One Step at a Time

April 29, 2015 Effie Barba

POWER-FILLED POSITIVE LIVING-Chapter 19B-One Step at a Time

Where is the power to live a life filled with hope and joy in the midst of so many trials? How do we choose love, when every chose to love leads us to being vulnerable and broken hearted? How do we stand strong and victorious in life’s battles when our scars, each one, reveal how truly fragile we are? Certainly, it is not by my own might or power that I can just proclaim that “I am happy. I am good. I am strong. I am beautiful.” Indeed, when I stand before a mirror and gaze at my own reflection there; I see a body that has been broken down by scars and eyes that have grown tender from having seen so much sorrow in this lifetime. Not the picture of someone who can move mountains.

Yet, in Christ—because of all that He has done for me and all that He has given me; I can arise each morning filled with Joy, Hope and Love to begin today. The mountains of obstacles may stand before me as insurmountable; but, God only asks I take His Hand and step one step at a time.

Like David wrote,

Continue reading One Step at a Time →

Christian Blog

Mountain Moving Faith, Hope and Joy

April 27, 2015 Effie Barba

Power Filled Positive Living-Chapter 19A—Mountain Moving Faith, Hope, and Joy

The wedding was over with all the excitement, beauty and wonder that weddings bring. For me there had been that special awe of realizing just how marvelously God had answered the prayers of this mother’s heart. Alberto and Lindsey were off to their honeymoon. Ron with his beautiful wife and two babies were on the plane to Florida. Melissa with her wonderful husband and daughter was on her plane back to California. I was on the drive back to Florida from Missouri with praise songs blaring from the speakers in my car. All the way to Missouri, God and I had talked. My finances were shaky as usual; after all the health struggles, all the surgeries, and my tendency to give away the rest to anyone in need of help. All the way to Missouri, there had been this sense of knowing that God was about to do something amazing and He was going to ask me to take a leap of faith. Now on the trip back to Florida, I knew that I at the age of 59 was about to make a major move to Missouri. I reminded God that there were gigantic mountains in my way. Mountains that I could never move. After all, who starts a career move at age 59? What about the upside down mortgage on my house? What about the cost? How was I going to manage moving mom to Missouri? Working 60 to 70 hours per week, how was I going to even add on the tasks of searching for a job, much less, packing and moving? Then, there was the task of finding homes for the 6 stray cats I had somehow inherited—one of which was feral.

As my car steered through the mountains in Chattanooga, I really saw the mountains looming before my life as insurmountable; especially if I was to make such a move. Then, suddenly from the recesses of my mind; I heard the whispering voice of God, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). Then, I knew!!

Continue reading Mountain Moving Faith, Hope and Joy →

Christian Poetry

I Turned and Saw the Face of God

April 26, 2015 Effie Barba

I TURNED AND SAW THE FACE OF GOD

Original artwork drawn with pencil by RoninRon Custom Art and used by permission.

I Turned and Saw the Face of God

by Effie Darlene Barba

I turned and saw the Face of God

His Glory did surround me

He smiled and gave a wink, a nod

No chaos could confound me

His Grace and Mercy were now mine

His Joy was Mine Abounding

That I might then His Glory shine

And shout His praise resounding

My Life now filled with Joy and hope

Amidst the chaos, pain, and grief

No more I’m left to merely cope

Wrapped in God, my soul’s relief

I’ll sing and dance this song of praise

Mountain peaks or valleys low

Protected by His watchful gaze

Fanning flames of life aglow

Oh what a Gracious Wondrous thought

When His soft voice spoke my name

In sin’s dark lair, my heart distraught

So laden with my guilt and shame

I turned and saw the Face of God

His Glory did surround me

He smiled and gave a wink, a nod

No chaos could confound me

His Grace and Mercy were now mine

His Joy was Mine Abounding

That I might then His Glory shine

And shout His praise resounding

The artist that drew the picture featured above is Ronald Barba. Please go to his website ( http://www.barba-art.com) for information regarding obtaining copies or to commission him to create a masterpiece for you. Feel free to email him at Ron@Barba-Art.com to discuss any art projects you might have.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Blog

5 Steps to Abide in Love No Matter What

April 24, 2015 Effie Barba

Power filled Positive Living—Chapter 18C—5 Steps to Abide in Love no matter what

In Christ we have everything that we need. Resting (Abiding) in Christ, we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We have the very presence of God’s Love for Christ and Christ’s love for the Father flowing through our being with all the power and might that Perfect Love can bring. That is the transforming power within us to lift us up—cause us to continue in Joy. Look, what Christ told the Apostles, “⁹As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. …¹¹These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15) He is telling the very men who are about to have their whole world turned upside down by the death and crucifixion of Christ. At first, they will scatter confused until He appears to them in His resurrected body. Christ is telling the very followers who will be facing persecution, hunger, loss, beatings and even death to further the gospel that by abiding in His Love they might have His joy remain in them and their joy might be full. How?

The picture is used with permission of Good Salt, the writings I have added.

How do I have joy or hope when everything I had dreamed of or hoped for has fallen apart? How does one trust when their job is gone and they don’t know how they will provide for their family? What about when your children are sick, how can you have joy? Or when that dreaded diagnosis of cancer comes like a thief in the middle of your night to steal your joy—How? What about when your heart is broken? How do you abide in love and joy when all you want to do is cry?

Continue reading 5 Steps to Abide in Love No Matter What →

Blog

The Life Giving Vine-my Greatest Treasure

April 22, 2015 Effie Barba

Power-filled Positive Thinking-Chapter 18B-The Life Giving Vine-my Greatest Treasure

To rest in God’s love, joy, and peace; we must first rest in the truth of our salvation by faith in Christ. That is what Christ was saying in the parable about the vine. Let’s look at those verses once more: “^“1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. ²Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. ³Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. ⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ⁵I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ⁶If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. ⁸Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. ⁹As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. ¹⁰If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. ¹¹These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15)

At first glance, one might think this supports the idea of losing one’s salvation, since the branch can be taken away and burned; but that would be contrary to the rest of the Bible’s teaching and even the remainder of what Christ is saying here. If we look throughout the Bible historically the grape vine and the fig tree were at times representative of the spiritual standing of the people of God. Just as salvation in the New Testament is by faith, so was salvation in the Old Testament. Without faith, there is no hope of salvation for fallen man. The Jewish nation were chosen by God to be His people; yet, many branches (including the Pharisees and Sadducees who were too blinded by self-exalting pride to recognize Christ as the Messiah) would have to be removed from the vine. Meanwhile, salvation came to the Gentiles through faith and all we who accept Christ as our Savior are grafted into the true vine. So the first question is: