Some Devotional Thoughts from Mark 15

My morning necessities- my Bible & my coffee!
Notice the snow scene reflected in my coffee.

This morning, while reading my devotions a few thoughts came to mind that I thought you may like.  I have been reading through the book of Mark and today have arrived at the best part – Christ’s crucifiction.  Leading up to this I have been reading about Christ’s earthly ministry as He clearly shows He is the Son of God.  Now He is taken by the Roman soldiers and brought before Pilate.  Pilate is appalled, by His reply of nothing (15:2).  Finally Christ says, “why should I reply, you are already saying who I am”.  Isn’t it funny that the heathen know who God is.  Some people look to themselves as gods to make their own life choices, yet, they accuse His people of being God’s people (“Oh, you are one of ‘them”!”).

Next, I saw how God even used the sinfulness of a man named Barabas to bring glory to Himself.  God sometimes uses our sin to point others to the Savior.  Christ dying on the cross spoke heavily to His people when one of the worst sinners was set free.  Christ died in this awful man’s place and He has died for me!  I wonder what Barabas thought of all of this.  

How beautiful! The snow on Saturday & Sunday.

What led the people to let this man go?  The awful sin of envy (15:10) by the high priests.  Even what I consider little sins can culminate in something as big.  Wow, be careful Christians when we give one thing over to satan!

As I read further, I saw how the soldiers mocked Christ, dressed Him up as King, and then they cast lots for his garments (15:24).  The unsaved mock Christ and laugh at His name, but they still want a part of Him, only when it is of some profit to them.  If it was modern times, they probably would have gambled for His clothes and then sold them on EBay to the highest bidder.  Sadly, the world we live in and the world Christ lived in has not changed.

The Cottage- where I used to live.

The best part of my reading today was in verse 34.  Christ’s words – “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”  This last week, I have been reading about Christ’s time in the garden praying and His teaching to the disciples about His coming death, but now here He is.  The moment He has prepared His disciples for and He asks His Father why He is forsaken.  He knew what would happen because He has told it so many times.  He told the people that God cannot look on sin and yet He wonders why God has forsaken Him.  

This is the most triumphant moment of all – He is humanity!  This is so sweet and precious to me.  The God-Man has truly shown His love and the affect it has on Him to be separated by sin from His beloved Father.  This is what made the centurion standing by finally believe (15:39).  The Bible says that when He cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me”, that is when the centurion believed.  

How powerful this message is to us!

View across the field to my neighbor's farm.

The last thing that I gathered today, in this chapter, was God’s perfect timing.  Joseph of Aramathea came to claim Christ’s body on the day of preparation for the Sabbath (15:42).  The Lamb of God had been slain and now it was time to take His body to prepare for burial.  Pilate was astonished that Christ was actually dead.  He was also amazed that Joseph came so quickly for the body of our Lord.  God’s people were used to show Pilate their faith and dedication to our God.  The saints reacted to the death, burial, and resurrection in a faithful manner.  They trusted Christ in life and in death.  Oh, to be seen as one of those saints. 

I am sure there is much more to glean, 

but these are just some of what specifically stuck out to me today.

My house in the ice & snow on Sunday.

A Lesson in Obedience

Last week as I prepared to leave the house for the weekend, I did my normal routine.

Put the laundry away, did the dishes, and tried to tidy up a bit.

In my hurry to leave by a certain time, I opened a cupboard 

and one of my favorite glass bowls fell out and broke. 

 I probably paid a dollar for the bowl at a yard sale, 

but it was the perfect size for my mixing needs.

Mom & I on Christmas day

Of course, I was on the phone with my mom while I was scurrying to leave and she told me, "Gina, you had better clean that up before you step in it and get glass in your foot".  My reply was, "Sure mom, I need to go now".  

So I picked up the big stuff and swept the tiny pieces along the edge of the cupboard to be cleaned up when I returned on Monday

(don't you just love procrastination?).

Mom was right!
On Monday, I was making my coffee and stepped right in the glass.
Nothing got in my foot (my feet have very tough skin on the bottom
 because I am always barefoot).
Oh, that reminded me to clean it up.

Do you think I cleaned it up?
NO!
I got sidetracked by another project and walked away.


Later that day, I was walking down the hall and something very sharp hit my foot.
It was a piece of glass.
I lifted my foot and examined the calloused bottom.
I pulled the fragment out.
Only a scratch, but it still hurt.
Oh, well.  Momma always says, "You'll live till you get married!"
Not married yet so I have a few more years to live :)


I sat down after walking back down the hall and later glanced down at my foot.
Blood was trickling down the side and dripping on the other foot.

I knew I should have listened to my mother!


Col 3:20 "Children, obey your parents in all things: 

for this is well pleasing unto the Lord."

Isn't that how we are with God sometimes?

"Yes, God, I hear you", we say.  

Only then, we walk away and forget what we should have obeyed Him in.

Sometimes, I know I am so preoccupied with what needs to be done, 

that I fail to obey Him in the simplest things.

Then I step where I shouldn't and pay the concequences for that disobedience.

There is still a small piece of glass in my foot that I can't see and can't get out.

Every time I step, it reminds me of my disobedience.

I know eventually it will work its way out.

Just think, I could have avoided the misery if I had only obeyed.

(But then, I would not have learned such a valuable lesson.)

God knows my sinful nature and He even uses it for His glory.

What a God we serve!

Bible Lessons on Obedience~

•  For those under authority:  Col 3:22 "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:    Heb 13:17 "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."                                                                             
• For everyone: Acts 5:29 "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."  Deut 13:4 "Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him."  1Sam 15:22 "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? 
  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
• For wives: 1Peter 3:1 "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;"
• If the wind & sea can obey Him, why can't I?  He sent His Son to die for me! Luke 8:25 "And He said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him."

Friend, Farm, Fun

Winter time for me, means that I can go out and visit 

some new churches that I have not been to.

It is a delight of mine to meet other believers 

and to have wonderful fellowship with them.

When I don't have a meeting, I look for a like-minded church to visit 

in hopes of getting invited to come back later 

to share my ministry with the church.

My friend Ann

Last weekend I visited two churches in Lebanon, PA.

I had the added blessing of being able 

to spend some time with my dear friend Ann.

Ann was a missionary to the inner city kids in the Philadelphia area.

               She lived in the city and has served the Lord faithfully 
                                    since she was a teenager.

Now she is blessed to live on this beautiful farm in the country.

Her days are still filled with the sound of children 

chattering and playing outside.

There are also peaceful quiet moments where she can spend more time studying His Word 

and encouraging other believers.

When you live on a farm, there is alot of work to be done, 

so she helps the farmer and his wife by watching the kids.

She is like a mother, grandmother, sister, part time homeschool teacher, 

arts and craft teacher, hard worker, missionary,....

Anns crafts

Ann is truly a modern day portrayal of the Proverbs 31 Woman.

 Proverbs 31:13 

"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."

Ann loves to make beautiful things.

God has truly given her the gift of making something beautiful out of nothing.

During my visit, she taught me to knit this pretty scarf.

Since the weekend I have made more scarves and have also taught my mom.

More than making the scarves, I enjoy the times we spent together learning, talking, and making something beautiful.

The scarf I made during this visit will always be precious to me, 

representing the special memories I have with her.

During my visit, we also talked of God's faithfulness to us as we serve Him.

He always provides for our needs and lovingly leads us in His will.

I am so thankful that God has placed His faithful servants in my life.

They have already gone before me and have valuable life lessons to share with others, like me.

The Bible says we should be learning from the older folks.

 1Pe 5:1 ¶ The elders which are among you I exhort, 

who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, 

and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

 1Pe 5:5 ¶ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. 

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: 

for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Who are you learning from and 

what spiritual life lessons have you passed on to the younger generation?

Christmas Service in South Africa

The week before Christmas- the children in the village got together to helped the Kilmers pass out flyers inviting the people to the Christmas service at our church in Embo.

Christmas Day service - the church was full.  Over 100 people were in attendance 

on Christmas day!

Along with the church people, were a few visitors. 

Noone came to know Christ as Saviour, but the Gospel seed was planted!

The Monday after Christmas - the Kilmers invited the church people to their home.

Karen and some of the young ladies from church worked to prepare 

a special meal for the church people.

They even recruited Don's help in the kitchen.

 Everyone enjoyed the wonderful meal!

The boys played!

Over 40 people came to the Kilmer's house on the day after Christmas.
During the holidays, many of our church families travel to see their families 
in other parts of South Africa.


I was grateful to the Kilmers for sharing these pictures with me.
It wasn't hard to notice how much some of the children have grown since I saw them last (over 3 years ago).
Although I was glad to see the people, I want to be there even more.
Praise the Lord! My support level is continuing to rise!
Keep praying that I will be able to schedule some more meetings 
to fill my Spring schedule.

Merry Christmas!

William, Dad, Mom, Becca, & Me

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Sweet Little Jesus Boy

As the week drew near to Christmas, I had many projects to accomplish.  

One of those things was to paint the nursery for a friend who is having a boy.

As I began this 6 hour task, I put on some Christmas music.

Words about the Little Babe in a manger rang in my ears.

I painted a compass on the wall where the baby's crib will go.

There was plenty of time to pass the time in prayer for my friend 

and her little boy who will be here soon.

(I am secretly praying that he will share my birthday).

As I painted Proverbs 3:6 on the compass and listen to the songs about the wisemen following the star, I thought about God's direction in my life.

Again I prayed for the little boy who will be sleeping here 

and for his family as they teach him to follow the Lord in everything.

The most important part of that verse is the beginning - 

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him..."  

It is only when we acknowledge Him that He will direct us.

As I continued to paint and listen to the music, 

I thought of what it will be like for this couple to have this little boy.

What a joy he will be, but oh, how their lives will be changed.

The lyrics about the "Baby" in Bethlehem rang in my ears again.  

This time, I thought of the Christ-child.  

What a difference His birth has made to the world.

That Sweet Little Jesus Boy has certainly changed my life!

Praise God for sending His only Begotten Son to earth so that He could die for our sins!

 Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, 

The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

To read more about this painting and to see the finished project click here.

Why I Love Christmas

I love Christmas because everything around me points to my Saviour.

A wreath shows us God's creation, the branches are from a tree, 

and the beautiful red bow is like the blood of Christ 

shed for us on a tree many years ago.

Heb 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; 

and without shedding of blood is no remission."

1Cor 15:3,4 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, 

how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

 And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

This past weekend it snowed.

Snow so white and powdery, like sugar on a cake.

So beautiful, peaceful, and pure.

Like the holiness of God.

Like the way Christ's blood cleanses us from sin.

 Isa 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: 

though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; 

though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Ps 51:7 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, 

and I shall be whiter than snow."

My front door & Bandit

Beautiful welcome mats and grand entry ways.

As you drive down the road, take a look at how each doorway seems to beg you enter.

The Bible tells us that God stands at the door of our life and knocks.  

He wants to come into your life.

Rev 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the manger scenes.

I love how everyone is looking in awe of the King of Kings!

Luke 2:11,12 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, 

which is Christ the Lord."

 "And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 

lying in a manger."

What are some of the things that you love about Christmas?