GOD'S GIFT!!

WELL, MY AUNT IS IN HEAVEN

WITH MY UNCLE AND MY PARENTS.

MY COUSIN, JEANETTE, HAS BEEN

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE FOREVER.

AND SHE TRULY ENCOURAGED ME AND HELPED ME

WHEN I HAD FINALLY COME TO THE LORD.

AND, BECAUSE OF OUR AGE, 

AND WE AIN'T YOUNG ANY MORE,

EVENTUALLY BOTH HEADING TO HEAVEN,

WE CAN WORSHIP AND WORSHIP 

AND PRAISE AND PRAISE.

IN SPITE OF MY HORRIFIC LIFESTYLE

 FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, 

MOSTLY FROM AGES OF 7 TO 20,

I'M VERY BLESSED AND FILLED WITH JOY

BECAUSE HIS KNOWLEDGE BROKE INTO MY LIFE,

STRONGLY, NEARLY 49 YEARS AGO.

 

MARY MAGDALENE -- JESUS' CRUCIFIXION

                                         CHAPTER 8

                                       CRUCIFIXION


     It was over.  The agony and the rage she'd felt during the crucifixion were gone.  In fact, everything was gone.  Nothing but the empty cross outlined starkly against the dark sky.  Joseph and Nicodemus had already removed the body.  Jesus' mother and John had left.  She didn't know where the others had gone, but they had.  Only she had stayed.
    As she stood staring blankly ahead, a soldier came.  He was overseeing the removal of the thieves' bodies, and wasn't at all pleased with the day's strange events.
    "Woman," he growled, "leave!  This so-called King of yours is dead.  He should have left well enough alone and let Caesar be God."  He swore under his breath.  "These wretched provincials.  What a god-forsaken land...a god- forsaken city."
    He continued muttering and Mary turned and walked down the hill.  She was actually happy that someone had told her to go.  Vaguely, she wondered how long she might have stayed, otherwise.
    As she walked,  she immediately was filled with confusion about where she could go.  True, she had a family and a home.  But without Jesus in their heart, too? No, she couldn't go there.
    She tripped over a rock, and, as she stumbled, a hand steadied her.  She looked, startled, fearfully, to see who this was. 
    It was James.
    "Mary,"  he said.  "I have been looking for you.  When his mother and John reached our home, I asked where you were.  They looked stunned.  They said they were sure you had left before them.  So, I came to look for you.  My heart is truly for you.”  He said very gently, looking into her eyes, “I know how much you loved him."
    She pulled her arm away and exploded.  "No one knows how much I loved him... He was all I had to love...the only reason for loving.  He even helped me to love myself.  And now...there's... nothing."
    James was uncomfortable.  He loved Jesus, too.  He was heartbroken and was ashamed of himself for his desertion of his Friend and Master.
    But his heart broke more as he watched Mary.  He remembered the first time he had seen her.  She was so brazen, so cold, and he wished she would leave them alone.  And now, all he wanted to do was make her hurt less, and there was simply nothing he could do or say to make that happen.  If she would cry, then he could handle it.  But she wasn't crying.  She wasn't doing anything.  She seemed frozen.
     Finally, he gently said, "Come stay with me...with us.  It will help if we are together.  Besides, his mother needs you.  She has been brave throughout this trial.  And now a caring woman can be more help to her than any men.  Jesus was kind to send her to be John's mother.  Since our mother died, he has been very lonely.  He misses the gentle touch of a woman.  And their insightful wisdom.  I know he will love her and care for her, too."
    Mary was too distraught to smile.  But she was aware that a little of Jesus had been left behind in James.  He now had more compassion and understanding of people than she had thought he ever would.
    "I don't know how long I will stay, but, yes, I will stay with you.  I don't want to be alone; I was alone for too many years.  I don't want to be with anyone who did not truly know Jesus and love him as we did."
    James was grateful.  He touched her arm, and gently walked her to his home.
    When they walked inside, she saw Jesus’ mother.  And she saw the anguish on her face, the fear in her eyes, the pain in her heart.
    And the woman called The Magdalene, the Woman of the Hard Heart, wrapped her arms around the Mother of Jesus, and together they wept.

HALLELUJAH! FREE FROM EVIL!

HIS KINDNESS TO US AND LOVING US

IS ALL THAT EVER COUNTS FOR US

FOREVER AND EVER!

THE LORD MADE EVERYTHING!

HALLELUJAH!!

MARY MAGDALENE -- SORROW AGAIN

                                            CHAPTER 7

                              SORROW BEGINS – AGAIN

      She sat on a stool in a corner of the room watching the guests eat their supper.  She was SO comfortable in Lazarus' home.  Always a loving host, but now experiencing  a new life, he overflowed with joy.  The guests in his home smiled, or chuckled, or laughed with him.  Jesus' eyes twinkled as he watched the antics around him, like a patient schoolmaster with happily rowdy children.
     Then the mood changed.  The laughing and loud talk had gradually diminished until it ceased altogether.  Lazarus' sister, Mary, stood behind Jesus, and, as if in a dream, she broke open a bottle and poured its contents over his head.  In waves the musky fragrance of nard invaded the room.
     Most of the onlookers were embarrassed--for Jesus, for Mary, even for Lazarus as host.  Judas' reaction, however, was more beyond embarrassment.  He..was..furious.  His eyes filled with disgust and he blurted out in a loud whisper to no one in particular, "What a waste!  If she wanted to DO something she could have sold the nard and put the money in the treasury.  But this?!..."  And while Judas clucked and shook his head, the Magdalene watched from her vantage point in the corner, and knew the words he said didn't match the itchy fingers he hid in the folds of his cloak.  Momentarily, she wondered why Jesus kept Judas as a disciple, even honoring him with the responsibility of the treasury.  However, in the midst of these thoughts her attention was riveted to what Jesus was saying.
     "She is anointing me for burial... she will always be remembered."
     The Magdalene shuddered in the chill, and noticed others doing the same.  What did he mean, "burial?"   His popularity with the people had never been greater.
     Yet in her heart she knew he spoke the truth, and filled with an inexplicable sadness, she stared into the fire's dying embers and quietly wept.

THE LORD'S BLESSING...

WE HAD BEEN HOME FROM UGANDA FOR THE SUMMER

TO EARN ENOUGH MONEY TO GO BACK.

DAVE WORKED FOR A MAN AT THE CHURCH 

WHERE WE HAD BEEN FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS.

CARL DECIDED TO PUT DAVE AND HIS OTHER 

WORKER AT HABITAT FOR A WEEK.

I WAS WORKING AT A SECRETARIAL JAIL

 SITUATION IN COUNCIL BLUFF, IA.

IT WAS A CHALLENGE RE: OUR JOBS,

BUT WE LOVED IT AND WE WERE APPRECIATED.

WELL, WE WENT BACK TO UGANDA.

HOWEVER, I TOOK THIS PHOTO OF DAVE THEN,

AND HAVE ALWAYS SMILED WHEN I SAW IT.

THE WORD WORKS NOW VERY WELL,

BECAUSE THE LORD'S BLESSING

IS ALL WE CAN EVER COUNT ON,

FOREVER!

NEW HOPE UGANDA, 1995

AND IT WAS A COUPLE MONTHS AFTER THE HABITAT IN OMAHA.

AND HERE AND THERE HE WAS A PIANO TEACHER AND A COMPUTER TEACHER, AND WAS A MATH AND 

SCIENCE TEACHER IN UGANDA.

I WAS A SECRETARY AT NHU, AND A BOOK TEACHER AND FRENCH LANGUAGE TEACHER THEN.  LIFE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY

CHANGED FOR ME SINCE THEN.

I LOVED IT THERE! AND WAS APPRECIATED.

BOTH OF US STILL HAVE HEARD WONDERFUL

 THINGS ABOUT US FROM FRIENDS THERE--

SOME IN UGUANDA OR IN U.S., CANADA, ENGLAND --

 AND FB-ING AND THANKING US.

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR BREAKING INTO OUR LIVES

AND BLESSINGS US!

 

AND FOR YEARS HE'S CONTINUED TO BE A 

PIANO/ORGAN PLAYER/TEACHER AND FIXING 

ANYTHING IN ANY HOME OR ANY CHURCH

AND FIXING COMPUTERS FOR PEOPLE,

AND USUALLY GIVING COMPUTERS AWAY AS A

MINISTRY/MISSIONARY GIFT, INSTEAD OF PAYMENT.

HE'S A BLESSING TO MANY!

INCLUDING ME!! FILLED MY HEART WITH LOVE! 

10TH ANNIVERSARY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1995, AND STAYING

AT THE HOTEL AT ENTEBBE, UGANDA.

ANOTHER SPECIAL TREAT!

JOY RISES!! YEP, IT DOES!!!

RON AND SHIRLEY HAD JUST STARTED THEIR JOB, NEAR

KAMPALA, BUT HIGHWAY TO THE ENTEBBE AIRPORT.

ANYHOW, WE MET IN '94 AND THEY WERE BACK

IN THEIR HOME BETWEEN SEATTLE AND TACOMA,

DEALING WITH THE MINISTRY CONNECTIONS THERE.

THEY RETURNED.  WHEN WE WERE GETTING READY TO LEAVE TO OMAHA FOR A SUMMER BEFORE RETURNING BACK TO UGANDA,THEY WERE AT THEIR PLACE.  

DAVE AND I LOVE THEM VERY MUCH.

DAVE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM AGAIN!

WE'VE SEEN THEM IN THEIR UGANDA AND SEA-TAC AREAS, AND THEY ACTUALLY CAME TO SEE US IN OMAHA WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING AROUND OUR NATION TO SHARE WITH CHURCHES,  SHORTLY AFTER WE ARRIVED IN '96. 

I HAPPENED TO SEE THEM WHEN I WAS IN TACOMA

IN FALL, 2012, AND WE GRABBED LUNCH TOGETHER 

AND I WAS HITTING THE ROAD TO OMAHA. 

 BEING WITH THEM WAS A HUGE BLESSING.

BLESS THAT WORLD OUTREACH MINISTRY!!! 

PROPHETIC IS A CHALLENGE LOCALLY AND WITH FAMILY!

DAVE AND I WERE THERE; HE TOOK THE PHOTO.

THE FAMILY NAMED DANGERS WERE THERE,

OTHER FRIENDS OF THEIRS AND UGANDAN KIDS.

ANYWHERE WE OR THEY ARE, STILL,

AND SEEING THE REALITY AROUND AND ABOUT US,

AND SHARING THE PROPHETIC PORTION THAT'S IN US,

WE ALL ARE OFTEN IGNORED.  

THE PHOTO WAS 20 YEARS AGO.

IN THE DISTANCE OF OUR TIME, 

MUCH HAS CHANGED ALL OVER THE WORLD.

[BTW, DAVE AND I LOVE UGANDA!!!  

 AND OUR "FAMILY" AND FRIENDS IN UGANDA.]

THEY DO! WE DO!!

WHEN IN OUR HEART TO SERVE AND BLESS THE LORD,

WE HEAR AND SING WONDERFUL NEW SONGS.

THE SONGS ARE TRULY CONNECTED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT!

MARY MAGDALENE...RE: JESUS AND JAMES

                                         

                                            CHAPTER 6

                            JAMES QUESTIONS JESUS


     When the sun was setting, fire dimming, and the men dispersing to do their final night chores, Jesus sought a secluded place to pray...to touch his Father while away from the constant pressure of the people He was called to serve.  He sat in the grass and leaned back against the trunk of a tree.  It wasn't altogether comfortable, but it reminded him of the oneness between creation and God, and, in his exhaustion, he needed a firm reminder of that over-flowing unity.
     As he gazed into the heavens, centering himself in the love of God, he heard footsteps.  Turning his head, he saw James approaching.  Love warmed his heart for this older brother of John, this man of tempestuous nature, yet possessing a great capacity for compassion and sympathy.  "One of Father's unique achievements," he chuckled inwardly.  Aloud he said, "James, what brings you here?
     "Master," said James, digging at the ground with a sandle foot, "I need to ask you about Mary."
     "What is it?"  Jesus asked gently.
     "Well,"... he paused, probing for just the right words.                 
     "People are talking.  They are laughing behind your back, saying that you love Mary, and..." His voice trailed off and he shrugged in helplessness.
     "But, James, I DO love her.  Mary is a wonderful, gentle, beautiful woman.  She radiates the love of Father, and it is a pleasure to be with her."
     As he watched the shock on James' face, he smiled and continued, "But I love you, too.  And Andrew.  And Thaddeus.  And Joanna.  And John.  Each of you. All of you.”
     James continued to look a bit surprised, but he seemed less worried.
     "James, you must remember, most men have no understanding of the heart of my Father that impels Him, to enjoy what He has created.  He does not see that friendships and caring, such as the ones I have, are sordid or sinful or inappropriate.”
     He smiled.  "There is nothing inappropriate about my love for you or your brother.  We are brothers.  We are family.  Most people can not understand that.  We do not share a common blood line.  But our holy spirits communicating and focused on serving my Father make us one."
     He looked intensely into James’ eyes.  "And there is nothing, absolutely nothing, inappropriate about my love for Mary.  Mary is my sister, my friend, my child.  If my mission was human in origin, that relationship might be different.  But that is not the case.  My mission is for, and to, all men, women, and children. Nothing must stand in the way of what the Father wants me to do.”
     Jesus shifted a bit.  Glanced at the sky for a moment.
"James,  when ugly rumors and misstatements are made, who is the author of that ugliness?  Certainly not my Father.  And if not my Father, then whom?"
     James answered quickly.  "Satan, the father of lies."
     "That's right, James.  If he can discredit or manipulate or create dissension, he will.  Remember the story of the sheep and the shepherd.  How did I describe Satan to you?"
     "You said he was a thief and a murderer and that he came to steal, kill and destroy."
     "Right again, James.  Now, think.  Does that only mean in the physical realm?  What if part of Satan's scheme is to steal peace, joy, respect, courage?   To kill reputations, and feelings of self-worth?  And what if he came to destroy – not simply the body -- but loving relationships among families and friends?
     "People misunderstand because they want to misunderstand.  They enjoy painting pictures of unrighteousness, because it mirrors the unrighteousness of their hearts and helps them deaden the pangs of conscience.”
     Jesus nodded firmly at James.  "So, yes, I love Mary.  But I love my Father and my mission first."
     James broke into a broad grin.  "I feel better.  I guess I've learned something in spite of myself."
     It was a good self assessment, and Jesus smiled back, remembering again James' usual reticence at learning.  Jesus was pleased to see James growing in his understanding through the growth of his own heart and spirit.   

OUR SINS BENEATH HIS FEET! A BLESSING!!

AS I INDICATE, THIS IS A HUGE BLESSING.  

HOPE WE CAN ALL, ALWAYS, PRAY AND WORSHIP

AND REJOICE IN THIS WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD!

REAL LIFE IS IN HEAVEN!!

YES, I CONSISTENTLY FOCUS ON HEAVEN...

LOOK AT BIRDS, AT CLOUDS, AT STARS, AT MOON, AT SUN.

CAN HARDLY WAIT TO BE THERE!!

MY LORD IS THE ONLY REASON I'VE BEEN

IN THE WORLD FOR MANY YEARS,

AND, AS I SAID, 

I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO BE THERE.

SEEING HIM AND MANY OTHERS ON MY HEART!

GOD ENTHRONED!! HALLELUJAH!!

HAPPENS EVERY MOMENT, EVERY DAY,

FOR MY HEART IS TO THE LORD.

I WORSHIP AND PRAISE!!

HE IS OUR ROCK!! HALLELUJAH!!

THIS TRUTHFULNESS HIT MY HEART TODAY, STRONGLY!

HAS HIT MY HEART MANY, MANY TIMES

OVER THE YEARS, TOO.

WE ALL CAN RELY UPON THIS TRUTHFULNESS!

MARY MAGDALENE...DELIVERANCE

 CHAPTER 5

DELIVERANCE

Jesus was enjoying a feast with friends.  Occasionally, however, he glanced towards the garden by the lake and watched Mary as she walked quietly, slowly through it, touching an occasional flower.  She didn’t look happy, but he knew, that in her heart, she was seeking Jehovah. Jesus felt strongly that he was to pray over her and bring her to freedom, but he would not go until he received the call from his Father.

Suddenly, the sun was setting.  As he glanced at it over the lake, and the colorfulness, he heard, “Go, Son.  Go now.” 

Jesus immediately walked to the garden.  She had not looked away from the lilies, and had not seen him.

 "Mary," he called.  "Come here." 

 She looked up in shock, her eyes wide.  Momentarily, she froze, a flower in her hand.  Then, slowly, Mary approached him.  She couldn't stop the tears welling in her eyes. They streaked down her cheeks.  She was defeated and extremely weary.

 "Mary," he said with gentle authority, "it's time we talked.You've avoided the change.  That cannot continue."

Mary saw a stone bench nearby, slowly walked to it and sat down.  Her shoulders slumped and her hands dropped limply into her lap, the bright lilies falling to her feet.

Jesus sat next to her.  "Mary," he said, "I know you've been hurt and you've sinned.  I know why you do what you do, and why you say what you say.  I feel the same pain in my heart that you feel.  I have come to understand rejection, and fear, and shame ... not for myself, but for the others like you. Oh, my heart is for you."

"Jesus," she said quietly, "you've been so patient with me.  Before this, every man I've known has pushed into my life, stirred things up, and left as quickly as possible – and the hate in my heart increased.”  She looked directing into his eyes for the first time.  “You've been kind, and thoughtful, and treated me with respect.  Now, I want to be free to live as I see you live...free from the burdens of life, and, even more, I want to be free from sin."

"Mary, I want to ask you a final time.  Do you truly want to be free?  Do you truly realize that with freedom comes responsibility?  Do you understand the depth of the freedom you are seeking?  I want you to be a whole person ... with life and joy and peace flowing through your soul."

"What must I do to be free?  I do desire it with all my heart.  There is nothing else in life for me."  She paused.  "Do you know that before we met I had decided to kill myself?"  Immediately, her eyes rolled and a trace of a smile crossed her lips as she thought, “Of course, he knew!”

Without answering, he took her face gently in his hands and spoke very quietly, but with supreme authority.  "Satan, you have harbored your demons in Mary's life, but you have no right to stay.  Leave now, and never return."

As he spoke, the air around them was filled with rebuke.  And, although rebuke was something Mary had learned to live with, and even to expect, she knew he wasn't rebuking her.  It happened quietly, with no excited frenzy, no overwhelming emotion. Her tormentors left ... one by one ... until all seven fled like mists fleeing before the sun.  The darkness in her soul was replaced with dazzling brightness.  The wall encasing her heart shattered and she .. was .. free.

 Mary's joy was instantaneous and full.  Finally at peace, she had the assurance that no more voices would taunt her from within, reminding her of her sin, of her worthlessness, of her guilt.  She did not hear their names as these cohorts of Satan left.  She was enveloped in the goodness and gentleness of the person – of the presence – of Jesus.

Nothing else mattered.  Ever, ever again.

COUNTING ON OUR GOD!!

PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, AND ANIMALS, BIRDS, FISH,

NEARLY EVERYTHING, EVERYONE,

FOCUSING ON HIM IS ALL THAT COUNTS.

HE STEPS IN, UP, AND PROTECTS US.

[MY HEAVENLY FATHER IS TRULY IN MY HEART,

 INSTANT-BY-INSTANT!

AND HIS PROTECTION IS  WHAT ALL WHO LIVE

 IN OUR WORLD CAN COUNT ON FOREVER, 

AND IN THEIR HEARTS, TOO!!]

 

REVELATION ON MY HEART!

REVELATION ENTERS MY HEART,

DAY-BY-DAY.

LOOK FORWARD TO BEING IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD AND UNIVERSES AND PILES OF BILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN MY LIFE FOREVER-AND-EVER.