Why Type OMW?

I have been asked before, why I use 'OMW' for Oh, my word, instead of the popular 'OMG'. Many Christians would say that they use OMG to exclaim 'oh, my goodness', however the more popular meaning would be using our Father's name in vain.

The Bible tells us that we should be very careful not to cause a brother to stumble and I take that very seriously. We are to be the fragrance of Christ, being an example of His love, towards each other, and towards God Himself.

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (1 Corinthians 8:13 NKJV)

Typing OMG just may make my brother or sister use our Father's name in vain, and so, that is why I will not type it.

There are so many ways we can be considerate of each other, but living our lives in a way that doesn't cause one to stumble is one of the most loving things that you can do for others.

God bless and keep you all.

Am I Weak? Yes....

Am I weak? Yes, I sure am, as a human being I am weak and am a sinner. There's no escaping that, and I won't try, in fact everyday I am faced with the horrible truth of the things I have done, or do, or might even do. Does that mean I am condemned to being weak in my life? NO!

I am weak, yes, my human spirit is, but in my faith, I AM STRONG! When I am weak, Christ Jesus steps in and gives me the help I so desperately need! He will do that for anyone who calls upon His name! How amazingly loving is that, that God would offer us a way out of our weakness, and into His strength!? Beyond description, my friends!

People might ask why I feel so strongly as I do, and perhaps even say I am wrong. I do not mind and for the most part I like to keep peace with others, ESPECIALLY in religious matters. Why? Why not scream and holler at people to make them see what I see? Because that is clearly NOT my job as a Christian, or even as a human being.

God gave us ALL free will! He doesn't want to force anyone into believing He loves them, and He doesn't want to force anyone to accept His way, either, however He wants so desperately for us to come to Him, and obey Him, so that He may be able to help and bless us through this life, and usher us into the next, Eternity with Him.

Only God can turn a heart to Him, nothing I can say will change the heart of any man or woman, and I accept that. Regretfully so, for I wish I could make every single person feel the peace and love, and the forgiveness and acceptance that I have felt, but alas, each person must experience it for themselves, each person has the right of free will, freedom to believe what they will, and I nor anyone else has the right to take that away from anyone!

I try to remain peaceful with all people, I fail miserable a lot, and I admit that. I try not to, as it discredits the message of Love from God, through Christ Jesus, but I am human and I am trying to become a better person, and God is patient, thank You God! No matter how peaceful I wish to remain, however, it is still my duty and my HONOR to represent Jesus to anyone who comes into my life. As I said, I am not perfect, and do Jesus injustice sometimes with my behavior, but I ask forgiveness and try to overcome my weaknesses.

I wish for all of humanity to come to know Jesus, but even God has written in His Word that many will be deceived. I must accept this, and realize just how much it must hurt God that people would reject His perfect love, for their own ideas and beliefs. It must hurt Him deeply, and even still, He loves us so much, that He isn't going to MAKE anyone believe in Him, but rather, He calls to our hearts with a tender, loving voice!

Sometimes I must seem passive in my faith, and that is just not the way I feel. I am on fire for how Jesus has helped me, and if you're interested, drop me a message, I'd love to share some of my story with you, but my story continues, for I am nowhere near perfect, and admit so.

I pray that my actions may not hinder anyone's ability to see Jesus as He is. I believe it is a grave sin to portray Jesus incorrectly and I also pray that God will align me with His Word. I am not perfect, but the Savior that I worship and love IS perfect!

I do not condemn anyone that doesn't believe as I do, for it is NOT my job to judge anyone, only to judge my own actions, and try to align them with God's Word, and His commands. I love everyone, as God has created each and every person, and I love His amazing ways, I love His Creation, I love God! Therefore, I love you all, no matter what you believe, I pray that the Light of God may shine upon your hearts, and that you may hear His still small voice calling you Home.

God bless and keep you all, and may you forgive my weaknesses, as I strive to grow stronger.

Living Water

As I was looking at my corn sprouts recently, again, God touched my heart. I find so many awe inspiring things in nature, and they all tell of God's amazing power, and His never ending love.

As I looked upon the corn sprouts, I noticed that they each held a bead of water in the middle of the leaves, like a diamond sparkling in the sun. The water sat in the midst of the leaves like it was being displayed in a museum, and it made me think of God's amazing ways.

There's so many things that came to mind, first, how this plant could sprout from a dried up seed, and grow into a plant reminded me how we are to sow seeds for God. From our dried up lives, God can do amazing things, we just need to obey Him, and sow seeds of His love to others. The seed must die before the plant may gain life, and so must we realize that though we sowed a seed for God, it is by His power that we did so, and we must let our pride die, and not think too highly of ourselves, for it was not our planting of the seed that makes the plant grow, it is God.

As I looked into the sparkling bead of water, I was in awe how this small plant held the very thing inside of it that gave it life, and it displayed it so beautifully. It didn't hide it's source of nourishment, it displayed it in a beautiful manner, showing anyone that dared look it's way, where it was getting it's life from.

This is exactly how Christians should live their lives. Jesus is the Living Water and only through Him are we given life. When we live in His love and His guidance, we are nourished and we grow into someone that God can use for good, and essentially He can use us to give life and love to others.

The way that the corn plant displayed that droplet of water was amazing, and we need to display our Living Water for others to see, too! When we hold Jesus in our hearts, or rather, ask  Him to reside in our heart and soul, we are similar to the corn plant, and our heart becomes like a diamond sparkling to those that experience the life in us that Jesus gives.

The wonder and amazement I feel when God reveals His secrets and His love to me, well, it makes me feel so very loved, because I realize how much that God does for us, what He had planned long before He created us, and how His love is in everything around us. 

I pray that I may be more able to display the diamond in my heart, my Lord and Saviour, Jesus, so that when others look at me, they may not see what I have done, but how God sustains me and shines through me! For without God, I am merely a dried up seed, sowing nothing at all, and to God be the glory, for any good I may bring to this world.

Shining Spirit, Named Mark

When I went to the allergist yesterday, I never expected to be blessed so dearly. God is amazing, and His love and displays of His wonder never end, even though our minds tend to think that they do have limits. God's love and His grace came to me, through the shining spirit of an 82 year old man.

When I went in, I stood in line behind a tall man, waiting to sign my name on the sign in sheet. As I was waiting, an elderly man in a wheel chair was rolled in by a woman, and they had a younger woman with them. I imagined that it must be his daughter, and his granddaughter.

I moved out of their way so they could walk by me, and as they passed, I could not help but to notice this elderly man. Not because he was in a wheel chair, or even because he was old, I noticed him because his spirit shined brightly. You could clearly see happiness on this man's face! I don't think there was a single moment that he didn't have a big shining smile on his face.

The man in line in front of me commented on the old man's Penn State baseball cap, and I wasn't paying attention to what was going on, but the next thing I knew, the older woman that was with the elderly man yelled "Oh, you stop it! I can't believe you said such a smart aleck (not her word lol) thing to that man!" I looked at the man in line and he was laughing, and so was the elderly man, in fact, he seemed quite proud of whatever he had said.

Obviously this woman had her hands full with this fiesty old man, and she seemed shocked at him, however, the man that was in line was getting a charge out of him, too. The old man said "Ah, he's not gonna do anything, ya have to respect your elders" and he smiled such a mischeivious smile, I couldn't help but let out a giggle at his defiance lol. The woman said, "Yes, well, ya don't have to be a smart aleck!" The old man giggled and I turned and said, "I think you've lived long enough to earn the right to be a smart aleck, haven't you sir?" He smiled even brighter and said, "Yes, and I"m a veteran too!" I told him that gave him double the right to be a smart aleck.

He asked me to guess his age, and I terrible hate to do such a thing, because I am usually always wrong lol, so I avoided it and he tried to make me guess, but gave in and told me he was 82 years old. Let me just note, this man did not look 82, he looked elderly but by no means did he look old and worn. 

He talked to me and the man that was in line ahead of me for some time, and I asked him what his name was, "Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John?!" He shouted, wanting me to guess, but immediately the older woman that was with him yelled, "MARK!" So I stuck my hand out and said, "My name is Bekkah, Mark, and it is truly an honor to meet a character such as yourself" He thought I guessed his name and smiled and laughed when I told him the woman with him cheated a little bit lol :)

He had one of his legs amputated and when the man that was in line ahead of me asked him if he lost in the war, he said that he hadnt'. It got silent but I had to know what happened to him, so I asked. He ended up getting a knee replacement surgery, and got a staph infection and had to get his leg amputated. I felt sorry for him, but let me tell you, that only lasted a milisecond. What that man said after he told what happened to his leg humbled me, it blessed me, it inspired me, and it brought a tear to my eye at the amazing character this man had. He must have seen the look on my face, because he said, "Aw, it's okay, God never gives you more than you can handle, and by golly, I must not have been able to handle two legs!" He smiled and was so happy, this man lacked nothing, and though he had lost his leg, there was nothing that could take away the happiness in his heart.

My visit with Mark was cut short by his doctor appointment, and I wish I had gotten his address so I could write him, but I just really cannot tell you how that man blessed me so deeply. We think that we have it tough, and sometimes we do, but yet his man showed me that no matter what we go through, that God is in control, and He means for us to live a happy and loving life. Mark is living that life, and he's got more life in him than some young people I know.

I have always enjoyed those prankster, joking kinda older people. Mark was one of the most amazing people I have had the opportunity to meet in such a brief fashion. I pray that God blesses him so much, for the blessing that he put upon my heart, and may he always misbehave, no matter how much the woman with him begs him to stop :) 

God bless you Mr. Mark, my love to you, my respect, and admiration are yours.... 

Open My Eyes Lord!

I have always enjoyed nature, even before I started a closer walk with God, nature amazed me. The experience of nature has always been soothing, and beckoning, almost begging me to look deeper into what was in front of my face. Now, as I try to get closer to God, I find, that nature sparks even more wonder and awe in my spirit, and an even greater desire to know more.

I find it to be breathtaking, to think of all of creation, living things and non living things alike, and then think about how they all depend on each other to survive. Every creation that God made has a purpose, and He made everything with purpose. I think upon this so many times, especially when I read of endangered species, or man made disasters that threaten our wildlife and habitat. Not one creation is without purpose. Not one. And God gave them all for us to take care of, but I believe there is a also important lessons about God in nature, as well.

I often watch the birds as they sing and play, look for food, and on occasion get into nasty bird battles in my yard. I name birds that I see often, and learn their habits and quirks as though they are a friend, given to me by God to love and enjoy. They are such frail little creatures, yet they live on so vividly. 

All the bird knows how to do is be a bird, and while he is being a bird, I realize, he is glorifying God by being what God created him to be. Just like the bird, we need to immerse ourselves in God's Word, so that we may learn about His will, and give opportunity to hear Him speak to our hearts.

Even as the bird just goes on through the day, he is doing God's work. There are so many blessings these little birds have given to me, but by far, showing me God's love is my favorite of them all.

As the bird flies about, and eats berries, God is thinking about so much more than just the bird's hunger. In that act, the act of feeding itself, the bird will deposit the seeds of the berries in it's droppings, and more berries will grow for other birds to eat. Most would overlook a blessing in a pile of bird droppings, but God spoke to me through one!

While we go on about our lives, we feel that the bad things in our lives are like droppings, just mere filth and trash that is vile and to be cleaned away. But God shows me that even though Satan wishes to put piles and piles of droppings in our lives, to discourage and beat us down, make us feel unworthy and filthy, He plans to bring a blessing out of any bad thing that may happen. He promises us that He will work all bad things to our good, whether it be in this lifetime, or eternity with Him, we can be SURE He does not go without noticing our obedience (Jeremiah 29:11). All He wants is for us to trust Him, wait on His timing, and KNOW He will give what He promises.

God is in everything that is around us, and He is waiting to show us His love in so many endless ways. My prayer is that I may be still enough to know that He is God, so that I will not miss His gentle whispers to my soul

The Especially Wicked Sinner Luke 7:37-48

The story of the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears has always touched me. It is a comfort to know that God always sees us for who we can be, and not see all of the brokenness in us. He knows if we will just trust Him, and obey Him, that we will have peace like we've never imagined.

When I think about this story, it brings me such comfort. After all, if Jesus can forgive a woman that everyone considered to be such a great sinner, then there is hope for us all, right? Of course!

The Pharisees could not understand why Jesus let this woman touch His feet, and questioned Him in being a prophet. Jesus knew who this woman was, and what she had done, but He also knew her heart.

I think about how that woman must have felt. Everyone knew her sins, and yet still she sought Jesus and His forgiveness. What drew her to go to Him, when everyone else judged her greatly, what made her go to Jesus without fear? Love, Jesus' unconditional love.

We all find it hard to forgive people that do things that hurt or upset us, or even do things that we don't understand or agree with, but if we have Jesus' loving attitude, we can help heal those hurting hearts, rather than allow them to fester in their agony. Jesus came to give life, and giving life to someone that is oppressed, by others or their own sins, has a power that can not be matched!

The woman was so remorseful and so thankful to Jesus, that she washed His feet with the tears that streamed down her face. How resourceful this woman was! How many times I have sat crying because I had done something I wish I hadn't, or felt condemned and paralyzed by my own actions, when I could have used my tears for His good. I learn a lot from this woman's actions, she took the pain of her actions, and used it to glorify God. Perhaps we cannot understand how much this might have meant, but in those days, washing of someone's feet was an act of love, and she truly loved Jesus.

Jesus explained to the Pharisees why He allowed her to wash His feet, and pour perfume on them. She had many sins, but she was so grateful for His forgiveness and chance to redeem her life, that she poured her tears out of her heart, and used them for His good. When many sins are forgiven, the heart loves greatly, and I imagine when she left Jesus that day, everyone who saw her noticed the difference!

We are to mimic Jesus and try to live a life of love, as He showed us. Showing love to those that are caught in sin is the ONE powerful way to bring them to God. Jesus showed love to everyone, and without love we can do nothing. I think sometimes we feel like we can't love a sinner, because of their actions, but in reality, we are just forgetting the most powerful gift God has given us, love.

We are all sinners, there is not one of us that doesn't sin, and we must show love to one another. Love covers a multitude of sins, and just like Jesus showed that woman mercy, we are instructed to show mercy to others as well.

When sin floods your life, and you feel you cannot take the shame or the pain, just turn to Jesus, and ask Him, what might I do with these tears, to honor You, Lord? Jesus died to take the condemnation away, He gave nothing but love to us to show us the way, and He will never leave us, no matter how many people try to shame us, He is on our side.

Gratitude

A very amazing man, David Kim, asked his FB friends to consider the power of Gratitiude. He posted it a few days ago, and I have been thinking about it ever since, and I'd like to thank Mr. Kim for encouraging me to do so.

Dictionary.com defines Gratitude as the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful. I always looked at gratitude as a feeling, more so than a quality. My OCD afflicted mind needs to think about all angles of a subject, and the dictionary is always a good start, whether you know the definition of a word or not, I promise, many times you'll be amazed at what words mean in their entirety.

A quality is something that you build, you tend as it grows, carefully watching that it goes as well as it can, so the quality can be the best that it can be, in whatever quality you may be trying to get. Quality in products is important if you want to be successful, and so the quality of things really does depend on one's dedication to creating the very best result possible.

Feelings are so fickle, they come and go, and one day may we may feel the complete opposite than the day before, and our feelings aren't always built on logic. Feelings are great, when they are good, but bad feelings can cripple a person's will to strive for the best quality in their life. Feelings are unreliable, while something with quality is firm and strong.

What does this all have to do with considering the power of Gratitude? Well, I'm so glad you asked :)

When I thought of gratitude, I thought how it is the wonderful feeling that someone gets, when a dire need or hurt has been taken care of, and the release of the burden and pain being lifted, creates a lightness in spirit, and gratitude of heart. This is true, but as I think of that, how sad it is that we tend to be grateful only in times when needs are met, and how if one has the 'quality' of gratitude, they would not need to be broken to be thankful.

An important lesson was in this question from my FB friend. Sure, we can say we are thankful for this or thankful for that, but unless we work to have the quality of Gratitude, to truly be grateful for the things we have, for the things that we don't have that would hurt our lives, for waking up everyday, for being forgiven our sins, so many things that we can have an attitude of gratitude about, we just have the 'feeling' of gratitude, not the 'quality'.

The Bible says to consider it all joy to be in various trials, for trails test your faith, that produces patience, and then let patience have it's perfect work in you, that you may become perfect and lack nothing. (James 1) I believe this passage is talking a bit about the power of gratitude that we can have in our lives. God will help us through everything, and so, being grateful to Him for everything, good times, bad times, for all we have, and don't have, thanking Him in everything, and getting the quality of gratitude, even when we don't feel like it, will give us the QUALITY  of gratitude, and not just the FEELING.

I pray that I may grow and tend my quality of gratitude, so much so, that I shall never be ungrateful again, no matter what my situation, for God is with me, and if God is for me, who can be against me? I have all I need in Him!

Again, thank you, Mr. Kim, you're a very inspirational man, and your love for God is encouraging and beautiful. I am blessed so much by your testimony and example. May God continue to use you for His glory, and may He bless you dearly  :)

Jesus Gave Our Warning

Jesus gives us the proof we need, if there be any doubt, that no man knoweth the hour that Jesus will return, in Matthew 24:25, He says, "See, I have told you beforehand". Jesus gives us a full account of what to look out for, to know He is returning, there is no need to have a prediction, when He already gave us warning....

Matthew 24..

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these thingsmust come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-10

3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

It is in my belief that when Jesus referred to the abomination of desolation, He was talking about the Antichrist, that will stand in the Lord's Temple, claiming to be god over all gods. In the prophesies of Daniel, he also talks about the same thing, therefor, as we watch for Christ to return, these signs are what are told to us by God's word.

Only when the evil one is revealed, will Christ return, and destroy him. Let those that have ears to hear, listen, and those with eyes to see, see......

May 21, 2011, Judgement Day??

In Matthew 24, Jesus gave us a detailed description of what it will be like in the end times. The Bible tells us that no one, not even our Saviour Jesus Christ knows the day or the hour, only our Father. If God would warn us when He is returning, then people could live their lives as they want to, until the time is coming of Christ's return, and thus, they would not be living truly for God.

I Thessalonians 5:1-11 says:
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.


Jesus already told us what the signs of the end of the ages are, and we are instructed to watch and wait. We must not be deceived by false statements that are not in line with God's Word. God does give His children warning of impending doom, but in the case of the end of the ages, God is clear, no one knows the hour, and we are to expect Him, and wait for Him.


If Jesus returns on May 21st, it is because that is how God planned it from the beginning of time, not because a preacher or any other man predicted it. After all, God may have set aside TODAY for Judgement. Be ready, watch and expect that God will not tarry!