"The Blessed Road" - a lyrical poem for Harp (Pronounce "Blessed as "Bless-ed") "When you're going along, not feeling so strong, and the direction seems wrong, Look up Follow the Blessed Road. In the distance, the sky is blue, The sun shines, too, The Lord is at hand to help you stand if you stumble Look forward, For through faith and prayer You need not despair What trouble may be The Lord surely sees. Song of renewal, take flight as a butterfly glides in the light Your heart can be free when you give up the fight of the struggle of sin from within See the beauty of God's goodness Jesus' love surrounds you Savior, Lord, and Friend He is with you His love will never end His path leads to the cross Lay your burdens down as you kneel next to the tree Where Jesus' gave His life for you and for me. Look ahead His light shines bright in the darkest of nights Reach out to Him and stay on the Blessed road today." -Nancy Johnson 8-3-23 May the path you walk be one of hope, joy, peace, and love—all made possible by God. <>< <>< <>< "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-10 "Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." - Proverbs 2:9 "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." - Psalm 16:11 "Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths." - Psalm 25:4 Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com
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"Get on the scale, please," the medical assistant says. I make a joke to ensure my overloaded purse won't be part of the measurement. Sigh. Even without the purse, my weight is more than I hoped. The same day, I stand in line at the DMV for my driver's license. They want to know my weight. So does the fitness trainer, the passport office, the amusement park, and the Burro ride at the Grand Canyon. Weight...weight...Wait! I'm tired of waiting for the extra weight in my life to lessen. I'd be happy to be rid of a few extra pounds that stick to my frame like a double-dose of super glue. But there are other kinds of weight I'd like to get rid of, such as the weight of worry, sadness, or anxiety. The list could go on. One morning while praying, the following words came to mind: "I carry You in my heart, Lord." And, "My heart is full." It was then I thought about the "weight" of something good—like love. If there is any weight I'd desire, it would be the weight of love. Lord, fill my heart with an overload of care, compassion, and kindness. Fill my heart with a love that deeply extends to my family, friends, and God's people everywhere. In my imagination, I picture the Lord measuring my heart for a "spiritual checkup." (Would he use a scale?) My usual joke about weight might work in this situation. I could say, "Jesus, I hope my heart weighs as much as my purse!" I can see it now. The Lord smiles, then chuckles at my dry humor. It's okay. He knows me well. I'm glad He loves me just as I am! And He loves you the same! My prayer for you this week: May your heart be on overload—with the weight of something good. <><<><<>< "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." - Hebrews 12:1 The weight of Christ's love for us is immeasurable. He carried the weight of sin of all mankind when he opened his arms and was crucified. He died to save us from the sin of the world. The message of over 2,000 years ago stands true today. Jesus Christ is the Savior, the Lamb of God, our hope and our Salvation. If you are seeking a personal relationship with Christ, ask Him into your heart. You will be glad you did. If you need prayer, feel free to leave me a message. God's Blessings to you. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16 Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com When I was young, I had many excuses for not cleaning my room (perhaps you did, too). In those days, we didn't have walk-in closets, but if we did, mine wouldn't have had one inch of space in which to walk. My room was almost as bad. One evening, we had company. As my mother proceeded to give the guests a tour of the house, she gasped when she opened the bathroom door. She quickly closed it and led the guests elsewhere. When our company left, she approached me, holding up my nightie. "Does this belong to you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. 'Oops," I remarked sheepishly. "Sorry, Mom." Then she saw the wet towels I'd left in the tub. She wasn't happy. Fortunately, eventually I outgrew my slovenly habits. But, as an adult, sometimes I wish there were things that didn't belong to me. I'm talking about things like worry, indecisiveness, apprehension, sadness, uncertainty, anxiety, despair, and the list could go on. Recently, I had a lousy night of sleep. When I don't get enough rest I get emotional. So, I said my morning prayers, but worry flooded my soul. Then a quiet question was posed to my heart. "Does this belong to you?" The question caught me off-guard. "Oops," my heart responded. "Yes." The worry was mine. This was a wake-up call, a reminder to avoid holding on to things that shouldn't belong to me. The Bible is filled with Scripture telling us not to worry or be anxious (including all those sub-sets of undesirable feelings that attach to those emotions). Instead, might we hold on to faith that God can supply good things for our lives? Regarding faith, if the Lord were to ask, "Does this belong to you?" I would respond with a resounding "Yes!" My prayer for you: "Dear God, may the person reading this know how much You love them, and may they have faith to look to you for all the good things you provide for their heart and soul." - In Jesus' Name, Amen. # "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding ; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your path straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 PHOTO COURTESY OF VECTEEEZY When you were young, do you remember trying on grown-up shoes? I'll never forget dropping my small foot into my father's humongous fishing boots. My foot swam in them and slipped as I struggled to slide one foot in front of the other across the living room carpet. I didn't get very far, as I realized my father's shoes were ones that couldn't be filled. Years later, when I was grown, that didn't change. Even if I could have fit in my father's shoes, they were still too big. Plus, they were his shoes, not mine. I wanted to be like him, but as much as I tried, I was still "me." My father was extremely intelligent and gifted with a genius I.Q. I'd been adopted, so I would never possess his kind of intelligence. But there was more to my father than being a brilliant scientist. He had a great reverence for life, felt deeply, and was a vastly creative carpenter and artist. He could talk about any subject and possessed a most sensitive and philosophic soul. In later years, he became rooted in his faith in God. My father passed away too soon--at 71. My mother and I had the sad task of going through the closet to box up his clothing and shoes for donation. Those empty shoes could not be filled--at least not by me or the family. My father wasn't perfect, but he was perfect in our eyes. In the history of the world, there is only one perfect set of footsteps--the ones that belonged to Jesus Christ. His were the footsteps that made the arduous journey to the cross where He died to save us from the sin of all mankind. No one can fill the shoes (or sandals) of the Savior; however, Jesus has lovingly reached out, inviting us, encouraging us, to follow in His footsteps as He guides us on this path called life. # "Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen." - Psalm 77:19 "I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. When you walk, you won't be held back; when you run, you won't stumble." - Proverbs 4:11-12 Photo: N. Johnson "Let's get rid of this old end table," I exclaimed, crouching to make my point. "We've had this since we were first married. It doesn't match anything, the back leg is cracked, and the scratches look awful." My husband raised his eyebrows. I knew what he was going to say. We couldn't afford to buy a new one. I was tired of living with broken furnishings. I opted to stack books and magazines on top of the table to disguise the scratches. One evening, I plopped down wearily onto the sofa (which sported a broken zipper on the back of a cushion) and reached for my Bible from the stack of reading material. The following verse caught my eye: 2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' The words struck a chord. I'd been selfish, upset about a piece of furniture. I'd neglected to look into my heart. My faith was as weak and broken as that table leg. But God's grace is sufficient. Living with broken furnishings isn't such a bad thing. Things can be repaired--or eventually replaced. But what about the furnishings of my heart? Had I filled the room of my heart with love, care, compassion, and decorated it with the presence of Jesus? I thanked my husband for fixing the broken table leg. And I thanked God for furnishing me with the gift of His forgiveness. It was Jesus' brokenness on the cross that paid for my sins. # P.S. - Thirty years later, we let the end table go. It had served us well, even though I'd grumbled about it. Funny thing is, despite the cracked and repaired leg, it turned out to be one of the most sturdy tables we'd ever owned. Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com |
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