Our Land is in Trouble

Please pray for Our Lord to rescue us by sending leaders that will lead the country once again in the God Given Way He intended for a country to function.

Gen. 12:1 – Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family, And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you, And make your name great; And you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you;  And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.  

Gen. 24:9 – “Blessed is he who blesses you And cursed is he who curses you.

 

The Declaration of Independence was based on Scripture.  Our country has strayed far away from what our founders intended it to be.  While watching the political conventions recently, I became well aware that they were not all about “what is best for America but was best for the political parties involved”.

 

I firmly believe that Our Lord expects all of His followers to seek His guidance in how we  vote and who to vote for that will represent and put into practice His desire for the future of  America.

 

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

 

Thank you for reading this,

Great Granny Witt

Many spiritual lessons can be learned during a physical illnes

Your body can be physically weak while your spirit can be spiritually strong.

As you seek to apply God’s word you never can go wrong.

 

His very best for you is always His desire.

Your faith and trust in Him is all He does require

 

He will take you by the hand

And guide you in your walk

And He will listen as you ask and talk

 

Psalm 6:2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled

 

Psalm 103: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.

 

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, yea I will help you.

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Thank you for reading this, 

Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner: From Arrogance to Humility

* Granny is recovering at home after a recent unexpected hospital stay for pneumonia and gallstones. 

During my current serious illness I have been experiencing some fear and depression and lack of faith and hope. To renew my faith and hope and trust in my Lord and Savior, I looked for all the Scriptures on healing. The following Scriptures give me a peace and solace.

Psalm 6:2 - Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak. O Lord, heal me for my bones are troubled.

Psalm 103:3 - [He] forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.

Psalm 143:1-4; 7-8 - Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications. In Your faithfulness answer me and in Your righteousness do not enter into judgement with Your servant. For in Your sight no one living is righteous....Answer me speedily, O Lord, my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk.

Matthew 13:15 - For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes they have closed. Lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears; lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them.

Luke 4:18 - Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. To set at liberty those that are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 4:23 - He said to them, "He will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal Yourself. Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum do also here in Your country.'"

I find I have much more in common with King David than I ever would have imagined. Like David, I have been blessed mightily ever since I believed in Jesus. When I became ill I felt that somehow I deserved it because I had displeased God. I had always taken God's blessings for granted and expected to be exempt from any troubles of this world. I felt like God had let me down when I got so ill. I found out God does not bless us because we earned it, but because we love Him and He loves us. I praise the Lord that I am one of His children and have a special place in His heart as He has in my heart. Praise the Lord, He has humbled me!

Thank you for reading this.

Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner: Our patriotism should come to the forefront this Memorial Weekend!

Memorial Day  brings me this thought,

Of those who for our country fought.

Some have died to keep us free,

What a sacrifice for you and me.

 

Their families have been left behind,

While the enemies they sought to find.

They overcame evil with strength and power,

Never in the trenches did they cower!

 

Our freedoms would have been at stake,

If, their choice to fight they did not make.

So we owe to them a very large debt,

Which is always to remember them and never forget.

That they gave their lives to save ours, with no regret!

 

On these special days of tribute to the heroes of our land,

Pray blessings on their families, to show them we understand.

Also fly our flags of red, white and blue,

To honor them as we all should do!

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with gratitude and grace: Every day is Children's Day

We have just celebrated “Mother’s Day” and next month we will celebrate “Father’s Day”.  Before that, let us look at how we should be raising our children.  We all know the scriptural instructions given to us in Proverbs 22:6 –

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  

Our children need to know the instructions given to you and them in Ephesians 6:vs. 1 thru 4.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise!  “that it might  be well with you and you may live long on the earth!” (God really takes this seriously and so should you) And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”  

This is also repeated in Colossians 3:21 –

“Fathers, do not provoke your children lest they become discouraged.”  

Although this training begins in the home, it effects their behavior outside the home.  Years ago, as a missionary I had an experience that opened my eyes and ears to the connection between discipline and love.  One of the young women for whom I was responsible left the premises without getting a replacement for her assigned duty, which was a light one.  I then assigned another young lady, who had a much harder job, to replace her.  Her social worker asked her if she was angry with me,  She said, no and also said that no one before had ever cared enough about her to insist she do the right thing.  So, instead of seeing my actions as punishment, she was seeing them as an act of love and caring.  She realized that she needed to be disciplined.

Some parents handle their children with kid gloves.  Their little darlings can do no wrong.  But the parents are being derelict in their duties to bring their children up to be responsible adults.  Does the behavior of your children when outside of your home honor you as their father and mother?  If not, check out the basics and go back to “Square One”.  Not just for your own sake, but for their sake as well.  God will be pleased and so will you and your children.

Thank you for reading this,

Great Granny Witt

A Hope for the Future

I want to wish all the mothers out there a belated happy Mother’s Day. 

As always what is on my heart is the eternal destiny of those I love. I am sure you feel the same way. If we have assurance they have given their lives to Christ then we have a hope that not only will we see them again, but we can grieve as those who have hope.

My dear sister went to be with the Lord a few months ago and I have the confidence that I will see her again in eternity.  She had moved from to Ohio to California (the so called by many “the land of promise”) over 50 years ago.  On one of my visits to California, I had the opportunity to share with her the crucial meaning to us of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  John 3:15, & 3:16 “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  She had heard these Scriptures but never thought they applied to her personally. Praise God, she finally accepted the gift of salvation through Jesus!

Thinking about my future reunion with my sister in eternity inspired me to write the following poem. I pray this will also help others who have buried a loved one.

Calm and peace prevail each day,

As we walk with Jesus along the way.

His death guarantees our eternal destination,

To be with Him and others who share His salvation.

No worries or cares, nor darkness of night,

Will cast a shadow on His Great Light.

Imagine walking on streets that are gold,

That we will actually  behold.

Nothing, nor no one, on earth can compare,

With what we will experience when we arrive there.

It is not a place to dread,

But, to look forward to instead.

We can finally say,  with my soul  “All is Well”

In our eternal home where we will dwell.

Again to see those we love, who have gone before,

And to be with them forever more.

I have solace in knowing that my loved ones who have died,

Will one day again walk with me in eternity, side by side.

The following  Scriptures gave me peace and hope during my period of mourning for my sister:

2 Corinthians 5:8 – “We are confident; yes, well pleased to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:55 – “O’ Death, where is your sting? “  1 Corinthians 15:57 – “But thanks to be God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

Praise the Lord that this same Jesus who blesses us and cares for us now, is the same Jesus who we will be with us and our loved ones for all eternity!

Thank you for reading this,


Great Granny Witt

It's time again to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to the Lord what is the Lord's.

The Roman Empire’s Caesar in America is the Internal Revenue Service.  The Lord tells us to give a tithe (10% of our gross income) to the church we attend.  This covers the maintenance and salary costs of the church.  The IRS wants a much larger share to cover the extravagant spending of our government officials.

Some people use that as an excuse not to give a tithe for the church expenses. They say they can’t afford to tithe. But, as a tither, I say they CAN afford to tithe.  My experience has been that the 90% left after you tithe goes much further than the 100% would if you did not tithe.  Of course, using common sense should be a top priority as you consider how you will spend your dollars and cents.  I firmly believe what Malachi 3:10 says about tithing.

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse That there may be food in My house and try Me in this," says the Lord of Hosts. "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you such blessing, That there will not be room enough to receive it.”  

I have tried Him in this for the past 42 years and have been blessed financially. As we all know, Our God is true to His Word.  Do not be afraid or reluctant to follow Him as He leads us.

Thank you for reading this,

Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace. One of the most celebrated holidays on the Church calendar is over...

Philippians 4:4-7  - "Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!  Let your gentleness be known to all men, the Lord is at hand.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

We must go on, walking under the security of our salvation.  Think of this as living under the light of who Jesus is and shedding His light on others.  Some we know are still living in darkness with no hope.  They need to know that our faith and trust in Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us hope for now and all of eternity.  I pray His great love for us will result in our loving those who do not yet know Him.  I pray He will make divine appointments for us to be there for them when they need help or a special friend whom they can trust.  The gift of giving goes on and on from the giver to the receiver who then becomes a giver.  It can become a contagious blessing to many.  

God is so good to us.  Don’t keep it a secret.  Let others know of His deeds.  If you have more  than you need, look around to see who can benefit from your surplus.  Loving and giving results in a peaceful, joyful life.  Try it, you will love it, as will the recipients of your generous heart.

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace:The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus becomes our salvation

The most important event in a Christian’s life is when he or she believes that Jesus died for them personally when He took their sins with Him to the Cross. He died for all of mankind and we are a part of that group.

Last year, on “Good Friday”, I was watching a film, on TV of the crucifixion of Jesus.  It was very real and intense.  When I saw how they whipped His back until it  bled and then they pounded the crown of thorns into his scalp until His blood ran down over his face, I had to turn off the TV because I was weeping real tears when I realized my personal sins were being covered by His blood.  Jesus, the Son of God actually died to cover our sins with His blood.  The magnitude of His Sacrifice is mind boggling.  To be loved that much by someone, how can we not love Him as much as He loved us?

We praise the Lord for who He is and who we are because He died for us in our place.  And because He lives, we can face tomorrow.  Our chains are gone!  We have been set free!  Our Lord, Our God has rescued us not just for now, but for all of eternity.

This is the 43rd year I will be able to celebrate His Great Gift of Salvation.  My daughter was the first one in our family to learn and believe that all of our “good works” could not save our souls.  She couldn’t wait to share this with her mother and everyone else she knew.  Praise the Lord for her persistent witnessing to me and many others.  The Lord then sent me on my own personal journey to spread His Good News to many others.  Even though I retired from the work place at age 90, my spiritual witnessing goes on in my Devotional writings.  Have you thought about this?  If someone saves your physical life, it only lasts until your physical death.  When Jesus saves your soul, it goes on with you into eternity and beyond.

Praise God Our Father who sent His Son, Jesus to be born on earth.  Our greatest worth on earth is our relationship with Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.  Four things had to happen and they did. Jesus was born on earth, died on earth, was resurrected and ascended back into heaven.  He reigns there with God Our Father and His Holy Spirit dwells within us.  This is the “Greatest Story Ever Told” because, Praise the Lord, it is true.  What Jesus, Himself, said to Thomas in John 14:6 dispels any myths about other ways to get to heaven.

 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  

I pray during this Easter Season, we will all remember who we are in Christ and what it  took for Him to break down the barrier that was keeping us from coming to God Our Father.

Thank you for reading this,

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace: It's not too late to salvage and reinforce Christian values.

Instead of being the “Silent Majority”, let’s be the “Vocal Majority” and let “Onward Christian Soldiers” be our battle cry and theme song.  There are enough of us in our Army to overcome those who are blatantly leading our country down a path of self destruction.  Instead of following them, let’s just replace them.  

As we listen to some of the current group of politicians who are vying for the opportunity to be elected, we can sense that it is not all about America, but it is all about them, and their alter ego.  It seems their arms should be in pain from patting themselves on the back by blowing their own trumpets and gaining authority over us in our daily lives.  I strongly suggest that we stop their music/noise by using our TV mute/off buttons.  We can then quietly meditate on the message they are sending  out. Mostly their promises are a figment of their imagination or a “fairy tale”.  Con artists have used the same approach on their victims for many years.  Let us be victors and not victims.  

We must press on until the day that God can truly bless America again! The following scriptures I highlighted last week, are still appropriate for this entire voting season.  I ask that we all unite together and pray these scriptures daily until we see a difference in the immoral practices going on in our nation today.

Psalm 67:3-7 – “Let the people praise You. O God.  Let all the peoples praise You.  O, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For you shall judge the people righteously.  And govern the nations on earth”.

Psalm 96:10-13 – “”Say among the nations, “The Lord Reigns; the world also is firmly established. It shall not be moved.He shall judge the peoples righteously.”  Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;  For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.  He shall judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with His Truth.”

Psalm 97:1, 10 – “The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad; vs. 10-“You who love the Lord hate evil!”

 

Thank you Jesus for hearing the prayers of your people.  Let us soon visibly see some of the changes we are praying for.

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with gratitude and grace. Our Christian values are in a crisis in America today.

The Lord is giving the Christian Community of believers another opportunity to make a difference in electing the kind of leadership that will bring America back to where the original founders intended it to be.  It is almost unthinkable that "political correctness” has almost succeeded in replacing  our religious freedoms.  Praise the Lord it hasn’t happened yet.  But we are on the brink of what could be a disaster.

Please don’t vote with a blindfold over your eyes.  Research and become aware  of the values of those running for positions of authority over us.  Because God’s Word is the authority that determines our values, don’t compromise and settle for less.  I have heard some people say “I don’t vote because my one vote does not count.  If 50,000 other voters feel the same way, each and every one of those non-votes do count for the opposition.  We need to be realistic and not inadvertently be giving our support to someone whose values are the opposite of ours.  I believe cautious Christian voters are capable of bringing America back to where it started.  That would be a good thing.  Wake up and join the prayer movement for the spiritual healing of our beloved country before it is too late.

I believe the following scriptures support my thoughts on this serious matter.

Psalm 67:3-7 – “Let the peoples praise You. O God.  Let all the peoples praise You.  O, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously. And govern the nations on earth.”

Psalm 96:10-13 – “Say among the nations, “The Lord Reigns; the world also is firmly established.  It shall not be moved.  He shall judge the peoples righteously.” Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;  For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.  He shall judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with His Truth.”

Psalm 97:1 – “The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad;  vs. 10 – “You who love the Lord hate evil!”    

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt    

Maturing in a Godly Manner with gratitude and grace. Enduring the last cold months of winter without despair!

Winter doesn’t seem so bad if you can spend your time in Sunny Florida.  If you can't make it there, you can sit in a recliner beside a roaring fire in the fireplace and have no urgent outside errands that would require you to drive there on icy roads.  However, even a short walk to your curbside mail box can be dangerous if the pathway to get there is very slippery.

How can one be content in the dark days of late winter? It  helps to concentrate on the fact that November, December, January and now February have come and gone.  And, if according to our weather forecasters, or a groundhog, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, winter is on its way out for this year at least.  This is my 91st winter and I have never seen a year when we have not been rewarded by April Showers bringing in May flowers.  And believe it or not, with no help from a specific rodent nor an all knowing weather forecaster!  Why is it so hard for most people to give God the credit He deserves for the change of seasons?

The year I moved back to Ohio from the sunny South, 141 inches of snow fell to the ground that winter.  What a welcome back home!  Maybe this winter hasn’t been so bad after all.

Matthew 24:20  And Jesus said to His disciples,“And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”  

Song of Solomon 2:11, 12 – “For lo the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.  The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing is come, And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.” 

Weather was also a factor when Jesus walked on this earth. Can you imagine living in those times without all of the perks we have?  No snow blowers,  nor plows to clear the way.  We probably need to get out our shovels and start to work without whining.  God has put all of the seasons in place and we need to accept that fact with love and grace.  Let’s face the facts that one future day in eternity we will live in a perfect environment.  But as you look around you will realize that “We are not there yet.”

Praise the Lord for all of His many blessings to us,

Even as we endure walking in the snow and slush.

 Spring will come as it always does,

And we can again put away our coats, boots and gloves.

Summer will follow with warmth from the sun,

Paul’s advice in Phil. 4:11-13 should be followed by everyone.

Philippians 4:11-13 – “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both  to abound and to suffer need.  Result: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  

God is our protector and provider, so we can relax and go wherever He leads us.

Thank you for reading this,

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with gratitude and grace: Letting problems lead to intolerance of others!

My intolerance of others comes to the forefront again.  I thought I had overcome this sin pattern from my high school days, but obviously not!  I have again found out that my arrogance can breed intolerance.  

My recent medical problems resulted in my almost continuous contact with personnel in the medical field.  There were many incidents where they billed me personally for medical fees already covered and reimbursed by my Health Insurance Company.  I expected them to do their jobs efficiently.  I had accumulated a large stack of bills sent to me in error before my insurance company had received the original bills which they would have paid in full.  I became a very unhappy patient and the many phone calls back and forth confirmed that to the medical insurance workers.  My attitude was that I was literally performing their tasks for them because they were incompetent.  I was not using wisdom to solve the problem as the following scriptures advise.

Proverbs 8:12, 13 – “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, which is “skill and good judgment in the use of resources”. 

I was being prideful which is too much self esteem, and arrogance which is an overbearing manner.  When I finally calmed down and agreed with their solutions, we developed a good working relationship.  In no time, all of their financial errors were corrected.  My knowing that there is scriptural advice to cover any given problem, I often wonder why I still try it my way before I succumb to God’s Way.  As in Isaiah 55:8,9 – 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways, My ways”, says the Lord, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  

My new motto must surely be – First, take it to the Lord in prayer or you might not get anywhere on your own!  Praise the Lord, He is always ready to answer.  It is our duty to always ask Him for advice before we stumble around in the darkness.  He is able to open doors of opportunity, if only we will ask.  Praise the Lord that He is always there to listen to us and take care of all of our needs.  I hope I have now learned everything He has taught me through this experience, so I don’t have to take this test over again.

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace: We have new opportunities each day to pray for those in need.

Each morning, before I set down with my Bible for my quiet time, I check my inbox for church emails to see who is requesting prayer for a special need that day.  I lift them and their request up to God in prayer.  It seems that frequently, later in the day, they express their gratitude and thankfulness for His answer.  It is good to be a part of this prayer group as described in James 5:16.

“Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  

As an example, my whole church family was praying for my recovery from a stroke.  Their prayers were answered and I am home now and am  on the way to a complete recovery.  Praise the Lord for prayer warriors!  They help us win the battle against our enemy.  They also encourage us with hope.  

It is very comforting to me when I lift up in prayer individually all of my family members by name each day and ask this of God, Our Father:  “Please put Your loving arms around each of us and protect us from all harm, all personal harm, and all of the elements and of all damage.  I pray Your Grace will be sufficient for all of us, spiritually, emotionally and physically, this day and this night, wherever we might be and whatever we are doing." 

I place these requests from my heart into His Hands, which is a place of safety, security, blessings, love and hope!  There is no better place to be while we are still on this earth, until He takes us home to be with Him for eternity!

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace: Lessons learned from trials and tribulations

A trial is a test of faith.  A tribulation is a trying experience. It is possible to turn an annoyance into a blessing by being thankful and grateful for it.  I have been healthy and medicine free most of my adult life.  Now, because of my recent stroke, I have had to be on a strict medicine schedule.  This has dropped my patience level down several degrees.  I have finally come to my senses and realize that my complete recovery will occur much sooner because these medicines have been made available to me.  Now my attitude is one of gratitude and not impatience.  I know as a follower of Jesus, that this temporary bump on the road to recovery will not weaken my faith and trust in My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I believe it will be used to strengthen my faith and trust in Him.  

I am a firm believer in Romans 8:28-31 -

 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who are the called, who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”  

What a fantastic privilege as a believer in Jesus to have instant access to God,Our Father, at any time of the day or night and wherever we might be.  He will show us the way.  As Jesus said to Thomas in John 14:6 -

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  

The following scriptures have helped  me to change my perspective from annoyance to gratitude:

Luke 8:11 -  “Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.”  verse 15, “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”  

I Thessalonians 1:3- “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.”  

I Timothy 6:11 – “But you, O man of God, flee thee things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”  

James 1:2,3,4 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. knowing that

the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” 

John 6: 28, 29 – “Then they said to Him, “What should we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” 

 

If per chance, someone is reading this devotional who has never accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, consider  John 3:16  -

”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”   

Believe what it says and you will become a new believer.

 

Thank you for reading  this,

 

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace:Contentment in Christ in a Crisis

As I continue to recover from my  recent health adventure, I am accepting the fact that while the present happenings in my life are outwardly chaotic  I can have an inner peace and contentment in Christ at the same time.  I find solace in the following scriptures:  

Philippians 4:6-8 - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

This results in  the confidence I attain in verse 13 –

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

Just as a positive attitude produces positive results, a negative attitude produces a hopeless feeling or despair. I praise the Lord for giving me the common sense to choose the hope that only He can guarantee.  What a great privilege to have a Savior  to guide us who is perfect in every way.  

Proverbs 3:5-6 says it all – 

“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.”  

For the past 42 years, I have sought and followed His directions and He has never steered me the wrong way; nor have I ever thought that “doing my own thing” was an option for me. When you come to a crossroads in your life most people would not choose the rocky, bumpy way with many detours over a smooth straight path.  Jesus assured Thomas in John 14: 6 by telling him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  

As you walk through your life with Jesus by your side, your final destination will be to spend eternity with Him and God the Father.  God allows each of us to make our own decision during our lifetime on where we will choose to spend our eternal life.  Every now and then stop and check where your life is heading.  Prayerfully, you will be going in the right direction.   If not, there is still time to  turn around and let Jesus direct your paths. You can learn how to have peace with God here.

Thank you for reading this,

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace, “ Do not ever stop depending on your faith and trust in God to rely on your own fragile humanness “

I have had a very unnerving experience this past week that I have never had before.  Most of my adult life I have been healthy.  But, with no warning, no headache, nor any other symptoms, or so I thought, I was taken to the hospital and diagnosed as having a stroke. My daughter told me that my face on the left side was indeed drooping and my speech was slurred.  I was admitted and given many tests.  The test I dreaded the most was an M.R.I.  When I am in an enclosed area, I am very claustrophobic.   I prayed and asked the Lord to give me the courage to endure what was necessary for the doctors to diagnose what caused my stroke.  The nurse sensed my fear and gave me a sedative to calm my fears and nerves.  I was able to enter the machine and have the test with no fear or trauma.  

Four days later, after numerous other tests, I was discharged to go home and have a health care worker come to my home for a few weeks.

I have to remind myself that I have to be a Godly example to others and live out my complete faith and trust in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He has been faithful to me for the past 42 years in many other difficult situations and has never let me down.  I pray that my faith and trust in Him is still strong enough to help me win this current battle with no worry, doubt nor fear.  I never want to willingly let him down.

Since this coming July I will reach the ripe, old age of 92, the following scriptures are more realistic and applicable than they ever were before.

Matthew 7:7 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Psalm 34:4 – “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all of my fears.”

Psalm 90:10-17 - “The days of our lives are seventy years, and if by reason of strength, they are eighty years; yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off and we fly away.

“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 

“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands.”

Psalm 91:1 – “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in Him I will trust. “

I pray that in the days I have left in my life to serve My God, He will be able to use me to tell many others about how important it is to walk hand in hand with Jesus by our side in Spirit and in Truth.

Thank you for reading this,

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace-"Do the next thing and Do It Now!"

We are now into day 11 of this new year.  Only Our Lord knows what the future holds. Do not procrastinate, which means to   “put off” intentionally something that should be done now.  Because of my writing, everywhere I look in my home there are stacks of paper, waiting for me to file them away in my file cabinet.  That is my “next thing to do”.  I have to be determined not to put off this task because it is the next thing to do.

Matthew 6:34 – “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. “

In the past, when my husband was still alive, the chore I  disliked the most was to starch and iron his white dress shirts.  I decided to do that chore first and the rest seemed easy.  “Out of sight and out of mind was my M.O. then.  That is still applicable today.  To practice what I preach, I am going to pause in my writing and file away all the papers into my filing cabinet.  That was my “next thing to do” and it is done now.  What a relief to have a neat and uncluttered space to live in.  My advice today is “Don’t put off unpleasant jobs.  Just finish them and forget about them.

Thank you for reading this,
Great Granny Witt