A Letter to You from Your Guardian Angel July 23, 2009

A Love Letter

By Angela Posey-Arnold

Greetings to you, my charge, in the name of The Lord our God and Creator Who lovingly assigned me to you. There are just a few things we need to clear up. I suppose it is odd for you to get a letter from me, your Guardian Angel, but I can’t wait any longer to serve this message to you.

I bring glorious good tidings of great joy. It is in my job description. I know you can’t see me but you know I am there. Remember just last week you felt my presence? Yes, that was me, sent by God to comfort and protect you. I am always with you. Possibly you know my work.

I want you to know that I am not in the little golden pin you see on lapels throughout your culture. I am surely not a trumpet toting porcelain figurine on the coffee table.  

I am a messenger and a protector for you. Everything I do is by command of God. I am very old according to your standards and I have been there with you through every trail and every joy. I was there to hear your borning cry and I will be there the day you leave earth. I am fascinated with you.

Be confident of the daily care and protection I was created for. You are the reason God sent me. But, make no mistake about it; God is the One worthy of worship. It makes me very uncomfortable when humans set us angels higher than we should be. Your worship and all your love must remain with God lest you be deceived.

Sometimes I ponder as you go about your daily business if you really know me or what it is you think of me. So many years have rolled by and I am concerned that you truly must understand who I am and why God created me. I want you to know God’s truth about angels. God is sovereign, only Him do we worship. You worship Him and I worship Him. I want you to know me because I will be a part of your eternal environment.

I am eternal and I am always pointing you in the right direction-toward God. Remember how we sang when Jesus was born. We were pointing you to Him then.

As an angel I already know the fullness of heaven. Someday, my beloved, you will experience it with me. Angels do God’s perfect will and we do so gladly. You can find everything you need to know about me in God’s Holy Word. Don’t pray to me, pray to Him. And for heaven’s sake don’t set me up as an idol. Talk about uncomfortable—that really gets under my wings. I am just a ministering spirit sent to serve the redeemed.

Some humans see us from time to time and some do not. As wonderful as it would be to be visible in your presence God has given you something better. He has given you the greatest gift of all. His absolute presence through His Holy Spirit.

I am far more involved in your world than you realize. That is why I am writing this letter. I want you to know me and the amazing things God’s Word tells you about me and my kind. Reading and meditating on His Word will bring you closer to Him, and that is what I want for you. His Word has over 300 references to my kind. We know He loves us and created us for a very special purpose.

When you die you will not be an angel. You will still be the redeemed. You will have songs to sing that we can’t sing, but we rejoice with you. Some humans may criticize you for believing in me, but don’t let that worry you one bit. You are in better company than they are.

Oh, and don’t be like those Sadducees. They really were ‘sad you see’. We all know what happened to them and they did not believe in us. We watched as the apostles were brought before the no-such-thing-as-angels crowd. Those Sadducees spurned angels; they also dropped from history within a generation. The imprisoned apostles simply obeyed God’s message delivered by none other than yours truly. They changed history’s course forever.

I love Matthew 25:31 “when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him,” Actually, I can’t wait for this day and we are in constant preparation. You should be too.

In closing, my beloved, remember to worship and pray to God. Only the Creator is worthy of worship, not the created. Prepare for the coming again of your Savior Jesus Christ and listen to the Holy Spirit within you. I will be with you. I think you are wonderful.

Angel kisses from heaven,

Your Guardian Angel

The Hole in Your Soul June 24, 2009

Faith Fills the Hole in Our Soul

Hebrews 11:1 KJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1 KJV).

Have you ever read this chapter of Hebrews? I counted the word faith 24 times in this one chapter. Paul illustrates historical examples of how faith worked in the lives of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Faith brought down the walls of Jericho and closed the mouths of lions. Faith in Jehovah God can set you free. Faith can make you whole.

Faith works the same way today as it did in the days of Daniel. Can you imagine the faith of Shadrach, Meschak and Abednego? Three Hebrew children, who would not worship the King but held tight to their devotion to Jehovah, were cast into a fiery furnace. They were not burned. When we pray, we are demonstrating faith that God is there and that He hears our prayers.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. Without faith what hope is there? Hope is the trust that God indeed loves us and answers our prayers. Without hope there is only doubt, fear and despondency. Consider those who are lost and outside of God’s protection. It is a dismal consideration. Without Jesus Christ there is only hopelessness. Some may put their trust and hope in other people or in money but a hope placed in these can only bring disappointment and grief. Men may disappoint and desert you, but God never will. He is always there. When we need Him He carries us when we can’t even walk. Sometimes, the things of this life are overwhelming. Without hope, faith and trust in Him, how can we possibly hope?

Faith is the knowledge that life on earth is not all there is. Faith is in knowing that beyond this life we have life eternal with God. I know people who believe that this life is all there is, that when we die, that is just the end. How sad it would be to go through everyday thinking that all we had to hope for is nothing. As Christians we have faith that one day we will be in heaven and abide with Him. Jesus is the only way to heaven. Do not be deceived. There is one and only one way to heaven and it is through Jesus Christ. John 3:16 is all you have to know to be saved. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son and whosoever BELIEVES in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

In this life on earth we have two choices. We can believe and be saved or we can reject Jesus and go to hell. It is that simple.

To have faith there must be belief. Unbelievers have no hope. Faith is so simple. God made His gospel so simple even little children can understand it. It doesn’t take great intellect to understand that God made us. He loves us and He wants to have a relationship with us. Some scholars have tried to disprove God’s Word. They have taken away their own hope. They try to reason too much about this simple story. By picking apart the Word of God they have made it hard. The brain God gave them has gotten in the way of being able to believe.

Humility and faith go hand in hand. There are times when nonbelievers think they have it all figured out and they feel they have out smarted God. This is a major stumbling block for them to believe. It blinds them to the simple faith that passes all understanding. We as humans are not meant to know everything. If God wanted us to know everything now He would have told us in His Word. What He did tell us is He loved us so much He sent His only Son to die for us. No one can disprove this no matter how hard they try.

All human beings have a big hole in their soul. People try to fill this hole with many things. Money, prestige, fame, fortune, drugs, alcohol, sex but they will always come up empty. The hole will still be there. The only thing that fits in the hole is God and his love for us.

Faith fills up the hole and makes us whole. Trying to fill this hole in our soul with anything but God is like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. Nothing will fit. Nothing will fill the hole except for the power and love of God. He created us with the hole in our soul. He created us to only be completely at peace when we fill the hole with His love.

What we know as Christians is we have the faith one great day every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Now there is something you can put your faith in. There is the hope that fills the hole in the soul. There is the answer.

Dear Lord Help us to demonstrate our faith in You so that others may believe. Help us to help the lost fill the holes in their souls with Your love. Thank you for Your Word and Your peace. We praise You and love you, let Your light so shine that others may see You in us everyday. In Your Holy Name I pray, Amen.

How do you fill the hole in your soul?
Does your faith shine so that others may see something in you that they desire?
How can we reach those who need Jesus the most?

©Angela Posey-Arnold 2008

Jesus Died for You January 27, 2009

In continuation of the series of devotionals for the upcoming lenten book, today’s devotional is a testimony of how God speaks to our hearts. Thanks to Mrs. Freda Crumpton for sharing this.

Jesus Died For All

 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies ( John 11:25NIV)

 

Read John 11:25-57

 

 

A mirrored cross graces the First United Methodist Church in Haleyville, Alabama. The front of the cross is smooth and plain but the sides and the top are broken pieces of mirror all glued together. Each broken piece placed side by side and on top of each other with cracks in between both large and small.  We use this cross for many different worship altars.

 

Recently in a service we used this cross. As I sat down I realized I was sitting directly in front of the cross. All I could see was my reflection in the cross. I sat there for a few minutes thinking ‘this cross is for me.  Jesus died on that cross because of me.  He gave His life for me’.

 

Although deeply touched I became uncomfortable, maybe it was mostly guilt or just plain shame, whatever it was I changed seats with someone else.

 

Gaining courage to look again at the cross I could no longer see just me.  I saw the faces of my friends, my loved ones, my church family, some were broken, some were cracked, some small, others larger, then I knew. The cross is ours. Jesus died for all of us.  None of us are worthy, we all are guilty and full of shame but God’s Grace through His son Jesus is free to us all. His marvelous grace makes us free to live forever.

 

Heavenly Father, All praise and thanks be to You. Your grace and love went to the cruel cross of Calvary to save us and set us free. With Jesus we are free indeed. We love you and praise You forever. In Jesus Precious Name, Amen. 

 

Prayer Focus: Those who don’t know Jesus.

 

Thought for today: Jesus died for you.

 

©Freda Crumpton

 

 

Reach Out January 22, 2009

Over the last few days I have had the gracious opportunity to lend my writing assistance to my Mother and two of her dear friends and sisters in Christ. They all attend the church where I grew up, Haleyville First United Methodist Church in Haleyville, Alabama.

The Pastor initiated a new program for Lent this year. He asked for 40 people to write a devotional. Just one per person. These devotionals are to be used in a Lenten Worship Devotional Booklet in service of the Lenten Season.

I have been blessed to be able to be the editor for these three devotionals–My Mother’s, her dear friend, Maryanna Foster and a very special lady whom I have always known, Mrs. Freda King Crumpton. I could start with how Mother knew Freda when she was a baby and how Freda babysat me when I was a baby but let’s just suffice it to say, we are all life time church family.

As a Christian Writer I read and wrtie devotionals and articles everyday. I read many other writer’s but it is rare to obtain stories from real Christians who spend their time serving and blessing others in many ways besides writing about it. Since they so graciously asked me to edit their peices I have been blessed by each story. I have asked each of them if it is okay for me to share their stories. They are excited about that.

In this form I will share each story in my blog. In another form these will all be submitted for publication.

My prayer is that you are as blessed as I have been by these three servants of God. I will post My Mother’s first. If you are blessed by this, email me and I will pass it on to them. They would love that.

Outreach

By Bonnie Posey

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10 NIV)

Being of a ‘certain age’ and a member of Haleyville First United Methodist Church most of my life, I have always been confident we were a church doing the Lord’s work. Several years ago a brash young preacher assigned to us took a very good deep look at us. In love and honesty he said, “You are the best church I have ever seen at taking care of yourselves, now you are going to reach out to others. This church is going to reach out next June to the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. It will be a mission outreach.”

My initial response was, “I will plan the trip but I am not going out west in the summer, it will be too hot.” Famous last words. My husband, Merle, said “Sure, we can do that.” So away we went along with 32 other people from this church and two other congregations in our district. Each person seeking something different. Some just looking to sightsee the Indians or Monument Valley. But all were available to be used by God. I’ve learned, God is not looking for ability; He is looking for availability, willing vessels to be used by Him.

Personally, I became available to the call I had been hearing since I was a teen sitting in the balcony of this same church hearing missionaries sharing their experiences in far off lands. God has shown me the call to mission and outreach can be in a ‘not so far off land’. It can be in New Mexico, Eastern Kentucky, Cherokee, North Carolina, Wyoming, and Mississippi or right in your own back door. Possibly every Tuesday morning serving on the Helping Hand committee.

When I made myself available to be used by God for His purposes He used me to reach out to others. All of us have the potential to do great things for God with the gifts and talents He has so graciously given. God is looking for willing vessels with an open heart to be available for Him to work through.

“God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”

Dear God, You love all Your children. Teach me to use my time and gifts to serve others. In Jesus Holy Name, Amen.

www.angelaposeyarnold.com

Setting Goals for the New Year 2009 January 5, 2009

Setting Goals for the New Year 2009

Full of Sap and Life

A sermon by Dr. Charles Stanley-reproduced and expounded upon by Angela Posey-Arnold

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
         He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
         Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
         They shall be fresh and flourishing,
 To declare that the LORD is upright;
         He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.(Psalms 92:12-15 NKJV)

Setting realistic goals for the New Year remains to be a matter of prayer and listening to God. Many set goals to high to obtain, not realistic and not obtainable. Goal setting requires asking ourselves some questions about the goals we are setting.

God has a plan and purpose for each of us. He will guide us if we let Him. Trying to accomplish task in our own strength will lead to disappointment and frustration. But, if we allow God to guide us, and recognize His leading 2009 will be a year of accomplishments and steps in our journey on this earth.

Through His Word we gain a sense of direction and confidence that we are on the right road. As you set your goals for 2009 consider if the goals line up with God’s Word, His purpose and plan for your life. Ask yourself if your desires and goals fit with God’s will. And most importantly determine if the goal you set is something that you can ask God to help you with.

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. (Colossians 3:15-17 The Message)

If you are not sure what God’s will for your life is—Ask Him. Read His Word and He will reveal these things to you. Peace that passes all understanding will follow.

From His Word we know He wants us to continue to bear good fruit though out our lives. Running the race He has set before us. There are many things we can do to grow old gracefully and in service to Him. The following list developed by Pastor Charles Stanley is a wonderful reminder of how to live a life of happiness in service and love. It has nothing to do with Botox or nip tuck. It has to do with the heart.

How to Stay Young and Vibrant—

*Keep Learning—stimulate your mind and learn new things. Especially learn new things about God. Discovering God in new ways and letting Him speak to you. God will be as close as you let Him be.

* Keep Loving—Love God and love one another. Love Jesus. A loving spirit flows and gets rid of tenseness and stress. When you find yourself having a pity party, find someone to help. It is amazing how fast your pity party will be over when you help someone else. Take the gift of experiencing God’s limitless love. Love will overcome unforgiveness. Unforgiveness ages you and forgiveness is freedom for you. You can’t forgive if you don’t love.

* Keep Laughing—laughter is good for the soul like medicine-the Proverbs tell us. It is relaxing and gets rid of stress. Just picture in your mind Jesus laughing. He laughed. Just his loving countenance encouraged laughter and it still does. Just laugh at yourself and with others.

*Leave what God has forgiven you for behind—Leave the burdens with Him after you give it to Him, don’t go back and take it back. Drop the sin and leave it behind. God does not want you living in the past. Keep your mind on what God wants you to do in the future.

*Keep longing and dreaming—it is okay to dream. Long for good things in life and reaching your potential. Dream big dreams and give it to God. He will bless you and take you to heights greater than your dreams. He wants is to be blessed. Use the imagination He has given you. God will allow things when you are obedient to Him, more than you ever could have dreamed.

*Keep looking for evidences of God in your life—recognize His hand in your life and the lives of others. Look for Him with a purpose—the purpose of finding Him. What you focus on is what you will become. Focus on being your best, doing your best and the best is what will happen. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

*Keep language—what your mouth speaks, your ears hear, your brain registers and your body responds. Don’t talk yourself into sickness or old age. Evaluate your talents and gifts and get to work. Your attitude makes all the difference in your attractiveness to others. Smile and be happy. Encourage others.

*Keep laboring—we are designed to move and work, 6 days. Do the Lord’s work and give of yourself to the Master. Design your work to be of eternal value. Lay up treasure for heaven. Writing for me is working for Him. I write to change heaven, to populate heaven, to effect heaven, to please heaven and to please God. The same with the gift of music He has blessed me with. These are gifts He gave me to use for Him.

*Keep leaning on Jesus—No matter what we face Jesus is there. Without Him all is in vain. With Him He is our source.

*Keep listening to God—Ask, pray and listen. Shut your mind to ungodly negative people. Be careful little ears what you hear. Don’t fill your mind with the Babylonian mentality of our culture—it is not all about you—it is all about Him. Fill your mind with things of God.

If we apply these principles to our lives our goals for 2009 will be blessed by God—we will be full of sap and fruitful for the Kingdom of God.

Thank you Lord for Brother Charles Stanley who continues to serve you and give us the messages from Your Word that we need to hear. As we begin this new year of 2009 help us to step in Your steps. God before us and prepare the way. Give us the strength to keep our eyes on You. In Jesus Holy Name, Amen.

©Charles Stanley as related to the congregation—reproduced and paraphrased by Angela Posey-Arnold 2009.

Watch for the Answer December 10, 2008

Watch For the Answer
By Angela Posey-Arnold

“………Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.” (Matthew 6:2-3 The Message)

Pray—just do it. How do you talk to Jesus? Someone asked me one day how I knew Jesus was real? I replied, “Because I just talked to Him 15 minutes ago.”

The person asking me the question did not understand because she did not know Jesus. It is hard to talk to someone who you don’t believe is there.

Prayer is a conversation with Him. Sometimes it is solemn and staid, other times it is just talking things over with Him. This last Saturday night when I crawled into bed to get warm I began a conversation with Jesus. Amidst the praise, thanks and petitions I talked about how much Grandmother loved the song, How Great Thou Art.

I said, “Remember how she loved to hear me play it on the piano, even when I was just learning to play? I think I will play it tomorrow night at Church for the offertory. It is such a pretty song and the words are so powerful. Too bad no body sings when I play the offertory. That is okay I suppose, most people know the words, don’t they?”

I fell asleep before I finished completely. I used to feel really bad when I would fall asleep praying. Then one day a still small voice said, “it is okay Angela. What better way to fall asleep?”
Arising early on a cool fall Sabbath morning I stretched and thanked Him for the night’s sleep. I love Sundays. It is my favorite day and I look forward to the Sabbath Day all week.

“Momma and Daddy are coming, I said to my husband. “So we need to be at Church about ten minutes early to introduce them to folks.”

We arrived to Church at the same time my parents did. It is a rare occasion to have my parents with me at church so I was excited to introduce them to my sisters, brothers, pastor and church family whom I have grown to love over the last year while serving as the pianist.

I quickly settled them into a seat with my husband and friends and scurried off to pre-service choir practice. Our minister of music was absent. He always picks the hymns and gives them to me and the organist on a sticky note. In his place one of the deacons had picked the songs, he handed me a piece of paper with the hymns on it. I was talking to someone and did not even look at the hymns. I put the paper on the piano bench as I passed by, still talking to a friend.

As service begins I walk in first and the choir follows me. The pastor is in the pulpit reading the annoucements when we come in. I sat down at the piano and looked at the sticky note. For the greeting song he had picked Allelujah, a nice greeting chorus. The first hymn he picked was page number 10—How Great Thou Art. Okay let me say that again, the deacon picked the song, How Great Thou Art.

My heart lifted, my soul smiled, I smiled. Jesus just affirmed He heard my prayer. The little things like this that He does is where the peace that passeth all understanding comes from. I knew He enjoyed our conversation the night before. Standing up and shouting for joy is what I wanted to do—but it is hard to play the piano and do that.

We sang all four choruses, each line fostering increasing crescendos of elation and thrill for me. The voices singing in enhanced harmony and accord. What beauty filled me to overflowing. I have never played the song like that before. When I finished, I thought, ‘how did I do that?’ I knew, I didn’t.

I needed the song, the words, the encouagement, the comfort. The congregation needed it too. We all did. And Grandmother, well I don’t know how, but somehow she did too. And Jesus provided the soothing confirmation of hearing my prayer and loving me.

HOW GREAT THOU ART
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

words & music by Carl G. Boberg and R.J. Hughes

Maybe you needed it too.

Just do it. Just talk to Him. He hears and answers the prayers of His children. Quietly and unobtrusively, He works behind the scenes and helps you out. He really does.

Lord, Thank You. I Love You. In Jesus Name. Amen

©Angela Posey-Arnold 2008

In The Still November 19, 2008

 In The Still

 

By Angela Posey-Arnold

 

‘3:30 A.M.? Wait, let me find my glasses and make sure the time is right‘, I thought to myself.

 

 ‘Yep, 3:30 A.M. Well, why am I wide awake then? Oh yeah, we set our clocks back last night. My body thinks it is 4:30. Good morning, Lord Jesus. Thank You for a good night’s rest and no bad dreams. Today is the Sabbath, the Blessed Sabbath Day.’

 

 I began going about my regular morning routine. Silently rehearsing the song our choir prepared for worship in just a few hours. The stillness of the morning before the dawn is a perfect time for prayer and devotion.  I quickly made a pot of coffee.

 

Radar, my Chihuahua, woke when he heard me. Patient he held his little bladder while I unlocked the front door. I turned on the porch light and let him outside in the crisp cool autumn air. Not far behind I coaxed my 14 year old Pug who reluctantly emerged from his warm bed.

 

Coffee made, dogs in, my husband sleepily walked in the den where I’m settled in my recliner.

 

“Are you okay? Are you cold? Want me to light a fire?” he said rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

 

“I’m fine, Not a lot of pain this morning, I just woke up and don’t feel sleepy anymore. I lit the fire. I’m fine.”

 

“Okay.” he sleepily kissed the air in my direction and shuffled back to bed.

 

For a few minutes I sat in my recliner. Just still. Listening to the sounds of the morning. The cats outside started moving around as our big dog barked at something in the pasture. This was followed by a prolonged rhapsody from the donkey in the field next to ours. Joy filled my heart.

 

Then I remembered the problems and concerns of life. My heart sank. They began naming themselves one by one, again. Still there, ever present but so nice to escape and forget them for a little while. I began to talk to Jesus again to ask for strength and help to adorn God’s armor.

 

I’ve read how others pray and talk to the Lord. I remembered how my Grandmother prayed and taught me how. But mostly I talk to Jesus like he is my best friend. He is my best friend. He says I can talk to Him anytime and I do. I know He hears me, too. How do I know? Because He answers prayers. He has proved it to me time after time.

 

Most of the time I do all the talking, but not this morning. This crisp cool autumn morning I listened more than I talked. How He communicates with His own is determined by the personal relationship we have with Him. The conversations you have with Jesus are just that, between you and Him.

 

God speaks to us through His Word, through other people and in our hearts. He speaks to us in that still small voice, but sometimes the voice is so clear inside my heart I know without a doubt it is Him. I am one of His sheep. God’s children understand. Sheep know the voice of The Shepherd.

 

God tells us in His Word, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10 KJV)

 

In the quiet and peacefulness of a Sabbath morning I was still. I grasped the Grace, and held on to His love.

 

Before the dawn I could only hear the clock pendulum and the fire crackling and popping in the fire place. Praise and thanksgiving in my heart I relaxed focusing all my attention on being still.

 

“My heart is so heavy Lord. I am weary of the problems of our country….” I don’t think I said the words out loud.

 

‘Read My Word.’  In my spirit I heard Him, “Get into My Word, you have a hunger for it, eat.”

 

“Yes, Lord. Your Word is the answer. I will do that.”

 

“Now.”

 

“Oh? Now? Okay.” He wasn’t kidding.

 

I looked around my recliner for my Bible and it wasn’t near. I woke the dogs who were asleep in the recliner with me. Then unwrapped the quilt I had cocooned myself in. Quiet, so not to wake my husband, I quickly got my Bible off the kitchen table.

 

I situated myself into my comfy place again and I opened the Living Word of God. I did not know where to start nor did I have a specific book, chapter or verse in mind. I opened to Zechariah and my eyes fell to Chapter 14:1 “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh. And thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee” (Zechariah 14:1 KJV)

 

I felt comforted by the first part but the second line reminded me of the money we lost in the stock market meltdown. Somebody divided our spoil alright. I am just not sure who. No matter who, it is gone. What was to be our retirement disappeared into thin air. It was nice to know we had it if an emergency arose, but it is gone. Poof. Gone.  

 

Closing my Bible I pondered the Scripture for a few minutes. Behold, the DAY OF THE LORD cometh. The spoil won’t matter then.

 

Opening His Word again this time to the New Testament the first words I read were, “Be ye therefore ready also; for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”(Luke 12:40 KJV)

 

I looked out the big window toward the east. The sun was rising. The colors of the sky were incredible. Only a sky God could paint. Comforted and awe inspired I watched the sun come up and imagined what it will be like when the Eastern Sky opens and Jesus we see. I was still and I know He is God. The Sovereign God creator of all the earth and He cares about me. Amazing Grace.

 

Imagine the day, the hour when He comes. The old hymn came to my mind, “What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His face, the One Who saved me by His Grace. And forever I will be with the One Who died for me. What a Day glorious day that will be. When He takes me by the hand, and leads me to the Promised Land, What a Day, Glorious Day that will be.”

 

Jesus is coming to get His church and I am graciously comforted. Among all the uncertainty and chaos of Wall Street, Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue as Christians we can be comforted by the truth.  Jesus is coming again. He is coming.

 

We must be about the Father’s business.

 

Another hymn writer penned these word, “Until then, my heart will go on singing, until then with joy I’ll carry on, Until the day my eyes behold that city, Until the day, God calls me home.” 

 

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20 KJV)

 

Every person, every human will have a choice to accept Jesus or reject Him. My prayer for you my friend is you believe and accept Jesus as your Savior. Ask Him to come and live in your heart. You will be comforted.

 

No man knows the day or the hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. What we do know is Jesus IS coming. How do I know? He reminded me November 1st, 2008 around 4:00 A.M.

 

 ©Angela Posey-Arnold 2008

 

Honey, I Did The Laundry November 11, 2008

 

“Honey, I Did the Laundry”

By Angela Posey-Arnold

Coming in from Church Choir practice tired with no voice left to speak actual words, Bear, my husband, met me at the front door. All smiles he said, “Guess what I did?”

I shrugged my shoulders gesturing, “I don’t know but I have a feeling you are going to tell me and it might not be as pretty as that smile you are wearing.”

“I washed the dishes and put them up. I washed three loads of laundry. And I mopped the floor.” He exclaimed with such pride I had to smile. I hugged him and thanked him.

“You are a good man, Bear. You are so good to me.” I said as I plopped down and took my shoes off.

Contented and assured that all was right in our little corner of the world; I went to sleep before my head hit the pillow.

Fired up from his evening of ‘honey do’ bliss he had some things on his mind before he went to sleep.

“Angie, are you asleep? Angie?” He gently said in the voice he calls a whisper. Bear don’t really have a whisper, so I heard him.

“No, I am awake, now. What is it?” I whispered.

“You need to put Clorox on the grocery list. Good night my love, now you go to sleep and get some rest.” He said.

Funny I didn’t feel sleepy anymore. I recalled buying a big bottle of Clorox recently. Panic flushed over me as I thought of all the clothes in the dirty laundry pile. Monday is my usual laundry day so everything we had worn for the last 6 days was in the pile. I got up out of bed and headed for the laundry room.

I opened the door to a usually very neat and tidy room. “OH MY GOODNESS!! What happened in here?”  

I have never really seen anything like it. It took me a few moments to evaluate the situation. It appeared much like an earthquake had occurred. Ah but nay, it was only the remaining debris from a ‘bull in the china shop’ situation. Or better yet, the ‘Bear in the laundry room’.

 His clothes hanging sideways on hangers my clothes folded in some odd fashion I have never seen before. My eyes focused quickly to my new, red fall sweater. There it was hanging on a wire hanger. Yes, it had been dried. Yes, my dog can wear it now.

Why he moved everything in the room, I have no idea. If only the dogs could talk and tell me what had happened in the laundry room. The washer was still on the spin cycle. The dryer running on the last fluff cycle, I was afraid to look in either one.

I made sure the dogs were okay. Both accounted for. The cats all outside and accounted for.

“Lord Jesus, help me not to scream. Help me to be gracious and loving. Help me not to say ugly things to my mother-in-law about the way she never taught him to do laundry. Give me strength Lord and help me to remember the proud smile on Bear’s face when he told me all he had done to help. Amen.” 

I decided if I wanted to sleep, I might should go ahead and take a quick peek in the washer. I carefully opened the lid and found old towels. Whew. What a blessing. Just old towels. With the strength of Solomon I opened the dryer. All seemed fine. All white things, socks, my favorite bra, and his white tee shirts.

 On top of the dryer I saw this huge pile of what appeared to be our nice set of lilac sheets. Wrinkled and crumpled but no real damage done I began folding them and lo and behold I found a pair of blue jeans still wet inside the wad of sheets.

With a deep breath and another small prayer I thanked Jesus the damage seemed minimal. “I’ll straighten all this out tomorrow.”

 With the determination of Scarlet O’Hara I thought ‘after all tomorrow is another day’.  I went to bed thankful for my Bear who did all this work, however scattered it appeared he did it because he loves me. Dreams were sweet.

With the breaking of dawn I woke up made coffee and thanked God for another day. An incredible sunrise slowly painted across the eastern sky as I retrieved a pair of my socks from the dryer. I put one on and my toe went through the end of the sock. The sock disintegrated before my eyes.

 With a little closer inspection I soon found out why we needed more Clorox.  I think he used the entire bottle of Clorox on the white clothes. Not really sure if he used water or not in that load. I got all the white clothes out of the dryer and discovered all the elastic in my bra had disappeared.

By the time Bear woke up I had gathered all the over bleached articles and thrown them away.

“Lord, help me to be gracious. I need new underwear and we both need new socks anyway.”

“Did you see all the laundry I did?” He said sipping his coffee.  Such a proud look on his face.

“I sure did. Ttttthhhaaannk you.” Whew I got it out. I even got it out with a smile. And I meant it. It didn’t matter about the clothes. What mattered was why he did it. He did it to make me happy. And it did. I lost a few clothes in the process but I gained more love, understanding and grace for the man I have shared my life with for twenty years.

“You’re welcome. I washed the dishes too you know?” He smiled, so oblivious to the disaster.

As I sat there eating some cereal and picking the dried oatmeal from the outside of the bowl, I said, “I know it, thank you. You are a good husband. Now, what are your plans for today? If you want to go to the hunting land you can, it is okay with me.”

“I believe I will. Thanks sweetheart.” He said as he donned his camo.

“You are so welcome, Bear. Have fun in the woods.”

I just hope the deer are not doing their laundry today.

Oh, and guess what he used to mop the floors? WD40. Yes, He read somewhere where WD40 would clean and preserve wood floors and make them shine, yet not be slick. He was right. It worked. They are so shiny and pretty.

So blessed. I am so blessed. We still have to have a talk about Clorox but other than that, we survived Bear doing laundry.

©2008 Bear’s Wife/www.angelaposeyarnold.com