His Love Will See You Through

From the throne of God
Right into your heart
Comes unconditional love
Love from the very start

Before you were ever born
God's love was there for you
Before you took your first breath
He knew what you would do

God always knew exactly
The path of life you'd take
He sent his Spirit to help you
Whenever you made a mistake

The Lord God made you special
You can't compare with others
So do not look for differences
In your sisters or your brothers

For deep within our hearts
We are really all alike
We all need love and safety
We want to be alright

People want to feel important
They need to know you care
The Lord above he knows these things
That's why he sent you here

So when you're feeling lonely
And things are going wrong
Remember how God loves you
You're right where you belong

You belong to God above
And he belongs to you
He loves you unconditionally
His grace will see you through

For you are his beloved child
The one he gave his life for
And when you give your heart to others
It's God you're living for

A Prayer, by Gene Allen Groner

Kind and merciful Creator

Guide my thoughts today

Lead me to another

Who may have gone astray

With evil all around us

No place is safe to be

For Satan he surrounds us

And many go astray

We need your strong protection

Send your angels here we pray

To guide us on the pathway

So we do not to go astray

With angels all around us

To keep us safe from harm

And with your strength and blessing

We’ll rest safely in your arms

The Holy Bible, an article written by Gene Groner

Having read hundreds of books over my lifetime, and written and edited numerous books and articles, I   have never seen or heard of any book to compare with the Holy Bible. An estimated 5.6 billion copies of the Bible have been purchased worldwide. It has been translated into 698 languages, and sold in over 100 countries. Each year approximately 100 million Bibles are purchased throughout the world. You can now have access to the Bible in braille, in audio version, and in digital formats. The Bible is by far the most widely read and easily accessible book ever written.

I received my first Bible from my grandmother Ada Spohrer. She gave me a set of the three standard books of the church upon my high school graduation from Marshall High School in Marshall, Missouri. I still have them and cherish them in my library today. I never tire of reading them, for in them I have encountered God and Christ through the Holy Spirit many times. Their value to me cannot possibly be measured in material terms. Each time I pick up one of these books, I remember vividly my grandmother and my mother. They faithfully brought me to church twice a week, just one of the many ways they showed their love for me, for our Heavenly Father, and for our church. It was in their home that I first read the Saints Herald, and I’ve been reading it ever since. I learned from mother and grandmother  what it means to value and to love family, friends, church, and most of all God and Jesus Christ.

Today I have a number of different versions of the Holy Bible. I find it useful to compare readings from several of them, as clarity and readability vary from one to another, especially when I am studying and preparing to speak or write about a particular scripture or theme. By reading from various scriptures, I am better prepared, and I find it easier to understand the underlying message. Knowing the scriptures also strengthens my faith and fortitude whenever temptation calls. Jesus, when tempted by Satan in the wilderness, was able to resist temptation by quoting scripture, so I have learned to memorize various passages as a means of gaining the upper hand whenever the need arises. I believe this not only helps me, it pleases my Father in heaven. I recommend the memorization of scripture from an early age and on throughout our life here on earth. After all, Jesus gave us the perfect example, as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 NIV, when Jesus was tested in the wilderness:

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.

6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Teach Me How To Pray

Teach me how to pray dear Lord

Give me the words to say

Help me mend a broken heart

For someone else today

Lord you’ve been so good to me

I want to share your love

With a friend in need today

Teach me how to pray

Let me pray the best I can

To heal a soul in need

You answer all my heart’s desire

With grace and generosity

Grant me please this one request

I humbly ask you Lord

For many souls have lost their way

And cry out for your word

Teach me how to pray dear Lord

Just like your saints before

Teach me how to speak your words

Helping others love you more

Teach me how to pray dear Lord

Like angels sing above

Giving hope to those in need

In need of your precious love

Tune my heart to hear your voice

Leading me all the way

I want to give you all I have

In Jesus’ name I pray

Imperfect but Forgiven

In the beginning

Created by God’s love

We soon fell from grace

Then God sent his Son

Jesus came to save us

And return us to love

Imperfect but forgiven

Given grace from above

Imperfect but forgiven

To love we return

God’s arms open wide

As he welcomes us home

Several years ago, I wrote this short poem about the fall of man and our return to love. It first appeared in my book titled, In the Beginning (c2018 Amazon/Kindle Publishing.) I hope you like it as much as I do. 

Mind and Spirit

Let your mind control your spirit

For therein lies your peace

Let your mind control your spirit

And you’ll set your mind at ease

Keep your hands wide open always

Holding things so lightly

For surely nothing lasts forever

Sorrow comes when you hold on tightly

When worry comes as it surely will

Trusting God brings life and peace

Keep your mind and spirit peaceful

Faith in God is all you need

So hold things lightly in your hands

And trust in God with all your might

Keep your mind and spirit peaceful

Faith in God will make things right

Purpose

Two of the most important days of your life are the day you were born, and the day you find your purpose. I was born on November 24, 1943. I found my purpose on April 2, 2015, exactly 25,590 days after my birth.

After 40 days of praying that God would show me my purpose, the Lord revealed it to me: sharing my testimony with the world through my writing. I’ve written my testimonies in numerous books and articles, many of which have been published on Amazon, The Saints Herald, and in Veterans Voices magazine. These publications are available throughout the world, and I continue to write and distribute them as a witness of God’s love and mercy, and a witness of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I plan to continue this ministry for as long as I live, God willing.

Every day I wear a necklace and cross, a gift from my oldest daughter Rachelle, to remind me of my life’s purpose of witnessing for Christ. It keeps me on the right track, and it helps me remember that I am a disciple of the Lord, who died on a cross for me and for all of us. He is the one I follow. He is the one who gave me life and who continues to light my way. It is the greatest honor I have to be able to share his story and his love with everyone I encounter, in words both written and spoken, and hopefully by the way I live. I know I often fall short of his expectations, but I keep praying and trying to do better each day. This gives me the greatest joy and happiness I have ever known.

We are all children of God, and we all fall short of his glory. But his love and forgiveness are eternally ours. All we need is to receive him into our hearts and live the best we can each day. That is our challenge and our opportunity, and the reason we are here on earth—to learn all we can about giving and receiving love, in preparation for the life which is to come, eternal life with our Creator.

Pastor Rick Warren in his book, The Purpose-Driven Life, a Bible study book about our reason for being, reminds us that our purpose in life can be seen in five ways:

Purpose #1: You Were Planned for God's Pleasure (Christian Worship)

Purpose #2: You Were Formed for God's Family (Christian Church)

Purpose #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ (Discipleship)

Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God (Christian Ministry)

Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission (Christian mission)

What is your mission in life? I hope and pray that you will find your purpose and your mission, for in that you will know true contentment and happiness. May God bless us every one. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Real Peace

Peace means the absence of suffering

The end of armed conflict and war

But real peace means a whole lot more

It dwells in our hearts and is not far

We know how to end a war

But do we know how to find real peace

How do we find this mysterious calm

Where do we find this true shalom

I believe it comes from inside

And not from outer circumstance

Shalom can exist within prison walls

Real peace in the midst of one’s life

Inner peace that surpasses understanding

And far beyond all human designs

The peace that comes into our hearts

And comes within our minds

I believe that true shalom

Is a gift that comes from God

It fills our hearts with his own love

With grace and mercy from above

If you desire this inner peace

This gift of true shalom

Then turn to the One from whom it comes

Real peace will come through him alone