Laugh Out Loud…
Lighten up buttercup…
No time to sit and stew…
Life is hard,
Didn’t say it wasn’t…
Sometimes you get black and blue…
Sometimes you just have to laugh out loud…
LOL, LOL, LOL
Belly gushers…knee knockers, pee running down your leg…
Kind of laughter…
Laugh and the world laughs with you,
Cry and you cry alone…
So come on hit that funny bone…
Tickle me pink, and giggle girls,
Laughter’s great for the soul
Laugh ‘til it hurts
Snot out your nose, kind of bursts…
Knee slapping, head bobbin, nose snorting…
Hand clapping…
Laughter…
Now that’s what I call a party…
That’s what I’m after…
Roll on the floor…
Can’t catch your breath…
Bent over, can’t even walk out the door…
Curling toes…
That’s all I know…
A merry heart is what I’ve come for
Don’t be a dope…
Laughter helps you cope…
A merry heart is better than soap…
Laugh…Laugh…Laugh….
Th-Th-Th 
–Marla Shaw O’Neill March 28, 2017
If
If I live, I live For My God.
If I die, I die for Him…
Will you?
Will you love him no matter what?
Even when your darkest night comes…
Even when you find no way out of the most difficult situation you could imagine…
Will you live for Him?
Will you keep his love and forgive?
Even when you are wronged? Tortured? Humiliated? Abandoned? Lied too? When sickness or death come…
Will you love him still?
Life is full of testing’s, trials, persecutions, regrets…
Life is full of mistakes and failures and waste and unkindness…
You, Child of God will you love him even if…?
If, will test your heart…
Are you willing to walk with Him to the end?
Because if you can answer yes, to these questions…and he’s proven your heart to be true…
Then there is nothing in this life that can hinder you, in your walk with Him…
You will be tested…that is for sure…But one thing I’ve learned in this life with Him…
He is always with me…always true…and will always be…
No matter what!!!
–Marla Shaw O’Neill March 28, 2017
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
Who He Is
I will praise the LORD with all my breath…
And all that is within me…
I will extol His greatness over mountain tops…
Where he alone has stood…
The rivers will rush to tell that, God is Good
The valleys will shout with greenery of flowers and trees will clap their hands
In adoration to my loving Adonai…
The shooting stars will spread the news
Rocks will cry out…in unison
That God is God, be not ashamed…
The Sun and Moon shine forever at the mention of His Name…
Hashem…YHWA…Divine…
There is no other like Him…He is one of a kind
His thoughts far above our human mind…
The ancients speak of His glory…
Telling the infinite story…
How God walked among us…
Even before time…
Who is the LORD OF GLORY?
Jesus, the, I AM, the Holy Spirit…
Creators of all that exists…
We owe everything to them…
The three in one makes Him…
What is the body, what is the mind, what is the spirit…?
Who is the Father? Who is the Son? Who is the Holy Spirit…?
God, three in one…
In the garden life has begun.
A mystery for sure to tell…only found in Him alone…
When you read His word and talk to them you’ll know
He’s where you belong…
Secrets for His children…He whispers in our heart’s ear…
Saying, Come to me little children, I love it when you are near…
You see I’ve loved you always…even when you’ve shed your tears…
And run from me out of fear…
If you could only realize that in me…there is only love
That’s all I want to give…
Everlasting love is yours I’m your Father and I forgive…
–Marla Shaw O’Neill March 28, 2017
Psalm 30:12 New King James Version (NKJV)
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
Woman of Regret
The mother of all living sat with regret
Knowing, she, would never forget
That life changing day long ago, in the garden…
The toil of her husband, leaves her lonely and forlorn
All because she did not heed the words of the LORD!
Son, given, in hard labor and pain
But worse yet, was when death came…
And Cain killed his own brother Able…
I will never forget…
The price was too great, what I did that day
Oh why didn’t I listen to what Abba had to say…
I could have never imagined this terrible pain…
Never to live in the garden again…
Never to walk in the cool of the day,
With Abba and Adam, if only I’d obeyed!
–Marla Shaw O’Neill March 28, 2017
Genesis (KJV) Chapter 3
1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
22 ¶ And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Me, Come Me, Cabah
Yesterday I sat at a park and watched dozens of little children playing. Running to climb and slide and swing as mommies and daddies followed behind to make sure their little ones were safe and protected.
The awe on their tiny faces as they experienced each task with enthusiasm, fulfilled not wanting help from anyone…being free to explore and tackle each hurdle with only a slight touch from mom or dad. They laughed and ran. Running, always, away from the adults responsible for their wellbeing…independent tiny folk…with one objective…to run and not be caught.
I wondered, as I watched them, how times have changed and I wondered how my grandmother must have felt in her day. Born in the 1900’s where men were the bread-winners and women the home-makers and child bearers…Granny lived through the great depression, and the big wars of one and two. She swore that man did not walk on the moon, that, that, was all set up by Hollywood. She was actually the mom and the dad to her seven kids…her husband died when she was only 32 years old. Those kids all grew up and had their own brood of chickens. Still with the belief that the man went out to work and the woman stayed home and raised the kids. But times were changing…
And in my generation more and more women were going to college to become doctors and engineers. Still with the mindset that the man was the one to make a living, and they let, their wives go to work outside the home to help out, knowing they’d still have to come home and take care of the children too.
Well at least the majority thought this way…
But in today’s world…the mindset is so different…the dad’s stay at home to be the care-givers of the children while mom’s go outside of the home to work leaving the younger kids home with their dads. But don’t be fooled they are also working…and it’s no easy job!
Nothing wrong with the way it’s done today…it’s just foreign to the mindset I grew up with. Although my mom was a working mom.
Some other scenario’s in today’s world, is that there are many who don’t have two parents raising them in the same home. Then there are the parents of the same-gender, raising kids…my point is that in my generation and former generations the family unit has changed so much from how we were taught.
I’m not saying it’s a bad thing; it’s more of an observation. And what I’ve observed is that it doesn’t seem to matter to the kids one way or the other, as long as they know, they are loved and cared for by both their parents. It doesn’t matter who changes their diapers during the day or who wipes their noses and feeds them breakfast; or who gives them their baths at night and say prayers with them and tuck them into bed, as long as each parent hugs them close and gives them lots of kisses and love…they are secure in knowing who their mommies and daddies are, and that they are truly loved.
Some, in my generation were known as latch-key kids they came home after school with no mom or dad to greet them…some have no dads or moms to guide them…it’s sad really…
It makes me wonder; in another sixty years what this generation’s world will look like? Even ten years…
God has a plan…but again a lot of people don’t believe in God…and those who say they do…don’t really know him…generations of moms and dads weren’t there to teach them about God.
But still there are some who do believe, who do teach their children and if we continue in His, plan…everything will turn out just fine. Pray for our children…pray they will see and know the love of God in a real and personal way…
Moms, Dads…whatever your rolls, remember to make each moment count…because children grow up right before your eyes and all too soon they move away and begin lives of their own…
Life goes on…
One day you will be in the same position I’m in…
You’ll be sixty-something, watching your grandkids playing in the park, you will be amazed and awed by them…running, climbing, and exploring…the cycle of life goes on…
And your two-year old grandson/granddaughter will turn to you, and pointing to themselves’ will say, “Me, come me!”
Oh the thrill that they want to be with you, is unbelievable joy…there’s a bit of you living on in them…
Times change, but love never changes!
Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4The Message (MSG)
–Marla Shaw O’Neill March 27, 2017
More
More of Thee my heart to sing
Less of me you’re everything…
Lifted High for all to see
Jesus, Son of the morning…
More to tell of who you are
More abundant than the stars
More is More O Gentle Lord…
More courageous, to adore…
More than cups, running over with grace
More of your love, poured from your face
More of Thee, my heart to embrace
More, more of Thee…
More fragrant than the oil that burns
All the dross of sin stained turns
My life in full surrender yearns…
As Living water flows
To all of those
Whose hearts in whom you call…
More than conquerors
More…
Connected to the Living Vine
Pruned and watered shaped divine
Abiding in you and you in me
More, more of Thee!
–Marla Shaw O’Neill
The Vine and the Branches
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. John 15:1-2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Psalm 23:5 New King James Version (NKJV)
I read that there is a Jewish custom that when a guest comes to visit they will fill the guests cup until it overflows, meaning that they may stay as long as they like. I thought how awesome is that….When we go into our Heavenly Father’s house He fills our cup to overflowing showing that we may stay as long as we like…I love that!!
Wait
Father God, are you there?
I’m always here child…
Child, are you there?
Silence…
We go about our daily lives, things are hectic, but everything is running smooth…
Nothing happening out of the ordinary…
Busy, doing the mundane things of life…
Go to Church, sing songs, and listen to the message… “That sure was a great message this morning. I’m even going to post the video on Facebook. Let every one know about how awesome the message was that we heard…”
Do ten minute devotionals…Jesus really spoke to me in that passage. Say a little prayer. Thank you Jesus, then rush out the door…
If you have children and they are, let’s say, all grown up with busy lives of their own. And let’s say you don’t live close by. (I’m not talking about anyone in particular, it’s just an example.) And you come for a visit. At first everyone is excited to see each other and you hug and catch up on a few details. I’m so glad you came mom, dad, but I have this thing, I have to do. I’ll see ya later, Love you. And they rush out the door.
How does that make you feel? I’d say not so loved, not a priority. Of course you want them to go on with their lives and enjoy themselves and do what they need to do. Of course. But really?
That’s what we do to our heavenly Father…and when we really need something…then He’s important…isn’t He?
I don’t want to cause condemnation, I don’t want to cause guilt or embarrassment…I just want to give a little reminder…
God’s a person too! In fact He is the most important person you’ll ever know. God is love. God is not man. God is faithful and patient and merciful. God is ever lasting, He never dies, He never lies and He goes beyond Heaven and Hell to show you how very much He loves you.
God is forgiving, God is transparent in so many ways…God is Spirit, God is ever present, all knowing, all consuming, God is fire and life…God is creator and God is always near…
Even when we don’t feel him or see him or smell him or desire him…even when we say He does not exist…God is…
When I’ve been at my worst, God picked me up and held me and loved me through every ugly thing I’ve ever said or done. It took my mom dying to make me realize how very much God does love me, and how very much I love Him…
And when my unborn granddaughter died…I thought I would die with her…not only did I cry and lament for her, but I cried for my son and my daughter…knowing, Jesus, wept too.
God was right there with all of us…giving grace and mercy…I can no longer just rush into His presence and say, Hi Pop’s…good to see ya…love you…I’ll see ya later…and rush out.
Oh no…now I sit and weep and laugh and I talk to him about all the things that are going on in the world and people’s lives that I love, and those I barely know and ask him to help them…and then I wait…there is no silence, so loud, as the silence I hear in the waiting, just before he begins to speak…
You may think me silly or even crazy…I do not care…because what I’ve found through the mourning…is more precious than anything this world has to offer…
God is my best friend…Jesus is my savior and I love him with all my heart…The Holy Spirit is also a person, not the flesh and bone kind, the Spirit kind, even more real, and He feels and grieves right beside me…then He lifts me up and shows me the face of Jesus…in love and compassion with a fullness I’ve never known before…
Nothing can take that from me…Not death, nor life, nor things seen or unseen, not sickness or health or wealth or peril or darkness or raging sea…My God has shown himself to me.
If you don’t know this love I am speaking of…then go to your secret place, bow before the Living God and ask him to show you…It’s going to take more than a ten minute meeting…So make sure you have lots of time to wait…
This is my heart today…God bless you in your seeking…
–Marla Shaw O’Neill March 23, 2017
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
Joy Comes Through the Mourning
The Lord’s strength is Joy…
Crying in the night…
Joy comes through the mourning…
Trials come,
No pain, no gain…
Spirit weak…
God gives His strength…
Give Him ALL the glory…
Tears in the night…
Joy in the light…
For joy comes through the mourning…
–Marla Shaw O’Neill March 22, 2017
Psalm 30: 4-5 The Message (MSG)
All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank him to his face! He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter.
Forbidden Fruit
