Well July 4th weekend crept-up so quickly this year. It is usually a reminder for me, sometimes friendly, sometimes not, that summer has neared its halfway point. I am in the process of cleaning out closets and just happened-upon some special items of my dads with his tenure in the U.S Marine Corps. My family didn’t find out until the actual day of my dad’s funeral from a gentleman that served with him in Vietnam, that he was part of a special Black Ops Task Force that few men would sign up for. This task force would go deep into the jungle to retrieve black boxes from fallen aircraft and to see if recovery of the airplane was possible. Wow, what if my dad had become a prisoner of war? Praise the Lord he made it back home safely and lived to be 72. As I continued cleaning, I joyously found another precious keepsake… My dad’s Bible! Galatians 5:1 tells us that “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” It started me thinking about the marvelous freedoms we have because of our military, but also ultimate freedom we have because Jesus paid for it all…….
I was a blank canvas with no Paint
Lifeless – washed-out
Waiting for Truth!
A touch from the Masters supernatural hand
Taking mixed blurred lines
Defining healed-whole-hearts desires
What it looks like… what it means
With His great wisdom and infinite Love
Who’s thoughts are Greater
Ways are higher
Holy – Pure – Divine
He came as flesh to rescue
The deaf-dumb
The lost and blind!
That’s you
That’s me
Jesus was nailed to calvary
Taking the blows – the pain
Bearing scars for all humanity!
Taking the tree from Adam and Eve
Destroying the Consequences
And unpayable costs.
Washing my stained garments
Hemming torn tattered clothes
He rolled sin up
Setting it aside
Exterminating eternal condemnation
Ironing out the Wrinkles
Saying…
Death, where is your sting?
I’ve made a way by going
Through the eye of a needle
Walking the straight and narrow
Removing the sinner’s debt
Tree of Good and Evil
You were never meant to be
A definer of who I am
His purposes, thoughts and plans.
As He hung upon calvary’s tree
Undoing all I have done
Shedding His blood
Paying my debt
Showing a lost world and death
His Sovereignty
His undying love for you and for me!
I am reminded of a beautiful old hymn that my dad loved to sing called “Victory in Jesus.” Thank you Jesus that I am not a casualty… Not a POW. Satan has no power – no hold on me!
“Let Freedom Ring”
Freedom Wings
Mighty Wings
Wings that flutter, soar and glide
~ Bending Left
Bending Right ~
Beauty unfolding – layers resting
Harvests of Hope – Harvests of joy
And a great Catch of Fish
Unparalleled – never before seen
As a multitude of Hearts unfold before Him
~ Souls ~
A cascade of different sizes
Breathing in – Breathing out
Catching Holy Spirit Winds of Glory
Catching Holy Spirits Winds of Fire“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17