Encouraging Words at Easter by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

For many Christians, this is a holy time of the year, as we prepare for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  For my friends across the world, who are not Christians, this may seem like a strange time of the year.  Who celebrates the death of their God?  And what can Resurrection mean?

Well, my friends, we Christians believe that Jesus Christ died, so that the gates of heaven would be opened, and we might all, if we believe in Him, go to heaven for all eternity.  His death, however noble, was not the real miracle.  The real miracle, that Christians the world over have been willing to die for, is that once He was dead, Jesus Christ became alive again.  Only God has that power, and Jesus Christ is God, Son of the Father of us all.  This is what we believe, we Christians.  This is the ideal.

Now, does this belief make us better than anyone else on earth?  No.  We sin.  We are offensive, unrighteous in many ways, unloving, disrespectful of the faith of others, and I could go on and on.  We should be better, but we are sometimes worse.  The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is this, our faith.  Our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

We believe that each person must accept Jesus, in their hearts, and admit that no one can work their way to heaven.  I know.  That’s the human way.  Working for that paycheck.  But God is not an Employer.  He is in the Salvation business, and all he wants is our hearts, given freely and willingly.  That’s all.

There is not a magic formula.   All formulas were invented by men.  Jesus, I give you my heart.  I will not forget you.  Please remember me.  That’s all it takes.  It is like the thief on the Cross next to Jesus. 

“Jesus, remember me when you are come into your Kingdom.” Pled the repentant thief.

Jesus answered him, “Truly, I say to you, this day you will be with me in Paradise.”

It’s as simple as that.  Jesus forgive me!  Take me with you!  Don’t leave me!  I can’t make it without You!  Only You can save me!  I need You!  I am a sinner!  Without You, I am nothing!  No one on earth, not good works, not good speech, not good thoughts, nothing, no one can save me!  Even I cannot save myself!  Only You can!  I believe in You!!!

And Jesus said, to this sinner, Jaye Lewis, “Child, one day you will live with me in Paradise.”

Ever since that day, that I knew who my Savior is; ever since I opened my heart to Him, my life has never been the same.  And my love for Jesus has grown to consume my heart.  You might say that my love for Him, and His love for me has become a beautiful devouring fire!

Devouring Fire  By Jaye Lewis

He met me at the altar

On a sunny, winter's day.

My heart was cold;

His hands were warm.

It took my breath away.

His eyes were soft.

His face was sad.

A tear rolled down my cheek.

He knelt me down in front of Him.

I trembled.  I was weak.

"Do you love me?" Jesus asked.

"Oh!  Yes!  My Lord, I do!

I take You as my Sovereign Lord!

I choose to follow You!"

And from the moment, that I chose,

Jesus as my Lord;

A battle of the unseen host,

Began to strike His Word.

But in my heart a fire blazed,

And though it seemed, we'd part.

I heard His Voice, I saw His Face.

They were printed on my Heart.

So, don't give up!

He's there for you!

Just as He is for me!

He's waiting at the altar,

To truly set you free.

© Jaye Lewis, 1999

And so, my friends of many faiths, and those of none, this is what moves the hearts of Christians.  Jesus.  Only Him.  And I urge you ― now that you know it ― hold us to it when we stray from the compassion and love of Jesus.  We are like any other human being.  We want to love and be loved.  We believe that Jesus is the answer, but when we do not act like Him, when we do not show His face to you, in what we say and do, then hold us to it.  You tell us that we are not being like Christ.  Tell us that.  We need to hear it.  We need to be reminded, especially at this time of the year.

My fellow Christians, do not be judgmental of others who are not of our faith, who are doing the best they can to live a good life.  They may not have Christ in their lives, but maybe we should have more of Christ in our hearts, our lives, and our actions.  We get puffed up, as though we belong to a special club that says “Stay Out!”  Well, we’d better get over that right now.  Jesus did not come to rule the world.  He came to rule in our hearts.

I finish this with the words of Gandhi:  “If Christians lived the way Christ taught them to live, all of India would have come to the Cross.”  Which ones of us want to stand before Christ and say, “Well, Lord, I forgot that part about living like you.”  The greatest sermon we will ever preach is the power of Christ’s love in our lives.

Heavenly Father, I have said much today.  I ask You and my fellow Christians to forgive me if I have said too much or too little.  And I promise that I do not think I am wise, nor am I a prophet, nor a preacher, nor do I want to be.  I am a sinner, and I love you, Lord.  I love you with my whole heart.  Jesus, I will fail, this day, to be all that I want to be for You and for my fellow travelers on this planet, whether Christian or not.  I beg Your forgiveness, and theirs.  Thank You, Lord, for pursuing me, for finding me, and most of all for showing me that I have been found by You.

Dear friends, who have followed me for so long on this blog, and for those who are just stopping by, I love you.  Yes, I do.  Just knowing that there is someone out there, who needs to hear that today, helps me to bear the tribulations in my own life, with joy in my heart.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000296699307

Encouraging Words for People Who Love Their Dogs by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

If you go to the bottom of this page, you will see a sweet poster that celebrates my Happy Dog, the dog of my life.  He is a very old dachshund.  Today I would like to share with you a story of how Happy Dog became, and so remains the dog of my life.  I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy telling it.

Just Hang On!  By Jaye Lewis

He dogs my every footstep.  With each step I take, he’s right there with me, guarding me and ready to die to defend me.  I have seen him take on the most aggressive vacuum cleaner salesmen.  God help the one who sticks his foot in the door without invitation, because my little powerhouse of faithfulness and aggression will give that foot a fight for it’s life, shoes, socks, and laces!

Make no mistake, a dachshund may be small, but they are quick, and relentless in an attack.  They aren’t called “badger dogs” without cause.  In their natural habitat, a dachshund has been known to track a badger - one of the fiercest animals known - hurrying down into it’s tunnel, and locking onto it’s snout, never letting go, not even in death.

When I leave the house without him, whether it’s just a walk around the yard or a day trip to the next town, Happy will keep watch at the top of the stairs.  With every sound, he will launch himself onto the back of the couch, to get a good look out of the window, to see if I’m almost home.  I can hear him announcing my arrival before I even get out of the car.

“She’s home!!” he cries.  “She’s home!  She’s home!   All is well!”  As I open the door, he immediately gives me a tongue lashing, yelping with joy!  I try to always have a “present” for him, and I delight at his enthusiasm, as he roots through the bag until he finds it.

Happy has a perfect bandit face, a black mask surrounded by  rich, golden tan.  His ice-cube nose is ever questing for a treat or just a warm place to cuddle.  He has shoe-button eyes that never miss an opportunity.  And when he locks those intelligent eyes onto mine, I lose all power to resist.

Happy, like all dachshunds, loves to tease and play.  Every clever thing he does is simple evidence that even a woman my age can be taught “new tricks.”  He brings me the ball.  I throw it.  He steals my slippers.  I chase him.  The worst thing you can do, in the face of improper behavior, is laugh!  I, joyfully, failed that test long ago.  I am Happy’s willing slave.  No matter how dark my mood, Happy can always make me laugh.

Happy doesn’t  know that there are not “badgers” lying in wait.  He’s always prepared, just in case, and I have learned much from this little dog.  I have learned that a faithful life is one of constant vigilance.  I have learned that some things are worth fighting for, and if necessary, dying for.  However, the greatest lesson that Happy has taught me, is to live my life in the moment, just as he does, ever joyful for each blessing, ever vigilant for those “badgers” that are certain to cross my path.  And when life takes a nasty turn, I have learned from Happy, to grab a hold and just hang on!


Many years later:  As you can see by my picture above, Happy Dog has grown older, but his heart is still the same.  At the time of this story, Happy Dog was majestic in his beauty a lot like this:

I do hope you enjoy this story of my Happy Dog.  Please click the "Like" button above and let this dachshund lover, especially the lover of a special dachshund, that you also see how special he is.


With love,
Jaye Lewis
www.entertaininangels.org
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000296699307
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Happydog/146353915485929

Encouraging Words for Those Who are Housebound Again by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

Well, I’m in the bed, again.  The sky is blue, and the air is balmy, especially for February here in the mountains of Virginia.  I would love to pull on my hikers, throw on a wind breaker, put a sweater and coat on my Happy Dog, and head outside.  A nice walk down the hill sounds like a dream to me.

I’m very blessed, however, because I know this is temporary.  I’m on medication that is helping me, and by the time the week is out, I should (I hope) be out of bed and slowly be on my way.

I think that I know why I’m “laid up,” as we say in the hills.  I have an inflammation in my right hip.  At least I hope it is only inflamed, kind of like an arthritis attack, because of a fall I had two months ago.  It seems like it was only the other day that I could fall, get up, and just keep on going, but that was twenty years ago.  I used to joke, “when I fall, I just bounce.”  Not any more.  When I fall, I leave a hole in the ground, and I’m still in the hole.

It may seem as though I’m depressed, but I’m not.  This is one of those learning experiences.  Do I focus on what I don’t have?  Or do I recognize the blessings that I do have?  I’m not alone.  I have my family, who can’t do enough for me.  If I neglect myself, by not requesting help in my needs, whether my need is medicine, or my diabetes testing supplies, or food or drink or just an arm to hold me up so that I can go to the bathroom, someone is always near to help me.

It is a humbling experience, just experiencing how much they love me.  Their love for me is selfless, a precious gift, which reminds me just how much God also loves me.  They are God’s perfect gift, that is as obvious to me as one of the beautiful sunsets that I believe He provides to delight my soul.  You might say that my family is the delight of my soul.

I have the loveliest daughters, funny and wise, beautiful inside and out, unselfish, and the joy of my heart.  My husband is tender and kind.  His love for me is expressed in unusual ways.  He has taken a reader, which he had given me for my birthday, and he has expanded it so that I can do so much more, like downloading more e-books and reading the news, like the major news-hound I am.  It’s amazing to me.  He is so brilliant, but his heart is still humble and wise, as he does all these things that make life easier for me.

You see, I am slowly losing my sight.  As a result, I cannot read a regular book, and I LOVE to read!  I must have a light behind the letters, or I cannot see them very well.  So, he just redesigned the whole thing.  Now, I can go to Amazon or Barns & Noble and buy books that I love to read.  He is so wonderful.

I wonder.  If I were busy, busy, busy, would I notice just how blue the sky is through my window, as I write to you?  Would I take delight in the stars, in sunrises and sunsets? Would I see just how much my husband and daughters cherish me?  Would I take for granted every breath I take, or the steps that I am able to take just to get a glass of water for myself?  If I were able, would I take the time to consider the people who don’t have what God has given to me?  Would I understand your pain, as I think of you, my brothers and sisters, who may be struggling to see the blessings, within your own life?  Would I take a moment to pray for you, as I am now?  Would I be too busy to really see?  Or feel?  Or understand?  If I were a hurried, worried person, who believed that I gave every blessing to myself, would I appreciate every blessing that God has given to me?

So, I thank God, right now, for every breath, for every step, for laughter, in spite of my tribulations.  I thank Him for my medicines.  I thank Him for my diabetes, because I understand what you go through.  I thank God for my trigeminal neuralgia, and for the medications which erase my pain.  I thank God for the chemist who designed the drugs, and for the Pharmaceutical Companies who provide the drugs which give me a quality of life that I would not have without them.  For all the things and people that I used to take for granted, I thank God right now.  He is a good God.  He is a sweet God, a generous God, gentle, kind and merciful, and I praise Him right now.

And then, I thank God for the little things:  a warm bed, when it is cold; cool sheets when it is hot – all those little things that we forget, sometimes, that God provides for us, too.  I thank Him for my little dog, Happy Dog.  For the fourteen years that God has given me with you, dear Happy Dog, I thank Him for each day, and all the years that you have blessed my life.  What a joy you have been.  I love you Happy Dog.  I never dreamed that I could have a love like yours.

Dear Heavenly Father, I know that every heart beat is a gift from You.  I know that You are my provider, my friend, and my Savior.  I know that all the things that I should remember, and I have forgotten, are also Your gifts to me. And, Lord, for those who read this, I pray for all the grace they can hold, that they may know You.  And if they are busy, may they stop and know that those busy times are a gift from You, too. And, Lord, for those of us who are laid up, may we realize our blessings, and may we thank You for them too.   Thank You, Lord, and to You be the praise, the honor, and the glory, forever.

A brief update:  I was rushed to urgent care yesterday.  I met a very kind doctor.  Gosh they are young these days!  I discovered that I do have arthritis in my hips, particularly my right hip.  To give me freedom of movement, I have been given a prescription of lidocaine, which is a gel patch which does what your dentist does when he anesthetizes your mouth.  It will numb the pain while I increase gentle stretching exercises and give my glucosamine time to help build up the cartilage in my joints.  This requires a lot of me.  It’s not magic, but then is anything worth doing magic?  Or should it be? I will keep you all informed as to my progress.  God be with you!

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000296699307&sk=wall

Encouraging Words for Teachers by Jaye Lewis

                                  

The Difference a Teacher Can Make  by Jaye Lewis

                                                                             

             Steve, a twelve year old boy, with barely, literate, alcoholic parents, was about to be lost, forever, by the U.S. education system.  Remarkably, he could read, yet, in spite of his reading skills, Steve was failing.  He had been failing since first grade, as he was passed on from grade to grade.  Big as he was, looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old, Steve went unnoticed...until Ms. White.

            Ms. White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love!  For the first time in his young life, he couldn't take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed.  He did no  homework, and he was always in trouble with Ms. White.  His heart would break, under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable!

            In the middle of the first semester of school, all the seventh grade was tested for reading and math.  Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things, as the days wore on.  His heart was not in school, but in the woods, where he often escaped alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his alcoholic parents.  No one checked on him to see if he was safe.  No one knew he was gone, because no one was sober enough to care.  Oddly, Steve never missed a day of school. 

            One day, "Steve!"  Ms. White's impatient voice broke into his daydreams.  Startled, he turned to look at her.  "Pay attention!" So, Steve gazed at Ms. White, with adolescent adoration, as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.

            Ms. White pinned Steve to his seat with a sharp stare, then her eyes searched his face.  With a sigh, she said to the class, "You all did fair, except for one, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but..." She hesitated.

            Ms. White, again, fixed her eyes on Steve. "...the smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!"  She just stared at Steve, as the class looked around at him, and Steve dropped his eyes, and examined his hands.

            After that, it was war!!  Steve still never did his homework, but the punishments and the lectures, became more severe, and the pleadings took over.  "Just try it...ONE WEEK!  Give yourself a chance!  Don't give up on your life!  Steve!  Please!  I care about you!"

            Wow!  Steve's attention was immediately captured!  Someone cared about him?  Someone young and beautiful!  Someone, totally, unattainable, and perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM!!!

            Steve went home that night, taking one look around the slovenly hovel.  Both parents passed out, in various stages of undress, and the stench was overpowering!!  He, quickly gathered up his camping gear, a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and this time, his school books.  Then he headed for the woods.

            Next day, he was at school, on time, and he waited for Ms. White to enter the classroom.  Here she came, all sparkle and smiles!  God!  She was BEAUTIFUL to the adolescent boy, as he yearned for her smile to turn on him.  It did not.

            Ms. White, immediately, gave a quiz on the homework of the night before.  Steve hurried through the test and was the first to hand in his paper.  With a look of surprise, Ms. White took his paper.  Then, obviously puzzled, she began to look over it.  Steve walked back to his desk, his heart pounding within his chest. As he sat down, he couldn't resist another look at the lovely woman.

            There, on Ms. White's face, was a look of total shock!  She glanced up at Steve, then down, then up.  Suddenly, her face broke into a radiant smile.   In his first seven years of school, Steve had just passed his first test!  And he had gotten every answer right!

            From that moment, life changed for Steve.  Life at home, never got better, but life still changed.  The change that took place was within Steve's heart, all because of ONE teacher, who cared.

© Jaye Lewis, January 26, 2001

 This is a true story.  I know it, because Steve is my husband, and I am the love of his life, as he is mine.  Steve is a wonderful husband and a loving father.  He has excelled in life, having three careers, and now embarking on a fourth.  There has been no seed money.  He came from nothing, and so did I.  Everything he has is because of the grace of a Merciful God.  Steve has worked hard, every day of his life, since Ms. White inspired and encouraged him.  I will always be grateful to her.

Encouraging Words for Those Who Feel Lost by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

On January 24, 1988, I was a resident in a psychiatric ward.  No, I was not a nurse or a nurse's aid.  I was a patient.  On January 10, 1988, I had a complete nervous breakdown.  You might say that I was at the bottom of my life, and you would be right.  But I was also at the beginning.  In that psychiatric ward I learned about a deeper part of myself, perhaps a better part of myself, which began to understand just how alike we are as human beings.

The hospital was in the midst of an experiment, and you might say that we were the lab rats.  In that hospital the young were mixed with the old.  The sad and anxious were mixed with the truly crazy, and the violent were included with the nonviolent.  What were they thinking?  It makes you wonder who were truly the crazy ones.  

I disclose this with gratitude, because I learned more in that six weeks, about love, sacrifice, understanding, and acceptance, than I had ever learned in my entire life.  I learned that in the eternal scheme of things, I am no better than anyone.  I’m no better than that sweet soul who had lost her mind long ago, who believed that she was inhabited by a well-known Country singer, whom she believed lived in her stomach.  She argued with him constantly, often shouting orders to “Get out!”

Yes, it was funny and alarming, but I made up my mind to get to know her, to find out what made her who she was.  In a strange sort of “we-come-from-different-worlds” friendship, we got to know one another as well as we could.  I learned that something terrible had happened to her when she was young, and she learned that I was safe, that I did not judge her, and that I would not betray her.

I was also no better than the young man who shouted and threatened, and chased people around the room, including my new, friend and me.  We heard his shout, and when we saw him racing at us.  We leaped up and ran, around and around the room, hoping he would not catch us.  When he finally was tackled and calmed down, we stopped running, and we just looked at one another.  Then I shouted that a violent man like he should be removed from our ward.  The nurse replied that he had never harmed a living soul.

“YET!”  My friend and I retorted together. 

We, suddenly, looked at each other, laughing hysterically, and for one brief moment, the scales of confusion fell from her eyes, and she knew me.  Then, her reason clouded over again, and we were strangers, but I’d seen her soul, and I knew that somewhere in the great hereafter, we would meet again.  Then, we will know one another.  We will remember, and we will be friends, and we will not be ashamed.

There is so much tragedy in this world.  I was one of the blessed ones.  I have a strong, loving family.  I had good medical care, a strong will, and a determination to get well.  In March, 1988, I left the hospital with a clean bill of health, and I never returned.  However, I will never forget the unusual, hurting people within.  I think of them all the time.  I tell their stories, as I am telling you, and I will miss them and wonder about them all the days of my life — those tragic, suffering souls, who will never know the impact they had on this single life, forever.

We are the same, all of us, no matter how we protest that we are not.  No matter the color of our skin, or our religion, or our lack of faith, or our political beliefs.  Our petty grievances and prejudices are like so much chaff, blown by the wind.  None of these things will matter, when we stand before God, judged for the works we have done on this earth, whether good or ill.

Jesus said that He will gather all of us together, and He will separate us, as a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats.  We will not escape His notice, anymore than our bigotry, our jealousy, our rage, or our evil intents and actions will remain hidden.  And yes, my friends, we are, each of us, guilty of these things.

The wife beater — you will no longer be able to hide.  The wife who betrays her husband — you will be found out.  The gossip, the liar, the proud, and those who do their evil works in secret, you will be made known.

Can anyone escape their shame?  Yes you can.  Yes I can.  I can repent.  Every day.  Every hour.  Every moment, if necessary, and I can live my life reaching for the compassion within me, looking for new ways to convey my respect and love for each individual I meet.  I will fail.  I will fail today.  But that is what repentance is all about.  Going back before the only perfect person who ever walked the earth.  Going to the Only, One, True God, asking His forgiveness.  Humbly, before Him, I can repeat my sins of the day, and cast them at His feet.

Oh, it may seem simplistic, but it is not.  It is simple.  It is the easiest thing in the world, and the safest place to be.  All I need to do is throw off the mantle of pride and self-righteousness, and know that I am forgiven by His grace.

These are the thoughts that are on my heart today.  Perhaps I am sick of the assault upon repentance that I see in my own American Presidential Primary.  Of course there is repentance, forgiveness, and redemption, even for Newt Gingrich.  And there is condemnation, even for the self-proclaimed, perfectly pure Mitt Romney.  But, you know, the self-righteous never see.  I have to admit that I have only this moment realized what irritates me about Romney.  It’s his pompous belief that he has never done anything wrong.

I do not say these things in defense of Newt Gingrich.  He has made it abundantly clear that he is perfectly capable of defending himself.  I do, however, say these things to defend the free grace that God gives to us, if we will only accept it and admit that we have sinned.  That grace, for which we are so undeserving, that we can receive freely, if only we ask, comes from the God of all grace, who deserves to hear us say, “Father, I have sinned.”

I hate when the grace of God is maligned, as though He has no power, as though His arm is too short to save.  If that were true then I would still be a lost soul, without hope.  But I am no longer lost, because God came to me, and He made me His own, not because He needed me, but because I needed Him.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

https://twitter.com/#!/encouragingjaye

www.entertainingangelsencouragingwords.blogspot.com

Encouraging Words for Those Who Feel Overburdened by American Politics by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

I suppose that I should send a copy of this blog post to each of the candidates in every election in the United States.  I doubt they would listen, but then, maybe they would understand just how much they exhaust us, and sometimes disgust us.

Yes, I, as an American voter, do become disgusted with the political sniping, barbs, innuendos, lies, and cruel remarks.  I am disgusted with the new definition of “truth.”  Remember when your grandmother, at least my grandmother, said, “If you can’t say something good about someone, then say nothing at all?” Another grandmother of mine used to say, “There are three sides to every story:  yours, mine, and the truth.”  Truth would be nice for a change.  And when did it become okay to claim truth when facts are twisted, so that truth is no longer truth, but a lie?  Billy Graham tells of a woman who came to him and asked, "Dr. Graham, how can I stop exaggerating all the time?"  Billy Graham's answer was, "Call it a lie."

A wise teacher once said to me, “Right is right when nothing is right, and wrong is wrong when everything is right.”  Meaning, no matter how you flavor it, snipes, barbs, innuendos, lies, and cruel remarks are never the truth, no matter how blind society becomes.

You know, in the early days of our Country, we had real heroes, who risked “their lives, their fortunes, and their honor,” all in the defense of liberty.  Patrick Henry, a fiery red-head, and true patriot, said, “I care not which course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”  Where is today’s Patrick Henry?  Where is today’s George Washington, who could have been, but who refused to be, King?  Where are the heroes of our time?  Where is honor and truth?  We once knew what that was.  

To my friends from other countries, you know of what I speak.  It is written in the hearts of all of us.  We long for honor and truth, and when we don’t have it, we are not fooled by false heroes.  We know truth, even if, as it is in some countries, you dare not speak it.

In America, with all our faults and imperfections, I am free to write this blog and criticize, by name, if I want to, every leader in my country, from the President of the United States, down to the smallest clerk in the smallest town.  I can speak my mind, out in the open, and disagree, and most of the time, no one will molest me.  In spite of the many ways that I am disappointed in my leaders, I’m proud of that right that I have to speak out, and to have my speech protected.

I may not be thrilled with the selection of people that I have to choose from, in an American election, but if I want to, I can decline to vote, and stay home.  Or I can choose whom I think is the best candidate.  Or I can even vote for the least worst candidate.  Sometimes we have great choices:  Ronald Regan; Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Teddy Roosevelt, Bill Clinton.  Great Presidents, not perfect men.  Then, there are others who were not so great.  I will let you choose the losers.

My mother always said, “The office of President makes the man, not the other way around.”  She, of all people, inspired my interest in the American political process, and I have never been able to shake the need to know, “who’s on first.”  Now that I have a laptop on my lap, and I have the internet, Google, Facebook, and the World Wide Web, I have at my fingertips more information in a minute, than my mother had available in a year.  And, still, my mother was more informed than I.  I remember that fondly about her, and the memory always makes my eyes sting and my heart smile.

To many of my friends overseas, if you live in a repressed country, where fear follows every utterance of your tongue, do not give up in working for change.  Change, no matter where you are, comes from within.  Small changes within oneself can make big changes possible.  If you live in a free country, the message is the same.  Change comes from within.

In my own country, you don’t have to be a genius to see the things that are wrong.  Read the remarks after every news article on the web:

“The President is perfect,” if you are a Democrat.

“The President is evil,” if you are a Republican.

“You must vote for this candidate, or you are not a true Republican,” says the Republican establishment.

“If you don’t vote for this candidate, then you are at war with Free Enterprise and Capitalism,” again says the Republican establishment.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to be told who I must vote for; and I certainly don’t like to be told that I’m some kind of traitor for not buckling under.  If you try to control me, I am likely to do exactly what you do not want me to do.  I’m not easily pushed, and bullying has never worked.

My friends overseas are obviously confused about what they see on our news, so I will let you know, that the very arguing that you see on TV, while often offensive, is the direct result of total freedom.  In the end, we are still friends.  We still love our country, and we honor our laws.  If necessary, when attacked we fight as a unit.  When you harm one of us, you harm all of us.

As Americans, let us remember the day of September 11th.  While the dust still filled the sky, and our hearts and country was wounded, spontaneously, on the steps of our Capitol, all of our Congress members broke out into one of our favorite hymns:  God Bless American.  Let us understand that they are our leaders, flawed though they may be.  So, I guess my message today is as much for me, as it is for you.

We live in a blessed nation, which most of us believe is “under God.”  We care about one another.  Our hearts swell with pride, and our eyes fill with tears, at the first strains of our national anthem.  In our strange and imperfect way, we love each other.  We love our country, and no matter our faith, most of us, love God.  We may see Him in different colors, races, and creeds, but we all know in our hearts, that we need not fear that He might not know who He is.  Because He does.

For whatever strange and wonderful reason, America is blessed by God.  We know it, and we wonder why, but then, He knows why.  God knows why.  Have faith.  We are still in His hands.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

www.twitter.com/encouragingjaye

Encouraging Words for Those Who Feel Worthless by Jaye Lewis

Wonderfully Made  by Jaye Lewis

 I was supposed to be nothing.  That was the plan.  At nine years old, my father screamed into my face.

“YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A FAILURE!  YOU WILL NEVER BE ANYTHING!  YOU’LL NEVER BE ANYTHING BUT A NOTHING, AS LONG AS YOU LIVE!!!  

I believed him.  I forgot that I was created by a Great Loving God, Who “knit me together in my mother’s womb," as promised in Psalm 139:13

Despairing, because of  my father's words, I worked hard at being a “nothing.”  I stopped studying for my classes, in school.  I stopped dreaming the dreams that often shape our future, and I barely scraped by.

By the time I was in seventh grade, I overheard my parents talking about how wonderful life would be for them if I had never been born, because, being the youngest, I would be out of the way, and they could follow their dreams.  I believed them, and I forgot what God said about me.

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."  Isaiah 49:15-16a.

By the time I was fifteen, my final ninth grade report card read, “She has incredible general knowledge, but no specific knowledge.  She’ll never become anything continuing on this course.”  I believed my teacher, and I continued on my worthless course, reading and studying on my own, everything from history through science, and as my teacher said, I began to have much general knowledge.

I read the Bible, which was a forbidden book, according to the religion of my childhood, and I began to know the God of the Bible and His great love for me.  Yet, still I believed I was a failure, even weird.  Somewhere, in the midst of that, I began to write, and I discovered that with no one to talk to, I began to talk to God.  I did not understand the truth of Psalm 139:14, which says that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Years came and went, and darkness was all around me, but there, in the darkness, I found the light of God’s presence.  Always there.  Always comforting.  Unknowing, as I was, God was always with me.  I discovered the truth about the presence of God in Psalm 139:7-12 

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.’”

I discovered that even if I did not know God, He knew me.  There was much darkness in my life.  I had no one to believe in me, but somehow, by the grace of God, I knew that God believed in me.  I stumbled through many a dark valley, yet I discovered that I could not run from God.  He was always with me.  I discovered that in being hurt, I could seek to heal others.  In being lonely, I could reach out and erase another’s loneliness.  In believing myself to be a failure, I could encourage others to succeed.  I could be a woman of honor.  A woman of truth.  I could change my course.  And when I wrote, as I did from an early age, I could give hope to others.

I wish I had known God from the beginning.  I wish that instead of a religious home, that I had grown up in a Godly one.  I wish that in my teens there had been someone to influence my life, and change my course.  However, even though I remember, painfully, my lonely teenage years, I can testify that my present happiness and fulfillment came from no one except God.

You see, it is God who brought me into the pleasant pasture of my middle years, and on into the beauty of my present day.  I can look to no one but Him, for the joys in my life…my wonderful husband, my beautiful daughters, and my precious friends.

I am an award winning writer through His grace.  I have completed my first book.  I don’t expect it to be my last.  A lot of people have lent me a hand in this process, but God alone brought me here.  So now, in my world that is so filled with His light, I still look for those opportunities to be alone with God.  And as I look back, into my teens, I realize what a great gift it was to spend those lonely nights and days with Him.  I have also learned that the ugly words that others speak about me, say more about them, than they say about me.  

So do not listen to negativity.  Your Heavenly Father declares in His WORD, that you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”  Believe Him.  You are wonderful.  Totally unique. God expects great things from you.  So now you can expect them from yourself.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org