Memorial Day 2009

Tomorrow is a day set aside to honor those men and women who have sacrificed to keep America free. Too often we take this for granted and I pray each of us will remember those fallen heroes who have given the utmost, their life to give us what we overlook and do not appreciate, A Free Country. My Grandson, Jonathan Thompson is serving in the Army, my Pastor's son, D.J. Lane is in the Marines in Iraq, and my friend Tami's son, Nathan Petty is in the Air Force. I am very proud of each of these young men and thank God for young men and women just like them who are willing to join our military in these unstable times. So join me in honoring those who have given their life's blood and those who are

serving today to KEEP AMERICA FREE !!

Just as these Soldiers are giving of themselves in the natural, Jesus also gave that we might have Eternal life in the Spirit realm. An everlasting life that no man can take away from us. We have only to believe and ask for the salvation that His death on the cross provided. If you have not

asked for this free gift I pray you will do so today, we are not assured of tomorrow ! Do not wait!

He Is The Vine, I Am A Branch

He is the vine and I am a branch that produces good wine and brings joy and fulfillment to my life and to those I am called to minister to. What about you ?? Are you a fruit producing vine that is pruned to perfection ?? Or have you become slothful and wasteful of what He has given you ?? Search your heart, see if there is something you need to rid yourself of. God the Father is a vine-grower whose intention is to produce good wine. God the Father plants a vine, that vine is Jesus, Our Lord. That vine, like all grapevines, is composed of roots, stalk, branches, leaves, and ultimately, grapes We are the branches; we have been made a part of this vine through our being born again, which brings us into relationship with Jesus. If we remain in relationship with Christ, we will produce fruit. If our relationship in Christ is healthy as He intends, we will produce grapes abundantly, those grapes will be full of juice. At the right time, those grapes which we produce will be harvested and pressed. Their abundant juice will ferment into good wine which will, as Scripture says of wine, bring joy to the heart – not only our heart - but the hearts of others .So, according to this metaphor, God our Father is the origin of the good wine which is holiness and human perfection. Jesus His Son is the vine which the Father plants. We are the branches which the vine produces by its internal power. Drawing from the vitality of the vine, we branches produce grapes, meaning the good works of virtue, filled with the juice of human accomplishment and perfection. Following our natural inclination as a vine follows its vegetable tendency, we will produce more shoots and leaves than are necessary for a good grape harvest. So the Father will come with his pruning hook or knife and cut away that which He doesn't want, so as to direct our vitality into the clusters of grapes that He does want. This pruning may be frustrating and painful, but it is necessary to make us really productive and not just good to look at. Then comes the harvest, the cutting of the clusters, the pressing of the grapes in a wine press, the collecting of the juice in containers, and then the fermentation into wine, which is what the Divine Vine grower has intended all along. Let us try to remain closely, intimately incorporated into the Vine which is Jesus our Lord, so that He may produce in us what His Father wants, and we may bear the fruit of virtue and become authentic disciples of Our Lord. This is what He intends for us, to be a producer of abundant fruit for the Kingdom.

John 15, v 5b is my Signature signing on my e-mails, "Without Me You Can Do Nothing !" I also have a cluster of grapes on my business cards, these are to remind me that I can do nothing without Him that has any lasting good and I should be producing fruit,(souls) for the Kingdom. I believe that these souls will be the crowns I will cast at Jesus feet on judgement day. Are you a Branch that is secure to the Vine ? Are you producing an abundance of fruit for the Kingdom ?

We can have ALL the riches that this world has to offer, but in the end these will be only fodder for the fire. If you are not securely attached to the Vine I urge you to be a diligent seeker of Jesus, He will help you to become a strong branch that will produce much fruit.

Until next time, "Keep Your Eyes On Jesus, He Has All The Answers !!"

Most Wonderful Vacation

I arrived back home last night about 8 PM, 3500 miles out and back, this was truly the trip of my life. I stopped and toured several National Parks along the way out and came back through Midland/Odessa area. Stopped at the Oil Museum in Midland, this is one of the most impressive museums I have been ever been to. Did not have time to see all of it in detail, but spent a couple of hours there, it was too hot to see all the outside exhibits. Hope to go back one day with my husband. After being in the mountains for most of the week, back home in the humidity seems very hot. Of course spending a week with my son Jason was the highlight of my trip. We went walking on the beach several times and spent a day driving into the Laguna Mountain Range and the Cleveland National Forest. Jason enjoys eating in those out of the ordinary places, New York Deli, a small family owned Greek Restaurant, Seafood Stand with fabulous oysters and of course New York style pizza at a small, but very busy side street place. Best of all these small out of the way places are not as expensive as going to the popular places. I collect magnets as souvenirs and I came back with 14, will need to rearrange my frig. Driving out west is very different than going East, less traffic, especially around the cities as they are not as populated until I got to San Diego, then Jason drove as he knows his way around the city having lived there almost 4 years. So I say to you, if you have not been out West, across far West Texas, into New Mexico and Arizona, go. The scenery of mountains, flat lands and everything in between will let you see the handwork of God. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular !! I thought except for the freeway, off road in many places it is just like it was when the wagon trains came West years ago. It is hard to imagine how they were able to travel all that way across the land full of rocks and stones, no water for miles upon miles, snakes, and Indians to name just a few of the obstacles in their way. It has given me a greater appreciation for those pioneer men, women, and children that gave up a home in the East to go West and conquer a new land. It has given me a greater appreciation for my home with all of its modern conveniences. So here I am once again refreshed and renewed to continue the call to the ministry God has given me. To bring the Good News to Victims of Domestic Violence that He is a Loving and Faithful God who wants to bring them out and into a life of a Survivor. Until next time,"Keep Your Eyes On Jesus !!"