Month: September 2026

Vintage Discovery: “Just Know That You Are Held” September 23, 2026

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I have been blogging now for over 13 years. Throughout that time, I have published hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces and articles. Some you may have seen before, some you may not have.

They say sharing is caring, and in Vintage Discovery, I am using this space to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

Friends, if it looks like the world is spinning out of control, just know that you are held by God’s unmovable and unshakeable hands.

Come with me today as we revisit You Have Been Upheld Since Birth, and may your heart be encouraged no matter what you are facing today.

Blessings~

“By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.” Psalm 71:6

As you look back over your life, is there ever a time when you know you should not have made it?  Is there a time when you recognize that it was only by the grace of God that you are still here today?

Yeah, me too.

Life has a way of throwing us many curve balls.  Sometimes we hit it, and sometimes we miss.  Sometimes we are even keen enough to get a home run, but other times we are just be grateful to still be in the game.  The fact that we are is a testimony to the love of the Father over us.  It is evident that He still has you and me in His hands and in His plan.

There are times that come that make it extremely hard for us to recognize this great truth.  Crushing times that weigh on us, making us believe that we are forgotten or that we are walking this path alone.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  God has always been with us.  God has always taken care of us.  God has always been the one holding on to us when our lives seem to be spinning out of control.

I find it utterly amazing that we have been upheld since birth.  Truth be told, Psalm 139:16 shows us that He was paying attention to us even before the time of our birth.  It says, “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” 

Even before day 1 of our lives, God had His eye on us.

How awesome is that?

I find great comfort in verses like these because I realize that yes, I have gone through some very difficult and troubling times.  Yes, as I look back through the different stages of life, I wish some things could have been better, or I wish wrong choices could be undone.  But, despite all the “I wish I had…” or the “could have and should have,” these verses remind me that I never walked alone.

There was never a time in my life when God didn’t see me and didn’t see what I was going through.  There was never a time when He was absent.  He was there the whole time, reaching out for me and calling me with His love, beckoning me to stay in the safety of His arms and rest there.

God’s hands have always been us!

I don’t know what you may be facing today, but the Word of God is sure in all it promises. And His Word promises that you are not alone.

Yet, sometimes it does seem that way.  It seems like you cry and cry and cry some more, but I assure you, your tears do not fall on deaf ears.  As you cry, the one who has had His hands on you since birth feels the flow of your tears running over His hands as He holds you.  Stay right there in His loving embrace.

If you have to, turn back to Him and trust Him who has you in His hands today and wants to hold you forever.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Vintage Discovery: Sailing With Jesus September 16, 2026

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After blogging for over 13 years and writing hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, I am using this space, Vintage Discovery, to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

The storms of life can rise at any given moment. When they come, we are often left wondering what to do. While much advice circulates on how to navigate difficulties, one undeniable way to sail through the storms is to sail with Jesus.

Today, come with me as we revisit Getting to the Other Side With Jesus.

If you find yourself in a storm, don’t give up. Find comfort in the truth of Jesus sailing with you.

Getting to the other side- isn’t that what we all want to do?  All we want is to be on the opposite side of where we are now.  Standing on the edge of one shore with a whole mess of stormy ocean in between, all our hearts yearn to do is get through this mess safely and plant our feet on the shore of peace that stands waiting to receive us after navigating the tumultuous oceans in between.

But it’s that whole mess of raging ocean in between that’s the problem.  Sometimes life is hard.  Sometimes the waves are so high and terrible, the view of the shore is obscured.  Sometimes they crash so violently that we can’t help but cry out with the disciples, “Lord, save us!” (Matthew 8:25).  The situation is hard, and we are desperate and screaming for deliverance!

The Lord hears and asks them, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26). For the disciples, Jesus wanted to know, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25).

Let’s face it: like the disciples, sometimes it’s hard to see past what’s right in front of you.  With fearsome events swirling around, and disaster seemingly imminent, “seeing” a positive end to this rise is very difficult.  But God never asked us to see the better end.  He asks us to hold on, in faith, and trust that He will get us to the other side.

Four times we are told in His word, “The just shall live by faith,” (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38).  And, in 2 Corinthians we are told, “We walk by faith, not by sight,” (5:7).  Yet, no matter how much we hear or read these encouraging words from Scripture, when it comes our time to be in the boat tossed about on the raging seas, many are ready to abandon ship because they can’t see the way to the other side.

But abandoning ship doesn’t get you to the other side.  It only leaves you treading water in the middle of the waves.

I don’t scoff at the disciples for waking Jesus, because if you don’t know how to get through the storm safely, and if you are having trouble navigating the ferocious winds in your life, it’s best to lean on Jesus in the middle of the storm.  It’s best to speak to the one who cannot only see you safely to the other side, but also bring quiet to the mess in between (Matthew 8:26).

If your goal is the other side, Jesus is your way.  Trust that if you are riding with Him, you will arrive safely on that shore of peace because Jesus never fails.

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”  – Psalm 107:29

“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” – Psalm 34:17

“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” – Nahum 1:7

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

The Change Will Come

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The leaves are changing.
Have you noticed?
The colors are quietly moving
Toward a new season.
Don’t lose focus.
The change will come.

Some things we don’t want to
Let go of, and hold a little stronger.
Some things we look forward to,
Anticipating a little longer.
But the change will come.

Eventually, the faint colors will
Become bright, signaling the shift.
Temperatures will fluctuate,
The season cannot resist,
Because the change will come.

Therefore, I will wait.
It won’t always be the same,
Because the leaves are changing,
Revealing His promises’ reign.
And the change will come.

“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” Job 14:14

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Past Seasonings

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So many times, we run from our past. We hide from the stories it holds. Some pasts are painful and hold hurts we would rather not revisit. Some pasts we wish we could turn the clock back and relive again and again.

The past seasons us. As much as a good cast iron pan is used and put into the fire to be seasoned time and again, it comes out to be one of the most useful tools in the kitchen.

So, too, does the past. Although it took us through many ups and downs, it prepares us to be fit for the Master’s use. Our testimony becomes like Job’s when he said, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

The past will always be a part of us, but it doesn’t have to be a source of stress. God knows every part of our past, and He brought us through it. As one cherishes a historic relic and what was learned during that period, so too can we walk away from the past with lessons learned.

One of the greatest lessons learned was the revelation that the same God who was with you then is with you today.

If the past is a burden, cast that heavy load to the Lord and let His holy strength take it and sustain you simultaneously (Psalm 55:2). Then, may you press past it and go forth into all that He has called you to be in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

The past had its day. But today is today. And while yesterday’s lessons may be useful and refine us, we don’t pitch a tent and camp there. We take those experiences and move forward into what is before us now.

Today came with new grace and mercy (Lamentations 3:22-23). One day we shall be completely changed from all our pasts, and the story it will tell on that day will be one of total victory (read 1 Corinthians 15:52-58).

Your past has nothing on your future. And when you view your past through the lens of what God has in store for you, it has the sweetest and most magnificent ending.

Cast iron is seasoned for endurance and durability, but a seasoned saint is even more powerful.

The strength of the past is your story that no one can take away from you, but one that God can build something beautiful upon for all eternity.

Blessings ~

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Adding to the Lives of Others

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Strive, dear friend, to be a great addition to the lives of those you meet.

With many things and circumstances trying to speak about who we are at our core, we know personally, at times, what it feels like when life makes you feel depleted, as if something has been stripped from us.

But when we work to add to the lives of others, to be a blessing, to be one whom others can turn to, knowing you will be there for them, you become a wonderful complement to their lives.

I want to add to the lives of those in my life. I want to add joy, and comfort, and all those good and beautiful things that make relationships of all kinds happy, healthy, and whole.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 gives us a beautiful math equation of addition that benefits us all. It says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” 

Let’s step away from the numerical equation and focus on the word “better.”

When we work to add to each other’s lives, we make them better. Not because of anything special about us, but when we link up with one another in supporting love, and pour ourselves into the lives of those around us, we help one another flourish and grow.

The Spirit of the Lord within us is beautiful. When we work in the fruit of the Spirit that is in us, and that fruit plants seed into the lives of others, prayerfully, they become a source of strength, support, and all those good things that come from that fruit.

Then, upon this rich soil where these beautiful seeds have been added and planted, they may grow and plant their own seeds of good to those around them, becoming a wonderful chain of blessing others and seeing growth in their lives over and over again.

Today, when you become a great addition to those around you, you are not only pouring into their lives, but you are also reaping benefits, too: “Two are better than one… For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow…” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

Blessings~

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

 

Vintage Discovery: Jesus Stepped in for Me – September 7, 2026

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After blogging for over 13 years and writing hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, I am using this space, Vintage Discovery, to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

Do you remember that day, dear friend? The day you realized there was nothing you could do to erase the sin in your life. You knew you needed this gift of salvation, and the only way to receive it- and the forgiveness and new life it offered- was through Jesus’ offering of Himself on Calvary’s tree

Today, come with me as we revisit the poem It Should Be Me! 

What a beautiful gift was given to us on that day!

It should be me there on that tree
to perish for all eternity.
Bearing the burdens of all my wrongs,
crying and wailing the sinner’s song.

It should be me who suffered on that night, 
bearing the brunt of the whipper’s stripes.
But when He looked down through the ages,
passing the kings, wise men, and sages,
He saw something special in me
that compelled Him to still mount that tree.

It should be me who readily paid the cost
because I was the one who was truly lost.
But Jesus didn’t see it that way,
which is why on this earth He could not stay.
Doing all at the Father’s holy will,
mounting higher and higher on Calvary’s hill.
He was lifted up that we might be free,
to draw men to Himself; that was the key.

It should be me is what we need to say,
because we are the sheep that have gone astray.
Doing everything in our own stubborn way,
far from the King’s heavenly highway.
But Jesus stepped in looking down from the cross,
viewing with battered eyes all who were lost.
He and His Father did agree,
for the world to be saved, it should be Me!

 Thank you, Jesus, for stepping in for me!

 John 3:17  “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

John 10:17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

John 6:38 “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.