I WONDERED, 'JUST WHAT IS A MUMMER?'

As I found myself with some time I COULD use to write a new post, I noticed something which distracted me.... Seeing the term, Mummer, I realized I didn't quite know what it meant! I guess since I lived all of my childhood and early adult years in southern California, my affections on New Year's Day go to the Rose Parade.. My husband's birth in Philadelphia left NO attachment to the Mummer's culture whatsoever! Well, for those like me who don't know, Mummers are members of clubs in the Philadelphia area who spend all their year preparing for a lavish parade... They devote themselves to 'eating, drinking, and sleeping' this Mummer culture. It seems many individuals derive their purpose for/satisfaction in life from their identities being based on being a member of a Mummer organization.. (There is much more than 'just the parade' to focus on when one is a member.) Well, none of this surprises me because we all know we need to have a purpose for living...(or, as a co-producer of the movie, AMAZING GRACE said, 'a purpose in life that is worth dying for.') My reaction to a Mummer's passion for their involvement is, "That's nice but, then again, it could be a 'Bummer' to be a Mummer since you can't 'take it with you' when your body expires."
Now, just WHAT can we live, and even die for, that can be taken 'with us' when we no longer exist on Earth? As a Christian author of this blog, I get to introduce you to the promise of purpose through an eternal relationship to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY who desires to call you "Friend." Living in a personal, deepening companionship with my Lord, gives me plenty of purpose as I grow in my desire to please and delight in HIM! (This is all made possible by the shed blood of my LORD JESUS CHRIST who loved me enough to take my sins, and the resulting alienation from my LORD upon himself at Calvary, so I CAN have this individual access to the LORD all the time!) I am reminded of a statement of beliefs of a certain 'flavor' of Christianity, which states, 'THE CHIEF PURPOSE OF MANKIND IS TO GLORIFY AND TO ENJOY THE LORD GOD.' Take note of "Friend" in this message... Can you begin to 'wrap your mind around the fact that the ALMIGHTY ONE wants YOU to know HIM as a FRIEND? - THE ULTIMATE FRIEND, if you ask me! He created us with his hands, then breathed his breath into us.. (We were not just spoken into being as all else was!) The giving of his breath was the establishment of mankind as spiritual beings who are intended for communion and fellowship with HIM! Well, I could go 'on and on,' waxing eloquently as my husband has infected me with the ability to do, but I'll close with this thought.... Can you imagine what your life is meant to be like as one who delights in ENJOYING GOD, and subsequently, GLORIFIES HIM? Some of you 'out there' already KNOW that it's not a matter of simply imagining, but can be reality for us! Dear reader, if you don't enjoy God, call 1-888-NEED HIM so someone can share more with you... Blessings from above are headed your way!

BLESSED or, A BLESSING?

AS this Christmas season is fast approaching, may we remember to do as the stickers on the rear window of my car say... "AMERICA, BLESS GOD.." It is all too easy to be swept away in all the doings and demands (hopes/expectation imposed upon us by ourselves or others), while not taking time to truly BLESS our LORD.. Consider HOW you feel when someone tells you that you are a blessing to them? (refreshed, sort of 'tingly?', or encouraged?) WELL, have you given much thought to how our LORD welcomes our thankfulness, obedience, trust, and 'SO MUCH MORE?' Of course, this coming week holds the set-aside day for us USA citizens to pause and say 'THANK YOU' to HIM officially but, can't we do any better than that? How about daily seeking new ways to 'Bless the LORD, O my soul.' (as my last post spoke of..) The well loved hymn says a lot... "TRUST and OBEY, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey..." I don't know about you, but I am truly HAPPY when I know I am walking in ways which BLESS my LORD. I am light-hearted and, as a result, I trust the HIS light shines brightly through my eyes and countenance.. I'd encourage each of us to 'tune in' to opportunities to BLESS the LORD more often each day... May the LORD bless and keep you as you do..... Until next post, Sheila

How About A 'FAITHLIFT?'

Each time I sit down to write 'a little something' here, I have ample ideas about what to share.. But, I desire to write what the Lord God Almighty is desiring me to convey.. This morning, PSALM 103 blessed me SO much that I am confident it's what I need to speak about... The title I've chosen for today says it all!! --"Praise the Lord, O my soul-all my inmost being, praise his holy name!"-Don't forget his benefits-- FORGIVENESS, HEALING, REDEMPTION, COMPASSION, SATISFACTION, YOUTHFULNESS, JUSTICE, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS--- for starters! Please take time to read and digest just some of how the Lord tells us about more of his true nature through all HE does for us! In fact, I am reminded of JEREMIAH 9:23-24 in which He declares He delights in exercising kindness, justice, and righteousness! Today, may we all relish more of his character as we welcome HIM to express more and more of his nature in/through/to us!!

CHOOSE SIN or, CHOOSE HIM!

HELLO to all who have time to read this! Please join me as I consider just what a responsibility we each have... It is simply the oppotunity to choose life within the intentions and desires the LORD has for us or, not to do so. Not much discussion or deliberation is needed. We have been given the privilege of determining how our days, weeks, months, years, and lives will be lived out. The LORD states his intention to bless us as we welcome and yield to HIM but somehow, most of us find ourselves 'forgetting,' or neglecting? to ask Him how we can best honor his presence here on Earth with/through us.. UGH! For now, let's just know HE has plans to prosper us - to give us hope and a future as He also desires us to truly KNOW Him personally.. For, He takes delight in being the God who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness. (paraphrases from JEREMIAH 29:11 and 9:23-24) I'll close with a saying I saw recently.. Basically it says the length of our life is not as important as the amount of LIFE we live in the days we do have here..Any Christian reading this knows JESUS is The WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE!

To the PHONE or, to the THRONE?

BLESSINGS TO ALL WHO MAY READ THIS- Much has happened since my last post so I am choosing between several titles which have 'come to mind,' during my recent events. Basically, all of the 'happenings,' present me with the choice to go to 'phone' or, to the THRONE! I trust many of you can identify with our innate desire to 'tell someone' almost any time something seems uncomfortable, intimidating, or otherwise threatening to our 'comfort zone' in life.. Those of us who have my temperament seem to do 'best,' if we 'talk it out,' almost immediately. Others of you out there are likely to 'shelve it,' at least for awhile.... Well- recently, I heard a speaker propose we be more ready to take it to HIS THRONE of GRACE, than to any person at first. Oh, how true that is! In fact, I am writing this today to solidify my commitment to doing so more readily. How about any of you 'out there?' I just read a comment in Reader's Digest that goes along with this topic... It confirmed the point that FAITH is better than mere BELIEF since a belief is acquired when one accepts something someone else has thought about. Those of us who know the JOY of direct access to the throne of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, rejoice in approaching the KING of KINGS without fear of rejection or pain. We live lives which confirm how Forsaking All, I Take Him (FAITH) lifts us out of all disconcerting moments in our lives. In fact, we rejoice in having our feet set upon a rock, giving us a firm place to stand after He has delivered us from muck and mire!(of emotions, etc.) (PSALM 40:1-2)
I could go on and on, but I'll close with a 'funny' I heard in a recent theatrical production.. My referring to those moments in life which can cause us some discomfort, reminded me of a character who said, "I'm not afflicted with any denomination," when, she was really wanting to say, "affiliated!" Of course, the script was intentionally written the way it was delivered! It takes a lot to get me to 'belly laugh,' and this playwright succeeded! May none of us find ourselves afflicted by 'religianity,' but find ourselves to be more yielded to HIS love for/through us each day as we boldly approach His throne of grace, mercy, justice, righteousness, and SO MUCH MORE! Blessings to all!

Delight in 'De' LIGHT!

I don't know why it's taken me so long to realize this poignant pun, except to know the LORD was saving it for 'such a time as this!' As I led a group of 'senior saints' through Bible passages about experiencing the radiance of the LORD recently, I finally stated, 'We get to 'delight in de'LIGHT!' As Moses descended off Mt. Sinai, his face shone brightly and he didn't even know it --- Why did it? He HAD SPOKEN with the LORD! WOW!(Exodus 34:29) Later, we saw how JESUS was transfigured before Peter, James, and John! His face shone like the SUN and his clothes were white as light! Oh, how I'd loved to have been there in person!(Matthew 17:2) Finally, for now, I will refer to John 17:22 where Jesus prays for us about how the GLORY he'd received from his FATHER would now be received by us as He's given it to us so we may dwell together in unity!
I don't know about any of you 'out there' in cyber-space (some of you are known by me personally and I do treasure each of you!), but as I covered the other passages related to the radiance of our LORD being available and intended for/through each of us, I became more DELIGHTED and 'my' seniors loved watching as HE expressed himself through me.. In fact, 'EXHILLERATED', might be a more accurate adjective for my state of being at that point.. We are empowered to be the light this world needs to see as they stumble without our Lord in their beings! We are to be visibly spreading the hope we have in Jesus so they can be attracted to HIM and to the glory HE wants to show to them as they can receive deliverance from despair and so much more... I'd like to close with Psalm 37:4 which reminds us we get to 'DELIGHT OURSELVES IN THE LORD SO HE CAN GRANT US THE DESIRES OF OUR HEART...' When he is on the throne of our lives, our desires will correspond with his desires for/through us! Blessing to all who read this!!

Presence of Illness/ Absence of God?

While spending 5 hours traveling on a bus with many teenagers today, I was struck by the thought that people just might think God is not where illness is. Something I was saying to another chaperone caused me to think about this. Quite readily, I thought of Paul's 'thorn in the flesh,' (probably of a physical nature), as well as Job with all his boils! Of course, our Lord was with them both in spite of their 'illnesses!' Much more pleasantly though, I recalled a statement made by someone at the assisted living facility where an extremely dear friend of mine spent her last couple of cancer-ridden years--"When Sandra moved in, PEACE moved in with her!" I cannot think of any more 'telling' fact to substantiate my convictions about the presence of our Lord, even in the presence of conditions of any sort. My message to anyone of you 'out there' is one of hope and assurance -- Please don't feel forsaken or threatened when/if some sort of malady or condition comes upon you... The LORD loves to be glorified as we are carried by HIM, allowing others to see HIM through us. Afterall, we ARE the body of Christ as well as the temple in which the LORD dwells. What wondrous realities and reasons for living! I trust someone will say of me one day, "When Sheila entered the room, PEACE came in with her." SOLI DEO GLORIA or, TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!