Monday, April 20, 2020

Return to Grace

Hey disclaimer time, if you are reading this, you know my blog is HIGHLY "religious". 
So, if you are easily offended, you might want to go find a blogger who is going to tickle your ears. Me...not so much. I'm going to tell you things straight up and from my perspective. 
Keep in mind that Jesus is the only perfect man to have ever walked the earth. 
My job here on earth is not to force you to accept Jesus but to tell how Jesus has changed my life.

Let me take you back to my origins. Every person has a story. I am no exception.
Once upon a time I was a good Christian girl. I have been saved well over 30 years. (Yes, I got the gold star) I attended church more often than some preachers. I have read through the bible cover to cover more times then I can count. I studied as hard as I could, took every online course available, took some bible school and mostly I dreamed of following in my mothers foot steps and prayed for her mantle to fall on me.
I love Jesus more then myself and you know what... I still fell and when I fell, I fell hard and fast. I was told by a "prophet" many years ago that I would fall and I would be alone and he was right and I totally disregarded him.

There came a time in my life where I didn't give a rats patootie about going to church. In fact, I honestly believed that I had lost my salvation. I don't believe in the fallacy of "Once saved, always saved". You can choose to walk away from God by your own freewill and give up your salvation.
I had enough of my wretched life.  See, I prayed for years and years for my life situation to change. It only got worse. 
I was for all intents and purpose, alone. My mom had died. I apparently had Postpartum depression, I attempted suicide twice, one time landing me in the loonie bin.
My brothers were all in the USA, I really had no family to lean on. It was perhaps the loneliest and darkest time for me. I honestly didn't think anyone cared. The 2 people I did tell gave me bull shit advice like "fake it till you make it" & "Be blameless"... I never made it and who else was to blame? I never prayed that people would changed, I prayed that God would change me so I could be more loving and obedient and hold on. 

Nothing changed. Nothing ever changed. I had enough and when I saw an opportunity to break away, I ran at it! I left my entire world behind except my kid. 

So I floundered for a few years. I have very little useful education. Little working skills. Divorced and penniless. I made huge mistakes along the way and as it turns out, I am really very good at making mistakes! Who knew! One of my many mistakes lead me away from church and I felt so dirty that I could not set face nor foot in church.

BUT GOD!

See, while I turned my back on Him, He never left me. Every step that I was taken, was well known to the all seeing, Omni Present God. I know I broke His heart. I know, like any father, that He just watched as I screwed up my life. But He never gave up on me. 
Thankfully, I have praying brothers.

I firmly believe that everything that happen during those years was God ordained even though I couldn't see it. Kind of like the book of Esther... You know God is all over it, but you never see Him. From my best friend giving my daughter and I a place to stay, to the man who just wouldn't let me be.
I wouldn't say things were perfect and nothing really fell into place. A lot of bad things happen along the way, but a lot more good came from it. I learned a new career for one thing, and the career allowed me to see so many things and experience life in a very unusual way.  I learned to drive a transport truck and I got to drive with my best friend and now husband, Ryan.

Ryan was the straw the broke this camels back. It was because of him I went back to church. I'm sure it's also because my brother Jason, who is best friend to Ryan now, pushed him...but I wouldn't have gone without Ryan pushing me and standing beside me.

I took him to a church my mom and I use to attend one day. It was up the road from our yard, and it was a small church so I figured it wouldn't be too overwhelming. 

We sat through service... and shockingly, I didn't catch fire like I thought I would. However, you know that God was in the sermon because it was direct right at me even though the pastor didn't know it.

After service, the pastor came up to me, he thought he recognized me but couldn't place the grown up I had become from the little girl he last saw... Little name dropping and the light bulb went on.

He open the can of worms accidentally... or God-tentionally... and I confessed my darkest sin openly for the first time, how badly I screwed up, we, screwed up. You know what, he shocked me. He told me never to go back to where I came from and to move ahead because God was waiting for me. He didn't condone my actions, but he actually acknowledge the very real pain I had been feeling for years. He brought me back to the Cross! To forgiveness and redemption!

I felt like I was finally going in the right direction again. I had a job, I had a purpose and most importantly I found forgiveness at the foot of the cross.

I am far from perfect. I will admit how stupid I have been. While I will never be able to change my past, I sure can learn from it. I know that I will forever be labeled by my stupidity. I know that God knew everything was going to happen the way it did, and I know that God brought Ryan to me.  2 badly broken hearts needing one another. We met back in high school... nearly 30yrs ago. Our histories and paths have always been crossing and we never even knew it. Always a block away it seems. 

Many people have prayed for us and I ask that many more do. We are starting over and life is difficult and sometimes overwhelming, BUT GOD has a plan for us and we both want to walk together in it.

To butcher quote Alice Cooper

"We are building a house of fire ...
We are building this house together...
Standing on solid ground"

That Solid Ground is a more stronger growing love for Jesus! Who though we stumbled held His nail pierced hand out for us and lifted us back to solid ground.  

If you feel that God is calling you, go back to Him. It is never too late to turn around to Him. Forgiveness is for everyone, not just church going perfect Christians, but for all of us who have fallen on our faces in the dirt. Like the prodigal son, we can return to our Father and not be disgraced anymore. No matter what the world calls us, God calls us SON. 

Signing off...

Mrs. Hood



TEN MIND BLOWING TRUTHS ABOUT CHRISTIANITY!




TEN MIND BLOWING TRUTHS ABOUT CHRISTIANITY!
By Bernedette Hood



My daughter who is 14 at the time of me writing this, has been really questioning her spirituality as of lately. I figured maybe it was her age or her friends or something that she read. Turns out it was something that she did read.
She forwarded me an article written by an American Psychologist called, and get this title: Evangelical Christianity’s Ten Biggest Mindf*cks. (Click that title to be taken to her article)

Classy eh.

As my daughter and I sat down and discussed this article together and using the WORD of God as my guide, I really noticed something very interesting about the authors tone and how her article came across to me. I am going to write this portion of my own article giving a response to these 10 statements. It all stemmed from my conversation with daughter.
SOOOOOO, you know the drill. This is my blog, my opinion, my thoughts and my unalienable right to say whatever I would like. I stand for the Faith of Jesus Christ! You don’t have to read my blog, and you are most certainly allowed to disagree, disregard or move on with your bad self at any time. I am not here to sugar coat anything for you. You have access to your bibles, go argue scripture with God.

1.      It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship
First and foremost, does it not break your heart to realize that people still haven’t a clue just how powerful the LOVE of Jesus really is!
Religion is the actions, it’s the rules, the rituals, the showing out, the outward signs and symbols.
Relationship is the deep heart to heart connection between you and your Saviour, Jesus. That feeling, that behaviour towards Him, those actions of love. It is inward, personal, intimate.
Relationship with God is a very special unique connection that you can’t just get with anyone. It goes beyond any dating experience you have ever felt. It goes far beyond any sexual intimacy you have ever felt. It is something that mere words can not describe. This a love between YOUR Creator, YOUR Saviour, YOUR Kinsman Redeemer!
No religious ceremony can even come close to this connection, this covenant cut in the Blood of Christ!


WHAT SETS JESUS APART FROM EVERY OTHER GOD
     IS GOD
      CLAIMED GODHEAD
    CAME TO EARTH FOR US
LIVED LIFE LIKE US
    EXPERIENCED LIFE LIKE US
   SERVED US
  LOVED US
     SUFFERED FOR US
    DIED FOR US
IS THE ONLY LIVING GOD!

Jesus is very much a real person! He has been written about for millennia! Hostile, extra biblical sources speak about Jesus! Click on the names and explore what they said about Jesus.
Thallus (52AD)
Tacitus (56-120AD)

Mara Bar-Serapion (70AD)
Phlegon (80-140AD)
Pliny the Younger (61-113AD)
Suetonius (69-140AD)
Lucian of Samosata: (115-200 A.D.)


Here is my question, if you can’t trust the bible and you can’t trust these writers, how than can we trust any historical book? Any book written about Hannibal or Alexander the Great or Ptolemy. How do we believe anything? Are we to cherry pick every historical text now? The bible is the most historically accurate book ever written and is even use today in the field of archaeology.
The author in her article states that the bible dictates what people are to believe, have you ever read, YOU MUST BELIEVE, or was it more like IF. If is good. IF is choice. The bible does not force you to pick it up and read it. It does not say convert or be killed (Quran does) It does not force you to believe the truth. It simply says IF. God will not force you to follow Him. He will offer you an invitation, but He isn’t going to send no whale on land to suck you up and spit you out once you believe. That was for Jonah and him alone. 

Heb 11:6, Rom 8:34, 2 Chron 7:14, Heb 4:16, Luke 11:9 
(Scroll down when you are taken over to biblegateway.com to see all the scriptures)

You know God doesn’t like that. He is a gentleman; He isn’t going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. You are free to live your life any way you want to live and by any means you so desire. Whether you choose to follow Him or not is 100% up to you to live your life, GOOD, BAD or INDIFFERENT. Just remember that no matter what you do, there will always be a consequence to your choice.
I will never understand why anyone would not want Jesus. His gift of Salvation was through His own suffering, death and resurrection! I don’t see Buddha on a cross or Mohammad. Remember John 3:16!

2.      OLD TESTAMENT  
Firstly, THANK YOU JESUS YOU CAME TO FULFILL THE LAW!
The Law is still here. Jesus didn’t abolish it, He left it here but His blood fulfilled everything in that law. That Law shows all of us just how woefully evil and low humanity (me, You, Her) truly are. The Law shows us how inadequate we humans are and how desperately we need JESUS! We could not possibly measure ourselves up against the Law! Jesus could! Jesus’s shed blood at Calvary cleansed ever believer and redeemed us from THE CURSE OF THE LAW! Now we have Jesus, who knew even before we were how we could never measure up to the Law. He stands firmly between the Old Testament (Old Covenant) and the New Testament (New Covenant). The New Covenant, covered and cut in His precious blood that makes us innocent of all charges and sins before God the Father! Trust me, I need it! If you knew how many of the 10 commandments I have broken, you know, I needed a Saviour!


Just a reminder that Laws are made to guide you. It’s pretty sad that God had to write in Stone “THOU SHALT NOT MURDER”. Without law there is chaos. With God there is Order.

3.      YES, NO, MAYBE (Prayer)
Prayer is a very private and personal experience with people and God and YES there are times that God does not give us the answer we want and yes there are times we feel that God is ignoring us. He isn’t. He has heard.

Thing is, we are so self-centred that we only look at the times we believe that our prayers were not answered verse the great many times that they were.  Have you ever stopped and looked back at all the times God answered your prayers spoken and unspoken?

For me, my husband coming home every week from a long haul, safe and unharmed. Being paid on time, having unexpected cheques showing up in the mail, having someone buy me a coffee, having someone invite me for dinner, walking away from a head on collision, my daughter being born perfect and healthy! So much that God does for you and you didn’t even have to ask!
In 1981, my brother was killed in a motor vehicle accident. He was 18. I know a lot of people immediately blame God for his death. But consider this: Isaiah 57: 1 THE RIGHTEOUS PERISH AND NO MAN LAYETH IT TO HEART: AND MERCIFUL MEN ARE TAKEN AWAY, NONE CONSIDERING THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE EVIL TO COME.
  
King Hezekiah was on his death bed. He was sick, he was dying, he was crying. He was told by the prophet Isaiah to get ready to die but Hezekiah cried out to God and God gave him another 15 years. Those 15 years turned out to be the worst 15 years for Hezekiah. His death would have prevented a whole string of bad events.  Death is not a thing to be feared! Jesus has overcome the grave! 

Next, God, like any good parent knows what is best for you and when you make your request known to Him, He weighs it out like any good father and looks to see whether is will be beneficial to you or detrimental. Did it occur to you that maybe what you are asking for could potentially harm you? Trust God, He will give you what you need!

4.      Be Selfless for your own sake
This baffles my mind. Why on earth would this be a BIGGEST MINDF*CK??? Being a servant keeps you humble, it keeps you focused, it helps you see others before you see yourself. It is a good thing. I would assume that being humble and kind would be a great attribute!

Gal 5:22-23, 1 John 4:8, Rom 3:10, James 4:6, Ps 25:9, James 4:10

5.      Christianity is Humble
First, the scripture she misquoted here is “Pride goes before DESTRUCTION…”. So, with that right there, can anyone tell why HUMILITY is a must?
Walking in pride destroys your witness. Pride ruins your goals and is most unhelpful. A prideful arrogant person is someone you never want to be around. They are the ones who argue everything and anything to their benefit. They can suck the happy out of anyone. 


Who needs Jesus when you can save yourself?

6.      Christianity isn’t Sexist…blah blah blah

Ugh. Why is this even a thing anymore. Seriously? Wrap your minds around this ladies; here is a fact: the world we live in today IS NOT the world God had intended for us! But because of sin, things changed! In todays world, gender roles are so far beyond messed up that a “PERSON” born with a PENIS is a GIRL!?

God’s perfect world, is NOT what we are living in today or yesteryear either. In the world to come, and thank the Lord we have this hope! When this old earth passes away, so does all the sin and filth! In the next world, do you realize there will be no more marriage!

Basic biology before we go deeper: Gen 1:28 God makes a command to Adam and his wife Eve to be fruitful and multiple. The LGBT read Adam and Steve or Lydia and Eve… Neither of those two couples can keep the command of the LORD to be fruitful and multiple. God need a male and female to increase our numbers! That is nature, that is simple biology, and science fact. You need a living sperm from a man and an egg from a woman to make the most beautiful creation, a child.  I’m sorry to say that God did not create man for man or woman for woman but man for woman and woman for man. It is the natural order of things. Now if you are of the LGBT… persuasion, does this mean God hates you? NO! NO! AND DOUBLE NO!!!!!!!! God loves all His children; He just doesn’t like your sin but here is a kicker, He doesn’t like mine either. So now we have choices to make. Do we continue in our sins or do we not? That is free will which we will address later.

Now moving along her comments, we see that she thinks women are underdogs in the bible. I guess she has over looked virtually every society, culture out there that has ever made a woman a second-class citizen! There are 2 different societies, a matriarchy or a patriarchy and I’m gonna let you guess how things roll in those two towns. I wondered if the author has taken a look at modern day China that kills most of the female children born. So much so, that the men out number the women! In Iran, women are treated less than animals and ritually murder them, but shhhhhh we must attack the history of Jews! 

I’m looking at my lovely daughter planted on the couch, wearing her pj’s and playing some weird stone game on her phone thinking to myself, how blessed is she that God chose me to be her mom! Could you imagine had she been conceived in a Chinese woman’s womb? She has a higher risk of death with her than with me. She could have been born to an Iranian woman and sold at the age of 7 to an old pervert! But no! She is my daughter and gosh darn the horrible God I serve made her a Canadian!? Evil!!!! EVIL!!! Sorry, I just found that her comments were a whole lot “Helmet special”. The author is so blessed to have been born to a Christian family in the USA and has had the benefit of being educated, and loved and cared for while so many other women will NEVER know what our kind of Freedom really is, but the author wants to harp on fallible male thinking.

I live outside ancient history, I live outside of biblical history, but here is a really cool thing, I get to know these ancient societies and I get to learn about the lives of many people who would otherwise be forgotten to history. Eve, the first woman, the giver of life, my mother. Deborah, a might wise woman. Ruth, an obedient servant, Mary, mother of Jesus. Bernedette (me), Daughter of the KING!
Ps 68:11 tells me that God is speaking to women and guess what? While the men are tending the folks at the church, you and I are to SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL!!! We are not locked down to a church ladies, we can tell everyone who will listen, man, woman or child, the good news of Jesus and point them back to a church where they can be taught and grow in faith and go out and make more disciples for Christ! I don’t care if I ever speak in a church, I’m groovy if I do, groovy if I don’t, I’m speaking you right now from the comfort of my own living room with my hair up and my green plaid pj’s and Hamilton Tigercats sweat shirt on!!!

7.      Believe and be saved

Going all the way back to the first point, you have a choice. It is 100% up to you to lead your own your life! As I see it, I simply can not fathom how anyone would not want to have a relationship with God! As my favourite evangelist said and let me quote this in caps ladies “WHAT IN HELL DO YOU NEED?” Why would you not take the free gift of salvation? It costs you a lot less than it did Jesus!

Here is the catch though, believing in God makes you accountable to someone greater than you. It takes the focus off you, makes you HUMBLE, breaks your bondages and brings you order in your chaos. Who would not want that?

Peace? Contentment? Accountability? Order? Humility? Love? Relationship? VICTORY???
I was sold at PEACE!!!

What I have noticed, people are far to comfortable in their misery. They like victim-hood and chaos. They want an excuse like the other of the article to walk in offense! They like to feel like they have been wronged by the whole entire church as a collective and look down their prideful noses and revel in their pseudo intellectual bull pucky. The author, right from the first letter of her obscene title article, I knew even before reading that this lady had a whole world of hurt from church and family! Even before I read her credentials I knew she was a secular humanist and there for her article would be nothing more than a good old fashion once over boot licking of Christianity. See, instead of taking her hurt to the foot of the cross she allowed for that hurt to fester and grow in her heart. It’s far easier to walk in offense than it is for forgiveness. 

Lady, the person who hurt you was WRONG! I am here to tell you that they were sent by the enemy as a wolf in sheep’s cloths to destroy your walk with the LORD and so far they have won that battle, but the war is no where near over for you! People like these wolves go into churches and like the devil, seek to find those they can devour. This article screams HURT! Lady, you have to know, GOD DID NOT HURT YOU, The weak willed peon of the devil did. They allowed the devil to use them to abuse you.

8.      God loves you and he’ll send you to hell
Nope. That choice is 100% on you. God created Hell for the devil and his angels, not for people.
God wants everyone to coming to saving, redeeming knowledge of Jesus. This is precisely WHY He sent His Son, part of Him to earth, to die for you so that you had a choice to go which ever way you decide. God will love you through all eternity, you just didn’t love Him!


9.      Free Choice under Duress
Remember I said we would address freewill? Remember it was Jesus’s FREEWILL that keep Him nailed to that cross! Jesus exercised His freewill by willingly dying an extremely horrific death, knowing that His sacrifice would bridge the gap for you to cross over into abundant life!
See, had Jesus chose not to go willing to the slaughter, your sins would be counted against you! You are worthy death my friend! So am I.

Mohammad did not die for his followers, Buddha did not die for his followers, but Jesus did!
The difference in Christianity, God loved us so much that He made the way for us to be blameless before in Jesus. 

If you had to die for someone, could you die for someone that hurt you?

10.  Lean not on your own understanding

Let me nutshell this one for ya: LOCK DOORS KEEP HONEST PEOPLE HONEST.
The bible tells us clearly that man’s natural thoughts are evil! Why? SIN!!! Before we became born again, we were of our father, the devil who is nothing more than a lying, thieving, rattle snake, and so were we.


The author of this obscenely title article is a psychologist, who no doubt had to study and learn her occupation from a bunch of different teachers. Each one of her teachers taught her something and she had to learn from opinions, develop her thinking and reasoning from many, many sources. I am willing to bet she probably read more books on behavioural sciences then I have driven backwards uphill and yet she clearly over looks the most obvious fact that God – Jesus – Holy Spirit – Bible are the best teachers around. 

The bible is more than just a book of do’s and don’ts, it is a book written to guide you through your life. When you are learning anything for any vocation, the best way is to learn from someone with more experience than you. Who do you know who has infinite wisdom and understanding? What ALL KNOWING, ALL SEEING, EVER PRESENT GOD could ever possibly know something more than you, who wants to love you and all he asks is for your love in return? That’s some deal.
When you bring God’s thoughts into your own thoughts, that little pixel you have been fixated on becomes part of a bigger and better picture! What the author fails to realize is that Life with God is so much better than life without God! 

Can you imagine how much more productive a psychologist could be if she aligned her thoughts with the Lords?

Today ladies, why don’t you ask for the Lord to impart to you, wisdom and revelations! Ask Him to share with you something new that you have never known! 









Friday, March 20, 2020

The Second Time Bride!

Welcome to my blog! Usual rules apply. My blog, my thoughts, your opinions are not necessary. This blog was written by both my husband and I! We hope you are inspired by our story.

Now...Introducing Mr & Mrs Hood

This Second time bride finally found out what it really means to love someone selflessly.

Our Story began back in 1991, I was a Jr and Ryan, a Sr. He was into every sport imaginable. He would walk me home from school, even though I lived literally across town and he 2 blocks from the school. I think he just like my mom's spaghetti.

We hung out at a friends place as I was not allowed to be alone with him or any boy for that matter.

He finally gained enough courage to ask me on a date. I was 14, he was 17 turning 18 in July, so the obvious answer was NO. My mother wouldn't let me go. I begged and I begged and found a compromise, mom got to come as chaperon and driver. I was so happy! I was going to see the Christian Comedian Mike Warnke with Ryan!

So a few days before, doesn't Ryan cancel. He forgot to take time off. I ended up having to go to the show with my mom and a friend. I was bummed for sure and kind of upset too. I had to beg and plead and offer my first born to go on a date that I never got to go on.

Things get foggy in my mind from there... I remember school ending and signing years books and than everyone and everything fading into history.

Fast Forward to 2010

Life was up and down. My mom had passed away in 2004, I got married a month later, had my daughter in 2005 and moved to Alberta in 2010. I had just open my facebook account and low and behold one of my first friends! RYAN!!!

As funny as it was, he was a trucker and just so happen to be in the same town as me running a load through! So I invited him over to meet my family. We spent the evening catching up and I really hate to say it, but I knew right then, I still had a spark in my heart for him. He left that evening and went back to his world and I to mine.

About 5 years later, and a failed marriage under my belt, I found myself back home in Ontario. I was visiting my father who had developed Alzheimer and was staying with a friend while I got back on my feet. Little did I know that Ryan was going through his own personal nightmare, which ended in a divorce for him too. I find it interesting that we would run across each others paths at the moment when we needed each other most. 

Disclaimer Here... a do as I say not as I do moment! 

I believe with all my heart that God brought us together and many others have confirmed it. While the timing was crappy, and previous marriages had ended and things weren't perfect and we didn't do things the way we ought, we both recognize God had His hand in our lives. 

The best part of being with God is His salvation for our stupidity. Isn't it good to know that God already knew what you were going to do even before you managed to do something and screw it up! However, just because we messed up big time does not mean you are exempt from God's laws anymore than we were. True repentance is key to God's forgiveness.

We started working together, and spent nearly 2 years 24-7 together in a transport truck. All that time growing and learning about each other. We saw our world together and it was the best 2 years of our lives. There was so much peace and contentment. So much so, that when his divorce was finalized a few months after my own and 3 years after reuniting, we got married on February 15th 2019! The same day my mom and dad married nearly 47 years ago and it was both their second marriage too!!!

So, the questions has been asked.

What is it like now that we are officially married?

It's been year and a month and I love being married now. I love how it feels. It's much more different than my "trainer husband", you know round one, because we are different in every way. I feel that I truly married a man who's soul is the same as mine. After spending 2 years together, and not wanting to kill him, I know that we have a great chance at making it. The stats are against us. But GOD is For us!!!


What's the biggest difference?

I feel that Ryan and I are both on the same page. I won't tarnish my ex, but lets just say, we had different books altogether.

The bible says how can two walk together if  they do not agree? Amos 3:3
and Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Cor 6:14

Compatibility is a must. I once told a lady who was contemplating divorce but wanted to save her marriage the following:

You must put your man first, no matter how annoying the request feels to you, how disruptive the request is to what you are doing, you must make him feel like he is a king and you must respect him above all else including your children. 

And being friends with the husband I gave him this advice:  

You must put your woman first, no matter how annoying the request feels to you, how disruptive the request is to what you are doing, you must make her feel like she is a queen and you must love her above all else including your children.  

 They couldn't. they eventually divorced.

See a man does not need love like a woman, he needs to be respected and treated like a king and a leader and she, she needs to know she is loved and protected. Because man was made for woman and woman for man.

Ryan makes me feel loved and shows me love and even more, he loves my daughter, so in turn, I respect him and I show him that by letting him lead our family.

 Plans for our future

Only God knows the road we are walking on, and I am just humbled and blessed that I have Ryan and my daughter to walk with.

Ryan said that he is looking forward to our future and building lasting relationships with all our family. 

With Gid as the pillar of our family we can weather any storm. Standing on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ is a must.

Everyday, make it a point to say loving and encouraging words to one another even if you are grumpy and snarky.  A kind word turns away anger...

Good Night folks!

Ryan and Bernie






 

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

I Love To Tell The Story

My blog...my rules.

I'm on a long drive up some by gone highway that I haven't travelled in a long time. My husband Ryan, is playing some old time gospel music. The music takes my mind back to when I was a little girl.

I am a pastor kid, my life was spent at innumerable church meetings and tent crusades. Listening to these hymns, I can almost hear my mom singing along...almost. Mother's day has just past. I am missing her. It's been over a decade since I heard her voice, heard her sing.

My best crusade memory is being in a time and a place where everyone was happy and all singing their hearts out to God. Both men and women! I imagine, it is like hearing angels sing.

Time seems to stop when you are in the moments of praise and worship. Especially, when you are all in, when you close your eyes to everyone else around you.

When you finally let yourself be enveloped by the music and the atmosphere around you is beyond peaceful. Where you don't have a care in the world and your neighbour fades away with the melody. You feel as if you could just float right out of your mortalness into the arms of Jesus Himself.

🎶What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see!
When I look upon His face the one who saved me by His grace 
When He takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land. What a day, glorious day that will be!

You leave feeling more alive, more intune with God and have hope.

My mom, was born in 1939. She attended many revival services too, she grew up at the peak of the Pentecostal movement. She often reminisce about the tent services and how people left feeling so full of hope. Seems like hope is a long time gone.

HOPE! That is what this world is missing out on. The Hope of Jesus and the love and peace that can only come through Him.

People today are more worried about their popularity and fan base that they live lives that have so very little meaning and superficial. Lots end up in early graves, think of Marilyn Monroe.

The pursuit of power, fame, fortune is not new but it seems to be more important in our era of humanity. 

🎶Turn you eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

Folks, if you read this far, I hope you will take some time now, and just sing a hymn of praise and Thanksgiving to God.

You can't stay upset when you have a song in your heart for Jesus.