Welcome. If you are here for the first time, before proceeding, you must read the first and second “Tuned In” blogs, or none of this will make sense. I didn’t want the lengthiness to cause you to miss this important lesson, so I divided it into three parts.

So here we go with Pastor Adrian Roger on Bott Radio. The station the Lord must have tuned in for me. 😊

#1 In your relationship to God, there is a Spirit of Adoration

#2 In your relationship to God, there is a Spirit of gratitude

#3 In your relationship to other people, there is a Spirit of accommodation…

“Ephesians 5:21 NKJV “submitting to one another in the fear of God.” “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all learn to submit to one another?” He went on to give the example of teaching your child to drive. “The brakes, not the accelerator, are the first thing you teach them to use. If he doesn’t want to learn how to make the car stop, you don’t want to teach him how to make it accelerate. The key is the fullness of the Spirit. But the promise of the Spirit is only to those who are under the control of the Spirit and submit to the purpose of the Spirit, submission. If you are not interested in the brakes, then God is not going to show you the accelerator. But oh my precious friend, if you will learn to walk with God in faith, if you’ll do it, He will do it. He will be filling you, and in your relationship to God, there will just be the Spirit of adoration. In your relationship to circumstances, no matter what happens, how hard it is or how dark it is, you’ll just be saying thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord. And when you meet your brothers and sisters in Christ, you are going to be saying, ‘How can I serve you? How can I love you? How can I accommodate myself to you?’ Wouldn’t that just be like heaven on earth if we did that?”

In God’s perfect timing, there was a brief recap just as I arrived at my destination (the Wellness Center). I was filled with a sense of wonderment as I entered the building. “Lord, this message was so timely! How will I accommodate myself to others today? Will I let others go ahead of me in the shower? Or by assisting someone using a walker or locker? Or maybe spend time listening to or praying with someone in need?” I really wasn’t stretching myself because those were things I had done previously. God had plans to stretch me a little more out of my comfort zone, hence the test.

The check-in, locker room, and entering the pool were uneventful. But the Lord just jumped right in with an answer to my prayer: “Lord, give me someone in my path that I can help.” That turned into a “test.” Here is the unexpected “test” that lies ahead.

As we were exercising, our instructor announced that a fellow exerciser needed a ride to the pool. She is having treatment on her eyes and is unable to see well enough to drive for an unknown period of time. She went on to explain where she lives. I was thinking, “Oh no! Bentonville (a neighboring city) traffic is horrible in the mornings, right when we are heading for the pool! And after the pool, I frequently do errands, shopping, and appointments. I would have to take her all the way home before I could do that. I would really have to go out of my way three days a week!”  Notice there were a lot of “I” and “my” in that way of thinking. 😦

 As we listened, she gave us a general idea of the area of Bentonville where she lives. I was admittedly hopeful that someone who lived closer would volunteer. But there was silence as I waited for someone to speak up. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit covered all aspects of my time with Him so far this morning.

Hmmm… we began with #1) adoration being the word He brought to my remembrance before I was out of bed. Then finding the song, praise, and worship with #2 thanksgiving, and my prayer,  “Lord, give me someone in my path to bless” #3)(accommodation). These, coupled with the lesson the Lord “tuned in” for me that was so fresh in my thoughts, were the Holy Spirit accelerator that caused me to lay down “I’ and “my” to accommodate the one in need. How could the Lord answer my prayer if I were putting the brakes on by my unwillingness?

I knew I was to submit, even though we were not certain how much extra time it would take me to pick her up, get back to the interstate, and arrive in time for our scheduled exercise class. But we do know “The promise of the Spirit is only to those who are under the control of the Spirit and submit to the purpose of the Spirit, submission”.

It was settled, and I told her I would be her transportation. After committing, I found that she only needed me to pick her up in the mornings on Mondays and Fridays. Wow! Another delightful surprise from the Lord! He really blessed me after getting my heart in the right Spirit.

As I told David, the events of my morning that led me to volunteer to drive the extra unknown amount of time for an undetermined duration made it evident the “opportunity” was a “test.” Was I truly walking by the Spirit or only when it was convenient for me? Did I mean it when I asked the Lord to give me someone to bless? I find it a bit amusing that the opportunity given was exactly where I had already settled the issue of traffic, time, effort, and gas with the Lord. 😊David said the real test would be if it took me an extra hour to do this. I believe he was right, and at least the Lord did not ask me to “walk” the extra miles! When I come to my senses, this was a very small act of kindness that I could gladly fulfill.

As it has turned out, it only takes an extra 15-20 minutes. The lady is a delight to get to know, and we are developing a friendship that I don’t think we would have had otherwise. I told her how she became the “answer to my prayer” that morning, and she was intrigued and touched. She is a Christian woman also with a heart of gratitude to the Lord and others. I ask myself the question, “Would I continue to drive her if she were ‘grumbly hateful’?” Only by the Spirit of accommodation. 😊

It is important that you know I did not write this because I think I am doing something grand or super spiritual by helping this dear lady. No, this is another opportunity to share how the Lord orchestrates events to help us in everyday life as we are being filled by the Holy Spirit of God. There have been many bigger “tests”, but how He put this morning’s events together as I came before Him in adoration and gratitude, that led to accommodation, was better than I could have ever imagined. And He will “tune me in” to exactly what I need as I learn and grow in Him. It doesn’t just set the tone for the day; it sets it for life, walking in the Spirit. If we submit, He will not only guide, but also provide. And as Pastor Rogers said. “Wouldn’t that just be like heaven on earth if we did that?”

Now, don’t be surprised if He tunes you in exactly the right moment to prepare you for what He has for you next, including the “test”. Or He could give you a word that leads to a special song (or the entire song) with precious memories and a message from Him. Or maybe He will give you a dream, vision, or a verse of scripture, friend or stranger. He can, and does, use anything and everything. It reminds me of an old song that says, “Every day with You, Lord is sweeter than the day before.”  I say, only if we are being filled with the Holy Spirit of God by submission.

I am asking you to consider this lesson and let the Lord search your heart to reveal if you are “being filled with the Holy Spirit of God”. The searching of our hearts is of vital importance, and He does it for those with humble hearts. I wrote a poem included in my first book, “Inspire Me“, that I hope you will read. It is titled “How You May Help Me,” and it addresses more of what it looks like to be accommodating to others’ needs.

All praise and glory to Him,

Reba

Hello, and thank you for continuing with me.

Since this is a continuation, please read my first “Tuned In” blog. Otherwise, you will be confused and not get the whole story.

This major lesson event had three points, all made in one morning, just a couple of weeks ago.

I will now pick up with point two. As a reminder, this is a recorded message by Pastor Adrian Rogers played on Bott Radio. It was on my car radio instead of my usual Christian music station. I was on my way to the pool exercise, which is about a 25-minute drive in average traffic.

The title of his message was,” How you know you are being filled with the Spirit of God.”

#1 “In your relationship to God” in part one…

#2 “In your relationship to circumstances, there is a Spirit of Appreciation.”

He repeated V20 of Ephesians 5. “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Pastor Adrian said,” A Spirit-filled person is humbly grateful. A flesh-filled person is grumbly hateful.” This is the reason why we praise Him for what He is doing in our lives in all things.  “He didn’t say sometimes, He said all times. He didn’t say some things; He said all things.”

This is where I pause to examine my grumbling.  Through the Holy Spirit working in me, my grumbling about the distance I now drive, time, traffic, gas, and effort had already turned my heart to gratitude and appreciation for the blessing of not only the pool exercise but my car, gas, and everything I needed to participate. It even caused me to pray for opportunities to bless others as I go about being blessed in activities that aren’t necessarily convenient (“all things”).

Obedience to this verse of scripture turns grumbling into a heart of gratitude. A heart full of gratitude changes our lives. From the simple inconveniences to major life storms, we know, and others see a believer who “is being filled with the Spirit of God.” Remember, “A Spirit-filled person is humbly grateful. A flesh-filled person is grumbly hateful.” And a grumbly, ungrateful person is certainly not asking the Lord whom they can bless.

Numerous poems I have written speak of hearts of gratitude in all things. But the first one that stands out in my mind is “Blue Skies, Butterflies,& Battlegrounds” in my book with the same title. I hope you will read it and see if you agree.

The entirety of the big surprise the Lord had for me that morning was just around the corner. It began with adoration, prayer, and a lesson. I will finish in part 3 with the answered prayer, opportunity, and “test” that will bring it all together. I could never have put it all together like this in a lifetime! It only happens by the Spirit of God. Thank You, Holy Spirit.

If this is helpful to you, don’t forget to share my website. Remember, you can connect with me on my connect page, which many of you have started using since my comments page doesn’t work most of the time.

In a Spirit of appreciation for you,

Reba

To be continued…

Before I continue writing narratives for a few more poems from my book “Inspire Me”, I am eager to write about another God-orchestrated event, when He “tuned me in”.

Although, since I last wrote, there have been life-changing world events occurring every day. I will not attempt to make comments other than to ask you to remember our Sovereign God. And He has the perfect plan that He is faithful to fulfill. In His Word, these events are foretold and are being fulfilled every moment of every day. You and I live in incredible times, the end times just before His return for His people. I pray that you are one of His. My purpose in writing is with the hope of helping you in that decision and encouraging those of us who are His to continue to grow and trust Him in all things.

With that said, I will write the first part of Tuned In.

A couple of weeks ago, as I awoke, the song Revelation by Guy Penrod was playing in my mind. Quickly, that song stopped, and the word “adoration” came to mind. “Adoration! I think that is the title of a song I was searching for a few years ago!” I quickly got out of bed, grabbed my phone, and searched YouTube for a song titled “Adoration”. Immediately after entering “song titled Adoration” in my search, it appeared! Thank You, Lord, for giving me the title so that I could find the song. I had no idea it would go further than that.

Eagerly, I listened to the song, which brought tears to my eyes as the Holy Spirit moved in my worship and brought back precious memories of the first time I had ever heard this song. I was with my sister, Karen, and my mom on a trip to Texas. Just the three of us together sailing (in Karen’s car with her driving) through the Ozark mountains as if the roads were flat and straight as an arrow. 😊

Karen was playing a recording of a woman in her church singing the “Adoration” song with a distinct Southern accent. It gave it a special touch for us Southern gals. We rolled the windows down, turned the music up, and Karen evidently forgot the speed limits as we would have been but a blurry streak on a radar scope. Thank God there wasn’t a radar scope; we were only under His scope and hand of protection, as well as the very few around us.  

Disclaimer: Please know that this was a unique one-time event. I’m not advocating breaking the law and endangering lives. Neither would Karen. 😊

As we traveled and sang in worship, you could tell Mom was a bit uncomfortable with the music so loud, and Karen occasionally lifting her hands (in the straightaways), united with me in praise. But the more we praised, the more at ease Mom became. Admittedly, as was the case for me, although my uneasiness was to a lesser degree than Mom’s. I am typically the “rule” follower. (You might want to read my blog “Goody Two-Shoes” to learn more about that statement.) Karen is not so much a rule follower. Lol! We’ll leave it at that. 😊 As we know, there is good and bad in both, right?

 Adoration wasn’t the only song that was recorded on Karen’s CD, but it was the one that stood out in my mind for many years. As I listened, it took me back to that cherished time and place with my Mom and sister on our way to Texas.

I am reminded of the similarity between my blog, “Joy Ride With the Holy Spirit”, written December 31^st, 2024. I wrote it in reference to a dream I had in August 2014. It was an incredible ride with the Holy Spirit in total control, as He must have been with the three of us “flying” through the mountains that heavenly day during our trip to Texas. I even lifted my hands from the steering wheel as the Holy Spirit took control in that dream.

Now, after soaking in adoration of Him, my blessed memories of that trip, Holy Spirit driving, and doing some Bible study, I was ready to head to the Wellness Center for pool exercise. But first, I ended my prayers with this request, “Lord, give me someone in my path to bless.” This is not an unusual request, but it was my way of acknowledging that my time in the Wellness Center wasn’t all about me. I had struggled with the distance as  I am now driving almost twice as far, requiring much more time. I got that settled when the Lord assured me this type of exercise was best for me, and I am blessed to have it available. The benefits were worth the time, gas, and effort. So with gratitude for the opportunity to participate in these exercises and assurance from the Lord giving opportunities to bless others, I was ready for what was next. The Lord had a big surprise for me just around the corner (no pun intended). 😊

During my 24+-minute drive, I usually listen to my favorite Christian radio station, KLRC. I join the praise and worship songs on this station, as I “fly” along the interstate. Lol!

On this particular day, my radio was tuned to Bott Radio, a major American Christian talk network broadcasting Bible teaching, news, and family-focused programming. Neither David nor I had tuned to that station in this new car. So the Lord had me “tuned in” for a message that I needed to hear as I was on my way to see what opportunities my day held.

The message that day was by Pastor Adrian Rogers. He had already begun, and it caught my attention enough for me to grab my phone to record the rest. I could hardly believe my ears…

The lesson:

“How you know you are being filled with the Holy Spirit of God; because you will see it in your relationship #1 to God #2 to circumstances #3 to other people.”

#1 “First of all, in your relationship to God, there will be a Spirit of adoration.”

Can you imagine the emotions I felt upon hearing that the #1 indication of being filled with the Holy Spirit of God is adoration? I knew this was another divine appointment with God. I couldn’t imagine that He would take it as far as He did.

The first point gets even better as the pastor explained by quoting Ephesians 5:19-20 NKJV: He began with the end of V18 “be filled with the Spirit” and continued with 19-20 “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

He continued by describing the Spirit of adoration that I can relate to so well through singing songs of praise in corporate worship and at the beginning of each day with the Lord. Throughout the day, I often have a song rise in me, and I sing His praises, and when I am driving in my car, listening to KLRC. I love praising God, and the more I learn of Him, the more I have praise for Him. Many of you can relate. This “Adoration” song is filled with reasons we “adore” our God.

So I believe we are off to another great start! Being filled with the Spirit of adoration is the best start to our day and sets the tone for the rest. I do hope you will join me as I continue in the next two blogs, where it gets even better.

If you benefit from my writings, please share them with others.

Until our next time together,

Reba

Good afternoon,

I first want to thank you for your heartening responses to my blogs, but especially my last blog, What’s In A Name?  Praise and glory to God! He is, through His Holy Spirit, able to help me complete my mission and speak to you no matter where you are. And He is teaching and transforming me alongside you through His Word. I am glad you are joining me.

 As I continue selecting poems from my first book, “Inspire Me,” to write the story behind the inspiration, I find that my poems have a common thread but are expressed through different avenues. Several come to mind, but I will focus on Sea of Forgetfulness today.

 Sea of Forgetfulness pp 12-13, was prompted by a memory, or should I say partial memory, of a short story I had read a considerable time previously. What I remembered of the story was two friends arguing. It seems they were unable to find a resolution, and one wrote his friend’s offenses in the sand. I imagined how I would have felt if that were the case for me. So the theme was set… offenses, writing in the sand, and feelings evoked. I find it interesting how many years had passed prior to the Lord moving me to write a poem with this theme. He knew when I would be ready, and in January 2017, I was ready. I hope you have readied your heart to receive what follows.

Now, if you know me personally, or through my writings, you know I love the beach. It would be difficult for me to imagine a dreary beach, even if it were cloudy, cold, and raining. But my first verse was a picture of the setting I imagined, bringing us to the dreary beach I was walking on…

“One day I was walking along a dreary beach”.

The second verse explained why I saw the beach as dreary (the place I was in life)…

“Love for living had spiraled out of my reach.”

The third and fourth verses explain what brought on this image of darkness and dreariness (the exposure)...

 “There in the sand, exposed for all to see, My sins were written, all the evil about me”.

 Verses five and six are the results of the exposure…

“Guilt and shame came crashing in.”  ”Thought I’d drown, didn’t care enough to swim.”

The first word of verse seven should have been “Yet”, because that’s where it all shifted…

 (Yet) “Suddenly, there’s a presence of something greater within. That moment in my life where Salvation stepped in.”

The Holy Spirit stepped in to guide me out of the darkness. I continue to describe the process by depicting the state of my heart…

 “My heart was empty where Love wanted to reside, To love me forever and walk close by my side.”

Then I step back into the image I had of my surroundings…

” But all I could see was doom everywhere. Lonely and rejected, feeling no one was there.”

The Holy Spirit moved again to minister, explain, and be my guide to Salvation…

“Then consumed by Love whispering gently to my heart

“Forgiveness my dear, that’s where Salvation does start.” (the Holy Spirit ministering to me)

Next is the Holy Spirit explaining to me and guiding me…

“ I inquired how to attain the Salvation He spoke of

He said, “It is a Gift from the Father above.”

Darkness removed in His light I could see

The “Gift He spoke of was walking next to me!

So there in the midst of my many sins in the sand

Kneeling before Him I took Gift’s nail-scarred hand,

I asked Him for forgiveness, now in my heart I believed

And the Gift He offered, I humbly received.”

Once forgiveness was given and I believed, then I received. The mighty hand of God was there to do the rest. He washed me clean!…

“Outstretched before me, He lifted His rod over the land

The waters did yield to our Creator’s command.

With a deafening roar, the mighty waves rushed in

And to my astonishment, washed away each of my sins,”

And here is where my sins are, and the results…

“Cast into the Sea of Forgetfulness, never held against me.

Forgiven and restored, I raised from bended knee,

Surrendered yet Free, on that now pristine beach

Never too far from the Father’s Gift or His loving reach,

Washed clean by His righteousness, that’s where I stand

Neither shame nor guilt, just pure white sand!”

Wow, talk about a metaphor for transformation! Unencumbered by sin, the whole image of the world around us changes from dark to light.

Notice again how the poem ends…

“Washed clean by His righteousness, that’s where I stand

Neither shame nor guilt, just pure white sand!” (Again, a metaphor; pure white sand/pure white hearts). And we stand in His righteousness.

Now, I might have some explaining to do. Although I wrote this poem and narrative in first person, you need to know I haven’t actually walked this “beach”. I haven’t been where my “Love for living had spiraled out of my reach,” but I can assure you, the attacks of the enemy using guilt and shame for my sins, and the fear of exposure, have been relentless at times. Yet, “Gift”, my Salvation steps in and reminds me of the mighty works God has done through His Son’s washing my sins away through His blood, “Cast into the Sea of Forgetfulness never held against me”.  “Surrendered yet free”, from the lies, accusations, and threats of the enemy of my soul. Freedom in Christ!

My friend, if this is you somewhere in this story, and this has spoken to your heart, there’s more. 😊It is all written about in Genesis through Revelation, the Gospel; God’s story. It is the Good News of the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I will end this story with the three verses of Scripture I referenced. Yes, I will write them out as I’ve learned this is important. 😊

Hebrews 8:12 NKJV: “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Psalm 29:3 is my next reference, but I will begin in verse 2. “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness. V3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters.V4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”

1Samuel 12:16 “Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes:”

Please share this if it has helped you walk from the dreary beach right into the arms of our Savior and transition onto the pristine heart washed clean by His blood. And we, as believers, can walk in it together by remembering what Jesus has done for us and where we stand with Him. The Holy Spirit guides, “ Never too far from the Father’s Gift or His loving reach”, no matter where we are in this great big world.

God bless you and keep you, and I hope you will join me again,

Reba

Hello to everyone, everywhere,

Today, I would like to begin by expressing my appreciation for you, readers of my blogs (and hopefully my books). 😊 I have mentioned that I have an app that shows the countries my readers live in. I believe we are up to twenty-five nations, according to my last count. It is truly humbling that you would find what I write worth your valuable time. The Lord does His part, and I do my best in doing mine.

As I was asking the Lord if I am doing my best, He brought to mind something that He directed me to do, and that is what I will begin today.

If you read my introduction to both books and some of my blogs, you will find the story of how I began writing poetry. I never imagined I would have more than the one poem that I wrote for my sister, much less publish a book of forty poems, a few short years later. It became obvious that God’s plans are bigger than mine.

I thought I was doing the right thing by not writing the scripture out, hoping it would motivate the reader to open their Bible to read the verses for themselves. After publishing, I discovered typos I had missed, and my husband humbly admitted he wasn’t reading the references himself.

So, a seed was planted, and for my next book, I not only took my husband’s advice for writing out the scriptures, but also added the narratives. What I believe the Lord has directed me to do going forward is to share some of the stories behind select poems from “Inspire Me”.

Since you already know, or know where to read about my inspiration for my first poem, I will move to the next, the Old Testament Names of God…

We received a Christmas card with these names, and I thought, “How appropriate to begin with the beginning of God’s Word. Our Messiah, Savior Christ Jesus, throughout Genesis to Revelation.”

As I read these names, very brief rhymes followed in my thoughts. Although the list of names is not complete, I knew that these names were enough for us to see…

“The names of God right before us we see,

He is our EVERYTHING; what more could we need?”        (pp. 10-11)

Brief and to the point. Sometimes lengthier, and sometimes humorous, but as I write, I ask the Lord to help me focus on what is most important. If my words don’t boast in Him only and bring others to a deeper understanding of who He is and who we are in Him, and as a part of His family, then I am wasting my time and yours. (For more of my thoughts on the subject of time, please see my poems and narratives, Blink of an Eye pp.14-18, and Brevity of Time, pp. 19-23 in “Blue Skies, Butterflies& Battlegrounds”.  

One of the most powerful quotes I’ve ever heard to express Jesus being our everything is by Corrie Ten Boom:

“You may never know that Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have.”

Corrie and her family experienced the depth of this firsthand. If you haven’t seen the movie or read the book “The Hiding Place,” I highly recommend that you do. It is the autobiography of Corrie and the Ten Boom family, who helped hide Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. Her quote will have a much deeper impact if you see the immense brutality they endured through their faith, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

Yes, He is our EVERYTHING, what more could we need?

Since writing this poem based on the names of God on the Christmas card we received, I discovered a book, “Praying The Names of God” by Ann Spangler. It is a year-long Bible study with one name each week for 52 weeks. The author points out that most of these are more properly called titles. In the Old Testament, God’s name is Yahweh. In the New Testament, Jesus is the name of God’s Son, whose Hebrew name is Yeshua, meaning “Yahweh is salvation”. I find that incredible; God and salvation in His name, Father God and Jesus His Son. In ancient times, when the Bible was written, names were believed to reveal a person’s essential nature and character. This is particularly true of the various names and titles of God revealed in Scripture. Although the titles are extensive, I personally think there’s more to Yahweh and Yeshua than we could ever put into words or rhymes.

Have you ever been curious about the meaning of your name or how your parents chose to name you? I have been told two different stories about my name. Reba was originally used to shorten Rebecca, rather than Becca or Becky (the beginning rather than the end). My dad said he had a 3^rd grade teacher, Ms. Reba, whom he held in high esteem. When he and Mom finally got to baby number five (that is me), he wanted to use that name. My Grandmother, Dad’s Mother, said she had read a book about an incredible woman named Reba. The story of this woman had a powerful influence on my grandmother, so much so that she requested that name for me. I don’t know which story is true, maybe both, but either way, I am blessed to have a name that meant so much to my Grandmother and especially my father.

So, there you have the story behind the Old Testament Names of God, including two stories behind my name. 😊 As I look at the nations you live in, I can only suppose that you know the meaning or the story behind your name. But most of all, I hope that by us taking this step toward a closer look at the names and titles of God, you have discovered more of His nature and character, thereby drawing you closer to Him.

Meanwhile, I will continue my curiosity about the majority of your names as I mark the nations you live in on a world map. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just think, one day we will all meet. What a day that will be! All because of Jesus through the Love of the Father.

And as I ended my poem, God In Our Seasons…

I will take time to share my seasons, to help others see,

And encourage them all to take time with Thee.

For our time with our Maker makes our burdens light

If we choose the Giver of Time, in all our seasons of life!

Your Sister in Christ,

Reba

Hello again,

I have an app that displays what countries my readers are from. Twenty-five and growing. I thank you for joining me, and I hope that if you gain from my writings, you will tell others to join us.

The title of this one might sound strange (maybe not after Beans and Ham :), but when understood and put into action, it can change the direction of our lives. Apparently, the Lord is helping me recognize areas where I need obedience to stay in the right direction. Maybe this resonates with you, so I hope you will stick with me.

I thought of saying I need some “tongue” surgery, but then I was reminded that it is “heart” surgery that I need. Matthew 12:34: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.

One of the many things that caught my attention to my words was a short podcast I heard recently. It was titled Words Aren’t Sounds, They Are Seeds. This brought cause for pause and examination of what kind of seeds I am planting.

As I go to God’s Word to see what He has to say about words and seeds, I realize the seriousness of the matter. I say the seriousness of the matter, because the Lord says life and death are in the power of the tongue. Is that not serious enough? As I search, this power is spoken of from Genesis through Revelation. God “spoke” life into the darkness. He used words for all creation. As we move through the scriptures, it becomes evident that the power of words is also given to us.

This blog could be the longest ever written if I tried to write all of the scriptures and examples that have already been given on this topic. Therefore, I will write about the main ones the Lord is using for my surgery. Lord, help me be as James 1:22 NJKV “But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Staying in sync with my title, I will begin with Proverbs 18:20-21 NKJV: “A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. V21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit”.

Yes, I shall eat the fruit and be filled by the very words that come out of my mouth! I wrote about this very thing in my first book, “Inspire Me”. The poem is titled Kind Words pgs.34-35. The poem is filled with what happens when our words are sweet or sour and where these words originate…

“God tells us it is the condition of the heart; the wellspring determines what flows from the start…

So take some time and give it some thought; prayerfully ask, what your words have brought,

If they were served on your plate and you daily had to eat them; would they be sweet, savory, and filled to the brim?

Or would they be bitter, sour, and look pretty grim?”

And if our words are seeds filled with life and death, let’s consider why we plant seeds. Isn’t it to grow fruit for the harvest to eat in our future? So I am realizing the seeds I plant today will determine the harvest I reap tomorrow.  What I will be doing in the future depends on the types of seeds I am sowing today, and what I am experiencing now is due to the kinds of seeds I have sown in the past.

Hmmm, would I knowingly and willfully sow rotten, bitter, or dead seeds? Let’s also consider this: every time we speak, we are prophesying our future; there’s the harvest (in our future). Robert Lewis Stevenson is quoted as saying, “ Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”

 So, I ask myself, what do I want to plant for my future harvest? I do want my harvest to be… “ sweet, savory, and filled to the brim”; not only for myself, but also for those to whom my words reach. I want my words to be ones that bring hope to those around me. I want to bring people up who are constantly being pulled down. I want to bring hope to the hopeless and blessings where there have been curses. My words truly have the power to bless or the power to hurt.

With this understanding (knowledge), we might ask, “How do we put it into action?” Examination of what’s in our hearts is a great place to start. Any unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, fear, defeat, unbelief, gossip, lack, or weakness that are hiding in the dark chambers of your heart? Remember when He gave us new hearts, He gave us the ability (power) to be transformed by the renewing of our minds to His Word that brings new life, not the old, dead hearts of stone.

I ended my poem Kind Words with these verses that I will end this blog with…

“Feasting on His Word, and having peace of mind, that you can speak Love, and with Him daily dine.

By the power of the Spirit, to us, He will bind

Showing Grace, Love and Mercy, through His words that are kind!”

Let’s make His words our words. That’s how we put His words into action! Good seeds for the abundant harvest by the Holy Spirit who lives in us. He will guide us and direct us when we are willing to be doers of the word, not hearers only.

My  questions for you are two of the main questions I have asked myself…-

“What seeds are you planting?” And “Are you willing to let the Lord examine your heart and do some surgery?”

Remember, there is no condemnation in Christ. If you feel convicted, as I have,  it is for correction. You and everyone around you will benefit, and God will be glorified. In my correction, I am led to ask others for forgiveness. It is humbling, but God says He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Thank You, Lord, for Your Forgiveness and Grace.

Feasting on His Word and with Him daily dine…

Until next time, I would like to speak this blessing over all of you.

“The Lord Bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”  Numbers 6:24-26.

To God be the glory,

Reba

Here it is noon, and I am finally getting to my computer so I can tell you about my time with the Lord early this morning. I truly hope it adds value to your day. Your time is valuable, so thank you for joining me.

As a winter storm approaches (possibly the biggest of a generation), our day ahead was to be filled with last-minute preparations. But first, thank the Lord my time with Him in His Word gave me the most important preparation there is… prepared spiritually!

As I began to pray for my family and friends who are in such need of health, healing, and financial concerns, I was abruptly stopped and redirected. I decided a better beginning would be to praise Him with a song by Don Moen, “Thank You, Lord.” Quite appropriate, keeping in mind that we,  “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless his name.” Psalms 100:4 NKJV. And then, it happened, as I was singing that song while looking for it on YouTube, up popped the barrage of winter storm warnings that half the population of our nation is predicted to be affected by.

With the realization of the dire need for safety, food, shelter, and warmth for multitudes in this storm, my thoughts continued in thanksgiving and praise to our Sovereign God. In my praises, I acknowledged our God who is always good, no matter the circumstances. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”.  Romans 8:28 KJV  

As I continued sitting quietly and letting the Lord speak to my heart and mind, this question arose, “Lord, is it true that man is now controlling the weather, and they brought this on us?” I might as well ask the question because He knows my every thought, right? 🙂 I thank God that He has shown me I can ask Him anything I want. He doesn’t mind His children’s questions because He always has the answers. I wrote about this in my blog  “My Many Whys”, to help me understand.

His answer to this question was clear. “Anything the enemy may devise is only allowed by Me, and if I allow it, it is for your good”… all things working for good for those who love Him. Talk about peace in the storm! And we get to experience God’s faithfulness in the process! And if He allows this weather to be devised by the enemy, we get to see it backfire on him. Just like convincing those who crucified Jesus. Wow, did that backfire on Satan! Amazing Grace and Mercy brought forth by the plan of God! The Perfect Plan that I wrote about in my book, “Blue Skies, Butterflies, &Battlegrounds”.

But then the best was yet to come…

With a forecast of snow, sleet, and freezing rain in various areas and degrees of severity, I remembered a dream I shared in my blog titled Joy Ride With The Holy Spirit. I had just shared this with a friend yesterday, because I wanted her to see what the Lord had shown me in this incredible dream…

Note about Ice and snow in the Bible: Ice represents God’s power over the elements and seasons. Job 37:10  NKJV “By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen”. Job 38:29 “From whose womb came the ice? And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?” Psalms 147:17 “He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand against His cold?” Snow is also used to represent God’s power and purity. Isaiah 1:18 NKJV “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins be like scarlet, They shall be white as snow, Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” And in Psalms 51:7 David also uses this concept in his prayer. “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” On the Desiring God link it points out in Psalms 148:7-8 “Snow is purposed by God to glorify Him and “do His bidding.” Snow has a Sender (Job 37:6), frost has a Scatter-er (Psalm147:16), and God uses both to showcase His supremacy (Job 38:22).

Again, this was confirming everything the Lord had spoken to me thus far. Just look at His Word at what He says about controlling the weather. Pretty incredible, wouldn’t you agree? But we aren’t finished yet. 😊

So I opened my Bible (NKJV) to Job 37 and began reading in verse one. Each verse holds much deeper revelation of who God is as our Creator of all things and how all is at His command. In verse nine, it describes the weather pattern we are in right now: the whirlwind coming from the south and the cold from the scattering winds of the north. Verse 10 says, “By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen”. I was going to jump to verse 13 and count on you to read it all for yourselves. But seeing the numerous countries that my readers are in, I realize you may not have access to the Bible, so I must include V11-18. It is too good to miss. And again, if you do not have a Bible, with God’s help, we will get one to you.

The background of the story, the majority of the book of Job, is his dialogue back and forth between him and three of his friends. Job’s friends concluded that his suffering must have been caused by his sin. Job defends his innocence. However, Elihu, a younger man listening to the conversation, spoke up. He is dissatisfied with both Job’s and his friends’ arguments.

Based on Job 32:8, Elihu perceives his insights as inspired by God’s Spirit, which drives him to speak. As God inspires and we speak up, revelation is given. Thank you, Elihu, for speaking up when the Holy Spirit inspired you to. Because you did, countless people like me ( and hopefully those reading this) have clarity.  Elihu speaks in chapters 32-37, but I will pick up in 37:11; “Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. V12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, that they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the earth, V13 is the one that answered my question of the Lord this morning… “He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for Mercy”. Do you see it? Let’s move on. V14 “Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. V15 Do you know when God dispatches them, And causes the light of His cloud to shine? (I think of our meteorologist trying so hard to forecast our weather). V16 Do you know how the clouds are balanced, Those wonderous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge? V17 Why are your garments hot, When He quiets the earth by the south wind? V18 With Him, have you spread out the skies, Strong as a cast metal mirror? Sure helps us get things in proper perspective, right?

I will end here because I believe the Lord’s Word has made it known…

In Psalms 148:7-8 “Snow is purposed by God to glorify Him and “do His bidding.” Snow has a Sender (Job 37:6), frost has a Scatter-er (Psalm147:16), and God uses both to showcase His supremacy (Job 38:22).

Every day, our lives are filled with the truth of His Word. He gave me the dream Joy Ride With The Holy Spirit, the notes with the clarification of the meaning, and revelation in my time with Him this morning. For it is true, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless his name.” Psalms 100:4 NKJV. In His presence is our supply for everything we could ever need. We bless Your name, Lord Jesus.

When we are prepared each day, spiritually, we can be strong and courageous through any storm that comes our way. And the storms are coming, and we know who is always in control and have some understanding of His reason for the storms.

By the way, I texted my 16-year-old granddaughter and asked if she is ready for the arctic blast. Her response, “Born ready!” I love her sense of humor. She is much like her Dad in that. 😊 She inspired the title of this blog.

Are you born ready through your new birth in Christ? If not, 2nd Corinthians 6:2 NKJV, “For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”.

With love and prayers,

Reba

Greetings on this windy, rainy, but milder-temperature January day. I smile as I describe the weather today. Let me explain.

As we hear an increasing number of reports of a “world gone mad”, I become more aware of my need to keep my mind on the “Good News” so that I don’t go with them. 😊 Calmness and peace reside in Him and His Kingdom. Yes, we live in His Kingdom while still on this earth. Jesus said in His prayer in John 17:16, “They are not of this world, just as I am not of this world.” Meaning believers in Christ are simply in the world, physically present, but not part of its values. We are not to engage in the sinful activities the world promotes, nor are we to retain the vapid, corrupt mind that the world creates.

The world (cosmos) belongs to Satan. Through Christ, we become His children, adopted into His family in His Kingdom, and are no longer of the world system ruled by Satan. Rather, we are to commit to following Romans 12:2 NKJV, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” “The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (The Word), so I don’t go with the world gone mad!” Thank You Jesus!

I must add that reports of the struggles, trials, and pain that we Christians are experiencing are also on the rise. Daily, I hear Christians who are experiencing sickness, loss of jobs, unsaved children, and trials of all kinds, my husband and I included. How do we, as children of God in His Kingdom, deal with this? That is what I’d like for us to find answers to. I hope you will continue on to explore this together.

As we read about people of faith, from Biblical times to the present, we see it is not an easy road. I see no scripture that says we will not have trials. As a matter of fact, I am reminded of one scripture in particular, John 16:33 NKJV: “ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Now you may say, “ But we are not of this world, so why does Jesus say we will have tribulation in this world?” That is why Jesus has already told us in previous verses that we, as His children, are no longer of the world system ruled by Satan. He has overcome the world system so we can have peace and “be of good cheer”. Why did He give us the fruit of the Spirit that lives within us if we are to live as the world lives (the world gone mad)?

Wow, my friends, this is proof positive of our need to stay in His Word. Yes, we Christians experience tribulations, but we are not overcome by them. Which brings me to my time with Him this morning and the title for this blog…

I had some of the words to a song playing in my mind, “Everything” by Lauren Daigle. Repeatedly, I was singing, “You give me everything, You give me everything, You give me everything I need.”  Then I was on to reading the first chapter of Romans as our pastor had requested. We are now beginning a chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse study of Romans on Wednesday evenings. I do believe we are off to a great start for this new year!

After reading the chapter, I grabbed a notebook to write the verses we are to memorize. The notebook I chose was one already filled with notes.  Therefore, I flipped through the pages to find a blank one. I know my organizational skills need to be honed. 😊 But sometimes, as in this case, my disorganization leads to what I need.

The next blank page came after my notes on a study titled “Laborers With God.”

Revelation 22:17 is the last scripture referenced in my notes, which says, NKJV “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Note: Bride is the Church, Body of Believers.

Next in my notes was a quote believed to be attributed to St Augustine. Quote “God provides the wind, but we must set the sails.” Next, I wrote my thoughts on this: “I will see my destiny. Sovereign Captain at the Helm.”  I finished with a quote by John Wesley, “God does nothing in the earth without prayer first.”

The meaning of the quote by St Augustine suggests that God gives the power and direction (wind), but we need to position ourselves to receive it and act on it ( raise the sail). Combined with John Wesley’s quote, we must raise our prayers first and see God move.

Interestingly, I had asked for the right opportunity to share my poem with those who haven’t read it, “Sovereign Captain at the Helm”. Through the process, today is the day. It is in my first book, Inspire Me.

Sovereign Captain at the Helm

                                          January 13, 2017

Sail on my shipmate, in this raging storm

Where faith and strength become the norm.

Our sovereign Captain is at the helm

Storms won’t overtake, or you overwhelm.

Our sails set full, surrendered to the Captain of the sea

With Him in control, we become carefree.

Allow Him to be the Captain of your life vessel

Storms, remember, are not yours to wrestle,

When LOVE, GRACE, AND PEACE in your ship reside

Your voyage successful, calmly into destiny you glide,

Till your sailing is over, Eternity on the other side.

Talk about giving us everything! The way to reside in His Kingdom, the way to enter into His presence through songs of praise, worship, and prayers of thanksgiving, the way to live life with the Sovereign Captain at the Helm, and so much more!

There it is… the stormy weather in this physical world this morning as I sat down to write. By the way, as I wrote, the storms passed. But we got much-needed rain!

 The storms (tribulations) of life, while in this world but not of it, PEACE (be of good cheer).

How we can be laborers with God, where faith and strength become the norm

How we, as the Church with the SPIRIT, can say Come! Take the water of life freely to those who hear, thirst, and desire.

God gives us the power and direction (wind) we need to position ourselves to act on it (set sails)!

Let me ask you, do you hear, thirst, and desire life in His Kingdom with your sails set full? If not, He has given you everything you need and more than you can even ask for.

Which brings me to finalize this blog and save the rest of what He gave me for my next blog, more than I asked for. I do hope you will join me…

Our voyage successful, calmly into destiny we glide,

Till our sailing is over, Eternity on the other side.

Love and prayers for you,

Reba

PS Remember we are all fellows in this ship together. That’s why our time together is called fellowship.

Happy New Year’s Eve! It is evening time here, so it is still 2025 for us. Wherever you are, I hope this blog will help you each year going forward.

This morning I exercised in the therapy pool at our adult wellness center. This center is where Senior adults (ages 50 and older) gather for a variety of activities, encouraging better health and staying active. Our group is 99% female, so it is a social event with as much conversation as exercise. 🙂 Some call it “talk therapy” while we work out.

One of the topics in conversation among a few was the secret to longevity. The main spokesperson stated that a long life is for those who find a hobby that they love doing. Something that gives them pleasure and passes the time. My brief input began with, “ I believe it needs to be much bigger than that; much bigger than ourselves.” You may be wondering why I said, “brief input.” I knew that it could easily sound like a sermon if I continued, and that would serve no good purpose. Sometimes, less is better depending on your choice of words.

So, here I get to expand on my viewpoint, and without the sermon. I do believe that we are to enjoy the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. That is not self-indulgence as long as we have discovered our purpose in life and are using it for His Glory. And I’m not too sure about it causing us to live longer either way. But one thing I am sure of is that if we are living for Him, no matter how many days He has numbered for us, we will have an abundance of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the nine virtues described in Galatians 5:22-23 that manifest in a person’s life as a result of being guided by the Holy Spirit. These grow as believers connect with God through faith, prayer, and the study of Scripture.

As I list these virtues, I recognize areas where I need growth. I thank God that His desire for me is to continue growing in these virtues, and He has shown me the way: faith, prayer, and scripture.

Which brings me to our new year and a poem that He inspired me to write on December 27^th, 2016. It is in my first book, Inspire Me.

Post Christmas Reflections

“When Christmas is over, now what do we see?

Are we still laughing and singing our praises to thee?

Are we shopping and giving to those in need?

Or are we like old Scrooge, still living in greed?

Are we living in peace, where fighting has ceased?

Where the love in our hearts we have finally released?

Or we back to the old ways of living for self?

As we mindlessly place our idols high on the shelf

Did the reason for the season slip quickly away?

 As we, like sheep, go blindly astray?

PLEASE LET IT NOT BE!

Now, this day, is a great place to start

To share all year long, the love of God, straight from our hearts!“

The first scripture reference I listed is 1Corinthians 10:14-15. I am using the Amplified Version.

“Therefore, my beloved, run, [keep far away] from [any sort of} idolatry [and that includes loving anything more than God, or participating in anything that leads to sin and enslaves the soul]. V15 I am speaking as to wise and sensible people; judge [carefully and thoughtfully consider] for yourselves what I say.”

Would you agree, my friends, that this is a” A Great Place To Start”? Right here, right now, let’s commit to finding and serving our God-given purpose. For this is truly a life well lived, no matter the length of days.

God bless you all, and may Joy unspeakable be had in your New Year,

Reba

Good, blessed day to all,

As I awoke extra early this Christmas Eve, my thoughts were on our family gathering today. Then I began my mental rehearsal of preparation for the event. Although we are making an effort to simplify, I still found myself heading toward the activities of the Bible character, Martha. As I lay there with my thoughts racing from one task to the next, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Jesus’s response to Martha’s request for help from Mary. I chose to follow His advice. He said that Mary chose the “better part” (attentiveness to God’s Word). Martha was “distracted by many things” (worldly tasks). So, as we gather today, I will be sure to share some things about Christmas with my family that have been on my heart for some time now.

And I am here to share with you my next reminder from the Lord this early morning.

David and I have continued the tradition of sending Christmas cards with a brief “catch-up” letter about our lives for those we are thinking of, but some we don’t communicate with often. I decided to send a copy of it to you, my readers, to let you know that I’m thinking of you as well.

The poem, following the letter, is one I wrote in 2017 for our church’s Christmas Eve candlelight service. The Christ candle, the last candle of Advent. It is my “attentiveness to God’s Word”. After all, Jesus is the Word. John 1:1 & 14 NKJV “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. V 14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The reason we celebrate!

Christmas letter 2025…

Here we are again, by the grace of God, with the opportunity to rejoice together through cards and letters at the birth of our Savior, with a little recap of life in the Bailes family.

Early this year, we lost our family pet, Howie, the Wonder Dog. Broken hearts…enough said.

We later adopted two orange cats that we named Mango and Tango. Our cats have not only been comfort for broken hearts, but also very entertaining. If you want pictures, text me, I have a few. 😊

Simply put, the completion of our new Church sanctuary has given David a new lease on life, for me, my husband back, and for our Church family, an amazing place to gather and worship. A major milestone for sure!

At the conclusion of the Sanctuary, we bought a new car and embarked on a couple of much-needed vacations. One, to Texas to attend the 55^th wedding anniversary of our dear friends George and Linda Bostock, and to see my sister Karen and her husband Mike’s new home. The icing on the cake was our time with Denise and her Mike, also.

Next, I had been longing for the beach, so we headed for Panama City Beach, Florida. There’s just something healing about the ocean breeze and walks on the beach. As I walk, I offer to take pictures of families, friends, and pets, all with their camera, of course; just one of my simple pleasures. David relaxed, rested, and rejuvenated for the next opportunity…

We both embarked on a whole new skill (investing) for our family legacy and Kingdom building. David is doing the majority of the training, and I am the support and cheerleader. To say it has been challenging has got to be the understatement of the year! They say if it is not challenging, then you’re not growing.

While supporting and cheerleading David, my poetry and books have turned into blogs that might turn into books. 😊 Only the Lord knows what’s next.

We, like many of you, have also had our health challenges. Maybe that’s from “growing” so much, or maybe just growing older. 😊We have too many blessings to dwell on that. The Lord has us covered for that, too, right?

Mentioning blessings, our family and friends are counted as our biggest blessings. Allison, Andrea, Steven, and their families are still all close by. We love that! All with life challenges, busy lives, and the hope for their futures as well.

All because of this glorious time to celebrate the reason for this hope that lives within us through the Birth, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Rejoice, our friends (our blessings), count your blessings. Have a wonderful Christmas celebrating His birth, and Happy New Year to all! David, Reba, Mango, and Tango

Candle of Christ

What do you see on this Holy night?

Is it sleigh bells, Santa, with gifts that delight?

Are we shopping, exhausted and broke through the year

And trying our best to be of good cheer?

Please pause for a moment and come to our senses,

Before this special service fully commences.

This night is Holy for only one reason

The CHRIST CHILD’S birth is the cause for this season!

God’s greatest gift if we’d only believe

And lay down this strife, HIS GIFT we receive.

But somehow we think His Gift isn’t enough

We seek satisfaction with more earthly stuff.

Storing our treasures here on this earth

When eternal treasure came through Christ’s birth.

This gift included the gifts of the Spirit

Are so self-indulged, we don’t want to hear it?

So, as we each light our candle and illuminate our faces

And think of our loved ones in many other places,

Let us all reflect on the purpose of this night

Through His people, let His glory shine bright.

Remember, Christ Jesus went on to the cross

He is our treasure as we count all else loss.

What more could we ask for, what more could we need?

When we lay it all down, let Christ supersede.

Lit with HOPE in remembrance of Him

PEACE, the Gospel, Good News of Him.

JOY unspeakable filled by Him,

LOVE of God, the very essence of Him,

Christ, His birth giving way to Him.

 Join with me now, making it ALL about Him

WORSHIPPING, SING HALLELUJAH, SPIRIT-FILLED TO THE BRIM!

May God’s blessings fill your hearts and minds with Christ this Christmas,

Reba