Few Words

As soon as I get out of the truck and my feet hit the ground, I feel at home. Amazing feeling, knowing that every time I get an opportunity to go back to Laurens County, Georgia, I feel that I have come home. Maybe it is all the wonderful childhood memories that come flooding back into my life. Maybe it is remembering all the times that I spent down on the farm shooting doves, hunting squirrels, or hoping to see a big eight point buck walk out in the field first thing in the morning. I have always had that feeling about Laurens county, especially Rockledge, GA.

One day I will return when it is God’s will for me. Possibility exists that it will not be until I am laying down and someone is standing over me, reading Scriptures from the Bible. But, in any case, I will go back there one day. Nothing like being at home.

As soon as my feet hit those streets of gold, I know I will feel right at home. Because it will be truly my home for eternity with the One who loved me so much that He gave His life on Calvary’s cross. Home is where the heart is and my heart belongs to my Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Home is being with others who love Jesus Christ. You just have that connection, bond that you are part of the family of God.

Feeling at home is great, whether with fellow Christians, or when Christ calls us home. Journey will be over and home will be the final resting place.

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Psalms 100:0–5 KJV “A Psalm of praise.
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

In just a few days, it will be Thanksgiving. A day that this nation has observed for many decades. A day that has been set aside to thank and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy toward our nation, community, and family. God has been so good to us. He truly has blessed us.

Unfortunately, we are living in the days that was written about in the New Testament concerning the last days. One of the characteristics of individuals during the last days is unthankfulness. Unthankfulness begins when one begins to think that he deserves the blessings. It continues when he thinks that regardless of what he does, he should continue to receive the blessing. Many within our nation has a spirit of unthankfulness. They no longer see all the blessings; they only see their own selfish desires. They have replaced a heart of appreciation and thankfulness with one that is cold, loveless, and selfish.

If you want to have a great Thanksgiving, then it begins in the heart. Ask God to forgive you of any ungratefulness. Then gather around your family and spend time praising and thanking God for all that He has done for you and your family. Thank Him for the food, clothing, shelter, jobs, nation, freedom, and so much more. Tell Him that you appreciate all that He has done for you. Tell Him that you love Him.

Let’s not have a cold, uncaring heart; but, let’s have a heart that is thankful. Remember that every good and perfect gift comes from our Father above.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

How many times have you played “Peekaboo” with a baby? They are so cute when they cover their eyes; all the time thinking that if I do not see you, you do not see me. This is one of the amazing things about children. They associate not seeing something with not being seen.

Often times, when children are embarrassed or shy, they hide their face or cover their eyes so they will not think about someone seeing them. It is almost like them believe, “If I do not see you, then you do not see me.”

I remember my children when they were little; they would look over their shoulder to see if we were watching what they were doing. They would start to go somewhere or do something that they knew that they were not allowed to do, so they would peek over their shoulder to see if we were looking.

Adults are no different. They think that if I do not see someone else, they do not see me or what I am doing. They think that out of sight means out of mind.

However, we need to be reminded of the fact that just because we do not see God, does not mean that God does not see us. We need a constant reminder that regardless of where I am or what I am doing, I am doing it under the watchful eye of the Lord. He sees all things regardless of where it is happening.

I am so glad that I am under the constant watchful eye of the Lord. This constant vigil helps keep me from doing something that I should not be doing. Encourages me that regardless of where I am He sees what I am going through. The constant watchful eye of the Lord is a blessing because shows me that I am forever in His sight and care.

Hebrews 4:13 KJV “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

Have you ever wondered how a baby could sleep so deeply and soundly? The reason is simple, they trust their parents to provide what they need and when they need it. They are not worrying or fretting over what might happen. They are not disturbed by the worse case scenario. They are not concerned; they are confident in their parent’s ability to provide.

What about us as Christians? How well do we sleep? How well do we rest? Many times, we stay up late or rise up early to do a task that we think that we just have to do in order to accomplish something. We burn the midnight oil trying to accomplish our own goals, never once considering what is God’s real goal for us. We worry over the possibility; we fret over the unknown. Yet, where is our trust in the Lord?

Psalms 127:1–2 KJV “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

This is a wonderful verse because it shows the child of God that he can rest in the Lord. It is the Lord that gives him a beloved, restful sleep. Sleep that goes beyond just closing one’s eyes, sleep that is restful, refreshing, and recovering. The wonderful sleep that God gives so the next day, the person can do the task that God calls him to do.

Are you staying up too late or rising up too early, just trying to work all the problems out by yourself? Are you trying to do your part and the Lord’s part at the same time? God has given us the daylight to work and the night to rest. While we are resting, He is still doing His part. Let God do His part! Do not worry and lose sleep over what you cannot change!

“No prayer without work, no work without prayer”

“By caring and fretting,
        By agony and fear,
There is of God no getting,
        But prayer he will hear”
        From J. P. Lange’s commentary of James, 1862

Do your part and let God do His! If so, then you can have that beloved sleep!

Psalms 118:24 KJV “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

As time flies by, I am reminded of how fast life really is. One day you are thinking about your new year’s resolutions and before you know it, you are trying to figure out what to buy your family and friends for Christmas. Time waits for no one. It never slows down. As a matter of fact, I think it is speeding up.

With time moving so rapidly, how much we need to understand this little verse found in Psalms 118. Every day is a gift from the Lord. Every hour is a gift from the Lord. And, we need to enjoy the day and the hour.

Last night, I was thinking how my father was okay and talking with us and in just a short five minutes, he was standing before his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Truly, time is short, fast, and never slows down. One day, you and I will both leave this life behind so we need to heed this verse. We need to enjoy the days that the Lord has given to each of us. We need to not wish our life away, but make the most of the time that we have now.

How can we enjoy the day?

1. Worship the Lord
2. Serve the Lord
3. Focus on the good things of the day
4. Avoid thinking about the negatives
5. See the day as a gift that you open every morning
6. Look forward to seeing or speaking to those you love
7. And, if the day has been extremely difficult, praise the Lord for the day and rejoice that joy will come tomorrow
8. Take time to look at something beautiful, pleasing, or awe-inspiring each day
9. In other words, enjoy the simple things of life and quit wishing your life away.
10. Smile!

PS: I took this picture in my backyard.