Category Archives: Mercy

Go for the Rescue!

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“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 1:23

Once upon a time, not too long ago, I was riding in our car with The Sweetheart and one of My Three Sons. As we passed a certain house, I suddenly called out for my husband to turn the car around and go back. Since I had frightened him so badly, he slammed on his brakes and pulled into an adjacent driveway. I said I was sure that I had seen smoke coming from the red brick with the white shutters; there was a fire!

It was a little late at night, the house was dark and we were sure the occupants were asleep. But as we got closer, even my son and The Sweetheart both saw something resembling smoke coming from the house. I was ready to call 911 and run in a panic to the front door to awaken this family inside.

But then The Sweetheart took a second look. “I don’t think that is smoke.” I kept pushing because I could see it hovering along the ground around the front bushes and underneath one of the bedroom windows.

Knowing he will never convince me otherwise, and to keep me from calling the fire department until we were sure, The Sweetheart got out of the car and headed toward the house. Just as he got to the front walk he immediately turned around and made a quick dash back to the car. Jumping in the driver’s side door, he let out an exhale and said, “Let’s get out of here. That’s NOT smoke, Nannette, it’s the dryer vent!”

Oops.

The Sweetheart wasn’t as amused and my son was doubled over in laughter in the back seat. Just as he was recovering from what he had witnessed, he thought about what would have happened if I had called 911…and once again he was overcome with hilarity.

In my defense, at least I didn’t just ignore the misty fog coming out from underneath the window…the laundry room window. At least I was concerned about my fellow neighbor. At least I was GOING to rescue them…if there had been a reason to.

Go for the Rescue! The hilarious story of the time I almost rescued someone from a fire. HopeintheHealing.com

I thought about this story the other day and wondered if I am that concerned about the people all around me every day. The houses I drive by, those in my own neighborhood, the people I interact with frequently all deserve to hear about Jesus. They deserve to be rescued!

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” Luke 15:4 ESV.

What’s it like to be lost? Paul described it in Ephesians 2:12: “You were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

Having no hope!!

I don’t want to ignore the signs that I see in others. This is a day of desperation. There is no hope in this world, in this life by itself. Our hope is in the salvation of Jesus Christ, what HE has done gives us joy in this life and in eternity. How can we keep it to ourselves?

“Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:20 ESV.

Do you know someone today who is hurting, who doesn’t know the Savior? Is there a way you can work Him into your conversation? Can you invite them to church, out for coffee or to go for a walk? Many times if you just give them opportunity to talk you can easily see where their heart is hurting. Maybe they need prayer, don’t just tell them you will pray for them but do it. Right then, right there. Be a rescuer, no matter how silly you might think it seems, in this case, God will meet you there. He will give you the words to say, the prayer to pray and the sensitivity to help a friend in need.

Go for the Rescue!

Sharing with Weekend Whispers, Word of God Speak, Making your home sing, Amaze Me Monday, Modest Monday, Wedded Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesday, A Little R & R

Bacon is a Memory

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“…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Titus 3:5

Bacon is a Memory

Today’s word prompt is awesome. Bacon, bacon, bacon!! Join me for a trip down memory lane…and check out some of the other great writers at Kate Motaung’s place for #FiveMinuteFriday!

Bacon. I can still smell it today. I can see my Mamaw Cammie standing in the tiny kitchen, before the sun would come up, getting breakfast and lunch ready for my Papaw Dubie. He worked in a stone mill after WWII and retired from there sometime in the 1970’s.

But Mamaw Cammie’s bacon wasn’t just any bacon. We called it Joe Bacon. Once I grew up, I discovered it was really Jowl Bacon, which is also pronounced JOEL, in some parts of the country so they weren’t that far off. (smile) What is jowl bacon? Just what it sounds like, it is the smoked cheeks of the pig. It is much thicker, heavily smoked and a little salty. It’s crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside and of course, tastes heavenly, just like regular belly bacon. (Now for those that are freaking out over eating the jowls, first of all if you eat any pork at all, well, enough said. And if you eat a hot dog? Yeah, okay. Jowl bacon is much, much better than a hot dog!) So, jowl bacon is delicious, smells heavenly in the frying pan and makes your entire breakfast taste better.

My beautiful grandmother took her Joe Bacon just one step further. She floured it before she fried it! Oh. My. Word. How these people lived past their 50’s is beyond me but they did. Floured it, fried it up and, even though it was deadly, it was fantastic. I always marveled that she fixed it every single day. Every day! Most of the time there were eggs and toast (she made the best toast ever), other days it was biscuits and gravy. Sometimes she mixed up pancake batter. (Hungry yet?)

This post isn’t just about bacon. It’s about memories.

For me, when I smell bacon frying, I am taken back to another lifetime with the radio playing in the background, the smell of Lucky Strike unfiltered cigarettes (deadly!) and sometimes the oven door open to help heat up the kitchen early in the morning.

It’s about my grandfather putting on his work boots, grabbing his silver, metal lunchbox with the black handle, and giving my grandmother a kiss as he walked out the door to work. And it’s all about the comfort, the safety and the love that I felt in that kitchen as my grandparents doted over me and my siblings.

My grandfather, my Papaw Dubie, never had a relationship with Jesus as far as I know. I DO know he believed in God and believed He gave His life for us but I always thought he kind of held a grudge because of the war. He was not a big talker and I had the impression that he was happy for all of us but religion wasn’t for him.

I prayed for him on his deathbed, I was the only one with him when he died because we had all been taking turns, and I DO believe in deathbed repentance. Of course I cannot say with assurance that he knew the Lord but I do pray he found that peace that we treasure today, that our sweet Savior lifted his heavy burdens that he carried from fighting on the front line in Italy. The torment that he suffered from losing so many of his friends haunted him the rest of his life. I placed him in the hands of a merciful God and prayed that he would let go of everything that had him bound and reach up for the One who makes all things new. Thankfully, we are not man’s judge nor do we know their heart.

“For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy to all them that call on you.” Psalm 86:5.

That’s what it is all about, isn’t it? Mercy. We have all been extended mercy and all we have to do is receive it!

Do you have a bacon memory? Or is there another food that every time you smell it you are transported back to another lifetime? I would love to hear about it and so would our readers.

If you are like my Papaw Dubie, bound by the past or listening to the enemy whisper that you aren’t good enough, strong enough or important enough for Jesus to rescue…those are lies! Our loving Savior is no respecter of persons and wants to reach down to you today and heal your hurts, calm your fears and erase your pain. He can do that if you just open your heart and ask Him in.

Perhaps you aren’t sure what that all means or how to go about it? Please respond here or email me privately at ynannette@gmail.com I would be happy to help and pray with you.

Blessings to you and your memories today.

Sharing with Faith Filled Friday, Fellowship Fridays, Grace and Truth, Modest Monday

A plea to the desperate

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“I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone.” ~ Robin Williams

Sometimes the impact of LIFE hits hard. I spent the last two days in Catania, Sicily with The Sweetheart. The sweet missionaries we are staying with encouraged us to take a short trip to Sicily, it is so close to Malta, flights are cheap and it only takes 40 minutes to get there. We had hoped to meet up with some national pastors but their schedule didn’t work out this time. But we prayed we would be able to do more than just sight-see and God made a way for us to witness for His name (I’ll share that story soon!) and intercede in a desperate situation. This is a plea to the desperate.

Catania sits at the bottom of Mt. Etna and right on the Iconian Sea. The beauty is unsurpassed friends, it is breathtaking.

We made a trek up to Mt. Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. In the late 1600’s, the city of Catania was nearly wiped out by a volcanic eruption that took 16,000 of the 20,000 living in the city! We took a tour bus to the top, about 1 ½ hours straight up. I will write about that in a day or two…pictures are AH-MAZ-ING!

Back on the ground the next morning we witnessed something entirely opposite.

Heading down Via Etnea, the main thoroughfare through Catania, we came upon a large gathering of people all looking upward and we were trying hard to focus on what had grabbed their attention.

Then we saw him.

Dangling on a pedestal on top of a roof, four stories high, was a young, teenage boy about to take his own life. (You can see him at the very top, on the middle limestone pedestal with his leg hanging over the side.)

We could see he was desperate, he kept motioning for those that were trying to talk him down to get back or he would jump.

I have never witnessed anything of this nature and The Sweetheart kept saying, “Let’s go, let’s just go, you don’t want this scene in your mind the rest of your life.” He was a nervous wreck but yet we knew we had to pray. Someone had to pray!!

We began to intercede for this young man, praying in the Holy Ghost and asking God to intervene on His behalf. There was no net, no fire department to help as of yet. Friends, it was intense.

What makes a soul so desperate to leave this earthly life?

This is the way of the lost soul. The soul without Jesus Christ. There is desperation, there is extreme anxiety and frustration. To them, there is nothing that will make it better; nothing you can do or say that will ease their hurt and anger. You can make no promise that they will believe.

The world is in turmoil. There is fear on every hand; threats of war, famine, unemployment, hunger, drought, and of course ISIS. It is real around the world, not just in places like Italy, Malta, South African and Libya. This danger is global and getting worse.

No wonder people who have no hope are intimidated by the enemy into thinking that suicide is their only recourse! The devil wants to put desperation and fear into every heart that will listen and then he stands there, ready to push them over the edge where we know, and he knows, is everlasting darkness.

We must rescue, we must intercede!

Watching this scene unfold before us, and praying as hard as we have ever prayed in our lives, a policeman and another unidentified man had crept up to the floor just below the young man. He could not see them since he was perched on this pedestal on his stomach with his legs dangling.

The man you see in the blue t-shirt then jumped up to the ledge, risking his life for sure, and with all of his strength shoved the young man as hard as he could to the safety of the balcony.

And the crowd roars.

Are you feeling that desperation in your life at this moment? Have pressures from just trying to get by weighed you down so much that you see no way out? Friend, there is HOPE.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. “ 1 Peter 5:7.

Jesus Christ gave HIS LIFE so you wouldn’t ever have to take your own. When He died on Calvary’s cross, He did away with the need for sacrifice, He paid the price, the ultimate price for YOUR salvation and mine. Look at this promise He left with us:

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24.

There is nothing in this life worth taking matters into your own hands in desperation. Jesus truly offers a way out; He is the way! He promises to never leave or forsake us even though times are difficult; they may prove discouraging, frustrating and just plain hard at times. Yet He promises to walk with us through EVERYTHING, bringing Hope, Peace and Comfort in our most challenging circumstances.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.

Not only is there hope in this life but He offers eternal salvation and hope for eternity! Yes, things will get better even if it is not in this life. There is no peace that compares with the peace of God. It can carry you through ANYTHING!

“The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17.

He will quiet you with His love; bringing the security that you are desperately seeking. And then…Hope for today and the promise of living with our Savior in perfect peace for all eternity.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4. NLT

If you are desperate today, please feel welcome to email me if you need guidance to a Bible-believing church or need prayer. Reach out to family, friends or a pastor; someone who will help you find Hope in Jesus Christ. He loves you more than you can imagine and desires to set you free and give joy unspeakable in the midst of your trouble.

If you are struggling with believing you are forgiven, or feel as if you cannot come back to God, please read my post If God has Forgiven me, why can’t I Forgive Myself here.

Category Archives: Mercy