My Easter Lily

My grandmother's favorite flower was the Easter lily. She was a woman of God, and He blessed her by taking her to heaven on Easter Sunday, 1980. The date was April 6th. Every Easter, when I see the lilies in the church, I see my grandmother smile.

In memory of Martha Marie Deislinger Woltman.
I remember you.

11th Hour, 11th Day, 11th Month

In memory of Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Charles Wayne Stratton, MIA Laos, January 3, 1971, to July 5, 2007. DNA determination KIA Savannakhet Province, Laos, January 3, 1971, age 30.

And in everlasting love for and support of his wife and their sons, my playmates, Butch, Scotty, and Stephen.

 

"The Star Spangled Banner"
by
Madison Rising

 Chuck, I remember you.

"Missing in Action," May 2, 2011

Jesus vs. Religion

My High Horse

Sometime this week, when I have the mental and emotional energy, I'm going to get on my high horse about the Occupy movement. I accidentally got caught in a demonstration at Occupy Portland last Thursday, and the experience resulted in my doing a little research. I was shocked and dismayed and terribly alarmed. So be forewarned!

Occupy Portland

11/17/2011

My Mandala

 

"Spiritual Faith"

Copyright 2011, 2009 Faith Louise

Day 26 - One Drop of Blood

"A song that makes me excited."

This song gives me chills, knowing that my sins are covered

by the sacrificial blood of The Lamb.

"One Drop of Blood"

by Ray Boltz

Standing in the courtroom
When I heard, how do you plead?
The accuser of the brethren
Was staring at me
He said, we got your number
There is no escape
For here are your transgressions,
Your failures and mistakes

He pointed to the corner
Where the scales of justice stood
I saw so many failures there
There was nothing good
And in that very moment
When it seemed all hope was lost
I said, I plead the blood of Jesus
And His death upon the cross

One drop of blood
Fell to the scales
It covered my transgressions
And all the times I failed
The enemy was mighty
He came in like a flood
He was defeated by one drop of blood

I stood and watched in silence
As others were brought in
I saw them start to tremble
When they turned and faced their sin
They offered no excuses
They offered no alibis
The truth was overwhelming
And it would not be denied

Their righteousness like filthy rags
And nothing they could say
They bowed their heads in silence
As they were led away
But for the true believers
Each time it was the same
His glory shown around them
As they called upon His name

One drop of blood
Fell to the scales
It covered their transgressions
And all the times they failed
The enemy was mighty
He came in like a flood
He was defeated by one drop of blood

No greater sacrifice has any other made
Oh yes He paid the price
With every drop He gave

One drop of blood
Fell to the scales
It covered my transgressions
And all the times I failed
The enemy was mighty
He came in like a flood
He was defeated by one drop of blood

One drop of blood
Fell to the scales
It covered my transgressions
And all the times I failed
The enemy was mighty
He came in like a flood
He was defeated by one drop of blood!

"We Climb Because They Climbed"

Only today did I become aware of the Dallas, Texas, 9/11 Memorial Climb. There were 343 firefighters participating, one to represent each member of the New York City Fire Department that died in the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Each of today's firefighters was given a badge with the name and biographical sketch of an FDNY firefighter who gave their life on September 11th.

I am proud to say that my cousin Dusty was one of the firefighters participating in the memorial today. These firefighters from Dallas and surrounding areas climbed, in full turn-out gear, 110 floors (55 floors twice) of the Renaissance Tower in Dallas.  What a fitting memorial! 

Worthy to note, however, is that today's climbers trained for months in preparation for the memorial climb. They weren't climbing against scores of panicked civilians trying to get down. There was no smoke, no fumes, no screaming, nothing blocking their way. No one was bleeding or injured. There was no hurry. There was no heart-locked knowledge of extreme danger. There was no threat to the lives of the firefighters or to anyone else.

The FDNY didn't have those advantages.

Knowledge of today's climb and seeing a video containing Dusty caused the American Eagle in my soul to raise its head a bit more. I am proud of being part of one nation, UNDER GOD. I am proud of the human spirit. I am an American!

Learn more at www.dallasstairclimb.com and LIKE their Facebook Page, Dallas 9/11 Memorial Climb.

FDNY, those who fell and those who still stand, and those who have joined the ranks since September 11, 2001, I remember you.

And Dusty, I remember you!

Day 19 - Victory in Jesus

"The song I sing most often."

(My favorite hymn).

"Victory in Jesus"

by Eugene Monroe Bartlett, Sr., 1939

I heard an old, old story
How a Saviour came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me

I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood's atoning
Then I repented of my sin
And won the victory.

Oh, victory in Jesus,
My Saviour forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me 'ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing power revealing
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see

And then I cried, "Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit!"
And somehow Jesus came and brought
To me the victory.

Oh, victory in Jesus,
My Saviour forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me 'ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in Glory
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea
About the angels singing
And the old redemption story
And some sweet day I'll sing up there
This song of victory!

Oh, victory in Jesus,
My Saviour forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me 'ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood.

Plan of Salvation

The Bible says there is only one way to Heaven. 
Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)

 

Good works cannot save you. 

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9

Trust Jesus Christ today! Here's what you must do:
 

Admit you are a sinner.  
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23) 

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12) 

"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:10)

Be willing to turn from sin (repent).
Jesus said: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5)  

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" (Acts 17:30)

Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead.  
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)  

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)  

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)

Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour. 
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)  

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
 

What to pray: Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12)
 

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Thank you to Chick Publications.

Walking a Labyrinth

(Written July 2009)

I attended a workshop this afternoon about labyrinths. A labyrinth differs from a maze in that a maze has multiple paths, dead ends, and ways to get lost. A labyrinth has only one path leading from the entrance to the center, and one path leading from the center back to the beginning. A labyrinth is a walking meditation, or, as I prefer to word it, a walking prayer.

The canvas labyrinth I walked today was a smaller version of the medieval labyrinth better known as the Chartres labyrinth, after the French Chartres Cathedral:

A labyrinth walk has three stages. The first is Entering, also called Releasing, when you let go of your mind's distractions. The second is the Center, in which you stay as long as you like; this is quiet time, also called Receiving. The third stage is walking out, called Returning, where you follow the path back to the beginning, taking with you whatever you received.

Having formed a prayer question, I was the first to walk into the labyrinth. I accepted the option of choosing a word stone from a basket; my word was TRUST. Clearing my mind of everything except my question to God and the admonition to TRUST, I slowly walked to the Center where I prayerfully listened to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I had no sense of time while in the labyrinth. The lights were low, soft music was playing, and forty people were perfectly silent. We entered the labyrinth about one minute apart.

I received my answers: Trust that this situation is no surprise to God. Trust that God will give me the wisdom to behave appropriately. Trust that He will enable me to handle the stress in a more constructive manner. Trust that He will speak to those involved and lead them. Trust that God has a plan, and that that plan is not necessarily -- and probably isn't -- the plan I had.

I stepped out of the labyrinth with a peace I hadn't felt in a long time. I learned later that I was walking the labyrinth and praying about my question for about 25 minutes. I was calm and I knew that prayerfully walking the labyrinth had been a gift from God.

There are many such labyrinths to experience. To find one in your area, go to the Worldwide Labyrinth Locator at www.labyrinthlocator.com; you can search by country, state, and city. Share the healing with me.

Classical labyrinth drawn by Reed Morgan, 2009.

The Most Important Job

This morning as I read my Bible and worked through my prayer beads, I reflected unexpectedly on my Christian heritage. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was 4 years old, ample evidence of a Christian home. I have always been certain of my salvation.

Although my daddy was an ordained minister, my family didn't attend church regularly when I was growing up. Nevertheless, my parents ensured that we were well-grounded in the conservative Christian faith.

We watched Day of Discovery on the television and listened to Radio Bible Class on the radio, and we did our individual daily devotions using Our Daily Bread.

We memorized Scripture through Bible Memory Association and went to camp every summer. I remember memorizing in Primary Books through Adult Books, and I went to camp for the first time when I was old enough by camp policy: nine. I was there every summer for nine years.

When I was 15, my parents allowed me to leave home for a private Christian boarding school. It was the most freedom I had ever had, and my faith continued to blossom.

When I was 17, they encouraged me to travel to British Columbia as a summer missionary, a privilege I obtained through my attendance at boarding school.

Yes, my family was flawed, in some areas excessively. Yes, discipline was harsh and, by today's standards, completely unacceptable. Yes, a portion of my damaged psyche arose from my childhood.

But a parent's greatest mandate from God is the salvation of their children once they reach the age of accountability, and a parent's subsequent greatest responsibility to their children is Christian education. My parents fulfilled the assignment God gave them or I would not have survived to the age I am now.

Have I had crises of faith? Of course. Almost every day I doubt and question. And though I miss my parents terribly, I'll see them again, and I'll have the wonderful, the exquisite opportunity of thanking them for doing their job, the most important job of all.

(Written July 31, 2009)