Posts Tagged "salvation"

Looking Back – Twenty-five Years Without My Dad

Posted by on Sep 29, 2020 | Comments Off on Looking Back – Twenty-five Years Without My Dad

Looking Back – Twenty-five Years Without My Dad

Looking back, on 25 years since my dad’s death, I wonder where the years have gone, marvel at how much I still miss him, and give thanks to God for carrying me through.

 

 

 

Looking Back – Twenty-five Years Without My Dad

2MefromHim

 

Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. Proverbs 14:26

Proverbs 14:26

Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. Proverbs 14:26 #Godislove #fortress #children Click To Tweet

When I was very little and afraid of the storm,

My father would hold me, so I felt safe and warm.

Silly songs, funny stories, and wild games we would play—

The fun and his love chased the bad things away.

The lightning and thunder were never so bad

When I was held safe in the arms of my dad.

 

As I grew older and the problems grew more large,

The gentle, patient answers still came straight from his heart.

There was no more important thing he ever had to do

Than take time to show— the important thing was you.

He never gave anyone less than his best,

No matter what the need was, his commitment stood the test.

Looking Back 25 Years

No matter what the need was, his commitment stood the test. #memories #dad #Godisgood Click To Tweet

 

When lightning struck our house one night,

Shattering the darkness with its brilliant light—

Hobbling on crutches from a broken leg,

He soon had us laughing from the jokes that he made.

Once certain that all would soon be well—

He soon had another great story to tell.

 

Many things set my father apart,

Not the least of which was his great, loving heart.

People who came to my father in need

Always left knowing they had a friend indeed.

He did much to further the Father’s plan

By the generosity of his giant hands.

 

My father rose each morning to meet with his Lord.

He loved Him and served Him and cherished His word.

He was a man of great strength—yet gentle and kind

Because he loved the Lord Jesus with heart, soul, and mind.

He would say that if anything set him apart,

It was the presence of the Savior, who lived in his heart.

Daddy

My father rose each morning to meet with his Lord. #dads #prayer #example Click To Tweet

 

Then the lightning once again appeared,

Something all in the family but my father feared.

He, rather than seeing something to fear—

Said it showed the protection of God very clear.

For all in the house were both safe and sound

And only slight damage to the house was found.

 

As the years passed by, the family grew,

The sons-in-law came, and the grandchildren, too.

Each one he loved in a unique special way,

And faithfully, for each one, he daily would pray—

Upon our family, God’s blessings were poured,

Because each day my father spent time with his Lord.

 

It could have been just a regular day,

But our heavenly Father didn’t see it that way.

A man going fishing—just and ordinary man—

But our heavenly Father had another plan.

Ordinary things, when you live for the Lord,

Can often have bearing on eternal reward.

 

Once more, God’s lightning entered our lives,

And on fiery wings, bore my father home, through the skies.

The look on his face showed amazement, they said,

And confirmed for us all that he was not really dead.

He had gotten his first glimpse of his heavenly home,

And he knew that our Lord would not leave us alone.

 

The lessons that he taught us through the life that he lived;

And the Lord that he gave all the love he could give;

Are still here inside us—though he’s gone from our sight

Across that wide river— the River of Life.

He’s sitting there watching—he knows we will come;

And from his side, it really won’t be very long.

Looking Back 25 Years 2

If we could just see—each event in our lives—

Is meant just to show us, God is loving and wise.

The traits that I loved in my father, you see,

Are all of the things God will be—just for me.

And so when I long for Daddy’s face—just to see,

I’ll look up to heaven—where two fathers wait for me.

 He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. Job 36:32

 

God is loving and wise. #fathers #children #teachablemoments Click To Tweet

Written June 14, 1996.  In loving memory of my daddy, Lyle E. Thurston, who died when he was struck by lightning while fly-fishing on the San Juan River, in the “Quality Waters” below Navajo Dam near Farmington, New Mexico on September 29, 1995.

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman. All Rights Reserved. Do not use without express written permission of the author.

Norma Gail - AuthorAbout the author –

Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (released May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.

 

 

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Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed

Posted by on Aug 4, 2020 | 4 comments

Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed

I know whom I have believed. But do I really? We could spend a lifetime studying and barely touch the most minute facets of His being.

 

 

 

 

Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed

2MefromHim Devotionals

I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. 2 Timothy 1:12

2 Timothy 1:12

I know whom I have believed. But do I really?

I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. 2 Timothy 1:12 #faith #Jesus #trust Click To Tweet

Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed for Salvation?

Often when we first trust Christ for our salvation, it is in either the elation of learning about His saving love or a sad realization of our own sinfulness. Both are necessary. However, we know so little of our Lord’s power that we could spend a lifetime studying and barely touch the most minute facets of His being.

Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed 1

To know Whom I have believed, I must recognize His sufficiency in all areas. The great I Am is first, the pre-existent God of all creation, for, “Through Him, all things were made; without Him, nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3) And all that was made, He created ex nihilo, out of nothing.

We could spend a lifetime studying and barely touch the most minute facets of God's being. #man #God #faith Click To Tweet

Do I Really Believe His Uniqueness?

In Revelation 22:13, God says of Himself, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” The Book of Isaiah says, there was no god before Him and there will be no god after Him. (Isaiah 43:10) It is impossible for our minds to conceive, yet it is true.

Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed 2

We know that it is through grace by faith that we are saved. There is nothing that we are can do to gain faith. It is the free gift of God. He tolerates no boasting on that point. (Ephesians 2:8-9) We are incapable of performing acts that would gain our own salvation. As the old song says, “Oh, to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be.” We owe our Lord and God a debt we can never repay.

We owe our Lord and God a debt we can never repay. #grace #salvation #hope Click To Tweet

Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed from All Eternity?

When God speaks to Job out of the storm, He asks unanswerable questions:

  • Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
  • Who marked off its dimensions and stretched a measuring line across it?
  • On what were its footings set,or who laid its cornerstone?
  • Who shut up the sea behind doorswhen I fixed limits for itand set its doors and bars in place?
  • Have you ever given orders to the morning,or shown the dawn its place?
  • Have the gates of death been shown to you?
  • What is the way to the abode of light?And where does darkness reside? Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed 3

And on and on He goes, asking questions no man can answer that reveal the marvelous infinity of His being. Therefore, I say with the father in Mark 9, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

God asks questions no man can answer that reveal the marvelous infinity of His being. #infinity #Godislove #eternity Click To Tweet

Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed for All Eternity?

Yet, when I contemplate such marvelous things, I realize that my understanding will always be incomplete while I live here on earth. God can guard everything I have entrusted to Him and more until that day when my faith becomes sight. And I bow on my face before Him in humility.

Do I Really Know Whom I Have Believed 4

He is able to accomplish far more than I can ever comprehend in my finite being. To God be the glory.

God is able to accomplish far more than I can ever comprehend in my finite being. #Godisgood #man #grace Click To Tweet

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. Job 37:5

© Norma Gail Holtman, July 24, 2020

Norma Gail - AuthorAbout the author:

Norma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (releasing May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, or Amazon.

 

 

 

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Having a Noah’s Ark Experience During the COVID-19 Crisis

Posted by on Mar 24, 2020 | Comments Off on Having a Noah’s Ark Experience During the COVID-19 Crisis

Having a Noah’s Ark Experience During the COVID-19 Crisis

Noah’s ark provides a powerful example of isolation during an unusual event that changed the world forever. But God remembered Noah and his family. And he remembers each one of us.

 

 

 

 

Having a Noah’s Ark Experience During the COVID-19 Crisis

A 2MefromHim Devotional

 

But God remembered… Genesis 8:1

Noah's Ark Experience 1

Noah’s Ark Shows God is in Control

The COVID-19 quarantine is a unique experience in our time. We have lived relatively free of the diseases and plagues experienced by previous generations. Without warning, we face a formidable and dangerous situation that threatens our lives, our livelihood, and our world economy. We don’t know how long the pandemic will last or how our world will change before we emerge. Rather than the world being out of control, God is in control just as he was during the Flood.

We don’t know how long the pandemic will last or how our world will change but God is in control. #pandemic #Godisgood #hope Click To Tweet

Noah’s Ark Shows God has a Purpose

In Noah’s time as in ours, evil flourished and few cared about God. He was the only righteous man in the world, intimate with God and obedient to him. Noah gathered his family, the necessary food, the animals, and entered the ark. Unlike our situation, Genesis 7:16 tells us, “Then the Lord shut him in.” However, whether due to our own health or the orders of authorities, ultimately God has a purpose for our isolation.

God Doesn’t Take His People Out of the Storms of Life

Noah's Ark Experience 2

Once Noah and his family were safe, the deluge hit. Imagine the panicky people left outside. Picture them running to the top of buildings and then mountains, as the waters rose higher, accompanied by frightened animals desperate to save themselves. Perhaps Noah heard the screams. In the same way that people have rushed to buy essential items, and call professionals worried about their health now, the people of Noah’s day scrambled to find a place of safety.

As with the natural forces unleashed during the Flood, the coronavirus is an event of nature resulting in massive mortality. Whether by direct action or selective inaction, God holds ultimate control. Like the rest of the world, Christians can’t avoid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, our safety isn’t only in remaining virus-free and living. Christians have the assurance of safety in Christ even if they die. Likewise, God didn’t take Noah out of the storm but kept his family safe as they went through it.

God didn’t take Noah out of the storm but kept his family safe as they went through it. #safety #Godislove #safety Click To Tweet

God Wants Us to Proclaim His Message to Frightened People

Noah's Ark Experience 3

We will come out of isolation. Noah emerged from the ark into a changed world void of other life and everything that existed before. People will emerge from the COVID-19 crisis having lost family members, health, jobs, financial security, and with new fears of another disease outbreak. When that time comes, God wants his people to go forth and proclaim the message of salvation to those trapped in fear and darkness.

Share the Good News of salvation in Christ with the frightened people in our world. #coroanvirus #Jesus #hope Click To Tweet

Our Noah’s ark experience should equip us to share the Good News of salvation in Christ with the frightened people in our world. We have comfort and hope the world lacks. We have a God who says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Spend time with God during this quarantine and find ways to tell a frightened world that God remembers them and wants them to know him.

But God remembered… Genesis 8:1 God didn't forget Noah and he won't forget you. #Godislove #Noah #isolation Click To Tweet

© Norma Gail Holtman, March 21, 2020

About the author:

Norma Gail - AuthorNorma Gail writes Fiction to Refresh Your Spirit. Her contemporary novels, Land of My Dreams, which won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award, and Within Golden Bands (releasing May 19, 2020), explore the theme of women whose faith triumphs over trials. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, Inspire a Fire, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 44 years. They have two adult children. To connect with her, you can follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, or Amazon.

 

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A Tribute to My Mother – 2MefromHim

Posted by on Jun 5, 2018 | 1 comment

A Tribute to My Mother – 2MefromHim

A Tribute to My Mother is the short piece I will be speaking at her funeral. It’s not only one of my greatest blessings, but proves that we never know who is watching and listening. I’ll be taking a brief break from my blog due to the death of my mother. I hope to return soon.

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The Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told

Posted by on Dec 25, 2017 | 2 comments

The Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told

The greatest Christmas story ever told is found in the 66 books of the Bible. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, the story of why we celebrate the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ . This event changed the world forever and has the power to change the life of every one of us. May you know His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life this Christmas!

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