The Grace of God Ignites Faith!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:11-15 NIV

Remember hearing anyone say, “if not for the grace of God, there go I?”

Usually, this statement is made by people who look upon the tragedies endured by others–homelessness, addiction, loneliness, dissonance, isolationism, all those things that set them apart from the “normalized” view of the world. And it’s true, if not for the grace of God, where would I be?

I could have been lost in sin, but Jesus stepped in

Reminded me of His love and why He came from above,

To shoulder all I could not handle on my own,

And not only to me, has His love been shown.

Whenever I see, helplessness and despair in the eyes of others,

I’m reminded to help all my sisters and brothers,

In Christ for if it had not been for His grace,

I could be standing in their place.

I could be as despicable as those who hate,

But in this life, loving others was always my fate.

So, how could I give up or give in to defeat,

When His Grace has my made my triumph complete?

A word of encouragement for all who read and see just how much we have to be thankful for in spite of the greed and corruption we see emanating from the White House and those court jesters in charge. We have an opportunity to change the landscape and our fate by voting out those who are abdicating their constitutional responsibility and electing those who care about all people and will uphold the constitution–no matter what. Congressional representations should not be shackled with party partisanship, but bonded to serve all Americans–no matter who voted for them. That’s what it means to be a true Patriot.

With this in mind, I still implore those who will to support my impending run for president in 2020. The foundation is being laid and more information will be updated on a regular basis as need warrants, but for now, I am encouraged and inspired by the Grace of God to move forward in the face of immeasurable odds.

Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose. – Tom Krause

I will not allow any negative thoughts or dastardly deeds by others to deter me. I will continue to fight the good fight of faith and prepare to enter the White House in 2021 as the next president of the people. Hope you’ll join me in this venture so we can all celebrate the victory and triumph of being Everyday Americans!

 

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Our Future Is Not Constrained!

This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD. This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 23:4-11 NIV

No matter what has happened or what is happening in our world, our future is secure when we know God’s plans will come to pass. We have nothing to fear in the battle and we shall win!

There though be dark clouds of doubt,

Shadows creeping into the crevices of our minds,

We defeat the enemy and burst his bubble,

Of fame and glory with praise to Our God!

Never think for a moment we are forgotten,

For our God is not man and He never forgets,

Those who love Him and just Believe

He is and He will carry us through to victory,

In Jesus, our banner, and standard for living.

When we know who we are and who He is,

Nothing the enemy does can shake our faith,

In the One who created all things and without Him,

Nothing was ever created–without a purpose for His glory!

Be strong in His might and know

Wherever we go, He is always with us! We’re never alone!

 

 

 

Strength For The Battle!

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:6-14 NIV

Sometimes, appearances can be deceiving,

Sometimes, when right, we simply keep believing,

The wrongs that need correction

Lord, guide us with Your direction

Speaking to hearts along the way,

Never giving up, by night or day.

Enlarge our hearts and our space,

Reaching others to seek Your face,

Never in fear, but always with love,

Knowing true wisdom comes from above.

Help us in this battle to remain strong,

Bold, and fearless while correcting this wrong,

Brought by manipulation and deception

Turned and righted for Your reception,

Of us into Your Presence.

Though the journey to seeing a wrong turned right,

Gets weary, never forget, we are precious in His sight.

Press on, mighty soldiers of valor and integrity,

Fight on with honor, strength, and dignity.

For the battle is The Lord’s and not ours,

When weak, we’re strengthened in His power,

To stay the course, never veering from the path,

Of victory that is before us, the win–in the math,

As God calculates it.

While we wait to see the victory,

Be strong, determined to make unprecedented history,

Remember God knows and truth will reveal

The tricks and lies used in attempts to steal,

Joy and happiness found only in Him.

The Joy of The Lord Is Our Strength!

Sitting In Darkness!

This is what God the LORD says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 42:5-8 NIV

Darkness–a void–without light or hope

Understanding only what is told–to fear,

Keeping the scales in place over eyes,

Undermining what was once held dear.

Darkness has no power to drive out light,

But light reveals what’s held in darkness,

Whether it attitudes or skeletons in closets,

When light is shown upon self, then others,

Or others shining light for all to see–

What really are the hidden discrepancies,

Keeping us from seeing, knowing Truth.

While in darkness we once walked,

Committing sin, living ungodly lives,

When The Light entered our hearts,

He changed our minds and how we talked.

The Light, the Bright Morning Star,

Looked down through the years and saw

Our struggles in life with sin, He determined,

Thinking back and from afar, that love and light,

Expels darkness and sinful desires, beating flesh

Into submission, igniting faith and desire to please

Him and only Him, so darkness would not prevail.

Come out of the darkness–that dark hold of despair,

Into The Marvelous Light and do what Jesus does,

Love and in His Love, there is none who compare.

Beware The Gallows We Build…

Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king. Moreover Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. “Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made. Esther 5:11-14 NKJV

And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” So Haman was terrified before the king and queen. Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?” As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.” Then the king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath subsided. Esther 7:6-10 NKJV

The evil we plan to do for others,

Will reach the heart of The King,

And whatever we devise for them,

Will be what is done to us.

Be it digging a ditch with a wide hole

Or a gallows on which to they could hang

Or a plot to disgrace and cause an uproar

Thinking we can intimidate or bully to control

The outcome of what God has already planned,

Nothing we do can thwart the fate that awaits,

Our own plan to do evil and cause others to hate.

Believers, it is time to take a stand against all the forces of evil so we might enjoy the peace of God and not incur His wrath by encouraging the falsehoods that are lies and promoting hatred and bigotry simply because others don’t agree with us. It is time for us to act like we are Children of the Most High God–defending the rights of the poor and the needy, not helping the corrupt and the greedy–giving them license to do whatever they want–abusing, misusing others at a whim–stealing the joy of others because of their celebrity.

Yes, God is good, merciful and forgiving, but before forgiveness is granted, there must be repentance, a complete change of heart–turning from the evil that so easily besets us when we do not want to concede–without Him in our lives, we are absolutely nothing.

Choosing to live for The Lord up above and living the life He has outlined in His Word here below, is a demonstration for all to see just how much we love Him, who loves us for all eternity.

We should never get caught up with pointing fingers at others without cause or alleging anything that cannot be proven with credible evidence. For if we do, we must remember that though we point one finger at others, there are three pointing back at us.

Don’t dig a ditch or build that gallows before reflecting upon your own life and what may happen if your life is exposed for all the world to see.

 

 

A Different Idea in Teaching!

Supplementary Reading Materials
For any educator who teaches reading and has reluctant students who don’t want to read—here is a solution!
Found on Amazon.com most for only 0.99!

viewAuthor.at/maryglobal

This multi-genre catalog of literature includes:
Romance
Mystery
Suspense
Fantasy
Poetry
Essays
And Christian Living (according to The Word)

All books include “Look Inside” on Amazon for a preview of content!
Teaching strategies might include discussions about: What’s right, what’s wrong, adherence to writing standards, grammar, audience consideration, point of view, an analysis of content and online review. The author has a stage play available for dissection or production and is also currently writing a selection of short stories regarding environmental protection issues, politics and education. If interested, please send email to:

mary.hallrayford@gmail.com
Wholesome Literature is making a comeback!

If We Love…

If We Love…

Why is there so much hatred
Just because skin tones vary
And faith reigns in the multiplicity
Of cultural, ethnic, and social beliefs?

Why can’t parents raise children
With respect and discipline, knowing
How to receive love and love in return?

Why is it that parents who claim to love,
Abuse and misuse the children they brought into this world?
How can they not see the damage and lifelong misery
They cause with their neglectful, hateful ways?

Why do we need guns to settle differences
When all we need is communication—listening and hearing,
To one another, accepting differing perceptions of life, wrong and right,
Rather than creating a mockery of justice by taking lives?

Why do we need to self-medicate on drugs of choice,
Instead of seeking assistance, allowing pain to be our voice
In the deserts of waste and want and desire to arise,
Above current situations, seeing what we could be in a different light.

Why do we allow corrupt politicians to legislate
Laws that do nothing to help forward movement, but
Do everything to hinder justice for all, igniting even more
Hatred—fueling frustrations, igniting detonators lying deep within
The hearts of those who refuse to bend to the Will of God?
If we love as God loves—why can’t we do as God does—
Love unconditionally without thought to race, religion or doubt,
Just ready to love and forgive the slights shown to us, by those
Who don’t know Him, but we do— and should not act as those who don’t.

If we love our parents, why can’t we care for them in their hour of need,
Just as they took care of us, until we could care for ourselves,
Or do we just look inwardly and think only of self, not caring for others,
Despising and distancing ourselves from fathers and mothers,
Who even if they were wrong—the parent-child relationship should remain strong.

If we love our neighbors as ourselves,
Why can’t we see their hurt and need and allow compassion
And kindness to reign in our hearts as we tend to their comfort,
Knowing, what we do for others will be done unto us.

If we love, why can’t we sit down and talk about differences
And those needs we have in common—shelter, clothing and food,
Joy, peace, happiness, more love and all things good,
That guarantee the continual perpetuation of humanity,
Without the continual perpetration of abuse and misuse?

If we love, why can’t we love ourselves enough to see,
Where we need to grow up and mature, behaving responsibly?
Looking deep inside, outside and all around us—noting changes
That require movement on our part to sustain us and those
We say we love.

If we love…

© 2015 Mary M. Hall-Rayford

No One Else!

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)

There He was, from the very beginning

He was there in the midst of all turmoil and strife,

There through the persecutions, and executions,

Of all who dared to believe and express their faith

In the Father and Son, whose Spirit He left

To guide, comfort, console, reach and teach,

Those of us who understand,

He’s 100% God and 100% man.

There from the Beginning and will be to the end,

The author and finisher of our faith–

To Whom we look, expecting great things,

Knowing, who He loves, His blessings will shower,

And by His Spirit, we are filled with His Power,

To do–what is right at all times, no excuses we make,

For our sins, He came and hung on the cross,

Having done nothing wrong, never making a mistake,

But loved us enough to sacrifice Himself so we might

Know the thrill of victory in our every day lives,

How to keep the devil under our feet, defeated

Nullifying all of his plans, making sure we survive,

To teach our children to whom to look for all things

Perfect, mighty, and right, to do all things well in His sight,

So, they too will have a life in heaven for all eternity.

Looking to Him alone, for there is no one else,

Who can do what He has done, is doing, and will do,

For all who love and obey Him, day and night,

Knowing He sees it all and there is no one else,

No other name by which man can be saved, Jesus!