Gloryteller

A Child Giving Thanks

22 Nov 2015 4 Comments

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Here is the beautiful voice of a beautiful,
Very young child giving thanks to God.
These are her words;
She helped to write this song!
Straightforward.
Honest.
Uncomplicated.
Pure.
From her heart.
O, that I can remain so,
For I am nothing if not His child,
And less than nothing if not thankful for everything
little Rhema Marvanne sings about in her brilliant
song of worship.
The visuals are quite astounding as well.

Credits:
My thanks to: Rhema Marvanne – Original song with Lyrics by Rhema Marvanne and Larry Randall, Music by David Howarth. Taken from Rhema’s 3rd album, Believe, recorded when she was 8 years old. Published by Howarth Music Publishing (BMI) 2012.
My thanks to The Father for Rhema and her family.
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Video by Gloryteller

Cooking A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner – Yes I Can – Thanks, Almighty God!

20 Nov 2015 6 Comments

Yes, dear Reader,
Unlike many 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.
Here’s the thing:
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.
You see, when I was 13, my mother dislocated her elbow during a fall. That very painful injury prevented or hampered her doing many of her homemaking duties including cooking the daily family meals. As the eldest child, I was appointed Cook’s Assistant. Until she was fully healed, I performed the mechanical operations of cooking while poor plaster-casted Mom directed me and taught me. That was one of my life’s momentous turning points, because I have used those cooking skills 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 you did and taught.
Thanks, Father God, for Mom and for all my many blessings.
Thanks for my 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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Peace Like A River For My Soul

27 Oct 2015 2 Comments

Asher B. Durand

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Peace is kind of like love.
Everyone needs it.
Most civilized people want it.
Many seek it in one way or another.
So do I.

The quality of peace is not strain’d either.
It, too, falls like gentle rain from Heaven
upon the needful ones below. (thanks, Shakespeare)

Some folks have real peace and some have a pseudo,
temporary, fleeting kind of peace.
So do I and so have I.

Some look for it in all the wrong places.
Yup, that was me.

Many have no peace whatsoever and have no idea
where it comes from,
how to get some,
or even what it is.
Again, been there.

When I find myself in need of the comfort and enjoyment of peace,
which is most of the time,
like many folks I seek and readily find peace
in what is commonly called “Nature”.
“Nature”, in a broad sense, is universally understood.
You are probably forming mental pictures right now
about how you perceive and define “Nature”.
Now envision some of your favorite peace-inducing “Nature” scenes;
places you have been, or even pictures of real places or those imagined by someone.
Did that bring you a bit of peacefulness?

But –
“Nature” (nature – to bring it down off its pedestal)
is only a reflection of the super-natural;
of God’s supernatural glory. (He is above nature – He made it!)
Isn’t it delightful that even this somewhat hazy reflection
of Heaven can still bring us earth-side peace?

I personally enjoy a pastoral scene, one with water in it,
and even better, one with a mountainous theme.
A clear, unpolluted, starwatching-sky is also a delight.

Sunshine and sheep,
Cattle and a creek,
Grass and rolling hills,
Green and blue and still.

A clear night sky,
Star-filled and wide,
Shapes made of light,
Faith becoming sight.

A picture will do, but being there in person is best.
Sitting and contemplating;
meditating and cogitating;
or simply ‘taking it all in’ and enjoying the serenity,
the quietness,
and the upwelling joy begotten of His Light and Life.
It’s great!
But if I am walking, I like an upward path through my favorite “Nature”.
Ascent is so metaphoric.
I walk upward into His waiting embrace.
What peace, elation, and joy all at once!

I like to visit nature alone to find great peace,
and this occurs to me – even my extrovert friends seek peace alone there sometimes.
Many of them enjoy walking an upward path by themselves.
There is something calming about solitude.

Peace is this:
Just being still and knowing that He is God.

And this:
“. . . the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your heart and mind . . .”

Wonderfully this:
“You will go out with joy and be led out in peace.
The mountains and the hills will break into songs of joy in your presence,
and all the trees will clap their hands.”

Especially this:
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.”
Yes, that was The Prince of Peace speaking to each of us,
in fact He mentions ‘peace’ at least four hundred times in His Word
in all its different meanings and nuances.

Personal peace is important.
Without it, there is a certain emptiness;
an unmet longing.
In today’s turmoil, peace is elusive.
Tranquility, and quiet,
harmony and calmness,
concord and agreement,
safety and security,
and freedom from anxiety and worries
are in short supply.
But peace is important to God.
As His creations, He made it important to us as well,
and He saw how incapable we were
of having any through our own devices.
So He sent His Son, The Prince of Peace,
while we were still enemies of His,
to humble Himself as human in order
to make peace between the warring parties,
The Father vs. the fallen.
Jesus’ sacrificial death was the condition of the cease-fire,
the requirement of justice,
the peace treaty,
the just agreement of concord,
the new covenant of peace between mankind and The Father,
between each person and Father God,
and between Him and myself.

I believe that with His final exhalation,
He whispered Divine peace into the heart of Creation,
and into mine. His peace, like His joy – gifts that cannot be
lost, if guarded, once they are embedded in your heart.

It is said that all Creation rejoiced when this treaty was struck.
I believe that “Nature” “broke into song,
and the trees clapped their hands”
not only for mankind,
and myself,
but for Its Own sake as well,
for
that was the beginning
of the restoration,
the redemption and the repair
of not only humanity, but of all Creation –
in peace.

Thank You Lord, for peace.
Without it, life earth-side would be much more difficult.

So,
what better way to seek and find peace than to
walk with The Bringer and Giver of Peace,
The Wonderful Counselor of Peace,
The Prince of Peace?

He willingly,
eagerly,
whole-heartedly
Walks and talks with me,
(and wants the same with you)
on my upward path through nature,
and not only through idyllic scenes,
but through every season,
taking me,
leading me,
pushing me,
supporting me,
carrying me,
giving me,
showing me,
His peace, and wonder, and glory,
until we reach the arms of The Father,
where I’ll be wrapped in the Ultimate Peace,
the final,
enduring,
everlasting,
Peace of His eternal presence.

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There is a special hymn that is commonly associated
with peace: “Peace Like A River/All Is Well With My Soul”.
If you don’t know the background of this song, you should check
out the remarkable story of the author, Horatio Spafford.
There is a line in the fourth verse which speaks deeply within me:
“Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.”
Many versions of this hymn are slow and, well, peaceful.
Here is a version that is upbeat and joyous.
It really struck a chord in me:

Thank you Spring Harvest for the music and Humpty Fell for the fine video!

©Gloryteller.com 10-27-15
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Who Am I ?

04 Oct 2015 2 Comments

To know one’s identity is highly important.
Just ask those with amnesia.
Just ask anyone who doesn’t know, or is uncertain,
or who is “trying to find himself, or herself”.
This piece of knowledge is extremely valuable;
vital, even.

This writer knows the answer.
Who am I?
I AM my Father’s child!
A simple statement.
Make it as complex as you like, for it is indeed huge!

My cousin Ann, of whose attributes I can’t say enough,
quite astutely says that she is:

“Born of one father,
Born again of another.”

A remarkable statement of identity!
I’m pretty certain she means “Born first on earth
of her father, my uncle, and born again of
Father God through Jesus Christ.”
Ann is not only clever, but she is full of truth!

However,
When I thought of myself in light of her statement,
I realized that “I” – “my Father’s child”,
was first born to Him in Heaven,
in a sense,
in the high, holy sense,
the only sense that matters to “me”.
Conceived by Him and born to Him.
Then borne by Him to my bodily habitation on earth.
Borne to my second father,
born unaware of the First.
When finally, finally, I became aware of my First Father,
my initial, original, foremost, paramount, primary, principal Father,
Whose merciful forgiveness of,
and passionate love for me,
transcends my meager understanding,
it was then that I “stepped into the seeming void of faith”
and found the truth of my identity in Him.
It was then that I was born again in Christ Jesus with help from
His Holy spirit.
Reborn!
In Christ, who is in the Father, who are in me!
Here on earth in a body,
but not being a body, or a brain,
but only having one,
while being something – someone – entirely new and different.
My being and my life are in my Father!
Thank You, Father, for my life and my identity (in You).
Indeed,
I AM my Father’s child!
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Image by Gloryteller

Moonstruck

29 Sep 2015 1 Comment

It struck me during the recent eclipse what an apt visual metaphor a lunar eclipse is for how the things of this world dim and veil the Heaven of God. The light of the sun is blocked from illuminating the full moon by the dark shadow of the earth. That is just what happens when the light of The Son of Man is blocked from illuminating our hearts and minds by the dark shadow of the world’s misguided value system.

The Light is His redemptive action, His saving grace, His compelling promise, His immense love, and His radiant glory.

The full moon is our need for relationship with Him, our obedience out of love for Him, our longing to be eternally in His presence, our heart for worship, our giving, our promotion of His kingdom, our joy in the privilege of sharing the good news of His story with the lost world. It represents our individual hearts and our collective heart as a people.

The shadow cast by the earth represents the distraction of
self indulgence in the pleasures of the world,
the false idea that there are no absolutes and every person’s unique view of “the truth” is valid,
that there is nothing other than what can be seen,
that death is the end of life and there is no living spirit that continues,
that God, His Son, and His Heaven are a myth,
that there is no such thing as sin and we can do whatever we want,
that there is no right or wrong except what each individual determines is right or wrong for “them”,
that our spiritual enemy is a myth, which is exactly what that enemy wants us to believe regarding all the above “world’s values”.

On one side, Light. On the other, dark shadow. As for me, I choose Light. As for me, I maintain the struggle, grappling with the shadow-prince of this world, all the while calling upon The Light to prevent the eclipse of my joy.
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To A Discouraged Young Man

02 Sep 2015 2 Comments

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I would rather just give you a big bear hug and sit with you quietly, but these words will have to suffice.

To paraphrase Mr. C. S. Lewis, this world constantly shows us that we weren’t made for it. We were made for a better land – our true home. We are strangers here, often alien even to our own bodies. Physical issues are hard. Time here is often wearying. Dismay seems to be inordinately long, while fun, satisfying, and pleasurable times pass quickly into the mundane, the hum-drum, and the mediocre. We long for something we can barely grasp. So much is missing and nothing seems to last except the ache.

Take heart! I’ve found that fixing my mind on our eventual forever home changes my perspective. I don’t know why we are placed here to endure these things, but I do know that we are called, like Saint Paul was, to persevere, and to build character. We are to find our way home and take as many people with us as we can, even if we must carry them, even if we must lead crawling before them. I’ve often seen that the suffering faithful are unintentionally the most compelling role models. Their testimonies are intensely attractive. You are not alone in your thoughts and feelings. You are unique, but not alone. Being older, having lived long in this broken plane, I can truly sympathize, and I care about you. So I encourage you, dear brother, to put your hope in Heaven where our Father lives. Believe in Him. Do the best you can in this land, but strive for Home where our real life, true and beautiful, awaits.
Sincerely,
In Jesus’ love,
Me
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His Omni-ness

10 Aug 2015 6 Comments

by Gloryteller in Belief in God, Christian Writing, Faith, God, God's Glory, Good News, Love, Personal Testimony, Redemption Tags: #like I am Your Only Child, #omnipotence, #omnipresence, #omniscience

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α His Omni-ness Ω

Isn’t it astounding that each person can truthfully say to Almighty God:

“You are my personal God, Lord, Father, and Savior!”

“I am, in effect, the only one on Your mind right now!”

“Jesus gave His life just for me and my salvation!”

“You made all creation for my enjoyment!”

“You love me as if I were your only child!”

“Thank You, O Highest Lord!”

I believe that in Your omnipotence,
Your omnipresence,
Your omniscience,
And all Your “omni-ness”,
All the above sentences are true!
You have infinite “time” to think about,
Care about,
Commune with,
Speak with,
BE with,
And to LOVE each of us as if we are Your only one.

Because of the redemptive power of Jesus,
I love that I can say those words,
and I love that you can say them too, dear reader.
So go ahead, say them!
Make His day!

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Contemplating Paradise

28 Jul 2015 2 Comments

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Attack of The Predator

21 Jul 2015 2 Comments

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Along with millions of other people,
I watched a shark try to attack a surfer on a live television broadcast.
It was so much like life, so much a metaphor for this worldly/spiritual existence:

From my vantage point, I can see the stealthy approach
of our spiritual enemy when the victim cannot.
I feel the escalating danger of the situation.
I watch in dismay as the predator circles,
quickly judging the unsuspecting prey and planning its attack.

IT is the Infamous Terminator.
It watches for weaknesses,
It ferrets out flaws and failings,
It determines defenses,
sizing him up,
figuring him out,
taking his measure,
(the English language is so full of idioms like those)

The strike happens very quickly.
It has done this countless times before,
with countless victims.
I’m tempted to say destruction is its “second nature”, but it is not;
it is the assailant’s primary nature, to kill and destroy,
That is its base and core nature.
I watch its final turn and am outraged at the savagery of its lunge.
I feel helpless.
I want to shout a warning to the victim.
I want to give him eyes to see the beast coming.
I want to somehow put armor on,
and jump into the space between him and the killer.
I want to arm him and give him ammunition.
I want to pull him out of the scene –
somehow snatch him away from imminent death.
What I end up doing is saying a hasty prayer.

In the real-life television story,
the surfer punched the shark and escaped shaken but largely unharmed.
Psychologically damaged, maybe –
he said he might not ever go into the ocean again.

But in real, spiritual real-life, the victim never escapes the wiles
of the spiritual enemy through their own power,
their own intellect,
their own knowledge,
their own skill,
nor their own efforts.
They always must be saved from that apex predator
by the One who is stronger than it is.

What can I do to save them?
Not much.
I can only tell them about the enemy of their soul and spirit,
about its nature, and tactics,
and strategy of deception.
I can illustrate how their imminent destruction will take place.
I can point to the danger, and shout warning;
try to give them eyes to see the hideous beast.
I can try to arm them with the truth about it.
I could try to defeat it by sacrificing my own life.
That would be futile.
I can stand in the gap between it and them in prayer,
which is most useful and prudent,
but, best of all, I can tell them of The One
who can save them –
the only One.

Jesus Christ!

He is the one who can do all of the above,
all that no-one else can do,
and He has done it!
Suffered the pain of sacrificing His own life . . .
He has defeated death and defeated it – the enemy –
for all who believe in Him.
All.
That includes you, dear reader, if you desire it.
It is His nature. He has done it countless times,
for countless vulnerable people.
I know, because He did it all for me when I first believed;
when I just sincerely believed Him!
So, all I can do is plant the seeds of His Truth,
and I can pray that they find Him,
that you find Him,
and I can assure them of His love for them,
and for you!
If He could save me, out of love and compassion,
from the stealthy,
deceptive,
fatal attacks
of that bestial,
predatory,
killer of my soul,
He can save you as well.

He. Can. Save. Anybody!

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Random Thoughts From The Farm

17 Jul 2015 2 Comments

by Gloryteller in Christian Humor, Christian Poetry, Christian Writing, God's Grace, Joy, Life, Love, Personal Testimony, Secular Stuff, Writing Tags: #advice, #doctor joke, #iguana humor, #mnemonic device, #parties, #racistjoke, #Random thoughts, #wisdom

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Thought #4.
“People don’t need most of what they want,
but worse, many people don’t want what they need most.”

#19.
I made a mnemonic device to eliminate the confusion on when to use “then” or “than”:
“ThAn compAres.
ThEn tells whEn (or sEquencE of EvEnts).“

#20.
“Now I need a device to help me remember “mnemonic” . . .”

#21.
My original racist joke:
“An ordinary Asian guy walks into a bar and orders a Singapore Sling. The bartender says, ‘Sorry, sir, look at the sign. We only serve Grasshoppers, Salty Dogs, and White Russians.’ “

#22.
“People who want to communicate good should take grammar more serious.”

#26.
“When you undertake to make yourself more alluring, consider well whom (or what) you may be luring.”

#27.
“Must write,
must write.
Must write uniquely as commissioned,
or die an invisibly unique and individually empty death.”

#28.
“Grace comes moment by moment,
Abiding until the next.
Life, a momentary comment,
By grace is momentously blessed.“

#30.
“Occasionally I think well.
Most other times, I think, “Wellllll?” . . .

#33.
“Another Random Thought: Why does it seem that political parties are such a “far cry” from the concept of an enjoyable, festive, fun gathering? (My mental image when someone says “party”). Why is it that political parties are on the opposite end of the spectrum from that?”

#34.
A Homegrown Original from 9-5-13 :
“What do you have when all your iguana does is sleep, and can’t stand up anymore?
Are you ready for it? Drum rollllll . . .
Reptile dysfunction . . .”
Pa- Dum- Pa !

#35.
Another Random Thought from 9-5-13:
“At what point does a practicing physician become a performing M.D. ? Hmmm?”

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That is more than enough for now, right?
I have 189 of these so far, so bear with me!
Ha ha ha ha ha,
God bless you, dear Reader!

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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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A Thought From My Garden

17 Jun 2015 2 Comments

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Thought #185. (I thought this thought while IN my garden,
in case you thought my garden thinks thoughts of its own.)

“Love everyone, and be friends with those rare people you also LIKE.”

(Bis Juli und Ben, die inspiriert diese. Gott segne sie, immer.)

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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

The Deeper Life – And Greener

20 May 2015 2 Comments

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

I have lived my life on both sides of the fence
And found it to be immeasurably more
Meaningful,

Joyous,

Fulfilling,

Rich,

And deep,

On Jesus’ side.

Belief in Him has changed everything for me.
I urge you to jump the fence to Jesus,
If you haven’t already.

Staying on your side,
Or jumping,
Is the most important move you will ever make.

The topsoil is deep where I am;
The grass is a sweet, dark green.
The grass is greener on this side of the fence,
and that’s the way it will always be.
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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

Grace Dance

15 Apr 2015 1 Comment

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As willows swing in the breeze,
As seaweed sways with the tide,
So, soft and graceful the dance,
When The Son is one with His Bride.
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Image by Gloryteller

Rejoice! Rejoice! With All Your Might, Rejoice!

05 Apr 2015 4 Comments

by Gloryteller in Bible, Christ, Christian Poetry, Christian Writing, Christianity, Easter, Evangelism, Faith, God's Glory, God's Grace, God's Love, God's Promises, God's Provision, Good News, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Hope, Inspirational Writing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Metaphor, Personal Testimony, Redemption, Resurrection, Resurrection Sunday, Salvation, Thankfulness and Gratitude, Worship Tags: christianity, Crucifixion of Jesus, He Is Risen, Holy Spirit, Rejoice!, Resurrection Poem, Resurrection Sunday

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Rejoice! Rejoice! With All Your Might, Rejoice!

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think, in some way,
about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Today is no different.
But wait,
it is different, for today is The Church’s official celebration of that
creation-changing,
world-changing,
life-changing Day.
Today, let there be loud singing and joyous dancing.
Let there be massive celebration over all the Earth, for our Jesus is alive!
Let there be all of that but, most importantly,
let Him be the Lord of your life.

Rejoice, My Soul – All People, Rejoice!

I celebrate this holiest
Of all the days of holiness,
For as the sun appears to rise in the East,
The Son of God did arise
On Easter – Resurrection Day,
The greatest Day the Lord Has Made.
I rejoice and I am exceedingly glad in it,
For my Savior lives!
Oh, Lord, He lives!
Now and forever, He lives!
And because He lives,
So can I!
For my heart, too, was sealed
With hardened stone,
And in that darkened tomb
Dwelt death.
With tender touch He moved
The hardened part away
To let in light and life
So death was put to death.
The Holy Spirit Jesus sent
Was sent to live in me.
As Christ began to breathe again
I felt my spirit leap.
It leapeth still in Heaven’s realm,
So graciously removed from hell
That I can only raise my hands and say,
“Rejoice, all people, rejoice!
Hallelujah, praise God, rejoice!”
For our Savior lives and breathes in us!
He arose!
He conquered bitter death and saved!
He does that still, today!

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With love,
Your Gloryteller

Resurrection Sunday, 4-5-2015
(re-posted from 3-31-2013)
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The Wheat and the Grape – Sacred Harvest

04 Apr 2015 2 Comments

by Gloryteller in Allegory, Bible, Christ, Christian Writing, Comparison, Easter, God's Grace, God's Word, Good News, Gospel, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Metaphor, Personal Testimony, Redemption, Salvation Tags: #spiritual food and drink, #The Last Supper of Our Lord, #The Lord's Supper, #The Wheat and the Grape

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Our Daily Bread said today that “our Savior hung between Heaven and earth
to bear every sin of every generation on His shoulders.”
He hung between Heaven and me . . .
What pain it gives me to see that scene . . .
But the above statement led me to think deeply about
what He had told his disciples
and us,
only the night before He hung there,
what we must do to remember Him;
to remember who He was,
to remember what He did,
how He did it,
and why.

“The Lord’s Supper is absolute genius”
is what I concluded.
(not that I think I’m the first, nor the only, one to think that)
He broke the bread and compared it to His body
which would imminently be broken for us.
He poured the wine out and compared it to His blood
which would soon be poured out for us.

“He hung between Heaven and earth.”
He was, and is now, intermediary between us and The Father.
Not as a wall, but as a bridge.
He made a way to raise us to His shoulders,
thus standing between us and the evil one “in the earth”.

As for myself, there is more here than “meets the eye”.
Have you ever thought about how grains
like corn, barley, rye, and wheat are all separated
from the earth by a woody stem?
The seed head of the wheat plant is the “fruit”, in a sense,
that we use to make our bread.

The same applies to “the fruit of the vine”;
tomatoes, cucumbers, kiwi, guava, and, get this – passion fruit –
and predominantly, grapes.
All grow above the ground on woody or semi-woody vines.
They all contain juice, but grape juice makes wine.
(side note: there is great debate whether Jesus’ “fruit of the vine” was unfermented juice, or wine)
I’m in the wine camp because wine stores better.
I won’t even dwell on apple, orange, peach, plum trees, or berry bushes,
each of which produce juicy fruit on woody stems;
but I’m getting off track.

The point is that grapevines, like wheat plants,
produce their fruit between Heaven and earth on woody stems,
and the final product of both were used at the Lord’s Supper.
The Last Supper of our Lord!

By now you are making the connection I’m getting at.
Lord Jesus compared His body to a broken loaf of bread,
and His covenantal blood to the poured-out juice of the grape,
in order that “as often as you
eat this bread
and drink this cup,
you will do so in remembrance of Me.”
Connecting His spiritual Self to the physical act of
eating and drinking something specific,
is brilliant.
It makes the act sacred, and simultaneously
makes our remembrance of Him sacred.
But for me, it doesn’t end there.
Jesus was always using agricultural metaphors because,
I assume, most everyone in His day knew something of the subject.
Is it a great leap to make that He also connected Himself
with the fruit of the earth?
With harvest?
With life-giving, life sustaining, food and drink?
With saving us from spiritual starvation?
If that connection is only for me to make
in order to strengthen my faith in Him,
to take me deeper into our relationship,
to tell me more of a story I long to know more of,
or to give me insight into something so sacred
that I scarcely can digest it,
Then so be it.
You, dear reader, can make of it what you will.
If it doesn’t do anything for you, leave it.

Here’s the thing:
I maintain that Jesus not only connected Himself to
The Bread and The Cup,
But also to the wheat and the grape.
Rich and ripe,
He stood like a sturdy stalk of wheat
before a terrible threshing,
and He hung like a beautiful cluster of grapes
before a horrible crushing.
He stood and He hung there between Heaven and earth,
between us and oblivion,
between us and eternity.
The first and best fruits of the earth,
until the harvest was finished.
He made Himself our everything,
even our spiritual food and drink.
Essential, lifesaving, sacred, and beautiful.

The Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Harvest.
Absolute Genius!

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Good Friday – The Expense of Safety

04 Apr 2015 2 Comments

by Gloryteller in Allegory, Christ, Christian Poetry, Christian Writing, Easter, Evangelism, God's Gifts, God's Glory, God's Grace, God's Love, Good News, Gospel, Hope, Inspirational Writing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Metaphor, Personal Testimony, Redemption, Salvation, Thankfulness and Gratitude Tags: Christian Poetry, crucifixion, forgiveness, Good Friday Poem., He paid my price, He took my punishment upon himself, Sacrifice, Salvation

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A Good Friday Story –
The Expense of Safety

The ferry to safety was ready to depart.
Special admission only.
One stringent ticket stand
With a long line.
I had not the standing,
Nor the price of admission.
I stood forlorn in fear that
I would be tortured and killed.
Then a Man stepped up.
He gave me His ticket with a smile.
And just in time!
He paid my price!
I stood astonished,
Forgetting even to thank Him,
As they cruelly restrained Him,
Beat Him down,
Dragged Him away
To what fate I couldn’t know,
Didn’t want to guess. . .
In horror, I watched
As I walked backward
And stepped onto the departing boat.
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Good Friday? Good Sunday!

03 Apr 2015 4 Comments

by Gloryteller in Christ, Christian Fiction, Christian Music, Easter, Forgiveness, God's Glory, Good News, Jesus Christ, Redemption, Resurrection, Resurrection Sunday, Salvation, Worship Music Tags: Christ, Easter, God, Good Friday, Good Sunday, Jesus, Kristyn Getty, Resurrection Sunday, the cross, The Empty Tomb, The Power of the Cross

It is Good Friday. This is the day of remembrance of how my Lord Jesus suffered the agony of torture and death. A part of me died with Him that day – the part that needed to.

When I stood accused of selfish sins and crimes that I knew I was guilty of, He effectively said to me as He stood there weak, trembling, and covered with blood: “Don’t worry, you’re good. Get behind Me. I love you too much to let this happen to you. I’ve got this.”

His torture and death were my fault. (my brothers and sisters argue that it is theirs, but I am the guiltiest) But He forgave me that fault and went ahead and saved me anyway. “It’s forgotten,” He said, graciously.

So, I don’t know about the “Good” part of Good Friday. It is also called Black Friday and Holy Friday, either of which I can relate to, especially “Holy Friday”, but hardly Good Friday, except that good resulted from it. You can’t have a resurrection without a death, especially THE Resurrection following THE Death that rocked the foundations of the world.

If anything should be called “Good”, it is Resurrection Day – “Good Sunday”, the joyous day that I lived through Him, and had Life because of Him, and was shown the true meaning of Love.

I once again turn to Stuart Townend, Keith and Kristyn Getty to express with music and images what cannot be expressed with words alone. I pray that every heart that hears and sees this will be broken, transformed, and renewed at the foot of that one horrible, and glorious, cross………..

Thank you victoryinjesus123 for uploading this beautiful video.

Oh, and one more thing – the power of the cross is only the beginning. The power of His victory over death lies at the doorstep beneath the joyously-open doorway of His empty tomb! THANK YOU, JESUS!

Gloryteller

A Child Giving Thanks

Cooking A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner – Yes I Can – Thanks, Almighty God!

Peace Like A River For My Soul

Who Am I ?

Moonstruck

To A Discouraged Young Man

His Omni-ness

Contemplating Paradise

Attack of The Predator

Random Thoughts From The Farm

A Tribute To The Unforgettable Zina Nicole Lahr.

A Thought From My Garden

The Glory of God In Disc Golf

The Deeper Life – And Greener

No Makeup

Grace Dance

Rejoice! Rejoice! With All Your Might, Rejoice!

The Wheat and the Grape – Sacred Harvest

Good Friday – The Expense of Safety

Good Friday? Good Sunday!

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.