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TEA PARTY

TEA PARTY

Recently, me and three of my Christian sisters, gave a tea party for the young ladies of our congregation. We had ages from 6-17. We had enough fancy hats for us and each of the girls. How fabulous we all looked! We used some china that was my grandmothers and a tea pot that was my mothers. They both would have been thrilled we could use them for this occasion. We had crustless sandwiches, fruit, salad, small cupcakes, cookies and of course, tea (cold tea that is). It was so much fun! We prayed, ate, played games and I gave a little interactive talk to the girls. That is what I want to take a few minutes to share with you.

I first talked about what the world shows us as beauty, by the magazine covers, TV and movies which try to tell us, beauty is on the outside. They each had a mirror and told them to look at themselves. (This is similar to how my published lady’s bible study book, “God’s Beauty Plan,” starts.) We looked at four features on our faces.

First, we looked at our eyes. We talked about that we can see good and bad in this world. We have to be careful what we let come into our eyes. The bad things can be like a piece of dust or an eyelash getting into our eyes and irritating it. Matthew 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.” We talked about the opposite of light and how what we let our eyes see, causes us to be in darkness or in God’s light.

Second, we looked at our noses. I talked about that God breathed life into us, just like He did Adam and Eve. We talked about icky (usually from their brothers) and good smells (when walking in door and smelling roast cooking). Used the verse in Genesis that says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being.” Our breath is our life!

Thirdly, we looked at our mouths. I talked about bad things can come out of our mouths and good things as well. I told them about a time I was bullied as a child. In 6^th grade, I had to get up in front of the class and read a paper I had written. My hands were shaking so badly that the paper was rattling. As I was walking back to my desk, a boy hollered ‘that was stupid.’ Then the entire class erupted in laughter. I sat down and hung my head. I asked the girls how they thought that made me feel. Then, pointed out that we have to think before we speak, because once those words are out of our mouths, we can’t push them back in. We used the verse in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in God’s sight.” Think before you speak!

Fourth, I talked to them about our ears. We talked about that this world is full of bad (cuss) words. I told them about the new doctor we had hired at the animal hospital who, the very first day, back in the doctor’s office, cussed the entire day. I sat in an office close by and could hear every bad word she said. I started thinking, what if I hear that all day, every day? Those words being said over and over again. Asked the girls, what would happen to me. The girls understood that could go into my brain, into my heart and then, I might start using those bad words. (Luckily, she was told by management, not to talk that way. I was so blessed that they were respectful of my feelings about bad language.) Asked them what they could do when someone talked like that on the TV or in the world. I told them it is so important to be careful of the type of friends we choose to be around. Also, we talked about who we need to listen to: parents, teachers, preacher, and friends when they need to talk to us. Pointing out to them, also, that God will listen to their prayers. 1Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers.”

At this point, I had them put their mirrors down. I asked them to look around the table at the other girls, at the moms who stayed and at the four of us. Told them to look at our eyes, noses, mouths, ears and the color of our skin. We were all different! God made us all special when we were in our mother’s tummy. Reminded them that God doesn’t look at the outside but on the inside beauty of our hearts. Also, told them that it is good for us to look our best. Just look at us today, we looked fabulous! God wants us to be our best. 1Samuel 16:7 says, “God did not look at his appearance or his physical stature…for the Lord does not see what man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Told them that “Beauty and the Beast” is my favorite Disney movie. Told them to think about what the beast looked like on the outside. Scary! But by the end of the movie, he showed his loving, caring heart. Then, I asked them what that all meant. The girls got it! From the 6-year-old to the 17-year-old! They understood what that meant!

Told them to pick up their mirrors again and look at themselves and repeat after me. This is what I told them to repeat about themselves.

I AM-SPECIAL

I AM-BEAUTIFUL

I AM-ONE OF A KIND

I AM-STRONG

I AM-COURAGEOUS

I AM-CONFIDENT

I AM-A DAUGHTER OF GOD

For all the guys and ladies reading this, God does not look at our outer beauty but on the inside-our inner beauty! The image we portray on the outside should mirror the image we are on the inside.

Who knew we could get so much from a tea party? I know the four of us who planned it had so much fun getting it all planned out and enjoyed those 9 young ladies who attended!

Sit back and sip some tea (maybe not from your best china), but remember we were all made in God’s image. God looks at our heart, who we are when no one is looking! Our inner beauty!

Till next time!

                                                Keela

GIFT OF YOURSELF

You are saying, wait a minute, the time of year for gift giving is over. Not if you have a grandson whose birthday is in January and son-in-law whose birthday is in February. But that is not the type of gift I want to focus on. The focus for today is on the gift of ourselves. That type of gift requires time. That type of gift requires letting someone know that they are valuable and worth your physical time.

The greatest gift we can give, is of ourself. God has put people in our lives who need us and we need to give the gift of time to them. I have so many people who have mentored me through their lives and the sacrifices they made for me, who have passed on to be with our Lord. They are now in my past, the shadows of my mind. If it hadn’t been for them, I would not be who I am today. They were such a wonderful example of someone taking the time to give me the gift of themselves. I am getting older. (Duh, you say!) Well, maybe, it is time for me to be a mentor to someone else! The mentors of my past were there for me in my time of need, now it is time for me to follow that great example of their gift of themselves, and me be there for others. To be the one who the younger look up to and know if they need someone, I will be there to listen, comfort, hug and pray.

Life is so short! James 4:14 says “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” I was blessed to be close to my great-aunt Lena (Madalyn). She never married. Her fiancé lost his life in the war and she never dated or wanted to marry anyone else. She took care of her father all her life. In fact, when I was little, I thought they were married. I remember when my mind figured that out. It was like a lightbulb moment. Years ago, when my kids were still home and was one of the busiest times of my life, I remember having this gut feeling to give her a call. Well, the night went on, fixed supper-got baths done-pajamas on-sent all to bed. Late that night I remembered that gut feeling to give her a call. I had forgotten and it was so late. I could give her a call in the morning. I did not get that chance. She passed away that night. I had not taken those few moments of time to call and give her encouragement. I will regret that for the rest of my life!

People give excuses of why they don’t go visit an aged person or their parents. I have. This world is such a busy place. So many things demanding our time. I think that the age we live in, with our cell phones and emails, it is easy to all of a sudden realize we have spent hours on our devices. If we are putting off talking to someone who has made the sacrifice of time for us, we need to stop what we are doing and give them a call, text, email, card. Give them the time, the gift of yourself. We cannot lean on the failures of our parents, to feel ok about not being with them. I am one of the blessed daughters, whose parents invested their time, love and energy in my upbringing. But not everyone can say that. If that is you, don’t judge them by what they knew, according to what you know. They may have been doing the best they could! If they were gone tomorrow, would you be satisfied that you had let them know of your forgiveness-your laughter-your love.

I remember hearing someone say at a relative’s funeral, ‘if only I had another chance to be with them, to spend time with them.’ There has been a Christmas movie series called, “Five Minutes.” The main character is wishing they could have even five minutes more with their loved one and what they wanted to tell them. Live your life like it could be your last. But also, remember that life is so unpredictable and it could be your loved one’s last day. Don’t live your life with regrets that you wish you could be with them even for a short time to let them know how much you care for them-that you forgive them for the past. You could make their day, their life, richer by you just taking a few minutes of your time to give them your gift of yourself. When you leave this earth, can others remember that you spent time in giving your gift of yourself to them?

If you knew you only had 1 hour to live, what would you do? Who would you call or go visit? What would you say to them? Don’t take that person or persons for granted that you will do it tomorrow.  Now, is the time to reach out to the aged one who needs the lift that only you can give. Maybe, one who you need to ask for forgiveness. When that person or persons pass away, don’t be laden with guilt because you didn’t spend time or made sacrifices of your time. This will only hold you back from your God given purpose for your future. 

One time, when I had taken my husband to the emergency room, I saw a teenager from church there also. I talked to him to see why he and a friend were there. He told me and then said, he was invincible because he was still young. But even the young-babies-teenagers-young adults, will pass away. Death does not depend on how old you are. We do not know when the Lord will take us home. Have you spent time with someone who is lonely, so far this year? If not, make your New Year’s resolution to start this day, this minute to reach out to another. It might be the last minute you have to give them the gift of yourself! It is not only going to give another a lift, but also give you a lift knowing that you have spent your time wisely and in service to the Lord!

Live in such a way that those who do not know God, will know Him because they know you. If and when, you have that gut feeling you need to call or be with someone, don’t be like me and forget and not end up doing it. Give the gift of yourself! You will be glad you did!

Till next time!

                                                            Keela  

PEACE OF A SNOW GLOBE

PEACE OF A SNOWGLOBE

The year my husband passed away; my daughter gave our family each a snow globe.  It contains a picture of him dressed as Santa. My husband loved to decorate for the holidays. He played Santa at a local store and at many Boy Scout functions around the holidays.  He was a mailman and enjoyed so much delivering packages and cards during this time of year, because he knew how much joy they brought to people.  He has been gone 13 years this last October. Every year I get that snow globe out and shake it, tears flow from my eyes. Memories swirl around my heart, just like it is swirling around inside the globe around his picture. But yet when that “snow” swirls around, somehow, it helps bring me peace.  How can that be? Those flakes that are floating and swirling around also remind me of hard times-of sad times-stressful times. Times when I felt like I was being tossed around like those little representations of snow. But then I bring my mind and focus once again to his picture and the joy playing Santa brought him. The joy he felt delivering those packages to the people on his mail route and that, gives me peace in my heart!

You are wondering what the point of this blog is going to be. Why is my mind going down this path of thought. Let’s think for a little bit of when I shook that globe and the feelings it brought to my heart.

1. Snow globes have so many different scenes in them. Most have a representation of what or where you have been or visited. We buy them when we go on vacation. We buy them during the holidays to bring us joy. The scene becomes alive when we shake it and watch the “snow” floating. It takes us back to a time of traveling or makes us joyful with the scene depicted. Remembering those times of joy, is like when the Bible Christians remembered their forefathers.  “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets…” Hebrews 1:1.
2. That swirling “snow” reminds me of our lives. I can see through that “snow” and see trials-heartache-busyness and stress. We are so distracted by the reality of life. We can’t focus on what is important. We feel like we can’t even stop long enough to just breath. But then that “snow” holding us captive, settles and we once again can see what is truly important to us. We have time to stop and reflect. Even when our “globe” of life shakes up and once again blurs our vision, we can still find peace because we have the hope of a future in heaven one day. Those “flakes” can still be beautiful when they are floating around because we know that God allows those times to strengthen us-to help us remember what is truly important in our lives. “My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2
3. Have you ever wondered why snow is white? What do you think of when you look out your window and see those beautiful white flakes falling from the sky and the beautiful blanket it leaves on the bushes, trees and ground. It is clean and pure. Sometime read, Psalm 148. It celebrates creation.  Snow being one of them in verse 9. It is pure from heaven. it covers the earth with a covering of white-a cleansing. God tells us in Isaiah 1:18, “…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” There is cleansing power from our sins, just like in the refreshing falling white snow, in our Saviors saving powerful blood! He died on that bloody cross-was buried and then arose so that cleansing can happen! Just like that white snow!

Have you ever noticed that at the end of a holiday movie that the couple kiss and all of a sudden snow falls from the sky. Almost like that kiss produced a spark in the atmosphere to bring on those beautiful flakes! Happiness-peace-joy! A gift of purity from heaven.

Now that I am retired, seeing those snowflakes falling from the sky does not bring on uneasiness of how I am going to get to work. That uneasiness is like those flakes in the snow globe, swirling and dancing obscuring the true focus of that snow globe. In my retirement, I can now look out the window and look at the beauty of that snowfall. I can thank God for that cleansing power that snow brings. I also pray for those who have to get out and go to work or appointments they can’t miss. Remember the cleansing power and beauty of that snow, even when you have to get out in it.

When the “snow” in the globe falls to the bottom, we can once again focus on the object in the globe.  In the globe above, it is the memories of my husband. I stop and praise God for the trials-the stress-the love I experienced being married to this “Santa.” You ask, how can I be thankful for all those trials. The answer to that is looking back, I realize God allowed those times so I could learn patience-learn that God had a plan for my future that I could not see at the time-to help strengthen my faith in God because, at times, I felt that God was the only one who knew exactly what I was going through and He had my back! I learned to focus on Him and His strength!

If you happen to have a snow globe, get it out now and shake it. Look at the beauty of that scene while the “snow” is falling. Even when those hard times come, we can still see the beauty of the scene because we know that God has a plan. God NEVER stops loving us, no matter how unfaithful-no matter how pained-no matter how far away we feel from the scene in that snow globe or our God. We can find peace, even in the “blizzards” of this life. Our focus of God, is always there for us during and after the “blizzards” settle down.

Jeremiah 10:23 “O Lord I know the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord…”

Peace of a snow globe! Who would have thought!

Till next time!

                                                   Keela

(To all of you who took their time to ponder my blog throughout this year, I thank you for your continued encouragement! May you have a wonderful and blessed holiday and a new year of serving our God and Savior!)

POWER IN THANKFULNESS

It is that time of year again when, in the stores, the holiday of Thanksgiving gets lost between Halloween and Christmas. TV stations have already been showing Christmas movies. If you know me very well, you know that I have been watching them. I even have been singing with the characters those beloved Christmas songs. My son, Aaron, lives with me. He has had to maneuver shows he wants to watch around my recorded movies this time of year. One time when I was singing along with the movie, my sons golden retriever dog, looked at me like I had lost my mind. Well, if truth be told, I probably have! Even I have jumped ahead of our holiday of Thanksgiving.

The origin of our American Thanksgiving is from 1621 between the pilgrims and Indians, proclaiming the thankfulness of a bounty harvest and the blessing of these two different types of people living and working together. But if we really think about this special day, we need to realize that our God instituted this day many years before. Not only this day, but God tells us to be thankful continuously, every day for everything. Ephesians 5:20 says “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

There are so many types of subjects about thankfulness that we could think about together, but I want to center a few thoughts about the words in the verses above that I have underlined.

I have had some tough, worried, stressful, tiring times in my life. Honestly, the first reaction to those feelings was not to be thankful for those situations. It is easier to say why me? Why am I in physical pain all the time-why am I going through this situation. I have tried to be obedient to God, why is He allowing this to happen to me?

Let me share a time in my life that I asked those questions above. How God helped me to be thankful, even in the middle of my storm. Those of you who know my story, know that my husband was very sick, mentally and physically for ten years before his passing. Our daughter was a teenager part of this time. I was working two, sometimes three, jobs, gone most days twelve hours. Besides this, I dealt with the many stressful days of asking God, why this was all happening to our family. There were many days, if it wasn’t for my precious daughter, I did not even want to go home. What would I find when I did get home? My husband, during this time, was in a two year, everyday all day, deep depression. Usually when I would get home, he would be in bed asleep. There were a few times, I would come home and he would have done laundry or fixed a meal but those days were far and few between. I was doing everything! He was just home all the time. Playing solitaire and sleeping! I did not feel I could talk to him about our finances. He would usually, take all the failures of our finances on himself and go back to bed. He did not bathe or shave very often. It was such a difficult time for me and our daughter. I started having bitterness in my heart. Just being around him, even just driving home, caused me to feel that my chest was suffocating the very breath out of my lungs. The feeling that as soon as I saw him, my chest was churning into and pressing into by body and heart. Like a boulder was sitting on my chest. I knew this feeling was biblically wrong. (Hebrews 12:15 & Ephesians 4:31) In Acts 8:23, bitterness is even called a poison.

But how could I fix it? How could I heal my heart? He was not changing. But was my husband really the problem? No, it was my heart that was bitter. I turned to God. Is that how you do things? You stay in a wrong feeling of your heart until you reach out to God who is the first person, we should have turned to in the first place? I prayed that He would help me to know how to get these feelings and attitude out of me. How I could be around my husband and live my life without these feelings of bitterness? After praying, I realized I needed to be thankful for my husband. How in the world would I do that? God how in the world will that help me? That is too hard! HE was the reason I was having these feelings in the first place! That is when I started a gratitude journal about my husband. I tried to think about one good thing about him each day and I prayed all day thanking God for that particular thing. I remember one day; I could not think of even one good thing about him. (This is probably when he decided to stop his depression medicine, which had taken us months to get a helpful combination. Not only that, but he decided to stop ALL his other meds, because he was feeling better.) The only thing I could think of was that I was thankful he was alive. Wow, that is so sad to think about, isn’t it? But I started praying in thanksgiving, and I realized that feeling of bitterness was slowly and surely leaving my heart. I saw him and the reasons he had been and was in, my life. From time to time, that pressure on my chest would start up again and I would thank God for him. Pushing that bitterness away.

How do you think that I was able to do that? Because there is POWER in a prayer of thankfulness! We become closer to God. We become more positive. We remember who is really in charge. Our focus comes off of self and more on the good things, the blessings, God has given us. Thankfulness helps push out the lies the devil is trying to make us believe. Thankfulness gives us peace! Thankfulness heals us physically, as well as spiritually!

Philippians 4:6-7 reads “Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  When we come before God in prayer, whatever the reason, we need to include thanksgiving. It has the power to give us peace, helps to focus our minds and hearts back onto what is the important part of the situation. How does thankfulness bring us that peace? We cannot understand how that happens. Our God is true to His promises. He has so much love for us that there is no way we can understand the healing power of thanksgiving. But I know for a fact that there IS healing power by being thankful.

Thankfulness should be an everyday occurrence in our lives. It should naturally flow from our hearts, especially in the rough times. When those tough times come into our lives, and they will, we have to be thankful in the middle of that storm. The storm may be still raging inside our lives and hearts, but the power in thankfulness is this. Our situation may not change, but we change. Our attitude shows us that, when the storms rage, we have the faith and assurance from God that He is by our side. I have found that when I look back, to that time I talked about above, I realize that God was there all the time helping me to make it through. Allowing things to happen, that ended up being a blessing. Helping me, through my thankfulness, to bring peace into my heart.

The next time you feel the pressures of this life about to strangle the very breath out of you, stop. Pray. Be thankful in every situation. Whether good or bad. It will give you much needed peace. My situation had not changed but my heart had all those years ago. Don’t be like the ten lepers who Jesus healed in Luke 17. Only one returned to thank Jesus for healing. Give thanks in ALL situations and in EVERYTHING.

So, this Thanksgiving, look around at those precious faces at your dinner table and realize that God has given you every one of them. There have been hard times, but God has helped you through. Make this Thanksgiving more than just thankfulness for the obvious blessings. But also, for the blessings that God has given you through the hard times. For those of you who will not be sitting down at a dinner table with family or loved ones, remember that God is right by your side helping you take one step at a time. Center your heart on the good things in your life. Be thankful! Invite others to eat with you who do not have any loved ones in their lives or will be alone. Reach out to them. It will lift your spirit and theirs.

Don’t “hop” over the holiday of Thanksgiving. Because this holiday helps us remember to have thanksgiving in our hearts, centering our thoughts onto what is truly important:  God is faithful in His promises. God gives us hope. God gives us peace. God is love. It is not about me, but about God.

Thankfulness towards my husband, helped me to remember there is good in every situation and had healing power over my heart; no matter how hard it was. Thankfulness in the storm, healed my heart!

Psalm 9:1, “I will praise (thank) You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You, I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”

Have a blessed Thanksgiving! THERE IS TRULY POWER IN THANKFULNESS!

Till next time.

                                                      Keela

GOLDEN THREAD

Watching the pageantry of the celebration of Queen Elizabeth ll, was personal to me. Those of you who have been reading my blogs for a while, know that I was born in England. My dad was stationed there in the Air Force. I was 3 when we came back to the states, so I do not remember anything about England. Even though I was born and only spent the first 3 years of my life there and have no memories, I still feel a strong pull, a special tie to anything to do with that country. So, I watched this moment, this golden thread in history, which I will not ever see again in my lifetime, of a 96-year-old Queen who had reigned for 70 years. The people evidently loved her, as all of about 27 miles of road, from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle, was lined with thousands and thousands of people wanting to pay their respects and be a part of this historic day. People had started getting a place along the route to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin, several days before the funeral procession. She was truly loved by her subjects.

I started thinking of some similarities and differences to Jesus, between her life as a Queen who had served for 70 years-her death and burial, to Jesus’ life-death and burial. (Of course, I want to say here, there is no comparison between the Queen and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These are just some thoughts I had after seeing the procession and funeral.)

1. The Queen’s life compared to Jesus and the differences of their lives here on this earth.

The Queen was very humble. She loved her subjects, her family, horses and her corgi’s. She was member of the church of England. She had a servant leadership. She trusted God and defended her faith in Him. She lived her faith. Walked the walk. She saw much change in the world during her 96 years on this earth and her 70-year reign. She devoted her life in leadership and in service to her people and to being the best Queen she could be. She had a human side-she loved to laugh and to joke. She was in the military before she became Queen. She loved her flower gardens. (Actually, the spray of flowers on her coffin, had myrtle in them. In her wedding bouquet many years before, she had the myrtle from the same gardens.) Her staff loved her and protected her just like the police and guards. She paid allegiance to God before she would let her people pay allegiance to her. She wore bright colored clothing and hats, not out of pride, but because she wanted her subjects to see her and realize that she was real and accessible.

On the other hand, let’s look at Jesus life here on earth. Jesus was humble. He did not even have an earthly home. Philippians 2:8 “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus loved everyone, even to the point of us not humanly understanding. Ephesians 3:19 “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Jesus was a servant and walked the walk. Matthew 20:28 “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus, Himself, lived what He taught. Jesus had a human side. When His friend, Lazarus, died He wept and felt human pain of the heart. John 11:33b,35 “He groaned in the spirit and was troubled…Jesus wept.” Jesus’ followers tried to protect Jesus. When He was betrayed and arrested in the garden of Gethsemane in John 18:10, Simon Peter “…having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear.” Jesus did not wear bright clothing of course, but He was a real human being and was accessible. He wanted the people to realize who He was and that He was real. John 6:69 “Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

• Now think with me, about the Queen’s death procession leading up to her burial. Let’s compare it to the last few days Jesus was on this earth.

 Like I noted before there were thousands of people who lined the route, the hearse took with her coffin, wanting to show their respects. Some even said it was a privilege, not even caring how long they waited to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin. They said they would wait as long as they had to, to get even a small short glimpse. It was the least they could do for a Queen who had given her life in service for her kingdom. All along the route, people threw flowers in memory of their Queen. She was a member of a very close royal family who she loved with all her heart. Her funeral and procession were full of pageantry and splendor. Her funeral was made up of verses from the bible being read and sung from choir and the crowd. Her coffin was placed on a state gun carriage, drawn by 142 of Royal Navy service personnel. On her coffin were the nations flag. Also, lay her purple royal crown, made up of jewels and 2862 diamonds. Also, the scepter, which represented the Crown’s power. Also, the Orb, signifying that the monarchy’s power comes from God. Also, the spray of flowers with a personal note from her son, Charles, who is now King, saying “In loving and devoted memory.”

On the other hand, let’s look at Jesus path to the cross, His death and burial.

Jesus started His short ministry at 30. He had spent His short life, performing miracles, serving others and teaching the apostles, disciples and people. In Matthew 19:2 and many other passages of scripture, it tells us “And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.” As Jesus was praying in the garden, Jesus’ sweat was like blood. When He left the garden, he “found them sleeping…” (Luke 22:45) The disciples could not even stay awake waiting for Jesus. On Jesus pathway to the cross, instead of flowers being thrown at Him, in Luke 22:63-65, “Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying ‘Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?’ And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.” Luke 18:33, “They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” Pilate asked the crowd if he should release a murderer named Barabbas or Jesus. Luke 23 tells us that they wanted the murderer released and said about Jesus “crucify Him, crucify Him!” Luke 27:28-31 reads “And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and a reed in His right Hand, and they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying. ’Hail, King of the Jews.’ They spat on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.” Luke 24 tells us that Jesus was buried and rose from the dead. This chapter also tells us that He appeared to His disciples and then in verse 51, “Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.”

Jesus’ life was short on this earth unlike the Queen who was 96. The Queen did not rise from the dead. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did. He is waiting on the right hand of God, waiting for us when we leave this earth. The end of Jesus life, was marked with much pain and belittlement. He succumbed to death on a painful cross.

We have shown a lot of attention to the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and her celebration. She did reign for the people, who loved her so much. But we must show much more attention to Jesus, death-burial-and resurrection. If He had not suffered and died for us, we would have no hope of an eternal life in heaven with Him. Revelations 21 tells us of the grandeur of heaven. Our lives here on this earth are full of heartache, pain and suffering. But we are told of the streets of gold, and beauty beyond our comprehension. There will be no more tears, “…death, nor sorrow, nor crying…no more pain…” Such grandeur when we rise to meet our Savior in heaven!

Our world is blessed to have had such an amazing Queen Elizabeth ll! She has truly shown us a golden thread thru history. But let’s put our main focus on Jesus and His death-burial-resurrection and the golden thread He has shown us in history. The United Kingdom now has a new King.  1 Timothy 6:15 tells us that Jesus is “…King of kings and Lord of lords…” He isthe one and only true King! We are truly blessed to have a Savior who waits for us to leave this earth and come to Him. I look forward to that day when I can sing with the angels in praise for our God. I hope I can say when I die what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me, the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” DO YOU HAVE THAT HOPE! If not, there is still time. Become a child of God and live in service for Him. Become a member of God’s Royal family!

A GOLDEN THREAD THRU HISTORY! WHAT A BLESSING!

Till next time!

                                                Keela

(I am having my other knee replaced-hopefully-October 4^th. So may be a bit before I get another blog out. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers.)