THERAPY

When I went into therapy this morning, I stopped at the file cabinet and withdrew my folder from the file. As I glanced at the names beginning with "L", I noticed that my name was standing out, because my file was sticking up above the rest. I thought, that was just how God's sees us. He can go right to our name and He knows right where we are in the files of life!
He can reach right down and pull out every scrap of information about us, because He is our Creator God! Our files aren't in a cabinet with God, though, because He keeps them in His heart. We are on His heart and mind, day and night.
Just think, when God thinks of us, we all stand out to Him!
Woo Hoo!
Becky

ALLEN AND DAVID

Another nugget from God for me today!
Allen and Theresa drove over from Aiken at lunchtime today, so Allen could meet with JD and see what his construction ideas are for my porch addition. After settling on what was to be done and the cost, Allen filled my bird feeder and put some things up for me that were too high for me to reach. I felt as if my David were checking on me, with him being right there. We chatted about my going to Cherokee this summer and how the GPS(God's Plan of Salvation) will hopefully get me there. He has programmed the route into Cherokee, and done so much for me, that my heart is touched by the devotion this man has for my David. I have a friend who has been in my life for 63 years, so I guess Tara and I could legitimately be called best friends, since then, but Allen and David have only known each other since we moved to Aiken in 1975, but the bond that was forged then, was so deep, that they have been best friends since and I'm pretty sure they will continue to be so in Heaven!
There is a friend that is closer than a brother, and I know that is Jesus, but on this earth, I think David and Allen came pretty close to being close brothers
Becky

A BROTHER

When my daughter was 9 years old, she wrote a paper in her 4th grade English class, on what Mary must have felt as she watched her son, Jesus, hang from that cross. She wrote that she anguished over watching him in his suffering, and how she couldn't do anything for him.
We always want to help those who are hurting, whether near or far, but sometimes we can’t. Sometimes it's not feasible for us. However,
"there is a friend who is closer than a brother" and He can help at all times!
In our lives today, as we see those hurting and hanging on their own personal crosses, we often feel as if we cannot do anything to relieve their pain, or to help them too.......
That's okay!
Once again,"there is a friend who is closer than a brother" and He loves them deeper than we ever could, so trust in Him to see them through, for He has overcome the world!
God speed to those of you who are going down this road. You are loved, and God is with you!
Becky

BROWN BAGGING

When I was in junior high school, we had to cut out brown paper bags and put them over our books, as a protective book covering.
When we come to know Jesus Christ, God takes our sins and places His Son's positional righteousness over that sin! We are protected from sin, by the covering of Jesus Christ!.......Now that is some covering!
My book cover would wear out after just so long, but Christ's covering of salvation, will last for eternity!
Becky

WE'LL SEE

I have waited and waited since September, to attempt getting back into our hot tub by myself. First, I had to figure out how to how to do the chemicals; how much to use, and then I had to find where David had stored the chemicals!
Neither David nor I was crazy about being in the hot tub when the other one wasn't there, because we thought it was a safety factor to have someone close by in case something happened. I knew, though, that God had not given me a spirit of fear, so I bit the bullet, and went to the "Year Round Pool" place, and they talked me through everything that I needed to do. I found the chemicals, and noticed he had even numbered them in the order I needed to place them in the hot tub.....#1;#2;#3, so I was all set to go,...... and go I did!
For the first time in a long time, I enjoyed my hot tub, and it felt great.
If I can just figure a way to get that heavy cover back up onto the top, I will be all set! " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ....and I know He will!
Becky
(God didn't waste any time on finding a solution with this one for me.
Cathy came over to enjoy the hot tub with me, and suggested I place the cover on part of my rocker and the railing. It was the perfect height to just slide over!)

SUPER BOWL

We did indeed have a huge Super Bowl, that played out over our land this past January, but a time is going to come, one day, when our Lord is going to exercise a really big frightening Super Bowl that will be poured out over the land!
Unfortunately, for those unbelievers left behind, they will be the participants!
Becky

ORANGES

I'm one of those rare individuals who love to eat the orange peel!
When people ask me why, I have to tell them, that when I was a little girl, I lived next to an orange grove, and we "weren't" suppose to go in it. When you have three older brothers, though, they can talk you into doing a lot of things you aren't suppose to do, and going into the orange grove next door, was one of them! If we weren't going to leave any trace of us being in there, I had to learn to eat the entire orange......so I did!
After all these years, I like the inside, but the outside is just as good to me!
When you look at a person, it's important to see what's on the inside as well as the outside. ...."As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." What he reflects deep in his heart, he will reflect on the outside. If you are excited about the Lord, your face won't carry a sour expression all the time!
Just as you would wash an orange of its dirty face, before you use it,
you will wash yourself before you go out in public too.....
You need to first cleanse your self from any unwanted sin. Then touch your cheeks with the blush of God's saving grace so they will glow with thanksgiving. Highlight a little color around your eyes, so that you can see His image more clearly.
You might not get as much juice out of a squeezed person as you would an orange, but when Christ squeezes them with His Love, you get premium quality!
Becky

PUCKER UP

When I grew up in Mount Dora, we had a Wild Florida Cherry Tree on the side of our house, They were a beautiful bright red cherry on the outside, but they were the tartest things on the inside, that you have ever put in your mouth!
As a little girl,I thought Kumquats were bad, but these took the cake! The outside seemed to be so tempting, but the inside said another thing!
I am reminded in scripture of this, when we are told that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death."
Yes, sometimes, things can look pretty good to us, and be quite appealing too, but if we're not careful, they can have a flavor that will sour up our lives in a mighty big way!
Becky

4-1-1- GOD

Whenever I need to look up a number on my cell phone, I dial fr3d, that I have programmed into my phone and it will connect me to the information I need. (It connects me to that number)
That little number has saved me many times!
Every morning, when I get up, I have another number that saves me too!
I receive a telephone call from 4-1-1- God. This is a short, thirty second devotional that starts my day off and connects me instantly with the word of God, for encouragement and information!
This is my free information from God that I didn't even have to look up, and believe me, there has been many a day, when that thirty seconds has saved my life!
Becky

CECIL & JANICE

I knew this was gonna be a difficult Mother's day for me, because Kelly and George were both going to be in Aiken with their families, but I should know that God is not gonna let His Becky go uncared for on Mother's Day!
Last night, Janice and Cecil called and invited me over for Mother's Day dinner, so after church, I stopped by their house and God gave me some special words of wisdom from Cecil, after dinner!
Almost, as if my David were telling me himself!
Cecil told me that many folks would probably be telling me what I should be doing in the future, but to let God be my guide, and to remember what David would have me do. If I truly didn't want to do it, then I didn't need to consider it! He knew how much I loved my sweetheart and how much I missed him, and they both even allowed me some tears of joy.
It's so refreshing to have friends who will encourage you to do the best you can, but when the time is right to make a change, then to go ahead and make it, and not worry about it! They both let me voice my concerns about future moves, and the changes that would occur, and Cecil told me exactly what David would have said, and that would be to not do anything for at least a year!
When friends can accept the tears and joy of someone who has lost a loved one, but who is trying hard to make a go of living alone, then, my hat goes off to them! Instead of being upset with my emotions today, they were understanding and offered some wonderful advice.
This was indeed, a Happy Mother's Day for 'ole Bec!
Becky

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

She was the "Mama" of an Norwegian-American family living in San Francisco, in 1910, and her story is told through the eyes of her daughter, Katrin. It is like looking through my own family album, filled with memories of love and sadness, because she reminds me of my own grandmother.
There was an Aunt Jenny, and Aunt Trina, and of course, Uncle Gunnar.
(Mine would be Aunt Virginia; Aunt Mary, and Uncle Howard!)
Katrin remembers her Mama with love and affection, thus the title of the show:......."I Remember Mama"!
As each of us remember our Mama's, this Mother's Day, let's give thanks to God for their love and affection too. No matter how far away they are, or how old, give thanks that God gave them to you.....
Christ thought so much of His own Mother, that the last act He did from the cross as He looked down at His Mother, was to charge the "one that He loved," ......to behold your Mother!
Now that is remembering His Mama with love!
Happy Mother's Day!
Becky

DISOBEDIENCE

Big companies, like Exxon, have admitted that they did not finish their procedures correctly on the Exxon Valdeze, like they were suppose to. As I listened to this report on the radio, I thought, isn't this a modern day example of what the Israelites did, when God told them to go in and destroy certain people and overtake their land, and they would only partially obey Him, and perhaps, not kill all the people?
There are always gonna be consequences to disobedience!
Becky

SUBSTITUTION

When I was a student at Montreat College, I played on the women's basketball team. I played as a roving guard, but because I learned basketball in Florida, I had never played DGWS basketball rules and wasn't use to roving all over the court, so I became tired much too quickly early on in the game. I would often call for a substitute to come in and take my place.
In our game of life, God knew we would tucker out from trying to do our best at everything we tried. He knew our sinful nature would attempt to reach Him by doing "great things"........ He also knew it wouldn't work! He knew we could rove and rove all over life's court and all we would get, is TIRED!
So, God in His infinite mercy, called in a substitute before we even realized we needed one. Actually, this substitute allowed us to sit on the bench and let Him play the entire game. All we had to do, is trust Him with the score!
Becky

GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE!

So often, we miss out on some of the grandest things in life, when we don't take the time to stop and really appreciate the little things in life.
So many times, our Great God will use these tiny things to show His majesty, and so often we miss them! When he removed my son, George, from the home by DSS, for a period of two years, I thought the end of my world had occurred, but when my eldest son, David Jr. died, I realized God had given me this two year time period, when George was gone, to give me a glimpse into life without David Jr. for an eternity! How compassionate,and yet creative, was He to do this for me!
As I struggle to differentiate between what really matters, God will often bring to mind those things that are truly worth remembering. His little creations can bring forth such joy to us, and if we miss them, we have missed one of His greatest treasures. We know that He will clothe the lilies of the field in all their splendor, and He knows whenever a Sparrow falls, so ofcourse this Majestic God is going to watch over and take care of us!
Yes, To God be the glory....Great things He has done!
Becky

JUST THE BEGINNING

Susan and I went to see "Soul Surfer" tonight over in Hilton Head. This was the true story about the young girl who was bitten by a shark while surfing and lost her left arm. She came back though, and eventually won the nationals in surfing, owing it all to her faith in God and determination.
The movie was filled with references to God, and faith, and there were even several worship services and some scripture lessons going on!
What touched me the most though, was at the end when the credits roll around, the screen said: "It's not The End, it's just the beginning!"
Isn't that the truth!.......... The end of this life here on earth is not the end for the believer!
It truly is just the beginning!
(And what a beginning it will be too!
Becky

EXTREME MAKEOVER

I watched the Extreme Makeover team arrive in Beaufort on TV the other night. They thoroughly demolished the home of a marine who had been deployed over to Afghanistan, while his wife and three children remained here. It was fascinating to watch how they replaced the old, moldy and sickening framework, with new parts for a very grateful family!
I immediately thought about how, when we as humans, are rotting on the inside from sin, Christ will do an extreme makeover in us too!
We are made new creatures in Christ!....Woo Hoo!
The old is gone, and the new is come!....Double Woo Hoo!
Now, that's what I call an Extreme Makeover!
Becky

PRAYER

When I was a senior in high school, I desperately wanted to be on the homecoming court. When I didn't make it that year, I drove home and threw myself on the bed and cried my eyes out to the Lord. I told Him that the only way this would ever be made right, was by Bill Bolt taking me to the homecoming dance that Friday night. Bill and I had gone together the year before and had broken up. He had gone on to Auburn University and I had not seen him since then. The next morning while going to English class, his sister Jackie came up to me with a note, that was from her brother Bill, asking if I would go to the homecoming dance with him on Friday night!!!
I nearly fell over! I knew then, at the age of sixteen, that if God would answer the prayer of a sixteen year old girl over something like that, He would answer any prayer!
And He has.......
My prayers for understanding were answered, when my parents got divorced after 40 years of marriage, and God carried me through!
When my oldest sister died of Cancer at age 56, He answered my prayer for comfort.
When I almost ended our 15 year marriage, God held me true to my vows, because of prayer.
Prayer ended my husbands battle with alcoholism in 1983.
When my son David Jr. died and was decapitated in 1995, He answered my prayers, by reminding me of His Sovereignty.
In 1996, when I suffered a brain hemorrhage and lay in a coma for two months, He answered the prayers of multitudes in my behalf, and I am still here.
He answered the prayers for my Kelly and gave us a precious, healthy, almost one year old little girl, named Emery Lynn!
The best prayer I had answered though, was when He somehow reached my sweetheart a few days before He died and touched his heart, so that I know he is in Heaven!....
As I go through the first stages of Dementia, knowing that this is a hereditary trait too, I am praying on a daily basis for Him to remind me that He has not given me a spirit of fear, and I know that He will answer that too!
Yes God has been answering prayers for me ever since that silly little plea back when I was sixteen.
It was silly to me, but not to God, because He knows a broken heart when He sees it!
Becky