Tag: Biblical Truth

Daily Thoughts

Veterans Day Plus One

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Yesterday was a day of reflection and gratefulness. As I scroll down on all the post from FaceBook and see everyone give honor and thankfulness to those who served, I can’t help but think of something that continues to fill my mind. Yes, I am most grateful for each and every person who has served in our military and sacrificed so very much, sometimes even their lives. But as I get older, there is something that just fills my heart with wonder. As most of you who read my blog know, I never got to meet my biological dad. He and my mom never married and she had given him instructions to stay out of her life and not to try to even contact her or me, when she learned that he was also the father of another baby that was due to be born around the same time as she would give birth to me. Yes, I am very grateful that she chose to keep me and she loved me and married a man who adopted me and loved me as his own. But being an only child, it becomes such a dream to meet someone that is related to me. My biological dad was named Eugene Gaylord Gipson, known also as Jiggs, from Peru, Indiana. He had four sons and two other daughters. From his obit, I learned that he served as a US Navy veteran in WW2 and was on the USS Wisconsin. My mom always carried around one picture of him and had given it to me years ago so I would know what he looked like. He owned a Tavern, called the Jockey Club in Indiana, after retiring from the military. He died in 1973, I have heard from cancer.

My adopted father, Carl Roland Michaels, served in the Navy, in San Diego until being discharged due to scarlet fever. He married my mom when I was 8 months old and raised me, like I said earlier, as if I were his own. My mom and dad were actively involved in church, serving as youth leaders, then teaching Sunday School, sang in the choir and allowed so many different people, who needed a place to live, in their home. Did they have a great marriage? No, not really. But they did, in their own way, love each other and they did love the Lord. They taught me what serving others looked like so very well. At night, I would walk by their bedroom and see them both kneeling by their beds, praying after reading their Bible. We went to church each week, not out of duty, but out of honor and respect for God. They taught me that the best way to love God was to love others. I remember my mom always saying, to have real JOY, put Jesus First, Other’s Second and Yourself last. My mom struggled with depression and with some anger all of her life. But through those struggles, she always depended on God for provision and for strength. My poor dad seemed to catch the blunt of her anger so many times. But through it all, he still loved her. I have often thought about how different my life might have been had I known my bio dad. God always knows what is best for us and because my mom had a priority to marry someone who would be a good dad, I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home.

The purpose in me writing about this is that maybe you are like me and never met your real mom or dad. Maybe you did not have a family that was the perfect Leave It To Beaver family. But God……He who sacrificed His Son that we might live and live abundantly. Will your life be perfect, because you are a Christian? Of course not. But you will have someone who walks through the valleys of life with you. He will give you strength and peace and joy that the world cannot give you. This is not about joining a church. This is not about a religion. This is about giving your heart to Jesus, who loves you as His own. We all can be adopted into the family of God, no matter who your parents are.

I heard on the radio yesterday to ask yourself every day this questions:

“At the end of the day, what is one thing I did today that I did because I am a Christian, that I would not have done otherwise?” Is there anything that I did that would point someone to Jesus? That is what I am going to begin doing. It helps me keep my eyes on what they should be on…..Jesus Christ.

I might not ever meet any of my biological family members this side of heaven. But I do know that my Father in Heaven loves me and cares for me and will one day say, “welcome home dear child, you are mine and I love you.” What better words could we hope to hear?

Uncategorized

There Shall Be Showers of Blessing

Chocolate Castles4 Comments

A day of emotional ups and downs. This day began knowing that I was waking up to go to the dentist for the second time this week. On Monday, my regular dentist had given me some very unwelcome news. I am one of those who would rather go through childbirth than sit in a dentist chair. Back in 2012, in California, I had to have a tooth pulled and it was not a good experience. In fact, from that point on, it seems that the word “valium” comes to mind when I know I am going in to have dental work. But when Dr. Sandridge told me Monday that he didn’t have good news for me, I began to dread today, knowing that I might have another tooth pulled or a root canal redone. Sorry for all the details, but bare with me……when I walked into this new office this morning, I could tell by my blood pressure being sky high due to the fear that ran through me. When the girl took me back and checked my BP, she looked at me and said, “oh my, are you on BP meds” I quickly responded that no I was not because the only time it is high is when I go to the dentist. It was 167 over something. I have no idea what. When I saw the 167, I quickly looked away. Didn’t want to see the bottom number. Well, the news I got today was that I have to have 2 teeth removed. The good news is they are sending me to an oral surgeon so I will put put under and won’t feel anything. Thank you Lord. Now for the blessings. As I drove away thanking the Lord for this news that I get to be asleep to have the work done, I headed to church to pick up my book I had ordered for Fall Bible Study. Due to the Covid-19, the church bookstore has had curbside pick up for orders. All you have to do is drive up, call and they will bring your order out to you. But as I was just so grateful to have had the news of being asleep for the tooth pulling, I thought, “no, instead of calling and making Leslie bring out the book order, I think I will go in and get it.” So I parked and went in. As I was in line behind another lady picking up an order, there it was……..
the pillow I had been trying to find for 1 1/2 years. If anyone remembers reading a post I wrote last Aug called Sweet Tea & Jesus, this is a pillow I had seen at Bucky’s last year while traveling. I just had to have it. But when I went back to get it, (after traveling for 7 months), it was not to be found anywhere. So I gave up. Two precious friends felt sorry for me and sent me a tea towel that had the same saying on it. But I still wanted the pillow. Well….today, standing in line waiting to check out at Prestonwood Book Store, I looked to my right and there it was. All I could think of was how precious the Lord was to just give me a sweet blessing today. He knows when we need just to know He is there and that He cares about the days that are filled with emotions and fears that cause our BP to go through the roof. It just blessed my heart to know that after this day of hearing what I dreaded, The song, “He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs” came quickly to my mind. He does meet us at our points of needs in ways that surprise us. We do serve a mighty loving Father who loves us so very personally.
Is having some teeth pulled a big deal? not in the scheme of things that are going on in so many peoples lives, but today it was to me and He knows that. But….He also sees the tears that fall from our eyes and is so gracious to shower us with blessings that just show us He is here, ALWAYS! Lord, thank you for prompting me to get out of the car and go inside instead of being lazy and letting someone else wait on me.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of light with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Ezekiel 34:26b “… and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.”

There shall be showers of blessings, This is the promise of love. There shall be seasons refreshing, sent from the Savior above…showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need; mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead”
Written by James McGranahan (1840-1907)

Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Heart Control vs Gun Control

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

This past week has been one of which America has watched 13 people die from being shot in a place where they never imagined anything but going and having fun. This hit close to us as we have friends whose daughter goes to that same place on college night for line dancing. Another one of our friends knew the guard who was shot and killed during that tragedy. Last night, as we watched the news, a lady whose son was one of the victims who died that night was shouting, “do not send me prayers, give me gun control…I do not want to know you are praying for me, just pass more gun control.” My heart went out to her as you could feel her anger, her frustration and hurt and as a mom of 3 son’s, I can’t imagine loosing any of them, especially through no fault of their own.
We are living in a day that is continually bringing to light more and more scenes just like the one mentioned above. Will more gun control eliminate the violence? Will more rules eradicate the problems which seem to be overtaking our world?
We have continually pushed God out of our lives. We have decided that we do not need Him in our homes, schools, work places and government. We have replaced the worship of the Creator with worshiping ourselves. We now live in a world which seems to think that everything has to be about “what makes me happy” without regard for others. Our kids are being raised to think that everything has to be about their rights and are entitled to what is “rightfully” theirs. We, (and I am so guilty of this) as parents have allowed our kids to take priority in our lives, even over God. We didn’t do it on purpose, we just wanted them to be happy and to give them things that we didn’t have. But in that process, we have taken away their ability to discern what life should really be….we were created in God’s image and were created for His glory, not our own.
In the past, when families were family and kids were taught right from wrong, we had the same laws regarding guns, but why the difference in then and now? We have more rules now, but more shootings and anger.
Are our hearts different now? We keep shouting for more gun control, but what if we were out there shouting for more heart control? What if we, as Christians were out there showing God’s love and power over evil. That maybe if our lives showed the kind of love that we are suppose to be living out to others, maybe that would draw others to God and what His love could do to our hearts. As a Christian, I sit there in worship service every week and listen to how we should be living lives that would make others want what I have. That I need to be living in a way that would show the world that being a Christian is indeed a blessing to have God in my life that helps me bear my burdens and can change my heart. A heart that loves others in spite of our differences. A heart that cares enough about others that I can go out of my way to help, when needed.
We have allowed children to sit for hours and play video games which kill others. I’m not saying that every child who plays these games will grow up to kill someone. But maybe some are losing discernment between reality and fantasy?

The scripture that comes to mind is: “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

Are we living our lives in such a way that it is hard to “think on things that are pure or noble or lovely”? Are we teaching our kids to not only respect themselves, but others as well?

Whether Democrat, Republican, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Muslin, Catholic, Baptist; what are we teaching the next generation? We lash out in hatred to others who do not believe as we do. We insist on our rights, at the cost of others. We try to handle all our own anger, burdens or issues ourselves when we have a God who understands our needs. Why not trust Him to handle our lives, and in so doing, surrender to the One who gave His all for us.

Maybe we should allow Him to have more heart control over our lives, and in so doing, maybe gun control would never be an issue……