Belief in God | Gloryteller

A Tribute To The Unforgettable Zina Nicole Lahr.

27 Jun 2015 Leave a comment

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Zina Nicole Lahr

I watched one of her amazing videos yesterday morning.
“What an inspiring personality”, I thought.
Then reality bit hard and my heart sank.
She is inspiring . . .
And she died.

I didn’t even know her
And I only learned of her existence yesterday,
I learned of her existence, and shortly thereafter I learned
That she existed in the past tense . . .
How heartbreaking that was to me.
But I want her to be remembered.

I want to remember her.
And I want her remembered.

“Why am I even writing this?”, I ask myself.
Because God won’t leave me alone about it.
I tried to distance myself,
But He struck me with an unexpected, intense, compassion for
Zina and her family.
At first I did not understand why.
Now, I’m certain that it was to demonstrate
His own intense, compassionate love
For me, through her,
And to somehow relate that to others.

So here I go again, honoring the life of
One-So-Young
Who seemingly passed away too soon
Suddenly, tragically,
In a hiking accident, no less –
Something which could easily happen to me.

The Community of Humanity mourns your loss, Zina.

I want them to know you –
Know at least a part of who they lost.

I want to be instrumental in their knowing
And in the memory of her.
Because of compassion for her family
Who have endured too much.
Two daughters,
Gone.
But never forgotten.
Losses and trials too many.

I read everything I could find about her online,
And there is quite a lot.
I watched her You Tube videos.
Impressive, informative, inspiring.
She was genuine and real.
No pretenses necessary.
Please go there (to You Tube) too, dear reader.

These are quotes from her blog,
normallyoddzina.wordpress.com :

“If God is Love, and God goes beyond measurable definition,
then I want to live in a Love that transcends what my love can offer this world . . .”

“I want my interactions with this world, all the beautiful pieces it contains, what is beyond it… what is created, what is explored, and what is loved…and the Creator of it all, to reach out and touch my soul… and make me suddenly very aware I have one.”

“the body, keeping us living in this world, [is] yet the biggest obstacle within it. It’s a sort of frustration, a growing pain, that can drive us to become inspired and into imaginative creativity.”

Her character saturates her brief blog. The way she holds forth her thoughts about heart-wrenching things like losing her best friend and her beloved older sister, is special. The way she expressed how she loved the life of her newborn nephew, and her very own life, which she saw as renewed daily, is uniquely her.

I have a kinship with Zina –
Manifested in –
A love of Jesus.
A zest for life.
A passion for writing, art, music, dance, and movement.
A love of creating,
And Creation itself,
of nature,
of science,
of expression,
of invention,
of adventure,
of learning,
(in the mundane, the exciting, and all between)
In being odd,
Different,
Unique,
Never bored.
(I am who I was made to be – He can use that)

She was most interesting,
She, reportedly, could take a car engine apart and reassemble it,
Yet she never drove a car!
She was inspiring in many ways
Such as in her perseverance, determination, and will-power
To stick to her principles.
She was celibate,
Never had a drop of alcohol,
Didn’t do recreational drugs.
Her sense of child-like wonder was completely natural
And authentic.
She knew her Lord,
Knew her calling.
Was passionate and compassionate.
Gentle,
Kind,
Patient,
Full of grace,
And full of LOVE.

Here’s the thing that really got to me
About Zina and her love;
When her life’s work was just taking off
In her west coast Mecca,
Zina turned down what must have been her dream job,
The start of an amazing career,
Showcase of her awe-inspiring talents,
To return home to care for the grandmother she loved
Who had been diagnosed with cancer.
It is rare these days,
That sacrificial love.

She was a maker.
I am a maker.
She didn’t mind that folks thought her odd (eccentric)
Nor do I.
She was a thinker and a doer.
Me too.
She was kind, gentle, and caring.
I am working on it . . .
In my view, she was somewhat Christlike (not perfect).
The thing is, Jesus was all the above good things,
Only perfectly so.

Like Zina, I’m out-of-the-ordinary (who wants to be ordinary)
I’m an unapologetic nonconformist who learned how to play the “game”.
I’m an adult, outwardly, but inside I’m a child who never quite grew up.
A Peter Pan figure in disguise?
Who learned how to act in public, for the most part,
For short periods.
And that is okay.
One of the best feelings in life is the one that happens
When I realize that someone loves me just for who I am at the core
– just like God does.
It seems to me that most adults have become jaded in their relationships,
And to the wonders of creation – the large and small,
The distant and close; the mysteries all around;
The beauty that makes one catch their breath moment to moment.
Unlike Zina’s, the goggles on their eyes become thick with age,
And clouded.

So, I’m grateful, dear Lord, for Zina’s life and
Her special goggles that let us SEE
If we but dare look through them.

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(Subscript Note: The purposes I hope to have fulfilled here are:
First, to bring glory to God,
Then, to honor Zina’s memory,
To speak up for her and tell my version of some of her testimony,
And, last, to tell something of my own journey through Creation.)

Zina, will you kindly make me a trinket as only you can
From a crystal and some sunbeams,
That I can hold in my hand?
I will gratefully receive it
Soon, when I am blessed to see you,
At the end of my dreams.

See you soon, sister Zina.
Love,
Me

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http://www.outsideonline.com/1921491/brief-wondrous-life-zina-lahr
was valuable in writing this tribute. Thank you, Outside Online!
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Image by Gloryteller

The Glory of God In Disc Golf

30 May 2015 1 Comment

WHO, Disc Golfers ?

Who established the laws of aerodynamics,
of angular momentum,
of inertia,
and of lift,
that allow a disc to soar?

Whose immense wisdom governs the spin of everything in the universe
from sub-atomic particles,
to atoms,
to whirlpools,
to worlds,
to suns,
to galaxies,
to black holes,
to Star* plastic?

Who controls the wind and wraps it in chains?

Whose Son holds everything in His perfect grip,
can easily ace Hole 18,
and yet, only wants to be your personal caddie,
carry your overloaded golf bag,
and wade through the nastiest muck to retrieve your lost favorite driver?
I know.
How about you?
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Image by Gloryteller

No Makeup

27 Apr 2015 1 Comment

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I was blessed to meet a new friend a few days ago.
She is so obviously a sister in The Lord
whom He loves dearly.
A loving fellow believer,
A beautiful child of God,
(as all people are loved, and
as all are beautiful in their way,
even though their deeds may not be loved
and may be far from beautiful.)

At our first meeting,
as she approached, offering her hand,
this nice, nice lady said a curious thing.
She was concerned,
almost apologetic,
about her lack of makeup.
I assured her that it wasn’t a problem
and tried to set her at ease, especially since I
was unshaven, and in quite a
“casual” condition myself.
(which hardly crossed my mind at the time)
I wondered if, perhaps, I saw her in a better,
or at least different, light than she saw herself.
Let me explain.

For days now, God hasn’t left me alone about that meeting,
therefore, I write.
He reminded me of two special revelations He gave me.

The first was not long after He gave my heart new birth.
I was driving through town when I spotted a man who looked
like a “vagrant”, a “transient”, or a “drunk”
sitting on the curb with his head down.
He was unwashed and unkempt.
My old man, whipped by his old master,
immediately tried to come back
and stood in judgement, disgust, accusation, and ungrace,
“Ugh, what a disgrace. It’s his own fault. He brought this all upon himself.
He chose this way of life.”
“I LOVE HIM JUST AS MUCH AS I DO YOU”, said my Father.
He was still and small, yet firm,
and The Truth hit me like a metaphoric brick.
“There, but for His grace, I am”, said my new man,
pushing the old man away.

The second came after a worship service
when I, one of the altar helpers, stood at the front.
As I stood looking at the large crowd, the scene began to change.
Superimposed in front of the crowd was the vision of
a meadow in Springtime. The meadow was filled with
a myriad of fragrant wildflowers of various colors, shapes, and sizes.
All those beautiful “flower-people” were gently swaying
from side to side due to the currents provided by
The Father’s soft, glorious breathing.
“THIS IS HOW I SEE MY PEOPLE”, He whispered.
I. Was. Undone . . .

After those two, and other, encounters with my Lord,
I see people in a new light – His Light.
And I see them with a new love.
That is why I don’t care about “makeup”.
I don’t even like it.
I want to meet the real person.
The person inside.
The spirit-person with whom I’m sharing this
bodily,
earthly,
God-given,
experience.

O, that everyone could see each other as God sees us.
I’m not saying that the old man doesn’t keep trying to return.
It’s a constant struggle, but Jesus is slowly, but surely, making me stronger –
Giving me eyes.

He says “Not all who say, Lord, Lord, will see Heaven”.
Could that be because we mask our faces, our minds, and our hearts?
Could it be that He wants us to remove all forms of
pretense,
theater,
hypocrisy,
fraud,
deception,
acting,
guile,
deceptions,
deceit,
and masking from our inner selves?
If so, I have a long row to hoe, as they say.

So, my dear new friend, sister, wildflower,
child of the Most High King,
if you read this,
do not be offended that I used your initial reaction.
It probably wasn’t even a big thing,
Just a “societal norm”.
Whatever it was,
Thank You!
Most pleased to meet you!
You are my inspiration!
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Image by Gloryteller

I Present SPRING

19 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

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What can I say about Spring
that you don’t already know?
It’s about the joy of new life.
New life from old life.
New life out of death.
New life is alive with the bloom of everlasting life.
Exultant!
Joyous!
Achingly beautiful!

Vivaldi knew music, and he knew Spring in a unique, special way.
He composed the following music about Spring:
To my mind, it is exultant, joyous, and achingly beautiful
just as are the colorful flowers, butterflies, birds, and bees herein.
New life from old life.
New life out of death.
It’s another way to tell of God’s glory, another facet of proclaiming His brilliance!
He makes all things new!
Dear reader, I present you with colorful new life,
I present you with Vivaldi’s “Spring”.

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Thank you Simon S. Alba for posting this video.

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Seeking Grief Relief . . .

25 Feb 2015 6 Comments

A Stream of Consciousness Outpouring . . .

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Today, I have a heavy heart.
I have an aching heart.
I have a broken heart.

It is so heavy that it has sunk toward the bottom –
away from where it should be and down where it should never be.
Its usual buoyancy has succumbed to the weight of the world.

Another young friend has suddenly and unexpectedly gone to be with God.

On one hand, I realize that the passing of a believer,
no matter how young, should, in a sense, be cause for sweet rejoicing,
but, on the other hand, at this moment it only tastes of bitter loss.
My mind is grappling with my heart.
My heart and mind are at war with each other.
I realize that no-one is guaranteed even one more heartbeat,

but distress is becoming dismay,
off and on, I’ve shed tears all day.

Empathy can be a painful and sore.
Compassion for close ones hurts to the core.

First Rachel . . . and now James . . .

Another who was “bigger than life”,
who had a unique zest for life.
Who was well-loved, and who was full of love himself.

A close friend of my son,
He was only twenty one,

A large portion of our community is reeling.
I can’t help but think that this would be exponentially harder
If that were my own son . . .
The one thing that’s worse than being reminded of one’s own mortality
is being reminded of that of one’s children.

And now I’m conflicted.
My head rejoices for his soul, for him – he knew the Lord.
He is communing with Father God and Jesus,
but my heart grieves for all the reasons it does,
and all the reasons it should,
when a young adult has lost his chance to have a full life;
A life in the world, for that’s where I am!

I have to write these feelings out of me,
but I seem to be stuck.
Frustrated.
Annoyed.
Wounded.
Drifting.
How do I organize a piece such as this?
I don’t.
Won’t.
I refuse.
It has to be spontaneous.

A small part of me wants to rail at God,
but I have this thing called faith in Him.
It’s not His fault; He loves James.
I imagine James talking with Jesus at this moment.
I envision Father God taking a picture of Jesus sitting on His throne.
James is popping up behind Him and getting in the photo by surprise,
with his big smile,
with a wink,
and a “thumbs up”.
I believe that is called “photobombing”, or something like that.
Delightfully classic James . . .
I picture Father and Jesus getting a big, warm, hearty
laugh with James. I’m most certain they are very fond of him.

But here’s the thing:
I don’t understand.
(why do I always have to understand?)
Why does the Bible say we can pray and, essentially,
get the desires of our hearts?
Hundreds, perhaps thousands of prayers went up for James
when we heard that he had been severely injured in an auto accident.
Our request was for healing, restoration, and life,
none of which was granted. (as far as we know)
My head says he got his promised eternal life,
for James was a believer and follower of Christ from a young age.
Eternal life in Heaven is the ultimate answer to our prayers,
but we also prayed for the miracle of complete physical
restoration here on earth, and that did not happen.
“Your will be done”, we say.
So why bother to pray? (another rhetorical question)
Because He told us to!
Praying must have some affect that we don’t entirely understand –
something great for the prayed-for,
for God, or possibly Jesus, or for the pray-er.
I’m rambling, I know . . .

Jesus said we would be able to do what The Father
enabled Him to do, and even more, including healing, casting out demons,
and even restoring life,
but I don’t seem to be able to do those things
and I would like to know why. (Why do I always question?)
I think He wants me to ask questions, though, for that’s the way I learn.
I do want to learn all I can know about Him.
Moreover, I want to know Him.

I do want to know things;
things most likely beyond my understanding,
and which are perhaps none of my business,
but I pray to know anyway.

However, even in my grief over James, over his family’s heartache,
and over my son’s dismay at the loss of a great friend,
I remain steadfast in my faith.
I would like to know if you, dear reader, have ever felt these things.
If so, I’m comforted to know I’m not by myself in this.
I’m also comforted to know that, by reading this, perhaps
you don’t feel so alone yourself.

I refuse to let these frustrations, these questions, lead me away from
Love and into doubt – or worse even into apostasy.

It was uplifting that one of the Facebook quotes I had written about James
was used by the pastor in the service.
It is a joy that God uses me to help others.

Writing is cathartic, therapeutic, and even healing for me.
Writing is escape, refuge, and security.
Reading is no less.
If you have persevered and gotten this far, please pardon me, dear reader,
for using this forum for my own outpouring, my vent, my relief.

I must remember my “ministry of groaning” in a time like this.
The wordless groaning, (a sort of low, quiet wailing from my soul)
which comes out of the depths of my spirit and manifests itself
even through my voice. (if there is loud music in the background for cover,
the sound of it is all the louder)
When I have run out of tears and words to utter, it seems to help.
God actually put that principle into my spirit one day
when I was desperately praying for another grieving friend.
I told Him I had run out of tears and out of words to say.
“Groan for him“, He said quite clearly.
This “gift” is so personal it is difficult to write about here . . .

Grief is spilling out of my heart, trying to drag the resident joy out with it,
but I must not let it succeed, Lord, don’t let it succeed,
for the joy of knowing You is my only salvation in times of crisis like these . . .

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It has been two weeks, to the day, since I wrote the above.
In that time, I have written much, but not trusted myself to post.
I did not want my own self-centered disillusionment to
take away from the glory of my Lord.

Finally, two mornings ago, the long awaited,
long suppressed,
authentic,
spontaneous, groan came to me.
For myself,
and for others through me.
It can’t “work well” if it is forced.
It has to come with The Lord’s help,
and with His timing.
Without notice, it began in my toes ,
worked its way up through the marrow of my legs,
spread through my core, ever upward,
filling me,
and out through my throat,
expressing wordlessly the pent ache.
Sometimes the groan only comes forth from my heart.
This time, through my voice.
Crying to The Most High Lord more eloquently
than my words could have done.
Groaning for the bereaved family, for the city, for my son,
and for myself.
Sweet sympathy,
concentrated compassion,
the messy turmoil of groaning
bringing order at last.
At last.

All that is left is to somehow turn this piece so that it points
to the great glory of God.
To give God greater glory should always be my primary concern
when I write. His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom.

I think it is best, at this point, to use His own words instead of mine:

Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

2Thessalonians 2:16-17
“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”

AMEN

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Perfect and Permanent Memory

28 Jan 2015 4 Comments

The human mind is an imperfect vessel.
When injury, disease, or aging affects our intellectual capabilities,
we need the assurance of a perfect vessel to hold our
belief,
our faith,
our core values,
and our relationship with God and His Word.
That perfect vessel is our heart.
The heart is where our belief begins,
is nurtured,
and is completed.
It is where the love of God resides
– both His Love, and our love for Him.
Although loss of memory can be disconcerting,
we can rest assured that the heart’s memory is perfect and permanent.

Dr. Jim Richards is a ‘heart man’.
He says: “It stands to reason the door to the Kingdom
is a heart that believes, not a mind that is informed.”

True,
yet I don’t think that, once a heart does believe,
there is anything wrong with a mind that is appropriately informed.
A properly educated mind can serve a faithful, believing heart very well.

The moment I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior,
I felt I was fundamentally changed
– that everything was new inside and out.
That included a ‘new heart’.
A close friend, when I confided that, said
“Yes, you have been given a new heart.
Just be careful what you put into it!”
That’s some sage advice.
I’ve tried to be careful what I let in – what I fill my heart with.
That’s not as easy as it sounds,
but I think that as I’m filling this heart full of Scripture,
sound theology,
love for God and my fellow man,
faith,
hope,
and Christian values,
there won’t be room for anything that shouldn’t be in there.
As I fill it with all those solid things,
I’ve noticed something magnificent
– the Lord pours in joy,
like ice cream,
to fill up all the spaces!
And my heart will remember it all perfectly,
and permanently,
beyond my mind’s understanding.

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The man said, “Love the Lord your God with all your
heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength,
and with all your mind”;
and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And Jesus replied,
“Yes, do this and you will live.”
Luke 10:27
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On Using Seemingly Questionable Christmas Traditions For Good

19 Dec 2014 8 Comments

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“What do you think about the lie of Santa Clause?” asked nobody.
“Sure, I’d be glad to weigh in on the Santa controversy,” I replied . . .

It has been said, ad nauseum, that secular traditions such as Christmas trees, Santa Clause, and even the word “Christmas” should be condemned by Christians because they distract and detract from the true meaning of Christ’s birth.
I disagree.
Those many traditions are so ingrained into society that they cannot be reversed nor abolished. They can, however, be used in a positive manner. I’ve previously discussed how the Christmas tree points to Jesus Christ. It is easy for me to tell, as well, how Santa’s (“Saint Nicholas‘ “) life and existence points, to the life and teachings of Jesus.
I only implore you, dear reader, not to foster the lies about Santa Clause, St. Nicholas, or Father Christmas, but tell the factual truth about them. It’s the same for the the gift-giving, the lights, and the joyous celebrating. One can ignore any or all of it, but I believe that we should not only accept, as a fact of life, the secular traditions; the things that have been distorted and perverted away from the original intent of honoring the Christ-child, but turn them back upon themselves to their true purpose which is to celebrate His birth, to point to Him, to highlight Him, and to glorify Him in the unfettered, hopeful, optimistic, rejoicing manner in which the host of angels announced His arrival to the shepherds, and to us.
Those traditions can be used to help us illuminate Him in a darkened world. I believe that is our commission, our duty, and our pleasure, as believers and as beneficiaries of The Father’s miraculously humble, and humbling gift.
The gift of The Savior Child is given to every one of us, but it must be accepted before it can be unwrapped and enjoyed.

Whatever you do,
Whatever you think,
Seek Him in all things
And have yourself a happy,
Have yourself a joyous,
Have yourself the merriest Christmas!

Above all,
Remember Who is glorious,
Give Him all your glory,
Keep it Christmas-Story-ous!

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A Brief History of “The Godsend” (I Keep Forgetting) Help Charities, Buy This Book, Please!

01 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

by Gloryteller in Belief in God, Biblicly-based Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian Writing, Christmas, Evangelism, Faith, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, God's Gifts, God's Glory, God's Grace, God's Love, God's Provision, Good News, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Hope, Inspiration, Inspirational Writing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Metaphor, Salvation, Thankfulness and Gratitude

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“The Godsend” is already three years old!
It’s hard to believe it has been on the market for two years!
It was written to bring forth the message of Christmas in a new way.
It also brings messages – messages God wanted me to convey – about adoption, belief in God, and belief
in Santa Claus, all interwoven in an inspiring, Christ-centered story.
Please understand that I don’t deem myself an exceptional writer,
and I don’t think “The Godsend” is going to be award-winning literature,
but I do know that it is God-commissioned, God-ordained, and God-given.
The mission of this book, like most of what I write, is to tell the story of Christ,
present His grace, mercy, and love within a new kind of story, to reveal His glory,
to help people come to know Him, and/or to lead the reader into a new, deeper relationship
with our Highest Lord and King.
Needless to say, it’s all for His great glory, not my own.
I’m only the messenger . . .

The first version was posted here, on Gloryteller.com, in December, 2011:
https://gloryteller.com/2011/12/20/the-godsend/
Its late posting date, relative to Christmas, 2011, was unfortunate
because not many people had time to read it during that busy time.

I hadn’t intended to pursue the little story any further, . . . then God intervened . . .
Only a month after it appeared here, my friend,
William T., told me of the “The Godsend’s” impact on him.
“The whole time I was reading”, he said, “I was seeing something
special in my spirit. It was the image of a mother reading your
story aloud to her child. It was having an effect on them both. I had
the impression that they had a lot in common with the Christopher family,
and that their family was led closer to God, and His peace,
all because of your story. You must publish this,” he insisted.
And insisted. And persisted. And insisted.

I felt the tug of the H.S. on my heart, and I thought, “Yes!
If for no other reason than for that one mother and one child, I will expand and publish it!”
So I set out on the LONG, difficult journey into digital publishing.
I studied, I rewrote, and, as God gave me more and more each day, I edited, I re-rewrote, and re-re-edited again,
and I formatted, and re-formatted. Over and over. Like all writers must.
Then I had to learn how to make a virtual cover – oh man!
Hours, days, and months of painstaking labor ensued (a labor of love).
In the process of making the cover, God led me to, and I became acquainted with, an artist, a woodcarver, and a Santa. Each of those Christians had an impact on my walk of faith. A wonder occurred: The Santa, (Santa Cliff ) “God-incidently” shares my last name, but is not directly related to me!

On November 26, 2012, I announced the premiere of the E-book “The Godsend”.
https://gloryteller.com/2012/11/26/announcing-publication-of-the-godsend/
I was a little discouraged, though, about the low sales volume that season, even though I offered the book for free on an introductory basis.
I corresponded with one of my writer friends, Lizzie, who had written on her website about how The Great “I AM” worked in her circumstances. God used her writing for my encouragement, and healing:
” Dear Lizzie,
After hour upon hour of revision, proofreading, and formatting, I published “The Godsend” on Amazon and Smashwords. Out of the 400+ people in my church and in Facebook friends, I sold six units. Discouraging, right? I keep forgetting that I told Him that if I can help one person to know Him, the hours of work would be worth it. I keep forgetting that The Great I AM is faithful even when I am not. I keep forgetting that, in His hands “The Godsend” cannot fail its purpose. I keep forgetting that He never gave up in the face of crushing discouragement and suffering. Thanks Lizzie, for reminding me in your lovely post that I’m not alone as a writer nor as a believer. You and I are so much alike in spirit. Finally, I’d like to report that I, too, am constantly experiencing His restoration, love, healing, peace, and forgiveness. Let us continually be aware of the miracle of the Great I AM, not only standing beside us, but occupying us with His presence!” Thanks Lizzie!

Finally, I’d like to promote the reading of this book by pledging my donation of ALL its proceeds (not just profit) to three worthwhile ministries:
“The Call” , who facilitates the much-needed adoption and foster care of Arkansas children: http://thecallinarkansas.org/about-us/

“Wendy’s Wonderful Kids“, – the “Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption“, a national organization for the adoption of hard-to-place children: http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/what-we-do/wendys-wonderful-kids/

“The Adullam Youth Outreach”, who provide refuge, teaching, and so much more to children in distress: http://www.adullamyouth.com/index.html

“Seed money” is already on its way to these organizations. I intend to make nothing for myself from sales of this book.
So, there you go – a chance to entertain yourself and help others. That families and children who need peace might be led closer to the Lord and find His peace; that children be adopted, cared for and loved; and, that children in stressful and distressful circumstances be gathered under wings of protection and love. Give it to someone for Christmas – It’s a win, win, win, win, win, all because God told me about the plight of Davey Christopher and Nick Smith, to reveal more of His great glory.

The Godsend is available on Kindle or Kindle for PC here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Godsend-ebook/dp/B00A8TPVPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353944048&sr=8-1&keywords=lenn+snider

The Godsend is also available on Smashwords, for PC (in PFD format), Sony Reader, Nook, Apple I-Pad, Kobo, and most e-reading apps ( including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others) here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/256725

Many thanks, dear reader for your help by reading, helping to promote, or reviewing “The Godsend”. Blessings be yours!
Sincerely,
Gloryteller
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Cooking A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner – Yes I Can – This Is About Thankfulness

27 Nov 2014 4 Comments

Yes, dear reader,
Unlike most men, especially old-school men such as myself,
I’m capable of planning and cooking
a full-blown turkey-and-stuffing anchored;
mashed potato filled;
gravy-slathered;
two vegetable enhanced;
candied sweet ‘tater and
green bean casserole complimented;
cranberry sauce enlivened;
dinner-roll augmented;
and pie-crowned Thanksgiving dinner.
I don’t want that to sound like bragging,
nor self-exaltation,
it’s just the truth.
It’s a blessing that I can cook almost anything, and even do a little baking, but the blessing came at the expense of my mother’s suffering.
When I was 13, my mother dislocated her elbow due to a fall. That very painful injury prevented her from doing many of her homemaking duties including cooking the daily family meals. As the eldest child, I was appointed cook’s assistant. I performed the mechanical operations of cooking while poor plaster-casted Mom directed me. That was one of my life’s momentous turning points, because I have used those cooking skills that she taught me countless times for my own benefit and for the benefit of others.
Today, Mom is on my mind.
Thanks, Mom, for teaching me to cook and for everything else.
Thanks, God, for Mom and for all my blessings.
Thanks for the ability to imagine and invent things, and for the ability to make, and build, and create the things I imagined – everything from small tools to buildings and a home, and thanks for the ability to repair, or at least “rig up” almost anything. Thanks, God, for the ability to grow food on Your land. Most of all thanks, Lord for the very surprising gift of the ability to write.
As much as I like to cook, I’d rather write about cooking.
I’d rather write than do almost anything else.
As for Thanksgiving, I’m thankful that this website is partial fulfillment of my God-given purpose. More than anything else, I’m thankful to You, Lord, for gathering me to Yourself and giving me the joy of salvation – the joy of knowing You!

“O, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good!
His loving mercies endure forever!
O, give constant thanks unto the Lord!”

Happy Thanksgiving, dear reader!
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Joy-Flower

17 Nov 2014 4 Comments

by Gloryteller in Belief in God, Bible, Christ, Christian Fiction, Christian Writing, Compassion, Faith, God's Love, God's Provision, Good News, Heaven, Hope, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Joy, Life, Love, Metaphor, Mourning, Parable, Prayer Tags: #Bible-based fictional short story, #Euthanasia, #faith in times of trial, #Joy-Flower, #the last sleep.#Christian short story

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As he entered the dimly lit room, Yao Lin-On carried the capsule he had made like it was a knife . “This will end my daughter’s suffering,” was his only thought as he approached her bed. He had witnessed the terminal suffering of one of his nieces from the same slowly-disabling, flesh-wasting illness, several years in the past. Those horribly painful images had never left his memory, and he was determined not to let his precious Le-Lan walk the same agonizing path. He wept once again as he looked at her small, sleeping form. “At least she seems to have no pain when she is in deep sleep, but when she wakes, the medication is terribly insufficient . . . How can I let this continue, God? I, the one she has trusted, the one who brought her to this new country, to these new beliefs, to this new Father God and Jesus. I, who daily shared Biblical teachings with her, and worked to make sure that she understood Your Word. I, the one who cared for her after the loss of her mother. I, who love her dearly. I, the only one left to do what, it seems, You, God, won’t do. Yes, I have pleaded in my prayers, I have begged, I have asked politely, I have screamed, I have enjoined and bargained. All to no benefit for Le-Lan. Where is her healing? Where are the promises? Where, at the least, is merciful death? It must be that, now, at the end of my sanity, it is left to me to condemn myself to hell for her sake. Is that what You want? I retain my faith in You! Why are You leaving the task to me, Lord?”

He sat in the hard wooden chair next to the unconscious girl’s bed, laid the large, white capsule on the nightstand next to her teacup, and took her hand gently, as not to wake her. Her fingertips were black. He moaned aloud as he looked at her once-beautiful head of hair, now in ragged patches, at her missing teeth, where her room-brightening smile had been. “I cannot let her suffering be. I can’t let my little Joy-Flower wither away in pain. In a moment, little one, in just a few more moments, My Joy, I will wake you and give you your tea. So hard, this seat, so heavy my arms, so achingly tired.”

He felt her hand stir, her patchy breathing quickening. “Papa? I’m glad. . . , I’m glad you are here,” she whispered in English, the difficult language that, together, they had worked so hard to learn.
“Yes, I’m always here for you, sweet child. Be still, everything is, what is the word? . . . Okay.”
“Papa, lean closer . . . . please listen even if this is hard to understand. I’ve been talking to Jesus. He has been with me all through my illness. When it hurts so bad, Papa, He puts His cool hand on my head. He holds my hand while you hold the other. Papa, He sings to me while you cry. He tells me that you might lose your faith in Him because of me. Oh, Papa! I don’t want that! You must trust Him. Remember all the amazing things we learned about Him? They are all true, Papa!”
“I know they are, sweetheart, shhhh, don’t tire yourself.” He looked away and thought, “Maybe they are true, but He still has some things to answer for . . .”

“Papa . . . . . . . . .” she paused, “I know what you want to do tonight . . . “
Yao Lin-On’s body jumped, startled, rattling the hard chair.
“There is nothing I can do to stop you, but I want you to change your mind. Poppy please, don’t do it. If you love me, don’t.”
He stared at her face. “How could she know?” He was angry. “You know nothing of it,” he wanted to say.
“Poppy, listen,” she whispered faintly, but urgently, “If you do this thing that you think will help me, you will tear us apart forever. You will condemn yourself. If you do it, we will be apart forever. Poppy, it would break my heart if Mama and I were without you. We love you so much, and so do Jesus and the Father.” Please don’t, Poppy, please.”
“Poppy” was her most loving name for him. Mountain brooks of tears ran down his face.

“We do love you, Yao Lin-On, father of our delightful Le-Lan. We share your concern for her. We are also very concerned for you. We hear your prayers for healing and for a miracle. What you don’t realize is that what you keep praying for, We have already done. Le-Lan’s body lingers in your world, but her LIFE has been with Us since the moment she believed in her Savior. She hangs on because her story is not finished, mostly where you are concerned, but also with others who are watching her. Have you not noticed that through all her trials, she never once lost faith? Haven’t you seen that she always proclaims Our kingdom with her body and her spirit, no matter how hard her path? Through your own diligence, she had teachers who understood that in order to awaken to a new life, a person has to die in the old one. Le-Lan knew that she had to die to her self, in order to live in Christ Jesus on earth, and she knows that soon she must sleep the last sleep, which you call death, in order to live in Heaven with Us. She will follow her own path into that sleep, her last thought on earth will be of Us, and she will awaken fully alive in Our arms. Your part is to wait and watch over her sleep. Only wait and keep faith until your own last thought, in your own last sleep. We hope that last thought is only of Us, and that you will follow beautiful Le-Lan into Our waiting arms.“

Yao Lin-On looked at the sleeping Le-Lan as he came back to himself. “Was it a dream? A miracle? An inner conversation with himself?” He thought and thought as he stared at the euthanasia capsule for a long while, shuddered, took it away, and flushed it down the toilet. Returning to Le-Lan, he found that she was breathing steadily and beginning to awaken. With emotions boiling over, he took her frail body into his arms.
“I brought you some tea, Joy-Flower, can you drink some? Do you feel a little better, this morning?”
“No, Papa, I . . . feel . . . worse . . . today. My . . . stomach hurts . . . so bad.”
He bit his own lip hard to drive back the tears.
“But . . . I sure do love you, Poppy,” she whispered slowly and softly into his ear.
“I love you right back, my Joy-Flower.”
He had a sense of calm peace, then, and, for far too many days, he knew that those were the last words he would hear on earth from Le-Lan. She, at last, slept her final sleep. Yet, he was confident in proclaiming that those were the first words he would hear from her in Heaven. It shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did, how many others were amazed, and changed, after watching the pain, and the faith, of the man of God, Yao Lin-On, and his beautiful daughter of God, Yao Le-Lan, Joy-Flower.

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About the making of Joy-Flower

One of my writer friends commented:
“Absolutely beautiful. How did you come up with this storyline?”
My reply was this:
“It’s difficult to explain God’s involvement, participation, and presence in the creation of this story, but I’ll try. One morning I awoke (or did I?) and it was in my heart to write about the subject of a man being angry at God for what he perceived were broken promises and unanswered prayers. Then I “heard” Him say the name of the protagonist. I was a little surprised, and had the audacity to question, “Why the Asian name? What do I know of this?” I soon began to lay out the story and He filled in my blanks. It even took an unexpected turn into another unexpected, complex subject. It was all done in one “take”. I’m confident that Joy-Flower has a purpose far beyond what I can imagine, and that one day He will tell me the whole story behind it; the rest of the story of its future. Thank you so much for reading it, J.! Your question made me think about it, which stretched my pen further than I thought it could go. I needed that!”

So, if I were pressed to describe writing, from my perspective it seems to be the expression of the inexpressible, using combinations of words that have not been combined before, with the nearly incomprehensible involvement of our nearly unfathomable God.
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Joy-Flower
Copyright by Gloryteller, Len Snider, 11-4-2014
All rights reserved
The names of the two main human characters are fictitious.

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Joy-Flower

04 Nov 2014 4 Comments

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Copyright by Gloryteller, Len Snider, 11-4-2014
All rights reserved
The names of the two main human characters are fictitious.

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Tears Are For The Living

04 Oct 2014 2 Comments

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I have few tears for the dead,
for their souls have flown away,
each to its eternal land,
to the god, or God they chose,
or Who always held them in His hands;
Only gone from here,
as I, one day, will be,
they’re gone,
in the main,
to their self-determined fates.
But here survive the living
in their mourning, loss, and grief;
aching whether in their faith,
or in their unbelief,
still sad.
It’s only for all of those
that my sighing heartstring breaks.

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Destructive Doubt, Rhetorical Questions, and Faith – Urgent, Read Immediately

14 Sep 2014 4 Comments

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I feel an urgent need to write specifically about faith versus doubt.
At this moment, it is imperative,
crucial,
critical,
essential,
indispensable,
vitally important:
Someone is having doubts.
Someone is losing their faith in The Father.
Or never had any.
So many hard questions remain unanswered.
So many prayers unanswered,
or seemingly answered with a “no”.
So many promises seemingly not kept.
So much blame
to be unloaded,
and assigned.
So much heartbreak.
So much pain.
The internal debates wear one down,
sap our strength,
stress our beings,
abscond with our joy,
waste our lives.
Those kinds of troubles can alienate a person,
isolate,
Make one feel alone,
even in a crowd.
Make one feel like they are
the only one who has gone through so much,
who has had to bear this specific torture,
and you’re right,
No-one has had your exact experience.
But you’re wrong about being alone in it.
You are not alone,
never alone.

I, myself, have had questions and doubts about
God’s existence,
His caring,
His promise keeping.
His love.
I, myself, asked things early-on like
“Why should I believe?”,
and, “What if it’s all a big hoax?”,
and, “Why don’t You seem to hear even my most
heartfelt,
earnest,
fervent,
prayers?”,
and, “Why do good people,
people who care,
and who act right,
and who are good to others,
people I love and care about,
die too soon,
while evil people,
people who only hate and hurt,
and murder,
people who detract from life,
and from Your glory,
people who I (forgive me) detest,
persist,
live on,
even thrive while doing more and more harm?”

I’ve had those, and countless more,
doubts and questions,
both before and a bit after my rescue,
my lifesaving encounter,
with my Lord.
Now I know that I have an enemy who likes,
encourages,
abuses,
and twists,
my doubting and questioning,
who whispers about them in my secret ear,
to use them against my good,
and promote his own evil.
When I ask my doubting questions,
I hear his faint,
but clear,
insane laughter,
for doubts are like lies,
and he is the father of lies.
I smile inside myself when I realize that is happening,
because knowing is being forewarned,
forewarned is forearmed,
and I’m armed with a powerful weapon.

I still have questions and I ask them,
but, doubts?
Doubts can do damage.
Doubts can threaten trust.
Doubts can mislead, deceive,
and obscure Truth,
runaway doubt can destroy.
Of course there is something I call
“healthy skepticism”,
discernment,
“useful doubt”,
but you have to understand the difference,
which I don’t want to address at this moment.

The thing is, my questions and destructive doubts
are different after knowing God than they were before.
Before, the enemy,
with my permission,
used them to try to destroy me.
Now I can try to use them for my good.
And yours.

A big obstacle to my faith is that I am, by nature, a
rational,
logical,
reasoning,
pragmatic
thinker.
“Stuff” has to make sense to me.
There has to be order.
There has to be a reason something is the way it is.
Therefore, science was once my god, in a sense,
instead of the real, true God whose works
we attempt to understand through science.
In other words, I lived only by sight and not by faith.
Now, I am predominantly the opposite.
Now I know rationality and logic
can get in the way of my spiritual thinking.
One can overthink one’s self into trouble.
One can complicate what is supposed to be simple
and veer far from the truth.

Now, I try not to “lean too much on my own meager understanding”.
I try to remember that there is not just a “big picture”, but a “great, huge, majestic picture”
that I can’t fathom
that I’m not allowed to know,
even if I did have the capacity to understand.
I’ve learned to recognize when I’m
stuck in circular questioning
or trapped in doubt.
I’ve come to realize that when I
doubt and question God, I’m making Him into the god
that I, myself, am creating rather than
the One who created me;
the “word” from my mind, rather than
the true Word,
the great I AM,
the One true, factual God of the Bible.

When I realize that I’m getting lost,
(It’s often not simple or easy)
I have to push the offending thoughts away,
with a mental, even a kind of physical stiff arm,
and get myself back on the trail to my destination:
home.

It’s simple; I have made my choice of faith in Him.
I will let nothing change that decision.
I simply cannot!
I know He is good, and kind, and cares about me.
I know that He keeps all His promises
in ways that would – and will – amaze us,
when we can finally fully understand.
I don’t want to lose my faith in Him,
nor my personal relationship with Him.
It took too many years to get it.
I lived too long without it.
I can’t let anything or anyone steal it.
Without it, I’d be less than nothing;
I’d be lost in the worst sense of the word.
Here’s a question I have asked:
“If I were to turn my back on the Lord,
which of us would be harmed, or “hurt” more?”
My answer is, “I would be, infinitely so!”
His answer is that He would hurt greatly for me,
because of my choice, but He would wait with open arms
in hope that I would change my mind.

It boils down to this:
To be sure, we all have questions and doubts.
It’s a human thing.
It’s how we handle them that makes the difference.
Dwelling upon destructive doubt and rhetorical questions is a waste of time.
Our choice is between faith in Jesus and Father God, or the enemy . . .
there is no between, no middle ground, no compromise.
You might say “I choose myself”,
but that is the same as choosing the enemy, not God,
as your Lord and master.
So, please, choose life, choose love,
choose faith in Jesus, and stick to it with all your might!

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I do have many other drafts waiting in the wings
that I want to finish and publish,
but this new theme was put on my heart with an “urgent” notice attached.
It seems like an emergency that needs immediate attention.
It is a form of sacrifice to be used this way,
yet it is a joy to serve.
I pray that this quickly gets to the readers who need it.
Reader, I care about what happens to you.
I’ve shared your struggles, believe me, maybe worse!
You have no idea what I’ve been through,
only God does,
therefore He is the “logical”
One I turn toward for support, and comfort.
I hope and pray that my words help you.
Sincerely,
L<

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Divide and Conquer – Decrees of Evil

30 Aug 2014 4 Comments

$&$&$&$

“Begin The Great Dividing!”

My First Decree:

“Divide them up! Divide them down!

By age,

By gender,

By color,

By country,

By wealth,

By poverty,

By religion,

By belief,

By ideology,

By politics,

By education,

By rank,

By lack,

By abundance,

By every division, and disparity,

By every difference and distinction,

By every dissimilarity and variation, no matter how small.

But, most of all, separate them into billions and billions

Of little selves which exclude all others.

Selves, each of which love only I,

Which care for only myself,

Which cherish only mine,

And thus worship only me!

Apart they are weak!

Chop them up like the onions in our hash!

Separate them all!”

Decree Number II:

“Deceive and distract,

Show them the bait but hide the trap.

Make them a tempting supper, perhaps.

Whip together a dash of hot anger and a dollop of hate,

Beat in a good measure of jealousy; delicious to taste.

A spoonful of envy,

Some grated ungratefulness,

A cup of covetousness

Into their fattening-food.

Mix in maximum revenge,

Make it all feel so good.

Throw in a fistful of greed,

Add a pinch or two of bitterness and blame,

Then a generous handful, of sweeet unforgiveness

Stirred up in their feed!

(My poetry is magnificent, indeed!)

Thus we will capture and conquer;

Self-divided!

Thus we will assimilate them all;

Self-poisoned!

Thus they give their selves over.

Our slaves, our sheep, our food.

They have no way to defend themselves from this dividing,

For it agrees with their very nature.

One whisper, and they divide themselves!

The age of Darkness is at hand!

Divide them up! Divide them down!

They won’t even know it happened!

(Until it’s Too. Late. For them.)

Then the world will be all mine….. Excuse me, ours, to rule!”

Would I lie to you?!

Your Supreme Master,

Lord S.

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Intelligence-Advisory Memo (I-AM) :

Thus speaks, thus dictates,

Thus plots our arch-enemy…….

But we do have a defense, and he knows it!

He knows he cannot divide nor conquer us

If we live in the unity of the Holy Spirit’s nature that binds us together as one

In the peace of the Word of The Famous One, The Great Uniter.

One body, one family, saved by One Risen Man’s sacrifice.

One eternal life, together inseparably, with Him!

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Faith Of Our Fathers – The Power In A Young Man’s Faith

25 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

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He has a ministry already, this young man of God.
He may not even know the power he has
as he quickly proclaims his faith publicly in the face of his wrenching heartbreak.
He may not know that the most unlikely people are watching as he says goodbye;
watching, and being influenced, in life-changing ways:

He said: “Dad, thank you for being an awesome role model in my life!
I love you and I know that you loved me!
I know that you are in a better place and are with our Father.
I wasn’t ready for you to pass so soon, and I don’t think anyone was.
Let God’s will be done, and trust in his plan.
May you rest in eternal peace.
Thanks for being such a great dad.
I love you Dad.”
J.A.K.

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You’re only beginning adult life,
one of my “younger brothers in the Spirit”,
yet, even in the throes of intense grief,
you still publicly proclaim your unwavering faith,
– the faith handed down by my friend, your wonderful father –
(oh, what a legacy)
You show the power of the love you were given
by your earthly father, and most of all, by your Heavenly one.
You proclaim the love between father and son,
you testify to your unshakable belief in Jesus, Father, Spirit,
and I’m inspired;
under these circumstances, I am touched . . .
That is the truest test,
the brightest evidence,
the hardest proof,
the best power of The Truth,
the highest worth of faith . . .
And even as my heart breaks for you,
Like Theirs does,
I’m so very proud of you.

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What more could I ask of my own son,
when the time comes,
than to grieve hard, to mourn,
also, to sing and rejoice,
and to loudly, visibly, proclaim our faith.

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Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious Word!

Refrain: Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers, we will strive
To win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
We all shall then be truly free.

Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife;
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.

Frederick W. Faber

Image by Gloryteller

Gloryteller’s Original Quips, Quotes, Random Thoughts, Puns, Humor, and Philosophies –

07 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

by Gloryteller in Apologetics, Belief in God, Christian Writing, Faith, Good News, Life, Metaphor, Personal Testimony

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#102.

I have walked down the road of so-called “freethought”,
where truth is sought exclusively through logic, reason, and empiricism.
I made scientific inquiry my idol; my only worship, my only way.
I’m here to tell you that that road leads to a dark dead end.
It reveals nothing of The Spirit’s way.
The road I’m traveling now is paved with faith,
is bathed in light, and leads to never-ending Truth.
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Testament – A Dangerous Gift of Risky Wisdom

21 Jul 2014 4 Comments

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To all my friends, neighbors, and relatives:

This present, the precious fruit I hold out to you,
puts me at risk of being cast out, criticized, ostracized,
scoffed at, shunned, unfriended, thrown away, kicked out,
laughed at, and made fun of.
In some places, extending this to others
even brings hardship, torture, or death.
Nevertheless, I extend my gift of Good News to you,
though it may, through the enemy’s deceit,
look and sound to you like the opposite.

My gift is honest, plainspoken, it’s candid and frank,
forthright and truthful, direct and unreserved,
open and plain, and is completely sincere, out of my care,
compassion, concern, and love for you.

It is this:

If you are seeking to be “at one with the universe”,
you will never be that until you are “at one” with the creator of the universe.
(Yes, it was created, as were you; as was I.)

If you seek peace, seek freedom, and seek justice,
in their truest, purest forms,
you will never have those without knowing
the originator and provider of those things.

If you seek to be whole and complete, you will never truly be
until you know The Only One who was perfectly whole
and complete in Himself – Jesus – God With Us;
who sacrificed His all so that you could have all of the above
through Him and in Him alone.

And if you seek one person to love, and to love you in return, for all your life,
seek one who knows the creator of love – The One who loves you both
with eternal certainty.

This is eternal wisdom, of which I once had none,
but of which He has given like He gives the gift of faith.
I am a firsthand witness. It happened to myself.
I have grasped only the corner of His robe.
I have but sipped from His living spring.
(to lend a particle of the poetic)
Only a corner and a small sip have already brought forth refreshing fruit
which I willingly pass out despite personal cost. Now.
For I may be out of time here.
One day, I will certainly be out of time, if you get my drift. . .

Once, I had none of those gifts,
Now, I’m getting.
Once, I couldn’t have,
Now, I can.
Once, I only was,
Now, I AM.

My Christ-following friends already know these truths,
as they know the Author of truth,
the Giver of the only gifts which have lasting value.
They already have, or are in the process of, accepting all the above desirable gifts.
The Good News is that there is much, much, more
to knowing Father God, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit!
Knowing them and making them Lord-Of-My-Life
is Everything.

Choose any of those friends, neighbors, or relatives to confide in
or ask questions of, if you want these things and much, much, more.
Any of them can tell you who to see, where to go, and what to do
to get the absolute most out of this current life and have it all extended everlastingly!

My heart is “on my sleeve”,
It’s plain for all to see,
Who do you want to be, or not to be?
This, sincerely, lovingly, from Me.

7-12-14 *From Estes Park*
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Image by Gloryteller

Incognito – Or Not

28 Jun 2014 4 Comments

~ ~ ~ ~
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
____________

“Incognito” in our age implies “wanting to remain anonymous, or unknown”.
The word is from Latin, and it means “not known”.
I can’t debate the great C.S. Lewis, but I do know that God doesn’t want to remain anonymous.
If He is not known, it is because people refuse to know Him in spite of ALL He has done to make Himself known.
The first two sentences shine brilliantly.
We can ignore, but in no way evade, His presence.
He walked the earth in ragged sandals.
In a sense, He inhabits, and breathes inside, every living creature.
All Creation is FILLED with His glory!

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Image by Gloryteller

I AM

03 Jun 2014 4 Comments

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I exist, therefore I am — I think.
Humor. Jocularity. I can laugh!

I have roots in reality, therefore I am.
More accurate.

I live, therefore I am.
More true.

I have being, therefore I am.
Truer still.

Finally, I believe, therefore I AM!
Because of my being and my living,
Those two words became one word.
I came to believe in the Living God,
Through the being of the living Savior,
Who existed, Who died, and Who loves, and lives in me.

In Him, I have thought.
In Him I have:
Existence!
Reality!
Being!
Truth!
Belief!
Love!
Life!
Everything good, desirable, worthwhile, now and evermore!

In Him, I am a living spirit-self currently residing in a body which is cognizant of all the above wonders.
Rejoice, O my soul,
My spirit,
My body,
My self!

Indeed!
Because He lives, I am.

I AM!

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Afterthought: “I write, therefore I am — a whole other post”, I laugh!

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Why?

05 May 2014 5 Comments

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When disaster strikes,
when tragic loss of lives occurs,
why do we second guess ourselves
after the fact?
Why do we have to look back?
Why do we say,
“What if I had only said _______,
or done _______ ?”
Why do we search for answers when there are none,
or the answers are beyond us in their complexity?
What do we gain when the past won’t change?
Will it help if there is something or someone to blame?
How can we cope when we have no control?
Where can we run, when futility finds us?
When will we abandon wasteful rhetoric?
Why do we keep asking “Why”,
crying, WHYYYYY?

Why?

It is futile to ask the wind, the sky, the universe.
Hopeless.
Useless.
Pointless.
Of no value.
To no avail.
And vain.
A waste of faith.
A waste of time,
especially if one knows The One
Who knows the answers,
the One who kindly, lovingly, comforts us
when the only word that will come is “why”.
The One who will, on our day, answer us without being asked,
for He already knows why
we continuously,
helplessly,
ask . . .
Why?
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Gloryteller

A Tribute To The Unforgettable Zina Nicole Lahr.

The Glory of God In Disc Golf

No Makeup

I Present SPRING

Seeking Grief Relief . . .

Perfect and Permanent Memory

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A Brief History of “The Godsend” (I Keep Forgetting) Help Charities, Buy This Book, Please!

Cooking A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner – Yes I Can – This Is About Thankfulness

Joy-Flower

Joy-Flower

Tears Are For The Living

Destructive Doubt, Rhetorical Questions, and Faith – Urgent, Read Immediately

Divide and Conquer – Decrees of Evil

Faith Of Our Fathers – The Power In A Young Man’s Faith

Gloryteller’s Original Quips, Quotes, Random Thoughts, Puns, Humor, and Philosophies –

Testament – A Dangerous Gift of Risky Wisdom

Incognito – Or Not

I AM

Why?

Me, Myself, and I AM

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Me, Myself, and I AM

Follow Me On Facebook

Latest Musings

Pages: My Way of Glorytelling by Storytelling

Archives – My Saved Works

Please Scroll To The Bottom Of This Page To Find Links To Christmas Music, Book Reviews, A Map, And Other Delightful Info

About The Music Links Below

Christmas Music Videos

The Basic Christian Library

Compelling Christian Fiction Reads

Copyright Licensing

Write Me Here:

Email Subscription

My Signature Story

Great Sites and Sounds

For Your Reading Enjoyment, This Is Like A Park, Use It, Enjoy It, and Leave Everything Where You Found It.