Encouraging Words in Times of Trouble by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

It is difficult to look at our world, in these later days without a sense of apprehension, fear, and sorrow, even when our personal lives are filled with comfort and peace. We are, after all, brothers and sisters on this earth. Apart from God and His grace, we are all we have. When tragedy strikes others, no matter where, we all feel it. We are the human race, and in spite of catastrophic events, I believe that God is with each of us every step of the way.

I have experienced hunger, beatings, abandonment, and the betrayal of family and false friends, but God has gotten me through. He rescued me, and He has given me a good life, with a kind and loving husband, with two devoted daughters, and the home I never thought that I'd ever have. On the other hand, I have been to God, a false friend who blamed Him for every sorrow. I have abandoned Him, and I have spit in His face, more than once. But through all of that, He has loved me, kept me safe, always been here for me, and my one true friend.

God does not demand perfection, because, well, we're just not perfect. Not even close. He wants nothing from us except our love. Our prayers are the music of His heart. Our obedience is a sweet treasure to Him. When we reach out, He is already there, the perfect Father, the warm arms that hold us close. I have felt those arms encircle me, and I have felt His love filling me. And that, my friends, is what keeps me going back, no matter how far I stray.

He is the peace, in the midst of turmoil, and He is our victory within our defeat. Oh, please, no matter your trouble or sorrow, do not give up on Him, for He will carry you through. I pray for His presence in every aspect of your life. I pray that you will expect Him to be there, and that you will ask Him to give you the victory over your troubles.

Oh please, do not give up. Do not believe that you are alone. For He is closer than your own heartbeat. He has said that He will never forget you, even should your mother forget you. He says, that we are carved on the palms of his hands.

I have walked the weary road of life, with misfortunes every step of the way. I have sought the wisdom of the world, and I have found none. I have sought peace from within and without, and I have found nothing. With every beat of my heart I have searched for meaning in my life, and I have come up empty. The only peace, and wisdom, and meaning in my life, I have found on my knees, at the foot of the Cross of Jesus.

It is true that there are other doctrines, and other faiths, but I cannot speak for them. I can only speak the truth of my own life, my own journey, and it is at the foot of the Cross that my life began to change. Christ is my way. He is my truth. He is my light and my life. And He is my victory.

The Eye of the Storm

Words and Music by Jaye Lewis

Keep me, oh Lord, in the eye of the storm,

Where my heart can beat without fear.

In the silence so deep;

In the warmth of Your love;

I know that Your presence is near.

For though it is dark, and the silence so still,

Your Light still illumines the place.

You are with me, oh Lord;

You surround me with hope;

In the dark I can still see Your face.

In the eye of the storm,

I can hear with my heart;

The beautiful tones of Your voice;

And though I may dread,

The destruction I hear,

In my soul, I still can rejoice.

They surround me, oh Lord, with their visions of hate;

I can see that they've singled out me!

With my hand tucked in yours;

And my hope in Your love,

I know that I truly am free!

So, I wait on the storm, with a joy in my heart,

A gift that I know comes from You.

So, how can I fear? I am safe in Your arms!

In the eye of the storm, You are here!

© Jaye Lewis, 1999

www.entertainingangels.org

Thank You for the Sunset by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

Every once and awhile, I share a poem with you, that I have written. I would like to share more, because each poem illustrates my relationship with God. He is our Father, after all, and He listens to our prayers. While He doesn't grant our every wish, He loves our prayers. He loves to hear from us, because the desires of our hearts are music to God's ears.

Thank You for the Sunset by Jaye Lewis

Thank You, God, for the sunset

And for the end of day;

When the rosy sky above me

Simply takes my breath away.

Thank You for the mountains

Which fill my every view;

Reminding me of the joy I feel,

When I spend the day with You.

Thank You, God, for the grace You give

Which fills me with delight;

From the early morning sunrise,

And through the darkest night.

Forgive me, Lord, for my faithless heart,

When my soul is filled with grief,

When my body simply fails me

And I pray for swift relief.

It’s hard to face the daylight,

When a soul is wracked with pain.

Yet I cannot resist Your love

So I return again.

Lord, I am blessed with children

And a husband filled with grace.

I can see the love they feel for me,

When I look upon each face.

I wonder why the loneliness

As I struggle through each day?

I pray that You will come to me

And take my pain away.

These are the questions that I have

As I talk to You within;

Yet I am grateful for Your love

Which forgives my every sin.

I pray for those who read this,

For I know their struggle too.

May they be blessed with sweet desire

To spend the day with You.

© Jaye Lewis, February 2010

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

Doxie of My Heart by Jaye Lewis

Good-night sweet prince, my little man;

With muzzle now so gray;

I see you racing down the hill

Just like a pup at play.

With every leap your faithful heart

Fills mine with terrible fear.

I know the days are growing short,

And soon you’ll not be here.

You are my little troubadour.

You are my shining knight.

Ferociously you keep your watch

Just aching for a fight.

More than rubies is your worth,

More than silver or gold.

I wouldn’t trade the world for you,

So brave you are, and bold.

Ah, sweet prince, I love you so,

I doubt I can live without you.

When your heart forgets to beat,

I’ll tell stories all about you.

Yet, I’ll go on without your love,

So funny and so wise.

The sweet devotion in your heart,

Shines deep within your eyes.

Has it really been so long,

Since we first fell in love?

A tiny puppy in my hand

Was sent by God above?

I sob my grief before its time

I cannot let you go.

I raise my voice to heaven and ask

Why this must be so.

Good night sweet prince, my little lord,

Doxie of my heart.

I’ll treasure every day with you,

Until we two must part.

© Jaye Lewis, May 1, 2010

Happy Thirteenth Birthday Happy Dog, My Sweet and Loving Prince!!

Who Knows? By Jaye Lewis

Hello Friends,

This is a subject that has long been on my heart. It has lain heavy, like a great heartache. Who knows the condition of our pet's souls? From those who believe that we all merely melt into the ground, with no hope of any afterlife, to those who believe we can kill a chicken and find wisdom, to those Christian theologians who profess to know the mind of God -- all profess to know the condition of an animal's soul.

I have often said that someone who abuses an animal is just as likely to abuse a human being. The study of human psychology, or abnormal human psychology, has proven it to be the case. However, this is not an intellectual treatise. This is from the heart of a woman who believes the words of Jesus when He gave His sermon about worry.

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" Matthew 6:26 KJV

"Therefore do not worry...." Matthew 6:31 KJV

Jesus has given us a perfect example of our worth, compared to the value that our Father in Heaven places upon these little creatures. The significant phrase is "more value than." We have more value in God's eyes, than the value of His precious creatures whom He feeds. God feeds these wonderful creatures, because they have value to Him. He loves them.

Jesus tells us in another part of Matthew, just how precious are these small creatures.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will...Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29, 31

A copper coin was not worth very much in Bible times. Yet Jesus was not telling us to have contempt for the little birds. He was holding them up as an example of how precious we are to God. We have value to Him. He loves us.

Let's take a look at that Scripture with today's yardstick. In America, a copper coin would be a penny, which is worth very little. So, perhaps we could say we are worth many pennies. Doesn't make us seem worth very much does it? But that's not what Christ was saying. He was saying that our Father in Heaven has placed great value upon us, though I sometimes wonder why. He was saying to our stubborn, hardened hearts that God loves us, and His love is worth everything.

It's not about us. It's about God. He holds the yardstick, not us. We are not to place value upon ourselves. He is the one who places the value. We are to be as humble as the smallest sparrow who comes to my back deck to feed.

My point is that animals are precious, especially our pets. They are not only precious to us, but they are precious to God, and I don't see why that is not crystal clear. I have heard more than one preacher extol on the worthlessness of animals, citing one of the most misunderstood passages in Scripture.

"Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?" Ecclesiastes 3:21

That is the single line in Scripture that a Christian preacher will seize upon to teach a doctrine that the Bible doesn't even speak about: the false doctrine of animals without souls. It infuriates me. It makes me angry because that is NOT what that Scripture says. Look at the end of that sentence. There is no period. There is no exclamation point. There is a question mark. And the first two words hold the key. "Who knows...?"

Who knows? You? Me? Them? No. That is why we must not take Scripture out of context. Read the entire passage. Shoot! Read at least a paragraph. How did a question turn into a statement? I don't know, and it makes me heartsick. I am no theologian. I make no claim to be. However, where the Word of God is concerned, I tread lightly. We must not pretend to know it all. We know little, especially when we try to understand the heart and mind of God.

On a very human level, however, I am certain that we have been given these close relationships with God's creatures, who were created before us, so that we might learn from them. They teach us a lot about ourselves. And according to the Son of God, they teach us a lot about God.

Who knows? Only God knows. We can only hope to try.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

A Good Seed by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

When Edmund Branch arrived in China, in 1899, he had such high hopes. The young missionary had dreams of converting all of China to Christianity. Edmond spent twenty years learning the many different dialects of the people, and he gave thousands of sermons. He was well known, and loved, by everyone who knew him.

When "Fa-dil," as the Reverend Father was known, arrived in a town, the whole village turned out, and they shared with him, all that they had. Edmund was often reminded of the "Widow's Mite," the parable that Jesus spoke of, where the rich came to the Temple and offered great wealth, asking for God's favor. Then a widow came and gave a paltry sum, but Jesus said that she gave the greatest gift, because she gave "all that she had." So, were the Chinese people to Father Edmund Branch. They gave him all they had.

In spite of his popularity throughout the villages, Edmund was despondent. In the twenty years that he spent, preaching in China, he had only one convert, a young boy of humble birth. He became Fa-dil's assistant, lighting candles on the altar of the primitive church, and serving as his altar boy. In that time the young man got married, and his wife converted, but no one else converted to Father's faith. They remained Buddhist. Finally Father "Fa-dil" gave up, in despair, and he returned home. He was a failure, and everyone knew it.

For forty-five more years Edmund served in obscure parishes, this humble missionary, who served God without a single convert. Finally, at the age of eighty-five, Edmond retired from the active priesthood. However, he couldn't resist one last trip to China, and to the village where he had baptized that one young boy. Fa-dil stepped out of the Twentieth Century automobile

and into the era of yesterday, when he had first placed his foot on the soil that was China. He had wired ahead, the time of his arrival.

An old man stepped forward to meet him, bowing with respect, and smiling broadly. Then he ran to embrace the Father, his beloved Fa-dil. Tears rolled down Edmund's face, as he embraced his only convert. Soon the entire village emptied out of the huts, and they all lined up to kiss Fa-dil's hand.

"Fa-dil," said the Chinese elder, "will you baptize my family?" For they had all become Christians, because of their saintly grandfather, who had taught them the Gospel.

"Certainly, I will!" Edmund smiled, thinking ironically, that he'd finally made a couple more converts.

"Where is your family?" Edmund asked, puzzled?

In halting, yet very good English, the, now, much older convert of Edmund, grinned his answer.

"Here they are!" He cried.

His arm swept to include all the smiling faces, who waited to kiss Edmund's hand. Hundreds were lined up, maybe a thousand people, lined up to kiss Edmund's hand and request Baptism. Every person baptized in the following days were all the descendants of the young boy whom Edmund had baptized. You see, Edmund had not been a failure after all. He had merely planted a good seed, and just as Jesus said, he had reaped a thousand-fold.

To the end of his days, Edmund never forgot the day he baptized nearly a thousand people. He cherished the lesson that he had learned. Success is not measured in the amount of the harvest, but in the depth that one sows a good seed.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

Encouraging Words: Growing Old With Humility by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

It is difficult for me to choose which Book in the Old Testament that I most closely identify with. The Old Testament has taught me many things about God, the Bible, and myself. No Old Testament figure has had more of an influence on my life than David. Hero he may have been, and hero he may remain, but David's heart belonged to God. It was before God that David knelt, not in pride, but with humility.

"This poor man cried out," David acknowledged speaking of himself, "and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." Psalm 34:6.

David knew who he was. He was no wimp, as we would say today; yet he knew that every victory he ever had, whether against another, or against his own human failings, God was his victory.

I first read about David at the age of twelve. The Bible was forbidden to me, yet I disobeyed and I read it in secret. I must admit that I had backing from my mother. I'll always be thankful for her encouragement.

I was raised in the old Catholic Church, where personal reading of the Bible was forbidden. The Pope was called the vicar of Christ on earth, and the priest represented Christ to us in our own Parishes. Much of the Catholic Church in my childhood, actually stood in the way of a personal relationship with God. David, on the other hand was a shining example of a man whose relationship was so personal, that he willingly and humbly opened himself before God, fully expecting wrath, yet gaining God's mercy and His love.

That is where I want to live my life with God, personal, exposed in His sight, admitting of my sins, and repenting from them. I want to throw myself upon His mercy, knowing that I don't deserve it and cannot earn it.

David danced before God. He celebrated Him in his life, in spite of his sinful ways. David hated his own sin. Once he realized that He hurt God, and hurt Him he did, David humbly repented and begged for forgiveness. Because of this, God not only called David friend, but He called him His beloved. That is what the name David means, "beloved."

This is the relationship I desire to have with God. I try to live my life with humility, and often, I fail. I try to be brave in the face of tragedy, and boy, I really fail at that. But I try, and sometimes, by the grace of God, I am victorious, and when I am, I praise His name.

I know that someone reading this might be confused as to what I mean. I'm so sorry. How difficult it is for me to express what all this means to me. I can only confess that God is as real as my heart beat, which I can feel but cannot see. He is more powerful than a strike of lightning, which can be seen, but little understood.

There are so many things in nature that are as mysterious as faith in God. For instance, gravity is one of the weakest forces in nature, yet it keeps the planets from colliding, and from throwing ourselves into the sun. Why? Science can teach us many things, but only with limitation. Science can tell us how the sky is blue, but they cannot tell us why. There are so many diseases that once were deadly, yet in our understanding of nature which surrounds us, there has been found a cure.

Really? You might say. Name one medicine that has given us a cure which has changed the world, you might demand. Okay. Penicillin. Penicillin changed the world. Where did it come from? Mold. Even when I was a girl, penicillin was so powerful against infection, that one shot was enough to cure you. Now we have so many derivatives, such as Augmentin and Amoxillin, which are made in a laboratory. Science can discover but it cannot create. Science can only imitate that which God has done.

There are so many miracles that God has done, within my own life, which fill me with wonder and humility. Praise His name. In my blog I have enumerated so many of these events. If Science would only consider that there is a God, and that they need Him, what wonders and medical cures could be brought about. If Science would have humility and acknowledge God, many secrets in nature might be understood.

Humility before God is not something that comes easy to me. I like to whine and complain first. I even manage to blame God for many troubles that I have brought about myself. I am a messy, clumsy child of God. I often wonder if He rolls His eyes at me. And, why am I still here? That question I cannot answer I cannot find, but I enjoy every moment that I spend with Him, and loving Him makes my heart smile. He is my first love, and whether I am going to like tomorrow or not, I pray that I will accept it with humility.

The Touch of His Hand by Jaye Lewis

I have been to the top of a mountain

Where the air is crisp and clean.

I have seen the Gulf meet the ocean

In a tempest of blue and green.

I have heard the deepest silence

In the eye of the hurricane;

Yet, in the storm that raged within me,

I found the sweetest Name.

The Name that created the heavens,

And rules them to this day;

The Name that rules, within my heart

Can never be stolen away.

Where ocean greets the gulf stream;

Where shore meets the sunlit sand;

Where mountain meets the heavens;

I can see the touch of His hand.

In awe I seek the distance,

Where galaxies collide;

This God of minute detail,

From Him I cannot hide.

He follows my every footstep.

He's sought me all my days.

He's taken residence in my heart

And teaches me all His ways.

I do not learn that easy.

I struggle as David did.

Yet, He sought me in my darkest place,

Where I thought that I was hid.

And, still, He seeks the corners

Of the soul that is burdened with sin;

He pierces all the secrets,

And spreads His Light within.

Go to Him! Wait no longer!

He desires to save your soul.

Go, now, to your Savior, Jesus!

His Love will make you whole!

And if you already know Him,

Hold Him close within your heart.

Be a guiding light to others

And His love will not depart.

© Jaye Lewis, 1999

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

Growing Old With Diabetes by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

It's hard to believe that we're into a new year. I hope that this finds you all well. No, I mean it. Being well does not mean that all sickness is gone and you're ready to hit the snowy slopes. If that is true, than I congratulate you, but to me, being well is a state of mind. Being well means I WILL NOT GIVE UP!!

Having diabetes can mean a lot of depression, especially after the holidays, because during the holidays, we usually gain weight. Here we are, another year older and not much wiser. Diabetes is a diabolical illness. It is a tenuous balance between weight-gain and weight loss. It is especially difficult to lose weight since the loss of a single pound can send your blood glucose levels spiraling downward. Exercise, along with diet, can mean ups and downs that boggle the imagination. I've been doing both, and it is very slow, since a little too much, along with not enough testing could send my blood glucose suddenly down into hypoglycemia and shock. So I'm being careful.

I test about six times a day. I've had doctors who have denied prescriptions for more than three times a day testing. If you have one of those doctors, send them packing. No one should have the right to play God with your life. I'm a great patient, as long as I have a good doctor. I've fired more than one doctor, and I've told off a few others. It's important that you have a doctor who makes you feel confident and cared for. The bottom line, however, is this: you are the only person who cares most about you. You must be your own physician. You must know more and care more for your own body than any doctor you will ever have.

The irony of all this is that when you do take care of yourself, and you must, often the doctor finds you less appealing. Have you ever had a doctor who said, "I have to get off the phone! I have sick people to care for?!" Ah yes, I have had that doctor, more than once.

One of the problems with growing old with diabetes, are the other diseases that also attack your body. It feels, sometimes, as though I'm falling apart bit by bit. Like an automobile, first a fender falls off, then the steering wheel, then the side mirror, then the tires, then the motor... Well, you know. I also have asthma, trigeminal neuralgia, arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetic neuropathy, heart arrhythmia due to my medications, and so forth. You, also, have a host of medical conditions, and the whole package can cause depression and a desire to give up.

I have had friends who gave up. A friend of mine periodically would decide, today I do not have diabetes. Then she would stop her medication, head to the pancake house, and she would order everything on their menu. She would then proceed to eat her way into the emergency room of the hospital. She hurt her friends, her husband, her children, and she hurt herself.

Another friend would simply take the day off from diabetes, stop her medication and head to the bakery or a restaurant and eat whatever was chocolate and available. Why they did this, I never understood. For them it was a way to take control, but they held hostage everyone in their family. We do not have that right. Going off of our medications and deliberately eating everything in sight is NOT taking control. It is letting the disease take control of us. My family is worth more than that. Any sacrifice, any struggle is worth the effort, for myself and for them. We must put our health, and the love of our families, before our selfish desires.

My friends, if I seem as though I'm preaching, I hope that you will forgive me. If I am preaching, it is only to myself. I have been selfish. I have worried my family. And the worst of all things has happened in my life, giving me a frightening wake-up call. My precious husband, the love of my life, has had a heart attack, and he almost died. Praise God, he survived through life changing surgery. Immediately the whole family went on his diet.

Because of this near tragedy, I am eating better than I have in a long, long time. Slowly, I am backing down on my insulin. Slowly, I am taking baby steps with exercise, all the while realizing that every step forward requires an adjustment in my thinking and an adjustment in my medications. It's not easy, but very slowly, I am losing weight, and I am feeling encouraged. I have gone from I can take control to Please God, take control of my life!

So, this new year, I have not, nor am I making new years resolutions, dooming myself to failure. I am reevaluating my life and my choices, and choosing to be all that I can be, through the grace of God, for Him, for my family and for myself. So help me God!

Heavenly Father, I know that there is for me, and each of us, a time when we must say good-by to this world, and enter the eternities. However, for today and tomorrow, I pray that you will grant me the time to glorify you with my life until You come for me, to take me home. I love You, Lord. You know that, because you can see my heart. I have been lazy. I have been willful. And, worst of all, I had given up. Please Lord, light my path, and make it straight before me, as only You can.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

Encouraging Words for 2011 by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

My mother believed that giving should always require a cost, not money, but a sacrifice. If you give, and you don't give a piece of yourself with it, than you've really given nothing at all.

When I was young, my mother put her belief into action. She would often reach into her empty pockets, and miraculously, she would bring forth just exactly what the other person needed. It was inspiring to me, while, to my sister, it was cause for scorn. Anything childlike and beautiful in my mother, was effectively stomped out, as though one might snuff out a candle or put out a campfire. I don't know why, because it was at these times that I loved my mother the most.

Why would anyone rather look at a pile of ashes? How could anyone not see, that by casting her down, they were killing her just a bit at a time? It is why I have difficulty forgiving my siblings, for all they did to my mother, and all they failed to do for her. My efforts were never enough for her. My mother wanted them to understand her and to love her. I doubt they ever did. Oh how I loved my mother, but she never accepted it. But still, with all of the pain and heartache of our later lives, I love her still, and I forgive her for not understanding just how much I loved her.

My spirit of giving comes from my mother's example: the day she gave a beggar my father's only suit; the Christmas in which she protected a mother mouse and her naked little newborns from harm, and she fed them until they grew up and left the nest. Birds, kittens, pups, and chicks, all were the same to my mother, God's little children who needed someone to love and look after them, and she did.

My mother was a woman who was filled with a tender heart, and it was broken repeatedly, so much so that she lost her grasp upon reality, and became a bitter old woman. But those were the later years. I focus on the younger ones, and I have tried to become the woman my mother really wanted to be.

I am my own woman, but I remember her with each event, where I am able to give a piece of myself with each act of giving. Others may be logical and say well you can't help everyone. I agree, but when did knowing the "hard" of anything stop me from investing the "heart" of everything? With every act, with every word I write, with every prayer, I leave a piece of myself. The miracle in all of this, is that I've discovered the more that I give of myself, the more that is left over for me to give again. Another saying of my mother's is giving is a reward in itself.

I've often told my children that the only thing that you can take with you when you die, is what you have given away. There are various versions of that saying, and it is nothing new. But it can be new for you, just as it can be new for me. Jesus said, that by giving a cup of water to one of his little ones, it is as though we have given to Him. As we approach this new year, thoughtfully and prayerfully, may it be so for you and for me.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

Christmas Blessings and Happy New Year!!! By Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

In the Name of Christ for whom we celebrate; In the Spirit of His love, joy, peace, and hope, I wish each of you a joyous Christmas and a New Year filled with promise. My prayer is that all good things happen to you and yours, today and the year to come.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

How Dare I?! By Jaye Lewis

I’m always amazed to read the scathing blast of a Christian’s self-righteous sermon in print. A couple of Bible passages are always given as a reference to illustrate the point of the sermon. Then the inevitable guilt club is picked up and swung, right at a sinful heart, in perfect judgment.

“How dare you ask God’s forgiveness, when you are not forgiving?!” They shriek.

“How dare you ask for mercy when you are not merciful!” They ask.

The questions and accusations are hurled like darts at a pulsing target, and when they hit the heart, many things can happen. These accusations can make a person, weighed heavy by sin, to feel hopeless, as they suppose that “not even God will forgive my sin.” I have seen this happen, and I have also been that sinner, who gave up before I even tried.

What happened to the Scripture, “Judge not that you be not judged? For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew 7:1-2.

Have we forgotten Jesus’ exchange with the woman caught in adultery?

“And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:11

We Christians! How we love to judge other Christians. We have so much compassion for the lost, but we seem to have very little compassion for one another. Why is that? Are we beginning to feel a bit holy? We must remember that we are not holy. We are deserving of the same wrath as those who war against Christ. The difference is that we depend on Him to bring us to the Father through His holiness. Except that the Father sees us through Christ’s mercy, His sacrifice, His perfection, then we would have no hope. I cannot say this loud enough. We have no perfection of our own!

So, now, before God and my fellow Christians, I will confess, “How dare I.”

I dare to go to God for mercy, every day, every hour, every minute, because I know that I have no mercy in my heart, except by His grace.

I dare to ask forgiveness, again, and again, and again, because I have no forgiveness in my heart, except by His grace.

I go to Him throughout my day, and into the night, as I sin again,and again, with my heart, with my mind, and with my mouth.

I ask for forgiveness, because of my unforgiveness.

Then I ask Him to grant me the grace to change my heart, so that one day, I will be able to forgive, selflessly and utterly.

I ask for mercy because of my lack of mercy.

I ask Him to forgive me, even as I brood over those who have hurt me.

I ask Him to forgive me, and to forget my sin, even as I remember…remember every hurt and every unkind word that has been hurled at me.

I ask Him, yet again, for forgiveness, for my unforgiveness.

Each time that I repeat myself, begging for God’s presence within my sinful life, He comes to me, if I let Him. He reminds me that David, beloved of God, also cried out in desperation.

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou Judgest.” Psalms 51:1-4

I, too, have cried out just like David:

"Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.”Psalms 139:21-22

I also cry out, like David:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Only God can do that, and I am certain that I can trust God to take my old sinful heart and make a new one.

I am certain that when I try to be like Jesus, I am going to fail, utterly and miserably; however I also am confident that God, who searches my heart, knows that my desire is to be like Him, and only Christ can make me so. Jesus knows that when my faith is weakened by anger and outrage, I will stubbornly cling to Him. He knows that I am painfully aware that I cannot change myself. I can only allow Him to change me.

I am a sinner. A forgiven sinner. Not because of my efforts, intent, or goodness. I am not good. I am capable of any sin…except for, and only because of His grace, am I saved. I am helpless to help myself, so I depend on Jesus.

I go to Him in every ugly moment of my life, confessing, then sinning again; but I keep going. And that is how, and that is why I can say, "I dare!"

Father in heaven, Abba, my only God. Please forgive me my unforgiveness, and help me to forgive, even as you have forgiven me. Help me to have mercy, even as you have been merciful to me. Help my faith to be founded, not upon emotionalism, but in the sure, abiding grace of Your love. You are my rock to which I cling, and You are my hiding place, and there is none other who can take your place in my heart.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

© Jaye Lewis, 2005

Doorway of Heaven by Jaye Lewis

I've been to the doorway of heaven,

Where the sky is a lavender blue,

Where brilliant light surrounded me,

And the warmth of kindness too.

I have seen the people gathered,

Worshiping the King.

Then I heard the angel whisper,

“This is where you enter in.”

He held my hand so gently,

I could barely feel his touch.

In spite of my sins he led me

To the King I love so much.

As we walked into the throne room,

The crowd parted in the mist,

Slowly he led me onward

To the feet I longed to kiss.

Kneeling down before Him

The King smiled as He looked down.

Then gathering us in His loving arms,

I could hear His heartbeat sound.

Like lightening He struck my heart!

Don’t stop! Please give me more!

Then all at once I hurtled back

To the life I’d known before!

“No-o-o-o-o!” I screamed. “Don’t leave me!”

“Please bring me back again!”

But over it was, and He left me

Sobbing out my pain.

It’s hard for me to understand

Why God blessed me in this way.

Perhaps it was because He knew

I’d tell you all today:

He’s alive! He’s real! He loves you!

He wants to bring you home;

To heal each lonely, broken heart,

And leave you not alone.

My words are so inadequate

To tell you what transpired,

And how I felt when lightening

Set my heart on fire.

Please think about the moment

When your soul and body part.

Don’t leave your future all to chance.

Please give Him now your heart.

© Jaye Lewis, November 22, 2010

My friends,

This is a true event that I can't explain. I'm not holy, nor am I more than a sinful woman who happened to be blessed in an extraordinary way. This experience took place thirty-five years ago, when my youngest child was born. I planned never to share this outside my immediate family; however I feel called to share this with you, right now.

On Thanksgiving Day, it will have been a month since my husband's heart attack. Thank God he survived and is doing well. So, I thought, maybe you should know, that God is real. That there is hope. Heaven is a real place where God wants us to be, with Him. If you don't know Him, I hope you seek Him. It's not hard. He'll show you the way. God bless and keep you. I will hold you in my heart.

With love and a Blessed Thanksgiving Day,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

Angels Wings by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

On October 25, 2010, my husband had a massive heart attack at work. He suddenly knew he was going to fall, so he lay down on the concrete. One of his co-workers saw him and ran over to help.

"I'm having a heart attack," Louie said.

"John, quick, call 911!" Andy hollered.

John ran like the wind, and the ambulance was there in a flash. All of Louie's closest friends were there to help.

"How can I help?" His boss asked.

"Pray for me." Steve said.

"I will." Said Travis.

"Now!!!" Steve demanded weakly. So Travis prayed.

Before God, with everyone watching, Travis knelt on the cement, and he humbly prayed for Louie's life. God heard, and He answered immediately.

Louie was rushed to our local hospital, where they called for a MedEvac helicopter from a large hospital to our south. Even though there was an electrical storm that whipped our small region, and against all odds, the pilot flew into the storm, and he rescued my husband.

There is a ninety minute window of time between the beginning of a heart attack and the life saving catheter stent. After that, there can be massive heart damage. Ninety minutes. Miraculously, from the time my precious husband was carried into the ambulance, and the heart catheter with its life saving stent opened his artery, it was eighty-eight minutes. Eighty-eight minutes. My husband's heart began to beat normally, and God spared his life.

There is much more to the story, but this is the important part. God is in control and He is always on time. He comes when He chooses, and He often gives his people angel's wings.

So, in His honor, with deepest humility, I share the above pictures, and the poem which goes with them.

The Morning of the Wow

Had I not got up at seven,

I'd have missed a lovely day,

When the mist hung on the mountain,

And took my breath away.

The sun began its journey

With a soft and rosy glow,

That touched the edges of the clouds

Painting all the valley below.

Then all at once the dawn broke

Shooting out with golden light.

It gathered mist up like a ball

And chased away the night.

The birds began their morning feed

At the breaking of the day.

Chirping out their cheerful songs

Chasing all my cares away.

I stood in awe and reverence,

Thanking God for this great gift.

In moments it was over,

And the mist began to lift;

And all around me was the day,

Not much to speak of now;

But I'll remember blissfully,

The morning of the WOW!

Copyright, Jaye Lewis, 2002

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

The above entry is the original work and property of the author. Please feel free to forward the above piece in its entirety to friends and family. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

A New Dawn by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

For the last ten years, I have spent nearly every day, on the internet, posting stories for books, magazines, websites, and online publications. It was a meaningful and sometimes lucrative endeavor. At the same time, I heard from, and wrote to hundreds of people across the globe. I tried to be a comfort, and I tried to validate their emotions and experiences, in their own lives, in such a way as not to "preach."

I tried to be Christ, meaning love without condition, and bring a sense of hope to their hearts. Sometimes I succeeded, and often I failed. I wonder what Jesus will say to me about that. I've been mocked, ridiculed, and misunderstood, amazingly, seldom. Most readers have hearts with love in their souls. I thank all of them, now.

Now, I feel called to a new work, and labor of love. With so many, at this time, doing without, I feel I must start giving more, in a more tangible way, to those in need. My daughters began a drive for the animal shelters in our area. Throughout the company where they work, people have opened their hearts and their pocket books, to save the animals, by providing funding, food, and supplies for the shelters and families, who cannot afford to feed their pets. It's been successful and a wonderful thing to watch.

So, what can I do? What can a woman shut-in do to help the people in our area. Well, God has made the answer obvious. I can sew dolls, quilts, and other toys for children in need. The quilts are aimed at both girls and boys, targeting their imagination and giving them hope. I'm working on my second quilt now. The quilts are small, more like lap robes, but into each one I will put all the beauty and faith that God has given to me. Next Christmas I, and my daughters, will have spent a year preparing, sewing and stuffing, making dolls and quilts for as many as we can. It's a new dawn, and already a labor of love.

I will continue with this blog, giving you updates on my efforts, and I hope you will pray for me. I will share photos of my progress, as I have always done, keeping in mind that this is for the greater glory of the Lord of my life, Jesus. May He reward and bless you in all that you do.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

Keeping Our Families Healthy by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

Have you ever gone to the Doctor's office and wondered if you are the only one who washes your hands? Then you go home again and wash and wash your hands, because you know you've been exposed to something awful? You count down the days, and finally after seven or ten days you feel you're safe; and BAM! you come down with a mystery illness that takes months to cure.

What about the week-end trek to the emergency room? You find yourself sitting in a room full of people who are hacking, coughing, sneezing, and sniffling, and you think, I'm gonna be sicker than I am now in another week. You bring in your alcohol wipes, your big name antiseptic wipes, and still you come down with a mystery disease.

The mystery diseases that I'm speaking of are clinically called Healthcare-Associated Infections or (HAIs). During the H1N1 pandemic, these secondary diseases, which are often unresponsive to antibiotics, were prowling the hospital corridors, by the unwashed hands of caring professionals and the grimy surfaces that we all come in contact with. They are pervasive and insidious illnesses, and they just might kill you.

I was scared to death during the panic of H1N1. Yes, I'm an asthmatic and diabetic, which made me six times more likely to die of the flu, but my biggest fear was HAIs. I wanted to arm myself with a bottle of bleach, and wipe down every surface in my doctor's office and (lucky me) the emergency room. I'm glad that I made it through. However HAIs are still out there, making their rounds from patient to patient, and even though most hospitals FAILED (probably yours) an infectious disease sweep by the CDC, still there are few hospitals that see a need to change.

Well, there is good news. Kimberly Clark is leading the way with a new initiative watch dog group called, of all things, The HAI Watchdog Community, and they invite you to join. It's about time someone watched out for all of us, who want to keep ourselves and our families healthy and safe. This is a good thing. The new website can be found at the following link: http://haiwatchnews.com/

I invite you to check out the HAI website and see for yourselves. Consider joining and become informed. This is an opportunity for all of us to be a part of something that we've all become concerned about: healthcare which actually takes care of us, our families, and our community. I intend to join for a healthier tomorrow for my family. I hope that you will too.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

The Autumn of My Life by Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

Time has a way of slipping away from us. We start out in the springtime of our lives. Everything we dream about is far, far away. Christmas will never come, and when it does, it ends so quickly. Summer speeds by us way too fast, and before we know it, summer is over and we are back in school.

Some of us have happy memories of our school days. I don't. School was a constant barrage of moving here and there, and meeting strangers, not friends. Days crawled by, exchanging one humiliation for another, always knowing that when we left, I would be forgotten and never remembered again.

Then comes the summer of our lives. Summer is a time of colorful parties, with ice cream running down our arms. It is a time for playing tag in the wee hours of the evening, while it is still light. At fifteen we lived in Louisville, Kentucky, and the evening was long and just light enough to get me in trouble. I loved to take my tennis racket and ball, and I would go over to the parking lot across the street to bounce my tennis ball against the blank, brick wall. Back and forth I'd go, bouncing away until the sweat dripped into my eyes, and I was tired to the bone. I enjoyed being alone, doing the things I loved. Being alone meant I didn't have to think of something interesting to say, to someone who didn't care. Being alone meant I could do healthy things that were possible simply because I was alone.

Now, I am in the autumn of my life. I'm sixty-four years old. The number, itself, means very little to me. I can't feel a number. Of course, I would love to look into a full length mirror and see a perfect picture of myself. But then, when I was young and beautiful, I would have told you I was plain, and even ugly, because I had been taught that of all those in my family, I was the least attractive of all. It's only now that I can look at a picture of me, long ago, and see what a lovely creature I was.

Now, I must look at myself in a whole new way. I must see my body through the eyes of my heart. Am I beautiful in my thoughts and my actions? Do I love much? Do I laugh more? Do I listen first, and talk last? Okay, I'm still working on that. Is my life so intertwined with the hopes and dreams of those I love, so that our lives, and hopes, and dreams become woven into a tapestry of reds, and greens, and gold? Or are our lives separate, and stingy, and cold?

Life is a tapestry. Much like a tartan plaid, each life is a thread, without which the cloth would be dull, and without beauty. In the autumn of my life, I strive for that tapestry, to be beautiful with warmth, and humor, and love. We cannot be young forever. Our youth will run by in a flash. And if our young lives are shallow, how can we have depth when we are old?

I have seen both sides. I have seen the very old be mean and calculating, having nothing but bitterness and loathing come out of their mouths. And I have seen those whose lives are filled with laughter, generosity, and love. Jesus said that the good man speaks from the goodness of his heart, and the evil man speaks from the evil of his heart, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Age is a reflection of the youth we have lived, with a life of generosity of spirit or the emptiness of selfishness. I have seen evil destroy itself, but I've also seen goodness live in the remembrance of those whose lives have been blessed with love and unselfishness. An ugly old man was once an ugly young one; and a mean old lady was a selfish young one. We cannot escape what we will become, except by intentional change and the grace of God.

These are the things that I have been mulling over in the autumn of my life. The rosy glow of dawn has been exchanged for the red and purple sky of the evening. However, I have seen sunsets which have lasted long into the purple dark of night. And these sunsets are the most beautiful of all. So, perhaps the autumn of my life will be a long and golden one, where I still have time to be a blessing to others, as I take the time to be thankful for each breath the Lord will give to me, before He comes to take me home. I hope I'll see you there.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangles.org

Friends, feel free to forward this message to friends and acquaintances, however forward in entirety and always include my name and website address. Copyright Jaye Lewis, 2010

Great Health Resource by Jaye Lewis

Hello Friends,

Sometimes, no matter how big you are, or how small, you discover that you have something in common, something to share. I thought that this picture of our littlest dog, Peanut, and our biggest dog Jessie, is a good example of big and small depending on one another, and sharing a space.

I have something to share with you, that I believe will become a good resource for your questions about health and disease, especially after a year, behind us (thank God) where we were facing a frightening Pandemic. The resource that I'd like to share is http://www.infectionwatch.info/

I hope that you will turn to this new resource and get involved in their community, if that appeals to you. I'm sure that you will find something of interest to you.

God bless and keep you, with love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org

Moderation In All Things By Jaye Lewis

Hello friends,

This has been a unique and painful day. I just lost a fight with our local government, over a new water line. I refused to sign an easement over to them, to allow them to dig up my yard. I was given the choice today. Either sign or have no water hook-up. Gee, let me think. Sign? Or no water? Difficult choice, since I have had no shower and my hair looks like a chicken had a bad hair day. So, we’re going to sign. The good news is that the water line is going down the other side of the street, because we resisted signing. Now, the worst they can do – I hope – is make a trench across the road, and cut the roots of a thirty year old maple tree, that was a young sapling when we bought our home. So, there’s gonna be a mess, but the trees that I planted as one-year-old seedlings will be saved. I hope.

The illustration I’m sharing, this inequity, is that life isn’t fair. We are frequently given difficult choices, and often we have to take the hard tumbles, roll over, and get up again. After all, my character hasn’t been assassinated, which has been the case of Shirley Sherrod, the ex-head of the Department of Agriculture’s rural development office in Georgia.

Shirley Sherrod’s true story is one of redemption. A change of heart. The heart we all should have. Having been raised in the south, I understand her story intimately. It is very strange, but I came across the accusation that was made about her, accusing her of racism. Failing to find a video of the snippet of a forty-five minute speech, I, of course, went to YouTube. There I found a longer version of her speech. It was there that I learned about her initial reaction to the plea of a white farmer, twenty years ago, and it was there that I learned the rest of the story and her change of heart. She said “it was revealed” to her that the issue was not about black or white, but the needs of the poor. So, she had a revelation, and there is only One Person who reveals and changes the human heart. God.

Of course, she suffered humiliation, helplessness, and the loss of her job, by a government which reacted without all the facts, leaving Shirley no choice, but to resign on the side of the road, through her Blackberry. Wow. No one has illustrated her plight more poignantly than Glen Beck on Fox News. Yes, Fox News journalists can do the right thing. I’ve never been a fan of Glen Beck, but I am proud of him for telling all of Shirley’s story.

So, here are two unrelated cases, Shirley’s and mine, where the power of the government meets the helplessness of the individual, and serves only itself. My humiliation is very small, while hers is very large, yet they are related when Government overcomes the rights of the individual, simply because they can. As an American, I ask you, what have we become?

The blogger, who released two lines of a speech, without investigating. Who didn’t bother to at least go to YouTube, in search of the whole story – was wrong. I say again, he was wrong. He justified his actions, by explaining away the agony that he was a part of. So, I ask, as human beings, what have we become?

Are we a nation of gossips? Do we accuse and refuse to seek the truth? Are we those whom the Bible speaks of, who have ears, yet refuse to hear? Or do we have eyes to see, yet we refuse to see? Have we become a country divided? Have we thrown away the grace of compassion or fairness? Truth is not truth, when we are satisfied with only half of it. If we believe in a just, as well as a merciful God, then we must – I repeat – we must seek the truth. We will stand before Him, and it will not matter our party affiliation. We will stand before Him whether we believe in Him or not. And if we are believers, and we are asked by Him, how did you spend your time on earth? How much, of the gifts I have given you, have you shared? What then?

I am fatigued by the climate of blame, in our government. I am sick of the corruption. I am sick of the incompetence and the constant finger pointing. I am a conservative; however, as a Christian believer, I must follow the teachings of Paul the Apostle, that we must practice moderation in all things. In all things. So, I will do my best to live by the teachings of Christ – to love others, to reach out with compassion, to forgive, even if I cannot trust, and above all to allow my life to reflect the Savior whom I serve. I fail. All the time. And I failed today.

Father in heaven, I know that I am inadequate in the message I try to give. I pray that You will accept these words by the intentions of my heart, even though I know how insufficient they are. May I live by your word. May I judge others only as I pray that You will judge me. I ask your forgiveness for my impetuous vanity, when I do not know the facts. Lord, please lead me on the paths of righteousness and grant me the grace to follow You.

With love,

Jaye Lewis

www.entertainingangels.org