Just A Little Note: " How Great Thou Art"

Just A Little Note

" How Great Thou Art"

I was reminded recently of a story I was told as a child about my grandfather.  My grandfather became a Christian in His older age.  My grandmother rarely ever left her home unless it was to go to church so when my grandfather came home to a seemingly empty house, he became flustered and started calling for her.  "Mildred, where are you? Mildred! He called over and over again.  He became very concerned and began searching all around the house inside and out.  Come to find while she was walking around the house to find him.  He was on the other side looking for her.
When He finally found her he hugged her and wouldn't let her go.  He told her He thought the rapture had happened and He was left behind, it nearly scared him to death.  Soon after, my uncle led my grandfather to the Lord and he became a faithful Christian. There was a noticeable difference in his life .      
One sad day our family was informed that our grandfather had cancer.

I recently wrote a poem called every little detail.  In the poem I use the words from the hymn "How Great Thou Art".  The hymn is one that has impacted my life because of my grandfather.  I read the poem at our church along with the words of the entire Hymn, "How Great Thou Art."
I told the story of my grandfather who died of cancer years ago.  I told the story as I remembered it told to me.
My grandfathers favorite hymn was "How Great Thou Art" and it was the last song sung to him before he died.  My mother later told me she sat by his bedside and sang to him his favorite hymn.  It was the only thing that seemed to help him rest peacefully.

A year a ago or so  I was walking at the park.   It seemed I was the only one there so I freely sang out loud, but not too loudly.  I was singing the song "How Great Thou Art".   Every time I sing the song I think about my grandfather.

 A very unusual thing happened while I was singing.  I've been kind of afraid to talk about it because I didn't think anyone would believe me.  I was singing the words to the song and when I got to the part about the rolling thunder on cue there was a thundering sound from the sky.  It seemed as though God reacted to my singing to Him.

I even questioned maybe someone was trying to trick me, but preferred to believe God was blessing me. I even started thinking theorizing  how someone could make it happen. Then one day while I was walking, I could hear the sound system from the high school football game, it came from the same direction as the thundering sound I heard.  I don't mean to ruin a great story about God speaking to me in a thundering voice as I sang "How Great Thou Art".  but it's better than me questioning my sanity.

It could be that my faith is just too small and I should just accept that God heard me singing to him and he was so moved, He wanted to let me know it.  So I'm going to go ahead and accept it, because either way God's still in control and still hears me when I sing or speak to him.

Susan Y. Nikitenko
February 15th, 2016
Just A Little Note

Definition For Great:
Mighty
Wondrous
Greater Than Anything
Greater Than Anybody
Greater Than Galaxies
Or Anything Greater
And Far Greater Beyond Expression.

Psalms 145:3

 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Poetry And Other Materials On This Site Can Be Freely Used For Christian Bible Centered Non-Profit Ministries And must Remain Unchanged In Any Way. All Other Purposes Are With Permission Only. You May Make Requests At "treasurebox18@yahoo.com" All my poems with stories are both real and fictional designed to illustrate a biblical truth. All Rights Reserved. Please Include Site Name And Link Back To This Blog. Thank-You.

Just a Little Note: Faith And Love

Just a Little Note:

Faith and Love

Not too long ago I met a young lady while I was out walking.  She was probably around 25 years old.  She's attending college in Washington State. She was visiting her parents who live just a few houses up from us.   She was out walking her mom's golden retriever.  She wanted to talk about politics, when I noticed she repeated something several times. Our conversation weaved in and out into the topic of politics, religion and Christianity.  She kept on repeating "killing for Christ".  I responded with "Killing for Christ?"  What?  I believe in fighting for freedom and protecting our Country as a nation.  But killing for Christ? No.

We went on in our conversation, She said that she was a Christian but that she was confused.  She had been studying many other religious beliefs and had started doubting Gods Word.  I explained to her that if she was a Christian and was doubting God's Word she was already falling from the Faith.  I lovingly told her that anything that contradicts God's Word should not be trusted.  

God has made His Word simple enough for a child to understand.  That's why Christ said let the little children come unto me.  God can open the eyes of a child that does not have allot of this worlds knowledge.  God wants us to come to Him as little children.  Trusting Him with a childlike faith.  Sometimes people can become so educated that they become deceived by this world's knowledge  and become blinded to 

the things of God.

I've been busy trying to get my craft room organized.  I happened to see my scrapbook from years past.  I picked it up and looked at it noticed some things missing.  I noticed an article I put in it as a young teen.  The headline said... "Killing For Christ".  I didn't read it but I immediately thought of that young woman repeating those words to me, as though awaiting my response. I can't remember why I put the article into my scrapbook, nor do I know what it says at this time.  I haven't taken the time to read it.

The other thing that stood out about our conversation was when I mentioned that God hates sin.  She responded with, God doesn't hate because God is love.  God doesn't hate anything. 

Normally when I talk about scripture. The scripture just pops up into my mind as needed.. I know the Lord hates sin, God has brought judgment upon nations and people because of sin.  I did not argue the point because for some reason even though I know the Scriptures needed, my mind drew a blank.  

When I was at home I remembered the verses.

Proverbs 6:16 -19

16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 

17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 

 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

God is Love, but He still hates sin, which we are all guilty of in one way or another.

God doesn't not want us living in sin. He wants us to repent.  He wants us to turn to Him and trust Him.  He wants us to do these things because he loves us.

The Bible teaches us that God is love, but it also teaches that He hates sin and will judge sin.

Romans 6:1 -2

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Just remember without faith we cannot please God. 

Unbelief is one sure way never to be saved, never to see heaven, 

 never to know real hope or joy.

Susan Y Nikitenko

Just A Little Note:

February 14th, 2016

Poetry And Other Materials On This Site Can Be Freely Used For Christian Bible Centered Non-Profit Ministries And must Remain Unchanged In Any Way. All Other Purposes Are With Permission Only. You May Make Requests At "treasurebox18@yahoo.com" All my poems with stories are both real and fictional designed to illustrate a biblical truth. All Rights Reserved. Please Include Site Name And Link Back To This Blog. Thank-You.

When Things Look Like Something They Are Not

Just A Little Note

When Things Look Like Something They're Not

There are a number of things that happen throughout life that can look like something it's not.  I have a few examples in mind. 

A couple years ago we helped a neighbor with a garage sale.  My daughters and I brought cards and played during the slow hours of the day.   I've played this card game since I was a kid. 

We don't bet money when we play the game, because we don't gamble, We just like playing the game.  On a particular day we were playing, the cards were dealt and customers came in to look.   Someone noticed my cards and asked what we were playing and we told him we were playing rummy.

After He left the sale, I looked at my hand, which I had held up the whole time.  I noticed I had two aces and they were both spades.   I couldn't believe it, It looked as though  I was cheating.  You know the old saying "He has an ace up his sleeve."     We stopped the game, counted the cards, and found an extra ace in the deck.  This wasn't planned, sometimes we play other games that require three decks of cards, somehow one just got put in the wrong place.

Sometimes things happen by accident, I just had to put it in God's hands,  if that man thought I was cheating and if he did he was wrong.

Now when you're having a garage sale at someone else's house, many people may come in and not know it isn't your home.  The owner of the home was selling small liquor bottles and when I saw them I became concerned someone may think I was having a nip every now and then.  Well, I don't drink and my family doesn't either.  The point is sometimes it could look like someone has been drinking and they haven't been.

 

I can think of a time we went to Good-Will to shop, When we  were finished shopping we left carrying a box and noticed, after we had carried it all the way to our car, that we were advertising for a beer product. 

I'm sure if there were any gossipers around who knew us, they would have had a hay day with that one.

I can think of many other things that have happened through the years that could've caused someone to believe something that isn't true. 

One of the things I did when my kids were little was I kept after them to take their vitamins.  Now that I'm older, I feel God has turned things around on me because my husband is telling me to take mine.
When we took a flight to Hawaii, on our early twenty-fifth anniversary, He pulled out a baggy of pills, "vitamins".  I was concerned someone would think we were doing drugs or something.  It just looked like a lot of pills in one bag and could have looked suspicious to someone.
Someone could have jumped to the conclusion that we were doing  drugs, but they would have been wrong
because we don't do drugs.  Vitamins and sinus tablets do not count if they are for sinus aggravation only.

Now many say we shouldn't worry about what others think about us.  I don't think we should worry, but we should care to a certain extent, because our lives DO impact others and their choices in life.   

There was a time a year or so ago.  I looked at a picture of my nephew, He looked angered and it looked like he was holding a gun.  I became concerned, not out of criticism for him, but because I care about him,  but it was a reflection shining off a CD he was holding, that made it look like a gun.

I said something about it, "thinking it was a gun."  It looked like a gun, but it wasn't, so I had to apologize and felt foolish for saying anything, especially because I thought someone was upset with me.

When it comes to seemingly accidental  instances like this and the other things I mentioned, We just have  to trust God, that He will work things out, protect us and our reputation.

Susan Nikitenko

Just A Little Note

January 31si, 2015

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Poetry And Other Materials On This Site Can Be Freely Used For Christian Bible Centered Non-Profit Ministries And must Remain Unchanged In Any Way. All Other Purposes Are With Permission Only. You May Make Requests At "treasurebox18@yahoo.com" All my poems with stories are both real and fictional designed to illustrate a biblical truth. All Rights Reserved. Please Include Site Name And Link Back To This Blog. Thank-You.