Poem "The Heavenly Grandstand"

The Heavenly Grandstand

By Joyce Rogers Edmiston

I was running the race of life

and the wind was on my back;

There was never a fairer day to run,

never a smoother track.

So with my head held high as the miles raced by,

I ran with careless ease,

I would run this race,

I would win first place so my Master I would please.

Then an unforeseen hand rudely pushed me down,

And I fell with a thud to the cold, cruel ground;

And broken and bruised I began to cry,

as other runners passed me by.

“Lord, help me please! I can’t run any more;

I’m broken and battered; I’m tired and sore;

I don’t think I can make it, I just want to die,

I don’t even have what it takes to try.”

And as I lay bleeding on the ground,

A vast “cloud of witnesses” gathered around,

They were heroes of old, all the saints of the ages.

Who through weakness were strong,

and through faith were courageous.

They started to cheer and wildly applaud,

And their voices rose up giving glory to God.

And then to myself I said “How can this be?”

For the saints of the ages were cheering for me!

Then Abel cried out, “There is power in the blood!”

And Noah said “He’ll keep you safe through the flood.”

Then Jacob said “Weary one, lean on the Lord.”

Moses cried out, “Child look to the reward!”

Then Sarah stepped forward, holding Abrahams hand,

And they both said, “Trust God when you don’t understand,

In God’s promises, child you must always believe,

For sometimes He’ll do things you just can’t conceive.

Come on! You can do it! Get up off your face

And run with endurance the rest of the race.

And remember, my child when strength is all gone,

The saints of the ages are cheering you on!”

So I rose to my feet midst their thunderous ovation

and started to run with great determination

And that’s when I saw Him, my Savior and Lord,

I must win the reward to cast down before Him the crown that I’d won,

And hear Him say to me, “Well done, child, well done!”
*****

Precious Child

For Christmas, I was given a square sea shore picture with these words on it :

MY PRECIOUS CHILD, I LOVE YOU.

YOUR HEART WAS MADE FROM MINE

AND WE WILL BE FOREVER CONNECTED.

I KNOW YOUR EVERY THOUGHT, DREAM, AND DESIRE.

I ALSO KNOW WHEN YOU NEED MY HELP.

WHEN YOU ARE TIRED, I WILL CARRY YOU.

WHEN YOU ARE SCARED, I WILL HOLD YOU.

WHEN YOU ARE SAD, I WILL HUG AWAY THE HURT.

WHEN YOU ARE FEELING ALONE, REMEMBER THAT

I WILL NEVER YOU. I WILL BE YOUR STRENGTH;

FOR YOU, CHILD, HAVE LEFT YOUR FOOTPRINTS

ON MY HEART.

-THE LORD, YOUR FATHER

Mercy

The Lord has done some working on my heart again. I will admit I often will pick up the offenses of my friends. Not long ago, my pastor preached a sermon on being offended. I learned that there isn't grace for those who pick up another person's offense, only those who are directly involved in the circumstances. I believe it! How many times does someone share something with you and they forgive their offender and yet you stay mad at the offender? I have been there.

Too often I have cried for justice instead of mercy with whoever it is that offended my friends. Mercy..........."but they don't deserve it," I have often cried. And the Lord reminded me that if they deserved it, it wouldn't be mercy. Then He reminded me of the many times He showers me with mercy when I deserved judgement. With tears in my eyes, I forgive and humbly thank the Lord for His mercy that endureth for ever.

Psalms 130:3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Lamentations 3:22-23 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.


Interesting Bible fact: There are 262 verses containing the word mercy.

Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr

Some of you have wondered where I got my children's nicknames. Though my boys are NOT triplets, they remind me very much of these charming young fellows in Maj Lindman's story books.


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Snipp Snapp and Snurr is the name of fictional triplets depicted in a series of children's books by author/illustrator Maj Lindman. The triplets, all boys with blond hair, live in Sweden and have light hearted misadventures. The series of books were first created in the 1920s in Sweden and then printed in English in the United States from the 1930s. A 1936 New York Times review of the book Snipp Snapp Snurr and the Yellow Sled cited the Snipp, Snapp, Snurr series as "popular with the little children".
The series of books continued until about 1960. Lindman also produced a series of books about triplet girls names Flicka Ricka and Dicka. Some of Lindman's stories were included in a series of compilations called "The Best of Children's Books".

Ephraim

Genesis 41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.

Genesis 41:52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Genesis 48:13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

Genesis 48:14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

Genesis 48:17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

Genesis 48:18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

Genesis 48:19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

Genesis 48:20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.


Did you catch it? I didn't "see" it until I read a book recently called "When I Lay My Isaac Down" by Carol Kent. Jackie Kendall explained an amazing nugget to Carol.

The basic idea was this: The double blessing came from not surviving a painful journey, but it came from becoming fruitful on that painful journey.......

Encouraging Quotes

Some quotes I have in the front of my Bible:

"It is a daily struggle to keep our faith, but God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has His unbreakable grip on us and none of us will be defeated by this."~unknown fellow griever

"Believe God's word and power more than you believe your own feelings and experiences. Your Rock is Christ, and it's not the Rock which ebbs and flows, but your sea." ~Samuel Rutherford

"To accept widowhood is my 'assignment' for the moment, though hard, is encouraging, because I know I am walking in God's will." ~Anne, fellowgriever

"Those strong aches have to somehow be translated into aches for God." ~Jamie, fellowgriever

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds" Psalm 147:3

"I have no business trying to find out where God is leading--the only thing God will explain to me is Himself." ~unknown

"It is God's chief goal is to deepen our relationship with Him." ~unknown

"Prayer doesn't mean my situation will change; but it will change me." ~unknown

"In times of confusion remember these truths: God has a plan; He is in control. God's timing is always perfect. We have nothing to fear. We have much to learn." ~heard on radio from unknown pastor

Be worthy--Today I want my life to be pleasing to Him. Tomorrow I want to keep doing this. I don't know what's coming. I don't know what the cost will be, but I want to be found faithful.