Reba Bailes-Faith Filled Inspiration

First, let me thank you for staying with me and being patient in this process. I hope it doesn’t appear that I think it is all about me and my family. Even if no pets were involved I would be sharing my life experiences and His Word to hopefully encourage you in your faith and trust in the Lord. You know, “Inspire Me”, “Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds”, and in this case, All Things Great and Small.

With that said, I will begin with a bonus then on to my dreams and the “Right Door”.

In my first attempt to write about this in All Things Great and Small, I stated “I made my title include all things because the Lord cares about all things concerning us”. Closer to the end I quoted 1 Peter 5:7. I ended with a picture of our church bulletin referencing the books the veterinarian wrote, and the verse in Psalm 104:24-25. This morning I looked at the other bulletin that was with this one. This is what I saw…

Thank You, Lord, for your apropos bonus.

Now on to the first dream that shows just how deeply He does care about us…

In this dream, I was standing in front of our vet clinic which does not provide emergency care. I saw a man standing on my left and I understood that he was one of the doctors. I said I wanted to bring him last night for help but I didn’t. The doctor said, “Howie was here last night scratching at the door to come in but no one was here to help.   I could see Howie frantically scratching to get in for help. Immediately after, I looked up and saw Jesus standing slightly to the right. Jesus said to me, “ I was here for Howie and I opened the right door for him to come in”. He came in the door with Jesus! I woke up! Can you imagine the astonishment, then, the peace that swept over me? I cried with joy and wonderment this time. I understood that it was Howie’s time to go with Jesus. Jesus was there for him and opened the right door. Remember the doggy door at our church I mentioned?

My heart was so full of overwhelming gratitude, yet there was more healing in the process still ahead. The process included another dream. More than I could ask for.

This dream began with me standing in our family room looking at our front door. It was opened slightly and a bright beam of sunshine was pouring inside our foyer (our house faces the north so the front is always shady). (Our door was reversed in the dream. The doorknob is on the right but in the dream it was on the left). Then I saw Howie happily and hurriedly passing through the doorway into the light. Howie had had a fear of passing through doors that weren’t opened wide. There was absolutely no fear or hesitation in this instance. I awoke with a smile and another big bandage on my heart.

The Lord hasn’t stopped doing His part, nor will He ever. He is Jehovah Nacham, Hebrew for The Lord is my Comforter. The Greek word for “Comforter” is parakletos, which combines “para” and “kaleo” to mean “called to one’s side”. He has assuredly been by our side. How do we thank You, Lord?

As I have relived these dreams over and over, I decided to search for a picture of Jesus opening the door for a dog. Here is what I found. Another big step in healing our broken hearts.

Some day I will order this and hang it by our front door.

Meanwhile, I choose instead of staying heartbroken by the loss, to shift my thoughts to the joy and wonder God gave us through Howie’s life. The reality is, that Howie was aging. I just didn’t want to accept that fact. Also, most of us outlive our pets. So when we add them to our family we will most likely have to say goodbye.

Our new veterinarian sent us a card that says, “Forever in our hearts“…“They ask for so little yet leave behind so much”. I’m cherishing the “so much”!

But no, it doesn’t stop there. We received a sympathy card from Cousin Kathy. The message read, “To make Heaven the perfect resting place for loved ones we adore, God made sure those Pearly Gates contained a doggy door”. Again, the doggy door! The right door!

The Lord has beautifully connected more comfort and healing than I could have imagined. Hopefully, this has helped encourage you to trust our incredible God forever at our side through all things great and small. Always opening the right door for us to enter in as we cast our cares/anxieties on Him because He deeply cares for us.

Psalm 100:4 NKJV “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise, Be thankful to Him and bless His name”.

I am thankful Lord for 11 Wonder-filled years with Howie the Wonder dog that you led through the Right Door.

To Him be all the praise and glory forever! AMEN!

And if you have a pet, please hug him or her for David our family, and me,

Reba

As I walk down a fresh raw memory lane, these are just a few things I can share about Howie.

Howie would leap in the air to catch his frisbee and with joy leap even more when he welcomed us home. He would fiercely chase the squirrels and then wonder where they had gone when they disappeared up a tree. This was the other side of our “wonder” dog. 😊

His best effort was given in pursuit of a herd of deer until the buck gave a clear indication that it wasn’t a good idea. Howie turned away on a dime! With his tail tucked and ears peeled back he gave his little, short legs a run for his life, back home where David and Steven were witnesses to this scary but hilarious event.

He stood to guard over strangers and had an instinct of who belonged and who didn’t, except for UPS, FEDX, or any large delivery truck.  He never understood they were the good guys. I believe his distaste for them was engrained while abandoned at the airport. He really did try to contain himself and did pretty well at times. Now it does my heart good to think he could be chasing all the delivery trucks he wants. When he catches them he will find they are good guys after all. They are delivering doggy treats for every wagging tail; him first.

He loved everyone and played with their dogs regardless of their size. However, when several dogs were competing for my attention he would stand guard in my lap or by my side and let them know who I belonged to. Although he wasn’t considered a lap dog, when he did sit in a lap, David was chosen most frequently. He seemed very content there for a while. If David left for a moment he saw that as his grand opportunity to steal the seat.

He would only chase the cats that ran from him and loved on the ones that didn’t. Howie spread his love and joy everywhere he went. He especially enjoyed his trips to Lowe’s Hardware Store where they told him how cute he was and would treat him to a doggy biscuit. He would strut around like he owned the place. He was small in stature but he didn’t know it. He was the biggest creature on the planet!

Many of our church family met and loved Howie. After greeting everyone who came for our group Bible studies, he would settle down so we could have our time together. We noticed that he stayed closer to one particular group member than others. We no longer wondered why, when our friend, Donald, disclosed the doggy treats he carried in his pocket and doled out to Howie throughout the evening. Howie knew a real dog lover when he met him.

Through God’s perfect timing, Howie was instrumental in meeting my friend Pati. David and I took him to the doggy park just before releasing my second book “Blue Skies, Butterflies & Battlegrounds”. Pati was exactly the helper that I didn’t even know I needed. She was experienced in book promotions, and blogs, and has a wealth of talents she could now use for me. She had become widowed a little less than a year prior. On that special day, she had decided that a trip to the dog park with her furry puppy companion would help lift her spirit. Pati had a renewal of purpose and was highly motivated to help me who was clueless in her area of expertise. Pati was the “hummingbird” zipping along and I was the “butterfly” floating along taking in what I could grasp. Although Howie and Kippy did not become best friends, they served a greater purpose. They were the reason Pati and I connected. I think of that day every time I drive by the park.

Howie was David’s assistant overseeing the building of our new church sanctuary. Although he didn’t see its completion, I’m sure of Howie’s confidence that they would certainly install a doggy door.

Please keep the doggy door in mind as we continue with this story.

Each of our family members were a big part of Howie’s joy. We will share those treasured memories together for years to come. Wonder-filled life for certain…

In my effort to go forward in healing, I will tell only a little of Howie’s passing.

Howie was aging. Yes, it happens but it’s hard to accept. He slept a lot. He lay on the window bench to continue his guard over our home. He began having seizures. I wondered how much of this we would have to endure. Sadly our daughter, Allison, and granddaughter, Haley, had experience in this and were helpful. He only had two seizures that we know of and after the last one, he wasn’t the same. It appeared to have caused a heart issue. His last night he showed signs of congestive heart failure with some problems breathing. He wasn’t in pain and appeared to desire to be alone. He went to a wooded area next door and lay in the leaves. We brought him inside to be close to us, having no idea he would not make it through the night.

It was late evening and I wanted to find an emergency vet to take him to. For some reason, my husband didn’t agree. He didn’t believe they could help. This had the potential of being a big issue between us. But thank God, He put that to rest also by giving me a dream. Dreams I will save for later.

After Howie passed quietly and peacefully, and David and I were drained of tears and sadness, we needed to rest. I was admittedly afraid to go to sleep. I was concerned that I would have fretful dreams about not finding emergency care for him. I did finally go back to sleep sometime after midnight only to have violent dreams! They had nothing to do with our horrible event. I do not remember anything specific other than they were bad enough that I woke up. I immediately asked Jesus to “please help me”. “I need sleep and Your comfort, Lord”. After a while, I dozed back to sleep to experience the most comforting dream I’ve ever had about a pet!

This may sound like a cliffhanger but I decided to post this dream and some bonuses in the next, along with a short ending. A much-needed break is in order again.

So please join me for more of this wonder-filled life story,

Reba

PS How could I forget to mention Howie’s smile?

As I write to you today, I am considering it healing “therapy”. You pet lovers will understand my broken heart and many tears.  I and Jesus lovers will gain a deeper understanding of God’s healing in all things great and small.

Some of you are familiar with the series of books “All Creatures Great and Small” written under the pen name James Herriot. He was a veterinary surgeon in England from 1940-1992. I made my title to include all things because the Lord cares about all things concerning us.

I have always been a dog lover from a family of dog lovers. No, dogs were not exclusive but foremost. My husband shares the same love for dogs, so early in our marriage, we adopted dogs (sometimes cats). Each has held a special place in our hearts, but this time, it is all about Howie the Wonder Dog. Howie passed away last week, leaving another big hole in our hearts that needs healing.

First, let me tell you how Howie came into our family and how his nickname “The Wonder Dog” derived.

Not too long before Howie, we had two dogs who had grown elderly. When the time came for that agonizing decision, with the assistance of our family veterinarian, Dr. France, we laid them to rest. I prayed many prayers that the Lord would through His love and mercy take them. But through previous experiences, the Lord had already shown me that we have authority over the animals. That choice would have to be ours through our love and mercy toward their suffering.

After making that choice (just two months apart) for our beautiful Golden Retriever, Chelsea, and our gentle giant Great Pyrenees, Bogey I wondered if I could ever be a dog owner again. But with time to heal… my husband… and our natural love for dogs, we decided to visit our local animal shelter. We discussed what we were looking for in our new furry friend. “No males or puppies”.  Well, guess what? We instantly fell in love with a male puppy! I mean instantly! There was no turning back! They asked if we wanted to take him outside to walk in a fenced area to see how he responded to us. We did gladly but he had already stolen our hearts. He was such a happy loving dog even in those circumstances. They explained that he and his brother were found abandoned at our local airport on a cold rainy night. His age was approximately a year old. His tail had been broken and grew back crooked and unbeknownst to us, at that time,  he had been shot in the hip with a BB gun. That was later revealed in an X-ray.

As I observed this scruffy pound puppy, with tail wagging, excitedly bouncing around David, his name came to me. “Howie”, I said to David, “ He looks like a Howie to me”! David quickly agreed so we named him before he was officially ours. We paid the fees and signed the adoption papers. Then excitedly and proudly drove him home. He rode in my lap, his tail still wagging as the three of us had newfound friends.

And then it happened… shortly after arriving home, I fed him and he immediately threw it all up. I tried to reason that it was from the excitement and the car ride. Just give him more time and he will be fine. After all, he didn’t look sick and was still wagging his tail. They don’t adopt sick animals and he was too happy to be sick, were some of my thoughts in an attempt to console myself and David. Those thoughts were failed attempts. The reality was that Howie could not hold down anything he ate. How could he be growing and looking healthy were the puzzling questions.

We had already made an appointment with Dr France for puppy shots and neutering. Little did we know we would experience over a year-long journey with a baffling sickness that mysteriously afflicted our precious pup.

I remember too many details of this journey, so it will suffice to say after multiple lab tests, special diets, X-rays, exploratory surgery, medications, and a significant amount of money all without answers or cures we lost hope for his future. I must add that the exploratory surgery left him with an incision from the base of his sternum all the way to the castration area! All were held together with staples and glue. When they brought him out to us, his massive incision was shocking! Extraordinarily Howie’s tail was still wagging as if nothing had happened! The outcome… he found nothing that could cause this sickness.

I found myself not just praying but begging God to do something! We could not find answers and could not bear the thought of putting him down! But the Lord did not answer at that time. He had a miracle waiting for us and we just didn’t know it.

After David and I gave up our efforts and thought we had no choice but to rely on the Lord to carry us through, I took Howie back to our vet to discuss the possibility of putting him down. (I thank God that Howie did not know what we were thinking). We were agonizing over the right decision for him.

Dr France was very understanding and knew how we had not only bonded with him but had desperately tried everything known to us to save him. He suggested, although he didn’t have any inflammation, if I was willing as a last-ditch effort, to try a round of steroids. His suggestion came with a warning, “I don’t want to give you any false hope but this is the only thing we haven’t tried”. “It’s not likely to help but do you want to try”? With all my efforts to suppress false hope, I agreed to try steroids for him. Dr France gave him his first pill in his office and we were to return after the ten-day course of this medication.

As I drove home with Howie, my emotions went everywhere. The battle in my mind was intense. Hope went to no hope, no hope went to false hope, and around and around we went. David was experiencing much the same but relied on me to make the final decision.

When we arrived home it was time for Howie’s evening meal. He ate but did not throw up! That had never happened before! I was puzzled even further. The next morning he ate but did not throw up again and again he ate and never threw up! After ten consecutive days of not throwing up I desperately wanted to believe we had a miracle. I could hardly wait to hear Dr France’s response. When I reported Howie never threw up again after the first pill he had given him, Dr France’s response was, “Well we know it wasn’t the pill.” “It’s a wonder.” While petting Howie he said, “Howie the Wonder Dog”! At that moment by a miracle of God, I knew our prayers were answered!

I could go on telling of this wonder dog, but I will have to continue when this “therapy” session has had a little break. I hope you will stick with me and hear more of God’s goodness in all things concerning us, all things great and small.

Meanwhile, I will trust the Lord for more healing as I praise Him for allowing us eleven years with His small but great creature.

And as always, I hope this is healing to anyone’s heart that is broken over the loss of a pet.

My purpose for all is to build our belief and trust in His goodness toward us no matter how hard it seems.

NKJV 1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”.

To be continued…

Reba

PS This morning I found this timely bulletin lying under another and my Bible. It is from our church dated February 2^nd, 2025. I could hardly believe my tear-filled eyes.

Notice the scripture: NIV Psalm 104:24-25 “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures…living things both large and small”.

As the snow and ice are still melting from last week’s wintry blast the temperatures have risen to a spring-like 71 degrees today. We have a little saying in NWAR, “If you don’t like the weather here, just stick around a few days (or sometimes a week) and it will change. Funny, but often true. 😊

And here I am at my computer to share with you what is on my heart.

My oldest brother, Thomas (we call him Tommy), who lives in Texas is going through some serious health problems again. I say again because he has had several touches with death, mainly but not exclusive to his heart condition. As in previous times, he drove himself to the emergency room not sure that he would make it. Thank God he did!

Although, without knowing of Tommy’s emergency situation, I continually had him in my thoughts and knew I needed to call him. He didn’t answer so I decided if he didn’t call me soon I would contact my sister, Denise, who lives close to him. Thank the Lord I didn’t have to wait long. The next morning he called and I learned of his admission to the hospital the day when I had tried to contact him.

As he began recounting the experience I could tell it was intense. It got more intense when he told me that the doctors were at odds with each other and disagreed on their diagnosis. Without definitive answers, they were treating him independently of each other. This was frustrating for us and added much unnecessary stress for a heart patient. As we talked, it was even more upsetting for Thomas to recite the confusion and lack of care throughout the process.

I decided to redirect our conversation by reminding him of all the times the Lord pulled him through and that he could trust Him again no matter how critical it got. We reminisced over events that confirmed God’s trustworthiness. Some would say that is “Preaching to the choir” (an idiom that means to try to convince people who already agree with you). And I say they are correct, but we all need those reminders.  Remembering God’s trustworthiness through our reminiscent conversation helped us get our eyes focused on how big our God is, not how big our problems are. Yes, near-death experiences are big. But never bigger than our God!

I have two brothers. Both are talented musicians, but I will tell more about them in another blog.

So before my phone conversation with Tommy ended I took the opportunity to express my appreciation for my big brother’s talents and how much his music ministered to me. Soon after, I thought of the old song “The Anchor Holds”. Tommy was familiar with the song but couldn’t remember the words. As we made light of his forgetfulness we started joking with each other.  Then he laughingly sang a childhood rhyme “I’m a little teapot…tip me over and pour me out”. My reply was, “Brother they gave you too much Lasix (a  diuretic used to relieve excess fluid) and you are already “all poured out”. Lol! The laughter was good. Like medicine as the Lord says in PROVERBS 17:22 NKJV “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones”.

Unfortunately, there were far more less-than-positive events to his hospital stay. But when I spoke with my brother again, he had released himself from the hospital! In my opinion, this was a drastic move, but understandable also. How does a stressful stay in a hospital help the heart to heal? So many concerned thoughts arose again.

But God reminded me of the “anchor” so I listened to it along with the story behind it.  “The Anchor Holds” by Lawrence Chewning. I forwarded the link to my brother believing he would find comfort and strength in it also. You can find it on YouTube if you would like to hear the whole story with the song. It is powerful!

I will tell the parts of Lawrence’s story and the verses that minister deeply to my heart.

In Lawrence’s story, he told of the year 1992. He called it a year of sorrows. Oddly enough 1992 was much the same for my family. There were many commonalities in our stories that year. It was a year of burnout, discouragement, and depression not understanding tragic loss. He went on to tell of his time emotionally broken at his piano where he wrote the lyrics to this song. He said it was a very lengthy song, 10 to 11 minutes long but it really did help him by writing this.

Several months later, through a certain course of events, he ran into an old friend, Ray Boltz. He told Ray of his and his wife’s extremely difficult year and shared what he had written. Ray later asked if he would mind if he recorded it. With Lawrence’s permission, Ray downscaled it, recorded it, and made it famous. Lawrence was understandably going through financial difficulties at that time. This song provided not only emotional healing but also financial provision. The Lord’s provision in so many ways! Now that my friends is what I call the Lord taking what the enemy meant for bad(destruction) and turning it into good. More than good, His best came from the storm. And there is no telling how many lives have been comforted, healed, and changed through his song!

Here are the verses I connected with the most…

I begin with the chorus…

1. The anchor holds though the ship is battered,
2. The anchor holds though the sails are torn,
3. I have fallen on my knees as I face the raging seas,
4. For the anchor holds in spite of the storm….

• I’ve had visions, I’ve had dreams, I’ve even held them in my hand
• But I never knew they would slip right through like they were only grains of sand …

Chorus again and then…

• I have been young but I’m older now and there has been beauty these eyes have seen.
• But it was in the night through the storms of my life
• Oh that’s where God proved His love to me

The chorus is meaningful because of the words I wrote in Sovereign Captain at the Helm…

“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”… Page 15 in “Inspire Me”.

“Sinking Sand” on the page just before it is full of the same theme.

“Surrender to Him, take His hand,

Stand on the Rock, you’re on dry land,

Saving Grace, His Promised Land, overcomers of our sinking sand!”

Lawrence’s words in lines 5&6 remind me of these verses 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?”

Many of my poems and narratives have commonalities in our storms/battlegrounds, as in my book and poem “Blue Skies, Butterflies and Battlegrounds”. I began the poem by naming some of the “beauty I have seen”. Then we move on to the battlegrounds…“You grip my hand, guide me through, the very one I’m desperate for.”  That sounds like an anchor to me! It continues through his verses 8 & 9 “Through the storms of my life Oh that’s where God proved His love to me”. Mine in the last verse, “Thankful through life’s battlegrounds, I’m homeward bound, beyond the sky so blue!”

Can you tell, my friends, how this song touched my heart? This certainly wasn’t just for my brother. That is how God works; the good for all!

And I truly hope He has used this to touch your heart to know there is nothing in our lives that the anchor won’t hold as He is gripping our hand. He won’t let go! Be encouraged by the words in this song, my poems, and our testimonies. As I wrote in “God in Our Seasons”…

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

And encourage them 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!”

And for the most important truth of all:

Hebrews 6:19  NKJV “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.”

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”.

This is how we know He is the anchor and His grip is sure.

Until our time together again,

Reba

Hello, thanks for joining me again.

Business first today. I am still having trouble with my comments page. I am getting some, although they might not look like it on your end. I will continue to work on it, but in the meantime, go ahead and comment in the box, and just hit enter when you are finished. Or you can sign up for emails as many of you have.  Thank you for your patience with this. My experience is that technology doesn’t always work as it should. Can you relate?

Through my efforts to write shorter blogs, today I will write about more that came to mind during yesterday’s blog. Namely my comment about the less fortunate and those of us who have more to give more. “For it is truly more blessed to give than receive.”

After time in the Word in my special quiet place, I lingered there. I decided to continue reading my “Art of Living” book by Norman Vincent Peale. Many of you are understandably unfamiliar with Mr. Peale. The copyright of this particular book is in 1937. His counsel using God’s Word, was instrumental in saving countless lives during the Great Depression. You may have heard of his book called “The Power of Positive Thinking”. This 1952 best seller encouraged millions and still does today. He tried to instill a spiritual renewal in America in those days. Does that sound like what is needed in America today?

In the “Art of Living” book I am in the chapter titled The Discovery of Happiness. I wanted to share some of the statements he made and a story he told that led straight to my statement “It is truly more blessed to give than receive”.

Norman started this chapter with a question. “If you could have the thing you most desire; if you could realize your dearest wish, for what would you ask?” He went on to say the wise man would conclude that the one great thing most to be desired in this fleeting life is that state or quality we call happiness. He states, “Happiness is something to be distinguished from pleasure”. In my Bible studies and blogs, I have pointed out the difference between happiness and joy. But as I read on, he describes happiness as a concept involving something much deeper, richer, more satisfying, more spiritual, and therefore longer lasting than pleasure.

This, in my opinion, describes joy. Joy/happiness is so much more than skin deep. It is bigger than and not reliant upon circumstances. And it is much larger than my emotions. I want the kind of happiness that comes from trusting God more than my circumstances, obeying God, and following God regardless of where that path leads, even if it is hard and means I leave my familiar comfortable places. This is the path to true joy/happiness. How about you? We do have a choice and we can settle for less. I admit, many times I have settled for less. But even at this age, I am learning to follow the Better Way. Thank You, Lord, Your ways are always better than mine!

In this discovery, Norman points out why the pursuit of other “good” things is why many of us are still discontent, unfulfilled, discouraged, depressed, and oppressed. “We seek God because our souls tell us the truth which our experience confirms that to find God is to find true happiness.”

So in order not to rewrite this entire chapter, I will get to his teaching that pertains to happiness in giving. I am paraphrasing some and italicizing his verbatim words. His teachings are simple but do not underestimate them because of that fact. He points out that  “the profound and the simple are first cousins”.  (This reminds me of my testimony of salvation as a 9-year-old girl. Thank You, Lord, for the simplicity of Your Truth.) He made the simple statement, “Happiness is not to be found in getting but in giving”. Does that sound familiar? It is not what you do for yourself that will give you the greatest happiness but, rather, what you do for others. There is no joy like it and it will make the whole world brighter for you”. “This was what Jesus was always trying to get people to do. Many Christians fail to do it, and their lives are like a twenty-five-watt bulb when they could shine with the brilliance of one hundred fifty watts.”   

He continues this message by telling of a distinguished writer who told him that “for years he had lived the selfish life, making money only to lavish on himself”. The man went on to tell how over time a feeling of boredom, weariness, and dissatisfaction overwhelmed him. The drabness of his days became oppressive. Pleasures were not to be found. The “love between him and his wife died and they divorced. Then it happened that he fell upon a strange secret. He learned that a Great Teacher was right when he said, “He that saveth his life shall lose it, but he that giveth his life shall find it a hundredfold”. This man truly had lost life, for little remains when happiness is gone. He was saving his life and he had lost it, but now he began to give it away, and wonder of wonders, he had it all back again, only this time much deeper and richer than ever before”. Later in his story he even stated, “Perhaps I’ve been converted.”

As I read this little, but powerful book, I can see why its title is so apropos. God is the Artist/Creator of our lives and by following the Artist’s instructions for life (His Word) our lives create a Masterpiece of artwork. The Art of Living! “There is no joy like it and it will make the whole world brighter for you”. Pretty incredible, wouldn’t you agree?

And before I could get to my computer to write my continuing thoughts from yesterday’s blog, today I read among many other things, Andrew Wommack’s daily devotional. There’s that word again, “devotional”. Lol!

Straight from the teacher’s mouth, or email in this case. 😊

February 19 Ministry In Action MATTHEW 8:14-17; MARK 1:29-34; LUKE 4:38-41

‘And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.’ Mark 1:31

How did Peter’s mother-in-law minister unto Jesus and His disciples? Did she sit them down and preach to them? Certainly not. Yet sometimes people think the only way we can minister to another is to admonish them with the scriptures.   Peter’s mother-in-law apparently ministered to them by serving them. The word translated ‘minister’ is the same word that was translated ‘deacon’ twice in the New Testament, and ‘serve, served or serveth’ eight times.   We can minister for the Lord by doing some of the menial tasks that many consider to be unimportant. Jesus said that even a cup of cold water given in His name would not go unrewarded (Matthew 10:42).   Many people are waiting for the important jobs to come along where they can make a big impact or receive a lot of recognition, while they pass by many lesser opportunities every day. But in the kingdom of God, we won’t be given any great opportunities until we are proven faithful in the small things (Luke 16:10).   Today, ask the Lord to show you ways you can minister to others by serving them. By Andrew Wommack

In 2017 I wrote a poem after missionaries from Haiti visited our church. The poem is based on filling the basic needs of a nation in starvation. It is in my book “Inspire Me” and the title is “Hungry Sheep”. Here are a few verses that express “Ministry in Action”. Beginning with verse three…
First we do like Jesus did, and show them that we care,
Feed them all we can with help from everywhere.
We go to where they are, turn our words into action
Doing what Jesus did, that’s the main attraction,… (skipping a few verses) Sharing God’s abundance and filling basic needs
Living out the Gospel, on Jesus more believe. The last two verses say…
Using those of us He calls, feeding hungry sheep together
Bringing the Gospel to the nations, glorifying Him forever!
You can read it in its entirety on page 32.

My dear friends, I could never put all of this together myself. And I couldn’t make it “less is more” if it wasn’t for your input, my desire to accommodate, and the Lord’s help in that also. I pray this has been worth your time to read and consider.

May our lights grow brighter through the art of living,

Reba  

Your comments are valuable, so I will use them to improve my blogs.

 A couple of you have suggested that I shorten my blogs. Lengthy ones are sometimes hard to stay focused on and find the time to read in one sitting (might not make it back to finish). Funny thing, I wondered about this but I also had other opinions.  Now with this in mind, I decided to make adjustments that I believe will better serve all. This reminds me of my poem “Brevity of Time” in my second book.

For all of these lengthy blogs that I seem to have plenty of, I will break them up into segments, as I did with my 3-part series “Losing My Sight”. That way for the ones who need shorter versions, you won’t need to try to hang in there for the ending. 😊And for me who has more thoughts to add, I can keep writing in the next segment. Those who want to read more can continue along with me. I’m hoping that will work better for us all. So let’s give it a try again. And keep those comments coming! I do hear and appreciate you.

Since I haven’t written about Valentine’s Day, I will share with you what happened on that special day.

I didn’t get up at my usual every early morning hour. I had somewhere to go so I had to shorten my quiet time. As I sat in my favorite chair, I asked the Lord what He had for me. I knew He had something special in those few quiet moments set aside with Him. I remember He meets me where I am when I make myself available to Him.

I decided to begin with the devotional in my Jesus Always book. As I previously mentioned, those devotionals can land us right where God wants us. For me to begin my time with a devotional is not typical. I usually sing along with some praise and worship music first. But as this came together it was ideal for the quiet moments I sat in His presence. The songs came later.

My Valentine’s “gift” of the Lord’s Word for February 14^th, 2025:

For some very odd reason, I read the devotion for November 14^th, not February 14^th. But no matter the reason or the date, it was His “gift” for the day which happened to be Valentine’s Day.

It began with, “I am always with you.” How is that for getting off to a great start to the day in His Word?

Some of you may remember in my last blog I mentioned my family going through some very challenging storms in life. Some commented that you were praying for my family. I want to thank you for that. The Lord is not only hearing our prayers, but He is answering.

The devotional continued to encourage me and lift me far higher than any troubled waters my family could ever find ourselves in. He is always with us!

The verse of scripture that I grabbed onto was Isaiah 54:10 NIV “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord who has compassion on you.” As I repeated those words and looked out my window at the Ozark mountains that I live in, my peace was restored and it gave me joy. The Lord’s covenant is a blood covenant that remains forever because it was made with Jesus’s blood. Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  God’s love is an immovable foundation even when the world around us is crumbling (mountains shaken and hills removed).

I then went to YouTube to play Don Moen’s song “Thank You Lord”. But instead, a map with a warning popped up that caught my attention. The warning was a very high likelihood of a major earthquake in the New Madrid Fault line in 2025. The New Madrid fault line runs through northeast Arkansas. A major earthquake can be felt hundreds or even thousands of miles away depending on the magnitude. But God had just given me the words in Isaiah 54:10. “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed…”

I am not left to wonder why these events fell into place as they did, although they seemed odd (November 14^th devotional on February 14^th Valentine’s Day) and unusual (my atypical start in quiet time). Now was the time to sing with Don Moen “Thank You Lord” which led to the “Revelation” song with Guy Penrod.

As I am praising my Savior all day long, the icing on the cake at the end of my Valentine’s Day was that my husband brought me beautiful roses and we enjoyed a special homecooked meal together in the quiet and privacy of our blessed home.

Now we are waiting out the biggest snowstorm our area has undergone in years. I am reminded of my blog “Joy Ride With the Holy Spirit”. He displays His Sovereignty over all the land. God bless those who are less fortunate and without warm shelter. And may the Lord continue to direct us who have more to give more. For it is truly more blessed to give than receive.

In Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds in my final thought I wrote, “Over the period it has taken me to write the narratives of these poems, the Lord has given me so much more. Each passing day I could add to what He has taught in these messages. I could recount the repeated times He has reminded me of the lessons I have gleaned from Him”.

I guarantee you there are many more thoughts on this subject! Lol! But I will agree that sometimes less is more for the moment.

God bless you until next time and I will say again, “ Your voice matters”.

In Jesus’s name,

Reba

comments

I hope your day got off to a great start! Mine has, so here I am to write about it. I must confess, I was going to go shopping before writing, but my heart said, “This comes first”.

So I am here to tell of my day thus far.

Our family is again, going through some very challenging storms of life. My time with the Lord sustains me and I thank Him. He always meets my needs abundantly. Instead of reciting all my needs, I invite the Holy Spirit to guide me to what He has for me at this moment, my daily bread.

I begin with a song or sometimes several that just effortlessly come to my thoughts. Yesterday the words to the song “Trust In God” were playing in my head. The words “I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered, I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered, He will never fail, He will never fail, That’s why I trust Him, That’s why I trust Him” were drawing me right where the Lord wanted me.

Immediately after playing the song on YouTube a teaching by Johnathan Cahn popped up next. This teaching was exactly what I needed to fill, not only my needs but the needs of my loved ones in the “storm”! I sent the song and Johnathan’s teaching to several, and my sister, Karen, came back with this… “For to You I entrust my life…my life is not my own”. Based on Jeremiah 10:23.

As in the song, “That’s why I trust Him!” The Lord is consistently speaking to me about trusting Him, and more importantly, learning to trust Him more. This is part of the reason I have been in a long season of remembering Who God is, Who I am in Him, and what He has done for me. NKJV Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You”.

There is no need to wonder why I penned these words in “Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds”…

“But my thanks are most of all when storms prevail…For when I’m weak and battle-worn is where I draw from you…You grip my hand, guide me through, the very one I’m desperate for… Thankful through life’s battlegrounds, I’m homeward bound, beyond the sky so blue!” The full poem is on pages 56-57.

Since the Lord has consistently brought “trust “to my thoughts, I recently decided to bring a study to the ladies in our church titled “Trustworthy” by Lysa Terkeurst. I have always relied upon Him to direct me to what He has for us and He always comes through. And I learn to trust Him more as I learn more of His trustworthiness.

Each and every day is packed with “golden nuggets” as I “tarry with Him”.

So for today’s nuggets to share. Who’s reading your mail?

Blessed Assurance was how this day began. A few verses from the old beloved hymn “Blessed Assurance”…

“Blessed assurance Jesus is mine, Oh what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood, This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.”

Oh, how I love the assurance in Jesus this song declares!

From there my thoughts went to a question that our pastor, Mark Laster, made in his message on January 6^th (I’m glad I took notes and even dated it). The message was titled “God Is In My Story”. He had a self-examination question for us that I was directed to reexamine this morning. The question is, “What if my story was written not by my actions that everybody sees, but what if my story was written in a book of what I thought?” I’m sure if he had asked us to respond, many, like me, would have been on our knees thanking God for not exposing our thoughts in our life story! Blessed assurance was given throughout Mark’s message that as believers in Jesus, our story is covered in His righteousness. No condemnation in Christ! I am glad I got to reexamine what I gained from that question. I was deeply humbled and so full of gratitude for the words, “Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood, This is my story, This is my song!”

Just moments later my poem “Sea of Forgetfulness” came to mind.

“One day I was walking along a dreary beach.

Love for living had spiraled out of my reach,

There in the sand exposed for all to see

My sins were written, all the evil about me.

Guilt and shame came crashing in

Thought I’d drown, didn’t care enough to swim.”

Friends, can you imagine all of your sins and all of your evil thoughts being written across the beach and exposed for all to see? Read on to the place where Salvation stepped in…

“The Gift He offered, I humbly received”. Pages 12-13 in “Inspire Me”.

What transpired through that poem still brings tears to my eyes…

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

Neither shame nor guilt, just pure white sand!”

There has been so much more revealed to me in this process I couldn’t possibly write about it all. But I must mention one more thing and then I will try to wrap it up.

In January 2017, I wrote a poem about the intimacy God wants with us. Its title is “Intimacy (Into Me See)”. It is in my first book also. Page 26.  It goes like this:

“We will make it short and sweet

As we lay it at His feet,

We rip off our masks

Never a painless task.

He tears down our walls

With His loving voice, He calls,

For in our hearts He sees

Our hurts and many needs.

“He beckons us draw nearer

Helps us see our Father clearer.

As into Him we see

THE INTIMACY

He has for you and me!”

This is our God’s desire for us! To have such an intimate relationship with Him that we can trust Him with everything! Even those things about us we would never want to be exposed to others. NKJV Hebrews 9:14-15 “how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? V15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”  

“Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit washed in His blood, This is my story this is my song!” Notice that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Eternal inheritance! My heart rejoices! Consider all that He has done for us! It is out of His great love for us that He deeply desires that intimate relationship with us. Have you known anyone else who has ever loved you like that? I know I haven’t! It is honestly hard for me to wrap my mind around it. But I believe His Word.

Blessed assurance in the storms of life, my thoughts not being revealed in a book for all to see in my life story, my sins not being exposed on the dreary beach, and the intimacy He so desires with me. All through time in His Presence through praising Him in song, scripture, lessons from trusted teachers, poetry, messages at church, and the Holy Spirit putting it all together for us in this blog, step by step.

This has been so much more fun, fulfilling, and valuable than shopping! I hope you agree!

Oh yes, mentioning shopping, as I was getting ready to go shopping (I thought), I opened my phone to listen to my favorite Christian radio station, KLRC. But I decided to check my emails instead as we have others in our church family going through their own set of storms.

My daily devotional from Andrew Wommack popped up first in the emails. Typically pop-ups are not desirable, but when the Holy Spirit is involved, the pop-ups are perfect. This one couldn’t be more perfect and I am grateful and in awe.

Here is today’s devotional that wraps up our theme of “Who’s reading your mail?” Honestly, I could hardly believe my eyes as I read this!

February 11^th John 4:4-26

GOD LOOKS INSIDE

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.’ John 4:19

“This didn’t take any great discernment on the woman’s part. Jesus had just ‘read her mail’. He told her the most intimate details of her life. Anyone could have perceived Jesus was a prophet after something like that.   This woman suddenly realized that she was dealing with more than just a man. God was speaking to her. What was her reaction? She changed the subject. She brought up a doctrinal issue concerning the proper place to worship–anything to get Jesus’ attention off of her.   We all have a tendency to build walls of privacy around the intimate details of our lives. We are afraid to let anyone, especially God, look inside. But God already knows and He wants all of our heart.   Jesus brought this woman right back to the subject of her personal relationship with God. The place of worship or the forms of worship weren’t important. God was looking for people who would open their hearts–even the hidden parts–for Him to inhabit.   Likewise today, Satan tries to get us occupied with everything except the one thing that counts. God wants us to worship Him in spirit and truth. Anything less than that is not enough.” Reba’s note: I have indicated what I want to be emphasized in bold italics. Andrew’s emphasis is in bold only.

Would you like to go deeper in your understanding of this topic?   Check out Andrew’s free teaching, Are You Satisfied With Jesus?

The bookmark is one I designed for my new book “Blue Skies, Butterflies,& Battlegrounds. Finally the perfect wrap-up!

This leaves me to also wonder who’s reading my blogs? God bless you for taking your time with me. I pray you are looking forward to our next time together and please share your comment.

God bless and keep you,

Reba

I’m glad to be here writing to you again! I have a little different approach to what I have for you today.

My military-minded husband calls what I am doing “Passing the gouge.” It is a military slang term that refers to sharing inside information or tips with others to help them succeed. It is often passed from older veterans to the younger ones, helping them learn the ropes.

With that said, here is my “inside information and tips to help you succeed.” The Passing the Gouge…

Our church has monthly Leadership Meetings. During those meetings, each leadership couple or individual tells of something they have experienced or are experiencing to encourage and strengthen the overall team, therefore, strengthening the church body as a whole. Our Pastor fondly calls what we bring “Golden Nuggets.”

Now on with the “Golden Nuggets” part…

Marty and Lori Boyd ended our 2024 meetings with a bucket full of nuggets and I have their permission and honor to pass these along to you. You know I am a big promoter of believers sharing what God has done in our lives to build each other’s faith and spiritual growth. The Boyds did just that! I am excited to dive into the bucket!

First Marty shared three of the most impactful events in his life. We had a time limit or I know he could have shared a multitude more. Each was unique in its theme and uniquely impacted each of us. I must say he did an excellent job of causing us to feel that we were in the moment with him as he told and even acted out these events. I do believe I will always remember the effect this has had on me. It even brought me to reminisce many of my most impactful moments, much like the ones I share through my poetry and narratives. Or how about my blogs? “Defining Moments” in particular.

After Marty’s turn at the microphone, it was his lovely wife, Lori’s, turn. We often use “lovely” loosely, but Lori bears a lovely that comes from the inside out. Much like was brought to light in my poem “Behold a Mirror” in my second book.

Lori began by explaining how her story came about. I don’t remember her saying she was doing anything in particular, maybe just doing housework. It was nothing like climbing a mountain or fasting for forty days and nights to hear God’s voice. But she did hear the Lord speaking to her as she was simply going about her chores. Not an audible voice but in a way that there was no mistaking it was Him speaking. I can relate to that. How about you?

The following is what the Lord said to her. “The World vs God” is brought to you by Lori Boyd via me.

The world says there is no God – God says, I am the alpha, the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Revelation 22:13

The world says life is all about self-gratification- God says it is better to give than to receive.

Acts 20:35

The world says I am ugly-God says you are all together beautiful

Psalms 139:14

The world says it’s okay to be jealous or envious-God says love your neighbor.

Matthew 22:39

The world says to be afraid- God says fear not. (repeatedly)

Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31:6

The world says take sins and make them legal-God says follow my commandments.

John 14:15

The world says it’s okay to lie-God says the truth shall set you free.

John 8:32

The world says it’s okay to live in sin-God says for the wages of sin is death.

Romans 6:23

The world says once a sinner, always a sinner-God says ask and you will be forgiven.

John 1:9

The World says you don’t need to go to church- God says the church is the body of Christ. (multiple times)

1 Corinthians 12:12

The world says it’s okay to steal-God says ask and it will be given.

Matthew 7:7

The world says let someone else raise your children-God says I have given you children as my gift.

Psalms 127:3

The world says it’s okay to use the Lord’s name with profanity- God says take my name and keep it holy.

Ezekiel 36:22

The world says you don’t have to be appreciative of anything- God says thank him and praise him daily for his gifts.

(multiple) Psalms 92:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; 1 Chronicles 16:34

The world says to change the meaning of the bible to fit your life- God says my word is everlasting and unchanging.

(multiple) Psalms 110:38; Isaiah 40:8; Malachi 3:6

The world says it’s okay to worship anything you desire – God says you shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 20:3

The world says prayer is useless- God says pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:16

The world says God doesn’t answer prayers- God says My will be done.

(Lord’s prayer) Matthew 6:9

The world blames God for bad things that happen to them- God says for all good things come from me.

James 1:17

The world says  I don’t need God to get to heaven- God says I am the way, the truth, and the life.

John 14:6

The world says nobody loves you-God says I love you so much, I sent my only son to die for you.

1 John 4:10

The world says God’s love isn’t forever-God says I will love you with an everlasting love.

Jeremiah 31:3

The world says you are all alone- God says you are not alone, for I am with you.

(multiple) Isaiah 41:10

The world says give up – God says I will carry you.

Isaiah 46:4

The world says you can’t be happy-God says keep the joy of the Lord in your heart.

Nehemiah 8:10

The world says there is no hope- God says all things are possible for those who believe.

Mark 9:23

The world says God doesn’t know you- God says I knew you before you were created in your mother’s womb.

Jeremiah 1:5

The world says God doesn’t know me personally- God says I know the number of hairs on your head.

Luke 12:7, Matthew 10:30

The world says there is no cure- God says I am the great physician.

Mark 2:17

The world says you have to be first to be the best- God says whoever is first shall be last and whoever is last shall be first. Matthew 19:30

The world says you can’t have enough- God says I will give you all you need.

Psalms 16:5

The world says you can’t -God says fear not for I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

The world says God is dead – God says I am the living God.

Mathew 22:32

The world says God is not with you-God says where two or three have gathered in my name, there am I.

Matthew 18:20

The world says you have to be perfect – God says all sinners come boldly to the cross.

Hebrews 4:16

The World says I don’t have time for God- God says seek me first.

Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 3:6

The world says money can buy you happiness- God says for the love of money is evil.

1 Timothy 6:10

The world says the more money you have, the more important you are- God says it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Mark 10:21-25

The world says there is no eternal life-God says my salvation is all you need. Romans 6:23.

Lori had written what she heard several years before she shared it with us. Marty was led to the scripture that so aptly backs it up. The way we know that the Lord is truly speaking to us is that it will always line up with His Word in the Scripture. Spend some time reading each statement and your Bible. You will find more of God’s truths revealed for developing a more personal and intimate relationship with Him. With God’s Word as the God Sword, we can shut the mouth of the deceiver. The timing was right for them to pass the gouge with their golden nuggets. He can use us to encourage and strengthen others to be successful in this world of lies and chaos. The world is only getting darker and the Lord is steadily pouring into us, His people, the Light. As our Pastor said in tonight’s meeting… “It overflows”.

As I wrote this blog, I found it interesting the commonalities we have in writing. I too, hear the Lord, not in an audible voice, but I hear Him, nonetheless. I write what He gives and reminds me of, and then His Word backs up the messages. Then opportunities arise in places we never imagined sharing with others. Passing the gouge to be successful at building His Kingdom and glorifying Him. Remember iron sharpens iron. As my “Body Builder Food” poem in “Inspire Me” (Books)says in a few random verses:

He also told us, “He is the Word”

The Bread of Life, our loins to daily gird.

You see it’s this food we  need as believers

Growing strong and equipped to win unbelievers.

His Church, His Body, becoming what it was meant to be…

To be strong in the Word and the Spirit of Life

Nourished and filled your light shining bright

Building the Body to fight the good fight!

I thank Him for this opportunity and the Boyds for what they do as leaders in our church and community. They carry the Light and it does overflow.

Thank you for reading what Lori and I have written and as always I hope that you have been blessed with a bucketload of nuggets. Be sure to tell others! Look what we would have missed if Lori and Marty had not shared what they were given. This is your opportunity to multiply what God gives to you, to overflow filled with His “Body Builder Food”. After all, we have so much to share as we grow individually and then in the Body of Christ’s Church. We believers are the Church! Remember the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

I do hope you will join me again as I pass the gouge and gain more nuggets for the bucket. Hey, that might be a good poem! Lol!

Blessings to you my friends,

Reba

Good day, my friends, In today’s blog, I decided my opening should follow up on two statements I made in two of my previous blogs. I have found summarizing my words in a short blog challenging. There is so much! Thus a follow-up.

I have a close friend, Joanna, who jokingly said it took her an hour to read one of my blogs. I reassured her that I could have written much more! Lol! Her statement reminded me of a book I had many years ago titled, “Could You Not Tarry With Me One Hour?” by Larry Lea. At the time that I got that book, I was a young Navy wife and mother of two small girls. My thought just looking at the title was, “How in the world would I spend an hour praying and reading the Bible?” How is that for being honest?:) My husband was gone most of the time so as you military wives and spouses of those who are extensively away from home know, the demands and responsibilities were on me. I was too young spiritually to know that although the duties were great, my time with the Lord would have been a burden lifter. During those earlier years, I also had the misconception that I was saved for eternity, and from then on, I was to do the best I could with what I was given. Of course, I believed God helped us out! He proved Himself faithful over and over to me. Thankfully I stayed in Church, Bible studies, and experience with the Lord, which He used to help correct some of my misconstrued notions and false sense of responsibility. Again, thank God for His correction and continued spiritual growth!

The Lord gave me a poem to further confirm that He was with me all along and the benefits that come with more time with Him. I’ve heard it said, “The busier your day is, the more time you need to spend with the Lord.” I have learned why. The benefits are incredible.

The poem I referred to is “God in Our Seasons” in “Inspire Me”(my first book) pages 42-43. Here are a few lines from that poem:

Your love through the years You have faithfully showered

In Your Word for each day, You strengthened and empowered

When I reached out to you in my most difficult hour.

You have helped me all along, and now I see clearly

My time with You, You desired so dearly.

You wanted to guide me, comfort me and carry my load

In this life’s daily journey, the long narrow road.

You were there to teach me, love me and be my all

My time with You would have made my struggles so small.

Several verses later I ended with this:

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!

Now this leads right to my first statement I consider a follow-up on my blog titled “IF” a Big Two Letter Word. I will quote part of the first paragraph…

“He is reminding me of the truths of His Word as I first get still and sit in His Presence. As I organized files and rediscovered things I had written down in years past, I realized The Lord was leading me to do what He called me to do in this season of life. I thought He started with my first poem, “Expressions of His Endearing Love” in my first book “Inspire Me”, but I now see that it began many years ago.”

This explained why I had jotted down moments in my life without understanding why.  The Lord was preparing me to do things that I had never imagined for use in a future season of life. Then He inspired me to write poetry, narratives, and blogs. A whole series of callings on my life that I could have never dreamed of. The means 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.

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

And encourage them all to take time with Thee”.

Now for the next follow-up on my blog titled Defining Moments, I will quote the statement I made about using devotionals and the additional thought.

“BAM! I was ready to get things in their proper order because I have to admit, I have been known to read a devotional and the verses of scripture referenced in it or listen to an online sermon or prophecy without really making time for just me and the Lord in His Word.

(I am adding this thought. It is not wrong to read a devotional or listen to a sermon as it may sound like I am suggesting. After all, this was taken from a devotional! Those things can land us right where the Lord wants us in His Word. But there are times we spend doing only those things that prevent us from simply being still before God (I’ve mentioned sitting still doesn’t come to me naturally) and letting Him speak to us personally through His Word. You know that One-on-one time.)”

I truly hope you got a clear understanding of how I view devotionals because shortly after this blog I came upon this note I had made on my phone.

“Listening to the birds sing and how the mockingbird stood out. Gazing at the stillness and beauty of the details of my front yard. The tall oaks and dogwood that made it through an oak falling on it, and the beautifully shaped redbud I had transplanted. The flowers, weeds, and bugs along with the funny squirrels… so beautiful! Everything thing was so still as I noticed the sun’s rays increasing as it rose and cut through the thick trees. This all brought my thoughts to God and His incomprehensible creation. Then I started reading my devotional in my lap that I had already opened to today’s date, June 18^th. As I read about “STILLNESS AND TIME WITH THE LORD… IMMANUEL GOD WITH ME. THE LONGER YOU GAZE AT ME THE MORE YOU CAN REJOICE IN MY MAJESTIC SPLENDORS,” a strong breeze blew through the tree tops right in front of me! Most would not believe it unless they saw it! The other trees were still as these few swayed so beautifully. I caught my breath as I recognized the Holy Spirit is in the wind and every breath I breathe. Praise God for my time with Him to, as my Pastor would say, fill my tank!”

This occurred about 10-11 years ago. There I was, sitting still in His Presence with my devotional in my lap speaking to me the Truth of God’s Word. The devotional I referred to is one that dear friends, (Karen and John) gave to me as a birthday gift. It is Jesus Always (Embracing Joy in His Presence) by Sarah Young. Here is the full devotional for June 18^th.

“Could You Not Tarry With Me One Hour?” Now I see clearly what I miss when I don’t and I don’t want to miss out on anything God has for me. How about you?

It brings tears to my eyes as I not only see the Lord putting all of this together for me but also experiencing what He has for us by “Tarrying With Him”. The words in the old hymn “How Great Thou Art” come to mind,  “I scarce can take it in”. The hymn’s first and second verses praise God for the beauty of nature. The third verse shifts our thoughts to God not sparing His Son to die for us. No wonder my tears and that I can scarce take it in. My God, how great thou art!

Tarry defined: To stay there longer than you meant to and delay leaving.

By the way, our Pastor Mark Laster gave the message at our church last Sunday. The title was “God is in Your Story.”

To God be glory,

Reba

Are you surprised that I’m writing again so soon? You can’t imagine how God is stirring me to write and teaching me the blessings in obedience. He is reminding me of the truths of His Word as I first get still and sit in His Presence. As I organized files and rediscovered things I had written down in years past, I realized The Lord was leading me to do what He called me to do in this season of life. I thought He started with my first poem, “Expressions of His Endearing Love” in my first book “Inspire Me”, but I now see that it began many years ago.

This morning He led me down a path (His Word) that brought me back to my last blog, Aye Aye, Captain. Mainly to focus on commitment and obedience.

I used the US Naval crew, specifically the cook, laundry crew, and the Missile Fire Control officer, to point out the necessary training, dedication, commitment, and obedience it takes to achieve their mission. I mentioned what their disobedience could incur. Their actions are a reflection of our Naval forces. That is a direct reflection of our nation!

Then I continued by using the church (believers in Jesus as Lord and Savior) as a parable or analogy to the crewmembers. I want to point out what the Lord showed me about the disobedience of God’s people, namely the U.S. of America. I find it interesting that this comes right after not only “Aye Aye, Captain”, but the inauguration of our 47^th President Donald Trump.

I am doing a 52-week study on the names of God. Today I was reading the lesson on the name Yahweh Lord God. For a deeper study, Deuteronomy 28:9-13 was suggested. The title of 28:1-14 is Blessings on Obedience so I began reading in verse 1. As I was reading of all the blessings of obedience, I wondered why we would ever choose to be disobedient. But read on Reba. So I did! The following verses 15-68 address the Curses on Disobedience. Wow! That’s a lot! 14 verses on obedience and 53 verses on disobedience! We can’t say the Lord Yahweh did not warn His people! And this is the best part yet…

I am using the Bible that I mentioned in a previous blog. It is the one my daughter, Andrea, and her husband, Jared, gave me last Christmas. It is called the Evidence Bible in the New King James Version.The commentaries are by Ray Comfort. Ray, a New Zealander, is drawing much of his commentaries on evangelism from his experiences in open-air preaching for twelve years.

Here is Ray’s commentary for Deuteronomy 28:15:

“The divine butler. As of 2010, America was over $13 trillion in debt (a trillion is a thousand billion). That is no small change. Ironically, hundreds of billions of that debt was to Arab nations, $900 billion to China, and $128 billion to Russia. (I will add that the only debt we should owe to any nation is to obey the Captain of the Lord’s host and do as He instructed in the Great Commission. Obedience to the call of the soldiers in the Lord’s Army.)

Back to Ray’s commentary on the state of America in 2010: Over 2.8 million homes were in foreclosure, with 4 million foreclosures estimated by year-end. A gallon of milk costs as much as a gallon of gas. And a gallon of gas costs an arm and a leg. Add to that the bad news that over 2.3 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer that year, many of whom were children.

ABC News reported that more than 60% of the U.S. was in a drought. We became used to seeing onslaughts of floods, hurricanes lining up our coasts, and killer tornadoes by the dozens ripping up the nation like there’s no tomorrow. And of course, we are in a war on terror that it seemed we couldn’t win.

The above are all signs of God’s dealing with a sinful nation. If you find that hard to believe, read Deut. 28 and see what God warned would happen to Israel they forsook His Law and turned their backs on Him. Underline the places where Scripture warns that they will get into financial debt to other nations and become the tail and not the head. Think about those nations to whom we are in debt. Underline where God says that aliens will flood the country, that their enemies will overcome them, and that disease will plague them.

As you hold your pen, also hold on to your theology, because this chapter will destroy any image of God as a celestial Santa Claus or a divine butler.  He is a God of justice and wrath as much as He is of love and mercy. To form an image of God with only one or two of His virtues, and to leave out the others, is to create an idol in your mind.

We are no different from ancient Israel. These sufferings have come to us because we have not been thankful to God but instead have forsaken His Law. “And I.  say please don’t miss this part!”  If we heed the Ten Commandments, they would show us our sinful state and drive us to the cleansing blood of the Savior. Hearts and minds that are responsive to God, and not political change, is the key to healing for our land.” by Ray Comfort

My friends, here it is the first month of 2025, fifteen years after this commentary. I can tell you with all assurance that America’s decline is evident in every area that Ray pointed out and then some. Fires are now raging like never before in some of the most beautiful and expensive areas of California. It is shameful to mention the atrocities of abortions and the hate crimes across our nation. Can we see that God warned America of the things that would happen if we turned our backs on Him?

But praise God in the Old Testament He gave us the way back:

 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”

Although this focuses on Old Testament Law living, we must know that the Law was given to show us our sinful state and draw us to the cleansing blood of the Savior. The Lord is a Righteous God and He must pour His wrath on unrighteousness. That’s what He did in the New Testament at the cross. He poured His wrath on Jesus, the cleansing blood of the Savior. So, you might ask, “Why do we need to be obedient if Jesus did this for us?” First, I would say, out of gratitude to Jesus for the suffering He did for us, that we would desire to be obedient as He was to the Father. This was all to restore us to right standing (righteousness) with the Lord for a relationship with Him. It was for our benefit. As I mentioned before, why would we not be obedient? Obedience brings blessings. He loves us so much His desire is for us to have His blessings. He made the way but we must choose.

Countless numbers of God’s people have been praying for our nation and we know God hears the prayers of His people. Many are choosing the way back to Him by humbling themselves, praying for forgiveness, seeking God’s face, and turning from their wicked ways by choosing Jesus and following Him. By the way, in seeking God’s face, remember the only way to the Father is through His Son Jesus. John 14:6 NKJV “Jesus answered, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Through the Word of God; it is not only our training manual, light to our path, and supply for every need, but it is also the way, the truth, and the life that we live in Christ. His righteous way of living in us, that frees us from the lawlessness of the world. You know, the curses of disobedience!

He gave it all so that we can have it all; all that is good in the Lord’s sight for His people. The amazing thing is, is that He gives us choices to make. If we choose His Son, His Word (training manual), and obedience to His teaching, filled with the Holy Spirit we are equipped with everything we need for victory and walk in His blessings. And the best part is we are a spiritual reflection of the One that made it all possible through His obedience to the Father. By (Spiritually) “looking like” our Father, others desire to know the God we serve.

My poem “Behold a Mirror” in “Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds” Books, helps differentiate between physical reflection and Spiritual reflection. On pages 42-43 the last few verses say:

 “With unveiled face, I see who I really am

I look like my Father, the great I Am

Beholding the Spirit of the Lord transforming me

From the mirror’s lies, glory to God, I now have liberty!

I found 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 as my scripture reference and see it as confirmation of the message in the poem.

NKJV “Now the Lord is Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”.

And Romans 12:2 says, “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”.  We renew our minds to God’s Word. Away with the lies of the enemy!

I know there is a lot to unpack in this continuation of commitment and obedience. The main point and the reason for the title “If”, is there are blessings “if” we are obedient to our God. “Captain, I will obey.” “If” we choose disobedience there are consequences as with most things in life. Consider for a moment why our prisons are so full of prisoners. By America’s disobedience and dishonoring God, many are made prisoners to the enemy. We are the reflection of a nation in decline right into the enemy’s hands.

It is my prayer and many godly men and women of God, that America will soon again reflect the Godly nation that we were created to be.

It begins with each individual “If” you are called by His name. “If” you are not His, through the cleansing blood of Jesus and His righteousness, you’d better choose today. For we are not promised tomorrow. Proverbs 27:1 and James 4:13-17. By doing so you are choosing God’s blessings and, if not, you choose curses. Only “If”!

As always this has caused me to look at my own life as the Lord looks right at my heart. I hope this has done the same for you without condemnation but for correction. It is said, that although God loves us just the way we are, He loves us too much to leave us that way.” He provided the way for the transformation now we get to choose. Praise God!

Anticipating our transformed America, so that we can be a blessing to all nations as intended,

Reba