MOST GRACIOUS LORD

Kind and loving Father,You have blessed us with this special event today,in the coming together in marriage, of our son George, and his intended Melissa, at the Old Sheldon Church.
Father, we invoke thy blessing upon this couple as they seek to grow together as a couple, and raise her precious children to learn of Your precepts and Your love. Please help them to never forget You in this marriage Lord, and may their marriage stand as firm as the Old Sheldon Church, has stood the test of fire and destruction,Lord.
Be thou their guardian,guide and stay, as they start this life together,Father, and help them to always seek You first in everything that they may do.
Thank You for this special day,my Precious Lord, as I ask these things with thanksgiving in my heart,Most Gracious God,amen.....
Becky

A CONCERT AND A SOLO!

I noticed an ad on TV today, telling of the human body, having "6o trillion cells in it, all working in concert for you to move, but that each of them were a vital part of the other."
In the same way, we as the body of Christ, are to be many people for Christ, all working together,but, individually, each one of us, are vital to God's wonderous Kingdom....
A concert and a solo,all in one!
Becky

RAYS FROG FARM

Several people have ask me to try and recall this journey from several years ago,so I will try......


When I was growing up,my brother Michael,had a frog farm, which he named "Ray's Frog Farm". It was on the other side of highway 441, next to the RXR tracks, and Lake Dora.
It was cool to watch those little tadpoles , as they began their growth into small frogs.
It was remarkable,to think that something so smooth, with one tail could end up with four legs and bumps all over it!(Our God is quite creative,isn't He?)
God does that same thing with us. He takes us from a tiny, new born baby Christian, and allows us to grow into the new creatures He would have us become, when we come to know His Son,Jesus Christ!
When my brother found these creatures,they were tadpoles, and he saw them change into Frogs!
When we first saw Jesus, we were babies too, but He changed us into brand new people!
Hopefully, we won't grow 4 legs and have bumps all over us, but one thing's for sure, we can become some pretty amazing new creations just by allowing Jesus to change us!
Becky

BECOME PLUGGED UP!

The room inwhich David and I stayed in Aiken,had a nightstand next to the bed.I always like to read, before I go to bed, so I was trying to turn the light switch on, but it wouldn't budge!
I pushed! I turned! I twisted! Nothing worked..... David tried the switches over near the main door, but they didn't work either! He even tried to change the light bulbs, but still no lights! He finally pulled the stand out, away from the wall, and noticed that the cord had become dislodged from the socket!
Ofcourse I wouldn't get any light, if it wasn't plugged into the main source!
It's the same way, with us as Christians. If we don't stay plugged into God's word, we won't stand long without knowing His precepts.. We won't shine with His character and love, for others to see how truly wonderful this Living God of ours, really is!
Becky

ALL I NEED

May Your ways become my ways,Lord....
Reach into my heart, and change my desires, so that they seek after You, and what You so desire.
May my heart pant after Your precepts, as the deer pants after water.You are my sunrise and my sunset,Lord.You are my portion forever and all I ever need.
Stay by my side,dear Lord, and hold me close.
You are my everything, and all I need.
Becky

HOW 'BOUT YOU?

This was so special tonight. David and I met up at the home of Becky and Jeffry Reynolds,in Aiken, as they hosted a lovely engagement party for our daughter,Kelly and her fiance',Josh Crouch. We met his parents, and a delightful Grandfather, along with all the wedding party.
Such a treat to be given such royalty, along with tasting her ham biscuits; salmon; crab cakes; tenderloin kabobs; fruit, and the most delicious cake you have ever tasted in your life!
Such a lovely feast of friendships for me to behold. It was so warming to my heart to see my daughter welcomed in such a manner, but as much as I enjoyed this feast, it will pale in comparison,one day, when we see the Wedding Feast of The Lamb!
Won't that really be something?
I'm ready for it......How about you?
Becky

CHARLES ATLAS

I remember as a little girl,seeing a picture of Atlas. He was always holding up a replica of the world. I'm sure that's where we got the name for our looking up things in an "Atlas".
For the life of me,though,I can't imagine our world being held up, without the word of God!
Becky

BE A VESSEL

As a little girl,I began collecting tea cups, and I still have them, with me today. I had a delicate little blue one,w ith a rose on it, that I used for my hot tea, while a dusty pale blue one with soft white leaves on it, are on the one,that I used for my hot cocoa! I used different ones for different things. Infact, for almost everything I serve,I will try to use a different container to serve from....
If I'm serving a fine Christmas dinner,I will use my best china and silver;If I'm on a picnic,I will probably use some paper, or plastic plates. I might pour tea from a Tupperware pitcher, or a silver tea pot, depending on what situation I'm using it for!
In truth, the Christian, is also suppose to be a vessel for God's word, and He will use all types of vessel's for all kinds of situations.....
Sometimes He will use us in the "elegant" times, but more often than not, He will use us in the "everyday" times.........He will definitely use us though,if we let Him!
He will fill you up, whether you are a Tupperware pitcher or a silver pitcher, and He will pour you out, if you will let Him!
I love being a vessel for my Lord, so when I get up in the morning,I try to make my vessel look as nice as it can be. This way He can use me, when He's ready! If it's a silver pitcher day;I polish her up! If it's a Tupperware pitcher day,I give her a shot of Windex!
Becky

CHOOSE LIFE

O My Lord,I ponder how Your hands have fashioned me before the world was even formed, and You have knit me together in my Mother's womb......
It leaves me speechless,Lord, when I think how very much You must have loved me when You formed me. Because of the love within You, I have life Eternal.
You know I am but a weak vessel,fashioned by Your hands,dear Lord, and yet You continue to love me more every day. Thank You, that we may trust in You, even though we are in pain.
For with You, we won't be as the tree that is cut down in its prime, and destroyed.
No, with You, we may be severed, but we will grow again and produce a more abundant, and a Gloriously Eternal life with You,our King.....
Becky

PARTY TIME

This is going to be an exciting weekend for David and me,folks! We are driving to Aiken, where some friends are hosting an engagement party for our daughter, Kelly & her fiance', Josh Crouch. We are meeting Josh's Mother and Father and the rest of the wedding party, so this should be quite an event for us.Even though there are lots of details that need attention, I whole heartidly approve of Kelly's philosophy concerning her upcoming September wedding.She has reminded me, that she is not working on a wedding; She is working on her marriage! I liked that!
If more of us took that to heart, we wouldn't be supporting the divorce courts. Our Lord has been the director of this whole affair, so it should be an exciting event this weekend.I will have quite a journey to share after I return, and after I turn 61, with my two dear friends,Beth and Phyllis,on Monday! :p)
Becky

NOTHING COULD BE FINIER........

There is nothing nicer, than to wake up, early in the morning, listening to my music on The Light, and hear "Jesus I Thank You"........"Thank You for loving and setting me free."
Oh,how nice that is to sing to my Lord while it's still dark, and it's just Him and me.
I just love You so,Lord.
I can't read early in the morning, but I can surely sing my heart out to my Lord.......

ONE,WITHOUT THE OTHER

The Palmetto Preswic hold's a retreat up in Ridge Haven, NC., in October every year, and many of the ladies from my former church,New Covenant PresbyterianChurch(PCA), were attending, especially when they found out who the speaker was..... They had invited the daughter of Elisabeth Elliott to be the guest speaker. Well, she called, and told us, that the only way she could come, was if her Mother could come too!
Talk about an opportunity!.....Woo Hoo! Did we ever say "YES"!
To have Elisabeth Elliott speak in person was the highlight of my retreat days! If you wanted the daughter,you had to take the Mother!
Accepting God, is kinda like that too!
Jesus told us in His word, that if we have seen and believed in Him, then we have seen the Father.
Accept the Son, and you accept the Father!
You can't have one, without the other......
Becky

WHAT A BOUQUET

MY Grandmother Bouterse had an Amaryllis Lilly growing outside her trailer, when I was a little girl, along with a Plumeria(The Hawaiian Frangi Pani flower) . Both plants had been transplanted to my Mother's house in Mount Dora, and to my home in Aiken, but are now here in Beaufort with me.
It took 14 years for the Frangi Pani to re-bloom in Aiken, but it finally did, and it has bloomed regularly ever since.The Amaryllis continues to bloom away.
Just like these plants were transplanted for me, so we are transplanted as children of the "Living God" He plants us where He wants us to start out, and when He's ready, He will "dig us up", and "transplant us" into another area.That's often the hard part for us, because we don't always want to go......
If we let Him shower us with His bountiful blessings, and His words of Grace and Mercy,always doing things His way, we will become the most beautiful bouquet in the garden, because we will be reflecting God's Glorious Grace and Beauty.....
Becky

ALL ABOUT TEACHING

Now this is what teaching school should be all about!
Many of you know that I went back to Aiken,this past week, for a teachers reunion/brunch.
What a treat! There were teachers that I hadn't seen since 1975.....Mary was in her 80's, and had been a 2nd grade teacher when I started out at Mead Hall.
We all convened at Hazel's house, as she had been the secretary for a good number of those years. Lots of hugs and fellowship started out our morning,last Valentine's Day, and it definitely was about loving each other! We caught up on all the latest news, and what everyuone had been doing in the past several years......Such love!
This was an Episcopal Church School, and we took the teaching of Christ's love quite seriously, in all of the classes. Physical Eductaion was important to me,but I usually found a way to incorporate God, or His principles, into my classes somehow! The other teachers did too!
I think that's why they were so special. They loved the Lord, and it showed.
Christ gave them a talent and they were using it to His Glory, and I like to think, that because of them, there are probably lots of little "believers by example" running around today.
That's what teaching is all about!
Becky

THE CROSS

This morning,........realy early......Nellah and I were talking about how neat our Lord was, and this was before I had even gotten up and gotten dressed, which I NEVER do,for anybody!
Well, as we were talking I was standing over near the breakfront, which houses the telephone.As I stood there,I was looking over towards the kitchen area, at the blinds on the windows. They were partially closed, filtering in just a tad bit of morning sunlight.
God chose this precise moment to send us His litttle love letter to both of us, using the morning sunshine as His carrier. The measuring cup stand was sitting right in front of the blinds, and as the sun filtered through, from where we stood, the stand turned into the image of a cross! It was awesome, folks!If you walked up close to it, or changed positions,it wouldn't be the same.
Only from that point was it the cross!
His message was proudly displayed!
What a lovely letter to the two of us, this morning!
The cross everywhere!
Our Lord everywhere!
Woo Hoo!
You better believe I'll be up again in the morning!
Becky

**I did see it the next morning and took a picture with my cell phone!

NO "SUN"BURN HERE

Cathy and Harriett walked on the beach together today, while I sat up on the deck, in the sunshine. They shared special memories of their late husbands, and it was so sweet.
I relished in the comfort of the healing rays of the sun, as its warmth just penetrated my every fiber!
I had to smile, because it's just like God to have His penetrating love radiate from above, falling gently down on these two special friends, who are missing a special part of their lives right now.
He sends down his radiating and comforting love in the most amazing ways.
I got a little "sunburn" sitting on the deck!
They got a "Sonburn" walking on the beach!
Becky

A MIGHTY FORTESS

What a wonderful hymn, but the words are even better..... " A Mighty Fortress is our God;a bulwark never failing."

Dear Father,please be such a protection for our servicemen as they stand guard for our country.
Go before them, and guide their footsteps, as they stand for freedom.
Walk beside them, when the evil one attempts to thwart their endeavors for the cause of justice .
Stand at their backs, Gracious Lord, and keep them standing firm in Your word. March them forward with You in the lead, keeping their hearts focused on You, for we know that with the protection and shelter of Your Holy word,Lord, the evil one cannot prevail.
Enable them to acomplish their missions for freedom that will uphold Your land.
The land that still wants You in its country as Lord and Master.

WHEN THE SPARROW FALLS

I shall wait upon thee sweet Lord, to see what You have in store for me. You have formed the very stars in the universe and called them by name, and even know when the tiny Sparrow falls.Lord, you have placed even the grains of sand upon the beaches, and know their numbers. How much more, must I wait to see where You will take me,O God, in this magnificent planet called Earth?

FOR YOU WITH LOVE

My dear Lord God,I come to You, this most special of all days, to thank You for creating this special day, when we celebrate the bond between sweethearts;friends, and husbands and wives.
Thank You,Lord, for giving us each other, this Valentines Day.....
Please give us an extra measure of Your love for those who are special to us at this time, Sweet Abba Father. On this day, when our hearts beat with so much passion for You, and our joy in one another, please keep us devoted to each other, as well as You,Lord. Strengthen our character, by the building of our lives together, and may they be built on Your word, and solidly grounded on You and Your precepts. May You protect each of us in this relationship, and remind us that we are all Your workmanship, as we express a loving devotion and concern, for each other and for You this Valentines Day.
Kisses from Becky & her sweetie.......

INHABIT ME

Your word says You will inhabit the praise of Your people,O Lord, so while I am in this dark place, and amidst these dark times,I will sing forth praise unto You. You will be my rock and redeemer, and my very present help in times of trouble, sweet Lord, so stay close by me and guide my footsteps, allowing the fragrant aroma of my love for You, to drift Heavenward into Your Glory.

CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?

As I drove over the bridge to Edisto,today,I had to drive through the thickest patch of fog,I have ever seen! I literally couldn't see through it,to the other side of the bridge.I had to trust that I was gonna come out in the clear, even though, at the time,it honestly didn't look like it!
Believing in our Lord is pretty much the same way,folks....
We know that he's there, even though we can't see Him.
We're trusting in His promises, even though we can't see them either......and that's what's so neat.
If we just march on into life.....trusting.....He will be there for us.
His word says so! That's one thing you can bank on too!
God doesn't lie....He can't lie! He doesn't know how.Our lives may be thick with the fog of confusion or doubt,or many other things, but our God can clear it up in a skinny minute, if we will focus on Him!
We'll be in the clear if we do!
Becky

FAITH

Father, why can't people see how easy it is, to have faith in You?
Why can't they see You for who You are ?
You have given me an extra measure of faith,I know, and that's okay, but for some , faith seems to be hard to to get a handle on.
Father,please take the hearts of these precious people and mold them unto You! It's so easy for me,Lord, but I know it's not for everyone.
I don't understand why not,just like they don't understand why it is so easy for me. Help me to be patient with their feeling this way,Lord, because it is a wonderful place to be.

HOLY SPIRIT

When I was a little girl,my brothers had a cool whistle, which I also learned to do. This was learned,incase we ever needed to get the attention of one another,or needed help.
(I never met another female who could whistle like this,until I met Sandy either!)
When I was around 13,I went to Disneyland,I became separated from my family, so I whistled, hoping to get their attention. My brother whistled back, until we found each other!
At Disneyland, this was quite a fete too!
I would recognize that whistle anywhere.....
When Jesus left this world, He left the disciples with the third person of the trinity,.......... the Holy Spirit. This was a reminder of Him, and the disciples recognized His voice and His word.It was just as if Jesus was there in person, giving them His gentle nudgings .
He does this for us today too.
If we stay in scripture, we are knowing our Jesus in an intimate way.
When we hear that gentle nudging,or that voice, we can be sure if it is the Holy Spirit speaking,or not.
If it's the same as God's word, then it probably is!
Becky

COOL!

I'm lying here in bed tonight listening to Fernando Ortega singing, and all of a sudden it hit me!
I will get to spend an eternity with him, and all those other wonderful artists who sing so gloriously to, and about, our awesome Lord!
....."and worship Him in humbleness.....O praise Him.....Hallelujah!"
Oh what a treat for my soul,folks!
Anthony Burger; Chris Rice;The Gaithers.....Oh so many wonderful singers to hear and they will all be in Heaven singing to our Lord and we will get to hear them all the time.....and not even have to pay a thing either!
Our Lord payed it all!
Are we ever gonna have a wonderful time!
It just doesn't get any better than this......
On this side of Heaven, that is!
Becky

life$saver

As a little girl,growing up with Epilepsy,I always felt a little different, and set apart. When playing on the school playground,I always had to have someone nearby, who would watch out for me, incase I had a "spell" while swinging. Even when I was in junior high school, and we had our swimming classes,I always had to have another parent drive up to the school, and watch me swim during class, just incase something happened while I was under the water!
This was a most embarassing time for me growing up, but I could always count on them being there for me!
The same is true today of our Heavenly Father.....
He has set us apart, for His Kingdom, and He has told us in His word, that He will never forsake us.....
and He never will!
Wherever we go,He is there!
There is no trouble too small, or too big, that He can't take on...
and win!
I don't worry about falling off swings anymore, because my God will just pick me up and push me off again, and if I'm under water,He'll be right there as my lifesaver!
Becky

LOVE LETTERS

When Daddy was in the service, back during the war, he was stationed in Minnesota, so naturally,when I was growing up I thought the war was in Minnesota! He would send letters home to "Those Ray Kids % Mount Dora,Florida, and they would get to us. He drew these elaborate,wonderful pictures on the front of the envelope and the postman always knew where to deliver them....even without a zip code!
After Daddy died,in 2000, at age 90, his wife,Jean gave me a laminated sheet of all those envelopes, because she knew how special they were to me.
Oh did they ever touch my heart folks!
God has done this same thing for us. He has sent His very own collection of His love letters straight to our heart. They are a collection of His very best letters all collected and inspired from His Holy word......
It's even in a bound book form, too, called The Bible!
If there were a fire, my laminated sheet would melt,but the Word of God, will never die!.........Woo Hoo!
Becky








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THE PERFECT PLAN

I loved going into Daddy's den, as a child, and watching him draw up plans for the houses he was building. I didn't stay long, because it took him forever to finish one house plan, and I didn't have much patience then.....
He spent months on each plan, working on everything from the overall construction, to the tiniest detail. He didn't overlook a thing! When I go back to Mount Dora today, and talk to people who are living in those 1950's built homes, they will tell me, that they are some of the best built homes ever!.......Even other builders will tell me this!
It's because he took all that time in the planning and drawing up of his plans.......
You know, God does the same thing with us too, and always has!
He allowed David to spend time as a shepherd boy, so that he would rely on His "Jehova God" in the wilderness to guide him and his flock, before he could guide a people as King. He was being groomed!
Joseph spent time under Potipher's care, before his plan unfolded, and that was after he had been "thrown away" by his brothers. Boy howdy, did God ever have a plan then!
.......and how about 40 years in the wilderness? Children who become a stubborn and stiff necked people, get a different kind of plan, and even though they didn't get into the land of milk and honey,God's plan was not thwarted,for Caleb and Joshua did!
God prevails and always wins! I just love my God and His plans,don't you?
Yes, He draws up the plans of our lives, and it takes many,many years to implement them.
We just have to pick up the plans and roll!
Becky