Time May Be Short Are You Ready?

Between the news and some other reading I have been doing it isn't looking good out there is it?  There are alot of prophecies calling for some pretty dire times ahead particularly if you are a christian.  There are those who say we are in the end times...I believe we are, however how long that time will last only the One knows.

The end times could last 50 years, a hundred years, a thousand years....no one knows.  We must be ready... Our end time could be tonight, tomorrow, next week... we don't know.  We must be ready.

I personally believe now from what I am reading on ancient and not so ancient prophecies that we are getting ready to enter into a time that the world has not experienced before. A time that will cause past events to pale in nature. Some of these say 3/4 of humanity will be destroyed.  Some say that evil will appear to win and at the very last good will actually win but with huge causalities. They say nature will be unleashed against a sinful humanity and that evil men will rule with violence. Then when all seems lost a great Monarch will rise from France as will a saintly Pope to lead the world to peace. That a long period of peace will come upon the earth after that which will then be followed by the Man of Evil and then the final end.

When I first read some of this I got scared and then it hit me that it is actually a message of hope! The world has gone beserk! We have as a whole turned to evil ways and God has had enough. He must per His justice purge the earth. But then good will return to the earth! And those who perish because of believing in Him will be in Heaven for forever and ever....What wonder is that? It is an incredible thing. So for me I think the best thing to do is to accept that we were born in the time in history that God ordained. We must live our own personal life as best we can according to His Will. We must live in this world but not of this world. We must live as if we were already home! When we focus on Home/Heaven things of this earth become as ash in our mouth, tasteless. We long for Heaven, we long for home...Patiently we must wait till our time comes. Perhaps we will be called to die for believing in Him, or perhaps we will die from natural causes or a car accident, who knows...no matter, dying is the only way to get to heaven. We must all pass through that door in order to enter the other. The important thing is to stay focused on Him! Live each day with Him at the forefront, making all decisions based on how you know He would want you to choose. Then when your time comes it will be easier, and when you meet Him you will not be a stranger... He will welcome you with open arms. You will finally be home...

So my final word is that no matter what the future holds for all of us be strong, focus on Heaven and its wonders then no matter how difficult times may become you will remain faithful and at peace with a hope that this world cannot give.  Know that anyone who reads this is being lifted up in prayer...May we all meet one day in that blessed place and finally be able to rest our weary souls/bodies for forever.

Peace,
GG

Children In Exile...

We are children of a KING....do you ever think of that? We are royal children, we are valued, we are loved and treasured.  And yet we are exiled here on earth. Our first parents goofed really bad and now we all suffer for it...There is hope though, we can find our way home. The road map is there for each of us. For some it may involve slightly different paths than others but they all lead home if we will just follow the map we each have been given. I was just thinking how this life can get so wearisome and difficult kind of like when the prodigal son hit bottom...He started thinking about home and his fathers house. We must also do that, think of home...Think of the wonderful things that exist there. Focus on finding our way back there to HIM, to those loving, waiting arms... Our Father the King is waiting for us with open, outstretched arms...Can you imagine the joy on His face when we finally get there? We think we are going to be so happy to finally be done with all the pain, the suffering, the trials, all of our needs met, so wonderful to finally be there...But I bet His joy will be even greater than our own! He loves us so much more than we can humanly imagine and He is so carefully waiting, almost holding His breath just to see if we actually make it home...Imagine the extreme disappointment He also feels when His children turn away and are forever lost...So fellow siblings, lets all focus on the joys of making it HOME to our Dad...The one who loves us sooooo much that He even gave His only Son for us to live... As the father of the prodigal son did I know that He will have a wonderful party to celebrate our arrival...One that will last an eternity!

GG

What does God look like?

I don't know...I often wonder what we will "see" when we are in heaven.  I know some things we will see like angels, and familiar faces if they chose to go there...I believe I will also see lost pets.  I believe Jesus in His human resurrected form will be there too. All the good characters from the Bible will be there...I also believe that the sights will be unbelievably incredible beautiful, beautiful pristine nature and stunning beautiful other worldly cities....But what about GOD, mainly speaking of God the Father? Will I see an beautiful older than time man with flowing white hair and beard that shines with an otherworldly light? I don't know....Sometimes though this image keeps coming to my mind. It has come several times off and on for a couple of years now...Its this image of a a clear fluid almost bubble like substance and yet not round, that is moving almost pulsing yet stationery. It is not approachable. It reminds me of a bubble you get when you blow them from the little bottles you had as a child.  This one emits a white light and is covered with rainbow like colors that also move as the bubble like form moves and pulsates.  There is also this incredible love, knowledge and sense of being unapproachable due to being so superior to everything that seems to radiate from it as well... There is this sense of awe... And yet I feel drawn from a distance to dwell on this image, this God thing I see... I wonder if maybe that is what I will see? Will GOD have a form? Can He have a form? Of course He can, He can do whatever HE wants...But will He? And if he does what form will He take?  I am drawn to this image that comes to mind on occasion because it's not human, its other worldly and yet its mysterious and powerful. Its unpredictable as its nothing I am familiar with...It emits power, love, knowledge and so much more. It has my attention and respect and there is a fear too, a fear of "wow, this is bigger than me and anything else I am familiar with and yet I am not frightened.... I wonder if that is what I will see when I finally get there....Only time will tell... Wish I could say I'll let you know but I can't. The only way you will know for sure WHAT God looks like is to go there yourself.... I can tell you fairly certainly what the other guy will look like but hopefully you won't need that info...

GG

(my) Secret to Happiness

Well folks I finally did it! Discovered (my) secret to happiness... Took a long, long time, many years in fact but it has finally happened. Not sure what brought it all together but no matter that is a thought for another day.

Guessing your thinking be quiet already and share...ok I will....

Its quite simple actually and the word SIMPLE is important here. Its all about SIMPLICITY! Yes, that's correct.  Let me explain further.

First off for me: Being at peace with God.

Very important! If I am at peace with God then that lays the foundation for me to be able to ACCEPT the other elements of my happiness. If I am at peace with God then "all is right" in my world no matter what that world may consist of. Yes, I have chosen my words very carefully so think about them.

Second of all: Reduce the "clutter" in your life. Think about that one too...Ponder what that might mean to you. For me it was more than I realized. Being forced by circumstance to "declutter" my life more than I wanted I was actually "freed" from more than I realized held me in bondage.  I am still "decluttering" almost daily. I actually pray and ask God to show me what else I can get rid of....He is slowly showing me more and more things to get rid of, some things I didn't think I could let go of. But I did.   I have had my life reduced down to what some would find impossible, no TV been 7 years anyway-don't miss it,  I am living in a very small home-rather like that which doesn't allow for alot of things unless we want to live in "box city", no thanks! So I have been giving away so many
things for others to enjoy. Others that don't know my secret yet so they are more than willing to take stuff from me...that makes it easier for me to share it because I don't have to toss it when its good stuff and seeing someone else enjoy them is nice. Sometimes clutter is not something you can put your physical hands on.it might be TV, internet, cell phone, regular phone, it might be working too much, too many hours, it might be other things that take away your time, your peace... Stuff can drain us of our energy, it can and does distract us to the point we don't even realize how "busy" our lives are.  Not meaning only physical busy here either folks! Are we ever still enough to (think quietly) and enjoy it?

The next thing on my list is well most will find this boring but its not actually, taking the time to enjoy the SIMPLE things in life and to GIVE THANKS for them also! Wow that was a mouthful. Not something I ever thought about before or really took the time to do regularly either.  Without close friends, no TV, find surfing the web rather dull after so long without that chance except when needed, we have discovered books from the local library which are free and plentiful. We have discovered movies from the library too for when we just feel the desire to see one.  We have discovered raking leaves together for a common cause, giving our dogs someplace to romp without mud, we have had leaf fights! We like to just sit outside and enjoy nature or go for a walk. We talk sometimes just because. We eat simple meals and enjoy the fact that we have decent food to eat that doesn't even taste too bad!  We are grateful for the clothing we have that fits and isn't the latest fashion... We enjoy WHAT we have without desiring more. We don't envy others for what they have and we don't. We certainly have something most do not, peace. We just enjoy each day for what it is without stressing over the next day. We are ALIVE today and we are finally noticing that in a positive way by being grateful. We are not rushing to get to tomorrow hence missing out on today. We are living a slower paced life and its soothing.  I never really noticed the little things before like I do now. I never really gave thanks for those same little things before like I do now...It has made ALL the difference for me. And when I am calmer those around me are also calmer...

I have finally learned that I don't need ANYTHING in particular to make me happy, just being at peace with MY GOD, appreciating ALL the little gifts He sends my way everyday. Trusting in Him to continue to love and protect me and those I'm responsible for. Being in the moment no matter how slow that moment may seem to some, being aware of that moment and acknowledging things around me during that time like a soft breeze, the sunlight, a bird singing, a feeling of satisfaction and peace, savoring it all.  Having dreams for the future that aren't set in stone but fluid just in case something better presents itself. If I get set in my ways and dreams must be a certain way I am rigid and dreams can change and expand. Learning to be more fluid has been a gift as well. Life is to be lived by moments...This my friends is my version of true happiness.  IF ever something happens that takes my peace away I am learning to pray and ask God to restore my peace because the disruption is not from Him.  So far He keeps answering that prayer. On my own I am weak but united to Him nothing is impossible!

My prayer for you is that someone, somewhere will read this and perhaps it will give them a road map to help them find their version of true peace...I suspect if they do it won't be that far off from the one I've found for myself...

Peace.

GG













on

Feels Like War...

Is it just me or does it seem that there is so much more suffering among our families and friends? So many people I talk to keep telling me story after story about either themselves or someone close having some tragedy in their lives.  Some have gotten a serious illness, others both husband and wife are laid off and losing their home. Another can't seem to find a job and therefore find a place to live so they are living with a friend in a very unhealthy environment...Some are under emotional attack and can't bear to live anymore. So like me are such magnets for one trouble after another...Its unlike anything I have ever seen. There has to be a reason to all of this. My theory is that we are in the end times. I've read some religious revelations that are well known stating just that. Its funny but seems I keep running into that also from different sites. So maybe its not anyone's imagination after all...Maybe the good people really are under attack to try to bring them down before the great deceiver gets thrown down for good. Maybe its a free for all try to grab as many souls as you can before its too late, like a feeding frenzy! Its war! What are we going to do about it? Are we going to be passive under the enemies attacks or are we going to armor up and fight back? If we truly are in the end times then things are going to get alot tougher...We must not lose sight of our beautiful, forever home...I love the sound of that, our beautiful FOREVER home...I so want to be in a home that is safe and secure for once. Its been a long time, the sound of a beautiful resting place is so enticing...I don't want to miss out. What about you? Is heaven worth it to you? If you say no then you have NO IDEA what your passing up....Think about it! There are only two sides to this battle. One is very Good, the other horrifically evil.... Again I say:which will you choose ? Its for an eternity, may you make the right choice...

Trying to decide WHO is telling the truth...

Have you ever been there where you just can't in your mind figure out who is telling the truth about something...Boy have I and you most likely have too..

Well I'm there again and thought maybe you might benefit from this "argument" also.

Guess having a sort of crisis of faith if you will... Life has been really tough for at least past 25 years due to hooking up with the wrong fellow...6.5 years of dating then 16 years of "marriage"...and now 3.5 years of getting out of a bad situation...Thought things would improve and in some ways they have but in other ways things have not. Like financially things are horrific but no different really than when I was married...he went through money like a drunken sailor yet never had any for things I needed spare you the nasty details. Anyways through it all I kept the faith inspite of dark, dark times. Lately it has become very hard to keep that torch lite due to sheer exhaustion. I have found myself wondering if all I've believed was a farce and sweet lie...I have found myself comparing sides wondering which one is the truth. Its been interesting to look at this. On the one side I see from the Bible what a gentle lamb Jesus was...How He healed and comforted. How He raised the widow's only child. How He multiplied the food on the mount for the hungry. How He gave His life innocent though He was for us... The on the other side I see the men who had demons in them who were uncouth, wild living like animals not humans. The fellow that cursed David and threw stones at him. I remember the human sacrifices mentioned to different historical gods. Even child sacrifice. Could the same God who said let the little ones come to me be a bad God? Or is it more like the one who demands the life blood of the most innocent who might be the one who is evil? Might not the one who deceived us in the garden out of jealousy be the evil one, the one not to be trusted and believed? Might the one who today is still seeking the blood of those who follow the Lamb be the one who is the liar? Could it be that even though so much evil and pain seem to follow those who love the Lamb be coming not from God but from the great deceiver who is trying to get us to lose hope because we have believed the lie about who sent the suffering? Could it be that for reasons we cannot understand the Lamb the gentle one be allowing this to pass for some reason that He alone knows and plans on bringing great good from? Is it perhaps simply to test our faith, to purge it in fire, to make us so strong that we persevere till Heaven calls us? These are the questions I have been asking myself. I know in my heart what the correct answers are but in my emotions I struggle. I don't  think that a good God would drag a child from its mothers arms to brutally kill it in front of her...I don't think that a good God wants war, hunger, disease, etc.  I  believe that the great deceiver out of pure jealousy came into this beautiful world with destruction on his mind. How he has succeeded. This world is a very sad and tragic place. Nothing like God envisioned when he created it. It reminds me for those who know Tolkien's work of  Melkor  the great deceiver in the Sil who in the beginning when there was this beautiful symphony caused this great discord due to his interior discord. He out of jealousy created havoc in a beautiful place. I believe it is out of pure jealousy for the promise that awaits all of us but that he walked away from. He doesn't want us to have that promise and he will do whatever he can to keep us from it. It is interesting because the last laugh will be on him when Jesus comes again and reclaims what is rightfully His, the earth. I also know that God will destroy this earth and then recreate it in perfect beauty with no taint of evil ever again...It will be restored to its primal beauty and then some...So while I struggle through this very difficult time I keep the comparisons going because I need to. I need to keep reminding myself who is whispering in my ear. I need to be reminded of what the truth is so that I don't fall into despair. Its not easy I will be honest. I am weary and very vulnerable and yet the Lamb who has compassion will at least be there to hold my hand if not more should I but ask...I must not listen to the great deceiver lest I be lost...I'm sorry but I have every right and desire to spend my eternity with the gentle Lamb. I have no desire to spend my eternity with the vicious, cruel, hateful, angry, deceiver who would spend eternity mocking me for believing his lies...No thanks.

GG

White Martyrs

Everyone knows about "normal" martrys, those who shed their blood for love of the Lord and their faith...We all know what incredible courage this takes...How difficult it must have been for those who gave all in order to gain all even though they had never seen it with their own eyes.  We have the current situation going on now where there are many martyrs...How brave they are...

There is another type of martyr though, one you rarely hear about...They are called white martyrs. They don't shed their life blood for Christ and yet they suffer a slow, quiet martyrdom nonetheless...Most aren't even noticed by those around them. And yet silently they suffer, giving it all for love of their Lord. Over the years they accumulate quite a storehouse of heavenly goods.  It might be the person with a disability that keeps them from having a full and regular life and yet they are joyful in the Lord. Quietly they suffer and wait for the Lord...Patiently they wait.  They may be others that suffer at their job for their strong christian values, mocked and left out because they don't condone the accepted behavior of their coworkers. Silently they suffer choosing to stand their ground inspite of the isolation. Others are riduculed at school for their beliefs and yet they stand their ground.
Others suffer one form of suffering after another for years, wondering why and yet silently they persevere in their faith inspite of the tempation to just despair and give up. Others suffer doubts about their faith  by the enemy who is trying to find a way to steal their souls and yet silently they endure and strive hard to finish the race. All these and so many more are all around us everyday...These silent martyrs many unknown to any but God are quietly offering up so much suffering like a sweet bouquet to our God...Rich and plentiful is their reward in heaven... For those who suffer from want, they will have all they need and more from the bounty of God. To those who are broken hearted and lonely and yet persevere they will also be filled, filled to deep capacity by the only One who can truly mend and fill a broken, hungry heart. To those who have suffered physically so patiently how they will leap and run with joy, filled with energy and enthusiasm like no one on this earth has ever seen! To those who suffer in spirit and mind they will be enlightened and filled with knowledge that brings such incredible joy and peace...Their darkness will become light and all their tears and doubts turned into joyous songs of praise! To all who suffer silently, patiently and perseveringly waiting on God they shall ALL be richly rewarded for their loyalty, for their belief inspite of not seeing and yet trusting His Word to be true, HOW they SHALL be REWARDED....it makes my heart leap with hope just thinking about the promises fulfilled that are coming to those who can just somehow finish the race...

To clarify, I do not speak of those who suffer because they have made bad choices and now suffer the consequences of walking down the road of darkness but of those who LOVE the Lord and suffer because of it.  To suffer for the Lord does not always mean publicly defending your faith, it can also mean private suffering that no one except you and God know about. It means accepting even though sometimes uttering a complaint now and then...It means trusting that God whom you love knows what He's about and that He brings good out of all things for those who love HIM....it means accepting the fact that the dark one knows that you love the Lord is looking for any and all means to steal your soul whether through doubts of faith, through illnesses, through sorrows of the heart, or so many other ways. It means being a target for suffering when you love the Lord...But to those who persevere in love ALL will be obtained. Nothing will be refused to those who truly love the Lord, great is their reward in Heaven...How they are tenderly held and loved even on this earth.... So to anyone to whom this somehow rings true for you take courage...Be at peace and know that great is your reward...Looking back from Heaven all here that was suffered will seem as naught compared to the joy you will feel for eternity...

Peace,
GG