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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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!

But Jesus!

I’ve faltered at many intersections

Shaking my head, wondering why

Some seem to get all the breaks

And some–just never get any.

Continuing on this journey in life

Making wrong turns, taking bad advice,

Wondering when the nightmare will end

And I can see clearly the road that I take.

I’m no different from anyone else,

Like them, I’ve made my share of mistakes–

Some that could have cost me my life,

Some that could have ended another’s

While I foolishly rebelled, doing everything wrong,

But Jesus–came into my life–and chased away

The Blues, forgiving all my wrongs, giving me a new song,

One that I sing, when I rise,  and all through the day,

I have a Savior, Who loves me in spite of me,

And I’m grateful For His Intervention, showing me The Way!

If you’re like I once was, here’s a bit of advice,

Don’t let the enemy cheat you out of receiving God’s Best

By falling for his deceptions and listening to his lies,

God’s love for you began before you were and like me,

One day  soon You’ll be able to say, “But Jesus!”

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

Blessed Because He Chose Us!

“Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;to you our vows will be fulfilled. You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.” (Psalm 65:1-4 NIV)

In the midst of trials and tribulations,

He looked upon us with compassion

Poured out grace and mercy abundantly,

Waiting for us to see our ways would not allow us in

To the place He had prepared for us for all eternity,

But loved us enough to die for us, while we were yet in sin,

Forgiving us over and over again, loving us in spite of us,

Choosing us to participate in His goodness and victory,

Choosing us to live with Him past our natural deaths,

Blessing us while we live, naturally, so we can be witnesses

Of His continual grace and mercy, promoting the Gospel

Of love and salvation to all who will hear and accept;

Praising Him for victory over sinfulness–daring to break free,

Choosing to live life as He ordained it–obediently.

Blessed are we, by He who chose us before we were ever born,

Blessed are we, by He who sacrificed Himself so we might live,

Blessed are we, by He who made victory possible over all things,

Blessed are we, by He who inspired praise as our hearts sing,

Songs of worship, adoration and praise for all He has done,

Encouraging our boldness, reflecting over victories won,

Over addictions and predilections to go our way, down the broad road,

Where everyone, doomed to the same fate walked and dared not stray,

Afraid of what others would think, if they chose another path, much narrower,

Where there would be no crowd, no hoops and hollering heard, just a few,

Faithful, delivered and set free to focus on God’s goodness and He path he chose,

For all He loves, but few love Him enough to see, just how wonderful this path could be,

Loving Him enough to live for Him, doing what’s right at all times, knowing He never slumbers,

Is not hard of hearing and certainly never forgets our pleas to Him in the quiet of the night,

Or in the middle of a raging storm, either physically or spiritually, He is yet on His throne,

Mighty in majesty, caring for His own, like no other can and certainly, He loves those He chose,

To live and reign with Him, forevermore.

And when we arrive–at the gate of His choice, will we be ready to lift our voice,

In praise of Him who loves and dies for those He loves so we can be judged, righteously?

Though the journey to heaven gets marred by obstacles thrown in our way,

Just look to Him, He chose us and He’ll never let us stray if our focus is stayed upon Him.

Speak up–aloud so all may hear, we have no fear of man or what they may do, Our God,

In Heaven, will respond to prayers that are earnestly heaven-sent–with solutions,

To all problems as He guides us through His Word, once we read it we’ll know, Yes, He heard.

And Now we know–His rights can’t be wrong; and His wrongs can’t be right;

We must learn to live, according to what He says, since we’re always in His sight,

And remember, we are blessed because He chose us!

Changing Our Society by Receiving God’s Love!

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.” (Proverbs 3:1,2 NIV)

From a father to son and daughter,

Keeping us from Satan’s slaughter,

Teaching us to remember and obey,

Walking in God’s favor, night and day.

When we learn to adhere to the sound teaching of parents and God, we have a promise we can rely upon for long life, peace, and prosperity. If we look around at our society today, it would appear that not many have remembered anything worthwhile and obedience to sound teaching is not evident–anywhere.

But notice where we have to start--remembering what we were taught and keeping those sound teachings and instructions in our heart. If our heart is receptive to instruction and guidance, we will do what love does–obey. If our heart is hardened and we reject sound teachings, then hatred takes the place of love and all the forces of hell, break loose upon a society that refuses to hear and obey.

With the recent passing of the oldest woman in American, at 116 years-old, I wonder if she credited her long life with remembering the things she was taught by her parents and obeying. Her long life appears to be a testament of obedience–but I don’t know that for a fact. What I do know is God is not slack to keep His promises to all who obey and He is not a man that He should lie.

If we want to see a change in our society, we must see a change in what people are keeping in their hearts and what they are teaching their children. Parents must learn to give their children righteous, sound instruction. Children must learn to obey and not rebel. We must all learn to receive God’s love and allow it to overflow in our hearts.

For where love is, hatred doesn’t stand a chance. Where love is–people are respected and given consideration. Where love is–we all seek to assist all who are in need. Where love is–we honor God and keep all His commands–to love Him and love others. Where love is--there is peace and no confusion.

I would love to see and experience for the rest of my days–love being the guiding force in our society so I can live the rest of my days in peace. I would love to see children obeying their parents and parents loving and teaching their children to do what is right. I would love to see all saved and walking in God’s favor. I would love to see people living in the reverential fear of God and negating all of Satan’s influence. I would love to see it, but unless something drastic happens in the minds and hearts of people, my desire may not be obtained, but it won’t stop me from seeking God’s Wisdom in all things.

We can stop all the madness in our society and the lack of respect and value for life. All we have to do is receive God’s love to overflowing and allow it flow onto others, remembering all He has taught and keeping His commands.

Wisdom Speaks!

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” (Proverbs 8:17 NIV)

Wisdom speaking to those who hear,

For those who want knowledge to create

For those who understand their fate

Wisdom speaks to those who hear.

Wisdom loves those who love her,

For those who want to know even more,

For those who stand at destiny’s door,

Wisdom loves those who love her.

Wisdom is found by those who seek,

For those who rise early, ready to learn,

For those whose passion for knowledge churns,

Wisdom is found by those who seek.

Wisdom is the principal thing by which we know,

With certainty all our self-proclaimed knowledge is vain,

Without seeking wisdom from above, nothing we gain,

Is worthwhile or even discussing wherever we go,

For without wisdom there is no rhyme or reason

To explain all that God has done and will do

On behalf of all who seek Wisdom while she can be found.

And with the Wisdom showered upon us from above,

We need understanding to drive the point home,

No, not one of us really knows much about anything,

Unless we operate with wisdom, tempered with love.

Then, Wisdom like a gentle rain, on a summer’s day,

Fuels our imaginations to explore creative means

To make this journey on earth worth the stay,

Teaching and seeking more wisdom as His Return is delayed,

Giving us time to get things right in His sight, with Wisdom

Leading the way for all who seek and love her.

Our Great and Awesome God!

“Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.” (Deuteronomy 7:21 NIV).

How great is our God?

How awesome is He?

He who delivers His own

From the hands of those who hate.

He who is a strong tower of love,

He who never belittles or berates,

Those who hear, obey, and love Him.

How great is our God?

Great enough to defeat those who oppose,

How awesome is our God?

Awesome enough to bless those who uphold,

His commandments–Love Him, Love All.

He sees through generations and knows what we’ll do,

He hears every word and knows every thought

Before we think it or utter a word, He has already designed

The master plan and knows which paths we’ll take,

And when we’ll hearken to His voice, turning around,

Back to Him, seeking His face from dawn to dusk,

Knowing His wisdom is all we’ll need for our nation

To be blessed, not cursed, powerful, not powerless,

Grateful for His love, not mocking or bitter

Waiting for His Return, living according to His Word,

Not reliant upon man’s fickleness or godlessness.

How Great is our God?

How Awesome is He?

Great enough to move mountains into the sea,

Awesome enough to want to world to see,

Just how much He loves you and me!

Our God is Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!

There’s no need to fear what others do,

We just live and love, for Our Awesome God is here!

Our God Forever!

“For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.” (Psalm 48:14 NKJV)

The “unseen God” that holds all power in His hands.

The “invisible” God who created all that was ever created,

Before man was–God was and is–The same.

No matter what theory, or philosophy is thought,

One fact remains true, The skies are still above

And the Seas below, higher than the clouds

The Sun, Moon, and Stars yet shining

Mountains still standing–majestic and tall,

And Man, yet flawed, but remains

As a testament to a Living God,

Not made by stones or hands, free

To be in all places at the same time,

Watching over all His children

Guiding us in life, until death,

Here on earth, and welcoming us Home

To be with Him for all eternity.

This is our God, though invisible to the naked eye of man,

His works–created–for all to see, He is

Alive and well in the hearts of all who believe and obey,

The Spirit who quickens our spirits to live

And praise Him forevermore!

Salt-Soddened Heart!

My heart is crying, overwhelmed with life

Watching the suffering of many, the constant strife

Between others–mothers, and children, husbands and wives

Nation against nation, no one carrying about the lives

Of people who feel–misery and pain,

Lost, with no more to lose and nothing else to gain,

The salt seeps into each muscle and tendon,

Navigating its way through each ventricle and back,

Saturating all the tissue which holds the emotions

In check, no longer able to reasonably resist

Giving in to those thoughts and feelings that created

The mess of lives and nations galore,

My heart is crying, deeply saddened and sodden

By all the salt–meant to preserve, but now burns

As I watch how one thing after the other turns,

Into chaos and confusion!

My heart is crying!