Well, here I am to tell you about the final event of a day full of heart-searching questions. I’m so glad you have joined me to discover the Spirit-led answers.

  Beginning in Part 1 with my including “Blue Skies, Butterflies,& Battlegrounds”   along with my Bible for time with the Lord. I know there had to be a song, probably multiple, somewhere during that time, but it escaped me since my thoughts were so quickly redirected to you and my mission statement. The humbling thought that you would gain something of value from my writing explained why I included my book and read these three specific poems and scripture references: “Gain”, “Liking Stuff”, and “Distractions”. I was also faced with the question, “What would I gain from my time with the Lord this morning?”

As I thought of you and read my poems with scripture, answers to some of my questions began to stir me. As the day unfolded, I realized the Holy Spirit was doing the stirring and guiding the day’s script.

In Part 2, I told of a South Korean Pastor’s powerful testimony, which caused a much-needed examination of my own life. Not to compare his life to mine for condemnation, but to draw me into a deeper understanding of a fully surrendered life and what is truly gained thereof. There it is again, “What is gain?” And as we moved on to his testimony, questions in my poems with answers in the scriptures, we see …

“By laying it all before Him, abiding Helper in me,

I gain everlasting bounty by giving all to Thee!”

Then there was…

“Souls won for heaven, now that’s more than enough!

And…

“Equipped each day with His plan of action,

Victorious lives, with God the attraction!”

 The scripture references brought it all together into a picture of God’s answers to these questions. But He wasn’t finished with this day’s script!

That same evening, after settling in for a relaxing time, we were searching for a television program to watch. We had nothing in particular in mind, so David was scrolling through titles. As the Holy Spirit would have it, a program (documentary) about Hurricane Helene was offered. We selected it to watch, knowing the tragedy it brought to our fellow Americans and wanting to see how they survived it. This film is titled “Scars on the Mountain”. We viewed it on our Angel app. It tells the real-life stories of a rural Appalachian community that held onto their faith when virtually everything else was stripped away by Hurricane Helene. There I was thinking again of how my day began and the verse I had written in “Gain”,

“If I gave my all to Him, what would I gain?

If I laid it all before Him, what would remain?

Or suppose all was stripped away, instead of laying it down,

Could my faith remain with nothing else around?”…

We had the example of the South Korean pastor gladly laying his life down and being persecuted to glorify God and protecting freedom to worship and freedom of religion. He came with a warning that it could be stripped away here in America by our complacency and our failure to surrender all to Jesus. And then the day ended with it all being stripped away in this unlikely natural disaster, Hurricane Helene. ☹

As they interviewed various victims in these small North Carolina mountainous communities, their feelings were still raw, as this occurred only two years ago next month. Late on September 26^th, 2024, Helene made landfall at peak intensity in Florida near the city of Perry. (I might add that Perry, FL, is my birthplace, 72 years ago next week.) They lived three hundred miles from the coast, and yet the hurricane was ravaging.

Overall, the people of Appalachia live humbly, simply content with what they’ve been given and an enormous appreciation of God’s creation. They have a love for family and community, and are true patriots. With each story, my husband and I got a sense of “the way things used to be in America”, but there, it still is. We agreed we felt a nudge causing a desire to move there. 😊No, we don’t believe that was a “Holy Spirit nudge”, just the desire at the moment to live in a more simplified, slower-paced community.

Each interview included heart-wrenching stories of unimaginable trauma. And with each trauma were stories of survival, faith, strength, and courage. Their faith in God, their hope for their future, and their strong love for each other would give them the strength needed to carry them through.

The landscape was forever changed. Some family homesteads no longer have the land their forefathers’ home was on. All, including the land, was swallowed up and washed away by the flood waters. One lady known to be a pillar of the community perished as she was carried away while trapped in their home. In anguish, her husband found it impossible to rescue her. The stories of rescue workers, emergency responders, and many community servants didn’t know if their homes and/or family members survived as they absorbed themselves in their duties assisting others first. One man told of a misunderstanding of the rescue process causing him to euthanize his beloved pets out of mercy for them. He later found that his pets would have been rescued with him. Can you imagine this terrible turn of events? You can hear the pain in his voice as he tells of the emotional suffering this late discovery brought him. The struggle to forgive himself was a difficult road amid the disaster everywhere. His broken heart was healed at the end of the story when he and his wife rescued a homeless dog. Healing came through helping another.

The long-lasting impact on these lives changed them forever, including everything around them. But the change, oh the transforming change, has been positive in building their faith, hope, and love in a greater measure.

“Would this be the only way to the good He has for me

Removing all I thought was gain so I can clearly see…

Only these will last forever… faith, hope, and love (charity)

Love is my hope and only way to true prosperity’

As I did in my previous blog, I ask myself, would my testimony be as steadfast and true as theirs? “What is gain?” and “What Would Remain?” continue to clarify the importance of my relationship with the Lord. I desire to stand before Him someday and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:21 NKJV. This verse of scripture is the climax of Jesus’s Parable of the Talents. It uses a story about money to explain how God evaluates a person’s life, faith, and responsibilities.

How about you? Would you join me in this commitment to let the Holy Spirit search your heart with these revealing questions? We do not know what our future holds, but we know who holds our future. When we know Him and surrender our lives to Him, we are ready to not only face hardships with strength, but “come share in His happiness”. After all, this is the ultimate goal of a faithful Christian life: an intimate, joyful relationship and celebration with God. Giving Him the honor and glory, adding to His Kingdom.

God bless you in whatever form of hardship you are facing, knowing “what will remain”. Someday we will all gather around His throne and worship Him together. What a glorious day that will be!

Reba

comments

Thanks for joining me today. I hope you read part one of these two blogs (maybe three). It is the “kick-start” to a series of events that help me keep time with Him as my priority. By prompting me to include my book “Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds” in my early time with Him, the Lord used my poems, “Gain”, “Liking Stuff”, and “Distractions” again for some more soul-searching and answered questions. I hope these events will do the same for you.

So, my next big event of the day was to listen to the testimony of a South Korean pastor. He and his family are prime examples of a life totally surrendered to the Lord. His testimony itself was the catalyst for a deep examination of my own life. This pastor spoke of the dangers of the people allowing government control that chips away at our freedom of religion in particular. You can view the entire message on YouTube @RealLife.JackHibbs THE HIDDEN PLANS OF THE ENEMY.

Although South Korea is still considered a “free” country, this pastor recounted the battle he faced to keep his mega church open during COVID. This battle included 40 hearings over six years. Later, he was indicted on 12 charges for criticizing the government for trying to pass laws promoting immoral acts and plans to shut down churches and alternative schools that teach Biblical truths. He was sent to jail. As he described his cruel environment, it was difficult for me to imagine. ☹Picture in your mind a prison cell, single confinement, less than three feet wide. There is no chair, no mattress, only bugs! How inhumane! Animals live better than this!

The most incredible part of his testimony was his statement about being persecuted for Christ. During his incarceration, he made this statement that I will do my best to quote…

“In my heart, sincerely and genuinely, I was so grateful and happy being able to be persecuted to glorify God and protect freedom to worship and freedom of religion. It’s something I always dreamed about.”

He is now out on parole and does not know what his future holds, but this man is so grounded in Christ that nothing will shake his faith.

Now, how many of us will stand up and fight for freedom and Christianity like this man? He reminded us that all of us who are free enjoy it because someone fought for it and won. Our freedom came with a price. And I want to remind us that Jesus fought for us to be free from sin and death. He won the battle, and it came with a price! Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

As I considered this question again, “What would remain?”, my thoughts returned to verses in my poems I referenced in Part 1.  I looked at the scripture references after my poem “Gain”. I chose a few to share.

Matthew 16:24-26 NKJV  “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

I’d say this pastor has denied himself, has taken up his cross and followed Jesus. He lost his life (worldly gains) for Christ and found eternal life with Him! Taking up our cross means fully committing to following Jesus by giving up our own selfish desires, accepting hardship or rejection for His sake, and being ready to sacrifice our own plans for life or even physical life if needed.

And the next scripture that stood out to me was Mark 10:45 NKJV: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  

There again…“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

The next poem that came to mind in Part 1 of this blog was “Liking Stuff”. In Matthew 6:19-20, the Lord is telling us where to and where not to store our treasures and why. 6: 21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. There is no doubt where this South Korean Pastor’s heart is.

I would be remiss if I didn’t answer that question for myself. Does this remind you of Psalm 139? V1 “Oh Lord, You have searched me and known me.” How about you?  Should I continue? I believe I should because it is good that we are examined under the Light of God’s Word. It is Light Unto Our Path and the Bread of Life. And oftentimes another believer’s testimony is the catalyst for this examination. So stay with me, please.

The last poem I referenced was “Distractions”. In Proverbs (also known as the book of wisdom), verses  4:20-22 say, “My son, pay attention to what I say, turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body”.

Isn’t this a better understanding of the importance of His Word and making time with Him our priority? We never know what we will face in the future. We desperately need to hear this man of great faith’s testimony and warning here in America and, in my opinion, in every free nation in the world. But be not hearers only, but doers of the Word.

This day continued to bring examples of life situations that sparked the realization that all could be stripped away…

“Or, suppose all was stripped away, instead of laying it down,

Could my faith remain with nothing else around?”

I am eager to tell in Part 3 of the following occurrence this incredible day.  There was a lot to consider in one day. So I hope you will continue to ask yourselves with me these questions… “What is gain?” and “What would remain?” Knowing this… we do not know what our future holds. Could our testimony be as this South Korean Pastor’s? “In my heart, sincerely and genuinely, I was so grateful and happy being able to be persecuted to glorify God and protect freedom to worship and freedom of religion. It’s something I always dreamed about.”

Father God, forgive us for taking our freedoms for granted. Help us fight to keep what others fought so hard for. Especially Your Son Jesus, for it is in His Holy name that we pray. Amen

Reba

PS Have you signed up for email? You will be notified when I post a new blog. Sign-up on my https://rebabailes.com/contact/. Thanks

Greetings, my friends.

In the past, I  mentioned that I have an app  I can use to see where my blogs are being read. I am so humbled to think that you would gain something of value from my writings. It causes a deeper desire in me to fulfill my Mission Statement: “To glorify God through writing, sharing His Word, and my life experiences, communicating the love of Jesus Christ to add to His Kingdom”. So as I checked stats, I saw there are 33 countries and counting. 😊

Occasionally, I pick up one of my books and read a poem I have written and scripture I have referenced in that poem. Yesterday morning was one of those occasions. As I picked up my Bible and notebook (I am definitely a note-taker) to head to the deck for early-morning quiet time, I included my book “Blue Skies, Butterflies & Battlegrounds”.

As I sat in the dark stillness of the morning, my thought was, “What will I gain from my time with the Lord this morning?” Since I have some “Martha” tendencies, I have an endless list of tasks to be done. An unrealistic list, of course, but good intentions (like Martha), nonetheless. The story of Martha and Mary is found in Luke 10:38-42. The lesson for us all is that our chores and serving are good, but time in the Word and listening to Jesus are more important and should come first. I choose, as Mary did, to sit at Jesus’s feet and listen to His Words.

This blog and the next will tell of the thought-provoking and soul-searching events of that day.

After asking myself my initial question, “What will I gain from my time with the Lord this morning?”, my thoughts turned to my poem “Gain,” and its scripture references. I quickly realized why I was prompted to include my book. Pages 127-128…

What I live for, instead of God, keeps holding me back,

Desirous pursuits that lure me off track.

Seemingly good, but void of eternal value,

What He gave for me greatly devalued.

If I gave my all to Him, what would I gain?

If I laid it all before Him, what would remain?

Or suppose all was stripped away, instead of laying it down,

Could my faith remain with nothing else around?

If my Lord and I were all there was remaining;

The gain I thought I once had is not sustaining?

Would this be the only way, to the good He has for me

Removing all I thought was gain so I can clearly see…

Only these will last forever… faith, hope, and love (charity).

Love is my hope and only way to true prosperity

Skipping several verses, I end by saying…

By laying it all before Him, abiding helper in me,

I gain everlasting bounty by giving all to thee!

This poem itself answered the all-important question. Only these will last forever… faith, hope, and love (charity). I gain everlasting bounty by giving all to thee!

But read on, there’s so much more.

My thoughts went back to my opening paragraph. Thinking of you as I considered what each of your lives might be like and what you could possibly gain from your time with me.

Examination of my motivation brought me back to my mission statement.

My poem previous to “Gain” is “Liking Stuff”. Here are a few verses that lead to what motivates me to write… liking the right stuff!

Now the Lord is teaching me, I like the wrong stuff.

I need eternal treasures that are more than enough.

He gives me what I truly need and even more to share,

So I can store real treasure with Him up there,

The lasting stuff that won’t be stolen, rust, or get rotten.

The kinds of stuff that will never be forgotten.

The souls that are won by investing in them,

The ones I help, leading them to Him.

So, it’s good to like stuff if you choose the right stuff…

Souls won for heaven; now that’s more than enough! (That’s you, my friend!)

And my poem immediately after “Gain” and its narrative is “Distractions”. Right back to Martha, Mary, me, and you with the choices we make as we begin our day.

“Distractions” ends with…

Listen to Him; He’s won the battles that come our way.

Meditate on His Word; focus on what he has to say.

Distractions of this world won’t really matter

Peace with God, overcoming noise and clatter,

Equipped each day with His plan of action,

Victorious lives, with God the attraction!

Next, the Lord brought the testimony of a South Korean Pastor and a movie/documentary of Hurricane Helene. From before daybreak to bedtime, my day was full of answers for “What will I gain?” I do hope you will join me as I move on to answer the question “What Would Remain?

May God bless you, my friends, with the words that I write and the things He gives me to share. It is truly a blessing to have you join me wherever you are.

Reba

Hello again to my loyal readers and newcomers. I’m thankful that you joined me and excited to share how my day started yesterday.

This day began with the song “Thank You” by Don Moen playing in my mind. After feeding the cats (they think their stomachs are a priority😊), I grabbed a cup of coffee, my Bible, notebook, and my phone. My destination was our deck for my time with the Lord before daybreak. This morning was cool with a slight welcome breeze for these hot July days.

I used my phone to play the song that kick-started my day. I love the song so much that I decided to write out the words. I will share just a few, but I suggest you listen to the entire song.

“I come before You today

And there’s just one thing I want to say

Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord,

For all You’ve, given to me

For all the blessings that I cannot see

Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord

With a grateful heart, with a song of praise, with an outstretched arm,

I bless Your name… Thank You Lord. I just want to thank You Lord…”

Don’s song continues by naming key things he is grateful for. It wouldn’t be hard to continue a lengthy list, but instead, I will share a couple of things for this day by telling you what happened next.

After the song finished on YouTube, up pops a teaching by Adam at Fatihlabz Ministries. Adam takes key words from verses of scripture and translates them from the original language to explain their full meaning. Our multilingual friends probably understand the limits of the English language we speak here in America, especially when compared to Hebrew and Greek. That is why I appreciate Adam’s work.

So the title of Adam’s message today was “The Lock You Can’t Pick”.

Adam’s scripture focus was the Hebrew word patach in Psalm 116, the testimony of a man who almost died. He begins with verse 1,

NKJV: “I love the Lord because He heard My voice and my supplications.

 V2 Because He inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.”

Adam points out the pain, trouble, and sorrow the writer was in; how close to death he was. He was trapped, caught, bound, and “brought low.” Then, in verse 4, He calls on the name of the Lord. He doesn’t pick the lock. He calls on the one who has the key.

Adam continues through the verses to point out Scripture where the word patach is used. With each example he gives, we understand that patach means to open or loosen someone from bondage. The Lord is the one who has the key to free us when we call out to Him. He rescued him when he was still at the bottom of the pit, not after he climbed out. Verse 8 names the three things that God rescued him from: soul from death, eyes from tears, and feet from falling. The question is, “What’s the lock that you’ve been trying to pick in the dark?”

Then Adam moves to verse 16:

“O Lord, I am truly Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds.” There it is: he was bound, and the Lord loosed him. There’s our word patach, to open/loose. The Lord opened the bonds for him.

The word patach appears over 100 times in the Bible. It is the word for opening wombs, eyes, ears, and lips. It is even the word God uses to test His own generosity in Malachi 3:10: He will open the windows of heaven for you. All of this leads us to understand that the free person is to open his hand to the one who is still bound. After we are set free, we choose which master we serve, the one who set us free or the one in the bondage of darkness.

Adam’s second question was, “Whose bond could your freedom open?”

It is a wonderful teaching, and of course I hope you can listen to it. Adam takes it much further and asks more soul-searching questions for even more clarity of the word patach.

So now, I would like to go back to verse 1. I was reminded of an experience I had about 15 years ago while searching for a new church home. We knew no one in this congregation, including the Pastor. The most amazing event was at the end of the service, during the closing prayer; the Pastor walked down the aisle and straight up to me (we were sitting closer to the back of the sanctuary) and said, “Ma’am, the Lord wants you to know He hears your prayers for your family.” He hears your prayers!” I was brought to tears! These were good tears moved by the Holy Spirit because I knew for certain that God was speaking directly to me through this pastor. The peace that came over me was beyond my understanding and still is today as the Holy Spirit reminds me of this event and His Word. As in Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

No wonder my song this morning was, “ Thank You”!

“For all You’ve given to me

For all the blessings that I cannot see”

And immediately following the song is Psalm 116:1-2 : “I love the Lord because He heard My voice and my supplications.

 V2 Because He inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.”

And the teaching of the word patach assures me that the Lord is the One who picks the lock for all of us when we call out to Him to release us from our bonds. Then, by serving the Master who set us free, we are to open our hands to the one who is still bound.

So, I hope that by sharing my morning with the song of thanksgiving and Adam’s teaching on patach, the bond loosener/opener, and sharing His supernatural assurance that He hears my prayers, this will answer the question “What’s the lock that you’ve been trying to pick in the dark?”, and call out to the One who does patach. And for those of us who have and are free, ask, “Whose bond could my freedom open?”

V1-2 “I love the Lord because He heard My voice and my supplications.

 Because He inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.”

V16 “O Lord, I am truly Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds.”

I bless Your name, Lord; thank You! And I do thank you, every one of you, for joining me, wherever you are in this great big world… John 3:16 NKJV “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.”

Reba

Hello, my friends. July is in full swing here, meaning it is hot and humid in Northwest Arkansas.

Most of you know that we had a major birthday to celebrate; our nation’s 250^th. David’s and my celebration was very different than in the past. Our plans changed when we got the unfortunate news that my brother, Kenneth, was sick, so he and Suzan couldn’t come for our cookout. God took our disappointment about our plan change and made it His appointment to bless us with unexpected surprises. We saw more fireworks than usual, and the Lord added some occasional lightning for a dramatic backdrop. At one point, it got too close for comfort, so David and I scurried inside and watched the celebration on television with the added drone displays. The drones were fascinating and beautiful. David and I had a relaxing, safe, and enjoyable evening. Our disappointments can be His appointments to bless us when our attitudes change. 😊 We trust that He did this for Kenneth and Suzan as well. Speedy recovery!

Attitude change, yes, that is what a poem I wrote in April 2020 has done for me toward difficult times (still working on that 😊). As I’m certain you will recall, this was during the COVID pandemic. The title, “Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds,” also became the title of my second book. It contains a theme that I am reminded of consistently. I want to explain why this is so, hoping it will help you see your battlegrounds differently.

I began this poem by thanking the Lord for a few of the simple and wondrous things in His creation that I take so much pleasure in.  But what came next made me pause. As I wrote the next verse, “But my thanks are most of all when storms prevail,” I had to stop writing! I confessed from my heart that I have not lived those words. I knew the Holy Spirit does not want me to be dishonest with Him, you, or myself, only to get words on a page. Thank God most when storms prevail! Are you kidding me? So, in my pause and confession, I knew I was to keep writing, and I would discover why.

The rest of the poem reveals what I discovered…

I summarized sections so as not to write the entire poem in this blog. Hopefully you will read the poem and the narrative in my book, which you can purchase from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and online bookstores.

My summary of several verses…

This is not my home; it is where good and evil collide. Enemies are pressing in on every side. Do you feel this at times? His Word tells us that when we are weak, He is strong. When we are battle-worn, we draw Love, strength, and faithfulness from Him.

 “You grip my hand, guide me through, the very One I am desperate for.

While drenching me in Your cleansing power,

You’re transforming me even more!

Now pure as blue skies, I glide with butterflies

Amid the beauty of You.

Thankful through life’s battlegrounds, I’m

homeward bound, beyond the sky so blue!”

The Scripture references I used in my book confirmed this entire theme and why I could be honest and continue writing this poem. The Lord went ahead of me for the assurance I would need for the rest of my life. He is transforming me and teaching me to trust Him more as He grips my hand and guides me through, for He is truly the One I’m desperate for! And “when” I slip, He is always there to pick me up and set me back on my feet again (His firm foundation).

Here are six of the eight Scriptures I referenced:

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.” Psalm 28:7 NKJV

“Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.” Psalm 73: 23 NKJV

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 NKJV

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” James 1:2-3 NKJV

“He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength” Isaiah 40:29 NKJV

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. ’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest on me.” 2Cor 12:9 NKJV

This is the Living Word. I thank God they are not just words on a page and that the Holy Spirit consistently reminds me why I continued to write after my pause and confession. He had so much to reveal to me that I can stand on for the rest of my life.

You can fully trust Him in the same way, and I do hope this has encouraged you to stay in His Word every day.

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.”

Who doesn’t want peace in this world?

If this has helped you, please share it with others. Remember, if you aren’t in a storm, you are either going into one or coming out of one. In the storm, there is His cleansing power to transform us. Thankful through life’s battlegrounds, we are homeward bound.

Thank you for joining me, taking time to read what I have written.

Until next time,

Reba

Hello, on this soggy day in June. I dare not complain about the rain. It has made everything lush, green, with splashes of colorful flowers blooming everywhere. And in August, we will be saying,” Where has all the rain gone?” 😊

I’ve had a slack period in writing since my “Let’s Soar” blog. Funny how time seems to go more quickly as I grow older, just as my parents used to say.

Today, as I settled myself to write, there has been a rush of topics to write about, but this one thing has crossed my mind repeatedly for a considerable time now. I wrote the title in my notes years ago. Apparently, today is the day.

Riding on coattails is an idiom that means achieving success, popularity, or advancement due to an association with another person or their accomplishments, rather than through one’s own hard work or merits.

For today’s application, I am using it in reference to our salvation and spiritual growth ( association with another person or their accomplishments).

Forty-eight years ago, I was facing some major challenges in my life. I was the “ripe old age of twenty-two” 😊 We had bought our first house in Goose Creek, South Carolina, discovered we were having our second baby (a pregnancy with complications), and David’s time there was cut short by orders to board a ship that would soon deploy for a six-month cruise.

Life’s storms were plenty, but God was, as always, faithful to get us through everything we faced. And the tough things we had to face kept rolling in with the news that my husband’s ship would return to a new port in a different city and state. So, by the grace of God and my determination to be there when my husband returned, I put our house on the market, rented a house in Jacksonville, FL, and moved our two daughters (one 4 years old and the other six weeks old) and me.

It was a whirlwind of challenges to get moved with little ones and settled in two months, but when his ship pulled into port, it was all worth it. We took David home, and it looked as though we had lived there for a year. For Navy families, that is a long time. 😊

So here we are in Jacksonville, FL, with everything I could want except the main thing… connection with friends and church family.

These events occurred during a period of being disconnected from a church family. I had a deep desire to reconnect, and I made a special request to the Lord to meet one special friend. The Lord granted both! My new friend was found quickly, and she is also a Christian who desires to connect with a good church. I wrote about this meeting and the new church home in my narrative for my poem, “Friends”, in Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds.

So she and I agreed to seek a church home together. The second church we visited was the largest in Jacksonville, the largest city in Duval County. We had never seen anything like it! As I was pondering how we found that place, I think I looked in the yellow pages of the phone book for Baptist churches in the area. I know, that was fifty years ago, so many of you have no idea that the yellow pages were ever a “search engine”. Lol! The jingle was, “Let your fingers do the walking through the Yellow Pages”. There’s the search engine… our fingers.😊

There, my newfound friend and I  were with our four little ones in tow, plus diaper bags, purses, and Bibles (we must have been a sight), eager for the Word of God and connection with other believers. We had each other for accountability and for when the battle was raging on Sunday morning. The enemy was certain to show up and throw as many obstacles as he could. But we had each other and our Lord, so of course we won! It reminds me of the cord of three strands in Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken”.

Since neither of our husbands was attending with us during that time, we joined a ladies-only Sunday School Class. I have precious memories of this God-given friend, this church, and the connection with this group of ladies as we grew in knowledge together.

Which leads me to “Riding on Coattails”. Bet you thought I had forgotten by now. I felt this background story was pertinent for telling of my first real look at this idiom as it applies to Christians.

Our Bible Study leader was the best. She was gentle, kind, wise, and open about her walk with the Lord. She was raised in a Christian family that was prominent members of their church and community. Because they were known as a Christian “family,” she believed, from a young age, that she was a Christian as well. She married a Christian man, had children, and served as a Sunday School Class Leader at the church they had always attended. They were “good” people who, as the traditional saying goes, “didn’t drink, smoke, cuss, or hang around those who did”. So surely they were Christians, and God would grant them their place in heaven.

Until the day…

She told of the revelation she received during a sermon her pastor delivered one Sunday morning, amongst all the people she had known most of her life.

The Holy Spirit revealed to her that she was not saved. Salvation is through Christ alone, not due to an association with another person or their “Christian family” reputation,  or through one’s own hard work or merits (riding on coattails). As the Holy Spirit moved in her heart, she knew she would have to go forward, accept Christ as her personal Savior, and make her public confession of this now without delay.

But how would she do that? What would everyone say and think about her, the “good” daughter from the Christian family? The good wife, married to a Christian man, is raising a family in church. Not only this, but teaching Sunday School Classes! That was a lot for her to break free from, but by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit with her, she took her first step and then the rest to move herself down that long aisle to the altar. Praise God, she was free from riding on the coattails of her family and received the robe of righteousness by the merits of Christ’s blood sacrifice. She became a member of the family of God, where we are all saved by Grace, not by our own goodness, hard work, or anyone else’s but Jesus’s merits.

And as for the concerns about what others would think, those who knew the Lord rejoiced with her. And for those who didn’t know the Lord, they could be awakened and stirred by the Holy Spirit through her humbleness before God and the whole church. Either way, I see this as a great testimony to reveal reality for our own lives. God does not want us to be deceived into assumptions about where we stand with Him.

As we humble ourselves before Him, He will do the searching of our hearts. He will reveal that the only coattails we enter into heaven by are the coattails of Jesus Christ. It will be only by the merits of Christ’s blood sacrifice for our salvation. That’s a testimony that will declare the love and goodness of God for all eternity. Know for certain where you stand with Him today.

I do hope that my sharing the testimony of Mrs. Lynn Swain, almost fifty years ago, will resonate with you as it has for me.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,  Says the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6b NKJV

And by the word of my testimony,

Reba

Good morning, midday, evening, or nighttime, 🙂

The dream I had on April 14^th was so real that I thought I was actually experiencing it. But instead, I awakened from my sleep and lay there pondering the experience.

I dreamt I was standing on our deck out back, soaking in the beauty of the Springtime view. The trees were various hues of green, with trunks that appeared painted black, standing out against the leaves. It seems the sky was slightly gray. As I looked up, I saw an eagle soaring overhead and wondered at the strength and grace with which it flew. I considered whether the second bird I saw was an eagle as well. It was slightly farther away, therefore harder to distinguish.

Seeing eagles from our deck is not routine, nor extremely rare. But experiencing this dream caused me to ask the Lord whether He had a purpose in it.

So my feet hit the floor, and I did some research. I knew that eagles are mentioned numerous times in the Bible and wanted to know if, in fact, the Lord was using them to symbolize something that He was speaking to me.

Before revealing what I found, I need to mention my previous blog written three days ago, “Just To Be Honest”. I began that blog explaining how my husband and our family “seem to ride one storm to the next.” The storms of life are what I was referring to, although we are in a season of tornadic activity, frequent thunderstorms, hail, and lightning. I went on to recognize how the enemy works and acknowledge that I do get down at times. Picking up from there, I gave my reasons for not staying down and how the Lord uses poetry and music to lift me up each morning as I lift Him up in praise and worship. I hope you will read it, if you haven’t already. It gives this blog more meaning.

The following is a brief of what I found in my research on dreaming of eagles…

Dreaming of a soaring eagle typically symbolizes spiritual renewal, divine strength, and rising above life’s challenges through God’s power. We must look at contextual factors for a more accurate interpretation. Looking at my dream in context, the eagle was flying overhead, which may suggest approaching prophetic insight or a message from God. A strong soaring eagle signifies prosperity and spiritual vigor. Drawing from Isaiah 40:31, a soaring eagle indicates that God is strengthening you during a season of weariness, allowing you to rise above obstacles. It includes these key themes: Spiritual Maturity, Renewal of Strength, Prophetic Insight and Vision, Deliverance and Freedom, Leadership and Promotion, Waiting/Hoping, Running/Walking.

In summary, a soaring eagle is an encouraging sign of divine elevation, encouraging you to “ wait upon the Lord” to receive the strength needed to soar above your challenges.

It is interesting to me that I spoke of these themes in numerous blogs and poems, but my series of blogs titled “Tuned In” and “Just To Be Honest” are right on point with my dream.

But that is not all! Today is April 28^th, two weeks since my dream of the eagle soaring. This morning, I was praying about numerous health issues for my family members and the frustrations of dealing with our medical system. I was ready to first engage in a song of praise and worship. This is what the Lord had for me today… Incredible!

The song I was prepared to sing was  “Never Alone.” When we acknowledge the Holy Spirit living in us, how can we think we are alone? Next was the bonus that proves again that God’s timing is so miraculous!

What followed was “Isaiah 40:31 video @musicBliss7. Before You Rise On Wings Like Eagles, You Wait On the Lord/Powerful Worship Music”.

My friends, I do hope that if you are able, you will listen to this teaching and worship song! I understand that not everyone has access, so I will attempt to summarize the message in the teaching and the song.

The eagle’s lifecycle was brilliantly used as an example of how our lives could be, only if we soar like an eagle by heeding His call to go higher.

“Those who wait on the Lord don’t just endure seasons; they are lifted by them. This powerful message reveals that waiting on the Lord is not weakness-it’s instruction. God does not call us to rush in order to strive, but to trust, obey, and remain planted as He renews our strength. Just like the eagle rises above the storm, you were not created to be defeated by life’s challenges, but to be lifted through them. While others hide, God calls you higher”.

Again, my tears were flowing, but of course, good tears. Tears of gratitude, with my heart full of wonderment at this kind of Love and this powerful dream.

I do not want to infringe on song copyrights, so I will list the themes of some of the lyrics to wrap up this incredible experience.

The Lord never told us to run ahead or to fight in our own strength.

This isn’t passive, this is faith alive. Waiting on the Lord renews our strength

We will rise like eagles and be carried by His grace

The eagle doesn’t fight the storm; it knows how to ride the wind

I will rise, I will soar more, I will mount up!

It is God’s hand lifting us higher; it is because of Him that we have survived the storms

We don’t just survive, but we grow in our trust in Him… The One who lifts us higher

As the eagle ages, he has to shed his old beak, feathers, and talons for his new life to keep soaring. Believers have to shed old ways and habits to renew our youth within our souls to continue mounting up and soar when the wind comes.

There is so much more in this beautiful teaching and song that I can’t begin to cover it all. There are numerous teachings on the eagle’s life in comparison to believers. That our Lord would give me a dream and, in such perfect timing, help me understand the meaning/purpose of it, I can scarcely take it in.

He has this for you also. We do have to be careful about believing that every dream has a message. But sometimes the Lord does use them in powerful ways to comfort, encourage, teach, and sometimes even correct us.

I will continue to praise Him for all that He has done for me, and that this will help you know He has this for you also.

 Let’s soar together to rise above rather than settling for less than His best. For we know we are either in a storm, coming out of one, or going into one.

Let’s mount up to soar,

Reba

Hi, I’m glad you joined me. I thought I was going to write some more narratives for the poems in my first book,” Inspire Me”, but each time I try to write those narratives, I find what I consider more important topics. Just To Be Honest will help explain the importance.

Just to be honest with you…

My husband and I seem to ride one storm to the next. No, our weather in NWAR is not what I am referring to. I am referring to the trials of life. For us, family matters in health, relationships, jobs, etc., are foremost. Sure, we see some blue skies with smooth sailing now and then, but these attacks seem relentless at times. Does that sound just like the enemy to you? He strikes us where he can hurt us the most, our loved ones. I get down at times, but I don’t stay down. I am reminded of the promises of God.

Is there any of us who isn’t challenged in their faith?

Our faith in God really irritates the enemy, so he will work against us harder. And something the enemy doesn’t seem to know about our family is that God’s Grace and Mercy have us covered. Our God says, “He is made strong in our weakness.” “We are not victims, but victors through Christ’s victory.” “His promises are yes, and amen.” Scripture is full of encouragement from our Lord to keep running the race, as Paul said, recognizing that without Him we can do nothing of eternal value. So, I go to Him with my eyes set forward and praise Him even more. He has given me everything I could ever need. His provisions are abundant.

The next narrative I had intended to write was for my poem, “Song and Verse”.

If you know me or have read my blogs, you know how music ministers to me. I began this poem with these words because I know the source of music and its purpose.

“You gave us words, we write them down.

You gave us songs, we make the sounds.”

I ended the poem with…

“Sovereign Creator of the universe

May we glorify You, with every song and verse!

So there you have it, the source and the purpose. God, through the Holy Spirit, is our source, and to glorify Him is the purpose.

This brings me to being just honest with God, by referring to my notes from March 17^th of this year. Yes, this time I dated my notes. I am learning. 😊

Every morning, I wake up with a song playing in my mind. I decided to write down the lyrics. I typically play the song on YouTube, and I love the lyrics. So why not write them down so I can sing them on my own? On this day (March 17^th) Jesus Paid It All” was my song.

I hadn’t heard this song in years, but I was so thankful that it came to mind this morning. By the time I reached the last stanza and ended with the chorus, I was in tears. Good tears, of course.

“And when before the throne

I stand in Him complete

Jesus died to save my soul

My lips shall still repeat.

Chorus

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow.”

What a way to start my day and my time in His Word! Praise truly does bring Him into our presence. Psalm 100:4 NKJV “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”  It has a way of making our problems seem so small when we focus on Him.

March 18^th Worthy is the Lamb” was my wake-up song.

CHORUS

“Worthy is the Lamb seated on the throne

Crown You now with many crowns,

You reign victorious

High and lifted up, Jesus, Son of God

The darling of Heaven crucified

Worthy is the Lamb… Worthy is the Lamb”

And I will end this portion with my song as I awoke on 3-19. The heart of the song says…

Jesus, Your name is power breath and living water

Your Spirit guides me to the heart of the Father

Let your praise ring louder, every day and every hour

Cause Your Spirit guides me to the heart of the Father.

He did pay it all. He is so worthy of our praise, and His Spirit does guide us to the heart of our Father.

Each morning, as I started with praise and worship songs, I moved on to studying my Bible. Oftentimes, following the songs, a teaching will come up that I know the Holy Spirit caught my eye with. Today was nothing short of incredible.

April 24^th, a song was playing in my mind, but also searching my heart. It begins with…

“You alone are my heart’s desire.”

I stopped and asked myself if there was anything I desired more than God. I asked the Lord to help me answer that question honestly.

 I clicked on YouTube to play the song, but the following caught my eye, so I listened to it first. It is a short teaching by Pastor Morris Mureithi on Grace Oasis. The topic was “When you get a song in your spirit, this is what it means.” Can you believe that?! You can be certain that I eagerly took notes in total amazement!

God speaks through songs. Three things it could mean.

1)He’s speaking directly to your situation. Psalm 40:3 “He put a new song in my mouth.”

2) He’s handing you a weapon. Some songs show up when you are under pressure. God is arming you! Sing it loud! Power! Release what heaven gave you.

3) He’s inviting you closer. Sometimes it’s not about a battle. God just wants you near. That song is a door into His presence. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Every song He drops into your spirit means something.

So here, my friends, is my song for the morning of April 24^th, 2026…

As the Deer

“As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after thee

You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship Thee

You alone are my strength and shield, To You alone may my spirit yield.

You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship You.

You’re my friend, and You are my brother, even though You are a King.

I love You more than any other, so much more than anything.

You alone are my strength and shield, To You alone may my spirit yield.

You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship You.

I want You more than gold or silver, only You can satisfy.

You alone are the real joy giver and the apple of my eye.

You alone are my strength and shield, To You alone may my spirit yield.

You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship You”.

Now, honestly, I know He gave me a love and a desire for songs, and He is teaching while He searches my heart. I believe all three of Pastor Morris’s meanings could apply to me through these songs, but # 3 speaks closer to my heart.

3) He’s inviting you closer. Sometimes it’s not about a battle. God just wants you near. That song is a door into His presence. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Every song He drops into your spirit means something.

I hope this has not only encouraged you to be honest with others, yourself, and God by letting Him search your heart, but also ignited a desire in you to praise and worship Him every day. Remember, the source and the purpose. He will use it for good, especially in the trials of life.

Please encourage others to do the same, and if what I have written helps you, please share my website.

Honestly from my heart,

Reba

Good morning, as the sun rises, a little later to see on this cloudy Resurrection Day. What an incredible day for us all if we only believe.

Today I want to make this brief as I will be heading to church in a couple of hours and dinner with some of our family afterward to continue celebrating with them.

In my effort to express the joy of Jesus’s resurrection, I will share with you a poem I wrote in my book BlueSkies Butterflies&Battlegrounds. And I also believe it explains why we Christians serve a living God and have hope for our futures, not only here on this earth, but for all eternity.

Why an Empty Grave                                                                                          

It is true the old rugged cross, we believers do cherish,

For without it in our sins, we each would surely perish.

The Cross is a reminder of our sins Jesus did bear;

Yes, for you and me and His people everywhere.

But on Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection story,

Because the cross alone could not convey, the fullness of God’s glory.

If Jesus died on a cross and lay lifeless in the grave,

How could He return to the Father the ones He came to save?

No! Death was powerless over Him! He rose to our Father’s side,

 And sent the Holy Spirit, to live in our hearts; That’s where He abides.

So, brothers and sisters, this is why we celebrate His empty grave.

The Holy Spirit is showing you; you’re the one He

Came to save.

Filled with blessed assurance, we will see our Father’s face,

Through Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, by His

Love, mercy, and grace.

Behold with us the empty grave, you won’t see

Jesus there.

Just look beside you, there within you; our risen

Savior dwells everywhere!

Together worshipping our living God, the empty grave before thee.

Saving us from sin and death, in the fullness of His glory!

My friends, it is my sincere desire for you to know the depth of His love and sacrifice so you can be filled with joy and hope for your future as well. This is certainly something to celebrate, wouldn’t you agree?

I have more to say on this topic, but I will save it for later. The clouds have cleared, and the sun is shining brightly. In my narrative for this poem, you will see why the sunrise on this particular day holds a special place in my memory. But no matter if it’s clouds, rain, storms, or sunshine, we have every reason to celebrate our Savior!

He is risen indeed!

Reba

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