This is something that has been festering inside me for quite some time.  To tell you the truth…I AM FURIOUS about how many of our senior citizens are being neglected, dis-respected and sadly even abused.  There is absolutely no excuse acceptible for what is happening.

Our great grandparents, our grandparents and our parents are the pioneers in our lives.  They slaved and worked all of their life to make sure we always felt loved; safe and warm;  had clean clothes; and always had food to eat.  They picked us up when we fell down; listened when we needed to talk;  held us when we cried;  helped us with our homework;  played games with us; and took us to church and Sunday School.  

Grandpa and Grandma would always spoil us rotten.  Dad and Mom would do their best to discipline us;  to teach us right from wrong. They built the solid foundation for us to grow upon.  We owe these pioneers a huge debt of  gratitude and thanks.  They should be precious treasures to us.

Unfortunately… too many of our Over The Hill Baby Boomers are being  forgotten and thrown away like a piece of trash.  Just walk into any Nursing Home;  you will see clearly what I am saying.    

My husband works night shift in one of these Nursing Homes; and he sees the lonliness, hopelessness, rejection, fear and yes…even anger displayed through their words and actions.  He always makes a special effort;  to let each one of his patients know how special they are.    

I want to share another example of this Love:  I have a very good friend who schedules “special time” to spend with his Grandma; every Friday. He  never allows anything or anyone to compromise that day.  HE LOVES HIS GRANDMA WITH ALL HIS HEART; and he shares that love with everyone.

People!  This is the way we should be treating All Senior Citizens.  As I stated earlier, they paved the way for you and I;  they compromised and sacrificed to give us their best.  

The very least we owe them…Is our Time…our Love… and Devotion!        

If you are not doing this!  Remember…One day you will inevitably be an “Over-The- Hill Baby Boomer.”

How do want to be treated?  Like a “Treasure”… or a “Piece of Trash!”   

In this day and age; I believe that the message of Salvation is being watered down; and not hitting the nail of “Inherit Eternal Life.”

We have too many professing Christians out there who are going to have a rude awakening when they stand before the Lord on Judgement Day.  They are talking the talk but, they are not walking the walk.  They have not let God into their heart.

Without  God in your heart you are powerless to change in any way.

Only God can change a ” dead heart into a living heart;” a “heart of stone into a heart of flesh;” and a “rebel into a worshiper.”

Being a “good person” and doing “good works” does not get you into heaven.  Ephesians 2:8-9…For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Giving and tithing is a wonderful thing…It will bring us many benefits and blessings. (This is one of God’s Commands)…It will not get you into heaven.

Malachi 3:10… Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

There is much mis-conception about the wealthy.  Many believe that it is easier for the wealthy to enter into heaven.  On the contrary…It is almost impossible.  Being wealthy isn’t the key here…It is the attitude of your heart.

Matthew 19:24… Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Now I want to talk about the most widely used; yet confusing avenue of salvation…Repeating a prayer.  I know I am going to get a lot of controversy over this; but please hear me out.  Saying the Prayer of Salvation is only the starting point.

Romans 10:9   If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

This is a very powerful word…However…Why are so many christians still stumbling in the dark, not producing much fruit and seeing change?  It is because they have skipped over the the second part (most important).  As I stated earlier:  Without  God in your heart you are powerless to change in any way.

SO! HOW DO WE INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?”

Recognizing that you are a sinner and that you need the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior is your first step.

One Thing… That will guarantee you Eternal Life is: (drum role please)
KNOWING JESUS!!

You must…Abide in Him… Have a “one on one”, personal, daily relationship with Him, through His Word, Worship and Prayer.  Your heart must be receptive; fixed; steadfast and hungry for God.

When you stand before Him on Judgement Day; Don’t think you can fool Him. He will know whether or not You Know Him.

Galatians 6:7   Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

If you do not truly Know Him…This is what He will say to you:
Matthew 7:23  Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

You need to search your soul and ask your self this question?

WHAT IS THE LORD GOING TO SAY TO ME?

AM I GOING TO HEAVEN OR HELL!

I would like to dig deeper into this question.  Hopefully I can provide some insight into helping you recognize your hidden emotional pain; find those open wounds and stop the bleeding.

Our Precious and Holy Lord was beaten and hung on the cross to die.  He had nails driven in his hands; in both feet; and he had an open wounded bleeding side.  He applied Love; Mercy and Forgiveness to his wounds.

In Luke 23:34 Jesus says: “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.”.”  Those words stopped the bleeding and initiated healing for all the land.

Emotional pain has the tendency to settle deep inside; leaving you with open wounds.  These emotional wounds will continue to bleed until they are exposed and treated.  Many times these wounds are left unattended and bleeding for many years.  This can cause irreparable damage to your body, your heart, your mind, and your relationships.  It will shatter and destroy every area of your life; if you do not face it and deal with it.

I would be a fool and a liar if I said this healing process was easy.  Quite the contrary…Facing those open wounds is extremely difficult and painful.  Just as Jesus suffered for you and I on the cross; we must endure the suffering through our pain, in order to begin to heal.

Pain associated with emotions can disguise itself in various forms such as:  hurt, rejection, fear, failure, pride, bitterness and anger.

We usually do our level best to deny those wounds and pretend they do not exist.  You can get away with denial for a period of time. Eventually, when you are ready, God allows situations and people to enter your life; to help you to face your giants and expose your hidden emotional pain.

What causes emotional pain; and how do we stop the bleeding from the wounds? I believe there are two major factors involved with any hidden emotions…WORDS and DECISIONS!

Earlier I told you how Christ used words of Love and Forgiveness to initiate the healing of all mankind.  The bible tells us that “Life and Death is in the Power of the Tongue.”  Simple explanation: Words can heal…Words can also destroy!

When a person is angry or hurt, critical words are spoken in haste.  After the words have been spoken, the damage is done.  Those seeds of destruction are planted deep inside; festering until they develop into open wounds. The only healing salve to apply to these wounds is Forgiveness and Love.  It could be a loved one, a friend or an enemy that planted the seeds.  Much of the time it is ourselves that we need to love and forgive. Only then will we begin to heal our hidden emotional pain.

Decisions that we make, play a huge role…and have a major effect on our emotions that cause us pain.

Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy…meditate on these things.” When we make decisions based on the Word; it will ultimately turn out for our good.

On the other hand…When we make decisions based on our emotions, due to confusion, (the enemy is the author of confusion) and the pressures of life, it usually results in disaster and pain.

This Faith proclamation has helped me through many temptations.

Psalms 19:14: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart… be acceptable and pleasing in thy sight.  My Lord! My Rock! and My Redeemer!”

Refuse to allow hidden emotional pain to destroy your life!

Thanks to my husband Brett for his major contribution to this wonderful post!

Does all the commercialization of Christmas have you down? Well! I am here to offer you one remedy for family and friends. Amid the avalanche of TV Christmas specials that hit our screens this time of year; there is one little gem that always stands out from the rest. It is a simple, unpretentious cartoon that is several decades old, however, it still manages to earn great ratings and has been loved by many generations.

I am guessing this is no coincidence. Out of all the the Christmas specials claiming to us about “The True Meaning of Christmas,” this little cartoon is the one that everyone remembers and watches over and over again…The one that gets the true meaning.

I am referring to A Charlie Brown Christmas. There is so much to recommend about this show; not least of which is the gentle skewering of the commercialism that surrounds our modern ideas of Christmas. Oddly enough, commercialism has gotten progressively worse since A Charlie Brown Christmas was fist produced in 1965. This charming cartoon has become more and more relevant every year. There is hardly a viewer who cannot identify with Charlie Brown’s feelings that, somewhere in all the hype and advertising, the true meaning of Christmas has been lost.

Sadly there are more anti-consumerist messages out there every Christmas. A Charlie Brown Christmas does not just critique the commercialism; it offers something to counter it…something real and significant. Most other TV specials leave us with the thoughts that the True Meaning of Christmas is family, or giving, or kindness etc. Although these concepts are wonderful and admirable in themselves, they totally miss the mark.

In simple, sincere, but utterly effective fashion, A Charlie Brown Christmas gives us the Pure and True Meaning of Christmas when the famous Peanuts character, Linus, recites the Glorious Nativity passage from the Gospel of Luke. It is not heavy-handed…it is not an altar call…it is not sentimental or sappy in the least. It is a straight forward sharing of the Gospel, as a direct response to the emptiness, frustration and despair from all the commercialism that is out there.It demonstrates TRUE HOPE to the hopeless; not just at this time of year…All Year Round!  It is a beautiful example of the Power of Christ to infiltrate and transform culture.

This Christmas I have a wonderful idea for you and your family.  Why not pop some popcorn, or bake some cookies, and invite your friends and neighbors over to watch it.  If you search the channels, it always airs during the Christmas Season.  You can also rent or purchase the DVD. It is available at many retailers, as well as online. What better way to begin to share Christ with those around you…plus give them a nostalgic, enjoyable and no-pressure experience!  If the viewing opens the door to a serious conversation about Christmas and It’s True Meaning…everyone will be blessed. However it turns out; your family, friends and neighbors will have learned the True Meaning of Christmas…An all-too-rare experience during the Christmas Season these days.

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! That is the only TRUE  reason to celebrate.

Isaiah: 53-5    He was wounded for our transgressions, the chastisement of our Peace was upon him, and by His Stripes we are healed.

Pain is not a simple four letter word.  On the contrary; pain is complex, complicated, confusing and compelling…appearing to have multi-level characteristics.  It is most definitely omni-present.  It will attack whomever, whenever and wherever it so pleases.  The attacks can be physical, emotional and spiritual.

Pain can actually be your friend when you heed the first warning it gives.  Unfortunately, too many of us tend to ignore that warning.  We choose to tolerate the pain, convinced that it will just go away…many times it does.

There is another side to this four letter word when pain literally becomes your raging enemy.  When you are in the battle with pain, it affects your body, your mind, your will and your emotions. It will affect every area of your life; if you don’t resist it.

The Word of God tells us to stand firm in Faith; resist the enemey; and he will flee.  Remember I just told you earlier that pain is your enemy.  The Word also tells us in the Book of James that the Prayer of Faith will heal the sick; and the Lord will raise him up.

Sometimes God chooses to heal pain instantly.  Although many times His plan is for us to stand firm in Faith and speak His Word until the battle is won.  You see Jesus already took every sickness, disease and pain upon himself, when He went to the cross.  It is up to you and I to take the Authority He has given us; and walk in it.

I would like to share with you my profession of Faith that I am presently using to win my battle with pain.

Hopefully it will help someone else in their battle.

I REFUSE TO TOLERATE PAIN. I COMMAND IT TO LEAVE MY BODY!  I AM HEALED BY THE STRIPES OF JESUS…PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND SPIRITUALLY!  I AM GETTING BETTER AND STRONGER EACH DAY.  I CHOOSE TO BE MADE WHOLE AND I EXPECT GOD’S MIGHTY AND POWERFUL WORD TO DESTROY THIS PAIN THAT HAS A GRIP ON MY BODY! I CHOOSE    TO WALK IN DIVINE HEALTH!  IN JESUS PRECIOUS HOLY NAME!  AMEN!!

If pain is your raging enemy…Stand Firm!  Believe & Receive Your Healing!

The Word of God says: We live by Faith and not by sight.”

Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things yet not seen.”

Are you living your faith leaving them wanting more?   How do you answer that question in regards to your own life?  I would like to evaluate this more closely by sharing my own story with you.

I have had a love for horses since I was a little girl.  My father was a Livestock Dealer, but he loved Thoroughbred Horse Racing.  Being my father’s daughter, I also developed a strong love for Horse Racing…it became my ministry for many years.

When the Lord called me into this challenging; yet rewarding ministry; He said:  “I have called you to bear fruit in a very hard place!”  He then gave me: Jeremiah 29: 11-14   ”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.  I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Read more »