Friends

'A Friend loves at all times....' Prov. 17:17a

A man who has friends must himself be friendly,..' Prov. 18:24a

Friends...when the holidays come I think of those who have been close to me though the years...my mind goes especially to friends in Florida, Maryland, Virginia, New York, Michigan and those in my state. Each friend represents different levels of relationship to me. The bottom line is that we can be real with each other with no pretense and always feel safe and not defend oneself. We may not talk very often or email but when we do it is as if we were never apart and we pick up where we left off. We all live busy lives and although intentions are good we do not always keep in contact as often as we should but we never question why 'it has been so long'. Friends are true, consistent, trustworthy, reliable, honest and will always accept and allow you to be how God made you.

"What is a Real Friend?"

A friend is one who walks with you when

the rest of the world walks out.

A friend is one who overlooks your faults

and recognizes your good.

A friend treasures who you are.

A friend takes time to know you well.

A friend is someone you can share your heart with and

know it will not go any further.

A friend comes just on time with the right words

A friend is someone you can laugh with, cry with, and share your heart.

A friend accepts you on your good days and your bad.

A friend allows and understands when you are talkative or contemplative.

What a treasure I have in my friends who have supported, forgiven, believed in me, not judged me, loved unconditionally, given support, valued me, accepts me...

THANK YOU FRIENDS...YOU ARE A TREASURE TO ME!!

Love of God, Self and others.

The Song 'Oh Love of God'

“Oh love of God so rich and pure, so measureless and strong.

It shall forever more endure, the saints and angels song.”

Translation from 'The Message'

1 Corinthians 13

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always "me first,"

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

This is the plan of God that we, '..love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind and our neighbor as ourselves.' This challenge is a life long task. But one that has great rewards. The following is a quote from C.S. Lewis.

“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable.

Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.
If you make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully around hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, and irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy or at least to the risk of tragedy is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell”

It is always interesting to see people who do not love themselves. Scripture is very plain that to love others you must love yourself first. To love yourself is to love the God inside of you and recognize the precious vessel He has made with His own hands. Our problem is many times we look at the -minus in our lives and not the +plus. What we reflect to others has to be real in our own lives. It is not just words but a heartfelt love, a pure love that can only come from God as we allow Him to work in our lives. GOD IS LOVE!!

Riding the Wave

This weekend I was in Hull, Ma. Our hotel was overlooking the beach area. The weather was mild, windy and foggy. We watched as several made their way out with their boards to ride the waves.

In the scriptures the Holy Spirit is likened to rivers, wells, and springs. God has spoken prophetically to the New England area that the wind of the Holy Spirit would come like the waves of the ocean with a mighty move of God in these last days. Listed are some aspects to think about regarding it.

-Need to have perfect weather condition.
-A wave takes one where it may be unfamiliar.
-A path you would not choose
-It never looks the same…always changing.
-You have to stay with the board or you will crash.
-Your eyes need to be on the goal.
-Takes determination, steadiness, perseverance, balance and patience to ride.
-Complete trust in the board.
Need to dress properly.
No baggage.
-Alone – you and the board
-Destination is set
-Need to be positioned perfectly.
-Wave dislodges pebbles and sand or anything in its way and cause friction.
-Change will take place on land.
-It causes an excitement in the rider.

We are living in perilous times with many unknowns. But this one thing I know there needs to be a mighty move of His Spirit that calls men out of darkness. Jesus is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance. It is simply asking Him to forgive us and allow Him into our heart and we will then have the assurance of heaven.

Psalm 23:2b ‘He leads me bedside the still waters.