~Pink~

Color Pink. Pink is the color of universal love. Pink is a quiet color. Lovers of beauty favor pink. A pink carnation means "I will never forget you".

How many of us have had a special lady in our life…it could be our mom…a sister…a close friend…but she is a lady that you hold dear to your heart…because she:

~REALLY listened to you

~Prayed for you…I mean REALLY prayed for you in many life situations

~Showed you true love and compassion

~Simply hugged you when you REALLY needed emotional encouragement

~Taught you a skill that you still use today

~Lived out the Christ-like example

~Cried with you when you experienced a loss

~Laughed with you when you had a fun experience to share

~Prayed with you….as you asked Jesus into your life and heart

I have no doubt that we all have at least ONE special lady in our lives…One special lady who we will NEVER forget…I am blessed to have had a few ladies in my life I will never forget…Three of them have been received into heaven already…My mom who often talked to me about angels and how she could feel hers with her…and she also taught and showed me how to have faith in Jesus….her mom who demonstrated selflessness in always taking time for people…and my sister…who loved unconditionally…never talking bad of anyone…never! These three ladies…will always be remembered in my heart as I remember what gracious role models they each were.

Let us strive to NEVER to be forgotten…because of being someone positive in other’s lives…We can strive to be remembered for demonstrating the love, hope, and forgiveness of Christ!

~Journey to the Tomb...and beyond~

Quietly the two ladies walked along the dusty road…each in her own thought…they carried with them fragrance…enough to perfume the decaying body….

In the previous days…they had each observed their Friend and Savior being praised by crowds of people as they lay their cloaks on the path for Him and the donkey…they watched them wave palm branches and throw flowers to honor their Friend…Jesus rode humbly through the crowds of people….the two ladies remembered the expression on His face…it puzzled them at the time…He was being praised yet He had a joyful sadness…

Neither lady spoke to the other as they walked along the road…their feet getting dusty from the loose sand and gravel…they remembered Jesus stepping out in servant shoes to wash the feet of those he taught and traveled with…Jesus had such a gentle passion….

As they approached the site where the tomb of Jesus was…Mary spoke up, “how will we remove the boulder placed in front of Jesus’ tomb?” No sooner had she asked did she notice as they came upon the tomb…that the stone was gone…had someone gone in to care for Jesus’ body before they got there?...

The ladies approached the tomb cautiously…tears filled their eyes as they had each been so lost in thought as they walked and were remembering their wonderful relationship with Jesus…they wiped their eyes of the tears as they weren’t sure that what they were seeing was real…Jesus’ body was not there…it was GONE!...

A glorious bright figure was there instead…telling them that Jesus was no longer there and that they should go tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus had risen…the ladies were amazed and afraid so they left as fast as they could…and said nothing to anyone…

They tossed around the things that Jesus had told them in their minds…they had seen him die on the cross…had he REALLY come back to life??? Sure he had done miracles throughout their friendship with him…and yes He brought Lazarus back from the dead…So many thoughts swirled inside their minds as they hurried away from the tomb…

Their feet were filthy…their hearts racing…would they really see their Friend the Messiah again?

~Guard that Muscle~

"Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3 NIV

When I first read that verse several years ago...I closed my eyes...repeated it to myself...and pictured my tongue trying to fight to get through the "gate" of my teeth. I then closed my mouth, clamped my teeth down firmly, and attempted to push my tongue through my teeth. You know what? That tongue could not fight through the "gate" of the clamped down teeth. 

 

How often to do we allow words to come from our mouth that have no business being verbal. Of course our mind thinks a variety of things...the mind is not the focus here...the mind may contain words needing to be "worked through"...never to escape from our tongue through our lips.

 

I am far from perfect in locking down my teeth to be set as that "gate" that is not to allow my tongue through when there are words that are better left unsaid. When we physically close our lips, bite down on our teeth and hold our tongue in we are capable of trapping inside our escaped thoughts because in clamping our teeth down...we actually allow ourselves time to think about the choice of words or the topic. Stopping (controlling) our tongue from some verbage shows great strength in our character.

 

Our tongues are small, controllable muscles. They can be used amazingly for the good. When you feel that urge to truly speak your negative mind or when you know that your words may cause more damage than good....remember...you have a gate...clamp those teeth down...stop your tongue!