i WILL rejoice and be glad!!!!!!

Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

Hope you had a wonderful Easter! I did. I worked very hard last week on my little granddaughter's, Makayla and Ashley, Easter dresses. They were absolutely precious. The wonderful part of making them was not the outcome of how pretty the dresses but the excitement in their lives that Grammy had made their dress and they thought they were simply beautiful. Bill took some pictures and as soon as he puts them on the computer, I will post one.

I also had a almost new dress. It was a dress I had had for several years but not worn. I decided I would break it in and guess what? it was so big that the long length of the dress made it a to my feet dress, but it was attractive. My friend made a picture specifically so I could post it on my website. Wish me good luck because that is not my thing. If I can't get it posted, I'll get either Bill or Janie to help me.

Everyone had a new outfit except Bill and he put his pants and shirt in the dry cleaners and forgot to pick them up. He was still very handsome as always and neat.

Times have change. Fashions have changed. Customs have changed. Used to be everyone got new outfits on Easter. There was something about bringing in spring or something. You know Easter and after was when you were supposed to start wearing white and lighter colors for spring and summer but things have changed and one season just blends into the next season without that distinction anymore.

There were some who had on new outfits. We took our granddaughters out to eat after church and we observed the little girls who had on new outfits. They were very obvious because most of their shoes were from Payless where we spent several hours pouring over Sunday shoes. Ended up with dress flip flops which looked very nice with their yellow and pink dresses.

I truly did not realize how much older I was until Janie took my picture, and at my best, I have really aged. Guess my almost 70 years old is showing....funny to think that as I do not feel as old as I look. hahahaha

The Word says 'This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.' That is a statement made to myself by David that says I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT. No matter what the situation, calamity, or joyous occasion, I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT. Why? because I have made the quality decision to REJOICE AND BE GLAD...sometimes that is hard to remember but we should write upon our door posts and in the front of the pot so that every time we have a quite moment, we read THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE - I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT....NO MATTER WHAT!

We do not have any guarantee about tomorrow. We only have today - right now - the present - you notice it is called ' the present ' because it is a present to us to enjoy and rejoice in the present moment. I look around me and I see so many people that I could touch in more ways than I am and it makes me so sad with myself because I am missing blessings by being so within myself and not looking to do for others.

There is a little lady in our apartment complex. Her name is Lois. She walks a lot and she is so precious. She is in her 80's and at least twice a week, I look through my peep hole and there she is. She has a head of lettuce or a bag of candy or a can of Sweet Sue Chicken and Dumplings or something just to let me know she is thinking of me. The Sweet Sue just appeared by our door one day when we were gone but I knew who it was from.

It is the thought of it - I want to challenge myself and all of us to think more of others and the little things - the Sweet Sue things - than just dredging from one day to the next and being miserable. The Word says to 'Give and it shall be given unto you -.....pressed down, shaken together, and running over.'

Have a great day this day......the present!

IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR -----

Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to God.

Psalms 63 says: O GOD, YOU ARE MY GOD, EARLY WILL I SEEK YOU:
Dake put a note her that says 'from the dawning of day.' There is a place in the New Testament (I can't put my finger on it) that talks about Jesus going out early in the morning and praying.

I decided one day I was going to try it. I lived right by a park that my granddaughter's and I walked in and during the day it was beautiful, but let me tell you something at 4 in the morning, it is a spooky place. The bushes had shadows I couldn't make out and finally I landed in a well lit place within running distance of my front door. I never did that again. The best I can do is rise early to get this little epistle done and then grunt about it. hahaha

MY SOUL THIRSTS FOR YOU, MY FLESH LONGS FOR YOU IN A DRY AND THIRSTY LAND, WHERE NO WATER IS: TO SEE YOUR POWER AND YOUR GLORY, SO AS I HAVE SEEN YOU IN THE SANCTUARY.

If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Things happen when we truly get thirsty for God. There is a place within all of us that is reserved especially for God and can only be filled with Him. People try to fill up that space with other things - relationships, drinking, drugs, sex, many, many things, however, until we know the love of God and the things of God, we will never be satisfied on this earth. I remember how empty I felt when God was dealing with my heart and how different it was when I finally gave up and 'let God' into my heart - He gives water where we will never thirst again. Praise His Name!!!!!

BECAUSE YOUR LOVING KINDNESS IS BETTER THAN LIFE, MY LIPS SHALL PRAISE YOU. THUS WILL I BLESS YOU WHILE I LIVE; I WILL LIFT UP MY HANDS IN YOUR NAME.

See what this says - YOUR LOVING KINDNESS IS BETTER THAN LIFE - and because of this I will praise you and I will lift my hands in Your Name.

MY SOUL SHALL BE SATISFIED AS WITH MARROW AND FATNESS; AND MY MOUTH SHALL PRAISE YOU WITH JOYFUL LIPS:

This isn't silent praise. It says my mouth and my joyful lips will praise You.

WHEN I REMEMBER YOU UPON MY BED, AND MEDITATE ON YOU IN THE NIGHT WATCHES. BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN MY HELP, THEREFORE IN THE SHADOW OF THY WINGS WILL I REJOICE. MY SOUL FOLLOWS HARD AFTER YOU: YOUR RIGHT HAND UPHOLDS ME.

According to this scripture not only are we supposed to seek Him early but also to meditate in the night watches.

One sure way of putting yourself to sleep at night is to meditate on God or His Word. The devil doesn't like for us to meditate on God or rise early to seek His face. Sleep comes easy when we try to live closer to God either early or late.

Better close for today - Father, remind us to not only seek you early but to meditate on You when we can't sleep. Give us a thirst for Your Word and the things of God so that we can live pleasing in your sight. In Jesus Name. Amen (it is done)

Have a great Monday!

IT'S ALL IN GOD'S HANDS

Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

Well, for the majority of folks, today is the last day of the week. Unfortunately or fortunately, I have today and tomorrow to go. My days off are Sunday and Thursday. I work short days but still I have to be there every day. Fortunately, I have a good job and although sometimes I get weary of it, I do get my paycheck regularly and today is pay day.

Bill is also working. In fact, he has worked the past two weeks without a day off and we never see each other. I am gone before he comes in and he is asleep when I come in. The battery went out on our car Wednesday night and he had to replace it, so he did not go into work on Wednesday night so we did get to see each other. I enjoyed being with him as I really like the guy.

Pastor Eric was talking Sunday about if we truly live for the Lord, there will be times that people will say untrue things about us....just like they did Jesus. They falsely accused Him and eventually crucified Him based on those lies. This was the same people that the week before cried 'Hosanna, to the King' and waved palm branches for Jesus when He entered the city.

David says in Psalms 109 - HOLD NOT THY PEACE, O GOD OF MY PRAISE; FOR THE MOUTH OF THE WICKED AND THE MOUTH OF THE DECEITFUL ARE OPENED AGAINST ME: THEY HAVE SPOKEN AGAINST ME WITH A LYING TONGUE. THEY COMPASSED ME ABOUT ALSO WITH WORDS OF HATRED; AND FOUGHT AGAINST ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.

FOR MY LOVE THEY ARE MY ADVERSARIES; BUT (there's the but) I GIVE MYSELF UNTO PRAYER, AND THEY HAVE REWARDED ME EVIL FOR GOOD, AND HATRED FOR MY LOVE.

David goes on to ask God to not bless these people and to deliver him from what has happened. He concludes this chapter in the 30th verse with I WILL GREATLY PRAISE THE LORD WITH MY MOUTH; YES, I WILL PRAISE HIM AMONG THE MULTITUDE. FOR HE SHALL STAND AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POOR, TO SAVE HIM FROM THOSE THAT CONDEMN HIS SOUL.

To turn the other cheek....to truly believe that 'all things work together for good' when we trust and depend on God. To not retaliate but to believe that your life is in the Hand of God and He will bring you out on top no matter who the person or what the situation.

Jesus said from the cross 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' Even though God honored that prayer because it was from His Son, the Jewish race has paid a high price for what happened to Jesus. Just in the last part of this century have they become a nation again and we hear over and over how victorious they are. Israel is a tiny, little bitty country compared to the rest of the world. Yet, no matter what happens, they still stand - why? because God is on their side.

In adversity in our lives, we have to remember also that we will still stand and why? because God is on our side.

When Matthew (he is my youngest) was in Junior High School he started running with a bunch that wasn't good. Some of them were much older than he was. Everywhere I looked there were young people that he should not be hanging with. Because he looked older than what he was, they would kid him about being a mama's boy because he still lived at home. For goodness sake, he was only 14 or 15 years old. I finally just got tired of it and started praying 'God either get them saved or get them out of his life' You would not believe the people that left town and his best friend, who reads this Charlotte in the Morning, went to jail and while he was in there got saved and is now a preacher.

It is a powerful thing to pray for your enemies and let God take care of things, and your only job is to hold your shield of faith and forgive them - for they know not what they do.

David said in this scripture I GIVE MYSELF UNTO PRAYER. King Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to God for a situation that was unbearable. So whether it is a person or a situation, giving ourselves unto prayer is the answer. He holds our lives in His hand.

One time before I ever even dreamed I would marry again, I had been single for many years. There were times I was afraid that I would die and Matthew would have no one to look after him (I was 40 when I had Matthew. There is 18 years between my oldest and my youngest). Then when I didn't die and I kept getting older, I got to fretting about what would happen to me when I couldn't take care of myself anymore. Just fretting. One day I was praying, God, what is going to happen to me when I get old. God, what is going to happen to me when I get old. My boys live up in northwest Arkansas and my daughter now lives in Florida. All of a sudden, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart to not fret because I was in His Hands. I could see myself in His Hands. I was so small compared to His mighty Hands. I knew I didn't have to fret because God was in control. Who would have ever believed that my William would come along at our age and complete my life so fully.

Another time I was having problems on my job. God assured me in my heart that everything was going to be all right - the same way - assuring me that I was in His Hands and only when His little finger moved did I realize that He was there all the time.

When I write these little epistles sometimes I don't understand why God gives me the things He gives me to write about, but my prayer is that something that I write will minister to your heart and help in a situation that you are going through. My prayer is that when you need a touch from God, you can turn to Charlotte in the morning and there will be a scripture or a sharing that will encourage you in your walk with God.

Thank you, God, for being on our side. Thank you, for always being there and holding us in Your mighty Hand. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you that we can come to you about any and everything and you listen and you care. Thank you, Father God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen (it is done)

Have a great day this Friday! See you back on Monday!

LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT!

Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

Isaiah 55 starting with the 8th verse says this:

FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS, NEITHER ARE YOUR WAYS MY WAYS, SAITH THE LORD. FOR AS THE HEAVENS ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS, AND MY THOUGHTS THAN YOUR THOUGHTS.

I am so glad that God's thoughts and His ways are higher and wiser than mine. I mess up big time sometimes but God's way doesn't mess up. James the first chapter talks about if we ask God for wisdom, He will give us wisdom and He won't scold us saying we are not good enough or holding it over our heads that we are less than He is. He shares wisdom with us willingly.

When I was about 10 years old, I went to a Vacation Bible School and my part on the ending program was to get a key out of this treasure chest and say this scripture:

WISDOM IS BETTER THAN RUBIES AND ALL THINGS DESIRED CANNOT BE COMPARED TO IT. Proverbs 8:11.

I still remember that verse of scripture. Wisdom = good common sense.

FOR AS THE RAIN COMES DOWN, AND THE SNOW FROM HEAVEN, AND RETURNS NOT THERE, BUT WATERS THE EARTH, AND MAKES IT BRING FORTH AND BUD, THAT IT MAY GIVE SEED TO THE SOWER, AND BREAD TO THE EATER; SO SHALL MY WORD BE THAT GOES FORTH OUT OF MY MOUTH: IT SHALL NOT RETURN UNTO ME VOID, BUT IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PLEASE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THE THING WHERETO I SENT IT.

Now let's think about what this is saying. This is April - April showers bring May flowers. There is an old song 'Thou April showers may come your way, they bring the flowers, that bloom in May. So keep on looking for that blue bird and listening for his song, whenever April showers come along.' Remember that one? You may be to young. The showers and the winter snows when they melt, provide water for the ground to prepare it to receive the flowers and buds for Spring (which is where we are now).

For a plant to grow, it requires water, sunshine, and air. This is the recipe for green healthy plants. That is the way God set it up. If a plant lacks even one of these ingredients, it will die. We call it photosynthesis where these ingredients produce the chlorophyll (green) in plants. This process does not fail.

When we use God's Word as seed to plant, it will not return void. In other words, if you plant a seed of God's Word in someones heart, it will grow and eventually make a huge difference in that person's life.

Paul talks about some workers are the ones that just prepare the ground. Others plant the seed and still others harvest the crop. But (there's the but) the abundance is from the Lord and the results that his Word has on man.

To those who do not believe, this is foolishness, but just as God set photosynthesis in motion so He set His Word in motion to not return void.

I have planted seed before that did not come up. I have planted seeds that when they sprouted, the squirrel ate them. I have planted seeds before that birds ate. And then I have planted seed that grew into beautiful plants. But (there's the but) God's Word will not return unto Him void - of no effect.

FOR YOU SHALL GO OUT WITH JOY, AND BE LED FORTH WITH PEACE: THE MOUNTAINS AND THE HILLS SHALL BREAK FORTH BEFORE YOU INTO SINGING, AND ALL THE TREES OF THE FIELD SHALL CLAP THEIR HANDS. INSTEAD OF THE THORN SHALL COME UP THE FIR TREE, AND INSTEAD OF THE BRIER SHALL COME UP THE MYRTLE TREE: AND IT SHALL BE TO THE LORD FOR A NAME, FOR AN EVERLASTING SIGN THAT SHALL NOT BE CUT OFF.

Just as springtime is a time to be thankful to God for His beautiful world that only He could paint with such majesty, also when we do for the Lord, it will give us joy and peace. If we don't give Him praise the rocks will cry out and the trees in the field shall clap their hands. Instead of bad only good will come because God is God and what He sets in motion works.

Matthew is my rebel child. He is strictly redneck - all the way. You say redneck and Matthew is.

We were talking here while back and he said, "Mom, do you know the reason why I believe in God?" He said, "Remember that time you fell in the back yard and couldn't get up and I had just driven off?"

Well, I remember it well because I couldn't get up and it was dark and our big old dog I feared would lick me to death.

He said, "I got up to the corner and I knew I was supposed to turn around and come back home." He did and came in calling my name. He was grown so there was no specific time for him to come home so I could have been out there until he came back, but God directed him to come back.

You see - little is much when God is in it.

God works for us to glorify Him....to bring honor and glory to His Name....I don't want the rocks to have to cry out in my place....as long as I have breathe, I will praise His name for who He is and all the wonderful things He does. Glory be to You, Father. Thank you for being You. We give You praise.

Have a good one!