Wrote this little poem in response to my homework in Nehemiah Chapter 9.  It was a wonderful opportunity to express my praise and worship to the Lord as they did in Nehemiah's day. 


My friend Sue's dad past away the morning I wrote this.  My thoughts were with she and her family.  Her dad Frank was a godly man and was blessed with a long and fruitful life .  He was 93.


I was touched when Sue asked to use this little poem in the memorial program.

     

     Rise to Praise  

     The creatures of the sea, the power of the waves, the vastness of the oceans all give rise to PRAISE.

The splendor of a rose, the majesty of the oak, came into existence the moment when You spoke.

A prayer in the night, a tear that stains a face, a lone one’s heart in depth of loss You lovingly embrace.

Ashes turn to beauty, hope for future paves, God is in the midst of thee, all give rise to PRAISE. 

                                                                                                       by Venita Page

A Nor I could not Ignore

While purchasing a bag today I met Nor.  She was the friendly clerk at the checkout stand.  Her hair was beautifully wrapped in a scarf.  I immediately commented on how pretty her hair wrap was.  In turn, she complimented the color of my orange shirt.

While ringing up my purchase, she asked what I was using the bag for.  I told her that it was to carry books.  She then asked if I were a teacher.  I explained that I am a Bible study teacher and that I am teaching a course on how to study and teach the Bible.  She shared that she teaches Sunday school.  “Cool!” I asked where. She said uneasily, “Well, I’m a Muslim." 

Looking into her eyes, I reached my hand out to hers and gently squeezing it I said, “I’m a Christian; it’s good to meet you.”  “What is your name?”  She said as her eyes teared, “you are going to make me cry”.  Then I could feel the tears welling in my eyes too.  “My name is Nor, she said.”  “It means light.”  I said, “I am happy to meet you Nor.”  “My name is Venita and it means short.”  Of course, that was a joke and we laughed together.

We talked briefly about God, His love and each of us being His precious creation.  She talked about peace and healing the hate.  I felt I would burst holding back all I wanted to share with her about Jesus.  I feared I might blow her away but wisdom prevailed and I kept it short and sweet.  Matthew 10:16, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  

I let her know that I was in the store regularly and I hoped we would meet again.  She welcomed the prospect saying, "You made my day!"

This was a POWERFUL meeting and certainly no accident.  Will you bow your head and pray with me for Nor and her entire family; praying for them to know the Jesus of the Bible.  I'm asking the Lord for another opportunity to love on Nor and proclaim to her Jesus Christ as Lord.  May He send other believers as well to water and harvest the seed.

John 4:35  "Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

God Bless You!

MOPS - Train Up A Child (Excerpt & Photos)

MOPS is an awesome organization ministering to mothers of preschoolers.  Had a wonderful time encouraging them to train up their children spiritually, practically and in their own bent and giftings.

Keep up the good work MOPS leaders!!!

Here is a brief excerpt from my message and some pics.

Proverbs 22:6 Amplified Bible

Train up a child in the way he should go <and in keeping with his individual gift or bent>, and when he is old he will not depart from it. 

Let me ask you, what do ivy; grapes, morning glories, squash, roses, and jasmine all have in common?  They are all climbing plants.  What is interesting about these climbers is that they do not have the structure to support themselves, so they must grow on walls, branches, rocks, fences, lattice, or an arbor.

Climbing usually allows plants to obtain maximum sunlight for exceptional health and growth.  In the rain forest, for example, where it tends to be very dark because of the tremendous foliage, a climbing vine may be able to grow toward sunlight that self-supporting plants cannot reach.

To train a climbing plant involves two steps:

1.  Attaching it to an appropriate surface.
2.  Pruning it regularly to promote growth and the proper shape.

And so it is with your children.  They too are climbers, unable to support themselves at first.  For your preschooler (or a child of any age for that matter) the rock, the fence, the trellis, on which they will find the most support to grow and the gardener who has been charged with the responsibility of pruning them into a lovely shape, is you, MOM!

You are not only the appropriate and proper structure to promote their individual growth and shaping; you are the best.  How do I know?  Because, God chose you!   In His ultimate grandscape for your child’s life, He chose YOU to “train them up in the way that they should go <and in keeping with his or her individual gift or bent>, that when they are old they will not depart from it.”

Yes, our children are like climbing plants that do not have the structure to support themselves.  But this is not only true of our children; it is true of you and me as well.

While you are the supportive structure on which your children grow, what are you leaning on when you are tired or weak?  Where do you draw strength and help when a good day goes bad or your “little blessing” feel like little curse?  Who will hold you up, wipe your tears and kiss your boo boos?  Who forgives you when you blow it? 

You were never meant to live this life on your own.  You were created to operate with the strength that God supplies.  And where do we go to get it; To The Cross - Where Jesus died for our sins - Where He took our punishment on His body - Where we receive forgiveness, second chances, and hope to carry on.  Jesus is waiting to be the all-in-all you need.  All you need do is go to the cross and lean.

 

Some of the MOPS moms - Gotta love 'em!!!

Train Up A Child

Lean on the Cross!

The Word of God – Go to the WORD!

The Word of God – Go to the WORD!

Here is a portion of my recent teaching at Revival.  I pray it touches your heart and calls you upWORD!

1 Thessalonians 2:13 

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received

the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of

men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who

believe.

The believers in Thessalonica heard the Word; received and welcomed the Word but they went a step further that made all the difference.  They considered the Word, not as the word of men, but the very Word of God.

How About you?

·    Is the Bible no more than a check list of do’s & don’ts?

·    Has the Bible become a book of suggestions?

·    Do you pick and choose only what parts you like and will obey?

·    Is there any message from the Bible that you are ignoring or willfully disobeying today? 

·    Do you receive the Word with doubting as if it were of human origin and a mere philosophy rather than a divine revelation?

How you perceive and approach the Word of God is the difference between life and death, change and stagnation, power and weakness, wisdom and foolishness.

It is important to remember that:

·    The Word of God is infallible, while…

·    The word of man is unreliable and liable to be wrong.

·    The Word of God is living and powerful, the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, while…

·    The word of man is speculative in its attempts to distinguish right from wrong or produce any godly change when followed.

·    The Word of God is full of promises and promises fulfilled, while…

·    The word of man is full of promises broken and unfulfilled.

The Bible says of itself:

Psalm 119:140  Your promises are pure (they have been thoroughly tested, and that is why your servant loves them.

Psalm 33:11  The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart through all generations.

Contrarily, the Bible says about the word of man:

Psalm 1:1  Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

Proverbs 12:5  The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous.

If before us is the very Word of God, why then do we go to unreliable, ungodly, often self-serving counselors?  Why not let the infallible Word of God instruct you!

Charles Hadden Spurgeon wrote:  It is not possible for fallible men to write infallible books.  Somehow or other, we either say more than is true or less than is true; the most skillful writer does not always keep along that hair line of truth, which is more difficult to tread than a razor’s edge. But Scripture never errs.  Here is the bullion gold without a single particle of alloy.

Therefore:

·    What do I do about my failing marriage?  Go to the Word

·    How do I handle my out of control children?  Go to the Word

·    I had a fight with a friend; what should I do?  Go to the Word

·    How do I share my faith?  Go to the Word

·    My job wants me to break the law.  Go to the Word

·    I live with my boyfriend.  Is that okay?   Go to the Word

·    My husband left me.  Go to the Word

·    Our finances are shot.  How can we turn them around?  Go to the Word

·    I ‘m afraid.  Go to the Word

·    What will heaven be like?  Go to the Word

Go to the Word… Go to the Word… Go to the Word…