Words of King David

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone

is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My

salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God

is our refuge.---Psalm 62:5-8

I am reminded in this scripture of the words of counsel from Patriach Harold Velt,

who gave me my patriarchal blessing in 1966: "Trust the Lord and move forward 

in faith." I have often found comfort in these words as I have struggled through

difficult times in my life. Today is one of those times, and I know if I can muster

a little faith and come to God in prayer, trusting in him and in him alone, that all 

will work out okay. Perhaps you, too, are struggling today, and I would say the 

same thing to you: Trust the Lord and move forward in faith. I offer these thoughts

in the hope that you, too, will find the strength and hope to continue in the right

path, for this is the way of the Lord. And one day I hope to meet you in the realms

of heaven, where there is no more sorrow and no more tears. May the Lord bless

you and keep you is my prayer. Amen.

Christmas in the Smokies

Hello everyone! Today is the first day of October, and I'm celebrating by watching one of my favorite Christmas movies, titled Christmas in the Smokies.

Christmas in the Smokies was released in 2015, and it tells the story of a young woman struggling to save her family's berry farm in Pine Valley, Tennessee. And she does just that by organizing a Christmas concert in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. Starting out with my favorite Christmas song, O Come All Ye Faithful, and loaded with beautiful scenery, Christmas lights and decorations, and lots of drama and romance, this is a beautiful story of family love, hope, and of course a Christmas miracle on the horizon, beginning with Luke's story of the birth of Christ.

I just love a good story with a feel-good ending. And what could be better than a wonderful story at Christmas time that reminds us how good life can be if we look for those things that are positive and full of love and hope, especially the love and hope that came to earth with the birth of Christ. 

I hope you will love this movie as much as I do, and it's available on Netflix right now. Be sure and watch it, and start your Christmas season early and well!

Merry Christmas everyone!

With love,

Gene

The Nature of Angels

I recently submitted a prose prayer to the Veterans Voices Writing Project for potential publishing in the Veterans Voices magazine, a nationwide magazine devoted to the writings of U.S. Veterans. I felt it would be good to present the prayer in my blog. The prayer was first published in my book titled The Nature of Angels, a book I wrote containing some of my poems and prose of a heavenly nature. Here is the prayer. It is titled Change the World:

Father, I long to change the world

To make it a better place

Safer, cleaner, healthier, happier

I confess I don't know how

I don't even know how to begin

So I am beginning with this prayer

Show me what to do

How to act

Who to reach out to

Where to go

So that I may be your instrument

Your instrument of peace

And love

And healing

There are small things I have done

When I was younger

I wanted to do great things

But like Mother Teresa said

"We can do no great things

Only small things with great love"

So here's my prayer

Lead me to the small things

I can do with great love

No task is too small for me

As Paul the Apostle has said

"I can do all things 

Through him who gives me strength"

Teach me the things you would have me do

Things I can do with great love

And together we can make a difference

And I give you all the glory

All the honor and praise

Now and forever more

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Gene Groner

Gene is the author of 35 books on faith, hope, and love. He also writes inspirational poetry and daily messages of peace, hope and love at www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ

Hallelujah, I'm back.

My computer has been out off order for several weeks, and it is good to have it back in my lap and working in good order. I am blessed with a good family and home, my faith and friends, and good health. The Spring weather is also wonderful, with all the trees and flowers, and of course it's Holy Week. Sunday will be Easter and my family will gather at church for the Easter service--always a beautiful event, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then we will enjoy a great Easter meal and time with our loved ones.

I am aware that there are many in the world who are less fortunate, and I pray for them all each and every day as I look forward to the time when our Savior will return and all things will be restored to their former glory. I also pray for this every day.

Thank you for reading my blog and for reading my books of inspiration and poetry.

"Lord, I want to say thank You. Thank You for sending me friends. They all teach me something, so my life will be better, happier, more fulfilling."*

*From my book titled The Nature of Angels, available on Amazon.com at

Gene Groner

Gene is the author of 35 books on faith, hope, and love. He also writes inspirational poetry and daily messages of peace, hope and love at www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ

My Testimony

It was an experience I will never forget.

I was invited to spend a week at the home of my friend in Tahiti, Riri Mariteraga. He asked me if I would share my testimony of Christ with the Hebrona congregation in Papeete. I said I would be happy to, and wondered if I could do that in their native Tahitian language. I didn't know the language, so after writing down my testimony, Riri translated it into Tahitian and helped me practice the pronunciation. It wasn't easy, but I believed I could do it with God's help.

On the morning I was to give the testimony, I arose early to meditate and pray, asking only for God's will to be done. As I prayed and looked out over the blue Pacific Ocean, I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I knew everything would be alright.

That morning, speaking in Tahitian, I told the congregation of my love for Christ, and how he has been with me throughout my life, guiding me and protecting me and my family. I could feel his presence even then, as I continued sharing my testimony with them in the best way I could. After the service, a young Tahitian woman came up to me and thanked me. She said she could understand the testimony completely. My prayer was answered.

 I feel so very grateful for this opportunity God has given me. This marvelous experience is one I will always remember. Visiting with the Tahitian families and seeing their beautiful island was a great experience. But the greatest thing is knowing the love of Christ and how his presence blesses all people throughout the world, regardless of where they live or what language they speak. Thank you, Jesus.

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Gene Groner

Gene is the author of 35 books on faith, hope, and love. He also writes inspirational poetry and daily messages of peace, hope and love at www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ

Faith is a word that we use a lot, but sometimes we can make it too complicated. Faith simply means “belief or absolute trust”; the word also implies loyalty and commitment.

Faith isn't a huge, complicated concept that we have to stress over. Genuine faith in God simply acknowledges that the message of Jesus' death and resurrection is absolutely true. It happens when we say, "Not only does it make sense to me, but I'm willing to stake my life on it."

The Bible says that the uncompromisingly righteous shall live by faith and faithfulness. One way to think of the uncompromisingly righteous is to think of those who are made right by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Through faith we are made right, and God treats us as His own beloved children.

Today, I encourage you to get back to the basics of faith.  Know that when you put your faith in Him, you are made right. Live by your trust in the God who reaches out to you with loving and open arms, ready to receive you and love you just as you are.

__Joyce Meyer

Gene Groner

Gene is the author of 35 books on faith, hope, and love. He also writes inspirational poetry and daily messages of peace, hope and love at www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ

Thank You, Heavenly Father

Father, I thank You for all Your many blessings throughout my life. Even when in difficult times, You have always been with me. I thank You for my family and friends, my home and daily blessings of food and clothing, financial well-being, opportunities to be of service, and all the many ways You have provided for me. I know I have not always been the person You wanted me to be, but hopefully in the future, I will be that person. You have given me the faith to trust in You in all things, and for that faith I am grateful. Please show me the way forward, so that I may be of maximum service to You and my fellow beings. I love You with all my heart. In the precious name of Jesus, amen. 

Gene Groner

Gene is the author of 35 books on faith, hope, and love. He also writes inspirational poetry and daily messages of peace, hope and love at www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ