Words for 2018 Celebrate, Happy, Joy
Today is January 1, 2018, Happy New Year!
So last year the Lord gave me a word for 2017, it was the word ‘Write.’
So I wrote.
This morning before getting out of bed I asked the Lord what my word is, for 2018. Now I don’t hear an audible voice, it’s more like a perception. But his voice is very distinctive like a thought but heavier…is the only way I know to describe it.
He said, ‘It is more than just a word. Be happy; joyful. This year will be a year to celebrate. Be involved. Take action.”
I don’t know exactly what he has in mind, but I am willing and open for this year’s adventure…
Taking one day at a time…I will rejoice and be glad.
And I invite you all to come along for a joyful, happy year!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill January 1, 2018
Philippians 4:4-8 King James Version (KJV) Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Three Hundred Sixty five in 2017
As I sit here with only a few hours of 2017 left I listen to fire crackers going off in the distance. I’ve posted 364 posts in my blog this will be the 365th for this year. It occurs to me that I have no idea if people actually read this blog. I know a few do because they have liked it, and some have even commented on some of them. But that doesn’t matter.
Last year God gave me a word for the New Year of 2017. (Challenged by the group, Christian Poets and Writers) I prayed and it was the word “write”. Each morning as I would wake I’d hear the Holy Spirit speak different things to my heart. I’d get up, eat something then I’d write. I didn’t want to just write about random things…I wanted to write what God wanted me to write. I hope and pray that if you have read these posts that they have encouraged you maybe even inspired you. My heart’s desire is to please the Lord. He is my reason for living. I will turn 64 on January 3, 2018. To tell you the truth I’m really amazed that God has blessed me with this many years. I am also grateful. I don’t know what 2018 holds for this world, but I certainly know who holds 2018 in the palm of His hand. I accepted the Lord Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior when I was about six years old, baptized when I was about eight, and was filled gloriously with my prayer language when I was twelve. I take what he has given me very serious. I knew that I was a sinner and I wanted to be born again. I didn’t understand everything and I didn’t have to…all I had to know was that I accepted Jesus into my heart, that He is the Son of God and I wanted to make Him the Lord of my life. From that point on, my life had meaning and purpose.
I’ve made many mistakes along the way…and I’m sure I’ll make some more before he calls me home. But this I know beyond a shadow of a doubt…I am His child and I am forgiven. I never, ever want to walk away from him or the calling he has on my life.
Romans 8:1-5 New International Version (NIV) Life Through the Spirit
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
God bless you my friends…I pray you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and if you do not, it only takes a moment and you can know him. Confess to Him you are a sinner, tell him you want him to come into your heart and that you believe he is God’s only begotten son, and ask him to be the Lord of your life. He will do it in a heartbeat. Find a Church that teaches the Word of God and let the Holy Spirit lead and guide you. I promise you, you won’t regret it.
Lord, be with everyone who reads this blog. You be lifted up O Lord, be glorified and honored for without you we are nothing. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
I hope you come again!
Love and blessings in the coming New Year! May it be happy and you have great success. Most of all I hope you meet Jesus.
~Marla Shaw O’Neill December 31, 2017
From One of My Mama’s Journals – 2012
With two posts to go to reach my goal for the year 2017, on December 31, 2017, I am going to write from one of my mother’s journals. She’s in heaven now but her words are still heard loud and clear. She preached for over fifty years…in honor of my mom, here ya go!
WORDS
Words can be destructive, if they are not faith words.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, Oh, Lord my strength and my redeemer.
Words heal or kill.
Don’t yell, when you are angry people are watching, we can be a good or a bad influence.
Gen.1:1 In the beginning God, created the heaven and the earth
Gen. 1:3 God spoke and said: Let there be light—and there was light…
Gen. 1:6 God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters
Gen. 1:9 God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place and let the dry land appear and it was so.
John 8:31 and 32 Jesus said to the Jews which believed on Him…If you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:31…If ye continue in my words…Jesus never encouraged his disciples to place confidence in the mere fact of past faith or experience, It is only as we continue in HIS WORD that confidence in salvation is warranted. Genuine Disciples of Christ continue to obey the words of Christ.
John 15:6 New International Version (NIV) If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
Prayer: “Lord, help us to continue in your word. Let your word abide in us richly, so that we will not back slide or offend you. You are able to keep that which we have committed unto you, I love you Lord Jesus.
~Pearl Jeannette Gandy Holman in the year – 2012
Salvation Only Through One Name
I have nothing of real value to give you, nothing for your eyes to behold, no precious gems, no silver, no gold…
No earthly possessions worth very much, nothing to mend a broken heart or make you whole or such…
But I have something more precious than rubies, finer than the finest gold, more valuable than all the money, or trinkets, you could hold.
To the sick it is a healing fountain, to the lost salvation free….To the blind, deaf and dumb it is a miracle you see.
To the prisoner with shackles and bars, it is freedom to reach for the stars…
To the dying it is life
To the lonely a husband or wife
To the destitute a new beginning of hope
To the mute he can talk
I have no silver or gold to give to you, but this one think I know
That in the name of Jesus Christ you can rise-up and walk…
Walk in faith and victory
Worship the King of Glory
His value surpasses all wealth
He’ll give you freedom, peace and good health…
But do not follow for what you can obtain from him
Riches, fortune or fame
There’s no greater gift you can ever receive than to be delivered in Jesus name!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill July 2, 1988
Acts 4:12 The Message (MSG)
With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: “Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I’ll be completely frank with you—we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.’ Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”
The Wounded Angel – 1997
See her there, broken and wounded
Shattered hopes and dreams of ever flying
As I looked closer I could see her tattered broken wing…
The pain she bore was pain that could not heal.
Wounded angel dry your tears
Wounded angel you have nothing to fear
Help is coming and soon you’ll be flying away
To new heights on heavens highway…
You will soar with mended wing
Over mountains and plains, you’ll see the bright and morning star
All your hurts and pain will be over
As your wing is made brand new and your strength restored
The wounded angel is made whole
She is free from the pain and hurt that held her bound
Her wings are open, soaring high, a beautiful sight to see
The wounded angel is flying
You see, that wounded angel, was me!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill – written in November 1997
Isaiah 40:31 New International Version (NIV) …but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
The Stare
Sitting at my keyboard writing words for you
I stop for just a moment to find out who is who…
More than social media
It’s become quite repedia…to find out who is lead’n ya
In everything we do…
New friend request…
Like, Love, WOW and Cry…
Do not let one comment pass you by…
Recipes of food, cakes and pie
I must share it, as you sigh…
Just one more, then I’ll say, bye
News and birthdays everyday…
Reading comments along the way…
Memes and babies and fashion too
Why the whole world is watching all we do…
Perfect hair and smile and family…
If only they could see what you really think…
But this virtual world would surely stink
If they really saw, this ship would sink…
It’s here to stay there’s no taking it away…
We can’t live without our fix…
Minutes become hours changing covers and pics…
We are bound to the screens in all the mix…
Round and round we go…
And so
We are hooked as we scroll and look
At the mesmerizing scenes on this thing called Facebook, and more, Oh my…
Real people we’ve never met
Have become close family and friends
Notifications some must be blocked
Over and over and over again
Who would have ever dreamed?
That looking at a screen
Could bring
This kind of thing
Into being….
Gifs, emoji, emoticons, emotions shown without using words
We laugh and cry before our screens; craziest things we’ve never heard
We are the zombie generation…It’s the Real Thing…
Devouring, overpowering, just try to quit and you will see…
It will go on without you or me…
It sucks you back in with its empowering wit
It’s got cha…and there’s nothing you can do
Not one, little, bit…
This thing called the internet…
It’s a cycle without end…
~M.S. O’Neill December 31, 2017
Ecclesiastes 1 The Message (MSG)
The Quester
These are the words of the Quester, David’s son and king in Jerusalem
Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That’s what the Quester says.] There’s nothing to anything—it’s all smoke. What’s there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone? One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes—it’s business as usual for old planet earth. The sun comes up and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again—the same old round. The wind blows south, the wind blows north. Around and around and around it blows, blowing this way, then that—the whirling, erratic wind.
In the Final Hour
The baby was born in a lowly state
To a beggar who begged by the city gate…
Too much for her to take
She abandoned the child and left him in a gutter.
The clan of the out-casts, at least had a clue
They took the babe and raised him to loot
Now he was on his own…
Dirty hands and dirty feet, torn ragged clothes
He was a thief…
Life had not been fair…
Caught and now hanging on a criminal’s tree
No way now, he would never be free…
His fate was set as he hung beside two others…
This is how his life would end…
He was lost, now paying for his sin…
He lashed out with bitterness and hatred at the men…
The man in the middle spoke not a word
But the man on his left shouted and squirmed…
“If you be this king of the Jews then save yourself and us too…”
So he shouted back, “You shut your mouth, don’t you fear God?
He’s done nothing to deserve this kind of death…but you and I deserve what we get…”
Then he called on Jesus name…
Jesus, he said, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus answered him and said, In all honesty, I tell you, today, you will be with me in paradise.
He was a thief but he recognized Messiah…
Seeing his life pass before him that day, no mother to cry, no father to protest, this was the thief’s final request…
He would no longer run in the streets, stealing just to survive…
His life would not be in vain…
“You think you can steal paradise by asking Him to give you life?”…the man on his left shouted and cried… “Oh wouldn’t that be nice!” He lied.
The humbled man calmly replied…you can’t steal what has no price…
He called on Jesus and his heart was changed…
Paradise would be his final domain…
All because Jesus came!
No longer a thief he’s been redeemed.
~Marla Shaw O’Neill December 31, 2017
Luke 23:35-43 New International Version (NIV)
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Change Ahead
This year 2017, is coming to an end, it won’t be long now. As I reflect on the past year it is bitter-sweet. With each year that ends we try to believe that the New Year will be better and happier than the one we lived through. Out with the old, in with the new…
2017, was sweet in that we had a new addition to the family, little Ezra, our grandson was born, what a blessing he is, along with all the other sweet grandbabies. They are all blessings. I just wish I could spend more time with them.
Bitter for many reasons tragedies and hurricanes many people lost their lives and homes. It’s just a part of life I guess. The earth is constantly changing some for the better and some not so much.
But here we are, the ones who have survived to live another day…how will we live it?
I’ve found that in my almost 64 years of living, that nothing really changes as far as the nature of man goes…but yet there are changes all the time…I mean if we really think about it. In the book of Ecclesiastes 1:9 New International Version (NIV) it says…
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Solomon, who wrote this, was the wisest man who ever lived; he knows what he’s talking about.
Every year we make New Year resolutions…we’ll get our health under control, exercise, eat right, get plenty of rest, spend more time with loved ones…buy a new house, car, make repairs…get a better job, education…write that book we’ve been talking about…
And in about a week or three we fall of the wagon and settle back into our old routine…
But if a tragedy strikes, what do we do then?
These are just a vintage woman’s rantings…I set a goal to reach 365 posts by the end of 2017, it is now December 30 …after this post I have 6 to go. I hope I reach my goal…I hope what I’ve written will encourage someone…I wrote them because I felt that it was what God wanted me to do.
You may be young, middle age or elderly…we all have different perspectives on things…you may come from the north, south, east or west…climates are different, accents different, customs and traditions all different…but one thing we all have in common…we are all going to get older, we are all hoping for a better life and one day we will all be leaving this planet. That’s a fact.
My hope is that even if you don’t believe the way I believe, or understand what I understand, I hope and pray that 2018, will bring you happiness and contentment. I hope that if you don’t know where you will spend eternity, I pray the Holy Spirit will draw you into the living knowledge of Jesus Christ and you will open your heart to receive him as your personal Lord and Savior. I mean really know who He is. Not the polyester Jesus but the true, authentic Jesus the son of the Living God…who lived, died, arose from the grave and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, ever making intercession for the saints.
This is my time, to live and speak and write the truth so that when I die…the person who I am passionate about, the one who died for me and loves me unconditionally will say… “Well done daughter, welcome home, you did exactly as I asked you to do. I am proud of you. I love you. Come and meet all the souls you helped to get here.”
I don’t know who is reading this…but I do know that if you are it is by no mistake. Let 2018 be the year of a new life for you. Turn around and run to the only one who can truly save you and set you free from addictions, stress, financial ruin, defeat, he will mend relationships if you will only open your heart and let him lead your life.
God bless you.
~Marla Shaw O’Neill December 30, 2017
My Little Cherub
