The Golden Portals

Sweet is the promise, "I will not forget thee,"
Nothing can molest or turn my soul away;
E'en though the night be dark within the valley,
Just beyond is shining an eternal day.


Trusting the promise, "I will not forget thee,"
Onward I will go with songs of joy and love,
Though earth despise me,
Though my friends forsake me,
I shall be remembered in my home above.


When at the golden portals I am standing,
All my tribulations, all my sorrows past;
How sweet to hear the blessed proclamation,
"Enter, faithful servant, welcome home at last."



Refrain
I will not forget thee or leave thee,
In My hands I'll hold thee,
In My arms I'll fold thee,
I will not forget thee or leave thee;
I am thy Redeemer, I will care for thee.
Charles H. Gabriel

Today I was part of a miracle. I had the feeling of standing "at the golden portals" of heaven as I stood with a precious forgiven post-abortive mommy as she released her babies into our Heavenly Father's care. It was a memorial service. Heaven seemed to draw near as we honored and valued and gave dignity to her children. She was able to testify "the holes in my heart have been replaced with wholeness."


I am overwhelmed and humbled that I was allowed to be part of that experience with her and walk a piece of her healing journey along side of her. The very old song I quoted above is what was rolling around in my heart, so I've shared it. I was part of a miracle today.

The Golden Portals

Sweet is the promise, "I will not forget thee,"
Nothing can molest or turn my soul away;
E'en though the night be dark within the valley,
Just beyond is shining an eternal day.


Trusting the promise, "I will not forget thee,"
Onward I will go with songs of joy and love,
Though earth despise me,
Though my friends forsake me,
I shall be remembered in my home above.


When at the golden portals I am standing,
All my tribulations, all my sorrows past;
How sweet to hear the blessed proclamation,
"Enter, faithful servant, welcome home at last."



Refrain
I will not forget thee or leave thee,
In My hands I'll hold thee,
In My arms I'll fold thee,
I will not forget thee or leave thee;
I am thy Redeemer, I will care for thee.
Charles H. Gabriel

Today I was part of a miracle. I had the feeling of standing "at the golden portals" of heaven as I stood with a precious forgiven post-abortive mommy as she released her babies into our Heavenly Father's care. It was a memorial service. Heaven seemed to draw near as we honored and valued and gave dignity to her children. She was able to testify "the holes in my heart have been replaced with wholeness."


I am overwhelmed and humbled that I was allowed to be part of that experience with her and walk a piece of her healing journey along side of her. The very old song I quoted above is what was rolling around in my heart, so I've shared it. I was part of a miracle today.

In this manner pray..."Our Father, in heaven"....

Jesus said, "In this manner, therefore pray, "Our Father, in heaven..."

How easy it is to forget about heaven! Our lives are so filled up with the daily-ness of life. Many chores we do over and over and over and over and over. Routine days filled with mundane tasks. How differently would we live our daily routine if we really kept heaven in our focus? Jesus wanted his disciples (and us) to remember that we are on our way HOME! The details of our life are not all there is to our whole existence! Heaven is real and we are going there. Our heavenly Father is in HEAVEN!

Our Father loves us extravagantly! Our life is meant to be a love affair with our God and Savior! A life of passionately awaiting the marriage supper of the Lamb when He will claim us as His bride! Somehow the sameness of daily existence tends to cloud that truth.

We have been led to think of heaven as puffy white clouds with little cherubs sitting on them strumming harps. :-) However, when you read the Bible and pay attention to what it says heaven is like - WOW! Not so much about puffy clouds! :-)

When we pray do we remember that we are praying to our Father who lives in a very real place called HEAVEN!!! Jesus recommended we start there - so we might just give it a try next time and see how it changes our praying!

This post reminds me of a poem my granddad used to quote.

We can only see a little of the ocean,
Just a few miles distant from the sandy shore,
But out there way beyond our eyes horizon,
There's more, immeasureably more!

We can only see a little of God's loving
Just a few rich treasures from His mighty store,
But out there way beyond our eyes horizon,
There's more, immeasureably more!

Today pray with heaven on your mind and in your focus!

Joyfully,
Ruth Joy
http://www.joy-bringer-ministries.org/

In this manner pray..."Our Father, in heaven"....

Jesus said, "In this manner, therefore pray, "Our Father, in heaven..."

How easy it is to forget about heaven! Our lives are so filled up with the daily-ness of life. Many chores we do over and over and over and over and over. Routine days filled with mundane tasks. How differently would we live our daily routine if we really kept heaven in our focus? Jesus wanted his disciples (and us) to remember that we are on our way HOME! The details of our life are not all there is to our whole existence! Heaven is real and we are going there. Our heavenly Father is in HEAVEN!

Our Father loves us extravagantly! Our life is meant to be a love affair with our God and Savior! A life of passionately awaiting the marriage supper of the Lamb when He will claim us as His bride! Somehow the sameness of daily existence tends to cloud that truth.

We have been led to think of heaven as puffy white clouds with little cherubs sitting on them strumming harps. :-) However, when you read the Bible and pay attention to what it says heaven is like - WOW! Not so much about puffy clouds! :-)

When we pray do we remember that we are praying to our Father who lives in a very real place called HEAVEN!!! Jesus recommended we start there - so we might just give it a try next time and see how it changes our praying!

This post reminds me of a poem my granddad used to quote.

We can only see a little of the ocean,
Just a few miles distant from the sandy shore,
But out there way beyond our eyes horizon,
There's more, immeasureably more!

We can only see a little of God's loving
Just a few rich treasures from His mighty store,
But out there way beyond our eyes horizon,
There's more, immeasureably more!

Today pray with heaven on your mind and in your focus!

Joyfully,
Ruth Joy
http://www.joy-bringer-ministries.org/

Bountiful Care

"Thy Bountiful Care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,

It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain."

from the hymn ~~ O Worship The King

by~~Robert Grant 1779-1838

Today is one of those "stellar" days - my dad used to call them "one of the 10 best days of the year" - not a cloud in the sky - mild temps - mid 70's - you just feel drenched in comfortable sunshine no matter where you look. Days like this always make me think of the words I quoted above from the old hymn "O Worship The King"

Bountiful Care - now there's a kind of care I am interested in! It will take us eternity I believe to rehearse all of God's bountiful care over our lives. No matter where we are - how good or how evil our surroundings - no matter how hurting our heart might be at the moment - we can still bank on HIS bountiful care shining through it all. At the darkest time in my life when I thought not even God could show me what to do - HE DID! Our part is to ask Him for it - He likes to be asked. God is just waiting to hug us with His extravagant, loving bountiful care! LET HIM!

Joyfully,

Ruth Joy

Bountiful Care

"Thy Bountiful Care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,

It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain."

from the hymn ~~ O Worship The King

by~~Robert Grant 1779-1838

Today is one of those "stellar" days - my dad used to call them "one of the 10 best days of the year" - not a cloud in the sky - mild temps - mid 70's - you just feel drenched in comfortable sunshine no matter where you look. Days like this always make me think of the words I quoted above from the old hymn "O Worship The King"

Bountiful Care - now there's a kind of care I am interested in! It will take us eternity I believe to rehearse all of God's bountiful care over our lives. No matter where we are - how good or how evil our surroundings - no matter how hurting our heart might be at the moment - we can still bank on HIS bountiful care shining through it all. At the darkest time in my life when I thought not even God could show me what to do - HE DID! Our part is to ask Him for it - He likes to be asked. God is just waiting to hug us with His extravagant, loving bountiful care! LET HIM!

Joyfully,

Ruth Joy

When You Pray II

Overheard in an Orchard

Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
"I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so?"

Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
"Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me." ~~Elizabeth Cheney

This poem was one my Grandfather quoted frequently. It reminds us that we have a Heavenly Father. I want to pick up my thought from a previous blog about prayer. Jesus told His disciples to start by praying "OUR FATHER".... Now I know for many the thought of FATHER does not conjur up good memories or positive images - but I was blessed with a good Father - I knew he loved me and that he would provide whatever he possibly could for me. When he died I felt forlorn. One of the things I missed sorely was being able to go back home and sit at his table and talk with him. I think I still miss that to this day. Now Jesus called God "OUR FATHER" so that we could understand His heart. A good father is looking for ways to provide for his family and does not expect them to be all worried and concerned about day to day necessities. Another Bible verse tells us to "take NO thought," about where our next meal is coming from or how our clothes will be provided for, because our Heavenly Father knows we need these things. I wish I could say I have always lived like that, but I have not. There have been times when I have been extremely concerned about how those needs would be met. Yet this is the place where prayer BEGINS - !

OUR FATHER who is in heaven - not merely on earth - but one who has resources beyond our wildest imaginations! Once we belong in His family (and He is not wililng that any should perish but that ALL should be family members!) well He takes on the responsibility of caring for us on a daily basis!

Now it is my job to make sure I'm living like I believe that. I don't know if that helps you or not - but I know it sure has quieted my own heart many a time.

May thoughts of OUR FATHER quiet and comfort your heart too.
Joyfully,
Ruth Joy
www.joy-bringer-ministries.org