Turn Upside Down & Shake

My sweet Jessica graduated from high school and I made a cork board of pictures for her graduation party. At the top I had some stick on letters spelling out her pet name from me which is Noony J It is a term of endearment my grandmother used to use.

When I was taking it back home from the party I noticed two of the letters fell off. I only walked from my car to the house so I figured they wouldn't be hard to find. I was wrong. I searched everywhere for those stupid letters. I emptied the back of the car out, which is no easy task as I collect stuff all the time. I walked up and down the driveway and retraced my steps from the car to the house. I was getting so frustrated I couldn't imagine where those letters went. I asked the Lord a few times “what the heck, where are they?”  It became an obsession for me to find them. My better judgment said forget about it, just get more letters. It’s not even her real name but I was determined to find them. I was about to lose it so I just left the board on her bed and shut the door.

The next day I went into Jessica’s room for something and there it was the object of my frustration. I picked it up and asked the Lords again, “where are those letters?”  I heard him say "turn it upside down and shake it.” So I did and sure enough they fell off of pictures they had stuck on. The thing is Gems I looked at all those pictures thinking they may have been stuck on there but I didn't see them.

As always the Holy Spirit wanted to teach me something. He said “Gena sometimes you can look at a person and it appears everything is in order BUT, if you turn things upside down and give them a good shake things can be set free that were sticking on them.” Or in my case in them.
Matthew 15:18 But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.

I will now give you a human application to the above verse……

I have been dealing with my own list of oppression's.


Oppressed: the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, anxiety, etc.

The past month or so has been one circumstance after another and it's been a huge pain in the butt! To be honest I was feeling warn down.

Of course the enemy knows exactly when to attack us; kick a man when he’s down. However, the result of the attack is on me. I will respond with what is in my heart at that moment.  My heart will speak and what comes out may not be who I am but what I’m feeling about who I am at that moment.

In this particular circumstance I was feeling rejected and hurt so when the attack hit I spoke words that reflected how I felt and I can tell ya Gems they weren't nice words. The problem wasn't the other person, or even the situation, it was how I was feeling.

It was the stuff stuck to my heart. The Lord used the situation to turn me upside down and shake me up.He wanted me to see what fell out. The Holy Spirit used it for me to see I had things in my heart that needed to be removed. Honestly Gems I was surprised at how I was reacting. I truly thought I was further along in my emotional trunk.

I thought I had conquered those emotions but I guess they can slip back in without our noticing.

It’s OK to mess up; it was good for me to see I had some shaking up to do. I needed to remind myself how much God thinks of me and that I matter to Him despite how people or situations make me feel at the moment.
I needed to remind myself that the only love language that matters is dying to self. Everything we feel is about what's in us.

So Gems if you find yourself feeling upside down and shaken, take a deep breath and ask the Holy Spirit what He's trying to shake out of you and let it go cause God loves you enough to get rid of the nonsense.



Crown Of Mercy

Some times I'm leery about giving a prayer request when the request has to do with my heart hurting. I hesitate because I don't want to hear how you think I should feel I just want to be heard.

Have you ever experienced a time when your walking through something in your life and it just really hurts? You share it with the people you love and they tell you how you should feel or say you should be grateful for the test. They give you scriptures in the Bible you should read and pretty much tell you to suck it up and give it to God.

Gems these are not bad things but seriously sometimes all I want is a hug and a hand to walk with me through my experience. I want a shoulder to cry on and a tissue for my tears. I don't want your advice, your Christian sayings or your pious opinion of my situation. I want you to love me with mercy and grace. We can get to the other stuff later.

The truth is there are seasons in all our lives. They aren't good or bad there just part of the cycle of life. Just because we mourn a part of life we're not ready to let go of doesn't mean we don't celebrate the part of life that is to come. It just means we will miss the part we are letting go of. 

That can't be wrong there's a verse in the Bible that expresses my very thought.

Proverbs 20:25 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

We have to be careful with our words they can help or hurt. Proverbs gives great advice about kind words.

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

We as Christians, and I include myself in this, like to talk about the crown of authority we have through Jesus and it's true we do have authority. We reign over sin and death but we serve with love and kindness.

Proverbs 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.

As you know all these jewels are stories from my own life and I'm guilty in all of them. It's the things I'm experiencing at the time that make me search my own heart. I recently asked the Holy Spirit to reveal something new about God to me. As the day went on I didn't feel like He showed me anything about God personally. I asked Him “Holy Spirit your not showing me anything, why?”

Oh Gena, how many times have I warned you about asking the Holy Spirit questions....

This is what He said to me “Gena, every time I teach you something about yourself that doesn't look like Jesus I'm showing you something new about what God looks like.”

UGH....

What I learned Gems is we have to learn about God's sovereignty and holiness in balance with learning about His love and grace.

Robert Morris said something that rocked my world. “God is so merciful that even His throne is called the Mercy Seat.”

Gems let's work together to be compassionate to each other. Listen when your brother or sister is hurting and instead of giving your personal opinion on the situation give a hug and a kind word.

Proverbs 16:24 Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Let's remember Christ made us Kings to reign over sin and Priest to connect with each other. Forgive those who haven't handled your pain in the best way. Teach them what you learned about God in a loving way because I can guarantee you they will experience this themselves one day.  God help me to take hold of their hand and walk with them in mercy so together we can wear your crown of Mercy.

Scaredy Cat

I recently returned from my second trip to Haiti. Honestly I had not planned on going this year BUT God had other plans. All of my resources have been going to my daughter Amanda’s mission in Uganda so I hadn't saved any money for other mission trips. As the big day came closer my dear friend, Pastor Fritz, kept asking if I was going on the trip. I kept telling him “no” and kind of wondered why he was still asking. I should know by now when the Holy Spirit is making it clear “no” is not the answer He’s looking for.

About 10 days before the trip departure Pastor Fritz asked again “are you coming to Haiti?”  This was that 2x4 slap in the head moment that got my attention.  I explained again I had not saved for the trip and had no funds to go but if God was still asking I would put all my reasons back into His hands.

I agreed to pray for the next 24 hours and knew it would have to be God Himself handing me the money if it was supposed to happen.  I told Pastor Fritz I would talk to my boss the next day about time off but I didn't do it because I really didn't think it was going to happen. To be honest there was a part of me that was OK with it not happening. Haiti was a huge leap out of my comfort zone last year and this year I would go without my kids for security. I hate flying and get very anxious on planes. I don’t like any weird food and it’s hot as hates’ in Haiti. What if I get sick, what if I lose my passport, what if...  I know I’m a wimp.

I usually ask my prayer warriors to pray for me but I only asked one woman, I hardly know, to pray about it. I wasn't going to use my big guns for this obviously “NO” decision. No money, no guilt, no worries.

I did pray about it… “God if you want me to go send money, amen. P.S. Don't feel like you have to answer right away”

Pastor Fritz called about 6:30 the next evening and asked if I spoke to my boss for time off. I said no and he said “you may want to; your ticket is paid for. You just have to get money for food and the hotel.”

What!!!! I’m now getting a bit nervous.

 I called my boss and explained the situation. I told him I was totally OK if he said no as I hadn't asked for the time off in advance and it was such short notice. He paused for a moment and said “I think you are supposed to go.”  Not only did he give me time off he and his wife donated the rest of the funds needed for me to go! I had my answer loud and clear. God if you want me to go send money…

The thing is Gems I was kinda scared to go back to Haiti. I’m getting older and as much as I like to think I have an adventurous spirit  the truth is I’m a lot more cautions than I used to be.  I struggle with not letting fear keep me from doing things God wants me to do. It’s easier to say I don’t have the money than to admit I’m scared. People will let me off the hook if I’m broke but if I mention fear they might question my faith. I don’t want to limit God and in order to not do that I have to take limits off myself. Have you ever felt this way? Like it’s just not in you? Your just plain scared and don't want to do it?

I needed to know that I knew God was sending me on this trip. It was more than just the Lord providing financially.  I needed Him emotionally to walk me through it. I needed to feel Him holding my hand saying come on girl I gotcha.

I needed to hear and see Jesus in this situation so I could put all my fears aside and go to Haiti or wherever else He might be calling me to. I didn't want to miss any experience He had or has for me.

It’s like when the children of Israel were following the cloud by day and the fire by night.

Exodus 13: The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

They knew it was God moving. However Moses said, if you don’t move we ain’t moving.

Exodus 33:15 Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.

If God was moving me then I could go, knowing I was in His will and He would take care of everything. This knowledge could overcome any fear I may be feeling.

Gems I have to tell you after all that happened and God was so clear, I was so excited about going to Haiti. God not only provided for me financially He provided emotionally as well.  I wasn't nervous at all on the plane. The group I traveled with was just as amazing as the one the year before and my roommate was a MacGyver type.

 Anything you needed she had, what a blessing thank you Angela. Yes her name was Angela my own personal angel. 

Gems as always I just want to encourage you that if you are truly seeking the Lord the Holy Spirit will speak to you exactly as you need to hear Him. Don’t let fear or insecurity keep you from experiencing God’s faithfulness or keep you from using the gifts He gave you to bless others. It’s OK to be scared just don’t live in fear.

I had so many amazing God moments and was blessed to teach young people about the Lord.

I was blessed to speak into young men’s lives that are hungry for God and make new and lasting friendships.

 I was also blessed to help baptize boys and girls in the most beautiful waters I have ever seen.

 It's OK to go afraid just go with God.
Thank you Jesus for loving scaredy cats like me in spite of our fears and turning us into lions! 

Steadfast Peace

You know that emotional low you sometimes experience after a high point in your life?

After you have been through an unusual flood of emotions over a period of time that had you on a ride you couldn't stop if you wanted to. All the sudden you're overcome with a new emotion but this time instead of adrenalin or anxiety it's a deep sadness or sorrow. A feeling deep in your soul that you can't contain or control.

I felt that low last night.

After months of preparation and over coming obstacle after obstacle my sweet Amanda was finally married to the man God chose for her when she was born 32 years ago.

It has been a crazy ride for our family this past year. If you are a new reader I'll give you a brief recap. God called Amanda to the mission field in Kampala Uganda to work with orphans at an organization called Watoto. After being in Africa only 5 months Amanda had two surgeries in less than 10 days and was diagnosed with cancer. We have rebuked that diagnoses and believe Amanda is 100 % healed. The doctor wanted Amanda to have a pet-scan after her surgery to see if the cancer was completely removed. If it wasn't, to see if it spread. BUT after much prayer and fasting Amanda decided against the scan. Funny story, after the surgery the ONLY pet-scan in the region was broken and a scan was no longer an option unless Amanda traveled to Kenya which is about 13 hours from where she's located.

Honestly I feel it was God's confirmation she didn't need a test, she had her answer.

Amanda met Claver, her now husband, last year while on a mission trip. Claver was managing the hotel where the mission team stayed. I say Amanda met Claver last year but Claver met Amanda 2 years ago. This is an excerpt from a letter he wrote me.

The first time I saw Amanda was in 2011 and all I saw was her back and her long beautiful hair. It was at our then family Kayegi Hotel. At the time I did more of administrative work in a hidden office so I did not get the chance of ‘putting’ a face to the beautiful hair I saw. For some reason though, I never forgot having seen her. It was not until after a whole year, when she came back in 2012 that I got to ‘put’ a face to the beautiful hair. I was at the reception waiting on a few Guests; she passed by and sat in the Lounge to surf the Internet on her phone. As I looked at her, I was drawn to her but I just thought it was because I had never seen anyone with such a beautiful young lady with very long amazing hair in my life. It was a couple of days after that we started talking and it has been special ever since.

And God used one sentence from Amanda that captured my heart. On the 12^th August 2012 during a Face book chat, Amanda said,“I will live, love, laugh, die, and be buried next to my husband.”I was shaken to the core of my being. I had never heard any woman speak this way before. Could she really be the one? My heart screamed Yessssss!!!!

If you think that's sweet you should see the rest of the letter... Be still my heart. Jesus hand picked this husband for my first daughter before she was born.

You would think if Jesus picked the husband and brought the wife over an ocean all would run smoothly right? Think again.

There is nothing the enemy hates more than for a mighty man and Godly woman to marry. For the male image of God and the female image to become one and the power of the Holy Spirit to move freely through them.

Satan did his best to keep this union from happening. he used surgeries, cancer, problems with getting a marriage license to finances. He didn't stop at just medical and culture issues he even used family members to try and ruin the happiness and beauty of this union. Amanda received a very hurtful letter from a family member that in the natural would have done great harm but we have learned to recognize the works of the one who is out to destroy us and she chose not to fall into that pit. Instead she and Claver prayed for this person to be set free from lies.

Their wedding date was changed a dozen times because of paperwork issues. A week before the wedding Amanda's back was injured from traveling on motorcycles and old buses traveling on roads filled with pot holes.

Her sciatic never was injured and while most brides would be making their final wedding plans Amanda was laid out in severe pain. She had to use the money she had to live on to rent a car and do the 3 hour drive back to Kampala to see a Chiropractor.

Gems my heart broke hearing my daughter sobbing over the phone in excruciating pain and feeling helpless. But GOD! I met with my prayer warriors and had a team of people praying for Amanda that God would hold her up to walk down the isle. And hold her up HE did!

My beautiful baby girl was married to Claver Busima and their prearranged marriage by her Heavenly Father has begun.

My house was filled with excitement as family and a few close friends gathered to watch the wedding on Skype. We had chocolate and vanilla cupcakes to represent our two cultures coming together. 

There were a few computer glitches but for the most part we were able to see the whole ceremony. We toasted with orange juice and had lots of hugs and smiles. 

Afterwards we went to breakfast for our reception here in the States with bride and groom in our hearts. I made the best of the circumstances I was given so I could be a part of my daughter's wedding. My heart was and is filled with thankfulness to my sweet Jesus and joy for Amanda and Claver.

That night after everyone went back to their lives and Claver and Amanda were officially on their weekend honeymoon I was sitting on my couch alone with my thoughts and began to feel sad. This was that moment. The event had reached it's climax and I was on the other side. Months of emotions and stress lifted off my shoulders yet I didn't feel relief I felt lonely and sad. Why?

Because I was exhausted for one and it's when we are weak the enemy likes to whisper things to us. Here is a sample of what I was hearing:

“so here you are, once again all alone. No one here at the end of the day to hold you and share your intimate thoughts. This is the time that married couples share together with pride, when one of their children marry but you are divorced and everyone has gone back to their lives that don't include you. Once again you had to handle all these issues Amanda has gone through alone.”

But when I heard that word “alone” it jolted me, like being woke up from a bad dream. I stopped those thoughts and said out loud “no I didn't.”

Gems I was never alone. I prayed everyday and felt an unexplained peace constantly. I felt the arms of Jesus holding me every time I needed to be held.

I felt His presence every time I thought I would lose it. Every time I cried I felt Him close to my heart. On the mornings I didn't want to go to work because I was tired from a long night of messaging Amanda due to the time difference I felt a strength to get up. I heard Him speak to me when I needed a reminder my Amanda was right where He wanted her. In the center of His will.

I remembered a conversation I had with my dear friend Johnmichael Moran. He reminded me of a verse that has become my life verse this past year.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Steadfast: unwavering faith, firmly established,firmly fixed in place or position

John Michael reminded me that it's a decision to be steadfast. It's a decision to trust the hand you can't see. He reminded me in order to have that peace I had to look past everything in the natural, including my understandable fears, and trust God.

Gems I'm writing this jewel to remind you that it's a decision to be steadfast. I want to encourage you whether your coming off an emotional high, good or bad, or in the pit of despair you can have peace. The key is to keep your mind steadfast on Jesus.

It won't change your circumstances and you won't be able to explain it but you will feel it.  Steadfast peace..........

Don’t Give Bread Alone

I arrived at Soup kitchen ready to greet our guest for dinner under a beautiful blue sky. I greeted each one by name then as they picked their spots I stopped by each table to again greet and remind them how special they are to our sweet Jesus.

Then it happened, I made eye contact with an elderly man shuffling from his electric wheel chair to his place at the table. He wore an old Veterans hat tattered and torn with his long grey hair poking out the bottom. He had hard lines on his face with a scruffy mustache and beard but just under the rim of the hat were the most amazing blue eyes. Still vibrant in spite of the hard life his small frame showed.
I sat across from him with the sun in my eyes squinting to take in each feature of his chiseled face. I asked his name and extended my hand across the worn folding table we bring each week. He told me his name was James in a deep soft voice I had to lean forward to hear. We shook hands and made an unspoken commitment to listen to each other.
I’m going to share some facts about James with you:

1.      He has 2 children in the U.S.

2.      He has a child in Vietnam, Germany, Greece and Korea

3.      He has never met the children outside of the U.S. and has no relationship with the two in the U.S.

4.      He is a recovering alcoholic

5.      He did time in prison

If I left you with these facts you would have a pretty negative impression of my new friend James and his 70 years on this planet. But one of the most precious gifts the Lord has given me is to not assume the worst in people.

As our conversation continued I found out that James was in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He saw things that drove him to alcohol and binges of black outs so he could survive the hell that had now become his young life.

He told me of times in Vietnam when he was fighting for his life, a machine gun his only tool, and how if you shot it before you got the “OK” you had to pay for the ammunition. He went on to tell me how expensive bullets are for a machine gun. He shared that when he came home from Vietnam he was greeted the way many of our soldiers were with contempt and hatred for surviving a war he didn’t ask for. His wife greeted him with divorce papers.

He married again but suffered from flash backs and nightmares. His 2nd wife woke him up one night and he thought he was in the war and the event that followed horrified both him and his wife. This of course led to another divorce. He tried to get back to Korea to be with the women he left there and truly loved but she was killed by the very war that took James’ once normal life.

He was forbidden to see his children here in the States because of his unstable condition from post-traumatic stress. He has to live with the fact he never met his children in the other countries. He said his prayer is they made it back to the United States and could one day forgive him.

I asked James if he had an explanation for why he survived and so many of our soldiers today are committing suicide. He looked me square in the eyes and said “I tried on many occasions to kill myself but for some reason the Lord didn't let it happen.” He went on “now I’m old so there’s no sense, I will die soon.” 

I moved across the table to sit closer to James and asked if he was on disability and he said no, that because he went A-wall for 3 months in a drunken state he was given a dishonorable discharge. He told me the key was to stay drunk. If you stayed drunk it’s amazing the things the mind can block out.

James had 4 months of leave time saved, how ironic that he was not allowed to use that time then be given help for his condition. He told me he has a few people fighting for him as the dishonorable discharge was changed in Illinois where he’s from but here in Florida it’s not accepted. I don’t understand all that he was saying but I got the gist of it. This brought some hope into the story and I excitedly asked when that will happen?  He laughed and said “they have been working on it since 1986 but it doesn't matter I will die soon.” He reminded me he was alone with no family and most people he’d known have already passed.

My heart was so full of pain and remorse for this man I had just met. His small frame reminded me of my own father before he passed. He had made his way into my heart and I just wanted to cry as I felt so helpless to add any light to his bleak situation.

I realized we had been talking so long James hadn't had a chance to eat his meal. I told him to go ahead and eat and he said he wasn't hungry, that he didn't come for the meals each week he came for someone to talk to.

Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

James lives alone in a small efficiency apartment and drives his motorized wheel chair to our site hoping to have conversation. Hoping to find acceptance in a world filled with wars, hatred, disrespect, and injustice. You would think he would be an angry man but he’s not. I asked if he had a relationship with Jesus and he said yes. I found myself at times almost staring into his blue eyes wondering how they have stayed so vibrant while the rest of his body has taken such a beating.

He has been coming to our soup kitchen not for food but for friendship and I’m happy to say he found that before I even met him. I serve with such an amazing group of volunteers that LOVE the body of Christ. The whole body. He is greeted with a smile from the beautiful woman who gives him his name tag to the high school students that make sure he has a drink. Evelyn, one of our leaders, makes sure he’s accounted for each week. James told me last week he was home sick and a volunteer brought him dinner.

Gems there are times there is nothing we can do to fix a person’s circumstance but we always have the opportunity to change their moment with us. I am honored to have met James and after thanking him for fighting for my freedom I let him know I will look for him each week so we can have talk time because two are always better than one.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.

I asked James before he left if there was anything he needed and he said he would love a pair of jeans and some new tee shirts. This is a veteran of the United States Army asking me for an outfit….
I will have it for him next week along with a hug, a smile and a reminder that he is loved by the King of Kings and that he is never alone.

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Gems sometimes we have to be the ones who use our mouths for Jesus words to come out of. We have to be the one who helps our brother or sister up. We have to be the one to remind the world that Jesus will never leave or forsake us.

I pray this jewel encourages you to not give bread alone...

Bible Talk

True story: I put on some lip gloss and starting driving my car with the windows open. As the wind picked up my hair began sticking to my newly applied lip gloss. I would pull it off my lips and it would just stick back on when the wind hit me. Very attractive....

That has nothing to do with this jewel just thought you might need a chuckle :)

What I really want to talk to you about is conversations with God.

What if I told you that right now, this very moment, I could show you how to talk to God and have Him answer you right back!! Would you be interested?

I’ll assume you said yes so here goes.

It’s that simple, yet I think the Bible is one of the best kept secrets ever! 

The Bible starts as an introduction to the One and only Holy & Mighty God.

It explains God's care for His people spoken through leaders & prophets. In Psalms God shows He understands both our joys and our sorrows. The book of John is referred to as the book of love as we are introduced to our sweet Jesus. The New Testament teaches us how to live after we accept Christ so we have a full blessed life. Then God tops it off with Revelation! The book of victory and a glimpse into end times here on earth and life in Heaven. THIS BOOK IS ACTION PACKED!
For me my Bible is truly my life line. I tried life without it and I can tell you it was 

pretty much a train wreck. My pages are marked up, highlighted and torn from many days of hanging onto God's word for dear life. I read it when I'm fearful, need encouragement, need a reminder of who I am in Christ. I read it when I'm sad or seeking knowledge. I read it when I want to be reminded how much I'm loved.
My Bible is my direct line to God's thoughts, His commands, His desires and His plan for my life. Every time I read it I find something new. It has love stories, war stories, history, prophecy and 31 Proverbs. One for each day of the month to give me wisdom. I love red letter Bibles where I'm reminded they are the words of Jesus Himself. I'm not super holy, I'm super needy.  My Bible has saved me thousands of dollars in therapist bills. It corrects me when I'm getting off track and reminds me of all the blessings coming my way when I obey. I get excited when I feel like Jesus is sharing a secret with me and I am in awe that God would allow me to read His personal diary. Not gonna lie I'm pretty stoked by this book.

After my mother was admitted into a nursing home my sisters and I had to go to my parents house to collect some of their personal items. One of the things I found that is priceless to me is my mother's Bible.


I didn't even know my mother had a personal Bible.
As many of you regular Gems know my mother and I did not have the best relationship so in a weird way my mothers Alzheimer condition kind of made things better for us. She didn't remember me so I became the nice lady that came to visit.  She was happy to see me and that made me happy.

I held this personal treasure in my hands and slowly began to look through the pages. I was excited and sad at the same time, wondering what my mother's thoughts were as she read this precious book.
Suddenly my heart skipped a beat as I found pages with verses underlined, pages where she had written a small note on the side of the page. I started digging through the pages looking for anything my mother might have written. I was getting a glimpse into her personal world with Jesus. What did they share? What spoke to her? What promises did she hang onto for dear life? What secrets did Jesus share with her?
Gems it was such a solemn moment for me. I'm full of emotion even as I write this jewel. For the first time I was meeting my mother as a Christian woman. Funny my mother keeps meeting me for the first time, the nice woman that came to visit. Isn't life strange and wonderful.
I use my mother's Bible every Wednesday when I go to Bible study. 

I tenderly carry it as if I were holding her hand and bringing her with me.
One day when I have gone home my children will find my Bible and they will meet another side of me as well. Yes, they have met me as a Christian but they will see many conversations I had with Jesus that they were not a part of. How many verses I claimed over each one of them. How often I petitioned God on their behalf. They will get a glimpse into my personal life with Jesus and what verses spoke to me. They will see for themselves that not only did I speak to Jesus, He spoke to me.
I hope this jewel has inspired you to get into your Bible. Read it, enjoy it, highlight verses that spoke to you, write notes in it and most importantly share it with those you love. Speak to Jesus then open His word and let God speak to you. Enjoy some Bible talk.