Jesus Christ, Bride Groom of the Church, My Lord

I am married. My allegiance is to the husband of my life, because I love him. I vowed to stay with him. I believe in submission to my husband, that protects me, and keeps me safe, makes me very special. My husband and I have learned about submission and about authority and integrity and about love, sacrificial love. He loves me sacrificially, I have it easy in comparison. I am a baptised, repentant, born again, member of the church...Jesus Christ is my Bride Groom. He is my Lord. I am also an American Woman, and that makes me somewhat self sufficient, independent, strong, in heart and mind. ( I am in the constant process of renewing my mind and heart to a likeness more comparable with Christ). I live in a culture that is moving farther away from principles that I cherish. The golden rule is the best rule, lying is bad and wrong, coveting is bad and wrong, stealing is bad and wrong, murder is bad and wrong, including the very tiny innocent who have no hope of protecting themselves. It is Easter. People lied about Jesus, they coveted His relationship with God and the people who followed Him. Jesus was murdered. Dignity was stolen from Him. He willingly endured it all, was bruised for my iniquities (all my failings and wrong doings, flaws and purposeful misdeeds) and the horrible beating and whipping so that I can be healed of physical, mental and spiritual sicknesses and disease. Not only me, but every single human being on this planet...now, in the past and in the future. How in the world does all that make sense. Jesus Christ rose on the third day. He Resurrected. He came back to life, fully and completely. He did that to show me, and you that death cannot hold onto Him, and He gives that promise to you and I. Follow Jesus Christ, be born again as He says we must, and death will not have a hold of you. People who do not know Jesus, those who scorn Him, ridicule and betray Him, don't believe Him and the message of hope he brings; those people, He died for them. He looks at them with eyes of love and compassion and long suffering. He pours out His Spirit continually to woo the lost, the betrayed, the hurting, the arrogant self sufficient and the indifferent. He is wooing and courting them, and you and me. Seek and you shall find. With an open heart and an open mind, with no strings attached - in a private place, get alone and ask God to show you Jesus Christ. He will. Are you willing to accept what He will show you. Humble enough to let go of past concepts and embrace the Bride Groom of the church and enter into the most fulfilling and loving relationship you could ever experience.
Come to the most elaborate banquet you could ever imagine as your Bride Groom, overflowing with love, proudly introduces you to eternity.

What If

Rita's passing has shaken our work place. Everyone is banding together to fill in the gaps. Rita did a lot! We were informed that the autopsy showed Rita suffered a "massive heart attack". Her father had died at a young age of the same. She had been to the doctor a couple weeks before she died - she wasn't feeling right. Rita smoked and was getting ready to quit. What if she were at work when the event occurred? We would have jumped into action, we all know what to do in such circumstances. What if the weather were better and she had come to work. What if the doctor had done more tests, different tests. One of the doctors we work with had emergency cardiac bypass surgery over the weekend...it saved his life. What if Rita had that opportunity.

We stood looking at one another - so many what ifs. But they don't count and what ifs don't help, don't ease the loss, don't ease our missing Rita - as a wonderful person, as a co worker. What IF. After is not the time to look at what should and could and would. Now is the time. Now is the time to DO. Do what you know to do is right. Do what you know to do is good. Do the difficult but necessary. Do what is embarrassing, humbling, awkward, new, never done before, not worked before...if it is right and good, and will benefit another, even if your own benefit is minimal at the time. DO IT. God has given us this wonderful life to share, to fill with joy and peace and love. Share the gifts you have been blessed with and talented with. DO THEM and bless others. Let people know about Jesus Christ and His work at Calvary for us! For me. He stepped into my place of judgement, my place of death, and bore all my sins, every single one of them, and died for me...and You. He died and defeated death through the resurrection. He gives us the opportunity to join Him in heaven...and he did it gladly because Jesus Christ is crazy in love with you.
We are in the Easter season. Resurrection, New Birth, New Hope and no one should ever miss the opportunity to meet Jesus Christ face to face, be fully embraced and filled with His love, as one is gloriously Baptised in His Spirit.
What Ifs don't count for anything. Calvin Coolidge is credited with saying - "no one ever got an award for getting something, rather they received the reward for giving something." Give wholly and completely yourself to Jesus Christ. Give Him your best, your all, your everything. The blessing that will follow will be immeasurable.

Rita's Wish Come True

The Endoscopy Unit where I spend my weekdays has a great bunch of people working there. We are a close knit group, with several "in groups"...smaller groups of folks who share each others lives and yet we all come together as a whole, to work, to have fun and to share each others lives outside work. In different ways and intervals folks gather to meet family, friends, pets... a big plus in our unit is the shared love of pets...cats, dogs, fish, horses, birds. At various times for various reasons we gather during off hours to eat. We choose someones home or a restaurant, join together and fill the place with laughter and jovial visiting. Eating out is a wonderful celebration of togetherness.

Rita always wanted us to gather at her favorite Italian restaurant in St. Albans. She loved Chow Bella. Rita lived much farther north of Burlington than any of us. Most of the staff live in or closer to Burlington, so restaurants were chosen that best suited the majority. Monday night after work, all but 3 staff joined to celebrate Rita at Chow Bella. Vacations and children's responsibilities prevented the three from coming. Our manager called ahead with our numbers and reason for going. Chow Bella was ready and waiting for us. They knew the occasion for our gathering and were kind and supportive. A couple nurses wanted to drink a toast to Rita, so ordered Tequila. The waiter didn't know the bar that well, and brought shots of gin instead. They celebrated never-the-less. Tables were set up in a U formation so we could all see and visit with one another, 27 of us.We feasted on the best the restaurant had to offer and reminisced about good times. As the evening wore on, the waitress came in and gently reminded us we had an appointment, I guess none of us were ready for the wake.

We collected our belongings and in groups of 4 and 5 drove 3 blocks to the funeral home for Rita's wake. The place was jam packed with people offering condolences and love for the family. It took us over 30 minutes standing in line to get to the room where the wake was being held. Flowers filled the entire funeral home. In the room where Rita lay, someone took several of her wonderfully ornate and elaborate pocket books and filled them with flowers for arrangements. It was perfect. Photo albums of Rita as a child, growing up, as a mother and grandmother were strategically placed. Rita's 5 children and their spouses stood exhausted, bravely greeting the hundreds of guests. Rita's elderly mother had positioned herself proudly and lovingly by her daughter's side, comforting mourners and praising her daughter for the wonderful person she was. For me, seeing Rita's mother standing there, greeting all those people, with a smile and wistful glances at her daughter lying in that casket was almost more than I could bear. A mother burying her daughter just is not the natural order of things. The outpouring of love, the flowers and mementos of the fun loving person Rita was helped bring us back into control and eased the grief for everyone. After hugs and tears and some slow deep breaths, we left to go home.

Well Rita, we did it! We made your wish come true. We all gathered at Chow Bella's for a fabulous meal, and you were right, it was very very good! We miss you Rita, you will not be forgotten.

Grace and peace to you all. Thank you for the kindness of allowing me to share the loss of our friend Rita.

Ladies Ministries

Greetings. Let me introduce you to Sis. Gwyn Oakes, Ladies Ministries United Pentecostal Church, president. Sis. Oakes came to snowy, icy, rainy, gray, cold Vermont to speak at several functions. We were definitely blessed with her wisdom and inspiration, her poise, her love for Jesus and her humor! Laughter doeth the heart good, says the scriptures. And how true it is! Sis. Oakes message to the Mothers Memorial Kick Off rally- leaving a legacy- left a lasting impression on our hearts and a determination to be more diligent in getting on with God's business and setting goals. The day outside was treacherous, wind and rain and ice and fog. Inside the warmth of ladies gathered to praise the Lord, hear a message from an anointed woman of God, share a wonderful pot luck, shop...ahhhh yes, via a silent auction of treasures each participating church brought to the event. It was a full and fun day. At the closing, the temps had warmed enough so all that the sky offered in precipitation was rain. Lots of rain. Everyone made it home safe and sound. Praise the Lord! Sunday afternoon, at our church in Jericho was the Vermont State Churches Rally. Sis. Oakes spoke at that meeting as well. She had given the Sunday School lesson in church in St. Johnsbury Sunday morning, then drove to Jericho for the afternoon rally service. It was another wonderful time of praise and worship and hearing the Word of the Lord. Sis. Oakes blessed Vermont and New Hampshire in many ways on Saturday and Sunday. Her humorous stories remind us not to get too serious or overwhelmed with the things of life and her anointed messages encouraging us to do what we are here for, the work of the Kingdom of God in these endtimes. Sis. Oakes wrote a book. I bought two. One as a gift and one for me to read, then share. I am at Chapter 4 and have already been blessed immensely. Grace and peace to you. Love Grammie Betimes

Rita

Today, Thursday, at work we received the shocking news that our friend and coworker, Rita, died last night. About 10 of us had arrived at work and were told to immediately go to the conference room for an important announcement. I work in a hospital. Last week a hiring freeze was announced because some of the bonds that the hospital held had been affected by the current economic conditions. Could layoffs be in the future? We all knew the news coming wouldn't be good, our manager's furrowed brow told us. Once assembled the news was quickly and gently delivered. We were stunned. No one knew what had happened. Rita had been well as far as anyone knew. She didn't come into work yesterday because of an ice storm and the roads where she lived were not safe. Our managers had been called at home late last evening by the hospital Human Resources department. Rita was found at home in her favorite chair by her boyfriend. An autopsy was scheduled for today. Funeral arrangements were not yet even begun. Silence. Then tears. Then the reality of Rita's passing - sobbing. The day needed to start. Patients had prepared for their procedures, the doctors were coming in to do them. The doctors did not know yet. Rita was a lively cheerful member of our team. A busy, comical, kind of eccentric wonderful lady. Rita loved purses and jewelry and makeup, she loved a good joke and fair play, she loved her pets, a dog and some cats. Her family was her priority and we were privileged to see her photos of her children and grandchildren...the absolute loves of her life. On Tuesday she was talking of her retirement and making plans. She was dieting. Rita was 2 years younger than I am. She was instrumental in the smooth functioning of our unit. The loss is immediately felt. The group of us had about 20 minutes to gather our thoughts and emotions. Some, who were particularly close to Rita, could not work for a longer period of time.

The hospital sent a Chaplin to help us, then held a special Mass in her honor at the chapel. Rita was Catholic. Those who wanted to go...went, and we all took care of each others responsibilities as best we could.

In the 2 pictures above: the first, Rita is the first in line (of 5 of us standing in our old nurses station); the second, she is standing behind me.

What would be a fitting tribute to Rita? Friend, loyal, smile, laughter, dependable, mother and grandmother...and daughter - only child of her still living mother. As a group we want to do what we can to ease the family's pain, to help. For now, our own grief is taking precedent and we are feeling a deep loss in the sudden and unexpected passing of Rita.

I prayed for our unit, our special group of people who work closely together. We are friends and supportive of one another in good and bad times, in loss and in celebration. I felt the Lord for myself and His Peace descend upon us. How so very good it is to know the Lord, that He is there for us, even for those who do not know Him, He brings His comfort and His peace.

BREAD

BREAD Today Jack and I sat down and read our Bible reading program together, as we have been doing since January. It is a time we look forward to. I can't tell you how it happens, or why (God's ways are beyond our understanding) but we are developing a closeness in our relationship that we haven't had before. It is a new kind of closeness, a bonding, if you will, that is as a three fold cord. Our relationship with God is deepening and strengthening as well. God, Jack and I.There is a confidence, an assurance and a newness in the scriptures that supersedes our expectations. God's word IS powerful. God's word is His story to us. We are now 10 days ahead in our reading...not that we are counting. There are times when our "daily reading" just isn't enough and we read more. The UPC offers a trip/tour to Israel for those actively participating in the BREAD program and Jack and I will go on that tour. We are making our plans, getting passports in order and saving our funds. To walk where Jesus walked is a dream I have had since being born again. BREAD - Bible Reading Enriches Any Day. Bible reading blesses everyday one reads. Somehow, even in the genealogies and repetitions of the Laws of Numbers and Deuteronomy, the blessing and achievement is much more than we expected. The blessing carries over to our church services as well. If you aren't reading your Bible on a daily basis, I heartily recommend to give it a try. There are many online programs and Bibles available that have daily reading schedules to help. Jack and I are reading the NLT (New Living Translation) as we listen to the CD. It is something we just can't do without. THIS is an answered prayer!
Praise the Lord! Grace and Peace to you.