Katie

I only have eyes for you my dear.

You light up my world that once was drear.

Your laughter can set the captive free.

In those that are looking for peace and glee.

To others you give and give some more.

You offer them hope worth living for.

If ever you think you’ve failed God’s Word.

Remember His voice that you have heard.

God knows you by name that’s for sure.

He smiles each day and keeps you pure.

Forgiven you are, His child will ever be.

Your steps He guides and keeps you free.

In the Lord’s presence His bliss you find.

Your laughter spreads joy for you are kind.

The apple of God’s eye you make Him smile.

He walks by your side each and every mile.

A gift you do share with those that are low.

The sound of sweet laughter to others flow.

Hold your head high, walk tall and be strong.

For God is the one who gives a new song.

Written by,

Papa Boyd



Patiently Waiting



The blood has drained from my face, now cold, like a touch from the hand of death.  I look around and all that I see are faces staring back at me as they go by.  I’m on a journey, alone, with no one by my side.  My eyes are teary and somewhat closed, but I can still see.  Everything is going around and around and I can do nothing else, but hold on.  My head is spinning like the times I played 'Ring Around the Rosie' with childhood friends, or when I twirled myself around and around on a swing at the park—it’s that kind of dizziness that I feel. 

My stomach, empty of food, feels tight and woozy, with pressure on the lower bowels, making me feel like I want to mess my pants—pressure like an over tightened belt that’s around the gut.

It is hard to put into words what this up and down, going around feeling is like.  This trip will soon be over and everything will be back to normal—calm and quiet.  It won’t be long now.  No movement or motion will come if I patiently wait.  I’m glad my prayer life is what it is as I continue to hold on for dear life.  My body has never experienced the emotions or sensations that it’s going through at this moment. 

There is a young woman standing just beyond my reach, patiently waiting.  I see her from time to time, and then she fades from sight once more…there she is again, but this time she’s waving goodbye to me.  Or is she waving hello, with a smile, so kind and gentle?  As I reach my hand toward hers she quickly disappears again.  I know she won’t leave; she will be patiently waiting for me to come around again. 

My trek of ups and downs and going around is almost over.  This journey that I’ve never experienced here-to-fore is finally coming to an end.  Around and around I go; where I stop nobody knows.  My squinting eyes give way to full vision—I see clearly now. 

The young lady takes me into her loving arms as she loosens the securing harness that was tightly placed around my waist.  “Oh Dennis…your face is so cold from the cool, night air,” she said.  “Is it over?”  I asked with a disappointing sigh.  With a smile on her face she replied, “Little brother, if you want to ride the carousel horse one more time before we leave, you can.” 

She hugged me and then gave me a big kiss.  We walked hand in hand for a short time and found another ride for small children.  In appreciation I said, “I’m having so much fun!  Thank you for bringing me to the carnival tonight.  I love you Sis.”

This story expresses love and compassion, which reminds me of my walk with God.  I know He will never leave nor forsake me, yet there are times that I feel alone on this trek through life.  At these times I stand on God’s Word and walk by faith.

“Footprints in the Sand,” was written by Mary Stevenson in 1936, which explains my feeling in the above story quite well.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the

beach with the Lord. 

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. 

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. 

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always.  But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the

sand.

Why, when I needed you most, you have not been

there for me?”

The Lord replied,

“The times when you have seen only one set of

footprints in the sand,

is when I carried you.”

Mary Stevenson

(Jeremiah 29:11-13), “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  vs.12 “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”  vs.13 “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd

When Trouble Comes



There are at least three things that are certain in life; taxes, death, and trouble.  It is how a person deals with them that determines the state of mind in which they walk. 

When people allow themselves to be closed in by an overused, over-glorified canvas of despair, a purported covering of “protection,” it can quickly escalate into a shroud of defeat if the person practicing this behavior is not careful.  They run the risk of walking around with their head hung low and their chin dragging the ground, figuratively speaking. 

Their existence is one of burying their head in the sand of self-pity when trouble comes their way.  It is not a life that they want or look forward to each morning when they awaken—they just live a life of self-centered inwardness; thinking only of their own needs. 

It is possible that their lack of purpose in life is from a self-absorbed existence that may have been caused by someone hurting them in the past, or merely the absence of self-confidence, which can prompt a narcissistic type attitude.  This can happen to anyone if measures are not taken to safeguard against seclusion from sound guidelines of godly principles.  We need to bathe ourselves in God’s Word.

The neglect to guard our mind against negative memories that the devil keeps tormenting us with, or to allow ongoing conversations to run amok and center on problems, create a mountain of trouble, because Satan moves in the realm of confusion. 

When trouble comes, you can trace it back to him—he capitalizes on disorder in the sphere of the negative.  It is like a circle going no-where when Satan directs one’s thinking.  Our saving grace is that God always listens to our woes the moment we cry out to Him for help when trouble comes.  He is ready and willing to deliver us from our oppressor, the devil.  This is one more thing that is certain in life, which far exceeds the three that I’ve already mentioned.

When I look around me I see individuals that appear to be spiritually down all of the time, because I believe they live in a “stunted growth syndrome,” as I call it.  This lifestyle does not permit them to abound to higher heights in the Lord, because they live in defeat.  They cannot mature in faith do to the fact that they are always on the receiving end of encouraging words from others, rather than giving away from themselves.  They fail to put into practice (John 7:37-39).

(John 7:37-39), “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.’”  vs.38 “‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  vs.39 “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Grown adults act like little children that hang onto their pacifier or blanket; refusing to toss them aside in order to become and act like mature Christians.  When trouble comes they are quick to fall into a fetal position and start sucking their pacifier or thumb, because they are weak in the faith.  They haven’t learned to walk on their own two feet without having to involve someone else to hold their hand.  They fear to take the next step alone when trouble comes.

Babes in Christ need to seek the same power that fell on the hundred and twenty souls that were in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, (Acts 2:1-4).  Boldness comes when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a person that is timid, childlike, and always needing someone else to help them in times of trouble.

When trouble comes, victorious Christians stand in the strength of the Holy Spirit and trust God’s Word to see them through the hour of calamity.  They put into practice what the Bible says in the following scriptures.

(1 Peter 5:6-7), “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,” vs.7 “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;” vs.6 “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

(Philippians 4:13), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Individuals that were once timid and irresponsible wimps in their faith when facing trouble, become power turbines for God; putting out enormous amounts of energy and electrifying kilowatts, as it were, doing work for the Kingdom of God.

They become power houses as they minister to the needs of others.  Rather than taking in all the time they now give from themselves, while putting away childish notions and fears when trouble comes, because perfect love casts out all fear.

(1 John 4:18), “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

This is the dynamo power that Jesus promised that we could have, which enables us to witness for Him after we have been endued with power from on high.  The anointing of the Holy Spirit is this power that sustains us when trouble comes.

Written by,

Papa Boyd

The Road Home



There are two roads in life that people are given the choice to travel; the preference is theirs to make.  No other person can make the choice for them.  The decisions leading up to the choice ultimately influence which road they take.  They will encompass God or Satan. 

The journey is filled with worries and heartache for some people, while a victorious journey for others.  It depends upon the character of the person making the choice and to whom their allegiance is given.  This determines what road they travel.  They will either live each moment disobeying God’s commandments; serving the devil, or they will make plans for when life’s moments are over; serving the Lord. 

The road home is narrow, and few people find it.  Every nationality, creed, and color has and is using this road to make their way toward a beautiful destination—heaven.  The road to heaven is made clear and is distinctively and uniquely marked for whosoever will.  

The road leading to destruction is wide, and many go this direction; with its ups and downs, curves, detours, dead-ends and many chuckholes along the way.  Headstrong people choose to disregard sound warnings and use this road to travel to the place that was made for the devil and his angels—hell.

(Matthew 7:13-14) “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”  vs.14 “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” 

The road home is not without its challenges.  Satan, the enemy of our soul, is going to and fro on this road, placing pitfalls, chuckholes, and varying temptations along the way in an attempt to lure us away from our intended destination, which is heaven. 

When chuckholes are hit unexpectedly, some folks quickly learn that by hitting them they cause damage, while others seemingly never learn, or they refuse to see the extent of damage that pitfalls cause.  When pitfalls shake us up enough, consideration takes place on how not to hit them again, but our journey is not always on a clear, bright, and sunshiny day. 

Sometimes it is dark or foggy and many times our headlights are out of alignment, such, that we cannot see the holes, or we are traveling a bit too fast to notice them.  So what do we do?  We hit another one.  We fail to see the signs alongside the road that say, DANGER UP AHEAD…DO NOT ENTER, as we blindly barrel down this narrow road, unaware of the potential hazards that lie in our pathway. 

Coming back from visiting relatives in Redding, California the other day, I saw a sign along the road that read, “Don’t Save Minutes, Save Lives… SLOW DOWN.”  We must obey the signs and keep our alignment straight with God’s Word in order to make heaven our home. 

God wants all of us to be aware of the dangers and pitfalls on the road home that could potentially render our vehicle of travel inoperable.  For this reason He posts signs everywhere in conspicuous places, including red flashing lights, red flags, and even the erecting of barriers to detour us away from trouble up ahead.

God doesn’t inadvertently throw us into uncharted territories and expect us to make it on our own.  If this were the case there would be no one that could find his or her way to heaven’s gates.  As we pay attention to the warning signs along the way and slow down, we can be assured that our journey will be one of success, free from catastrophe. 

As we consider the warning signs and look for the avenue of escape, and then steer around Satan’s traps, he will not be able to disable our forward motion on the road home.  He will have failed in his attempts to strand us alone in a wrecked vehicle without the means to continue our journey.

(1 Corinthians 10:13), “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

If we, for whatever reason, should find ourselves sitting on the side of the road, broken down, unable to move forward, and feeling a little battered and dented, help is just a phone call away.  All we need to do is pray and ask God the Father for help, and it’s on the way.  God said in His Word that He would never leave nor forsake us. 

I thank God for His personal roadside service.  Though we crash and Satan tells us that all hope is gone, God provides the means, whereby, we are able to continue on.  God fixes what is broken and His fix is everlasting.  Jesus is the fix.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

Through Jesus, our journey is made clear and our path is set before us.  We need not fear or worry about what may be around the bend as long as we are paying attention to the signs that are on this side of it and obeying them.  God has already taken care of the unknowns.  We need only to trust Him and rest in His care.

(1 Peter 5:6-7), “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,” vs.7 “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

God will never point us in a direction without having scouted ahead to prepare a way around the pitfalls that are waiting for us.  He loves and cares for His children, and is diligent and attentive regarding our safety.  His desire is to see that we have an enjoyable, yet safe trip on the way home to Him.

We may not understand why God chooses a certain direction for us to travel, especially when we assume another way is better, but we must trust and have faith in Him that He knows which way is best.  After all, His goal is to get us to our destination in one piece, without a broken axle, a broken universal joint, or a broken differential gear, figuratively speaking.

God wants us to make it home safely…and we will, as long as we allow Jesus to be our co-pilot or better yet our chauffer.  Placing the Lord in the driver’s seat of our life and permitting Him to safely maneuver our vehicle around life’s pitfalls, which are in a territory unknown to us, is the only sure way of making it to the Promised Land.  Jesus knows the way home to heaven.

We’ve never traveled this road here-to-for, so why do so many people think they can do it on their own?  We can’t!  That is the reality of our journey.  Without Jesus and His roadmap, the Bible, there is no possible way that any person can know the way home to God. 

The devil will certainly point us toward the wide road to destruction if we allow him to do so.  He will laugh at our calamity as we pile into those that have gone before us, thinking they could make it on their own without Christ.  There is only one clear direction; a one-way street on the way home—the only way—Jesus.

Written by,

Papa Boyd 

Keep on Believing

“Lord I believe, but help my unbelief” is a prayer that I’ve prayed many times through the years.  It’s one thing to read about God’s miraculous power in the Bible and how the saints of God trusted Him, but I believe it is more intensive trying to walk by faith in today’s world.  Believing that God wants to fulfill us not only through his manifested presence in our life, but supplying needs and special desires is a walk of faith.  It is difficult sometimes to keep on believing.

We must remember that God is not like the human race with fallible, wishy-washy attitudes that are misguided and lacking follow-through.  We cannot compare God to humanity.  Mankind will always fall short of the mark of excellence and fail in the attempts to achieve perfection, because of human nature.  God is truth, perfection, and everlasting compassion, with eternal love.

If God says that He will do something, believe Him.  He does not lie.  When a person accepts Jesus as Lord and invites Him into his or her heart by asking to be forgiven of their sins, they pass from death unto life in the eyes of God.  God sees that person as perfect through Jesus His Son.  They become joint-heirs with Christ; sons and daughters of God.

(Matthew 21:21-22), “So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.’”  vs.22 “‘And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.’”

(James 1:6), “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

Our Father in heaven desires to bless his children with good gifts.  God promises that He will give His children the desires of their heart.  They need only to ask.  When the asking begins, I remind God that I believe in His Word and that I have faith, but I ask Him for help with my human frailties and mental attitudes of unbelief. 

Many times we want something so badly that our ambitious thought process for obtaining it captures every waking moment.  We pray without ceasing hoping that God will hear, yet our petition is seemingly not answered.  Rest in the Lord!  Keep on believing!  Keep on trusting God and begin to thank Him for the answer even though the results are still hidden from view.

(James 5:16), “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

God is never late.  His timing is impeccable; perfect and flawless.  He is always on time, so don’t give up hope or the faith that brings hope to fruition.  Refuse to listen to Satan’s lies.  The answer is just around the corner, because God promised that He will give to us what we believe Him for. 

We may not see the answer yet, but as we maintain faith, while trusting that the answer is on the way, we will see it come into view and materialize.  The promise of God will present itself before our searching eyes.  God does not make mistakes, nor has He forgotten where we live.  Keep on believing.

Exercising and maintaining faith takes discipline with an attitude of steadfastness, until the answer becomes reality.  We behold our petition through the eye of faith, because we trust God.  He supplies the need according to His will, because we keep on believing that He will do so.  When the answer to our prayer appears, it causes our emotions to spring up from the inner most part of our being like a river of living water.  Faith is increased as we read God’s Word.   

(Hebrews 11:1), “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” 

Stand strong in the knowledge that God wants to give to us more than we desire to receive.  Keep on believing.  Don’t let the 3D’s creep in and steal your hopes and dreams.  Disappointment, Discouragement and Doubt steal victory.  Rebuke the devil when disappointment is thrown your way before you sink to the level of discouragement and then doubt.  Refuse to submit to Satan’s tactics to deceive. 

God loves you with a passion that cannot be equaled and He wants you to be happy.  Keep on believing with all that is within you and pray that God will help you in times of unbelief, and He will.

Written by,

Papa Boyd



Character Revealed

There’s a warm, snuggly feeling that you get when you look into the clear, evening sky, and gaze at the brightness of a full moon.  You look around and everything just seems right, because the soft, radiant moonbeams are illuminating all of the surrounding area; just making you feel good.  This is what I’m feeling right now. 

Everything is calm and quiet with the exception of a couple of crickets that are playing their special tune under a rock near my feet, while an occasional mosquito tries to eat dinner at my expense. 

I am sitting on the patio swing allowing myself the pleasure of just kicking back.  There is no television or radio blasting to capture my thoughts, only the beauty of the night as I sit and marvel at God’s creation.

It is amazing what enters the mind when there is no stress or pressing obligations to boggle it.  Times like these are far and in-between.  As I allow my brain to rest and unwind from the day’s challenges, I cannot help comparing the beauty of the moon to a lady that I met years ago over the telephone.  One of my friends told me that I should call her. 

The brilliance that radiates from her face literally lights up a room that is full of people, as one by one they notice her presence; much the same way the moon lights up the heart of a person that beholds it. 

If people would stop long enough to notice God’s marvelous and perfect creation, the beauty of it would be felt and appreciated.  This woman reminds me of such beauty—a Christian for sure.    

By the time I was finished talking with her on the phone I felt the warmth of her personality and the sincerity of her heart.  Not too many times in my lifetime have I met a woman that touched me to this degree. 

There was something different about her.  Listening to her talk I didn’t hear about her status in society, nor was I being bombarded with her intellectual knowledge.  Instead, she presented wholesomeness. 

I could sense that she was a product of sound upbringing and teachings; having a good moral character.  Her character was revealed in one short hour of talking with her.  I hung onto every word she spoke and found it refreshing that she was someone having like-values as mine. 

In the short period of conversation, I sensed that she was a genuine, caring person, not like some people you meet.  The quality lifestyle she lived impressed me to the point that I wanted to meet her face to face.  She lit up my heart like the moonbeams lit up my life.

I have met women that are self centered and think only of themselves.  The items on their agenda are self-serving and their thinking leans toward, “I want things that satisfy my needs?”  Usually, their friends are on a temporary basis, because as soon as they use them up they discard them like yesterday’s newspaper.

Short term friends sometimes recognize the deception and sever the relationship before they are totally drained of self-esteem and money.  Women like this seldom give away from themselves—they are takers.  They use people and then wonder why they are alone with no friends. 

Their success, as the world weighs success, is at the expense of others, which only ends in frustration and unhappiness.  True success comes when a person gives unselfishly of themselves to others.  They recognize and consider the other person’s needs before their own desires. 

My telephone acquaintance rates high in the area of compassion.  She reaps not only love from those with whom she rubs shoulders with, but respect as well.  They desire her company and look forward to spending quality time with her, because they have found her to be a true friend, one that will stick by them no matter what the circumstance may be.

God’s Word speaks of giving away from ourselves in (Luke 6:38) and then reaping benefits in return; pressed down, shaken together and running over.  God’s Word also discusses in (Galatians 6:7-9) that if we sow seeds of corruption and selfishness, we will reap what we have sown.

Some people are takers—others are givers.  This particular lady is certainly a giver.  There is no doubt about it.  You would find her name listed under the heading of ‘Precious’.  The Bible tells us in (Proverbs 31:10) that a woman with her qualities is more precious than rubies.  Her character reveals what kind of person she is. 

Our friendship means everything to me.  I am honored and privileged to be her husband.

Written by,

Papa Boyd



Just One Glimpse



Pictures of Christ hanging on a cross, statues, crucifixes, and the like, fail to represent or portray the horrific agony and excruciating pain that Jesus endured as payment for the sins of mankind.  I think every person on earth should have to witness, first hand, the crucifixion of Jesus, were it possible. 

A time machine we don’t have, but we do have the Bible, which paints a vivid, descriptive picture of the inhumane torture that Jesus suffered.   Too many people in today’s modern society fail to allow themselves the wonderful privilege of Godly stimulus that can satisfy the deep longing in their soul.  They would rather yield to fleshly stimulation instead of surrendering their will to the true, living God.

Humanistic pitfalls, self-will, and procrastination cause those that are running from God to not read the Bible.  Even God fearing Christians fail to read God’s Word as they should.  The desire to understand the depth of God’s love and the sacrificial gift that He gave for humanity take second place to personal will.

It is shameful how the death of Jesus is taken so lightly in a world of busy, non-caring people.  The searing of one’s conscience and having few regrets regarding their appetite for pleasure encourage foolish choices.  Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is weakened and a wholesome reverence for God is compromised, because of greed, vanity, and pride, to name a few.

I cannot imagine having to watch my child die for something someone else did; taking the blame as payment for their wrong doing.  God did this very thing.  He watched as His son; innocent and a perfect man in every way was beaten without mercy, spit upon and stoned as Jesus carried the cross on the road to Golgotha.

Jesus was beaten so viciously with fists and a whip that He was unrecognizable as being a human being.  His visage was torn and mangled by the jagged implements of iron or bone that were embedded in several straps of leather.  They ripped and shredded His flesh as Jesus was flogged.  Just one glimpse of His dear face and mutilated body would tell the story of God’s amazing love for humanity.

They yanked out the Lord’s beard and shoved a crown of thorns into His head and brow.  Finally, they drove spikes through His hands and feet to secure Him to a rugged cross, while people jeered and mocked Him as He hung suspended between heaven and earth. 

(Matthew 27:39-42), “And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads” vs.40 “and saying, “‘You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself!  If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’”  vs.41 “Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said,” vs.42 “‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.’”

Jesus was despised and rejected of man, yet He willingly gave His life for them anyway.  He could have called ten thousand angels to save Him, but chose to please His Father in heaven.  God gave His only son to die for you and me before we first loved Him.  How remarkable is that?  His love for sinners kept Him on the cross, because He knew there was no other way to be saved from hell except through Him.

We need to stop what we are doing and take just one glimpse of Jesus’ face to indelibly imprint in our mind the magnificence of God’s sacrifice.  It took the shedding of blood to pay the price for our sins; not just any blood; the blood of God Himself who is perfect and without sin.  God robed Himself in human flesh and was born of a virgin.  Jesus Christ was God incarnate. 

(Matthew 1:23), “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us.’” 

It was God dying for sinful man, because of our degradation, rebellion, and hatred.

(John 14:8-11), “Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”  v.9 “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?  He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’”  v.10 “‘Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?  The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.’”  v.11 “‘Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.’”

We have the Bible that communicates, exceedingly well, the disturbing crucifixion of Jesus, yet multitudes of uncaring and hell bent people don’t give it a second thought.  They are unconcerned and far removed from God’s generosity and love.  They prefer momentary pleasure over a lasting relationship with the Lord.

(Hebrews 6:6), “if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put him to an open shame.”

It is bad enough when non-Christians sin, but each time Christians fail to resist Satan’s temptations, it grieves the Holy Spirit and Jesus is crucified afresh. 

Just one glimpse of Calvary, by way of the Bible, opens the mind to the truth of our actions.  If a person yields their will and members to immorality, they are giving themselves over to Satan. 

When those in the faith, sin, the devil spits in the face of Jesus one more time and plucks out another hand full of facial hair.  Satan pulls out another whip and three more spikes when sinners and Believers, alike, turn their back on the blood of Jesus and trample it underfoot to disobey God’s commandments. 

Sinning causes yet another spear to be thrust into the side of innocence at the moment a person refuses to take just one glimpse of the Lord’s emaciated body before willfully turning their back on Him and stepping away from the cross of Calvary.

Just one glimpse makes the difference.  Let us resist the devil and protect our position in Christ as children of God lest we, like the lost souls of this world, suffer irreparable damage to body and soul.  Jesus is our Savior in the present, but one day He will be our judge if we persist in disobeying God and crucifying Jesus again and again.

We must look deep into the eyes of the Lord and behold His mercy and love.  May we stand firm in faith and commit our allegiance to serving Jesus only, and stop contributing to ongoing crucifixions. 

Just one glimpse in Jesus’ direction strengthens our inner spirit and helps us to resist the temptation to sin, while quenching the fiery darts from hell.  Jesus rebukes the enemy of our soul when we acquire just one glimpse of His face. 

Let us turn our eyes His way and ask to be forgiven of our insensitivity and lack of concern.  When we do this, God will smile and say, “I forgive you my child.  My grace is sufficient for all of your needs.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9), “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…’”

(Philippians 4:19-20), “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  vs.20 “Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever.”  Amen.

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Time Lost

I came across this writing that I wrote several years ago.  I want to share it with you in an attempt to bring awareness that time waits for no man.  The passing of today is one more day closer to eternity.  I know most people don’t want to think or talk about the inevitable appointment that every person must keep with God, but it’s our destiny sooner or later.  Please read these following thoughts with an open mind.

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It was most assuredly the fastest moving, head spinning event of the century—the passing of 365 days of double-time living.  This year, 1993, which is now gone, was without a doubt a similar year that my father was referring to fifteen years ago when he was alive. 

           

I was thirty-three at that time and he was in his early seventies.  We were sitting on the couch in my family room enjoying each other’s company, while sipping hot chocolate.  The house was warmer than usual on this cold, autumn night, because I had turned the thermostat a few degrees higher to make Dad more comfortable. 

I listened as he reminisced the days of his youth, telling stories of antics that he did.  My heart was saddened when he began to compare his ageing body with his still, sharp mind.  He said, "I sit here tonight an old man.  My mind is sharp like an eighteen year old boy, but my body says otherwise." 

As I looked into his eyes I saw that the blue was not as deep as it once was and the wrinkles in his face were many.  A chill went up my spine as I too realized that he wasn't as young as he used to be.  Time was taking its toll…and yes, zipping by.

           

He paused for a moment and then began chuckling to himself.  "What's so funny?” I asked.  He shook his head from side to side as he lowered it toward the floor and said, "I can't believe how fast my life has passed!  It seems like yesterday that I married your mom and now she's dead.  The years have come and gone quickly.”  He continued:  "You'll find the older you get, the faster the years go.  It’s time lost."  There have never been truer statements made than these. 

           

Looking at the crossed off numbers on the last calendar month, I fail to see individual events and happenings of 1993, I only see another year has blown by faster than ever before.  My understanding of Dad’s realization of time is becoming more apparent to me with each passing year.

           

It is now a computerized evolution in which I live.  Though Dad experienced many wonderful discoveries and saw varied inventive changes in his lifetime, they do not compare with the degree of mind-boggling innovations of today that exceed my natural ability to grasp.  I am being passed in supersonic proportion by hi-tech breakthroughs in technology, which are pulling me relentlessly behind in its draft.

           

As I endeavor to escape time travel and the draft it produces, I find that it is impossible to break away from its pull, which creates frustration and a stressful environment.  The things I encounter, with regards to this computer age, bring unrest, because it seems there are so many things coming at me that there is little time to grasp how everything works. 

I am constantly fighting anxieties, which cause me to assert myself to attain deeper depths of knowledge, such, that I can feel confident in my ability to sustain a status quo existence in the event that this drafting whirlwind ceases to be, thus, leaving me stranded with no compelling force of my own to provide sustenance.

           

Being manipulated by the underlying motivator of progress only enhances the words of my father that echo in my mind… “Time lost.”  Time becomes secondary, while the goal of achievement becomes first and foremost.  Before long, time will have passed me by, and like my dad I will become old.

           

Where has the time gone?  Is it too late to find it?  Time is slipping through my fingers like sand in an hourglass that is falling relentlessly to its resting place—motionless—like death.

           

Achievement is celebrated at whose expense?  Children look with great pride as their father displays in his hand college degrees showing his capabilities to be able to carry on, but where are the days?  So quickly they have passed.  Where are the moments that are so important to adolescents that are growing into adulthood?  Are the years gone, never to return? 

Yes, these moments are gone forever, but the days ahead are within my grasp.  It is not too late for tomorrow.  I will have more than a diploma to pass on to my offspring.  I will give them me.  The year 1994 is going to be different.  When I am old and I talk of the past to my children, I will have few regrets as I speak these words, "You'll find the older you get, the faster the years go.  It’s time lost."

Written by,

Papa Boyd



Tomorrow Has Become Yesterday



I’m finding the older I get, the years are seemly passing much faster than they once did.  I remember a long time back inviting my dad over for dinner one evening; Mom had gone on to her reward in heaven and he was alone.  While my wife prepared the table, he and I sat on the couch enjoying each other’s company. 

At one point in our visit I noticed that he was looking off into the distance with a blank stare; lost in thought.  He began to chuckle to himself under his breath, shaking his head from side to side.  “What’s up Dad?” I asked.  He answered, “It seems like only yesterday that I was in school, and now I’m seventy-three years old.  Where did the time go?” 

He then said something that stuck with me through the years that is becoming a reality in my life today.  He said, “You’ll find the older you get the faster the years go.”  I didn’t comprehend the depth of its meaning until now.  I was in my thirties, working very hard to put my two sons and daughter through Christian school, clothes on their back, and braces on their teeth—making ends meet, with many years ahead of me, not worrying too much about the passing of time.

I am now in my golden years with an empty nest and grandchildren that call me Papa on their frequent visits to Nana and Papa’s house.  I understand what my dad was saying when I look into their little faces and realize how fast they are growing. 

I especially identify with Dad when I pillow my head at night and the same question keeps coming to me, “Didn’t I just do this?”  Before I can blink twice, another week has passed and the weekend that I was looking forward to is already here.

The days come and go so quickly that it is hard to grasp that my three children are now in their thirties; pushing forty.  My wife and I couldn’t wait until we had the house to ourselves—that day is here.  Tomorrow has become yesterday and today has gotten lost somewhere between tomorrow and yesterday.

I look into the mirror and see my dad staring back at me—balding head and gray temples.  A closer look reveals wrinkles that were caused by the sun from many years working out-of-doors.  Muscles have seen better days, once toned and strong. 

I am following quickly in my father’s footsteps as he did in his father’s before him and my great, great grandfather’s footsteps before him.  It is the cycle of life.  One day sooner than later my boys, too, will see their dad staring back at them in the mirror.  Life is just this way.

So what do we do on life’s fast track to tomorrow?  We must live for today and let tomorrow take care of itself.  Don’t look at yesterday as being wasted and unproductive, because we can learn through yesterday’s mistakes and not repeat the same ones today.

We should strive to make today meaningful; giving a smile or sharing a kind word with someone.  When today becomes yesterday we will feel more like meeting tomorrow with new zeal and less regrets, because yesterday’s memories are good ones. 

We cannot stop the process of aging, but we can age gracefully when we know that we did everything we could to make today count for something.  The peace of God can be ours when we refuse to worry and fret, because we are getting older. 

When I was turning fifty and complaining to one of my friends about becoming another year older, I’ll never forget his words.  He said, “When you consider the alternative of having another birthday, it’s not so bad growing old.” 

My mind immediately weighed the pros and cons of his statement…enjoying another year or six feet under; I decided quickly I’ll take an additional year and be happy about it.  I stopped complaining from that moment on.

The popular song, “Yesterday” by the Beatles, and “Yesterdays Gone” by Chad and Jeremy, only speak of the negatives that yesterday held for them.  As Christians, our yesterdays need not be filled with regrets and sorrows when we live today in the statutes of Jesus Christ our Lord.  He makes all of our yesterdays, today’s, and tomorrows worth living for.  His love is unchanging and never fails.

(Hebrews 13:8), “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd