SOMETHING YOU CAN FLAUNT

 

SOMETHING YOU CAN FLAUNT

When someone bullies you,

Or you must endure a taunt,

Don’t hang your head or cower,

Here is something you can flaunt.

You are the child of a king,

And one day you’ll wear a crown.

You’ll be a prince or princess;

Don’t let anyone get you down.

Some people may avoid you,

Just because you are poor,

But you will have riches in glory,

And live in a mansion galore.

No one on earth is perfect,

So you might have a physical flaw,

In heaven you’ll have no blemish,

Of yourself you will be in awe.

So the next time you are bullied,

And the taunting doesn’t end,

Just look your enemy in the eye,

And say, “I love you, my friend.”

For whatever problem you have on earth,

Whatever you must endure.

Life is but as the blink of the eye,

And heaven is the cure.

Becky Wall

 

DEALING WITH A PERSON WITH DEPRESSION

DEALING WITH A PERSON WITH DEPRESSION

Dealing With a Person With Depression

Most of us have had a bout of depression. Some have deep or clinical depression. Their world is dark, hopeless, unloving, hurtful, and everything and everybody are seen in a negative light. Maybe I should say a negative darkness. Many with depression will say they feel as if a dark cloud is hanging over them or that a dark blanket envelops them when they walk away from a well lit area filled with "normal" people and into their own living space.

People who have overcome depression are more empathetic toward others, especially those who are going through a bout of depression. Sometimes just talking it out makes a big difference. People who have had situational depression or worse are better equipped to handle a future situation because they have been through a storm or storms and realize the sun will shine again. They actually become stronger.

Encourage the person with depression to pour his or her emotions into an art form such as singing, playing an instrument, writing, sculpting, etc. If the person is into sports, give it his/her all. An art form without emotions poured into it is like the difference between creative writing and a newspaper article. It's like playing sports half-heartedly which almost guarantees a loss.Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..."

Does the person have ADHD? Persons with ADHD have excess energy and emotions and therefore when they become adults, they fit right in with the teenagers. They have the energy to lead them while the rest of us have lost energy. They have trouble focusing but when they do, they can take their thoughts to a level others don't. Having ADHD is not a bad thing, though many with ADHD get depressed until they learn to corral their emotions and behavior. Then they often excel. Encourage the person who has it to corral it and use it for the good.

Self-discipline is needed in order to be an overcomer of suicidal thoughts, depression or anxiety. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" I Corinthians 9:24-27, NIV. Focus on serving others and give it your all. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." Eccl. 9:10a.

If you do happen to speak to someone with suicidal thoughts or comments, try to learn if they are serious, though even then a person can't be sure they are being forthright. Find out if they have a plan and if they do, how would they do it--cut their wrist, use a weapon, jump off a building, drown themselves, overdose on drugs? Has their normal behavior changed? Do they have dark circles around their eyes indicating lack of sleep or other health problems. Ask them when is the last time they slept and ate. That is important. Are they taking the medicine they have been prescribed, if any? Have they been giving their things away?

Keep them talking if they look like they're going to take action. Ask them who would be hurt by their actions? Ask if they have a pet. What is their favorite season? Remind them it will come around again. What sport do they like? What team? Do they like to swim? What was the funnest thing they ever did. What was their most embarrassing moment? Tell them one of yours. (For me it was waving good-bye to my boyfriend in jr. high and turning around and walking into a tree with him still watching.)

If the person has been "dumped" by a boyfriend or girlfriend, don't minimize their feelings. Sympathize with them. Memorize the following scripture verses but don't worry if you have a difficult time memorizing book, chapter and verse (like Romans 12:15). "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." (Luke 6:21) "Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep." (Luke 6:25) When a person is hurting now, their emotional pain will eventually turn to joy. God will punish those who cause pain to others instead of showing love. Those who laugh at a hurting person will be brought to tears. Our charge is to "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15) no matter the reason.

Becky Wall

beckowall.blogspot.com

MY SON JOHN

MY SON JOHN

My son John was riding through the little town of Nashville, IL on his bicycle on his way to school one day looking upward at the sign his dad had made for a business there in town. Because he wasn't watching where he was going, he ran into the back of a pickup truck, went flying through the air and landed sprawled across a big machine part in the back of the truck. Fearing the owner would come out of the business and wonder what he was doing in the back of his truck, he climbed out in a hurry and walked his bike the rest of the way to school because it was no longer rideable. When he got home he told me what happened in his laid-back way and when he finished I asked if anyone stopped to help him. He said, "Yow one man stopped but he just laughed and laughed."

My older sister and I, my two kids and her son were walking through the woods my older sister and her then husband had just purchased in Millstadt, IL. They were going to build a house on the property. My youngest sister was also with us. She went on ahead with my little son then all of a sudden she came running back to us terrified. We asked her what was wrong but she could hardly speak. Finally she got the word "snake" out and that was enough. I took off running toward my son who had stayed where they were and was standing perfectly still. We knew there were Copperhead snakes on their property but we failed to take that into consideration. I had to slow down before I got to my son so I wouldn't startle the snake. It was coiled and was having a staring contest with my son, who was standing there peacefully. I stood back as far as I could from my son and grabbed him from behind and got away from it. We had had enough of our tour of their woods so walked back to the car, but I had to put my son down because my knees weren't holding both of us. They had gone weak and shakey.

A more humorous life experience: My older sister, Linda, and I were looking for a parking place in Belleville, IL. Traffic had stopped at an intersection and a nun walked across the street with her habit flowing behind her in the wind. She had just purchased a broom. My son, just a toddler at the time, exclaimed, "Look, Mom! There's a witch!" Trying not to laugh I responded with "That's not a witch, honey, that's a nun." He said "Yes it is too. See she even has a broom." About that time we found a parking spot but we were laughing so hard we could hardly walk cross the street. 

Many years ago I had a pair of scissors in my hand about the time company came through the door, so I laid the scissors on the kitchen counter thinking that since the counter was taller than my son was, he couldn't reach them. I went to greet our company while going back through the kitchen. I looked down the hall and there was my young son running down the hall with the scissors pointed up. I just about had a heart attack. I couldn't get to him fast enough -- literally -- because he tripped and fell with those scissors pointed up. I picked him up while imagining the worst, but God must've sent an angel because all he had was a crease in the protective film on his eye. God has blessed that kid and us so many times. Don't you know his guardian angel is exhausted, though.

My then husband and I were in the kitchen doing our normal kitchen things when all of a sudden we both saw a bright flash of light come from our little son's bedroom at the end of the hall. We ran as fast as we could to his room to see what happened. He was just lying in his bed with eyes as big as saucers. We looked around the room and saw a melted nail under an outlet. I couldn't tell John was shocked in any way. Not even his fingers were burned. Once again, thank you God. He is now in his 50s and a grandfather.

We lived on an acre that was narrow and long. My son was playing in our back yard. He was a little more than a toddler. He was in the company of a bumble bee. Somehow he made the bumble bee madder than a hornet and the bee took out after him. I was surprised at how fast his little legs could run. He almost made it to the far end of the property where pine trees were growing and he tripped. When he did, the bee lost track of him and whizzed over him. All I could do was watch from the sliding glass doors in the dining room nurturing near heart attack #400. He was fine.

My dad loved to fish. Several of us older siblings were visiting our parents with our kids. They were still young. Dad decided to take my son and one of the youngest of his cousins out in the boat to fish. While they were fishing, a sudden storm came up -- a gullywasher. I was at home worrying and so was my youngest sister, the mother of the cousin that went fishing with Dad and my son. They ran into a small problem when the storm hit. The car was on the other side of the lake. So Dad headed for the other side. My son is laid-back and doesn't panic easily, or at least he didn't back then. He has his own kids now. That changes things. Back to my story, when they finally made it home I asked my son if he was afraid. He answered "No." I said, "Well, didn't water get in the boat?" He replied, "Yes, but we just poured it out."

My two kids, two of their cousins and the mother of the cousins were at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. We mothers let the kids go on the rides while we stayed on solid ground. We were chatting away when all of a sudden my son and his sidekick ran up to us and said the girls were on a ride. He could hardly get the words out. I wasn't concerned at first because I thought maybe they were scared on the ride and my son was scared for his sister. As it turned out, all four kids were scared because the roller coaster ride the two girls were on had stopped on the highest part of the roller coaster with a broken wheel The girls discussed whether or not they were going to die because they didn't see how they could possibly get down. They were terrified. Part of what confused me when my son told me they were stuck on the ride is that he expressed his fear as anger. So my mind went the wrong direction. I wondered why they were into it this time. He wasn't and isn't an angry person, never threw tantrums, didn't throw things or get mouthy, but he was angry then. He actually taught me a psychology lesson that day. Just because a person acts angry doesn't mean the person is truly angry; they may be afraid. My son expressed that same anger when he thought his sister had been kidnapped while sprinting down the country road. She went out of our sight, which was unusual, but she had just turned a corner and went farther than usual. Fortunately the girls weren't stuck on the ride too terribly long and we could all relax.

I had no sooner finished writing these true life stories about "my son John" when he was told he had cancer. Since he is a private person, I will keep the details private. He went through surgery, seven weeks of radiation therapy once a day except weekends, and chemo once a week. The things he had to go through in preparation for the radiation treatments were, in my opinion, horrendous. He had to be hospitalized for a week partway through the treatments. During his surgery and treatments, hundreds of people were praying for him.

His final treatment was scheduled but he couldn't make it because he was vomiting. It was scheduled again but he couldn't make it this time because the reservoir across the road was flooding and he couldn't get out. The secondary dam had breached. So he went out and filmed it. 

The video was all over the local news. He didn’t respond to CNN’s request to use it globally or he would have had more views than the 142,000 views on facebook alone. The video told the story of the flood but there was another story behind the flood story and that was his personal story. John is cancer-free and is recovering at a normal pace. He is back at work except when he has to take time off for hospital visits in St. Louis, local doctor visits, and tests. He still welcomes prayers.

Here is the link to John's video of the secondary dam breach across the road from his house. His house was unaffected.

https://www.facebook.com/john.wall.5205/videos/295080710294386

Becky Wall

beckyowall.blogspot.com

BEST FRIENDS UNTIL DEATH

 

BEST FRIENDS UNTIL DEATH

(I Samuel 18-20)

Jonathan’s dad was King Saul,

The son was therefore a prince.

David and Jonathan were very best friends,

Which made the surly king wince.

For Saul had come to hate David,

He was jealous of his fame.

He badly wanted to kill him,

He hated his very name.

God’s Spirit had left King Saul,

And so he became depressed,

He asked David to play the harp,

When he could not rest.

One day Saul lost his temper;

He tried to spear the young man against a wall.

Though David had served him well,

That didn’t matter to Saul at all.

Jonathan helped David escape,

His father’s murderous quest.

He knew his friend’s heart was good;

He thought of him as the best.

He reasoned with his father,

And convinced him David should stay.

So David returned to the castle,

Until fear again drove him away.

The two friends stayed in touch,

They vowed to be best friends forever.

But Jonathan was killed in a battle,

Their “forever” only death could sever.

--Becky Wall

There's more to the story. I encourage you to read I Samuel 18-20. 

THE FIRST KING

THE FIRST KING OF ISRAEL

(I Samuel 10-11)

Israel wanted a king,

Which made God feel rejected.

He decided to grant their request,

Even though He greatly objected.

He instructed the prophet Samuel,

To anoint Saul the first king.

Saul came from the tribe of Benjamin;

Both good and bad he would bring.

Samuel prepared a dinner,

And put Saul at the head of the table.

He gave him the choicest leg of meat,

Though as king, Saul felt unable.

Samuel anointed Saul the next day,

More or less against Saul’s will.

He thought himself not important enough,

For such a role to fill.

But God filled Saul with His Spirit,

And he appeared like royalty.

He was a head taller than everyone,

But he lacked loyalty.

Though anointed, Saul kept it quiet,

‘Til Samuel showed up one day,

And had each tribe march before him;

Much to Saul’s dismay.

After every tribe and clan had passed,

And Saul was named as king,

He could not be found,

For he was cowardly hiding.

The Lord revealed his hiding place;

He was cowering behind the supplies.

Though he stood a head taller than everyone else,

He was small in his own eyes.

Samuel talked him up to the crowd,

Then they shouted, “Long live the king.”

Samuel stated the rules of kingship,

Only trouble would such power bring.

Saul would obey the Lord,

But rarely all the way.

He liked to do things differently,

Which caused God much dismay.

His confidence grew stronger,

So much so that he became evil.

Eventually he was full of himself;

And turned into a weevil.

He tried to take the life,

Of the boy who played a harp.

He even tried to spear his own son,

But his son was a little more sharp.

Saul’s moods often changed with the wind,

For God’s Spirit was no longer with him.

He was nice one minute; the next he was not;

He knew his future looked grim.

The boy that played the harp for him,

Would one day take his place.

Because Saul did things his own way,

His life would end in disgrace.

--Becky Wall  

 

 

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Genesis 2:23-24

To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16

"For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just." Genesis 18:19 This is the Lord speaking about Abraham, but the same message applies to today's households.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

Exodus 20:3-17, Deut. 5:7-21 - The 10 Commandments

Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time. Deuteronomy 4:40

Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! Deuteronomy 5:29

Deuteronomy 6 - the whole chapter

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin. Deuteronomy 24:16

Do not be like your parents...who were unfaithful to the Lord,...II Chronicles 30:7

1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.”
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.

18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. Proverbs 17:6

Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Proverbs 19:14

The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness. Isaiah 38:19

13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. 14 You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. 
15 Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty.
So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful. Malachi 2:13-16

His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. John 9:2-3

I Corinthians 13 - the love chapter

...in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:... Philippians 2:3-5

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32

I Corinthians 7:1-21 - Married Life

I Corinthians 7:25-35 - Unmarried Life

I Corinthians 7:36-38 - Engaged

39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. I Corinthians 7:39-40

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Ephesians 5:24

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Ephesians 5:25

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Colossians 3:18

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Colossians 3:19

Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.  Titus 2:4-5

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives...      1 Peter 3:1

For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands... I Peter 3:5

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. I Peter 3:7

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:9-12

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. I Corinthians 10:23-24

Compiled by Becky Wall

beckyowall.blogspot.com

 

THE LORD’S “TOP TEN” SET IN STONE

(Ex. 20:1-17 & Deut. 5:6-21)

 

You shall have no gods before me.

Do not make or pray to an idol.

For I am a jealous God,

On your heart I want a bridle.

 

Do not misuse my name;

In a way without true meaning.

I am outraged when my name is exclaimed,

I think of it as demeaning.

 

Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy;

Six days you shall do all your work.

The seventh day is mine alone,

So relax; your work you can shirk.

 

For in six days I made the heavens,

And all life in the earth and sea.

I rested on the seventh day;

I blessed it and declared it holy.

 

Honor your father and mother,

So you may live long in the land.

Do not murder, be true to your spouse,

And do not steal with your hand.

 

Do not lie about anyone.

Don’t covet what belongs to your neighbor.

If you will keep these commandments,

With Me you will find favor.

--Becky Wall

 

WHEN NATURE IS FULLY ALIVE

WHEN NATURE IS FULLY ALIVE

God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.” Psalms 65:1-13 NIV

Job 38:41
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

Habakkuk 2:11
The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

1 Chronicles 16:33

Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.

Psalm 96:12
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Psalm 98:8
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;

Psalm 148

1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, 6 and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and women, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Isaiah 44:23a
Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees...

Isaiah 49:13

Shout for joy, you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;
    burst into song, you mountains! 

Psalm 148;1-13
1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, 6 and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and women, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Isaiah 55:12

the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.

Psalm 150:6

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Luke 19:40
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Romans 8:18-22

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

It was these verses that inspired me to write the following poem.

WHEN THE  MOUNTAINS ENVIED A HILL

The mountains envied Mt. Zion,

Where Christ would fulfill God’s will.

Tho’ the mountains thought themselves mighty,

They fell short of that little hill.

The mountains stood arrayed in beauty,

That came from heaven above,

By the man being handed a cross,

And He formed them with great love.

They watched as Jesus carried His cross,

And their stones cried out in vain.

They witnessed the crucifixion.

And they heard Him cry out in pain.

They wept when He breathed His last.

Huge tears formed waterfalls and fountains.

They thought their Creator was gone forever,

When He died on that little mountain.

They could see from where they towered,

That Christ was placed in a tomb.

They watched as His mother wailed,

At the loss of the fruit of her womb.

All at once they began to tremble,

As the earth began to quake.

The sun refused to shine,

And the dead began to awake.

Gloom filled up their valleys

The trees hung their limbs in despair.

Three days later they saw a bright light,

And all they could do was stare.

An angel moved the tomb's stone door,

That was put there by His foes.

Jesus had conquered death,

For from that tomb He arose.

The mountains broke out in color;

The trees began to sway.

The stones sang a song of praise,

And the sun shone brighter that day.

Envy was turned to honor,

Toward the mount that had suffered great strife.

For that is where Christ chose to die,

And create a River of Life.

Becky Wall

Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, And glorified Himself in Israel. Isa. 44:23

1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, 6 and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and women, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. Psalm 148;1-13

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