COUNT IT ALL JOY....

I was having  my morning quiet time with my Lord, reading his Word and meditating on that which I had  just read. It was the Scripture from James, the half-brother of Jesus, who was one of the first pastors of the Judeo-Christian church in Jerusalem. In James1: 2-8, it reads as follows:

 

"² My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. ³ Your faith will be tested. You know that when this happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. ⁴ And you must allow this strength to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need. ⁵ If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone and doesn’t find fault. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe. You must not doubt. That’s because a person who doubts is like a wave of the sea. The wind blows and tosses them around. ⁷ They shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ This kind of person can’t make up their mind. They can never decide what to do." (Reader's New International Bible)

 It was in this passage that James was telling Christ's followers to be prepared to face rough times ahead. In fact, all of us no matter our lineage, our religion, our social status or any of 100 other things know life's central truth...HARD TIMES COME UPON US ALL!!!

 But for us as believers, we are to count it ALL joy! Now, that does not mean that we should always walk around with a big smile on our face, pretending that nothing is amiss or troublesome in our lives. Rather, it means we expect troubles; however, we should see trials as God's refining fire, melting our the dross of disobedience or disbelief and refining us for service to our Master who gave His Son for our redemption...and that is where the inexplicable JOY comes from in our lives. WE ARE SAVED FROM SOMETHING TO SOMETHING GREATER THAT GIVES US JOY OVER OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

 Many believers are caught up on trying to be happy in this life; but one thing I have learned is God is not all that concerned about my happiness. He is concerned about my character and how I represent the Savior of the world to those I encounter. Let's face it...Joy and Happiness are NOT the same thing! Happiness is fleeting, usually tied to the circumstances of the good or bad things taking place in our lives; however, JOY is and should be a constant fruit in the life of a believer...

 And it rest on the fact that we are now at PEACE WITH GOD!!! It is in that peace, that passes all understanding,  that we can be joyous in the midst of the trials and tribulations that we all face. WE CAN BE JOYOUS BECAUSE WE KNOW GOD IS AT WORK IN OUR LIVES, HELPING US TO BECOME THE BELIEVERS THAT NEED NOT BE ASHAMED!

 It has been said that in life, most of us are coming out of a storm, in the midst of a storm or heading into a storm; so if you want to be joyous and know that the safe harbor is within reach and that the God of the Universe is at your helm, just ask Him for wisdom and discernment on how He wants you to proceed. But, ask in faith, believing without doubt, so that those crashing waves will not sink you, but rather the storm will subside as God leads you safely to your eternal destination.

 Yes, trials are not fun for any of us. I believe that the trials of life have this effect on almost everyone, regardless of their faith or lack thereof.... The trials, testing and tribulations of life help us dig up the soil in which we have been planted so we can see how deep our roots really go.

 How deep are your roots in this life of trials and desperate times? If you are firmly planted in the soil of salvation and know that God the Father gave His only Son to redeem you for an eternal life with Him...then grow strong and tall in the LORD and blossom where you are planted. Then,

 YOU CAN COUNT IT ALL JOY!!!!

Living in this life...Counting it all Joy for Christ,

 WPQ

 

 

Poem for the day....

 

The troubles that we face each day

May surely drag us down;

But when we’re planted in Holy sod

Then we’re on solid ground!!!

 

We need not fear what comes our way

As in turbulent seas we're tossed;

For when we put our trust in Him

His love has paid the cost!

 

So let life's  troubles come at us

We pray, yet do not doubt;

For we know that in the Father's love

He's already worked things out.

 

To make each of us a vessel;

Holy, pristine and pure...

And because we ask and do not doubt

Our joy is forever sure!!!!

 

WPQ ©  August 2021

 

I was out early, in the cool of a mountain morning, attempting to blow away the effects of last night's rain storms. One stubborn piece of what looked like tree bark, turned out to be a moth, doing his utmost to stand against the strong wind of my leaf blower. I would blow him a few feet; he would right himself, and then get pummelled again as I continued my onslaught to remove the debris from my driveway.

In watching this small insect fight against this horrific wind, that surely came out of nowhere to him; it got me thinking...aren't we alot like that moth? When the strong winds of life blow up and knock us over, we get up and try to get going again; but before we can get ourselves moving forward, here comes the next big gust and we find ourselves knocked over once more.... And if we are not careful to stay connected to the true source of power, we will eventually think, "why bother to try"and just give up...like the poor moth in my story....he eventually ended up in the tall, wet grass which presented him with another challenge to face.

I hope this little poem that follows helps you connect or stayed connected to our TRUE SOURCE OF POWER...THE ONE WHO STANDS ALONE ON THE SHORE.....

For He Alone Is Waiting.....

When storm clouds begin to gather

And the winds begin to blow;

That's the time that matters

Not what... but who you know.

Is your house built on solid rock

Or on shifting, sandy shore?

Can it stand against the raging winds

And offer refuge as in times before?

For the Master of those stormy skies

Is waiting to hear your pleas;

As you offer up your heart-felt cry

For His rescue from stormy seas.

For He wills no one should perish

As in life's seas you're tempest tossed;

And when you put your faith in Him,

You shall not suffer loss...

For He alone is waiting

On that far and distant shore...

When the storms of life are over

And you're at home with Him once more!!!!

WPQ © August 2021

Our Sad State of Affairs- JULY 4, 2021

This is a post I have written and shared in the last 3 celebrations of the Fourth of July; however, never in my lifetime have such things that are taking place, every day in our country, left me and so many of my fellow Ameicans feeling so hopelessly depressed about the sad state of affairs in which our country now resides. GOD PLEASE HELP US ......

It seems that each year, this day of celebration gets here just a little bit quicker and leaves me a little wearier and a little less hopeful for what lies ahead. We all run hither and yon, wishing all those we know a “Happy 4^th”, singing patriotic songs, eating BBQ and watching fireworks. We collectively ask for God to Bless America and then, somehow seem perplexed when gas prices keep rising, crime escalates and our leaders debate in open forum the merits of partial birth abortions, gay marriages and legalized gambling. How can a righteous and holy God bless this mess that we now call America?

In fact, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Anne Graham Lotz was queried on the Early show, the host asking, “How could God let something like this happen?  Her response was quite profound. She said, “I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And, being the gentlemen that He is, I believe He has quietly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?”

And that my friend, unfortunately, is the sad state of affairs that we find ourselves facing in this year, 2021. In my almost 72 years on this earth, I cannot remember a time when we as Americans have faced so much discourse from all. Yes, there were turbulent times as we righted the wrongs left behind by slavery; we have vehemently disagreed over wars fought during the Vietnam and Iraq eras and I am sure, as wars continue to exist, we will continue to fight over which wars are just or unjust. But through all of these times, we (the vast majority of Americans that work hard to take care of our families and leave this world better than we found it) have always remained civil to each other, showing respect for each other as fellow Americans, no matter how far left or right our opinions divided us. Alas, it seems so long ago that we held each other in high esteem and cherished the freedom that allowed us to express our hopes and fears without condemning those with whom we disagreed.

It is in this unholy and turbulent atmosphere in which I believe God has slowly and surely left us to our own demise... and I am sure that it is breaking His heart to see how far we have fallen from our roots as a Christian nation. A country that He ordained through our forefathers, whose beliefs and allegiance to the Creator were unshakeable... one that began with such great and magnificent promise is now sinking fast and unless, God Himself, orchestrates some cataclysmic jolt….this nation that still prints “In God We Trust” on our money, is doomed to a bitter end.

There is one bright and shining star though ….His CHURCH, ordained to be both salt and light for such a time as this. Let us not shrink from the battles that lie before us, but rather put on the whole armor of God and wage war. We serve the Great Commander-in-Chief who has never been defeated ….and HE NEVER WILL BE!!!! Proclaim this July 4^th as our day of Dependence on the Creator of the Universe….and fight the good fight…..we know the outcome, WE WIN!    

MARCHING ON...Celebrating the coming Victory,

WPQ

You Are What You Eat

In my quiet time this morning, I read a devotional about our bodies being the temple of God and it made me realize how much I love and adore my wife, Terri, for keeping me trim and fit after almost 32 years of marriage. There is no doubt in my mind that I would be the size of a barn, or perhaps not even be here, if not for her investment in making sure that we eat healthy, balanced meals; so lovingly prepared in her own special ways. When we met some 32 years ago, my diet consisted of anything fast food with an occasional salad thrown in for good measure....being athletic and playing softball helped; but it is the wholesome, nutritional meals that we eat as a family that keeps me in good health as I approach my 72nd birthday in August. So, to all you fellows out there that has a wife that looks after your health by watching what you eat and preparing good food for you and your family, why not do what I did this morning...

Wrap your arms around that wife of yours... hug her and give her a great big kiss and tell her, THANK YOU...because we all know we are what we eat!  If not, the poem that follows is for YOU!

 

 INTO VIEW...or  YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

 It has often been said, "you are what you eat."

'Tis an old adage that most always rings true...

Just take a look at your friends over time;

But don't forget to view....YOU!!!!

 

You'll see short ones and small ones;

 Some thin as a one-lane bridge...

Some tall like a high-rise building,

Some wide as a commercial fridge.

 

But no matter the shape of the bodies you see

There's one thing they all have in common...

It had a lot to do with the things they ate;

And I don't mean noodles and ramen!

 

My doctor told me I should watch what I eat,

Since these "extra" thirty pounds are killing my feet;

So I've laid off the potatoes and the mounds of red meat,

So I eat like a bird....chew; swallow; repeat!

 

Yes, I miss those days of pizzas and beers

When I called up my friends to come over here;

For so many are gone to that feast in the sky

Because they ate too much ice cream and pie.

 

So if you want to live a life filled with joy

Then skip the fries and the shrimp po' boy.

Just leafy greens and some carrots too,

And others will smile when you come into view.

 

 

W. PATRICK QUEEN ©  JUNE 2021

 

 

Celebrating One of Life's Greatest Gifts...A GODLY FATHER!

This week is Father's Day....a special day set aside to remember, reflect and in many cases, reverence the man in our life we called, DAD. For me this is a bitter sweet day since my father passed away at the young age of 63(shortly before I turned 35). He has been gone longer than I knew him. He did not get to meet my wife, Terri, or hold in his arms, his granddaughter, Alyson. I know he would have been EXTREMELY PROUD OF THEM...just as I am.

My dad was the sweetest, kindest, most humble man I have ever known; and many of you who may read this, know exactly what I am saying because you had the good fortune to know him too...as an uncle, Sunday School teacher, choir member...the list goes on. I took the time, in June 1977, to write the poem that is part of this post. It was originally entitled, EULOGY TO A FATER, because I wanted my father to know how much he meant to me before his call to heaven. In fact, at his funeral, I placed a copy of the poem in his inner, jacket pocket and sent him home to be with his Heavenly Father who he loved with all his heart. My wife and I changed the title to the poem when we began our business, Thankful Praise Prints, so that we might share it with those who felt compelled to tell their fathers how much they loved and honored them...it was always one of our best selling poems.

I am sharing it once again because I believe we can NEVER tell our dads, too many times, how much they mean to us and the great influence a godly father has on his children. My hope and prayer is that I have been as good and a faithful dad as my father, WINFORD W. QUEEN was to me. I think about him every day and miss the times we would have shared as we both aged. I try to emulate the man he was and I hope that this poem always let him know how important he was in my life.

If you have a dad like mine, YOU HAVE BEEN TRULY BLESSED!!! Let him know, in no uncertain terms, the difference he has made in your life. If you father was not a great dad, but he is still living, it is never too late to start to improve that relationship. God bless ...and if you have the wonderfully blessed   responsibility of being a father....it's never too late to be a good, no, make that GREAT ONE!!!!

 

ESSENCE OF MY DAD

Often, I have stopped to think

of times both good and bad;

And in each fleeting memory,

I reverence my Dad.

He stood both tall and straight,

Colossal in my mind.

He spoke in tones both harsh and firm,

Yet so gentle and so kind.

 

An unquenchable desire for life;

A zest for Life and living;

He fought and scraped to provide for me

Through his unselfish giving.

A guiding hand who led my steps

Down paths I dared not tread,

A steady mind, a sturdy back were the

Essence of my Dad.

 A willful man, his beliefs ran deep;

He taught me to be good;

Yet, when times got rough

Or I failed my Dad....He always understood

So surely on the day he passes,

I truly will be sad,

But never will I forget the man,

I loved and called...My Dad!

 

W. Patrick Queen  © June 1977

 

 

Speaking the Language of the One You Love....

 

This is a reprint of a former blog...

Speaking  the Language of the One You Love....

I was reading in the Scriptures today in Ephesians where Paul is schooling those followers on how they are to love their wives and how the wives are to love their husbands. We see in these verses that Jesus is the head of the Church and gave himself for it...and husbands are to love their wives and do likewise.

But what happens when you speak the words of "I LOVE YOU"  to your spouse...does he or she truly understand what your are saying and the impact that such a phrase should carry? Or are they underwhelmed by the words because as we all know, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

So what is your wife or your husband's "love" language and how can you know and engage them in such a way that your words have meaning and are felt deeply?

For some it is presents, trinkets, or small gifts that says "I love you." For others quiet times with each other, removed from the cares of daily life best says that you hold a position of great love in your partner's life. For some it is a great gesture that moves your loved one to tears for it truly says it all...that your live would be meaningless if not for the love you share.

For me, it is the simple written word, expressed in some poetic form that best allows my bride to know my heart and the depth of my true love for her....and so yesterday, after hearing a song on the radio, I penned this poem for the love of my life....my sweet wife, Terri.

 

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ...BEAUTIFUL IN MY EYES!!!

 

I looked into the mirror just the other day

Saw a face looking back that I barely even knew.

It was one covered in lines and wrinkles

Each one there simply because of you...

 

Now not for reasons that you might think

Did these lines appear on my face.

Not for the troubles that we've seen
When caught between a rock and a hard place.

 

Each line was there around my mouth...

 Many etched into the corners of my eyes;

Each one telling those who would view

The what...the who's...the whys?

 

You see each line was their because

Of the many times you made me smile

And every time you've made me laugh

They lingered a longer while.

 

And now I hope that you understand

Though each line is now a part of me;

For when you laughed and made me smile,

Your opened my eyes to see...

 

That no matter what each day may bring

Be it Laughter...or Pain ...or Sighs.

 

This you should always know

No matter where we may go

In my life you will always grow

 

EVER MORE BEAUTIFUL IN MY EYES!!!!

 

W. Patrick Queen

April 2018

 

 

Take the time TODAY...do NOT let it slip away without telling your spouse just how much, how deeply and for how long you will love them. Speak their love language and let them hear what is truly coming from your heart. For 31 years, I have signed every note and every card with this simple phrase...

I LOVE YOU.....Forever and a day,

 WPQ

TODAY IS A SAD DAY....

Today is a very sad day for me and I believe, a sad day for America. I watched the mixed reaction and news coverage from the many so-called news outlets as they reported the death of a man that I believe was a true American icon....Rush Hudson Limbaugh.

Now, let me temper my remarks regarding my admiration for Mr. Limbaugh since I was never a diehard follower of his radio talk show. In fact, in his 30 plus years of voicing his opinion over our radio airways, I probably listened to his show less than 20 hours...TOTAL. But in listening to him, I was always overcome with admiration for his love for our country; his willingness to debate with his callers the pros and cons of both his and their opinions of the state of our country, our political leadership (and their flaws) and other timely topics that indeed made for good, if not great, talk radio.What bothered me last night was the way the left-leaning media bashed the man and his legacy and had the audacity to label him a malfeasant...all the while holding up to the "noble" life of the recently deceased porn purveyor, Larry Flynt; the publisher of Hustler magazine and his pornographic empire.

Now, I never agreed with Rush Limbaugh on everything, and sometimes, I agreed with him not at all; BUT I ALWAYS AGREED WITH HIS RIGHT TO SHARE HIS OPINION AND LET THOSE OF US ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RADIO SPEAKER MAKE UP OUR MINDS AND FORM OUR OWN CONCLUSIONS...and for me that is enough of a reason to mourn his death.

I also believe that Rush Limbaugh had a GREAT BIG HEART and used that caring spirit to spread much joy and love to others as he shared his fortune with charities, endowments and other means of giving to those in need. I believe, as he did, that he had talent that was on loan from HIS CREATOR and that he always sought to find a way to share his talent, thoughts and time with others. I believe that he sought to use his platform, and his ever-growing audience, to instill in his listeners how we might come together in unity to redeem this great nation so that we might return to our roots of faith in our Creator...and in so doing, we might begin to live together in harmony as we continue our search for LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS...those inalienable rights guaranteed to us by the hands of our founding fathers in our Constitution.

Was Rush Limbaugh a perfect man? I think that answer would be an emphatic NO! But as Christ said to those men, standing around the harlot, with huge stones in their hands, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:7b-11

I think that is the message behind this blog today...we can look at the life of Rush Limbaugh; pick up the big stones, ready to hurl them at this man with whom we may disagree... and possibly even have chosen to hate with a vitriol which seems to be more commonplace in our nation with the passing of each new day...or we can do as our Lord and Savior has commanded us to do; “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 'But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;" Matthew 5:43-45a (bold, my emphasis)

So I say in closing, it does not matter if Rush Limbaugh was in your 'Living Life Large Hall of Fame' or in the 'Despicable Wing of Whackos'...he was a man, created by a loving, heavenly Father, who sought to use his talents to make a difference in this world...and whether you agree with him, his politics or anything else associated with him, let those who will miss him mourn in peace; pray for them in their sorrow and remember your day to depart this world could happen at any moment...So, act the way you want others to act when they hear that you are dead and gone...so that you may be counted as a son of your Father in heaven.

Laying down the stones....Walking away in Love,

WPQ

 

 

Poem for the day...

 

There is coming a day,

When each of us will know...

That the angel of death has come

And 'tis time for us to go.

 

But what will be our departing cry

As we leave this mortal life?

Will we celebrate the good we've done

Or revel in the misery and strife?

 

And what about the ones we loved;

What will their praises be?

Will their eyes fill with many tears,

Expressing sorrow or frivolity?

 

So live each day as if it were the one

When God's trumpet calls for you...

You've spent your time loving others;

Doing what He'd have you do...

 

So when the casket lid is closed;

Silence will be the deafening tone...

And a pile of rocks will be left behind

Because everyone dropped their stone!!!

 

 

WPQ  February 2021