Unveiled

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."

He. SEEs. YOU.

Think about it. Let it soak into your soul. He sees YOU.

He has been watching YOU all along.

When God looked through the window of creation, His heart skipped a beat.

It was YOUR face that HE saw through eternal time and space.

Through a sea of human faces and souls...

He. Saw. YOU.

Why would He see US? Why would HE love us, imperfect dust created humans?

His hands formed us. His blueprint planned our lives. No accidents.

Eyes of pure love and mercy saw...US?

Why would He care about a tiny heartbeat in a womb, born a sinner to a fallen world?

Why would he care to carry us in HIS hands? Write HIS love on our hearts?

Lord, remove this veil from our hearts so we can see YOU the way YOU see US!

That we may see and know Him in His glory and majesty.

 Know the suffering of the cross---that was for US.  Know that He is our God, our HEALER, our REDEEMER.

See HIM through the obstacles. See HIM through your suffering. See HIM and know He's working all things together for your good because...

 He. Loves. YOU.

--Jennifer Jones

The Prayer Quilt by Jennifer Jones

I wrote this poem today, in honor of my mom's birthday.  Happy Birthday Mom, I love you! --Jen


Tenderly she rocked,
As she rocked she prayed,
With each and every breath,
A prayer quilt  stitch she made.

The baby oh so small,
Held her finger oh so tight,
Mom whispered prayers to God,
To keep her angel through the night.

Months turned into years,
Her girl now held her hand
Her backpack on her back
At the front door she would stand.

And there the quilt would grow,
With prayers for God to guide,
To keep her child at school,
And forever by His Side.

Each night Mom's cover of prayer,
Kept angels by her kid,
At the dawn of each new day,
New mercies God did give.

Now her daughter's grown,
But she still has this quilt of prayer,
That Mom prayed ore' her life,
It goes with her everywhere.

Now at night her Grown-up girl,
Stands by her daughter's head,
She bows her head and prays,
"Lord, put your angels round this bed."

So the quilt's an heirloom dear,
Passed on from Mom to Me,
The precious quilt of prayer,
Of Protection, Faith and Peace.

The cradle will rock on,
The quilt stitches now begin,
As a mother whispers prayers,
And God listens once again.
                                           
---Jennifer Jones

The Hibiscus Lesson

I have to stay busy.  For me as a stay-at-home mom this sometimes means rearranging the house or digging up the yard.  One day in mid-Spring I noticed that the two hibiscus bushes in the front yard were crowding the flower bed.  Determined to fix the situation, I promptly found the shovel.  I dug the bushes out of the ground and replanted them in the sparse flower bed in the backyard.  I had no prior knowledge that hibiscus HATE to be relocated! After planting them, I watched as every leaf fell to the ground.  After two weeks of shedding their leaves, they appeared to be two shriveled twigs, stuck in the ground.  It was at this point in their ugliness I was tempted to admit defeat, pull them up, and put them in the trash--out of sight!  I have transplanted plants before with success and thought these would be no different. These were a FAIL! I decided to wait thinking that perhaps it was the shock of the move that made them react this way.  I put off pulling them up and gave them another two weeks of ugliness. Everyday I would resist the urge to give up on them.

It finally happened. All of a sudden a change took place. After the fourth week I noticed the stems of the plant were looking green.  There were no leaves or blossoms, but the bushes were showing signs of life.  Under their thin scaly bark there was evidence that there was still hope.  A month later, I felt like I had witnessed a miracle!  The hibiscus bushes were and still are blooming. Not only are they blooming, they have more blooms on their stems than any of the plants in the yard.  I was so glad I decided to give them more time.  If I had given up on them, the miracle would never have happened.  In life it is often the same way.  We get frustrated that life isn't working out according to our plans. We may pour love and time into relationships that seem dead. Sometimes life itself is one big disappointment to us.  However, if we remember that God is in control of our lives, we can have FAITH to believe that good can come out of our bleak, barren situations.  Don't give up!

Remember Habakkuk 3:17 KJV states "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like hinds' feet and he will make me to walk upon mine high places..."

Just because we don't see the miracle right now doesn't mean it won't happen.  We need faith for every season of our lives.  Faith to endure. Faith to wait for the fruit of our prayers. Faith to know that God has us in the palm of His hand and that He won't let us go.  He will give us the desires of our heart in HIS season. Just like the hibiscus plant, when all seems lost, there will be a season of restoration. Life will bloom again.  --JJ

A Cure for Shadows by Jennifer Jones

A Cure for Shadows  by Jennifer Jones

shadow:

Bing Dictionary

shad·ow

 [ sháddō ]   darkened shape of something in light: a darkened shape on a surface that falls behind somebody or something blocking the light

1. darkness: relative darkness in a place that is being screened or blocked off from direct sunlight

Synonyms: shade, silhouette, outline, dark, darkness, gloom, gloominess, dusk, dimness

 

In Florida it is not uncommon to enjoy a pristine, blue-skied summer day, only to have it interrupted by a layer of rain clouds.  Life can be similar. Have you ever felt like you were living under a shadow? I have. Just last week I experienced a cloud of fear casting it's menacing shade over my life. My daughter Sadie sat next to me listless, fighting an unknown virus.  Partially dehydrated, she was refusing food and drink.  I finally made an appointment with the doctor, after hoping and praying that she would recover on her own.  As I entered the doctor's office, I expected to be loaded up with prescriptions for antibiotics and sent home.  When the doctor requested blood tests, sonograms, and x-rays, I became anxious and worried. Yes, I was praying through it all. Yes, I was trusting God that everything was going to be alright.  Yes, I have faith! However,  I am also HUMAN.  I couldn't help but think ...what if she was seriously ill? Shadows of doubt threatened to block my faith.

 

Dark shadows occasionally creep into our lives.  The Bible records that Job and David experienced the "the shadow of death." (Job 16:16, Psalm 23:4)  Shadows can be grief, loss of relationships, hopelessness, sickness, depression and loneliness, to name a few. Life is filled with potential shadows and we all experience them.

Good News! I found a cure for Life's SHADOWS.

The antidote is... God's SHADOW. 

Psalm 91: 1

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the SHADOW of the Almighty."

 

Psalm 36:7

"How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the SHADOW of thy wings."

 

Psalm 57:1

"...yea, in the SHADOW of thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overpast."

 

Psalm 63:7

"Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the SHADOW of thy wings will I rejoice."

 

Isaiah 25:4

"For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm a SHADOW from the heat..."

 

Isaiah 51:16

"For I have put my words in thy mouth and I have covered thee in the SHADOW of mine hand..."

 

I started thinking about God's shadow.  The powerful protective shadow of the Almighty gave me comfort.  The protection under the everlasting arms of God Almighty, is the cure for the shadows of life.  He is the antidote for loneliness, grief, suffering, doubt, fear, and heartache.  His shadow removes all other shadows. In the presence of His shadow is peace, and help. 

 

My shadows of doubt left when I started trusting in the shadow of God.  My daughter Sadie was diagnosed with a virus. However, she is undergoing other tests for abnormal glucose levels.  I am determined to trust in the shadow of Jesus.  He is the cure for the shadow's of life.

 

So when the shadow's of life threaten to overcome you, remember to trust in the shadow of Almighty God.