And On The Third Day
The Resurrection Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene
came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the
other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t
know where they have put him!” Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running,
but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings
lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings
lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then
the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed — for until then they still hadn't
understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home. Mary was standing
outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the
head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?”
the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know
where they have put him.” She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t
recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where
you have put him, and I will go and get him.” "Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried
out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus
said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending
to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them,
“I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. Verse 28
and 29 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen
me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” Purpose of the Book The
disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so
that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life
by the power of his name." (John 20: 1-18 and 28,29 NLT)
As I am sitting her this morning, I am thinking back to years and years of
Easter Celebrations I have had in my life. So many different memories flood my mind. Many back to when I was a
child - waiting for the easter "bunny" to bring me and my siblings a chocolate easter bunny. All the way up
to now when my thoughts turn to the true meaning of Easter. What an awesome awesome Lord we have! Can you even
imagine what it was life for followers of Jesus as the other people were screaming FREE BARABUS? That Jesus knew His
fate and He took it because our Father in Heaven said - "It is so".
We are so blessed and we are so loved that God would create
His Son to live and then to die for us. On the third day He rose from the grave. The tomb He was placed in is
empty - Easter is a celebration of Life ... Life everlasting. The promise that one day when we die, we will live again
with Jesus. Trust in Him, Believe in Him, give your heart to Him. His Amazing Love and His Amazing Grace is given
to us freely, all we need is Jesus.
Have a blessed Easter Weekend.
Celebrate Christ ~ for He is Alive!!
Count your blessings :-) Invite someone to church with you this Sunday. When you get there, think of
Jesus rolling back the stone! God Bless you and touch your heart today. Love, Tracy
Life Is A Gift
"Having
then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion
of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on
exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let
love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another
with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing
in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless
them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be
of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense
to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live
peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:
for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him;
if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:6-21 KJV)
I was reading this verse this morning. It is always such a good reminder to me, to trust in the Lord.
Many times during difficult circumstances we let ourselves take over and do what we think is right, what
we think we deserve or what we think we know. Never even sitting down and submitting
the circumstance to prayer. Sometimes I have acted or reacted without thinking before and I got myself into a mess.
I look back and think "What was I thinking?" And almost always, after I pray over it, the Lord will show me
how I could have reacted differently. Sometimes we have to go to others that we have offended and say please forgive
me. They might not want to forgive - but we must ask.
The
Lord has given us all a gift. Each one of us is different and each gift given to us is different. Some people
use their gift to glorify the Lord. Some people don't use their gift at all. If we'd each just pray today
for the Lord to show us what our gift is and then be determined to use that gift for His glory - the Blessings from Heaven
will flow. Don't try to get through this day on your own anymore. Trust in Jesus. He loves you.
He is walking down this path with you and the desire of the Lord is for us to know Jesus more and more each day.
I hope you all have a great Thursday. Remember the 2 Charlotte police officers killed
in the line of duty. One will be burried today, the other one tomorrow. Please remember their wives and families.
Also, please continue to remember the Quinton and Cherry families. Count your blessings! You are blessed ... search
your heart for that special gift. Love, Tracy
Lift Up The Name Of The Lord
"I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I
poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou
knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld,
but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said,
Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me
from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous
shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me. (Psalm 142 KJV)
I love the Psalms, each day when I read the Lords Word, I usually try to read
a part of Psalms. It is full of encouraging words for us daily. No matter what we face today as long as we have
Jesus we can make it through. Just the thought of what awaits us someday is awesome and overwhelming. Lift up
your needs to the Lord today. Pray for those around you and share a Word of testimony from your heart that the
Lord has blessed you with. Are you counting your blessings every day? Some of us get stuck in the mode of murmuring
that we concentrate on that instead of letting the glory of the Lord flow through us.
Let your light shine today for the Lord. Count
your blessings ... list them out, because we are blessed. Please continue to remember the Quinton and Cherry families
in prayer. Have a great Wednesday. Love, Tracy
I Am Weak, But Thou Art Strong!! "Many,
O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were
I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but
my ears you have pierced burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, "Here I am, I
have come— it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:5-8 NIV) Just A Closer Walk With Thee I
am weak, but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I'll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close
to Thee. Just a closer walk with Thee, Precious Jesus, hear my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord,
let it be. Through this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but
Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. Just a closer walk with Thee, Precious Jesus, hear my plea, Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. When my feeble life is o'er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely
o'er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. Just a closer walk with Thee, Precious Jesus, hear my plea, Daily
walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
A good friend sang
this hymn at church last night. What a sweet prayer to Jesus. Is that the desire of your
heart? The preacher said ... aren't you glad that someone introduced you to Jesus? I certainly am!
Mothers and Fathers ... what are you waiting for?
I was thinking about Easter
week and what it means to us as Christians. Without Easter we are without HOPE. Without Easter we are alone with
no security of everlasting life. Without Easter we just are. But because of Easter, we HAVE HOPE and we have MERCY
and we have GRACE. We have ASSURANCE and we have the possibility of everlasting life with Christ! If we only
trust in Jesus. I am weak but thou art strong, Jesus Keep me from all wrong ... Just a closer walk with thee O Lord!
I tried to find the history of this hymn ... author unknown. What a blessing! I pray that you print this out as
I am going to do and post it somewhere where you will be reading the words every day.
Celebrate Jesus today! He is Alive! I hope He stirs your hearts this week and that this becomes your
prayer!
Thank you Wayne, for reminding us to be humble before the Lord. Thank you Pastor for reminding
us to thank the Lord each day when we put two feet on the floor. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and
soul. Teach your kids, share a word of testimony. Don't be ashamed of Jesus. I hope you all have a great
Tuesday. Please remember the Quinton and Cherry families as they bury their children. Another boy was hit by a
car and killed yesterday in that same area, please remember this town. We also had 2 police officers killed in Charlotte
on Saturday night. Both en, in their early 30's one of them had a 2 year old and his wife was pregnant (due in June),
please remember their families in prayer today as well. Love, Tracy
Find Rest
"If
you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes
or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach,
more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down
to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. "Has anyone by fussing in
front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think
it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They
never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country
look shabby alongside them. "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are
never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying
to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's
giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how
he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find
all your everyday human concerns will be met. "Give your entire attention to what God is
doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever
hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:25-23 The Message)
I am sure that this is a word the Lord specifically had for me today. I have writers block and computer problems this
morning to add to my frustration. I have not been sleeping well for a long time now, but especially the last couple
of day s. Blaming it on an old mattress, but perhaps it has been worry as well.
Specifically about
my weight. Then I read this verse today and think OK Lord, easy for you to say. I kindof got an attitude about
it, don't worry about what you wear, don't worry about your outer appearance -- but isn't that how we are judged
I ask? Don't worry, He says. Then my thoughts roll back to our church services yesterday. Will
Graham (grandson of Billy Graham) preached in the AM and Mike Woodson (First Baptist Indian Trail) spoke in the evening.
Both messages touched my heart. Leading up to the word the Lord had for me this morning, don't worry. I am
in control. I will lead you where you need to go. Find rest in me. So if I would just be still and listen.
I like how the Message worded this verse, but you can go back and read what ever translation you have ... it will all say
the say thing ... 
Do not worry about tomorrow! Jesus - name above all names -- loves you and Our Lord and
our Savior will care for us and guide us where we need to be.
So
find rest in Him today. I hope you all have a great Monday. Love, Tracy
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