Today, as I turn 59; I am preparing to move to Missouri with great expectation and great hope for all that God has planned.  Yet my thoughts have turned to Mom.  For the past ten years, she has lived with me.  I have watched as she has aged over that time period while I have tried to urge her to hold onto hope.  For a time, I must leave her behind in a nursing home; something I had sworn I would never do.  Yet, over the past ten years and particularly the last three years, I have become her memory and her decision maker.  For the past six months she has asked to be in a "rest home" , because she wants to just rest and "never have to do dishes again".   During that time, I asked her to wait because I wasn’t ready to let her go there and I needed her here to proof read my blogs, to listen to me prattle on at times, and to be my prayer warrior. She has grown weary of life itself.  The therapist says that her decision making skills have so deteriorated as to make her unsafe to be at home alone and they will be working to help her regain those.

Mom Holding Me as a Baby and Mom now.

Perhaps the natural progression of aging as was described in Ecclesiastes as the writer urges us to worship God in the days of our youth before "the days of trouble come."  My plan is to as soon as possible return for her.  Before I do, I must prepare her a safe place to live.  My hope is to bring her into my home again; but, I must face the reality that her decision making skills have so deteriorated that it may be necessary only to transfer her to a nursing home near me. Perhaps, I will be able to find a day care for her while I work.  Either way, I will bring near to me as soon as is possible.  I have no fear; because I know that God is with her.  After all, she was the one who taught me about Christ.  She gave me life and she

Continue reading A Dedication to Mom →

I must say that this past year and a half has been a major humbling experience.  Though I thought there was little pride left and that I was giving the Glory always to God; yet, there remained that thread of pride lurking within.  After all, I worked 60 to 70 hours per week despite health issues at times.  There was no more dedicated employee.  Besides which I took care of mom.  I tithed faithfully.  I always stood ready to help my children.  Indeed, I had helped girls from the jail to get on their feet (sometimes it seemed in vain and other less frequent times it seemed to change a life).  I am the first to hand over the dinner I am carrying home to the homeless on the street.  Surely, God saw all that I was doing and would bless me, so I could give more. Besides I started this ministry and am reaching forward to launch my speaking career as well.  So, what happened? 

photo courtesy of © istock

Everything began to crash in around me, as God ripped the last thread of pride from me.  As I now very willingly begin to let go of all the former treasures with one goal in mind–simple and humble living. The more I pack in preparation for this move, the more "things" I let go of.  I am humbled by all that my dear son, Alberto has done.  My pride would have never asked; but he saw the need and with no questions asked, he did so much.  What is God’s plan for tomorrow?  I do not know; but, I trust Him fully.  There is one thing I know for certain, I have been so blessed by God and His plan is the best.  So, in one week from now I start the new journey He has planned for this now humbled servant.  If you ever note a sound of pride in my voice or my words again, please tell me before it can again take root in my heart.  The following poem I wrote this week and hope you are blessed by it. 

Continue reading Threads of Pride Ripped From My Hands →

As we journey through this world as the pilgrims that we are, do we take the time to recognize the joy which is ours?  There are constant glimpses of the joy which we have because of our intimate relationship with God presented to us.  Do we see them and recognize the Holy Spirits work within us?  Sometimes it is a whispering peace in the center of our conflicts and at other moments it is an overpowering of joy found only because we recognize the significance of this Gospel of grace which we have been given.  That overflowing joy is more evident when we share it.  Not as sorrowful, mourning people.  God is a joyous, happy God pouring out His love and joy upon us.  We see and share the outpouring of that joy most in random acts of love and kindness. That is a way to shine forth His Joy further to a world who needs Him. Are you joyous over the fact that He chose you, He loved you, He sacrificed everything that you might be His child?  Is that not enough to make your heart sing?  Is that not enough to cause you to want to shout with joyous praise?  Is He not enough to fill your heart with joy?  Do you treasure Him as your greatest treasure? Let us look at two scriptures for further guidance.

photo used by permission Sarah Barba

God’s Love and Joy Displayed 

1 Timothy 1: 11“According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust."

John 15: 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

John Mason wrote the hymn My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord in 1694.  Three of the verses are as follows. 

My Soul doth magnify the Lord,

My spirit doth rejoice

In God my Savior and my God

I hear his joyful voice

I need not go abroad for joy,

Who have a feast at home;

My sighs are turned into songs,

The comforter is come

Down from above, the blessed dove

Is come into my breast

To witness God’s eternal love

This is my heavenly feast

So, my dear fellow pilgrim, Let me ask you these questions to ponder

1.  Do you recognize how joyously happy God is provide you Himself through the gospel of Christ?

2.  Do you feel the joy of the Holy Spirit rising within your spirit into a praise song for God?

3.  Are you sharing the Love and Joy of the gospel to others?  Remember joy begets joy. 

4. What sacrifice is too much, what counterfeit joy too alluring, or what earthly treasure so important to prevent you from spreading the Glorious Gospel of the Joyous God with what talents you have been given and in the place where God has placed you? – See more at: https://myglorytoglory.com/archives/155#sthash.58MlpyBj.dpuf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSluga0qQMg

© 2013 Effie Darlene Barba

Photo by Sarah Barba ©2013 used by written permission. Available at: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/i-do-sarah-barba.html

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any 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 regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

God’s Blessing to Me, My Children Three

I asked the Lord so long ago

To bless my soul, I didn’t know

He’d take me down to depths so low

Before I saw which way to go

His gift He gave in bundles three

That brought me tears and brought me glee

Each pain they felt tore deep in me

So oft I fell on bended knee

Nearer now to setting sun

I see the truth of what God has done

My daughter dear and my two sons

A gift of perfect love I’d won

Melissa, dear – a sweet sweet flower

Who serves with love – whatever hour

With grace and depth her love to shower

And to all near her strength empower

Alberto with bewitching smile

Bubbling joy he doth beguile

The world around to stay a while

To learn of Honor, Truth—his style

And Ron, my precious son doth stand

With justice, truth held in his hand

With mercy, love he doth command

A tower strong the winds withstand

So, as I looked upon these three

No greater gift could ever be

Such perfect love gave God to me

With thankful heart I shout with glee

He answered thus my soul’s plea

He blessed me with these wondrous three

His Glory to shine for me to see

Their lives reflecting Him to me.

Love Effie Darlene Barba

I had written and posted the above poem in 2010; but, this thanksgiving had to add the following verse. 

My name now changed, how could it be

For now I hear them shout Grammy

The count has grown from what was three

Cause  number four I soon shall see

So, now officially announced my fourth Grandchild will be another little girl. 

Psalm 103:

^“16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

¹⁷ But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

¹⁸ To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.”

Thank you, my heavenly Father for your wondrous gift of mercy and grace upon me.  So undeserving as I have been; your mercy and grace has extended to me.  What a wondrous promise, dear Lord that you will pass on your righteousness to these my grandchildren.  Keep me forever with my eyes upon you as my greatest treasure.  Let me always follow your voice to do what you would have me do.  By grace, You have saved me.  By grace, You will keep me.  By grace, You have brought each of my children into a saving knowledge of You. By grace, You will bring my grandchildren into a saving knowledge of You.  Beyond these three, Lord you placed within my life two stepsons.  One stepson knows You, Lord and one does not.  My prayer is that you open the eyes of his heart that He might see You.  Within the depths of my heart Lord, he is also my son.  I stand firm upon Your promise that one day, he will know You.  Thank you, Lord for who you are, for all that you so graciously hath poured out upon me, and for all that  You have planned for me in Future Grace.  Protect Mom, without whom I would have never known of You.  In the precious name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen

 

Have a very blessed and thankful Thanksgiving day.  If you need a song for today, maybe try this one.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K44trVhtZX4

© 2013 Effie Darlene Barba

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

This series has been about rejoicing and I know that for many of you the pain, the sorrows, and the suffering is so great that you might say impossible.  Others, put on an exterior of great joy, the life of the party.  Yet, when alone all the agony of your broken heart comes pouring in upon you.  Doubts and fears begin to flood your mind. Then you wonder if your own inability to rejoice, your trembling attempts at faith will prevent God from ever really blessing you.    Indeed, the journey of a pilgrim through a strange land has moments of deep despair.  Yet, when we fully understand and can say a resounding yes to the final two questions we can have peace even in the center of that sorrow. We can have a glimmer of hope, the tiniest sparkle of true joy deep within that heart so broken and afraid.  I am not talking about the frivolous merriment of a fool.  I mean a steady deep joy that rejoices in knowing that a Good, Omnipotent, Sovereign God loves me and has a perfect plan for my good.  He will keep all His promises to me.  He will give me the strength and wisdom needed for the journey. He has provided the grace to create me, the grace provided on the cross to save me, the daily grace that sustains me and the future grace which will always be present at the exact moment I need it every step of this journey.   We can have the peace of God which helps us to march forward in spite of the sorrow; in spite of the pain.  Like Paul,

2 Corinthians 6:

"7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."

 

It is this dichotomy of sorrow and yet joy that Christ Himself presented to us.

used Courtesy of © iStockphoto.com

There is no Prince that understands perfect Joy more than Christ and there is no person so filled with compassionate sorrow as He weeps over the lost of this world.  In His humanity none could have suffered more than He.  He, who was perfect righteousness had to bare the full wrath that sin demanded in payment for our sins while being rejected by the very ones He desired to save.  For a moment in time, He felt the ripping away of His very soul (the Father) and spirit (the Holy Spirit) while He (the body of the God head) hung alone upon that cross.  Yet, He knew the joy which would be His because He loved so much each of us who would accept His gift of love and future grace. Look at Hebrews 12: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

He is the author and the finisher of my faith.  So dear weary pilgrim do not lose heart.  Down in the very depth of your bleeding heart there is that flicker of joy, steadfastly secured in Christ. As we look once more at the verse in  Philippians 4:

Continue reading Rejoice-The Lord is At Hand (Part 4) Sorrow Filled Rejoicing–How? →