A Sea-Man’s Prayer
The ocean beckons me, as I stand upon the bow…
And gaze out as far as the eye can see…
A world, waiting for me…
Sea-air fills my lungs, as the ship turns about…
With exhilarating energy I salute, Mother Liberty—
There’s no longer a trace of doubt…
I have been chosen to stand in command
Let fall what may, I’m duty bound to sail upon the sea…
I am a sailor proud, to wear my uniform…
Victory won…my battle song…
Anchor’s away my friend…
Stand tall and true, for our Country—
All of you,
Who will fight for the red, white and blue…
Once more we lift our hand and salute…
Our Commander-in-Chief, with a new belief…
Our land is made brand new…
Pray and believe and do not doubt
God is watching us now…
The sea beckons, all of us, to bend the knee and bow
Lift high the banner of Jesus Christ
And watch as He fights for us now—
America, America…God grant grace to thee.
We put our hope and trust in God
As we set sail upon the sea!
~M. S. O’Neill – November 11, 2016
Salute to my son, Mark Liverio, Sailor tried and true
The Patriarch
In honor of George Beverly Shea:
The Patriarch, alive but old, silver hair his crown…
How great thou art, he bellows, as heaven and earth hear him sing…
A quiver is heard in the vintage voice, but the heart of the man can still rejoice…
As tears stream down the audience’s face…He is still filled, with God’s, sweet, amazing grace…
The angels listen as the music transcends to every dimension throughout known and unknown land…long last they know and understand…God’s child he is, as he sings they all stand…in awe of this humble, vibrant, old man…as he sings in honor of the creator; Then Sings My Soul, My Savior God to Thee, How Great Thou Art…How Great Thou Art…Then Sings My Soul, My Savior God to Thee, How Great Thou Art…How Great Thou Art!!!
~M. S. O’Neill September 28, 2017
A bit of history…
George Beverly Shea (February 1, 1909 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian-born American[1] gospel singer and hymn composer. Shea was often described as “America’s beloved gospel singer”[2] and was considered “the first international singing ‘star’ of the gospel world,” as a consequence of his solos at Billy Graham Crusades and his exposure on radio, records and television. Because of the attendance at Graham’s Crusades, Shea has sung live before more people than anyone else in history.[3][4]
Musical background
Shea was taught to play the violin by his father, and the piano and organ by his mother.[13] Shea’s bass-baritone voice brought early recognition and provided many opportunities for him to sing in his father’s church.[14] He began singing at religious meetings in the Ottawa Valley.[13]
His Death
A centenarian, Shea died on April 16, 2013 at the age of 104 from complications following a stroke. He was buried on the grounds of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.[33]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNUv-EyMQXU
The Sacrifice
Lord, I want to be all that you want me to be…
Let me pray for others, feed the hungry, go to foreign lands and preach your word…
I want to be a soul-winner and tell great tales of how you set men free and tell what I’ve heard…I’m sold out and committed, there is no doubt…I will follow thee.
Lord, why have you sent me to this place? I’m alone most of time and all I do is write, pray and go to church…read your word and as I search, I don’t understand why I’m here at all…
Listen God, I’ve prayed and cried and done everything but everything I try…seems small and insignificant I can’t see where I’ve helped at all…
GOD I’M ASKING PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT WITH ME…WHERE ARE YOU GOD…JUST TELL ME, PLEASE…DIDN’T YOU HEAR ME WHEN I SAID, I’M READY TO DO ANYTHING YOU ASK…?
If you aren’t going to use me here, then please let me go home to family…I miss them terribly…five years I’ve cried and prayed for guidance…I’m still alone and miss my home, where grandbabies play and grow and roam…but not with me, Oh can’t you see, I miss them terribly…
OK Lord, I get it…It’s your will…not mine…be done…I’m open Lord and I give my heart in total surrender to you…you’re the one…who calls the shots…I’m here Lord, this is all I’ve got…but what I have is yours…
In the stillness of a breath upon my heart I hear…Child I know what’s best for you and here is where I’ve sent you…to be a light in a tiny place where no one can see the tears on your face…only me and you have shared, these, last five years, and for this purpose I’m brought you here…obedience is better than sacrifice…
Growing up is hard to do…but patient-heart I promise you…will know in due season what it takes to live this life and what is true…on the journey I’ve charted out for you…
You see time is not relevant in the realm where I dwell… all that’s important is your heart so I’ll tell…you, the perfect sacrifice has already been met…that all I ask is obedience and let, my love be the motive of your heart…then those who are weak and without will see that it is I, not you, living inside of thee…in grace and long suffering, with humility, that’s where you will find serenity and peace throughout eternity…Obedience is all I ask of thee…
I hear you daddy God…I surrender to the call…the sacrifice I thought you wanted, wasn’t that at all…
Obedience only comes through suffering, producing the fruit of humility … only then will we be used for God’s glory…
~M. S. O’Neill September 28, 2017
While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. Though he was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do. Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him. Hebrews 5:7-10 The Message (MSG)
Then He Touch Me
Unclean! Unclean!
I cry out to the crowd…
Running away, they shutter and bow
Turning from me, fear strikes their hearts
Then suddenly without warning I look up in a start…
This man they call, Good-Shepherd, calls to me…
“Son of Adam, would thou be made whole?”
Shocked! Frozen in time…
I looked at him and said, “Are you out of your mind?”
Then, He, Touched me; tender and kind…
Unclean I cried, do not touch me, or you’ll die…
Slowly suffering, rotting, decay; I sighed…
With no thought for His being, the Good-Shepherd laid hold
Drawing me near, he said, “Behold,
I make all things new! Now leprosy, undo this man and set him free.”
Looking down at my hands, new skin appears, and then my eyes overflow with tears…
Dropping the rags that held me bound…I’m clean, brand new, and sing-out with new sounds…
Joyful songs of ecstasy… I’m free, I’m found…
I shout and jump and run about…then turning to Good-Shepherd I bow…
I’m no longer afraid for His well-being…
I can’t believe what I am seeing…
Humbly and with great joy…I hug Him and say…
Thank you, Good-Shepherd, for what you’ve given me today…
New life, New Hope, New Soul, New Born…how can I ever repay?
He looks at me with eyes of grace; love shrouds me with a tender embrace…
No longer shunned from the human race…
Loved, cleansed, body, soul and spirit, completely whole…just in time, one word from the Master and Jesus is mine!
~M.S. O’Neill September 26, 2017
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Matthew 8:3 (NIV)
O How Jesus Wept…
Not just for the death of his friend…
He wept because he knows the hardness of humanities heart…
He wept for souls, souls of old and souls of present and souls yet to be
Weeping for you and weeping for me…
“Lord if you’d only been here my brother would not have died…”
The woman, grief-stricken and full of pain…cried out to the Lord heart-broken and drained…
“I am the resurrection and the life, he who is dead will live again…”
Jesus groaned in his spirit at their unbelief…
He knew his friend would die…
And that is why
He waited four days before his return; to call him awake…
One word from him is all that it would take…
Jesus wept.
He called Lazarus back for their sake…so the unbelievers would not make the mistake…of staying in deaths grip…so that they would see the glory of God and partake…but…would they?
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent to you, how often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not… (Matt. 23:37 KJV)
You are blind guards you strain out at a gnat but swallow a camel… (Matt. 23: 24 NIV)
Can you not see? Can you not hear? Can you not believe?
Weeping, he shouts…. “Lazarus! Come forth!
Yes, Jesus wept… (John 11:35)
Souls are the most important thing to our Heavenly Father. It is for souls he sent his son, Jesus, to die for. He breathed into mankind a living soul. There are thousands upon thousands of souls who are lost and have never even opened a Bible…never heard a prayer, never heard a sermon, never walked into a Church…they are lost and don’t even know it.
The Holy Spirit is the one who draws us to Jesus. He’s the one who dwells within us and teaches us about Him. When we accept Jesus into our hearts we are like new born babies in the kingdom of God. He becomes our Abba (daddy God.) He gives us all we need to know him, to walk like him, talk like him and share him with others. He is a good, good father.
I pray right now that He will put pains of hunger within your heart so that you won’t rest until you have eaten the bread of life and your life becomes healthy, joyful and full of Him. I pray that you will become so thirsty for the living water of His Word that nothing will keep you from seeking out the river of living waters and you will drink and become so hydrated that you will never want anything but His living water ever again. That nothing satisfies like being drenched in Him.
I pray that your new desires, your new dreams will be to know him more and share him with everyone you meet. That you will be FULL of HIS LOVE and that no evil, no death, no life, nothing this world has to offer will take Him from you and that you will be saturated with His peace and His joy for He is your strength…He is your rest…and He is your life!
Jesus didn’t just weep for them…he wept for all creation throughout eternity…he wept for you the one reading this right now…you who are deep in depression. He wept for those who are steeped in drug addictions and for lost babies and those with disease and broken hearts. He weeps for those in war and for all those so full of hate but he loves you too…God doesn’t cause war or disease or death…He is a God of love and he came to give life…He is truth…stop believing lies…God loves you and wants the very best for you.
He is saying to you right now… (Insert a name), COME FORTH! Take off your grave-clothes. Clean, fresh, robes of righteousness are prepared for you. Throw away the old and embrace the new. You are no longer dead, you are alive!
I thought about this, we know that the Bible talks about Jesus being joyful, and that he rejoices, and he has a great sense of humor, but I don’t ever remember seeing a scripture in the Bible with the words that say, “Jesus laughed.” But it does say, “Jesus wept.” He groaned in his spirit. He prayed. His sweat became like great drops of blood. He healed people. He loves people. He died and rose again. He ministered to children and women and men. Jesus was human and he is divine. He’s praying, interceding for us right now. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost.
I don’t know the answers too many things, but I do know this…Jesus is the Son of God…He is my Savior… and He loves us so much! He has all the answers and if you have questions, go to him, talk to him…and remember, He wept, not just for Lazarus, he weeps for you too! He weeps for humanity. He’s calling you…He is praying for you.
Lord, I don’t want to make you weep, I want to see you laugh…amen!
~M. S. O’Neill September 25, 2017
Simon, son of John, Do You Love Me
After they had eaten Jesus said to Peter…
Simon, son of John, do you love me more than you love these men, your brethren?
Do you love me more than you love fishing?
Simon, son of John, do you love me more than your children? Do you love me more than earthly goods? Is this what you’re saying? Is this what I understood? Simon, son of John, how much do you love me? ~Jesus
Yes, Lord, you know that I love you dearly. I know I denied you, just days ago, there is no excuse this is all I know. When I heard that rooster crow…
I remembered your words and my heart filled with great woe…
Now Lord, I really know, that yes, I love you…~Peter
Feed my little ones, those who are weak, these I ask you, will all be led
In fields of green pastures, let them be fed…
Feed those you know who are also mature, for the road will be hard, and they must endure…
Many trials will come, but feed them with grace; they’ll need my light shining from your bold, zealous, face…
Feed them with love and feed them with truth…keep my sheep safe, this I ask of you…
Follow me Simon, son of John…and never retreat…heaven is your homeland so until we meet,
Again…feed my sheep! ~Jesus
~Marla Shaw O’Neill September 23, 2017
John 21:15-19 New International Version (NIV)
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Jesus Prayed for You
Every time we say a prayer, which comes from our heart, we are connecting with our Father God…we are engaging with the Creator of all Life…
We are in communication…we are one with Him and He is one with us…
In the Gospel of John, Chapter 17, Jesus knew what was coming and He prayed…
He prayed that His Abba would be glorified through him…
He prayed for those God had given him to teach and lead and direct them to Father God, Elohim.
He prayed that they would be one even as God and Jesus were one…
He prayed that they might know Him, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom He had sent.
Jesus glorified His Father on earth; He finished the work God sent him to do. Then He said, “O Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was.” (Verse 5)
Before the world was….do you get that? Jesus is praying for his disciples, he is in communion with His Father in heaven…he knows his time has come and he is praying, for his disciples and for us…
Verse 9: I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which you gave me; for they are yours. 10: and all are mine; and I am glorified in them.
He goes on praying, communing with God…and verse 20: this is where you and I come in… “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as you, Father, art in me and I am in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.
He keeps praying read 22, 23, 24 when you get to verse 25, I love this one…he says, “O righteous Father,” Jesus knows who His father is, He is righteous… he goes on to say, “the world has not known you, and these have known that you have sent me.”
Verse 26: And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the LOVE wherewith you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Please get this…Jesus is the Son of the Living God, and here He is praying for His disciples. He knows what’s about to happen to him, so what does he do? He prays…
The Savior, the Redeemer, the Son of God is praying.
Connecting with God is so very important…you may say just a word, a sigh, or pour your heart out before God…He will listen and He will answer…not always in the way we expect or think but always in the way our Father knows is best. When we pray it changes everything…we are in tune with God, we become one…then, God hears us and He listens and it opens the channels for God to move on our behalf…
Jesus knew his purpose and he fulfilled that purpose…it wasn’t easy…it wasn’t a walk in the park…it was painful and unthinkable…but it was worth it…Following Jesus is a dying to self…it’s taking up our cross and living a life separated from this world and it’s culture and prejudices. It’s a life set apart for what God wants, not what we want…
I’ve asked God for five years, “Why am I here Lord? What’s my purpose? I miss my family. I miss my mom. I miss life as it used to be. Everything is different the whole world has changed and not for the better, so why God, why am I here?
He’s told me many times that he is the one who has sent me here. I was content with that for a while then I’d rehash it again…but why, what is my purpose? I’m lonely, and homesick. Still I go to Church and I pray and read His word and pray some more and I write hoping people will see and understand how much God loves us.
It’s very quiet here, there’s lots of solitude and I’m grateful for peace. But I feel as if I’m not accomplishing much. Five years, is a long time of quiet. And because of my age and diabetes I have good days and not so good days physically. That’s no excuse but it limits me in many ways to go outside the home. So I write a lot.
This morning I was having many thoughts like leaving here, but where would I go and I’d miss Bob terribly, his work is here. I’m just being honest. After Irma and all the turmoil in the world I want to be with my family. I want to see my grandbabies and hold them and spend time with them before time runs out. But they have their lives to live and I would just be in the way. These were my thoughts. I put my hands on each side of my head and said, God, let me capture each thought and bring into subjection to you, that I will put aside every thought that exalts itself against you. Amen.
I began to pray. I was missing my mom. Her influence and her prayers were always welcomed. I missed praying with her and our conversations about the things of God. I got her Bible and in my spirit I heard, Read John 17. I opened her King James Bible. She treasured God’s word. As I opened the book, it fell on John 12. I looked at it and was going to start there but I heard a gentle, No not 12; 17. So I turned to chapter 17, and as I said above it was about Jesus praying…
When I was thirteen years old I wanted to be a Missionary to Africa. It was a longing in my heart. But as I grew up that dream became a distant memory.
After I read John 17, and took some notes, I began to hear the Holy Spirit say…This, is your mission field. This is your assignment. This is where ‘I’ will be glorified through you. You are the answer to my son’s prayer, the one He prayed in chapter 17 all those years ago.
He prayed for you, your generation, all those before and for all those after. You are one of the believers he was praying for. It’s because of His prayer you were called and chosen. For this time in history…your time to glorify me…your Abba, we are one. You are doing what I’ve sent you to do. Stop asking why…
I burst into tears and with a grateful, thankful, full-heart and I worshipped Abba, my loving, gracious, heavenly Father…
If you are feeling lonely, unfulfilled, insignificant, to old, to young, if you’re feeling like you are set aside with no purpose…please know this…Jesus has prayed for you…he has called you for such a time as this…right now, right where you are…
You are on His mission field…for His purpose and His glory…Jesus has prayed just for you…Don’t be discouraged, don’t be defeated…God is with you and in you…we are not alone…God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are with us and in us, we are one!
For those of us who are not strong as we once were physically…with Jesus in us we are more than conquerors. The Joy of Lord is our strength. Whatever we can do for Him, we will do it with all our might, to bring Glory and honor to God, Amen!
One last thing…because my children have all been born into the kingdom of God…we are going to spend an eternity together…so I don’t need to miss them anymore. I’ll just enjoy them all the more when we can be together.
Our mission is to do what God has called us to do and to do it with His joy and love and peace…
Pray for our missionaries who are all over the world. (Pastor Matt Tumas and His family need our prayers. They are in Guatemala) Thank you!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill September 20, 2017
Least a Worse Thing Come Upon You
Lake Worth, FL
We never know what tomorrow holds, but as the old song goes, “I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.”
Last week everyone was staring at cell phones, glued to televisions and computers watching the news to see where Irma would go and to see how devastating she would be…hitting islands at Category Five strength leaving death and destruction as she went…I was glued to the news as well. Living in the West Palm Beach area I was especially eager to see and know what we should do. I prayed. “Lord, do we go or do we stay?” I heard a loud, “GO, GET TO HIGHER GROUND!” Well He didn’t have to tell me twice. I started gathering medicine and important papers, packing clothes and things that I held dear to my heart but only the most important things that I could pack in our car. I loaded it down. We took food and water for the trip and headed to Tallahassee. We stayed on the Turnpike until the traffic got to be to slow then we got off and found another route…normally a seven hour trip it turned into sixteen hours. We made it to Bob’s daughter’s house feeling tired but safe. Then we hear the news that Irma was going to come to Tallahassee…WHAT?
We prayed some more…but we didn’t hear God say to leave and we felt secure in our decision to stay there. It turned out just fine.
On our way home we saw trees down along the way…water covered the highway in one spot but we got through it without stalling…all fast food places were closed because there was no power. We took potty breaks at Wal-Mart and Publix grocery stores they seemed the less crowed. The gas stations that had power had long lines and frazzled nerves of people trying to get gas to get back home. Policemen were directing people as they got in the long lines for safety…But right in the middle of the highway as we were driving, a young guy in a little red car decides to come all the way from the right-hand-lane and does a U-turn in front of us as we are driving in the far left hand lane…just so he could pull in front of a person in the gas line…he not only endangered his life but ours as well, it was so close…thank God we all dodged that bullet…
We were not able to get gas until ten hours later when we made it to Lake Worth it was eight o’clock at night. We heard that Sonny’s Bar B Q was open so we went there for take-out. They said it would be ten minutes but it was over thirty minutes. We had not eaten any real food all day; my blood sugar was going low…the place was closing and this server looked at us and said, “What are they waiting for?” I had, had enough; I looked at her and said, FOOD!
Then I went out the door and left Bob to deal with it…I was carrying a large glass of iced tea, I got in the car and set it between my legs. Bob came to the car with the food and as I reached to unlock the door, somehow I squeezed the tea and it all came pouring out all over me, it was so cold in my nether parts I thought I was going to pass out…I got out of the car dripping and tossed the remainder of the tea on the ground…then I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You were wrong, your attitude is wrong and if you think this is bad, you better get yourself right or a worse think will come upon you.” I felt horrible all I kept seeing was the face of that poor server asking what we needed. It wasn’t her fault. She had been working hard all day with hungry, tired, irritable people and I had over reacted to her question…God I’m sorry, please forgive me.
We pull into our driveway where a loud generator was blaring next door but we had no power…our windows were boarded up so we called, Bob’s mom, she had electricity and said we could come there. Thank the Lord. What if she had not had AC? What if her power had been out? What if I had not repented?
We get there and I was still feeling the effects of the ice tea and I said, “We’ve been through hell…she said, “Well there are other people a lot worse off…” again I got angry …I yelled at Bob and then said, “I’m sorry…I’m tired and wet and going low…I’m just not myself…please forgive me.”
I changed my pants…we ate and everything settled down.
But I kept hearing…a worse think could come upon you…I kept praying, “Lord, help me, I’m sorry, I’m really trying…help my attitude to be better…I don’t want anything worse to happen…”
God chastens those he loves…I’m not saying God sent the storm, I’m not saying God made my tea spill or made our order take longer, I’m not saying that he caused all the devastation in the Atlantic, all I’m saying is that He will use these things to show us our heart…and if our heart is not right…then we have to change and let him transform us from the inside out. Now, I plan to get a gift card and take it to that server and hope she will accept my apology.
We can’t fix everything that has happened over the last week. We can’t bring the dead back to life. We can’t stop suffering…But we can help to rebuild those who are feeling the impact more than what we have. We can be kind and courteous we can be better than we were before. Stop complaining about politics and religion and start showing God’s love to everyone we meet.
None of us is perfect…we are all human, with human emotions and physical and spiritual needs…the only thing we can do is humble ourselves, ask for forgiveness when we mess up and be a blessing to others less fortunate than we are.
Hard times will come, storms will come, trails and hurts and pain is just a part of life…they will come…
You know some of us are sitting watching from a far, I watched Harvey hit Texas and felt awful for all those hit by that storm. It wasn’t a week later I was the one running for safety. I just want to caution you that disaster can come at any time and any place…We can’t live in fear but please be compassionate towards others…show empathy to those in harm’s way…for the grace of God it could be you.
Nerves may sizzle, some things we have control over and some we do not. But we do have control over how we respond. Decide right now to have a positive attitude no matter what comes…and everything will be so much better for you. After all you don’t want a worse thing to come on you. I know I don’t.
But don’t beat yourself up if you failed through this storm to be as kind as you’d like when confronted with the conflict. Just try to learn from it and do better next time. Because I promise you there will be a next time.
I praise God our families are all safe. That is the most important thing. Minor inconveniences, those can be fixed and replaced…Life, is so much more important. Please keep praying for the ones who were hit by death and property loss, no water and no food. Pray for those who are helping in the recovery process. God bless you!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill September 18, 2017
I Want to Know You Lord
