Blog Archives

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, during This Lenten time let us reflect on how this New Jerusalem will be!

2/23/2023

“Arise, shine, for your light has come; and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you,
though darkness covers the earth and dark night is over the nations.
But upon you the Lord will rise, and the glory of the Lord will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light; and rulers to the brightness of your dawn.
No longer will violence be heard in your land nor ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will name your walls Salvation, and all your gates Praise.
No more will the sun be your light by day, nor by night will you need the brightness of the moon,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”
Isaiah 60: 1-3, 18, 19

Even in the midst of some dark days in the earthly life, we have the promise of this New Jerusalem, and that the Lord will be our everlasting light!!! Peace and have a blessed and light-filled Lenten Season, Vernon T.

0 Comments

Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God

2/16/2023

0 Comments

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, not things to come, nor powers, not height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 38-39

Think for a moment about the times in your life where you thought that all was lost, or you could not see the end of a very long and trying situation, or someone’s death had caused you to become depressed and you wondered where God was in all of it. You may have had a time when you or a loved one had an illness that was life threatening, where everything seems uncertain with no possible good solution, all of us at one time or the other may have been in these positions before.

Just reading about or hearing about the tragic events around the world could cause us to question, does God really care about all of this human suffering? These world events often pain me because I do not understand why humans have a need to impose pain or stress on other humans for no apparent reason, however I continue to pray and try to place it in God’s hands.

Reflecting back on my own life, I most certainly have had trying moments. I do not know if I have had more or less such events then others, however, it seems best to not compare my life to another’s life, just have each person look at their own. The situations that have caused me the most anguish have involved around my family. Looking back over the issues with my education, my work life, moving from one place to the other, or financial things do not seem to be as dreadful now as it did when I went through them.

However, after my late wife’s illness and death I came to realize that for me the most important things in this earthly life were family, friends, and relationships. Of course, my spiritual pilgrimage and my relationship with God were the most vital to me, but right after that was my family. Over time my focus was modified in that the things that I once physically worked for were no longer as essential. Like all of life, that period continued to change me, but this caused a more drastic shift.

God’s love was there for me through all of the stressful times of my life, it was just that often I could not see it or feel it because the pain or sorrow was so pronounced; occasionally it was shown through others who were there to help me, and sometimes I just had to keep on walking to be able to see it again. Feeling God’s love through this caused me to look at life differently.

This is a very powerful passage that is often quoted and used for comfort. May it support you and may you have the faith to trust that nothing in this world can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. This love will walk with you regardless of where you are at on this journey. Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2023 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

0 Comments

Jesus Prays for His Disciples and Us

2/9/2023

0 Comments

In the John Chapter 17 we have Jesus praying for his disciples. He prayed for them because he was about to leave them, and he wanted his Father to be with them. Just as Jesus prayed for his disciples, he continues to pray for all of us today. Jesus is a model for us to follow. Praying for those you love or who are in need is something that all of us on this spiritual pilgrimage should take very seriously and try to do daily.

During my prayer time I have a list of family members, friends, church members, and situations around the world that are prayed for. Holding others up in prayer can cause us to reach out beyond ourselves to walk with others during their challenging times. Just as God through the Holy Spirit walks with you daily, you can walk with others as well. People do realize that they are thought about and loved when they know they are being prayed for.

Be creative in the ways that this can be done. During the year I place the Christmas cards that we have received in a basket, and every couple of days I pull a card. The family whose card is pulled is prayed for during mealtimes, and when Shirley and I pray together. Of course, we can pray for others anytime, in the shower, in a car, on a walk, etc. Get in the habit of praying for others on a daily basis.

Just as Jesus prayed for his disciples and he continues to pray for us, please find ways to pray for others. May this practice help you in your spiritual journey. Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2023 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

0 Comments

No More Tears

2/2/2023

0 Comments

"They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7: 16-17

In our modern society some of us may think that people who cry may be thought of as weak for some reason. Some people can cry for most any reason, and others find it hard to do so. I know that for most of my adult life I generally did not cry except for major things, like the loss of a loved one. That all changed for me after I went through my late wife’s battles with cancer and her time being under Hospice care.

Judy had two operations to remove brain tumors, but after a while the tumor came back, and there was not anything else we could do, so we went under Hospice care. We cared for her at home until she passed away. That entire experience caused more changes in my emotional and mental state then I care to think about and therefore I cry a lot more often now than before that period. It does not have to be anything sad, if it hits me the right way I tear up. I feel things more deeply than before and this causes to become more emotionally than I used to be. Whenever I feel anguished about something that is happening to someone in my family, a close friend, or it may be even something going on in another part of the world, I can easily tear up.

That is who I am now. However, this passage gives anyone who trusts in the promises of the Lord God, hope, that all of our tears will be wiped away. That we do not have to remain in our current state or condition. On your spiritual pilgrimage may you feel that hope coming from God that the future is in the Lord’s hands and not in our hands or the hands of any other human. Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2023 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

0 Comments

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, during This Lenten time let us reflect on how this New Jerusalem will be!

Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God

Jesus Prays for His Disciples and Us

No More Tears

Author

Archives

Categories

​Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, during This Lenten time let us reflect on how this New Jerusalem will be!

​Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God

​Jesus Prays for His Disciples and Us

No More Tears

Author

Archives

Categories

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, during This Lenten time let us reflect on how this New Jerusalem will be!

Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God

Jesus Prays for His Disciples and Us