, is that every one of them was a hero in the truest sense of the word.
We must never forget those patriots of WW2. We must teach the children of our time about the Greatest Generation; those sturdy and couragous men and women that have taught us yet again that freedom is never free, but that Americans have always answered the call, and are willing to pay the price.
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