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Mama’s Soul Markers

Nov9

There are moments in life that are Markers on my soul.

December 1981, I held in my arms my first child, Melissa Anne. Allen tells me that
I was in labor for over 31 hours without any kind of help for the pain. I only remember how beautiful she is and has always been. A perfect beautiful little red head who reflected back all the adoring looks we gave her. Fiercely loyal and strong, she demands peace and will settle for nothing less. Her daddy laughingly told her once to put a 55 gallon drum in the back of his truck while he ate lunch. He was being funny but when he went back, she had done it. It never occurred to her that she could not. That remains her attitude about anything she intends to do.

March 1984, I had the shortest labor ever and I say truthfully that Holly Elizabeth has never given me any pain since the day she was born. The medical personnel forgot to come back for us so I lay in the recovery room alone with her, clutching her to my chest, amazed at this tiny and perfect little blonde baby. Faith-filled and confident of provision from the day she was born, she refuses to worry and never lets her circumstances dictate what she will do. She once travelled with a mission group across three countries without a dime in her pocket and typical Holly, she called to say she was bringing home a few friends for Thanksgiving. She brought home, fed and housed 27 people.

February 2, Allen Lynn was taken to NICU and I could only hold his tiny toes as they took blood and kept him in his special bassinet so he could breathe. Praying and believing that the LORD would heal him for two weeks before they finally placed him in my arms, a miracle and my first son. We took him home in a little white tuxedo onesie. We call him the perfect man because he controls his tongue and never wastes his words. His siblings count on what AJ says because he does what he says he will do. He expects no less of others and if he shows up at the house, things that need doing will be done. He never leaves without giving both of us a good strong bear hug, a gift from this child who does not give affection or smiles liberally or lightly.

May 22, Thomas Glynn made his premier, happy and friendly from the moment he was placed in my arms. He was named for favorite uncles on both sides of our families prophetically –he is a family man, a loving father now himself. My favorite memory with Tommy was the day he took his Daddy and I on a tour of his school. Only in Kindergarten, he knew the names of not just his teachers, but the cafeteria ladies and the people up and down the halls. He greeted them all by name with compliments and favor flowing from his lips. Every one he meets matters and family is blood.

September 17, Jackie Leon was tiny and Daddy and oldest sister had to take care of him while I recovered in the hospital from a serious infection. Named for my daddy, Leon, and his daddy’s best friend. My favorite picture of Jackie Leon is the one where he is standing in his daddy’s boots. We all made our way to South Carolina to watch him graduate from Basic Training. He serves his country and his family, following in his daddy’s footsteps. Like his daddy before him, sleep is not important if there are things to be done and it is not unusual for him to have three jobs if that is what it takes.

January 19, Sandra Denise made her debut into our family and into stardom. She was the only one born in the hospital her Dad was born in and starred in a television commercial when she was only hours old. A little girl after three boys, she was a girly girl and petted by parents and siblings alike. She is positively positive and gave me my iconic “Never Give Up” poster and attitude. Times got tough but she was my built-in personal and family cheerleader. Her naturally nurturing nature will come in handy now that she has started her own family.

September 13, Matthew Ryan was born on Friday the thirteenth. His umbilical cord had a square knot tied so tight that the doctor sent it to a lab because he could not believe this healthy bouncing baby boy could have gotten any blood through that cord. Blessed of God, Young King. He is the only boy that looks like his Mama. Matt takes the initiative to do what needs to be done and has the kind and gentle heart that befits a King.

June 8, Sarah Michelle was the only child that loved Mama more than Daddy. She was my little Princess with her Daddy’s thick curly brown hair and big beautiful eyes. She was my ego boost because she adored me for no reason at all. Quiet but not really shy, she developed her own personality and strong individuality in spite of being eighth of ten. Drop her into a crowd and she becomes the center, making everyone think she has been their friend for a long time even if she just met them. Sarah is my sidekick; she loves to work outdoors beside me and also loves to sit and read for hours at my beloved public library.

March 2001. Jonathan Hunter. It was hard to understand how people could think that losing this son would not matter since I had so many other children. We have no physical mementos at all to remember him except the note to my employer from my doctor saying I had lost him and a sympathy card from one close friend. My last son was the first child to go to our LORD but I look with hope to the day I will at last meet him in Heaven.

January 8, Zelma Grace. Named for Allen’s mother and for the comforting joy that she brought so soon after our loss. She has a different mother than all her siblings because the loss of Jonathan changed me completely. Zelma is proof that Grace nurtures us into our full potential and my only sadness is knowing that my other children were not reared in the same freedom that has caused her to flourish. She is creative, invincible and boldly expectant of favor as we all should be.

My children. Markers on my Soul. I cannot love you less. I cannot love you more.

You have all my love always.

A Short Parable about a Tree and Fruit

Jul27

My mother tells a story on her blog over at BlantonSharplinFarms.com about one of her neighbors stopping to meet her because of her fruit.

Mama planted a peach tree but she cut the limbs and fruit off each year for quite a while. Mama pruned it so it would become strong enough to carry the fruit well. Finally one year the tree was strong and Mama let the peaches grow.

The neighbor had seen the tree but to her it looked like any other tree. She had never talked to Mama about the tree until she saw that fruit. She was attracted to the sweet fruit on the tree. It prompted her to stop and ask Mama if she could have some fruit. Mama told her all about the tree and invited her to come back when the fruit was ripe.

To the neighbor, the tree was like any other tree until the fruit appeared. She wanted the fruit that Mama had grown and Mama was happy to share and tell her all about the tree.

Keep pruning your tree until it is strong enough to grow good fruit and soon your neighbor will stop by to ask you for some fruit. Then you will have an opportunity to tell your neighbor all about your tree.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. [ John 15:4-5 ]

Five Really Easy Ways that You can Build a Strong Relationship

Jul26

Scriptures: Use an Inspirational Verse to Remind you that Love is Eternal and to act in a loving emotional way toward your partner. Love Never Fails is a great one but My verses were Ephesians 5:33 & 1 Peter 3:2. These are the verses written into my husband book beside one of my favorite pictures of Allen.

Admire Him

My Husband Book

In the picture, he is dressed in his biker gear and I particularly admire him for how he looks in the photo and also because of what he was preparing to do, go minister with the Christian Motorcyclists Assocaiation. It reminds me of a moment when I respected him, admired him, enjoyed him. Although he is preparing to leave me at the moment the photo was taken, he was being all the things I (in the human sense) adored about him. It reminds me of other moments when I can indeed act out this verse with regards to my husband.

Time: Invest minutes to Earn years. Do something that takes a moment that will build up long term value in the relationship. When Allen left for work every day, I stood and watched him until he was completely out of sight. I watched for him when it was time for him to be home and jumped up to run and greet him when he came home every day. I really did not take it for granted that each moment would not be our last. It became something much more than just a few moments each day. It became a routine he depended on as he realised just how important he was to me. Those few moments every day became a cornerstone that represented loyalty and faithfulness over our years together.

Romance: Be what He saw and See what He can Be. Let yourself Enjoy both Planned and Spontaneous phyisical Pleasure. Share your Vision of your Relationship at Opportune Tender moments but Relish Touching and being Touched. Say Yes even when it is Inconvenient and Surprise yourself with some Exciting memories.

Now: Just like the manna, Today is the only day that this moment can Nourish your relationship. Treat REGRET as a Strength Building exercise instead of Endurance Training. Let it build Muscle in an area that needs improvement instead of spending time with it just to build up your stamina. How can you live in the NOW moment with the lesson it gave you? How will you act NOW differently than then so your relationship can be improved? Never let what you or your partner did in the Past keep you from having the day you want Today.

Grace: Give what you need; compassion, forgiveness, romance, passion. Give what you need to your partner but also Give what you need to yourself. Ask instead of assuming your Significant Other knows what you want. If you need a romantic moment and your partner really just wants to watch television, then spend a little time with your memories of other great moments instead of spending it with bitterness or regret. Instead of nursing a grudge or expanding the gap with indifference or anger, Use the time to rehearse your Victories by going through photos or meditating Successes.

Rehearsing Victories

Rehearsing Victories


[My Husband Book was created Just for these Growth Moments. More on that in another post.]

When your partner does give you what you ask; time, romance, passion: Enjoy it and Encourage it. Give up your preconceived notions of how it should go and make the effort to Just Enjoy what it is.

…and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly]. | …When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him—to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband]. [Amplified Bible]

Just say JESUS

May26

‘And he was clothed with a vesture

dipped in blood:

and his name is called

The Word of God.’

In fact, I’ve discovered that the Name of Jesus–just the Name alone– is effective when spoken by a Word-abiding believer.

Revelation 19:13 says the Name of Jesus is the Word of God!

So, when an evil spirit is trying to bring sickness, poverty, depression, or any other garbage into my household, I don’t have to quote every scripture I know to stop him.

I can just point my finger at him and say, “Jesus!”

That’s like throwing the whole Word of God in his face at one time!

-Kenneth Copeland, Your Daily Faith to Faith for May 26, 2014

Philippians 2: 9-11
9 Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has [f]freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name,
10 That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee [g]should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 And every tongue [[h]frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

*SPOILER ALERT* There’s noBunny coming to our house for Easter!

Apr5

No Bunny is Coming for Easter

No Bunny is Coming for Easter

Our family has created some special ways to celebrate our LORD’s resurrection.

In our worship and study of the Bible, we believe the LAMB represents the Son of God during the Feast of Passover. At our house, we use LAMBS, not bunnies, to celebrate the JOYOUS occasion of the Resurrection of our LORD after His crucifixion.

Although we do have some wicker and plastic baskets now, our treats and egg collections were more often placed in baskets of our own creation.

HERE’S HOW:

Roll down paper bags (usually free) and gently shape to look like a bowl.

Spray paint ($1 can) with pastel colors.

Shred colorful junk mail (also free) to create compostable grass/padding for your new home-made basket.

Fill with boiled oatmeal cookies and fresh fruit and, of course, the more traditional dyed boiled eggs.

Another ASHLEY tradition is to carefully construct and decorate paper LAMBS.

Glue curled papers (quilled) or cotton balls to simulate wool.

Let the children spend time making their LAMB very special.

Don’t forget:
Have them write their name and the year somewhere on the body of their LAMB.

On Friday night, we read about the crucifixion of JESUS.
Discuss how JESUS’ disciples and loved ones must have been feeling: the fear and disappointment.
Carefully place your crafted LAMBS into your basket.
Cover it with a red cloth to symbolize His shed blood.
On Sunday morning, when the children wake, the red cloth is gone and so are their own hand-crafted LAMBS.
In their baskets are all their treats- and usually some other form of lamb (chocolate or stuffed).
Discuss how JESUS’ disciples and loved ones must have celebrated when they discovered that JESUS had been raised from the dead.

We do hide and hunt dyed boiled eggs with the children. It is a good time to discuss with the children how some pagan traditions got mixed into the Christian celebration of the Resurrection. The pagans may have used eggs to symbolize life and resurrection or eternal life. Our LORD has freely given us the Gift of Life. (John 3:16)

Instead at Passover, the family tradition is to search the house to remove any leaven, symbolic of sin.

Donna of toteallyreal.blogspot.com tells us:

The days before Passover begins are spent cleaning the house and getting rid of anything with leaven in it. We have a “bread hunt” the night before Passover, where we search for leaven. I hide 10 pieces of bread, and my husband leads the hunt in the dark with a candle. The bread is swept into a paper bag which is burned the next morning. This is a wonderful illustration of getting rid of the sin in our lives. The leaven represents sin, and we need to search our hearts in order to make sure there’s nothing hiding in there that we need to get rid of. God’s light helps us in this search and reveals the leaven. Then we need to get it out of our lives and totally destroy it. It’s really quite a job finding all the leaven and getting it out of our house. There is leaven in the most unexpected places!

It is with GRATITUDE that I realize: We don’t have to search for LIFE (what the eggs symbolize)- JESUS has provided it for each of us.

We are all offered abundant life through the atoning work of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

To learn more, read a LOVE LETTER.

Love Letter

Feb15

Some people call their Bible a sword, and it is. To me, it is also a Love Letter. So open your love letter to Jeremiah 31:3.

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3

In 1984 when I was nine months pregnant with my second daughter and we were living in a tiny little trailer outside Kileen, TX, near Ft. Hood, two deputies arrived to arrest me for a bounced check I had written to a grocery store. The check had been redeemed and I had the receipt so the deputies did not take me with them but the incident made me realize that I couldn’t go on as I had been going.

My mom had come to Texas to visit me and I begged her to tell me how to have the faith that she had. Mama never doubted God’s existence or that He would take care of her and I wanted that unfeigned faith, the faith of my Mama. Mama prayed for me as I stood crying beneath a tree beside the tiny trailer.

It has always been my belief that my daughter, Holly, was annointed with that same faith, my Mama’s faith, right there– before she was even born, at the moment my Mama prayed. Holly has always believed that God exists and that He cares for her.

This is my love story. God loved me and He willing chased me down. I turned around (repented of my sins) and began to chase Him.

Quite a few years later, I was still chasing God and someone gave me a well-known book to read that had helped them. When I opened the book to the first chapter, I read, “It’s not about you.” I closed the book and put it on the shelf.

In 1 John 4, my Love Letter says, “We love him, because he first loved us.” It is about me and it is about you. God loved us so much that He is willing to chase us down.

How did God show us that He loved us? John 3:16-17 says,

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God is not willing that anyone should perish but not everyone accepts God’s love and God gave each one of us the freedom to choose life or death. He will not go against my will.

So how can I receive the life and love that God is willing to give me? Romans 10:10 tells me,

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

So what is God’s love like? First Corinthians 13, verses 4-8 tells us how God defines love:

Love is patient,
Love is kind.

It does not envy,
It does not boast,

It is not proud.
It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered.

It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,
   always trusts,
   always hopes,
   always perseveres.

Love never fails.

But, What if I can’t hold onto that love that God is giving me? Romans 8: 35, 38-39 says,

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Song of Solomon, a love letter within a love letter, says in chapter eight, verse 7, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.”

As I began to believe that God loves me, I wanted to show God that I accepted His love. So, What does God want from me? John 15: 9-12 says,

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Now when I read these verses I was concerned and you might be too. Uh-Oh, So here’s the catch. IF I can obey His commandments He will love me. Or IF I can obey His commandments He will abide with me and give me joy.

The devil, that thief and murderer, shouts immediately, You’ll never be able to do it! HaHa, you God-chaser, you FAILURE. You will NEVER be able to keep the commandments. Thou SHALT, Thou SHALT NOT! Haha. You will FAIL.

But then the very next verse tells me what Jesus commands me to do:

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

In Matthew 22, Jesus was asked by an expert on the Law (the law of Moses) what was THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So the commandment of Jesus is to LOVE.

Now as I began to ponder this commandment, I was still a little concerned.

Could I love as God loved? As I have stated above, God has defined love in my Love Letter. Here is that definition again, paraphrased in light of Jesus’ commandment:

I am patient,
I am kind.

I do not envy,
I do not boast,

I am not proud.
I am not rude,
I am not self-seeking,
I am not easily angered.

I keep no record of wrongs.

I do not delight in evil but I rejoice with the truth.

I always protect,
always trust,
always hope,
always persevere.

The best part is the very last four words:

I will never fail.

Bless the LORD, oh my soul, and ALL that is within me bless HIS HOLY NAME!

God loves you and I love you. If you want to know more about God’s love, you can email me:
Write to Julie

Providential

Jan5

Dictionary-Reference.com says:

Origin:
Providential derives from Latin providentia , from providens , provident- , present participle of providere , literally, “to see ahead,” from pro- , “forward” + videre , “to see.”

Providence is defined by the same website as:

( often initial capital letter ) the foreseeing care and guidance of god or nature over the creatures of the earth.
2. ( initial capital letter ) God, esp. when conceived as omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of humankind with wise benevolence.
3. a manifestation of divine care or direction.
4. provident or prudent management of resources; prudence.
5. foresight; provident care.

Verses to study and meditate:

http://scripturetext.com/philippians/4-19.htm

Matthew 6:24-34 24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

The Cure for Anxiety

25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Love Never Fails. (a very long post studying this Word)

Sep8

Love. God is Love. Love never fails.

We are memorizing the Bible description of love:

Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud.

That’s this week’s segment to memorize. The children repeat it after me several times, then are called upon to repeat it to me.

The Blue Letter Bible

 http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=love&t=KJV

reports that the English word “love” occurs 311 times in 281 verses in the King James Version of the Bible.
In it first occurrance at Genesis 27:4 and its third occurance at Genesis 29:32 it is used as a verb.

This word love is ‘ahab. Gesenius’s Lexicon, used by the Blue Letter Bible to translate the word, defines this word love:

(1)To desire, to Breathe after anything.
(2)To love a friend.
(3)To delight in anything, in doing anything.

Genesis 27:4
And make me savoury meat, such as I <b>love</b> and bring [it] to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

Genesis 29:32
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

It is here used as a verb.The outline of its Biblical usage:

1) to love

a) (Qal)

1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual

2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom

3) human love for or to God

4) act of being a friend

a) lover (participle)

b) friend (participle)

5) God’s love toward man

a) to individual men

b) to people Israel

c) to righteousness

b) (Niphal)

1) lovely (participle)

2) loveable (participle)

c) (Piel)

1) friends

2) lovers (fig. of adulterers)

2) to like
The outline of its Biblical usage:
1) love

a) human love for human object

1) of man toward man

2) of man toward himself

3) between man and woman

4) sexual desire

2) God’s love to His people

This word love is ‘ahabah.
The LexiConc reports that there are nineteen entries that match “love”.

Let’s skip forward to the New Testament translations from Greek.
There are ten reported uses:

love, beloved
love, charity, dear, charitably, feast of charity
brotherly love, brotherly kindness, love of the brethren
love as brethren
love their husbands
kindness, love toward man
love of money
love, kiss
love to have the preeminence
love (one’s) children.

Since the verse I quote is 1 Corinthians 13:8, let’s look at the translation/meaning of the word in this verse.

The King James Version of the Bible says:

Charity never faileth…

Charity, agape, denotes affection, good-will, love, benevolence. This is also the version of the word used in 1 John 4:8, “God is Love.”

Vine’s expository dictionary of new testament words has this to note:

In the two statements in 1Jo 4:8, 16, “God is love,” both are used to enjoin the exercise of “love” on the part of believers. While the former introduces a declaration of the mode in which God’s love has been manifested (1Jo 4:9, 10), the second introduces a statement of the identification of believers with God in character, and the issue at the Judgment Seat hereafter (1Jo 4:17), an identification represented ideally in the sentence “as He is, so are we in this world.”

Never is used in the Authorized Version of the King James as never, neither at any time and nothing at any time. An adverb defined by Strong’s as denying

absolutely and objectively- not ever.

Fails – Vines has this note about the word translated as fails:

Fall, Fallen, Falling, Fell:

“to fall out of” (ek, “out,” and No. 1), “is used in the NT, literally, of flowers that wither in the course of nature, Jam 1:11; 1Pe 1:24; of a ship not under control, Act 27:17, 26, 29, 32; of shackles loosed from a prisoner’s wrist, Act 12:7; figuratively, of the Word of God (the expression of His purpose), which cannot “fall” away from the end to which it is set, Rom 9:6; of the believer who is warned lest he “fall” away from the course in which he has been confirmed by the Word of God, 2Pe 3:17.”

* [* From Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine, p. 242.] So of those who seek to be justified by law, Gal 5:4, “ye are fallen away from grace.”