I come in deep humility in hopes that you will set me free.
I pray that you forgive my sin and save me from the hurt within.
I know that you have died for me. You gave your life to set me free.
I ask your help to sin no more. Remove the sting – I do implore.
I praise you for your love divine. For washing clean this heart of mine.
Now help me serve you every day, and give me hope in my last day –
Restore my soul and give me life to lead me from this worldly strife.
KATHY BOECHER
We are all sinners. We have proven that in our daily walk. Even when our intentions are good, our inmost being is being tempted by the father of lies. The devil is eager to eat us up.
Sounds pretty hopeless? We all like to think if we do the right things and live a good life, we are doing all that is necessary to gain heavenly bliss. We like to believe that we have a say in our future. It’s hard to give up control no matter what.
God has the perfect solution and the only requirement is that we ask for forgiveness, but we must do so with a repentant heart and then remove ourselves from the sins that haunt us. If we say we’re sorry only to turn around and do the same sin over and over, we are slapping our Jesus right in the face. God requires perfection of us and we simply cannot deliver without the help of our Savior.
Jesus paid the ultimate price with His life. He did so because of His great love for us. He wants everyone to be saved – even those who think they can work their way to heaven, but we are not in control of our salvation. Our works cannot save us, but they should be a result of our newly obtained forgiveness from the King of Creation. Just think of what He’s done to make eternity available to us. Our deeds should be a reflection of our thanks to Him.
Our works don’t save us. God’s work does. Now let us ask humbly for His forgiveness and keep in His Word – everyday fighting the good fight of faith.
Psalm 38:18 “I confess my iniquity. I am sorry for my sin.”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He knew that many would be gathered there for the Passover celebration. When Esther became queen of Persia the Jews were held in captivity and needed an advocate to gain their freedom. When a group of thirteen new colonies got together to form their own independent nation, the time was just right. When the Renaissance was just getting underway and the Roman Catholic Church had a tight hold on the politics of Europe, a monk came forward to challenge that grip and started a whole new way of thinking.
The invention of the printing press made it possible for the Bible to be available to the masses in their own language and the truth of the Gospel spread across the country like wildfire. That truth was hidden for years under the guise of doing good works, buying your way to heaven, and listening to the church’s view rather than God’s perfect message of grace by faith.
Today God is setting the stage for another reformation of sorts. Our world has become consumed with greed, hatred, violence and selfishness. We have so much new technology available which keeps us instantly informed. The devil has gotten into our schools, our government, our everyday living and even in our churches.
The time is ripe. Is God going to change the course of history? Is He going to bring the masses back to His Gospel? Are we doomed to a time of suffering, disease and war? Something spectacular is on the horizon, because He is in control. He always works things together for the good of His people.
“All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired,” Martin Luther
I am very impatient as I think most of us are – especially living in a world full of instant communication, fast food, and getting answers to our questions immediately. We have become a society of people who want everything NOW!
God doesn’t work that way. Even though He could, He chooses to take His time with us. No matter how hard we try, we can’t control what happens to us. Actually that should be reassuring to us, because He is in control. He knows what dangers surround us. He is aware of the temptations that haunt us. He knows what we are going through. He knows what to do to change the course of those events and mold them and us into what we need to be.
Imagine what His “to-do” list looks like. He’s setting up the course of human history, the dynamics of creation, dealing with man’s inhumanity – laying the path to eternity. His timeline may not match ours, but He knows so much more than we do about how and where life is going to take us.
He gives us the means to know which path to take. He even provides us with the faith to trust that His will for us is always good, because He loves us. We find the truth in the Bible – the true Word of God – the book which contains the road map for living.
The clock may be spinning out of control, but God is consistent.
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint,” Isaiah 40:31
Since this is anti-bullying month I thought it might be worth reposting this blog from my early days of blogging in April of 2014.
The autumn trees display their final brilliance before they die
and leave only a skeletal remembrance of what was.
Our days are numbered too.
What shall we do in those final days to fulfill our final purpose on this planet?
God still has work even for the old.
As long as hands and minds still work we can create a legacy with art and words.
Our bodies may pass away, but our words and the things we’ve done remain.
These are our days of brilliance.
Kathy Boecher
I’ll pray for you. We’ll keep you in our prayers. I know God will answer prayer. These are words we use to help others be uplifted, overcome suffering or loss and give them comfort, but do our words make a difference? The sentiment may be there, but without the action the words have no meaning.
God encourages us to pray for each other throughout His Holy Word. He does this, not because He needs our help , but so we communicate our supplications to Him. The requests are insignificant – but the faith behind those words can cause Him to move mountains. We must never forget that He is fulfilling the work – no us.
When there is a great outpouring of community prayer and the prayers are sincere and full of faith, I imagine that God is elated. He is seeing our faith in action. This is precisely what He wants from us.
So when we pray for each other, we can count on getting answers. When we pray for ourselves and those we love, God will hear us. When we come to Him in humility – knowing that He is the One who is doing the work necessary – when we trust that He knows what is best for all concerned – when we turn it over to His omnipotent wisdom, we are acting in faith.
Do not underestimate the power of prayer. It is our personal connection to the One who created heaven and earth and when there are many praying for the same thing, it becomes a live network of kindred individuals.
I have a tendency to think I know it all now that I’m in my seventies, but I learn something new every day.
Today I learned that a frog will remain alive if frozen over the winter months. Their tiny bodies lie in suspended animation until the frost retreats and they again come to life. During their time of isolation, their small hearts continue to beat one beat per minute.
How cool is our Creator God? He protects even the smallest of creatures during the difficult times of their lives. How much more will he look at us with favor? His hand provides for our every need – even when we face death – He surrounds us with His holy angels and cuddles us with His protecting wings.
I have trouble imagining that our earth just happened with some big bang and things evolved into what we have today. Each animal, plant, bird, man and all living things are designed with perfection by the most intellectual engineer ever to exist.
Don’t ever underestimate the power of God. He does amazing things every single day – things we aren’t even aware of. Give praise and thanksgiving to Him for filling our lives with every good thing.
In Romans 12:12 God tells us to be patient in our suffering. This seems like a lot to ask, but when we think of what our Jesus had to go through it really isn’t. Our suffering here is nothing compared to what He had to endure.
Still – we are merely humans and prone to imperfection so it isn’t easy for us to go through times of trial patiently. We want to be able to control all areas of our lives, but occasionally we need to be reminded of who is in charge.
Depending on God isn’t as easy as it sounds even for those who have become dependent on others to help them through some physical difficulty or impairment. Something called “pride” often gets in the way. We all love our independence, but there are times when we really need help. That’s where the rest of this passage comes into play.
We have the hope that our problems and trials in this life are only temporary and if we ask for God’s help we are promised that we will get it. The answers to prayer may not always seem to be the ones we wanted, but we can rest assured that God has our backs. He will always be with us.
When things look hopeless, don’t lose hope in the One who gives relief. He is our constant companion in good times as well as the difficult ones.
Lord, often when I pray for patience, I am faced with another road block. When I am surrounded by indecision, fear, hopelessness – help me to remember that You are my only hope. I come to you today and ask that you help those who call on your name and give me the confidence that you will answer our prayers. Amen!
You may be a victim of domestic violence. You might hold some deep dark secret that would condemn you if the world knew about it. You may be in the throes of addiction. Why on earth would you thank God? Your life isn’t worth a nickel and God wants you to thank Him?
There is so much pain and sorrow in our world. Many are at the ends of their rope because of it. There are times when depression leads to suicide. It may seem easier to just end it all when we can’t cope any longer. Christians are being persecuted on a daily basis – not only in far off lands, but right here in the USA. We are confronted with illness and even death – financial loss – indecision, hopelessness and despair.
God is worthy of our praise no matter what our circumstances. He doesn’t cause our suffering – He is the One who relieves it. He doesn’t kick us when we’re down – He lifts us out of the pit and carries us through adversity. His love is so great that He laid down His life for us and promises perfection in eternity – no more tears or sorrow – no more pain.
Give thanks to Him in all circumstances – not because it is required of us, but because He is worthy of our gratitude. He is our Heavenly Father who has only our best interests in mind. He is the Son who showed us how to live and freely gave us forgiveness of all our sins. He is the Holy Spirit who lives in us and gives us encouragement, faith, peace and zeal for God.
Give thanks to Him today and every day – in good times and in bad.
Slowly crossing the sands of time – into a pasture green sublime.
I’ll rest my feet and wet my lips, with waters clear and cold that grips.
Through danger I will walk with Him. He guards me from each foolish sin.
He takes my hand and leads me now to comfort me and show me how
to live my life and live it right and when I stray He sets me right.
When my own final hour comes near, I’ll face my death with no more fear.
I’ll trust in His unfailing love – which He bestows from up above.
With Him in paradise I’ll live. He promised me He did forgive
each one of my transgressions.
Kathy Boecher
There is something amazing about being a grandparent. It doesn’t only have to do with pride and a feeling of accomplishment, but is almost like having a second chance at motherhood.
My grand daughter and I had a special time this weekend. We started out with a reading of our next play – in which she is one of the actors. Then we went to lunch – a movie (with snacks) – shopping – and then out for dinner. Funny how food always seem to play an important part in our relationship.
She will soon be twelve and I have to savor every moment we’ve shared over these years, because I know from experience, that once a child becomes a teenager, they don’t often hold the same esteem for their elders. Hopefully, we have created a bond a long time ago. I’ve had the opportunity to hug and cuddle her when she was an infant – to watch her stumble as she took her first steps – saw her spunky personality develop and her enchanting smile become a permanent fixture on her face.
Entering the “tweens” holds lots of new things for children. My one hope for this special young lady is that she will always rely on God for help in any of the problems she faces in life. I pray for her and my grandsons each day and know that God will direct their lives.
Dear Lord, watch over these special young people. Give them the hope of unconditional love, which you dish out so generously. Protect them from the evil that infests the world and hold them tightly in the palm of your hand.
“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” ~Alex Haley
I haven’t been blogging for too long – about 6 months – but I have found some new friends with similar beliefs as myself. Someday I would like to meet them all in person. Their words have inspired, encouraged and lifted me up many times:
Levi Thetford, MZ Presser, Motivating Giraffe, Light for Life Inspirations, The true light and Beautiful Life with Cancer. I have many more favorites, but these are on top of my list. Check them out.
Kathy
Think of what it was like in the 16th century, before the printing press was invented. Folks had to rely on word of mouth for their information and by the time they got it, it was so muddled, it was far from the truth. (Actually pretty much like today’s news and information services.)
In those days, people were concerned about having enough food to eat. They relied n the sweat of their brows to get the work done. They feared invasion by warring nations. Most of them had never read God’s Word. Most of them didn’t know how to read. (Sad to say some of our high school graduates have slipped through the cracks and can’t read either.)
The rich got rich and the poor got poorer (also something like the news of our day as well.)
There were no great health care facilities. Doctors were few and far between. The average life expectancy was 40 years of age and if you were wealthy you might live ten more. We are now living longer, have superior health care, but still don’t know how to contain communicable diseases – and there isn’t a cure for the common cold.
Have we made progress? If you’re a history buff, you will soon see that it continues to repeat itself. The passage of time often reveals that there is nothing new in the world. Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to address that very thought.
Time goes swiftly by, but nothing really changes. There will always be battles between good and evil. There will always be wars and rumors of wars. We face difficult weather, painful diseases, loss of money, jobs and some of our freedom. We have Bibles in our homes and on our I-pads, but how often are they opened? Is there any hope for a brighter future?
Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. Our desire for paradise is beyond the grave. Until then take advantage of the treasure available in the Holy Bible. It contains the real secret to success.
I’ve come to the end busy week in my world. It started with my final week of coaching almost 90 kids in the fine art of public speaking. It has been fun watching them develop their skills and to hear them say they were now feeling more confident about speaking in front of their classmates. What a big step for them.
I’ve also spent most of the week revising and retyping a play I wrote a while back. Tomorrow we will read through it and it will come to life once more.
When we complete a task and push forward to use it in some way, we are opening doors we never thought we’d be able to.
This is true in our walk with Christ as well. He gives us some great tools in His Word. It’s all there for us – words of encouragement, inspiration, hope, joy, peace and so on. He gives us the reason to push ahead.
Some times and things are more difficult. We feel trepidation, fear, anxiety and helplessness in venturing out of our comfort zone. We don’t want to let go of things that hold us back. We lose sight of what lies ahead.
When I was in sales, I remember hearing the phrase – “The hardest door to open is your own.” Our own insecurity is one of the hardest things to overcome, but when Jesus is with us, we can do great things.
My students now have some tools too and they will succeed (not by what I have taught them) with the courage to look beyond their limitations. God does that for us with every opportunity we approach in our lives.
Thank you, dear Lord, for opportunities of growth in our lives. Give us the courage to look ahead instead of back to our final destination – Heaven! Amen
It sounds like fodder for a novel. Espionage, corruption, criminal border crossings, a market for sex slavery, information breaches, drug cartels, the rapid spread of a communicable disease, unemployment, failed government intervention and bailouts of large corporations, a flawed health care system, a U.S. embassy under siege and overtaken with no US assistance, more folks receiving food stamps and welfare checks than ever before, misuse of the Internal Revenue Service, a questionable Secret Service Agency and the giving way to political correctness instead of questioning motives.
Our POTUS has had plenty of time to show that he is worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize, but it seems he has also managed to undermine the strength of our nation in the name of peace. We have opened our doors to everyone including those who would do us harm. There are terrorists in our infrastructure. They have jobs, cars, money and they don’t even have to show an ID when they turnout to vote.
I have never felt so disturbed or concerned about the state of our country than I do now. This is not because we have a black president? I really believed we were going to heal as a nation under a black president, but it seems he has done more to hurt this issue than to help it. My biggest concern is that we have a president who doesn’t seem to care about his employers – the citizens of this great country.
It seems we can always find something to complain about when it comes to the person In charge. We complain about the Senate and Congress as well. That sort of thing has been going on for decades, but it seems to me that we have a right to complain when the job is being handled poorly.
Our voices can be heard on Election Day, but even elections are corrupted. It’s hard to know who to trust anymore.
We could throw up our hands in despair, or we can turn to the One who instituted government and has His hand on it. He will never let us down.
There’s much to be said for having enthusiasm and boldness in sharing God’s Word, but sometimes that excitement can be misinterpreted – sometimes we forget who is really responsible for changing hearts and bringing unbelievers to Christ.
He gave His disciples the task of spreading His truth, but He also said they wouldn’t be doing it alone. He promised to be with them. He wasn’t referring to being physically with them, but through His Holy Spirit. We often give the Holy Spirit too little credit and like to think WE are responsible for converting others.
This is when we have to be reminded of God’s Holy Trinity. He is One God, but consists of three separate entities. Not only is this a tough concept to grasp, most folks don’t even bring it up because we can’t explain it. It’s one of those subjects that requires complete faith. We have to brush human understanding under the rug and trust in what God has to say to us through His Word.
We must be cautious in our zeal. Jesus commissioned His people to do His work here on earth, but He didn’t tell them to hammer it home. He delivered His message, while here, in a gentle way. He didn’t stand on a soapbox or use majestic speech to win hearts. He came in peace and kindness. He approached those who were so desperately lost in sin and gave them rest.
I think we can come on too strong when we ourselves have been so blessed by Him. I also believe it can become “me” driven at times and we may even turn it into something we feel we have to do to gain His favor. There is nothing we can do to gain our way to heaven. If we got what we deserved, we wouldn’t have anything to look forward to except the pangs of hell. Because of what HE has done, we have been gifted with eternal life. It’s all HIM!
Many of you are probably too young to remember the Looney Tune characters Tweety and Sylvester. Tweety was a caged canary and Sylvester a hungry cat. Each time the cat would approach the cage, he had a battle with good and evil. Two little Sylvesters sat on his shoulders. The one on the right was good and the other evil. They were dressed in angel and devil attire. Then the battle would begin. Should he eat the canary or not. The good guy usually prevailed.
We all face similar battles every day of our existence. We are faced with choices which are often made with the help of our conscience (the good guy) – while the bad guy, Satan pushes us away from God. It may seem a simple concept to some, but it’s something that is born into every human being. Even the sociopath was once had a conscience.
If we arm ourselves with all the ammunition in the Bible, we can push the bad guy out of our lives and he might leave us alone for a while – but it’s something we must do daily. Satan wants us for his own – but his weakness lies in God’s Word. Even Jesus used it to fight him off in the wilderness.
Precious, Jesus, shield me today with the armor of your Holy Word. Keep me focused on its truth and allow me to share it with those who need you in their lives today. Amen!
I started writing a novel a few years ago. Sometimes you have to put your writing away for a while and brood over it. It’s in my head – I just haven’t had the time to sit down and finish it. I just opened it again and here are a few of the first few paragraphs:
It was raining of course. It always rained when there was a funeral. At least it did in provincial little town of Atkin’s Corners. God seems to know that farm people don’t show much emotion in public, so it was up to Him to provide the tears when people passed from this world. Today was one of those days.
A parade of broken down cars and rickety old pick-up trucks wound slowly down the old country road led by a long black hearse. It was the same dilapidated limousine that carried folks to their final destination for more than 50 years. It was a miracle that rusted monster could still make it the ten miles from town.
The small cemetery was home to generations dating back to the 1800’s. The place didn’t get a lot of use anymore since most Atkin’s Corners high school graduates couldn’t wait to move to the big city the minute they received a diploma. Those who remained were getting cremated instead of buried now. The world was changing in so many ways. Cremation never used to seem the right thing to do. People always felt it necessary to say goodbye to a empty shell, even though the spirit of that body was no longer there.
The grave waited to receive the casket. The pall bearers gently retrieved it from its temporary home in the hearse and set it atop the waiting bier. There were no more than a dozen mourners; all full of grief but devoid of tears. The rain made up for them. The tracks of the tire treads quickly filled with water to prove that fact.
Reverend Albright tried to comfort with words from the Good Book but nothing seemed to placate this stoic crowd. Funerals were a fact of life, just like milking the cows and paying your taxes. Only funerals were kind of like social events too. They gave folks a chance to talk about their loved ones in ways they rarely did. Somehow the deceased had attained instant success just because they were dead.
Most folks knew this lady – a fragile woman of 76 – who spent the majority of her years covering the secrets of her youth. The trouble she wandered into in every stage of her life, brought her nothing but shame and humiliation. Her body now gave way to death, but the secrets would live on.
We all have a certain amount of drama in our lives. Many have more than most. Some lead rather normal lives and some never experience anything dramatic at all. When you think about it, everything in our lives has some element of drama.
We are living out a story to pass on as a legacy to those we leave behind. Did you ever think of it that way? The lives we live today will represent us when we die. What people remember most about us – what our accomplishments were – what we believed in – what we contributed to society.
We all have different roles in the scheme of things. We all serve a purpose in progressing the story. We are not merely pawns on a chess board, advancing to our goal but living, breathing human beings with strong emotions and deep beliefs.
What is your purpose in life? Do you have goals that will determine your future? Do you live for today or is your focus on the hereafter? We all have times when we think we have control over our lives – that we determine our futures – that we can go it alone.
We are not merely characters in a play. God has a wonderful plan for everyone in creation. His direction – His wisdom – His enduring love and grace – are all elements which can give us purpose. He will guide us through trials, fear and doubt. He will lift us out of the pit of depression. He will protect us when the world seems too difficult for us to understand. Our God is an awesome God. He is our greatest heritage. Pass it on!
Where The Eagles Fly . . . . Art Science Poetry Music & Ideas
Embarking on a Journey of Discovery and Growth
Nature's nuances in a nutshell
Soli Deo Gloria
Inspiring New Generation
Emmitt Owens
A Delicate Balance of Highly Organized Within My Creative Disarray
Writing to remember, sharing to inspire
Student of the Human Condition
Where curiosity meets opportunity
Faith.Growth.Purpose
GOD INSPIRED WORDS AND IMAGES
Here are some of the things I have learned from studying the Bible
Inspiring Minds.building Ethiopia
Romanticizing The World
The opinions expressed are those of the author. You go get your own opinions.
Psychotherapy, Walk and Talk Therapy, Neurodiversity, Mindfulness, Emotional Wellbeing
Finding the Extraordinary in Ordinary, Everyday Life
