Ageless Love

Today, I have a guest blogger, Kathryn Wilcox. I hope you enjoy her story.

                                      AGELESS LOVE

The slowly moving line annoyed those at the end of the tour group and some grumbled quietly; others were more vocal. The closer we got to the entrance door and the steps leading inside, the more excited my son, who was only 12 at the time, became. Corvettes!  We were waiting to get inside the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

 Finally, the line began moving along and we got to the entrance stairs. Standing off to the side of the door waited the reason for the slow line.

An elderly couple had stepped aside to allow the others to go ahead of them. I could not help but wonder why they chose to tour this museum, and if they realized there would be steps.

She was barely 5 ft tall, but quite round. The fullness of her cheeks crinkled and sagged with age,   and wisps of gray hair had escaped from the bun at the nape of her neck and clung to her face which glistened with perspiration.  Breathing heavily, She clung to her husband’s arm for support.  He was a bit taller than she- bald, wiry and wizened.  Years of hard work had bent his frame and crippled his hands.

As they moved behind me,  I heard him whisper in broken English. “Come Momma, I help you.”   I turned and saw their eyes, he telegraphing encouragement and she beaming her answer.

He spoke with tenderness and was gentle in his support. It told a story of a life lived for each other, and the kind of love that lasts a lifetime.

St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 reminded us that “Love is patient, love is kind…, it is not self-seeking, it bears all things, it endures all things.”
Yes, real love is like that!

Kathryn Wilcox is a retired grandmother who loves the Lord and is using her retirement to share His love with others. She writes for the Diocese of Erie Pennsylvania Catholic Charismatic Renewal Center newsletter,

REFLECTIONS ON THE GREATER THINGS. 

Kathy is also active in Prison Ministry, sharing God’s love with the inmates of the woman’s state prison in Erie County. She and other team members visit once a month and sponsor a Prayer Group which offers teachings, prayer and praise.

Show God's Love

Welcome to my new blog, God is love. We find it in John 4.8. The KJV says,  "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." When you find love in action, God is there. 

We can show our love to God by our kindness and care for others. The Bible says that you shall know Christians by their love for one another. John 13:35.

Find someone today and show God's love to them. 

Image from Pixabay.com 

Satan's Biggest Lie

The Bible says that Satan is the father of lies. John 8:44 says “He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.” He deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden and has been tricking people ever since.

1. Satan convinced the world that he doesn’t exist. Did you ever hear anyone say, “The Devil made me do it? Satan is seen as a joke, an excuse to do what you want.  Lots of people don’t see him as a real person who challenged God and fell due to his pride.

2. Heaven and hell don't really exist. Jokes online state that someone is going to hell and he is driving the bus. He convinces people that these are only stories. A variation of this theme is that everyone is going to heaven, no matter what they did in life. 

3.There is no life after death. I remember asking my mother when I was a little girl, “What happens when you die.” She replied that nothing happened, it is just all over. I felt a great disappointment as I always thought there was more, that life continued. Now, I know souls are designed to live forever.

4. Another lie is that he is more powerful than God. His pride got him thrown out of heaven.  One hour watching news could convince you that he is winning. He does not want to remind you or himself that he has already lost.

These are all destructive lies of the devil to scatter God’s people and cause them to doubt and seek after pleasure and wealth.

5. But there is one more that is worse than all the others, I believe. It is that you have a lot of time.

We know that life is but a vapor, here one moment and gone in a heartbeat. James 4:14 says, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.  

We may not have time to tell others about the hope that lives within us, the gospel of the good news that Jesus came to earth as one of us, died and rose again to free us from the weight of sin and despair.

Will we reach the unsaved loved ones in our families, in our neighborhood, in our country or the world? Do we really have plenty of time and should not worry about it? That is what the devil wants us to think.

Will we listen to the lies of Satan or turn away and embrace God’s truth and righteousness?

Antique watches-Public Domain Image from Pixabay
Bible quote in Public Domain  

When you are a Christian, you will feel the Heat

In the second chapter of Daniel, we find the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and how God saved them from the fiery furnace.   

King Nebuchadnezzar made a 60-foot image covered with gold. He told all his people that when they hear the music of drums, cymbals, flutes and strings that they must fall down and worship the statue.   

He noticed that the three were not worshipping when the gongs sounded. He had them brought before him and questioned them. They said they would not grovel in front of the golden statue. 

He threatened them, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, If you do not worship at the sound of the music, I will have you thrown into a fiery furnace.” They still refused.

They told the king that God would bring them through it. Even if He did not, all would be well with them. They put their trust in God.

The king ordered his soldiers to fire up the furnace and make it much hotter than usual. He ordered strong men to bind the three men. The soldiers carried them up and threw them in. It was so hot that the king’s men died.

Soon, four men walked out of the furnace. Not a hair of their heads was singed. Their clothes were intact and they did not even smell like smoke. The only thing that burned was the ropes that bound them. The fourth man was an angel of God who kept them safe for standing up for their beliefs.

King Nebuchadnezzar knew that their God was the true God. "Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God."

When you are a Christian,  you might not get thrown into a blazing furnace. But, you are bound to feel the heat of hatred, ridicule, name-calling or other types of persecution. Your God can protect you from the heat. Just trust him. 

Quote from King James Bible
Public Domain Image-No attribution required.

It is hard to be a Christian

Christians have always had difficulties. There are attacks from all sides. Atheists living in a world without hope proudly proclaim there is no God. They call Christians stupid, ignorant, uneducated  and simple minded.

Other religions put Christians down because they do not follow their gods. Some want to eliminate Christianity altogether.

Governments are increasingly Atheistic and think that making God illegal will put an end to Him.

Christianity has struggled through many obstacles thrown in the way. Making God illegal only strengthens His influence.

Christian persecution has spread all over the world. Evil forces burn churches, beat pastors and church members and sometimes resort to murder. Missionaries often find themselves under attack and have to flee the country they are trying to help.

This is the time that we as Christians must rely on God more than ever. He wants us to rely wholly on Him and to seek wisdom in His word, the Bible. It is time to pray for others, the persecutors who know not what they are doing and our brothers and sisters who are experiencing truly frightening times.

We have read the book and know the ending of this story. We need to seek the courage to face these challenges and the stamina to bear them.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Image copyright J. Schlicker 2014

Plug in to Power

The other day, I panicked. I started up my rusty computer and could not get anything. Visions of viruses drive eating Trojans, and spiders danced in my head. I yelled to my son to help. He is my live-in computer guru.

He tried it, but nothing. He dived under the desk and started playing with plugs and connections. Suddenly, the screen sprang into life. The box was not quite plugged in he told me. “You can’t get power unless you are plugged in to it.”

I started thinking about that in connection to God. Why do we so often feel that God is distant, not listening, and even uninterested? We feel that we are alone but He promised to never forsake or leave us.  Perhaps, we are not plugged in to His power.

Like the unplugged computer box, we have trouble accessing the good things inside.

We need to plug in with prayer, which is only talking to God, telling Him of our concerns, fears, and wishes. We also need to intercede on behalf of family and friends. We need to delve into the Word, using it in daily life. We need to tell others about God, as I try to do on this blog.

If any of these links goes missing, the connection is loose or broken and we do not get the power that we need. Plug in today.

Image by author.

The Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

A shepherd guards and looks out for his sheep. If one is lost, he looks for it and brings it back to the flock. Jesus takes care of us and gives us everything we need.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

We can obtain rest and restoration. He provides living water and the bread of life.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

He refreshes our mind and guides us the right way we should follow.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

I don't have to be afraid because He is always with me. When He corrects us, it is in preparation for the wonders to come. Even in death we need not fear because He has prepared great things which we cannot understand now.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Jesus will win in the end and vengeance belongs to Him.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Is he your shepherd? John 3:16

Image Yosemite Stream public-domain-images.com

Grave site Copyright R. Griffin 2013 Used with permission

 BibleGateway.com KJV in the public domain