Reba Bailes-Faith Filled Inspiration

Since I last wrote, I have frequently thought of my question, “How do we express to the Lord our appreciation of all He is to us, who we are in Him, and what He has done for us?” This seems to be a common theme in most of my writings. At first, to answer this question seemed somewhat intimidating. I do tend to overthink things. But the Lord simplified it for me by consistently showing me that I just need to get first things first.

By that I mean, I put Him first by making my relationship with Him priority. It is something that should be done before anything else because it is the most important. Everything else that we put before Him and His Word is an idol. Yes, you heard me right. Everything else is an idol. That is a mighty big statement, I agree.  But let’s look at it with the understanding of Jesus being our Lord and Savior.

King Jesus is on the throne at the right hand of our Father. He is King Jesus. Very few of us have ever served a King in our lives today. But if we examine the days of Kings and kingdoms, we see that the King ruled. Most everyone else was a servant with specific duties and tasks for each day. Their lives were dedicated to the King and serving him first. They each had a purpose and it was all to serve the King, their master.

If you have never read about God’s people desiring a King to rule over them, I suggest you do. God knew it would not be His best for His people. But He certainly had a plan and purpose for allowing Kings to rule over them.

Ok, so let’s get back to this day and age. And remember Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8. God created everything with order. With that order in mind, when we accept His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are added to His Kingdom. He is not only our Savior, but He is our Lord. He is King on the throne in His Kingdom that we belong to. As we come to Him to serve Him, we find our purpose, direction, and everything we need in Him to live in His Kingdom of abundance. Not only that, but we also add to His Kingdom as we spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Notice He says. “all these things shall be added to you”, after the previous verses where He acknowledges all the things that our heavenly Father knows we need. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. The last part of that verse in the Amplified Version says, “in whom there is no variation (no rising or setting) or shadow cast by His turning (for He is perfect and never changes). It does not get any better than this my friend!

Putting our King first and adding to His Kingdom is a pertinent way to show our appreciation of who He is,  who we are in Him, and what He has done for us. Wouldn’t you agree? Other expressions of our appreciation or gratitude will naturally flow, such as praising Him, spending more time with Him in prayer, growing in His Word, serving Him, and trusting Him more. We develop an attitude of gratitude and we express it by gladly serving Him first and then others. What a beautiful and powerful way to express our appreciation of our Lord by getting first things first.

In my book Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds, I have several poems and narratives that tell of more obstacles that hold us back from putting our Lord first. “Liking Stuff” says, “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”…”Gain” is another that comes to mind. A few lines from it say, “Authentic gain through the giver of everlasting good, My utmost for Him, seeing gain with clarity as I should. Life of immeasurable value, as my Holy King is reigning, Faith, Hope, and Love all three of these remaining.” And then of course there are “Distractions”. Why in the world is there so much distraction? Minds all cluttered with no plan of action. Our thoughts are running all over the place, Can’t focus on God or give Him some space”… “Walking On My Knees” speaks of how we should start each day and how we benefit from it. “So starting each day on my knees before God, With my heart rightly postured, I do more than just trod. My spirit soars high on eagles’ wings Walking with God through what life brings.” And in Inspire Me in my poem “More Than Words” the last two lines say, “So I can stand humbly before You someday And truthfully utter, “I love You more than words can say!” And if you read “God in Our Seasons”, you will find a lengthy list of “life’s excuses and so many lame reasons.”

By me writing these poems, narratives, and now blogs, they serve as constant reminders and it helps me to stay on track of putting Him first. My hope is that by reading this you gain a better understanding, or maybe just a reminder, as I do, of why it is always best to get first things first.  I’ve heard it put this way… The Word. The Will. The Walk. The Way. You will never regret it and the rewards are eternal gain.

I do appreciate you spending time reading what I have written. And your comments are always welcome.

As always, I hope this blesses and encourages you,

Reba

Well, my friends, I’m sure glad I ended my last blog with this statement, “I hope you join me to see if that is what the Lord has for us next.” I’m glad because expressing our appreciation is packed with all sorts of revealing “stuff”. So much so, that I believe we will have to take this one a bite at a time also.

I must tell you that the Lord is still working in my heart with my last “Losing My Sight” blogs. He never stops teaching me and growing me up in my knowledge of Him, who I am in Him, and what He has done for me. And the Holy Spirit is always there to remind me, not only of these things, but His Word planted in my heart.

I am sharing these with you to serve the same purpose as my books. As in my Final Thought in Inspire Me, “As I have been obedient to write His messages in poetry, even in the storms of my life, my hope is it will not only please Him, but inspire us to seek Him, build our faith in Him, and add to His Kingdom. He has so much more in store for us!” And in Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds, as I have shared some of my highs, lows, and transformations, I pray you will reflect on the same in your life and see the love of God who created you.

So, I continue to write…

This appreciation topic is going to begin very differently than I first thought. I thought, and maybe you also, that this was going to be another creative list of ways we can express our appreciation of others and why we should do them. You know, things like kind words, pretty cards, flowers, special acts of kindness, or thoughtful deeds toward them. Let’s not forget a poem or a book of poetry! Lol!

But I believe the Lord is helping me approach expressing appreciation from a different angle. We will get to that in the process, so please read on.

This reminds me of Valentine’s Day. I have wondered why in the world would we have just one day to try to express our love to our loved ones. How about every day? Or how about expressing Love to the world as Jesus did? Not only that, but some of us compete to see who gets the most delightful gifts. We don’t leave it there either. As we try to outdo ourselves and others, we take it to another level of craziness. We feel obligated to buy gifts for everyone we know and feel disappointed when it isn’t reciprocated. Could this be the cause of Valentine’s Day spending being expected to reach just under $26 billion US dollars in 2024? This number is mind-boggling to me! $26 billion in a failing economy? Even in a great economy, in my opinion, it is insanity in action!

I had to step back a moment from my rant to collect myself. Before I move on though, I’d like to point out, we can, me included, get caught up in those dark places where our sight is diminished and we participate in “insanity in action”. No judgment from me. Like my previous blogs about losing my sight, we can all lose our sight in different areas. With that in view (no pun intended) as I got on the rant about Valentine’s Day, I made the statement. “When we follow the world’s way, we get the world’s results”.

So, let’s look at following what God says. As in my answers from the Lord about feeling unappreciated, the cure is in His Word. God surely knows our weaknesses. Yet He knows…Psalm 103:14 “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” And He just reminded me of my poem Dust to Diamonds in Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds. And He does bring these things to the Light to give us clarity and free us from the world’s insanity. His Word is powerful and transformation is a process. Thank You again, Lord, for the process.

 With that said, I do believe setting aside a special day for expressing our love can be a good thing. Just let the Lord guide us in the way we celebrate it or not, as the case may be. And remember when we follow the world’s way, we get the world’s results. $26 billion industry and steady growth. Wonder how many hungry mouths we could feed or missionaries we could send with that enormous amount of money? Oh goodness! Don’t get me started again!

If you are still with me, I believe now is the right time to move on to our new angle of expressing appreciation. I bet you’re glad of that! Lol!

Appreciation defined… According to Merriam-Webster, the appreciation I am referring to means a feeling or expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as the recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.

So, now the “different angle “is about to be revealed. If, by faith, we believe what God says about Who He is, who we are in Him, and what He has done for us, would we not have such an appreciation of Him that we hardly know how to express it? If we get first things first by showing our appreciation of Him, I believe an appreciation of others will naturally flow from us. A natural flow of life and light. Psalm 36:9 NKJV “For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” Our sight is restored in His light. As we see by expressing our appreciation of Him first, this fountain of appreciation flows to others. Him first then others.

 Again, I refer to not conforming to the world’s ways but renewing our minds to what God says. Romans 12:2 NKJV “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God.” I repeat, “that you may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God.”

He is always drawing us into that intimate relationship with Him where are transformed to bring Life and Light to a dark and dead world. This is that good and acceptable will of God.

With appreciation defined and us approaching our expression of appreciation of others from a different angle, Him first then others, it leads to the question, how do we express to the Lord our appreciation of all He is to us, who we are in Him, and what He has done for us?

I will let this question be the wrap-up of this blog and the clue to the “next bite”.

Before I go, did you notice in my PS that I mentioned not being well? Thank you for your prayers, I am well. Meanwhile, we got some extremely difficult news involving our family. I am continuing to believe the truth about Who God is, who we are in Him as His children, and what  He has done for us (and will continue to do through His faithfulness). I am standing on His Word. Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

 I am also reminded that I thanked Him “most of all when storms prevail,” in my book Blue Skies Butterflies and Battlegrounds, the poem with the same title pgs. 36-37. And I am reminded of the reasons why… “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!”

I am looking forward to what He has for us next and am hoping you will watch for my upcoming blog and join us. As always, I am appreciative of your comments.

Blessed peace from the Prince of Peace,

Reba

By the way, if you are not getting my email notifications, you should check your spam folder or even your social folder.

Part #3 The Answers…

Well, here I am to wrap it all up in His Word, and with the end of my poem in Inspire ME

“The Answer is Coming”

“So always remember, Our Father hears our requests.

And however, He answers is always the best!”

Now on to the Word. Thank you, Lord, for your Word. These are a few scriptures the Lord used to regain my sight and set me free from misery. I’m only sharing a few. There are plenty more. If you seek more answers from Him, He will no doubt give you all that you need personally. He is that personal with each of us because He is a personal God. He created us each individually and through the Holy Spirit He can guide us to the exact Words we each need to hear. I’m hoping these verses will get you started delving into His Word for you.

To begin, we need to look at who we serve.

Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, and not for men.” NKJV. Notice he says whatever you do. No matter how big or small. For those of us who scrub toilets or haul trash, or executives of large corporations, government officials and everything in between. Whatever you do! I believe we are off to a great start, how about you?

The next verse goes on to say who rewards us. “Because you know you’ll receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

And in Matthew 6:3-4  Amplified Version: But when you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (give in complete secrecy), so that your charitable acts will be done in secret; and your Father who sees (what is done) in secret will reward you.

Who values and appreciates us?

Luke 12:7 NKJV “Why even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows.” God sees you and the work that you are doing for Him.”

God tells us form Genesis through Revelation how He values us. Afterall, didn’t He love us so much that He gave His only son for us? You don’t give the priceless for worthless. We have worth in Him! In my book Inspire Me, the poem “When I Feel Like a No Count” pg. 36 addresses these very things.

Who gets the glory?

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.” NKJV God says He won’t share His glory with anyone, that includes ME. Could it be that I have tried to hog some of the glory?  We must remember He reveals things in our hearts for correction, not condemnation. I thank Him that He loves me too much to leave anything unclean in my heart in the dark. He does not do that! He washes us with His Word.

I was just reminded of another poem He gave me to solidify this message. It is also in my first book Inspire Me pg. 21 titled “Soul Digging”. And then in the poems following it, there are “Cleaning Out The Clutter” and “Dark To Light”. All to address dark places in our hearts, forgiveness, victory, and peace.

Next is:

How do I serve with the right heart?

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you“. We are called to give thanks in everything. It is a privilege to serve others, whether in our family, church, job, or community. When I look upward instead of inward and give thanks to God, it relieves me of my selfish self-pity. I can enjoy the privilege of serving Him with the right heart—a heart of gratitude. Also, in Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds, “Walking On My Knees” pgs. 77-78, addresses humbly coming before the Lord for our answers for everything. 

Who is keeping a record of our good deeds?

 Malachi 3:16-18 NKJV “Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another and the LORD listened and heard them; So, a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the LORD, and who meditate on His name.”

For me, realizing that the Lord has a book of remembrance for those who talk about Him and think about  Him is incredible and assuring; for those who “fear” the Lord. That is to those who hold Him with a sense of reverential awe and meditate on Him. It makes it easier to let go of hurt, sadness, and even self-pity when we remember who He is and who we are in Him.

Mark 9:41 NKJV “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

He not only gives the reward but also keeps a record for us! What more could we need?

Summing up the way my sight was restored:

Who do I serve?

Who values and appreciates me?

Who gets the glory?

How do I serve Him with the right heart?

Who is keeping a record of my good deeds?

I am no longer losing my sight in the darkness with my feelings dragging me down. But walking in the light of His Word; in freedom with my joy, sense of purpose, and value restored.  Clarity! And to God to whom all praise is due! I am encouraging you to read “Walking on my knees” pgs. 77-78 in Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds.

I hope you have benefitted from my experience because I believe this feeling is not foreign to most of us. I am asking you to consider reading “Overcoming Roadblocks”, “Emerging”, and “Artist Rise Up” in Blue Skies, Butterflies & Battlegrounds. Sprinkled throughout these three poems are the words, “Having the power of God’s Word to shut the mouth of the deceiver”. “Coming before our Father with a grateful heart”. Another… “As I believe and receive my true identity. Walking with You is where I thrive”. And last but not least, “Overcoming the enemy’s lies and rising above Serving my purpose spreading God’s love”.

God bless you for sticking with me through these three days of transforming my mind. I pray that it has been transformational for you also. Dark to Light. I can see clearly now. How about you?

I look forward to hearing from you either in the comments on this blog page, or through email.

 My next blog could lean toward the theme of showing others our appreciation of them. Isn’t that an interesting topic following this one? I hope you join me to see if that is what the Lord has for us next.

Reba 

PS I have been writing for the past two days with the flu. Thank God for His help and your understanding if you find errors along the way. Please pray for my complete healing soon.
“The Lord Bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”  Numbers 6:24-26

Diagnosis attained…

Good morning, I hope you are interested in “the rest of the story”, as Paul Harvey would say. I would never want to leave you stuck where I was. My whole purpose of these blogs is to confirm God’s faithfulness to bring us out of those dark places. By the way, did you notice the light behind the medical technician in yesterday’s blog? The Lord brings these issues from the dark to the light. As my poem  Dark to Light says in my first book, Inspire Me. In this same book, my poem says …The Answer Is Coming pg. #37.

 So, let’s pick back up where we left off.

Through my attempt to reason something unreasonable, I could see that I was not wanting to be noticed physically. Of course, the enemy wants us to stay confused. He is always hissing in our heads. Spewing his venom that slowly devours us from within. You know, that gnawing within.  Where those dark places take us.

Bump in the road…

So, I then moved on to battle with the enemy. It’s his fault that I am in this gloomy state of mind! Not to mention the weather has truly been miserable day after day, week after week. Ugg! After all, it is January in NW Arkansas. But we walk not by sight, circumstances, or feelings. Hmm…

At this point, you might be thinking, “This woman just doesn’t get it!” It’s called transformation for a reason. Romans 12:2 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. NKJV.

As we read about the Israelites, many of us believe we would never respond to the Lord the way they did. When in actuality we as Christians do the same thing. In some cases even worse! It’s sad to say we Americans are a good example of this. I thank my Lord for walking with us, just as He did with the Israelites. We should know that the Lord is the very essence of Love. 1 Corinthians Chapter 3 is considered the Love chapter. It tells of the character of God. Also, we might need to take a look at Casting Stones pgs. 149-150 in my new book Blue Skies, Butterflies & Battlegrounds.

With that said, trust me when I tell you I brought this before the Lord each morning and I did sit quietly to listen. His mercies are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness, Lamentations 3:23 NKJV.

Through His mercies, coupled with my seeking and listening, I received my diagnosis. I was able to move forward by recognizing the feeling of being unappreciated was the issue. If the enemy can keep me confused and living by emotions, he can then keep me stuck and defeated. Praise God for clearing up the confusion to get me unstuck and on to victory! Lamentations 3:22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, Because his compassions fail not.NKJV.

So, with my issue diagnosed, the Lord led me straight to His answers in His Word! There’s the answer! In His Word.

Will you take a look at His answers with me? If so, be sure to watch for my next blog coming soon! And your comments, through comments or email on my connect page, are welcome as we walk this out together.

Thank you so much for joining me.

Reba 

Celebrating the release of my new book “Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds”

Part #1 Diagnosis (The identification of the nature of an illness or other problem by examination of the symptoms)

Dear friends, did that catch your attention? Good! That’s exactly what I wanted to do so I can share something with you that I believe can help the majority of us when losing our sight.

No, this is not a physical sight, so please read on for clarity. No pun intended. This is spiritual. I’m telling how the Lord gave me clarity to bring me out of the dim and dark place I was slipping into.  I hope my sharing this will help someone else have their joy,  sense of purpose, and value in the Lord restored. Clarity!

Since my clarity has come through a step-by-step process, I decided to share it as my answers fold.

Thus step #1 Diagnosis

I’m speaking of a feeling of being unnoticed and unappreciated. I know this is really putting it out there. But I suspect many of you have had the same gnawing experience as I. I say gnawing because it will eat away at us if we walk according to our feelings.

With that said, I have never been inclined to desire or seek attention. As a matter of fact, as a little girl, I used to hide behind my mom when someone would notice me. I remember being so thankful that my mom was big enough to hide me. That was until she would move and drag me up front. Then the squirmy little girl just stood there hoping this too would pass. I was always shy and quiet in school and didn’t have a lot of friends. Just a few close friends were good enough for me. As an adult, I did not like to wear hats (hats draw attention), high heels (I was tall enough, and tall people get noticed), or lots of bling (I wear small jewelry items so as not to catch the eye). Compliment me in public and I would blush. For someone who doesn’t like to be noticed, you might wonder how it could feel bad to be unnoticed. I wondered about this also. What a quandary! I needed help!

As I tried to reason with myself, this feeling got even worse. After all, it was unreasonable for all the reasons I had stated.

Again, a diagnosis was necessary before the solution could be found. 

In tomorrow’s blog, I will continue with my quest for a much-needed diagnosis. Clarity!

Is this something that you’ve experienced? Or something similar? If so, I would love to hear from you through your comments on my comments page or email.

I’m looking forward to our time together tomorrow and I hope you are too!

Reba 
Celebrating the release of my new book “Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds”.

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

To all our family and friends, young and old, in-between, near and far,

I hardly know where to begin talking about our year 2023. As with each year, it has held many blessings sprinkled with a number of challenges (or “battlegrounds” since publishing my new book).

I will start there, with my new book. Most everyone who knows me knows March was the release of my second book, “Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds.” What an event! My first book “Inspire Me” was a cakewalk compared to hiring a publishing company. I could have never imagined what was ahead of me, but I know that is why the Lord didn’t show me in advance. I wouldn’t have done it! Then I would have missed out on the many lessons He taught me, and the blessings that come from my obedience to Him. Also, I learned why they say publishing a book is much like birthing a baby! Lol!

As for David and the rest of the bunch, there is rarely a dull moment. With jobs, promotions, school, college, certifications, awards, sports, and church to name a few, there are activities and events galore. Then you add first-time house buyers, wedding plans, trip to Hawaii, Mexico, and France for some, and recently a dream job for one, it has been a year full of abundant blessings. It leaves no desire to speak of the “battlegrounds” other than to say, “Thank you Lord for using those to transform us into your likeness and to cause us to draw closer to You.”

With that said, I will make mention of two loved ones passing this year. First, our dear friend, George Bostock’s mother, Genny. George was David’s best man in our wedding many long years ago. His mother’s funeral was in Louisianna and David and I attended. It was a beautiful tribute to memories of an incredible woman and an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend and his family.  Afterward, we headed for the Houston area to visit our family there. The first stop was my sister, Karen, and Mike’s home. We had a good dose of love of family and love of God! Too many memorable events to mention now. The next stop was at my sister, Denise, and Mike’s home (yes, both married a Mike). Our time with them and other family members was enjoyed again. But while at their house, she got word that our oldest sister, Laura, had passed. Laura had been under hospice care for many long months and she was ready to go to her eternal home where she was finally healed and whole. She is missed but we will never forget her spunk, laughter, generosity, and love.

This Christmas I decided in her memory, to decorate the Norfolk pine tree that Laura had given me years ago. David and I strung blue lights and then I placed silver butterflies on its branches. Hanging on the wall next to it is my treasured infinity cross that Haley painted for me. Sitting next to the tree is my peace lily which has been in bloom since last Spring. On a table next to it is my nativity set all lit up and my Christmas cactus my dear friend Joanna gave me. Its blooms are abundant and spectacular!

As I look at these special items, I think of the blue skies that represent the Heavenly place where God the Father and God the Son reside. I see the silver butterflies that represent our purification and transformation process through the Holy Spirit while on this earth. And baby Jesus who came to provide the way. The abundance in the blooms of our Lord’s provision. The peace in the lily from our Lord Jesus the Prince of Peace. And certainly, the infinity cross where Jesus fought our enemy for us and won the victory for all of our battlegrounds. He rose again to give us eternal life. His love, greatness, and our relationship with Him is infinite.

They say we live in “uncertain times”. David and I say we stand on the “certainty” of the almighty God being all that we could ever need and more than we could ever ask for. Makes our hearts full of gratitude for this incredible gift of His birth, the Christ Child that we honor by making it all about Him!

And we ask Him to bless you, our family, and friends that He has so generously gifted to us,

Reba 

PS Can’t leave our furry buddy Howie out. He has adapted well to our new home and “aging” with us. You get the idea.

Yes, it has been a while I know. I had the misconception that I needed to iron out all of the issues with my website before continuing to write. Many times, I had thoughts or events that inspired me to write but I held back. I thought I might hit enough keys or watch enough tutorials to fix the glitches. Or better yet, get help!

So, here I am after another session with my friend Pati. She is who I fondly call my Hummingbird Friend. She is tiny, energetic, and all over the keyboard and mouse like a hummingbird zipping from flower to flower for nectar. Now here I am trying my hand at duplicating her steps to enjoy the nectar. Therefore, the title Pressing On.

Pressing on when you know it is what the Lord has for you to do is always right. I think of many times I’ve wanted to just give up when things got really hard. What if our Lord had done that when facing His crucifixion? This question should help us get things into their proper perspective, right? When we are faced with hardships, typically frustration, discouragement, doubt, fear, or confusion sets in.

A prime example of this in my life is a recent event, publishing my new book Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds. With the guidance and assistance of a newfound friend, I self-published my first book Inspire Me. Several others pitched in and made it easy.  

Therefore, my plan was to self-publish Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds. But God had other plans! I told how I came to publish with TBN/Trilogy in my acknowledgments. I made the comment that it was more like doing a cannonball out of the boat, rather than stepping out! Lol! But what I didn’t tell was how I was tested throughout that process. I must have thought that you hire a publisher and they do it all. I can tell you that I quickly found out that is wrong, and why they say publishing a book is like birthing a baby. Interestingly enough it took nine months from submitting my manuscript to my release date.  

God’s plans are always better than mine I can assure you.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

He had numerous lessons to teach me through this experience and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Let me make it clear, if I could have learned those same lessons an easier way, I would have chosen the easy way.

But I thank God He knows me better than I know myself. He knows how to get the job done!

My number one lesson has been through the testing.

Question number one in the test… would I be obedient to complete what God had given me to do even when was it harder than I had imagined?

Question number two…would I let frustration and confusion cause me to say I can’t do this? Or let doubt overcome me and say I must have misunderstood God’s direction? I admit those thoughts did come. But the Holy Spirit reminded me that, David (my husband), and I were in full agreement this was the direction the Lord was taking me.

Another important lesson I learned is that if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. You know we have many clever little sayings like this one, but God makes it real to us as we “press on” with Him.

As I reached the other side of my unexpectedly difficult tasks, I knew without a doubt who would get the glory! I hold my books and remember that without His gifting, His guidance, and His faithfulness to see it to completion, I would have never written a word of poetry or published any of the eighty that I have written. Nor could I share them with you.

Therefore, even with this website http://rebabailes.com, I press on because I know it is the right thing to do. May it encourage you to do the same. Always for His glory!

Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, v14 I press forward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Hello again, much sooner than usual.

Since my last blog about remembering, the Lord has had a number of reminders for me to “rightly” remember. I just couldn’t wait to share them with you.

By the way, I am still learning to use my website. If you have commented, I have not yet received them. Please don’t think I would ignore them. You can go to my connect page where you can email me. Let me know if you have commented. I am still hoping I can work this out. Thanks for your assistance and patience in doing that.

Ok, on to “Reminders”…

I was given this beautiful journal by a friend and helper at my church book signing. I decided I would journal about my dreams that I strongly felt were significant. If you have ever had the kind of dreams that leave you feeling like you just had a visit from the Lord, then you know what I’m talking about. And yes, I don’t want to ever stop dreaming those kinds of dreams for sure.

So, I went right to my computer and searched for my documents to place in my journal. I did find some of the dreams I had written about, but I repeatedly found more life experiences that I never wanted to forget. I titled them “Remembering”.

I knew at that moment we weren’t finished with this all-important topic. Also, if you don’t keep a journal, I am encouraging you to start. Or at least write down what God is speaking to you about, your experiences with Him, and the scripture He has given you in specific times of need. Or maybe the Holy Spirit has just reminded you of how He has worked and is working now in your life. You never know who, how, or when He might inspire you to share them. When I wrote these, I never imagined sharing them in a blog. Not to mention what I have authored in two published books. Throughout my narratives in “Blue Skies, Butterflies, and Battlegrounds” my mind was filled with many wonderful reminders of God; even in the toughest times. No, especially in the toughest times! Praise God! He teaches us what to “think” about, many ways to remind us, and gives us so much to share. You can find my books by clicking on Books here.

While I was reading what I had written about remembering, I ran across this article that I saw on the internet. It was several years ago, probably about 6 or 7. I am so thankful I kept it and I am including it exactly how I had documented it as follows:

“This is something I was reminded of and I wanted to share it with you all! Use your sword… Jesus’ Word, every day. Below is worth reading!

 “Remembering Keeps Your Faith Strong”

There are things about our past that we should forget, but there are also things that we should remember.

God often tells us to remember (Isa 46:9), because he knows that we are prone to forget. Here are three things to remember that will help you get through tough times:

1. Remember who you are.

In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith (Galatians 3:26). We are not abandoned orphans. No matter how sad you may be, remember that you are a child of God. You can trust your Father in heaven.

2. Remember who you belong to.

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine (Isaiah 43:1). You belong to God. You can only ever suffer as much as he allows, and he will always be right there with you in the midst of the storm.

3. Remember where you are going.

Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).

Whatever you go through in this world is only a fleeting moment in the light of eternity. Remember that you belong to heaven and not to this world. Remember that you have a Savior and his name is Jesus.

This world is like an obstacle course that tries to make us forget. We are only safe when we remember Jesus.

What’s your memory like? Memory can be developed through training and discipline. What can you do in your life to strengthen your memory of the spiritual realities mentioned in this reading?”

By Dr. Eliezer Gonzalez

Now I hope you can see why I couldn’t wait to share this “Reminder to Remember”. Also, the word remember is found 240 times in the Old and New Testaments. I believe remembering Luke 26:26 and 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 is key to the blessed life Our Lord came to give us.

I also discovered the next document that I had written and saved:

REMEMBERING                                                                                                       May 12^th, 2021

Last Wednesday, May 6^th, 2021, I was sharing with David the many things God had supernaturally given me to give others. We agreed I need to write some of these things down. I said, “some” because there is so much, I’m not sure there are enough hours in the day to write them all!

I started by asking the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts and help me remember, then I wrote about three special times of giving that came to my mind. The following Sunday, May 9^th, Mother’s Day, the whole sermon was based on us, as God’s children remembering all that God has done in the past. Remember His faithfulness to encourage and strengthen us in our faith. We even had Communion, “Do this in REMEMBRANCE OF ME”.

Another one of those WOW moments of recognizing how God orchestrates events in our lives that we so often miss.

Thank you, Lord, for putting things together for me that I could have never done myself. All to bless me as I bless others but most of all, may I BLESS YOU!

I found where I had written about several of those gifts that God had “supernaturally” given me to give others. Each memory of those gifts reminded me of the greatest “Gift” of all, Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son.

I will end with the last paragraph of Dr. Eliezer Gonzalez’s article I shared earlier…

“What’s your memory like? Memory can be developed through training and discipline. What can you do in your life to strengthen your memory of the spiritual realities mentioned in this reading?”

Thank you again for visiting my blog and spending time with me exploring, meditating, and sharing the Truths of God.

May God bless you and keep reminding you of His goodness and great love for you,

Reba 

Celebrating the release of my new book “Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds”.

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

I am here today to share some of my struggles and victories. You know, the parts of my life I am willing to talk about. I believe we are all in this “process of life” together so we can relate to each other in many ways. And we can help each other by sharing what we are learning. I would love to hear from you so I can learn from you.

Ok, so I will lay it all out here. No pretenses, right?

Two main struggles I have been facing are:

1) Where my thoughts go (the things that I readily remember)

2) Where did my joy go?

I am understanding more of the connection between my thoughts and my joy. As I remember the scripture the Lord has already taught me, I pause and thank Him again for His incredible patience and long-suffering with me. And most of all, His eternal Word! It never changes. It is only meant to change me.

When I allow my thoughts to take me randomly and wrongly to memories of the past, I am guaranteed the enemy will remind me of my failures, shortcomings, guilt, and the myriad of hurtful things others have said and done. You know how the enemy of our souls loves to drag us down with those fiery darts in our minds.  In my book Blue Skies, Butterflies, & Battlegrounds my poem “Land of Regrets”(pg. 143) says “They have a way of creeping in, lurking around, My personal space where secrets are bound. Land of regrets taking hold of me, Where thoughts and truth no longer agree.”

The Lord, on the other hand, uses the past for our correction and His good purpose. The Word clearly tells us in Romans 8:1 NKJV “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Or in my poem “ Living On “What If” Lane” (pgs. 110-111). It says a lot about “what if”, but here are some of the verses to consider. “What if we are here by happenstance, Hope for our future we have no chance. Or I’m not good enough so I get what I deserve, You see, it gets more treacherous around every curve! We can go very far, for it is a lengthy lane…Where tormented residents chronically complain.” (Oh, dear Lord, forgive me for my complaining!) My poem goes on to say…“You have to admit you can add to the miles, On the lane that’s bound by the devil’s wiles. But “what if” we heed His call to new direction? On Humble Court yield to correction. Jesus is the way, for we move by His grace, Taking captive our thoughts gives “what if” no space. Believe by faith, leaving “what if” behind, Renewed by His Word residing in peace of mind. We are loved, secure, let Hope remain, Our permanent residence on God’s Truth Lane.” Philippians 4:7 NKJV “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” There are many other scriptures that I have referenced for these poems. It becomes evident that God’s Word and our relationship with Him is how we shut the mouth of the deceiver, freeing us from regrets to live on God’s Truth Lane. No better place to be my friend, for you and me. We can do this by taking captive our thoughts and lining them up with what God has told us in His Living Word.

My Pastor said last Sunday during his sermon  “As I am preaching to you, it is as if I am sitting there with you and the words are coming back to me. Preaching to myself.” Or words to that effect. Now I sit here preaching, reminding, and correcting myself by sharing with you.

So, through the Holy Spirit’s constant reminders of the truth coupled with my obedience to read and meditate on it, I don’t have to struggle with topic #1. I have the power to take those thoughts captive. After all, the Lord has told us what we are to think about. Philippians 4:8 instructs believers to think on those things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and worthy of praise. If there is anything of excellence and worthy of praise, we are to think on these things. Colossians 3:2 ESV “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” God has done His part, now I do mine.

Another source of help in directing my thoughts is in a book titled “Why the Butterfly?” by Shari Abbott. On the back cover Shari quotes an unknown author, “If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.” If you know me, and my writings, you know that the Lord has revealed some life-changing truths through the analogy of a butterfly’s transformation. But Shari also says, “Don’t let the title fool you. This book isn’t about butterflies …it’s about Jesus—and why rightly remembering is important.” To sum it up we are to remember who God is, what He has done for us, what He commands of us, and who we are in Him. When we remember these truths by rightly remembering, we rejoice… the joy that lives inside of us is restored.

This brings us to topic #2. Where did my joy go?

Another poem I am reminded of is one I wrote that is in my first book Inspire Me. The title is “ Candle of Joy”(pgs. 56-57). Here are a few lines from it. “Now let us define Heaven’s true Joy, through Christ it is our gain   HE died for it, secured it for us, unspeakable Joy REMAIN!   Praying to Him, spending time in His Word, brings us in His Holy Presence,   We listen to Him, follow His truths, Joy is our Lord’s very essence. Trusting in Him, working all things for good, no matter what the circumstances   It’s a promise of God, not what others say, turns our mourning into dancing.   Joy overflows, with confident Hope; it’s truly a gift from above. No matter what life brings us, it transforms us into vessels of LOVE.”

So, yes, it is about the butterfly and Shari acknowledges this in the last chapter of her book. But the Joy through our transformation comes from rightly remembering these most important truths. We can see where our joy went when we take a closer look at what we remember and where we allow those memories/thoughts to go.

I believe I am a good example of the analogy of a woman’s brain being like a plate of spaghetti. Everything is connected. Lol! As I am writing, I noticed an article on my desk titled “Joy Stealers”. I had a cluttered desk and chose to declutter before writing. This paper was the only one left unfiled. Obviously, I am to mention key things that steal our joy. Guilt, fear, anger, discontent, despair, and suffering are the topics that the author Paul Thigpen wrote about. He takes us deeper into God’s Word so that we no longer allow our joy to be stolen.

It is empowering to me and I hope it has been for you too. If you feel led, please leave a COMMENT in the box or on my Connect page. Also, I would appreciate hearing if any of my poems or narratives have helped encourage you in your “process of life”.

Remember, I am learning myself, as I share with you, that our joy is by rightly remembering. That resolves two areas with which I was struggling. Thank you, Lord, and thank you, my friend, for spending this time with me.

I will end with a picture that is a constant reminder of what this blog is about. The framed writing about remembering was a Christmas gift from my eldest grandson and his fiancé. I added the cross in the top left corner. On the cross is written, “Paid In Full”. The painting above is Via Dolorosa (The Road to Calvary). My husband bought this painting during his tour of the Holy Land in 1978. I just love how these three items bring together Joy in Remembering.

Sincerely,

Reba