One for the Family's History Book

Hello, Y'all! I had a thought yesterday that I figured I would develop today. Several posts back, I told you that this pandemic is giving us all some stories to tell. Yes, you, too. And that means that no matter how young you are right now, if the LORD allows your time to roll on, one day you will be somebody's uncle, aunt, great uncle, great aunt, or grandparent, etc. And one day, some of your posterity might have to do a report from school on this, the 2019 Pandemic.

Yes, I know that they can find all that they need to on the internet or whatever it will be called by then, but there is nothing like teaching a lesson first hand to your loved ones with your particular flavor added to it. You might even have pictures that you have taken from certain things that changed because of the pandemic. Too, a scrapbook of the pandemic might be done so that you can use it to teach your little ones and theirs that through it all, GOD will come through. To anyone who might have just had the thought, "Is that an important lesson to pass forward?" What a question?! Of course, it is; it's what's keeping you!

 

Again the Pandemic Speaks

The pandemic is speaking again

This morning it's true

And I wonder fellowman, what speaks

The pandemic, according to you?

Y'all have gotten to hear what life spoke

To my Momma through my messages to you

And now I wonder dear ones

If you are paying attention to

The pandemic messages that this life

Has given to you for you to pass

The lesson forward with its acrid

Flavor wrapped up in the message that

GOD will bring you through.©

********

 

Bottom Line

I want to leave the message with you that troubled times teach you how to lean on the LORD is a way that you never have before. And I want to say this:

Let's all learn the lessons well that this pandemic teaches so that we do not have to be retaught them! Capeesh?!

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

1 Kings 8:23

"I know that my REDEEMER lives for I can feel HIM walking beside me," for when I would falter or faint, HE upholds me. And when I lose my way, HE leads me surely.

 

The Pandemic Speaks

 

As I wade through this pandemic

Feeling as helpless as I can be

The very presence of the pandemic

Serves to remind me

That though there is none righteous before

GOD, HIS faithfulness and love for man

Causes HIM not to ignore

Our pleas for help long if we ask for

Forgiveness and live our lives

According to HIS plan.©

********

New American Standard Bible 1 Kings 8:23

²³ He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Another Day - Another Blessing

This poem was on my heart this morning; I hope that it blesses you.

 

 

For the many blessings, great and small

Thank YOU, LORD GOD

For them all.

YOU have been mindful of me

From the day that I was born

So, it is in the twilight of my life

That I want to offer these verses of poetry.

For the times when I was happy

And for the times that I was sad

Thank YOU for giving me to understand

That my life goes according to YOUR plan.

Thank YOU for allowing my faith

In YOU to fill my mind

So that I could keep stepping on

Despite the vagaries that life put me through.

Thank YOU, LORD, for giving me

Faith of the resilient kind

For the world to see and

Thereby be drawn to THEE.

Thank YOU for the avenue of prayer

And for the built-in comfort found there

And thank YOU for my being acquainted

With the phenomenon, I call "skipping joy"...

I just want to say, "Thank YOU

For the infinite things YOU do

In short, I love the very thought of YOU!"©

********

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

My Redeemer Liveth

 

²⁵For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

 

When all has been said

And all has been done

As far as this clay body of mine

I know that I have a home

With JESUS, divine.

When I tend to get tired

And discouragement attends me

I read my Bible, sing my songs

And pray to my LORD because

HE is a living PRESENCE in my soul

And spending eternity with HIM

Is my Christian walk's goal.

And sometimes when I shed a tear

I remind myself that I am not a

Permanent resident down here

And too, I know that every tear that

I have shed will be wiped away by

GOD, HIMSELF, and I will

Never again have to cry.

So, if you have gotten tired

And/or disgruntled with your lot in life

Just remember that the LORD

Is your SHEPHERD and HE knows

All about your trouble and your strife.

Yes, HE knows all about your disillusionment

And can move it out of the way and

Replace it with contentment

While you rest beside the peaceful

Waters that flow

And I can tell you, from one sheep to another

GOD can rescue you like no other.

If you have gotten tired, well

That is natural enough

Just don't get so tired that you give up

You just keep praying and hanging tough

Because the GOD that we serve is known

To show up and show out when the

Welfare of HIS children is in peril

To let the whole world know that

HIS children are never alone!©

********

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Make It Right

Our GOD is a forgiving FATHER and having said that, there comes a time when the piper has to be paid. So, little thing, big thing - make it right. We don't want to be, "...weighed in the balances, and found wanting."  

Scripture

NASB 2 Samuel22:7-20, 26-28 & 50

“In my distress I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I cried to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.
⁸ “Then the earth shook and quaked,
The foundations of heaven were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
⁹ “Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
Fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
¹⁰ “He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
¹¹ “And He rode on a cherub and flew;
And He appeared on the wings of the wind.
¹² “And He made darkness canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
¹³ “From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.
¹⁴ “The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
¹⁵ “And He sent out arrows, and scattered them,
Lightning, and routed them.
¹⁶ “Then the channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were laid bare
By the rebuke of the Lord,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
¹⁷ “He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
¹⁸ “He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
¹⁹ “They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
²⁰ “He also brought me forth into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

²⁶ “With the kind You show Yourself kind,
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
²⁷ With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the perverted You show Yourself astute.
²⁸ “And You save an afflicted people;...abase.

⁵⁰ “Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.

 

None of us has ever lived a perfect life, but the thing is, to set things in order, with even our thoughts.

 

You did not treat me well

But I managed to hang tough

Because I had JESUS

And that was enough.

You did not include me

You made sure that I felt alone

But I still managed to hang tough

Because I had JESUS

And that was enough!©️

********

“Me and JESUS

We got our own thing going

Me and JESU-U-S

We got it all worked out!”

Let's not let our name be the name that some broken soul whispers to GOD. May it never be! Make it right; keep it right, and keep stepping fellowman. Keep stepping... Be safe.

Walking by faith with JESUS by my side,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

"For the eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good." (Proverbs 15:3, KJV)

"...But the prayer of the upright is HIS delight." (Proverbs 15:8)

 

Another Day

It’s just another day
That the Lord has kept me
Another day that I can
Attest to how HE
Blessed meIt’s just another day
That the Lord has kept me
During this pandemic time
I am reminded of Anne Frank

And of how she kept her spirits up

When she and her family

Had to stay inside of an upper

Hidden portion of her Dad's shop...

Read the book sometime and you

Will see that we have not been

Battling this pandemic thing

Not nearly as long as she did

And she was just a kid

That gives me that much more strength
To keep on stepping up

And remembering all of the times

That GOD has proven HIMSELF

Again and again, and I can be strong

Because, to HIM, I belong

And I used that thought to shore up

Another’s faith yesterday when

I was reached out to by telephone

By telling them to hold on because

One day this pandemic time will be gone!©

********

Never think that it's just another day because you woke up this morning, and some others didn't. Give GOD thanks and praise.

As you can see from reading the book, The Diary of Anne Frank, she and her family hid in the Hidden Annex for 25 months. We have been dealing with this pandemic for about six months.

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Rough Terrain

The hills, mountains, valleys, and rough terrain

That make up my story

Join hills, mountains, valleys, and rough terrain of old

To shout praises to GOD and attest to the fact

That if you stick with HIM, GOD will

Bring you through as pure gold

As you display the magnificence of HIS glory©

********

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

To Thank YOU LORD

For every valley and every hill

For every rock and every rill

For the ones that told me I couldn't

And for all the ones that told me I could

I want to tell YOU as I tell the world

Thank YOU for being my FATHER

My FRIEND, my CONFIDANTE

And my ALL IN ALL

YOU heard me every time I called

YOU held my hand and didn't let me fall.

It's no secret that I belong to YOU

And that because of it, by some,

I'm ridiculed, mistreated, and hated

But I will stand on my allegiance and

Do the things that YOU have laid

Out for me to do.

Lastly, FATHER, I want to say to all

Who will listen

"GOD is my FATHER, and one day

HE will say, 'Well done,'

And present me with a crown that glistens

And I will be alright because

My joy will be complete

And I will stand and tell all the angels

That GOD brought me home

By ordering my steps and guiding my feet."©

********

 

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Are You Like David

I was reading my Bible this morning, and several verses jumped out at me. I was struggling up some hilly reading terrain in 2 Samuel when I was amazed and somewhat perplexed. I was reading in Chapter 7 and got stopped by verse 7, verse 8 briefly and stopped full fledge by verses 18-22. I have listed the verses below so that you can see them and the comments that I have made as to how they impacted me.

2 Samuel 7:1-22

New American Standard Bible

7 Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

² that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” (I am like David in my thinking in that I think that GOD deserves my very best. Are you like that?)

³ Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But in the same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

⁵ “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in?

⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. (This one blew my mind because I never thought about GOD dwelling in a building, but we can see that HE was touched by David's wanting to build HIM a house.)

⁷ Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

⁸ “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. (GOD chose David from a youth.You see before I had always thought it an honor to serve GOD because HE found something for me to do because I wanted to work for HIM so badly. I never actually thought about the fact that HE picked me because HE had a big job for me to do! Me, Y'all, me! In all of the things that I have done for HIM, I looked at my work for HIM as being blessed by HIM because HE wanted me to succeed because I so wanted to work for HIM. Basically, that was the way I looked at it. But now... I'm wondering, "What does the LORD have planned for me; what did HE pick me expressly for and bless me to the extent that HE has for?" I know HE developed me for writing, teaching, and caring, but after I finished reading the scriptures that I listed for you above, my thinkery went into overdrive. I realized that the characteristics listed in the preceding sentence are all characteristics needed to be an effective preacher's wife. That means that HE had plans for me to be a preacher's wife from my youth! Say what?! Uh, uh I thought that these things happened because HE helped me because HE loved me. I never ever thought that HE had me picked to be a preacher's wife from the beginning! The beginning?! 

⁹ I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.

¹⁰ I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the ^[b]wicked afflict them any more as formerly,

¹¹ even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.

¹² When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³ He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

¹⁴ I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, (To me, this means that though I mess up, HE will correct me , but still be with me because HE chose me and is pleased with me.)

¹⁵ but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” (The plans that GOD had for David from the very beginning were going to come to fruition, period. So, that tells me that whatever it is that I go through, it is all working out according to the planbook that GOD made, enemies included. Who knows, they may be a headache to give me strength or to teach me to always lean on GOD, or to teach me that even if you are serving HIM, things can still go awry, and to just keep the faith.)

¹⁷ In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁸ Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? (I am like David in that I think that GOD is so wonderful and I wonder at times, why does HE help me; I mean, I am a nobody. Then I think, "GOD's plan, that's why.)

¹⁹ And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord God.

²⁰ Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God!

²¹ For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know.

²² For this reason You are great, O Lord God; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

 

From the Beginning

A preacher's wife from the beginning, and now my brain is in overdrive. I look at every new experience now as, "Oka-ay, this is supposed to teach me something...what?" I thought that I pretty much had my life and its experiences figured out, but not so. Now, I truly realize that the learning goes on as long as GOD wills. Even in these years of my life, I am ever learning. I have figured that I am learning things now so that I can put them in my next book. But, who knows, only GOD...

But I can tell you this. The lessons that I learn, I am going to learn them well, because who can know the mind of GOD? And yes, I am going to look at enemies differently, too. Wow!

Wear your mask and be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

 

 

Skinned Knees

As down the road, I go

Lessons are remembered and used

That were taught so long ago.©

********

 

Skinned Knees

Momma, I skinned my knees again from

Being tossed to the ground

But just like I did as a child, I found

Solace in the arms of your words, Momma, which

Have proven to be so profound.

Because you taught me to read my Bible, I

Go there time and time again

And receive solace aplenty when

The words of the Lord wrap around

Me, weary and worn though I am

But when I pick the fruit of Psalms

Sweet peace is what I seize

And I find that I can continue on

In spite of my skinned knees.

********

 

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Ouch!

That is what I yelled when I burned my hand yesterday morning. Talking and being somewhat careless and reached in and touched the broiler burner. Small burn, but second degree, I think. There is no blister because it took the skin off of what would have been a blister. Oh well, that will teach me to be in a hurry and running my mouth at the same time. As the size of the burn was minimal, so was the pain. It is so handy to have an aloe vera plant in the house and Bactine!

But, I will tell you one thing, that fire that I often hear preachers talking about in reference to the Hadean world, I want no part of! I tell you, folks, when that broiler hit my finger, I let out a guttural roar that I did not even know I was capable of. Ha Ha, I can laugh about it now, but I surprised my husband and myself as well. How do I know that I surprised him? Easy, he took a step back when I emitted my roar.

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

Adrift

 

Adrift

Heard someone say

That they felt adrift

In the pandemic sea

And they wondered if

They were marked as

The next pandemic casualty

And I replied, "Not so

My friend, will it ever be

Unless it is the will

Of GOD Almighty."©

********

 

Stir up a war with me

Not so, because I take shelter

Under the wings of my FATHER

And you will find yourself staring

Into the face of The ALMIGHTY!©

********

 

Oh, mountains move at HIS command

All power is in HIS holy hand...

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

When I Need a Friend

 

When I

(When I)

Need a Friend

(Need a Friend)

JESUS

(JESUS)

Steps right in

(Steps right in)

Oh Yes! What a Mighty GOD!! (all)

Mountains move at HIS command

All Power's in HIS holy hands

HE'll never fall short of HIS word...

 

Good morning, folks! You know that I told you that my Momma taught me to lean on GOD at an early age. And I told you that that is what I have been doing ever since.

Nothing Like an Answered Prayer

Y'all know that I have been wondering about several things, and wondering and pondering, etc. Well, let me tell you what I have been doing; I have been taking my problems and my summations to GOD in prayer just as I did when I was a little girl. Now, I can tell you that I got an answer and that I wonder about certain things no longer, for the rationale is crystal clear now. And I can say like David, Daniel, Joseph, Moses, and a whole host of characters from the Bible, and other Christians who have gone before me, "GOD WILL step in when you need a friend of the type that the world cannot supply!" I feel like running this morning and I have already been clapping my hands and singing. Whoo!

I have told you before, and I will say it again. No matter what happens in your life, hold on to GOD, and just keep praying. Whatever you do, don't stop praying because you have a FRIEND (if you are a Christian) WHO sticks closer than a brother!

What you see in the green print above is a song that I sang as a child. And my soul rejoices as I sing it now! And Y'all remember what I say about things that I write in green print. I am going to say it one more time, but I think that I will do it in the form of a poem this morning. I hope that it blesses your soul.

 

When life hands me situations that

I cannot fathom what they mean

I do like so many Christians of old

I keep the prayer wheel turning and

Keep going by painting my situation green.

If you should come upon me and

See a banner at my writing table

Or on my car that has the words

"Paint it Green," just understand

That it is a simple Christian woman's

Way of saying that as long as I can

See the grass growing from season to season

I know that GOD, my FATHER, my FRIEND

Is still in control, and I will keep on stepping,

Because I know that there is a reason

For whatever is happening with me

And that, as GOD wills, so things will be.

And now you know why I sign my blog

"Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones"

It's my way of saying to the world

Keep your faith in GOD; be strong.©

********

 

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

Light and Smiles

In this life, I've had many occasions to smile

And I have had several occasions to cry

But, I'll tell you one thing that I

Have learned through the years

I've learned how to smile through my tears.

You see because I'd smiled so many times before

By the law of averages, I knew that this life would

Give me occasions to smile some more

Because I knew that the ARCHITECT of my life plan

Constructed it so that it was built

With bursts of spontaneous joy inside

Needed to keep bright the heart of man when he cried

Until times of light and smiles would come again.©

********

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

RNA

I heard about this early this morning on the news, so I did a bit of research. Here a snippet of an article that I found from the Washington Post:

LONDON — In the global race to beat back the coronavirus pandemic, scientists in Britain, Germany, China, and the United States are pushing to develop, and possibly manufacture, vaccines in a completely new way.

This promising — but unproven — new generation of vaccine technologies is based on deploying a tiny snip of genetic code called messenger RNA to trigger the immune system. It has never before been approved for use.

But almost overnight, these cutting-edge RNA vaccine efforts have leaped forward as top candidates to fight covid-19. Some developers plan to have tens of millions of doses ready by the end of the year.

Elegant in theory, efficacious in the laboratory but untested in the real world, the possible RNA vaccines are especially attractive because they might be cheaper, easier and faster to manufacture on a massive scale — at least one team boasts it could partner with producers in developing countries to provide millions of vials for as little as $5 a pop.

Brazil, ravaged by coronavirus, becomes testing ground for vaccine push 

 

Once again, necessity has become the mother of invention due to a need for speed in the production of a vaccine. Hmm, they say that vaccines have never been developed this way before. Do you know what I say? It pays to have a strong prayer connection with Almighty GOD!!

The operational slogan that comes out of this pandemic for every soul should be:

"Pray and wait and wait and pray because GOD will!!"

So, let's all retain our faith and see where this leads. Be safe.

 



 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

"Magic Bubble"

 

YOU gave me life

YOU gave me love

Thus I can be happy because

I exist under the auspices

Of You, Dear GOD above.

Things have a feeling of rightness

And my viewpoint is filled

With approaching brightness

All because YOU, my FATHER, know how

To tweak the channels of my mind

So that, in rough situations, I find

Contented assurance that I am a child

Of an Almighty FATHER WHO is

Of the loving kind

And WHO uses attention to great details

To shore me up and let me know

That I am, with tender thought, loved without fail.

And so, it is with gratitude, faith, and love

I bow and say, "Thank YOU loving FATHER

For buoying my spirits with expectant joy

As YOUR awesome "tendertude," YOU

Manifest and employ

As I thrive within the "celestial bubble" of your love.

As a teacher of social studies and world history

I used to take my 7th and 8th graders

For a ride in my magic bubble

And I tell you, in that social studies class

We left the walls of the schoolroom behind

As we journeyed to places on the spectrum of time.

We experienced amazing thought-provoking scenes

That, no matter how dangerous

We could not be touched because we were

Traveling inside of Mrs. Alma's "magic bubble"

Where we didn't have to worry

Where we didn't have to worry about trouble.

Why I remember that the children would

Get so excited about challenging a

"Badman" of long ago

That I had to remind them that if we got quiet

When threatened by the foe

That, "Nothing can penetrate Mrs. Alma's

"Magic bubble," don't you know."

Yes, folks, we had some fun old times

In that social studies class

So much so that sometimes the kids would ask

"Mrs. Alma, can we go for a ride in

The magic bubble today?"

And to which query, I would sometimes say,

"Nope, we have to do expounded definitions today

And no complaining now because you

Know that the magic bubble is not real anyway."

But my resourceful younguns that I

Had taught to think would reply,

"We know that, Mrs. Alma, but it's fun

And we like it because it makes us learn.

Can we go, ple-e-ease?!" and they would sigh.

...Ah, the joys of teaching the pliable

Hearts of the young

And yet, I remember that someone once told me

That I was a teacher born, ready-made

And, as I ponder that thought, I chew on the fact

That my teaching skills have not

Been allowed to fade

For, though I am in the throes of, yet, another career

I draw upon those well-honed skills

To bring you, my dear reader, near

For through our brief lesson about the "magic  bubble"

I have made you wish that you had a bubble of such

To which I reply, "You do fellowman, and it's called

GOD's loving, benevolent eye and loving touch!"©

********

Remember, it's dark now, but dawn is breaking. Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

You See

 

Me and JESUS
We got our own thing going
Me and JESUS
We got it all worked out. (Bro. Jones)

I heard the song above this morning as I was scanning through some gospels songs and the thought grabbed me was, "This is such a true song with reference to my life as a Christian." Then I immediately came up with a verse of my own to sing with it:

Me, I just told HIM what

My problem was all about

And JESUS touched my situation and

Worked all of my problems out.©

Me and JESUS
We got our own thing going
Me and JESUS
We got it all worked out.

To the naked eye

Only me is what you see

But, understand well, that

There is more to me

Than what your eye can see

For, I have a FRIEND WHO

Always walks with me.©

Me and JESUS
We got our own thing going
Me and JESUS
We got it all worked out.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

Note:  And remember what I always say: A good song lifts the spirits and drives cares away. And who knows, singing a sing will lift your spirits and perhaps the spirits of some others that you may be around.

 

 

 

Don't Worry About It

Before

²⁷ But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought no presents. But he held his peace. (KJV)

 

Don't worry about what folks say

Keep at your appointed duties, anyway

For your end will not be pretty

If you forsake the work of GOD

Because of folk who naysay your work

Yet, on them, do as Saul did in verse 13  below

And, on them (your naysayers) have pity

For they are not privy to

The LORD GOD's plans for you

So, you just keep going and one day

Some of your nemeses will say

"We just didn't know; we just didn't know,"

And you will exult in your accomplishments

Though you, yourself, can scarce believe it's so

As you praise GOD with grateful thanksgiving

As on your preset lifepath, you continue to go.©

********

After

¹³ But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today; for today the Lord has rescued Israel!”

 

 

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Nestled in HIS Love

 

 

 

 

When you have walked with

The LORD for a good while

You can find it easier than

You used to, to smile

For when you have been allowed

To nestle in HIS lovingkindness

Your positivity reaches levels that

This world cannot fathom or understand

Yet, you step on with assurance

Because you know that you are

In the hands of the BEST!

 

So, dear friends in this world

Hold on to this thought

Trite though the phrase may be, that

"It is always darkest before the dawn,"

Nevertheless, it is true

And I just want to share

Some of my soul's assurance with you

To tell you that brighter days are close ahead

So, hold on, dear hearts, because

An end is near, I'm sure

And it won't be long before you can say

"Praise GOD!" For Covid-19, there is a cure!"©

********

 

 Wonder/Ponder

Sometimes you wonder...

To ponder...

That you know -

To wonder when

The pondering

Passed the word, "Go!"

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Happy Birthday

 

 

 

 

As today is my birthday, I want to wish all others who were born on this day, as well, a Happy Birthday!

 

July 10^th

 

The 10th of July

The birthdate for many

Some young and some old

I imagine that tales aplenty can be told

About things the older day siblings

Have experienced or been privy to

And if you are among the day's young, who

Can tell what the years hold for you

But one thing about it, birthday siblings, always know

That this day is your special day

And as the years continue to roll

Always take this day to express

If only to yourself, "This is my day

And for this time, I can have my way

If I do nothing but enter the pages

Of a good book and for a few hours

Manage to get away."

So, be safe and blessed as you give thanks to GOD

WHO allowed you to enter life on this day

In the long or short of yesterday.©

********

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

 

Sometimes I Wonder

There are things that I used to wonder about

But I wonder about those things no longer

For those things are proving themselves out

And, too, those things have given way and

Credence to the new things that I now wonder about.©

********

 

Have you ever had a thought in your mind that you wondered(pondered) about time and time again, a thought that was so persistent that you filed it in the back of your mind under the "time will tell" category? Do you remember these words from the Bible, "pondered in his/her heart"? Well, Y'all know that I have been doing quite a bit of wondering(pondering) nowadays, especially with these times of change.

Look at what I found when I looked in my Bible:

• 
  

  Genesis 37:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

  
  ¹¹ His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

This is what I want to say to you. If the times that we are living in have you thinking and pondering as to what is going on, as to will "normal" ever be normal again, etc. Do a bit of pondering with reference to our MAKER. If we do that, we will seek an audience with HIM and ask for forgiveness of our sins and deliverance from this pandemic. And while we are praying, there usually comes with the practice of prayer a "peace," a knowing that everything is going to be all right.

So, yes, you might ponder as to what these times mean, but also remember to allow the love of GOD to guide your heart as you get closer to HIM and wait for HIM to resolve our situation. And HE will. Don't believe me? Just ask any Christian oldtimer. Be safe as you ponder the thoughts placed before you today.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Like Daniel and Others

[caption id="attachment_2713" align="alignleft" width="242"] Yes, HE will![/caption]

You know, I'm like Daniel and some other Bible characters

In that, I will always believe that

GOD will make a way...

You can hold on to that simple fact!

HE's been with me too long

For me to do anything but be strong

And that, my dear, is why I

Keep singing my soul-stirring faith song...©

********

 

"I know the LORD will make a way

Oh, yes HE will!"

She

She pledged her love to GOD

As she walked about the land

And she despaired not over any plight

Even when, alone, she had to stand

Because she knew that GOD held her hand.

Sometimes we are called upon to display

That inner peace that defies reason

When we are thrust into the world's fire

For what seems like a prolonged season.

But if we maintain our integrity

In stressful times and for GOD, hold out

Our hearts will be gladdened, and we will shout

When our FATHER turns our lot from

Adversity to prosperity.

And, yes, the world will marvel

At how steadfast we have been

And wish that they had been kinder

To their rueful, but too late, chagrin.©

********

 

Keep holding on and keep believing because everything will be all right for the angels of GOD walk the land. Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

You Don't Like It

 

 

 

 

 

You didn't like it when you received a spanking as a child did you? And you don't like it when you have to punish your child, do you? No, you don't and neither does GOD. I was dumbfounded as I walked through Judges when I got to verse 16 of Chapter 10. Take a look at how this verse reads below and tell me if you are not dumbfounded, too.

New American Standard Bible - Judges 10:16

¹⁶ So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer. (The green print is not a part of the NASB. I just did it for my emphasis for you.)

When I finished reading this verse, my soul rejoiced because I felt as if I had gotten to drink the juice from the fruit of GOD's lovingkindness one more time. You see, I remember when my Momma would have to spank me and she said that spanking me was going to hurt her as much as it was me. I remember thinking, "Yeah, right!" Of course, I did not dare verbalize what I thought or I would have gotten a much worse spanking.

So, when I read the part of the verse above that is in green, my mouth fell open and I immediately read it again. And then I looked at another translation to see if there were a misprint. And nope, the meaning was still the same. Then I said aloud to myself, "HE doesn't like it when HE has to punish us! It bothers HIM!..."

It took that verse for me to understand what my Momma meant all those years ago. And then, Y'all I remember that Bible verse that says:

2 Chronicles 7:14 - New American Standard Bible

¹⁴ and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

(And yep, you are correct if you thought that I immediately thought about Covid-19. And then I thought about lessons that we needed to learn because lessons usually accompany occurrences like Covid-19. (just my opinion) But I remember that my Momma always told me that when the bottom fell out of my life to do like Job and pray and seek HIS face more than ever. That means to get closer to HIM than you have previously been and pray and wait and learn and pray and wait and learn and...

So, America, let's do just that. What I am saying is that if you did something wrong, thought something wrong, said something wrong, etc, and who hasn't; ask our FATHER for forgiveness right now. And then ask for deliverance from Covid-19 and the hatred. Did I just go there? I did indeed.

Hatred is wrong and it needs to be eradicated. That means all kinds of hatred. Hatred of:

• Police toward people of color


• Blacks toward Blacks


• Whites toward Whites


• Whites toward Blacks


• Blacks toward Whites


• All hatred must stop!

Tell our FATHER that you are sorry for all wrongs, ask for forgiveness, and then ask for deliverance from Covid-19. HE has said that if we do that, HE will heal our land(s). GOD wants us to come to HIM so that HE can wrap us in HIS love that is everpresent for us. AMERICA, DO IT TODAY! Numbers are going up again and that means that prayers need to skyrocket! You do not have to wait for a national day of repentance and prayer. It can begin with us. I did mine today, now dear friend, how about you? Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

[caption id="attachment_4160" align="aligncenter" width="300"] When the prayers go up, the blessings come down.[/caption]

 

 

Carries Me

'The love of GOD carries me." That is what keeps me going day by day. That is the reason that I am going to worship again today, meaning that HIS love keeps my cares at bay and drives my concerns away. I hope that these poems are a blessing to you today.

 

In this Life

In this life, I have learned

That the love and protection of

GOD is not to be spurned

As I have seen enemies routed

And others broken down

Because they refused to believe

That the lovingkindness of GOD toward

HIS children is just and sound.

 

Would that the world would learn

That whether a single chick or

A horde, doing the work of GOD, be found

Belief in HIS protective hedge

Among Christians, will always be found

And faith in HIS plans for their lives

As a loving FATHER, also abounds.

As I have said before, I have seen

The enemies of Christians be in dismay

With their plans fouled and in disarray

When GOD shows HIS and

Lets them know, that HIS eyes are

Trained on them and HE is sending a

Warning frown which means, "Stay

Away from MY children and not

Another warning is coming your way."

And the child of GOD closes his eyes

And sings, "Thank YOU, FATHER and

As always, my life is in YOUR hands

To do with according to YOUR plans."©

********

 

Long Hot Summer

A long hot summer looms ahead

And I wonder how many more

Will be numbered with the dead

From Covid-19 or from pure hatred

For the fire of hatred has been fanned

And now its flames threaten to

Run unchecked across the land.

How often a little fire grows

Beyond the purpose of the igniter

To threaten the lives of loved ones and foes

And cannot be extinguished by

Any human firefighters

How many? Only GOD knows.

And having said that, all of us

Need to focus, not on petty likes and dislikes

Whether great or small

But, on prayer to Almighty GOD

WHO can save us all

But as I finish this post, I must say

That the love of GOD carries me

No matter what comes my way.©

********

 

 

 

 

Happy Day

Happy 4th of July!

Be safe, everybody

GOD loves you and

So do I.©

********

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Stop

Stop

Breathe

And Pray

Then go ahead about

The rest of your day.©

********

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

Exactly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to me people

For I tell you true

When GOD says HE

Will be with you

That is exactly what

HE will do.

HE took timid Joshua

And gave into his hand

Victory against powerful kings

For Israel to possess their lands.

Joshua became a man of valor

And lived to an old age

And, you, fellowman can read

About it on the Bible page(s).

Walking through the terrain of the Bible

Underscores those stories that

I learned so long ago

Strengthens my resolve and

Shores up my faith for continuing

My stepping, as for GOD, I onward go.©

********

 

Waking buy faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Natural to Fear - But Keep Trusting

[caption id="attachment_3445" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sometimes it blows me over, the great love that the LORD GOD has for us![/caption]

We are mortal beings, so fear is a natural part of our recognizing that we are not invincible. And this is a fact that GOD knows because HE made us, and is acquainted with every facet of our being. But, the hard part is to keep that strong trust that we have in GOD, but that is such a necessary part. We have seen through previous teachings that GOD loves for us to have faith in HIM and to express that faith to our fellowman. (For a quick reference, read Hebrews, Chapter 11.)

In my reading in Joshua today, I see the LORD GOD showing us that HE notices all details and uses them for our good. In our narrative from Chapter 2, we find that the LORD used a harlot as a place of safety for HIS men who had been sent to spy out the land. You see where she hid the spies, and the reason she did so was of the fact that GOD had caused the events that HE had done for Israel against powerful kings and, of course, the event with Pharoah and the ancient Egyptians to come to her ears and it instilled fear for her life.

So, what Rahab did, was to tell the men that she had heard about all that GOD had done for Israel and knew that the land had been given into their hands. She asked in return for her hiding them and giving them a safe way out of the town of Jericho that when they came back to take the land, they save her, her brothers, sisters, etc. It makes for interesting reading; I can tell you because I only intended to read two chapters and had read three before I realized it.

Now, I want to make a quick point about something. You know, you can always count on people to go "Run and tell that," don't you? Uhm, hmm, but this time it worked right into GOD's plan. "How," you ask. Well, the one that ran and told the city's king about the spies, thought they were doing something against the spies, didn't they? Sure they did. But, what they didn't realize (just as Joseph's brothers didn't) was that GOD was already aware of what they were going to do before they did it. It's like this; GOD had already set HIS plan into motion, and nothing and nobody was going to be allowed to thwart it.

So, long story short, Rahab saved the spies and saved and blessed herself in the process, both long and short-term. How, by aligning herself with the people of GOD. That is why you will often see Christians, me included, staying in the battle and continuing the fight for the LORD. We know that if the LORD is on our side, everything is going to be all right. That is why I tell you to, "Put your mask on for practicality's sake and keep praying because everything is gonna be all right!"

Never, ever forget that where HIS children are concerned, GOD always has a plan, always. And what a WARRIOR and MIGHTY GOD HE is!!

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones