Do You Know My Jesus?

There have been two very visible examples of God answering my prayers in recent years. 

Jet was two years old when he picked up a loaded pistol off of a low table while in someone's home.
Blake was on his way to work when a car topped a hill in his lane.

Both of them were critically injured.  Both of them given little chance of survival, and even if they lived the outlook was grim. 


But God...



As I woke up in the middle of the night tonight, with some things heavy on my heart, a melody came to me...

Do you know....my Jesus?
Do you know...my Friend?

Beyond any doubt, there is someone reading this that does not.  Is it you?

The words continue...

Have you heard...He loves you?
And that He will abide til the end?


 "The Light shines in the darkness..." (John 1:5 NASB)

The gospel of John will introduce you to Jesus.  As you begin to grasp all the truth of Who Jesus is, you will come face to face with who you are. And it won't be pretty.  My furniture looks dustless until a light is turned on.  The brighter the light, the more dirt shows up.


Just as law points out our sin, it points out our need of help.  We can't fix what is wrong.  We can't achieve perfection. We see Jesus being just that.  Perfect. Without flaw. 

Yet, we can not un-do what shouldn't have been done. We know the 'Thou shalt not' list and realize we have violated the list.

Jesus never violated the list.  And He has given us His record to claim as our own.   Law defines our need, Jesus fills our need. 

Will you claim it?  Will you accept it?  Or do you insist on continuing to try to fix things yourself? 




In the beginning, God said  "Let there be light"; and there was light." (Genesis 1:3 NASB)

Still, He is the One Who can make light appear out of darkness. 
Still, "God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much,  the Son who got us out of the pit we were in." (Colossians 1:13-14 from The Message)

Do you know my Jesus?

If you don't, let John introduce you to Him.  He knew Him personally, walked with Him, ate with Him, talked with Him, watched Him interact with people, listened to Him teach... 

Do you know my Jesus? 

If you don't, let me also introduce you. 

He has answered prayers in very visible ways in recent years.  Most of my prayers are private.  Many I still wait to have answered.  But I know this...He is willing.


Are you?

Update on Blake
September 8, 2019

Blake's 86 year old grandfather, my daddy, was with me in our home for a couple nights last week. When Blake was so gravely injured and still in Texarkana, I had my daddy one day and asked him if he wanted to go see Blake. 

He told me that day he didn't think he could do it, but he was afraid if he didn't go, he would never see Blake again.  He did want to see him, and he didn't. He didn't want to see him like he was.  He was afraid to go, and afraid not to.

I told daddy about how serious Blake's injury was.  I told him there were some very bad possibilities, and I told daddy we must pray hard and trust God.  I know daddy struggled in his thoughts, fearful, and saddened.

We have shown him pictures, and told him about Blake's progress.  I'm sure he has even been shown some video clips on someone's phone.  But, Saturday morning as I sat with him at my dinner table having breakfast, I sat my iPad up in front of him and gave Kati a FaceTime call. 

I didn't tell him, I just let the picture come on on that iPad of Blake's face.  Daddy was so surprised. 

Kati flipped the camera around and scooted about 15 feet back so we could watch as Blake stood up out of the wheelchair he was sitting in, walked quite steadily towards the camera, stopped and turned to hold onto the bannister of a bridge they were standing on, leaned over and looked around, turned back to the camera and spoke and waved, then walked back and seated himself in that wheel chair.

My daddy was thrilled. 


The rehab facility takes the patients on an outing every week.  They call it recreational therapy, and it is such a wonderful part of what they do for patients.  Living life, not just being a patient. 

Saturday, they were at a Botanical Garden in Atlanta.  Blake began telling us about how beautiful it was, that he had never seen anything like it.  He said there were plants that had been made to look like figures and shaped beautifully.  He sent me pictures, (on his own phone!) and Kati sent me more.

It was indeed a spectacular place, I can only imagine how much more beautiful and awesome to be there in person. 

I thought about how my shrubs have gotten overgrown and out of hand.  Seeing these beautiful shapes and knowing how much work is involved in keeping the ones trimmed just around my house, I know there are hours spent on trimming these beautiful things, carefully, meticulously, not over cutting, not failing to trim off what needs to be cut....  Hours of work!

Pruning requires the right tool.  Use the wrong one, you do damage.
Pruning improves not just the looks, but the strength and health of the plant.
Pruning produces new growth.

There are SO many lessons to learn, just from looking at the beauty that is a result of careful pruning.  Pray we all will be submitted and open to God's pruning in our lives like that!  Even when it might hurt.  But the pruning produces such beautiful results.




Tuesday, Blake and Kati will move into a residence that the Shepherd Center has for patients who do not live in Atlanta, and who no longer need in-hospital care.  This is a huge step, and we are so thankful.  Praise God for the multitude of prayers answered.  Every single prayer has been granted. 

This move will mean Blake will discover and face whatever challenges are presented in life at home.  There will be no nurse call button.  Kati will of course be with him, and the two of them will begin to work those things out. 

Pray for patience with each other, as there will surely be some challenges.  Pray for humor.  I ask God to give them both laughter as each struggle is faced. 

Praise God these struggles to come are not life threatening, we praise God for seeing Blake thru those.  Pray that both Blake and Kati will not lose sight of from where they have come.  Life may very well be different from this day forward, but it is LIFE, and it is to be lived WELL.  Far more so than even I had hoped or imagined.  But, that's our God.... "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think..." (Ephesians 3:20 NASB)

How I praise Him tonight that He has granted more than I expected.  I pray He will work in spiritual ways just as magnificently!  Aunt Connie has had her faith muscles stretched yet again, some pruning done, and hopefully, some beautiful new growth will be a result.  May He do that for each of us as we say "Yes, Lord" and submit to Him.

He is always, and only...good.

Hallelujah.