Only thru the Blood Of Jesus

Bob’s 1st Day By: Maxine M. The weather report had said, ‘Snow over night, travelers may experience delay’ So Bob had gotten up early…he was starting a new job today In fact, his first “real” job since graduating from college last May He was to meet the company C.E.O. at 10:00 and he wanted to impress So he took extra time with his appearance and dress Excitedly fixing his hair to look its very best…couldn’t settle for less Pulling into the street, he found the road slick…this 4-wheel drive is great An elderly neighbor was struggling with her car by the driveway gate Maybe he should help, but today he must not be late Along the snow packed road, some drivers were stranded by the roadside But Bob couldn’t miss his meeting, so there wasn’t an offer of a ride Someone with time will stop to help…the reasoning he applied Finally Bob arrived at the office, safe and sound…no need now to worry & fret A man was shove

What's YOUR Reason? By: Maxine M. There's decorated trees, colored lights, cookies baking and the dreaded fruitcake being passed around Parents hiding requested toys, children dreaming of hearing a reindeer sound Teenagers have their "list", shoppers wondering where the best "deals" can be found There's parties to attend...home and even the city dressed in red and green Santa Claus and snowmen, everywhere can be seen Cards addressed and sent, gifts are wrapped, phone calls made in between The smell of pine, sounds of carols being sung Happy Holidays!!, Season's Greetings...roll off nearly every tongue Bells are ringing, mistletoe is in place, stockings on the mantel are hung Some are waiting for snow with great anticipation With youthful enthusiasm, wanting their "school break" vacation "We're going to Grandma's!!" childen de

Fight The Darkness By: Maxine M The city twinkled like a shimmering jewel, ablaze with lights all up and down the street Colored neon lights, enticing & inviting..."OPEN" come in and eat The darkness of night is repelled when dark and light meet Now, Becky loved to gaze at the awesome scene from her window late at night In school she had learned how current from powerful generators produced light Lights of all shapes, sizes and brightness filling her with sheer delite But one night, without warning, this brilliantly lit city suddenly went dark Becky was frightened, but Mother was reassuring and quieted the dog when he began to bark Not a light could be seen anywhere, except for a few joggers with flashlights in the park Mother tried her flashlight, but the batteries obviously were dead The spare bedroom had an oil lamp on the table by the bed But the oil was somewhere in the attic or out in the wood shed There'd be no findin

Harvest Time By: Maxine M. Is there any better life for a child, than growing up on a farm? Fresh clean air, wide open spaces to explore, all that rural country charm Usually a big loyal dog by their side...watch and guard from harm There was always chores aplenty, but that's alright For evening brought the the family together, to talk or read by lamp light Winter storms could leave the trees glistening white, and Oh Boy!...a snowball fight But once those winter days were left behind There were fields to prepare, plowing & planting...those spring time chores combined With the hope of each seed planted would produce many more of it's kind From this point on, all efforts would be directed to the prospect of "Harvest Days" ahead Gathering the "fruit of their labor" , where all the hard work had lead Harvest is in the DOG DAYS of Summer, Beware!! your face is getting pretty red There's no busier time than when a farmer says, "I think the south field

The Bridge By: Maxine M Cars, trucks & buses, all in a hurry, kept mid-day traffic flowing Bumper to bumper, passing here and there...remember, right lane is for slowing The winds of disaster, none realized were silently blowing Then, the unthinkable happens!! The bridge collapses without warning Rescue workers and bystanders, quickly to the scene are swarming Many victims are pulled from the river...other families are left mourning The nation watched on television, all were in shock & disbelief Phone calls were made...a simple "hello" never brought such relief How could such a thing happen?! Did neglect bring about this grief? The bridge's pillars had been set deep in the river below But time, weight & stress had made cracks begin to show Loss of strength had gone undetected, reinforcement would have been the way to go Bridge inspections increased all across America's homel

To Unseen Friends..We Thank You! By: Maxine M. Seems incredible to one so "illiterate" of this world's technology pace That one could find FRIENDS...somewhere out in space Friends, whom in THIS world, I'll never see face to face But friends who have offered comfort, encouragement & prayer In this busy-hurried world, true friendships seem so rare Friends with thoughts and words of wisdom...with my daughter, are willing to share So, THANK YOU! to all who prayed for 'Sugar' when she was so ill Some would say "It's only a cat", but she has a vital role to fulfill Like ALL of God's creatures, her unconditional love inspires us still Now, we would gladly do the same for all who have a need Great things can be accomplished...when HIS children plead For He says where 2 or 3 come together in My name, MY WILL will succe

Dear Stacy, Have a GOD-tastic Birthday!!! ENJOY...From Judy, Steve and Beamer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMf04ubvEhY

The Reporter By: Maxine M. Its basic journalism…the essential elements, every news story MUST contain To establish the who, what, where, when and why, every reporter is trained So it was these facts the reporter desired to obtain For ‘The Times’ had sent him to Jerusalem to see what all the commotion was all about People were in an up-roar…hosanna, hosanna to our King, they were heard to shout Clothes and palm branches had been strewn along His intended route But now, a week later, the mood had definitely taken a turn The crowds were murmuring, the high priest’s face was stern The one they had called “King” had been arrested, the reporter would learn So it was at this point the reporter started his story’s quest All happened at Passover time, “Just be rid of him!” religious leaders would suggest “And if we could turn all people against him, that certainly would be best” The reporter went to the H

Dear Sheila.....We wanted to wish you a very happy birthday early as your birthday falls on a Sunday and you may not get online until Monday at work so.....please click the link below and have a GREAT BIRTHDAY!!!! Love Judy, Steve and Beamer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beli3m5SvFM

Dearest Child of the King....Please click this link.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj6cbM-h8xg LOVE YOU LOTS!! Happy Birthday!

Be Not Afraid!! By: Maxine M Do you worry and fret...toss and turn all night upon your bed? Frightened by dreams, scenes of disaster running through your head? Thoughts of, how will I pay my bills...how will I ever get ahead? Stock Market fell today and what will become of Grandma who just broke her hip? Will my spouse be safe on his impending business trip? Does concern for your children have you in fear's deadly grip? Fear--defined as anticipation of danger, a deep feeling of dread Perhaps the result of reality, or just an ominous emotion instead Fear can be disabling...basis of many illnesses, Doctors have said Fear of the future, fear of the unknown, WHAT lies behind "tomorrow's" door How long before terrorists come again to America's shore Fire, earthquakes, tornados, floods...what does nature have in store For fear of embarrassment & ridicule, many great ideas

The Journey By: Maxine M The old man was down-hearted, depressed, forlorn and sad He had been told he was about to lose all the possessions he had The things he'd worked so hard to obtain since he was a lad For interest had accumulated to an enormous amount, a debt he couldn't pay WHAT to do now?! The question he needed to assay So it was determined that a "Forgiveness of Debt" by the King was the ONLY way But HOW to see the King...why would a King bother with his trivial plight A King has BIG & IMPORTANT dealings to keep his Kingdom running right But there was no other choice, so he set off at morning's light After many weary days, the King's awesome glorious palace was in sight At the mere thought of SEEING the King, his eyes watered and throat got tight But he knew, to gain access, he'd be in for a fight At every entrance there were guards, all royally att

WAR!! By: Maxine M WE are at WAR!! Not just the one we see on television every night This is a SUBTLE war, so subtle perhaps we don't even realize we're in a fight Or who the enemy is, but BEWARE!, this enemy has weapons of powerful might The weapons of this enemy we face, have been around since time began This daily war is the war of that "Serpent of Old" verses man When Eve first saw him, she should have turned around and ran For she wasn't an equal match for this enemy's 'half-truths' and outright lies Gleefully, he thought he had won when he heard her labor's cry Thinking, NOW, against the rule of their Creator, all her offspring will defy But he's only won a battle, the full blown war was only about to start And it still rages today...the war for man's soul, mind and heart The stakes are HIGH, don't underestimate him, for he is cunning, wiley and smart Most "soldiers" just do what they have to do, b

Invitation To Come by: Maxine M "There's a letter for you," Mother said. Jane wondered who it could be from A beautiful card from her friend Jill said...I'm having a party, please COME Her friend had invited HER, wanted HER THERE...happily, she began to hum Out for a ride in the country, they realized friends lived just down the road about a mile Suppose it would be alright to stop and visit for awhile? A knock at the door brought a "COME on in" with a big sincere smile The new girl at school didn't really want to go to lunch alone But an invitation to "Come sit with us", and a new light in her eyes shone A simple gesture...but now her confidence had suddenly grown Down a quiet country lane, was a little antique shop with relics of the past An old fashioned cottage, a lamp in the window...an inviting glow cast A simple sign on the door said, COME in and relax...don't live life so fast Polly was enthralled at the new toy display, suddenly M

What If by: Maxine M We're waiting for Jesus to come back, as He said in His final decree Excitedly thinking!!, Soon His glorious face we'll see But "what if"!! He sent His angels in disguise just to see what our response would be St. Frances of Assisi met a leper, back in the days when leprosy wasn't rare He walked by, then went back to hug him...God's love to share But moments later, when he looked back, there was no one there Tired and weary, 2 disciples met a stranger on the dusty Emmaus Road They didn't recognize the face as Jesus, but welcomed Him into their abode "What if" they had simply let Him go on His way...they still would have had a heavy load The Inn-keeper didn't realize the King of Glory he had just turned away Lot was concerned about what would happen to "Strangers" at the end of the day Peter thought he was dreaming when angels opened the prison door, said "leave without delay" Neither can we recognize G

HERMAN by: Maxine M Life outside the sheepfold must be wonderful, the little lamb determined A young "adventurous" lamb...for this story's sake, let's just call him Herman Born into a flock with a loving shepherd, who spoke fluent German The flock fed on rolling green hills. "Come, Investigate!!", to Herman they seemed to call Calling, beckoning, alluring of better things beyond the restraining wall He wondered, pondered what was missing? Now, the others didn't seem discontent at all They blindly obeyed the voice of the shepherd , this one they came to know They stayed by his side...which ever way he turned, there they would go Following him to green pastures and cold clear mountain streams, running slow BUT Herman thought, surely beyond these hills there's something more So he harbored secret desires to leave the flock and go explore Someday I'll go see it all!, was the vow he firmly swore One day, Herman lagged behind when the shepherd was lea

Hope vs. Certainty by: Maxine M Hope: Webster defines as the feeling of what we want will happen, our desire we'll see Also as the person or thing from which this expectation will come to be Now each person's hope varies to an individual degree Certainty: fixed, settled, sure, positive....that which we can not doubt Thy Word, oh Lord, forever settled in Heaven!!, a certainty we can shout North is always north, truth is always true...not matter what else comes about Mary and Martha HOPED Jesus would come, so brother Lazarus wouldn't have to die Disappointed & let down...tears of sorrow they would cry But the CERTAINTY was, Jesus IS the Lord of Life, death's victory He could deny The disciples HOPED the Messiah would free them from Roman domination, in their day That Israel would be exaulted...all enemies made to pay The CERTAINTY was, He came to free us from sin, Salvation had just come their way David clung to HOPE, that God would relent...his child He would spare

ALL FAMILY by: Maxine M. .....(in memory of a family friend who went HOME to the Father and left behind a huge family array of "steps" "adopteds" "in-laws " (and some OUT-laws! ha) "just like family" etc etc. behind. All family... Family!! Doesn't just mean parents, children, sisters, and brothers Because there's also extended families & blended families, which include many others And then there's God's family, ALL those who love Him and one another Family can mean ALL those with similar memories to share That special Christmas, a wild card game, a picnic at a lake somewhere Even ancestors in the photo album with high-button collars to wear Mid-summer reunions, gatherings at the park, fabulous "potluck" cuisine New baby pictures, passed around by all to be seen Mother's keeping a watchful eye, admonishing "Please stay clean" Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, can fill chil

The Last Ride by: Maxine M (in dedication to a fellow Christian who lost his life) What a lovely day!! Riding in the fresh spring air, what a thrill A "bike" gives such freedom, lets you go wherever you will But, unknowingly, death waited at the top of the hill A careless moment & a poor decision...quickly a life can be lost Someone else's mistake, but the innocent paid the ultimate cost There was no going back, a line forever crossed Life ceased in an instant, leaving a young family and friends behind In that moment, the word "tragedy" was clearly defined Life's priorities for the survivors were dramatically realigned Two lives...one's soul now vanished and gone, the other now saddled with guilt One's dreams destroyed, the future he hoped could be built The threads of life unraveled!!, into pieces enough to make a patchwork quilt The other's life too, forever changed even if he doesn't realize it yet This scene will play over and over in

Trust The Promises by: Maxine M Man for centuries have studied the Bible to learn how this age will end Pondered prophecies and the mysterious message they send Written their own books, part fact & part fiction, all to our curiosity lend We also scan the headlines, try to determine just what they mean Worry and wonder where in prophecy can THIS be seen? But shouldn't we, just on Jesus' promises lean? "Behold!! I am coming soon" was the SURE promise Jesus made "Where I am, there you'll also be" was the message He relayed "Your salvation is assured", "For sin's debt, MY blood paid" So why try to figure out the future's small details Become upset and confused if a favorite theory fails Faith says- The words God forecast certainly will prevail Please don't rely on the "Endtime" version Hollywood may present It's sure to have a skeptical, liberal Bent Instead, follow the TRUSTWORTHY servants God has sent It

HIS WILL by: Maxine M We raise early in the morning, before our busy day has begun Bring our supplications to the Lord, one by one And often we pray "not my will, by Thine will be done" But do we really give a conscious thought to what that may entail? For when we "assume" our will IS His will, we flounder about and fail Blown around on life's stormy sea, like a sailboat without a sail For even Jesus prayed this prayer, wanted the trial to go away Sweat drops of blood...in great agony and torment, he would pray But yielded to His Father's authority; would then willingly obey Our will brings a "grocery list" of WANTS, calling them a NEED But sometimes a child's wants are not beneficial, we must concede Some are even harmful...selfishness, pride & vanity feed Our will wants to be free of all suffering and pain He says "It's necessary for now," there'll be sunshine AFTER the rain And the things now counted as loss, will one d

OUR MISSION by: Maxine M Our Lord's last and great commission was...Spread the Gospel's Good News The good news that Christ died and rose again, so Salvation's way they could choose Choose to accept His love & forgiveness OR eternal separation ..if they refuse Now, we're not all in a position to leave home & family for a foreign land And in reality for some, this isn't what God had planned To reach those all around us, THIS was His purposed command So we all CAN accomplish "This Commission" right where we live each day By the things we do, the love we show, the words we say By being steadfast and vigilant...keeping in mind its Christ's image we are to convey Most don't have opportunity to go to seminary or learn Spanish, French or German Or are gifted to stand at a pulpit and give an eloquent sermon But we ALL can do SOMETHING to promote His name, as we so determine Maybe simply take meals to the elderly, offer a helping hand Little acts of

Waiting :by Maxine M We're waiting!! In excited anticipation, all Christians are waiting We're waiting while the world is busy fighting, killing and hating Global warming, individual rights, world politics...they are all debating We're waiting for a trumpet to sound, perhaps in the middle of the night Maybe in rush hour traffic, or for some could happen in mid-flight The rapturous disappearance of so many, will create confusion & terrible fright The signs are looking good and soon all will be in place We'll finally see our Glorious Saviour face to face Be part of the Great Gathering in the sky, from every tribe, tongue and race But WHILE we are waiting, there's still work that must be done We don't want Him to find us idle, standing around looking sorrowful and glum Life goes on daily; problems and situations must be dealt with one by one We must still go to work, feed our families and pay our bills Keep our appointments, go VOTE and fight against social ill

GOT TROUBLES? by Maxine M. We read of tragedies in the paper, see them on tv every day We're shocked and saddened, but soon just go on our way We may send a comforting message, really not knowing what to say But then!! As is inevitable, a crisis strikes us or our loved one In panic we ask "why"? Who can help? What can be done? Now there's no putting it out of mind, there's no place to run When YOU get the call in the middle of the night When YOUR doctor says "I'm sorry, this report shows something is not right" When YOUR job is lost, it was Your house that burned...what a fright Then trouble becomes personal, there's no room for apathy Our desire is..Of this pain, sorrow, grief... to be set free! But, knowing WHERE to turn, that's the vital key Counselors, doctors, and medicine can only help to a certain degree Support from friends & family is wonderful we all agree But when all is "said and done"; Dear Lord, it's just You a

Mother's Day by: Maxine M. (this is cute) Our first parents lived in a paradise of ease Their original days were without toil, doing as they pleased Enjoying God's garden of bountiful, fruitful trees There was nothing to fear, as all the animals were tame As they came one by one for Adam to name The perfect marriage, there was no one else to blame The ideal life, but one thing they both never knew Was the loving touch of a Mother, as not from childhood they grew Of that special bond from child to Mother, they had no clue A Mother hadn't warned, "Don't talk to that snake" "He's not what he seems, he's a phony and a fake" "If you listen to him, it will bring sorrow and heartache" So Eve raised her children without Mother's advice Labor pains and discomfort were disobedience's price A Mother certainly would have made her think twice When the question "why do it this way?" came around She couldn't reply, "It&#

WHAT DID JESUS SEE? by Maxine M. The world saw Peter as an unlearned fisherman, nothing special at all Simply mending his nets, hoping today would yield a big haul BUT what did Jesus see? He saw the one whom He'd call "The Rock" The one to found His Church, the leader of His flock The world saw Levi as a dreaded tax collector Lowest of the low, a traitor, considered a Roman defector BUT what did Jesus see? He saw him as Matthew with a loyal heart, faithful and true Knew he would be useful in the ministry he was to do The world saw the Pharisees as superior, righteous, ceremoniously clean Loving to stand in public, praying just to be seen BUT what did Jesus see? He saw them as hypocrites, fools, blind guides Saw them as well-polished tombs, but inside rottenness hides The world saw Saul as an enthusiastic, young Pharisee filled with zeal Persecuting new Christians, their newly found joy to steal BUT what did Jesus see? He saw him as Paul, a specially chosen vessel, a sinne

Opportunity Watch for opporunities... The World looks for Christians to set a Godly example And the opportunities that come are more than ample Life provides "teachable moments", but how many underfoot do we trample? Opportunity lost... "Dad, let's go fishing", the young boy said with a smile What he really was saying was "Let's hang out and talk awhile" "Sorry, son. I've got clients to see, lots of papers to file." Opportunity lost... "Grandma!! Tell me about life when you were young, all those years ago Smiling she says, "I'll do that one day when I'm really old and slow" But how many days does Grandma have? No one knows Opportunity lost... You've been telling an aquaintance about Jesus, how to walk the narrow way She called today with a crisis, wanted to hear the advice you'd have to say But you cut the conversation short, really didn't want to miss "Oprah" today Opportunity lost... Stra

Do You Believe? Christian: Defined as a believer, follower of Jesus Christ and His teachings For no one else's influence in history as been so far reaching Only His message of "unconditional love" has been so beseeching Can you imagine the wonderous love that made Him willing to die? To pay the ultimate price for OUR sins, He would obediently comply Only the sacrifice of "the Sinless for the sinful" would salvation's attonement buy So are YOU a Christian? To these questions can you give an affirmative nod? Do you believe Jesus Christ was truly the Son of God? Who left Heaven and became a man, Israel's Holy Land to trod Do you believe EVERY person is a sinner, separated from God and lost? That only this One's perfect blood could pay sin's terrible cost That without Him we're on a sea of doubt, worry, fear and tossed Do you worry of what the future may hold here on Earth? Puzzled at what was I created for? What was the purpose of my birth? Doub

Pain of Separation A moment of anger, a jealous rage, ended in a brother slain Abel dead upon the ground, Cain's hands carrying a bloody stain Their parents the first to feel death's separation pain First to lay a loved one in God's newly created earth First to know death's sorrow, while remembering the joy of his birth Did they see this as the price of disobedience, the curse, for all it's worth? That same pain has been handed down from every generation to today It can engulf us like a cloud, thick and gray Creating a sense of aloneness and loss, like a child who's lost his way When OTHERS have lost parents, children, spouse or friend We tried to comfort, telling them one day this pain will end That time will be a healer, their heartache will mend But when it's OUR child, OUR parent, OUR spouse, it becomes overwhelmingly real Our mind says "It's just part of life; but the mind can't tell the heart how to feel Complacency now gone and security l

CHOICES The voices, the voices; we hear all these voices All trying to persuade us to make wrong choices Pleading, promising and with persistence, in our failures their spirit rejoices The voices come from television or a violent computer game as well Movies, books, magazines, all have subtle elusive message to sell "Listen to me" these voices exclaim, "then you'll be happy and in life excel" Try this!! It will make you feel good or so I've heard Everyones doing it, don't be a nerd Do you want to be laughed at? Have people think you're absurd? The voices may come from friends who don't have their best interest at heart Don't lose any time! From THESE friends quickly depart "Nip it in the bud" before trouble is allowed to start Many of these voices have been around forever, saying nothing new Like drugs, drinking, sex, and smoking are really "cool" things to do But, in reality that's just a "crock of goo" The

Hi Everyone....here is another great one from Mom CHANGE Dear Lord, Why can't life just be orderly and neat instead of frustrating and strange? So many people, situations, with details to arrange? Why can't the people I deal withjust simply change? Why can't they just see and do things MY way? I try to instruct, but they don't seem to hear a word I say Lord!!, deliver me from so many wanting my help today Change them to be independent, on themselves rely They seem to be daring me for a sarcastic reply These people can be so thoughtless, I really can't see why I've prayed for friends, family, co-workers seemingly without results And You know, Lord, I've TRIED TO SHOW them all THEIR faults But, they so resist change, bad habits they refuse to halt What, Lord!! What is this thought that has suddenly come to be? A new light is dawning and this I finally see What I really should be asking is, Dear Lord, please change ME! Chan

Bad News/Good News We just finished dinner, getting ready for dessert When we hear "Attention, attention!! This is a Fox News Alert" More bad news? Into our already troubled day they want to insert Chaos, terrorism, suicide bombings, a world in disarray All the politicians are in disagreement,turmoil and dismay They haven't any answers, blame on someone elsethey are ready to lay Like why did we go to Iraq without an exit plan? What price will we pay for gas? What's going to happen in Iran? How dare SD violate "Women's Rights" with that outrageous abortion ban Violence, abuse, murder are all going to increase or so they forecast With stocks in decline, how long can this economy last? Taxes are going up while big corporate CEO's, great fortunes are amassed Guns, knives in school,no longer a safe place to play The death of a controversial, rich women makes headlines day by day But persecutions of Christians worldwide isn't newsworthy they say Yellow