MY CHRISTIAN HERITAGE... TWO GODLY WOMEN

My Christian Heritage

I spent time in church this evening, before choir practice with the Lord who through music reminded me of my two grandmothers, now saints in heaven.  Both their names were Rose.  Tears began to fall from my eyes.   As I played their favorite songs:  “Now I Belong to Jesus” by Norman J. Clayton, (Grandma Rosina’s favorite) and “The Comforter Has Come” by Frank Botomme and William J. Kirkpatrick, (Grandma Rosa’s favorite),  I recall their joy in seeing me. (I will call one Rosa and one Rosina for clarification - I called each "Grandma").

Rosa, my paternal grandmother looked at me with her big brown eyes that spoke love without words, warmth in the absence of sunlight.  Her loving embrace was soft and gentle, like her sweet voice.  There was a palpable sadness about her that told me she wished we could see each other more often and have a less formal exchange.  Our relationship was one of yearning…we both yearned for more of each other, more warmth, more joy, more time together.  I saw Rosa every Sunday in church and on rare visits to her home.  My Mom was in charge of the visiting schedule and we visited Mom's family and rarely my Dad's.

Rosina, my maternal grandmother was cheerful, always there with arms opened wide to greet me and a smile just for me.  We lived on the same block and sat in the same pew in church so our relationship was close and included much fun.  We went for walks, shared dinner together, shared secrets and laughed over silly things. (Grandmothers are best-known for having fun with their grandchildren). I thought of how precious the memory of each grandmother is and what a priceless heritage I have inherited because of their lives, lived for Him, our Savior.  I felt a special closeness to the Lord as I thought of my grandmothers that evening and I meditated in prayer. I thanked God for their impact on my life.  I will forever hold them close to my heart.

Growing up in the midst of my dear grandmothers, I sat with them in church and experienced their warmth, humility, and their devotion as they knelt in prayer to their Savior and mine. I felt the Lord’s presence and power in that little church. I learned of His healing power and answers to prayer. I saw my Grandmothers pray and yield and trust in an awesome God.  I loved visiting with them in their homes – I was always received with a warm and welcome embrace and a smile that whispered God’s love.  I love their gift, this Christian Heritage that I cherish.  Despite the frayed circumstances of their lives, they walked upright in the Lord, showed the light of Christ in their interactions with others and displayed a quiet humility and sweet spirit that I can still see when I close my eyes.

                                                                                                 
My prayer is that I too have imparted the importance of knowing the Lord intimately to my children and grandchildren and someday to my great grandchildren along with an assurance that we never walk alone on this earth.  My prayer is that my family will experience the reality of Jesus’ love in their lives and that they will be assured that as He has promised in His Word, He has prepared a place for them to dwell with Him for all eternity…and until that eternity comes, His presence in the person of the Holy Spirit remains with us on earth to comfort, guide, and strengthen His own.  





Dear Father,
Thank you for Your loving presence and for Your promise that You 'will never leave
us or forsake us.'   Thank You for the assurance that we may rest in Your love here on
earth and that we will see you face to face one glorious day...Praise and honor and glory to Your matchless name.    In Jesus' name, Amen   

     

BLESSINGS

WHAT IS A BLESSING?

      Blessings come in all different shapes and packages.  Some come with green and white polka dot wrapping paper and white satin ribbon.  Some come wrapped in brown bag paper and a white string.  Sometimes, we cannot fathom from whence this blessing came!  That is until we stop to realize that it came straight from our Heavenly Father  either to protect us from a catastrophic event or to cover us with heavenly joy, like the gift of a baby into our lives.  There is nothing in the world quite like a baby, with their soft skin and funny little grimaces, stretchings and smiles!  So, we see that blessings come from above, in full view.  Other blessings come from above but present in the form of a person through acts  of kindness, words of encouragement or an extended hand to a  child or teen-ager or person of any age.

     The occurrence of a blessing is the realization of God's grace (or favor toward us).  The Lord blesses us with a cool breeze on a sunny day, or a colorful meadow, or a majestic mountainside or amber-orange-red leaves dancing in the wind on a crisp, autumn day.   When I was a young mother, my 4 year-old daughter was resting one hot, summer afternoon, on her bed when suddenly a cool breeze drifted through her window.  She said, "Mommy, the breeze feels just like a kiss from God!"

     1st Corinthians 2:15  The apostle, Paul wrote:  "For we are to God, the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."  To those who are perishing, we are the aroma of death leading to death and to those who are saved we are the aroma of  life leading to life.

1st Corinthians 1: 5,6.  "Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation...Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation."

      We as Christ's disciples, bless others because we have the mind of Christ. We are filled with His Spirit and as He tells us in His Word, we are His ambassadors.   So, because we are God's in Christ, we have the endowment and authority to bless others.  When we bless others, we are also blessed by God for having blessed His 'lambs.'  John 21:15      
     Our newly-installed Minister, Rev. Kyle Cannon spoke last week on the words Jesus spoke just before ascending into heaven...Jesus said to Simon Peter:  "Do you love me?"   Simon Peter said, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You."   Jesus said to Peter:  "Tend My lambs."   So, blessings come directly from God as He reveals His grace or (His favor) in us.  Blessings are revealed  to others indirectly from God through us, His servants.
      Blessings to each of you, today and always.

A Poem for You:  The Place Where Kindness Lives...

THE PLACE WHERE KINDNESS LIVES

The place where kindness lives is not so very far away

You'll stumble quite by chance upon its presence one sweet day

As if it were a dream, a gift, a treasure chest of gold

You'll walk into the depths and breadth of kindness unfortold
Some fortunate among us knew its essence long ago…

Childhood memories whisper warmth's sweet breeze as we grow old

Yet others of us wait till quite by happenstance it seems

The place where kindness lives, at last no longer crowds our dreams

At last we taste its sweet, sweet peace and breathe its fragrance new

And bask in fields of daisies _sunshine bright and daybreak's dew
And so we find the place where kindness lives not far away

Around our bend and up the street

A home where minds content retreat

A dwelling place where warm hearts meet

… This place where kindness lives

© October,  2012

Carol T. Castagna 

Dear Father,  
Help me to minister to  your people with your passion, compassion, love and grace.  Let me seek the lost and find them, reach out to them and touch them with your love, for Your honor and Your glory.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

   

CHRISTMAS HYMN ...'I CANNOT TELL'

          A blessed and joyous Christmas to each of you!   In Jesus' love, Carol

My Favorite Christmas Hymn:  Carol Castagna

 

*I CANNOT TELL*

 

Text:  Ken Bible, inspired by William Y. Fullerton

Music:  Traditional Irish melody to ‘Oh, Danny Boy’

Verse I:
 

I cannot tell why He, the King of Heaven,

Should leave the peace of all eternity

Why God Himself should lay aside His splendor

To leave the Father’s side and come to me

 

But this I know:  our silence filled with singing

And all our darkness fled from heaven’s light

When Christ, the Lord

So human yet so holy

In love was born a child for me that holy night

Verse II:
 

I cannot tell why He, the Joy of Heaven

Should give Himself to suffer for my sin

Why Holy God should love me in my shamefulness

Why He should die to draw my soul to Him

 

But this I know

That Christ the Lord is risen

And praise His name

He’s risen now in me

Because He lives

I’ll rise to life eternal!

He took my guilty heart

And I’m forever free!

Verse III
 

I cannot tell when He who rules the nations

How He will claim His loved ones as His own

And who can tell the holy jubilation

When all His children gather ‘round His throne.
 

 

But this I know, All flesh will see His glory

And skies will burst as all creation sings

The sun will rise on one eternal morning ~

When Christ the Savior of the world Is Lord and King

 

...See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.  Your name is continually before me.   Isaiah 49: 16

Holy Bible Old Testament NKJV 

THE CHRIST CHILD ...THE STORY OF GOD'S LOVE

 

                                                                      

                                                   

                    A MAUVE-SPATTERED SUNSET

        Photo by Carole Castagna  ©9/2007

 

A chilly night with

myriad stars in the sky...

one lone star shines brightest to point the way...

 

The Christ-Child is born.

Psalm 8: 3,4,5

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him? 

or the son of man that You visit him?

You have made him a little lower than the angels

and You have crowned him with glory and honor."

Yet he was born in a manger to become the man of sorrows 

to die for our sins on a cross

on Calvary.

 

John 10: 14,15

"I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep and am known by my own.

And I lay down My life for My sheep.

 

John 10: 27,28

My sheep know my voice and they hear Me and they follow Me.

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand...My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."

 

David wrote in Psalm 8 of his experience as a shepherd and his relationship with the sheep. The sheep were fully dependent on him for their needs and wellbeing. At one point, he said in prayer, ‘Your rod and your staff, they comfort me’.  Comfort is that state of wellbeing when one is at peace with oneself.  There is a sense of security, a peaceful calm is in the air and one feels completely safe.  The Lord was protecting David as well.  David's sheep sense calm and security as well.  At some level they may have sensed that the shepherd held in his hand the instruments of their safety, the rod and the staff with which to strike the predator and retrieve them if they fell in harm’s way.  Since 'all of us like sheep have gone astray', we can feel protection beneath the cross of Christ:  one short instrument (the horizontal wood-piece, like the rod) and one long instrument (the vertical wood-piece, like the staff) by which Christ struck the predator of our souls, Sin.

 

Psalm 23: 4  "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." 

The long staff - the short rod are instruments

of protection not of punishment.

Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection

bring us new life and bring a new

song to our hearts.

 

After 2000 years, the story of God's love holds strong:  it cannot be deleted.

It stands the test of time.   HE IS ALIVE...

 

THE CHRIST CHILD IS THE STORY OF GOD'S LOVE

FOR HUMANITY!

 

 

                                                                              A NEW DAY'S SONG

Psalm 104: 24

 

Photo by Carol Castagna   © 9/2007

 

 

   Why have so many people walked away from Him?

   By carol castagna © 11/2013

   NKJV Holy Bible



 

 

LISTEN TO THE QUIET

 

Psalm 65: 8

Those who live at the edge of the earth stand in awe of your wonders.  From where the sun sets to where the sun rises, you inspire shouts of joy!

I am blessed here where I live, near the West Shoreline of Florida.  I can look out from my lanai and see the splendor of the night sky running to greet me.  And when I awaken, the lazy morning sun pours down on me as I listen to the grass grow ~ and I know that all peace reigns in my corner of the world.

LISTEN TO THE QUIET

                                                          © 11/2013 Photo by John Sgarlata

LISTEN TO THE QUIET

Weeping willows dancing in sweet abandon

Against an azure sky

Tomorrow will wait...

An oriole visits my porch and speaks a song

Written just for me - This moment is sweet solitude

Raindrops slide down my cheek and

Hush whispers to the pond

Listen ... sweet silence

Quiet splendor

Only Jesus and sunshine ~ a cool breeze

At this moment ... Listen to the Quiet ...
He is everywhere.

A Word About Prayer:

There are two elements of prayer:
...where we speak to God
...where God speaks to us

We may feel that the most important aspect of prayer is letting God know what we need (the 'speaking part' of prayer).  He already knows.  He still wants us to ask:  asking demonstrates to Him that we love and trust Him to direct our way.  Listening for the still, small voice of God is exquisitely important.  It is the 'listening part' of prayer that offers the soul nourishment:  it is where God's Holy Spirit hovers over us and fills us with God's presence and peace.  It is there, in those quiet moments with the Lord that He draws us nearer to Himself and His embrace.
Carol A. Castagna  
© 11/2013 

Hospitality As It Relates to Being a Christian

 


Hospitality As It Relates to Being a Christian :

     If one stops to think about it, hospitality is synonymous with one's 'heart for God.'  In some instances, hospitality may come in the form of a warm welcome for family we have not seen for months or years. We prepare a lovely table setting, with our best china, stemware, silverware, napkins, tablecloth and add a vase of colorful flowers to the table ~ to express our joy at their arrival.  In many ways,  it reflects the stories of the women in the Bible who prepared food and lodging for family, friends and strangers who traveled many miles from their homes. These women killed, skinned and prepared the animal for consumption:  theirs was not an easy task.  Today, our task is easier but the message is the same:  Welcome!

     In other ways hospitality speaks to what Jesus has taught us:  The first and most poignant one I am thinking of is:  "You shall love the Lord, thy God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind"...this is the first and greatest commandment.  Deuteronomy 6: 5 and Matthew 22: 37.  And the second is similar:  "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Leviticus 19: 18 and Matthew 22: 39.

     An example is that of the good Samaritan giving a cup of cold water to a stranger:  And Jesus said to him, "If you have done it unto the least of these you have done it unto me."...i.e., dressing wounds, comforting with words, listening to a friend's  grief, sharing joy in celebration.  The crowd did not undertand.  Jesus explained that our love, indeed, our expressions of love toward others is as if we are expressing our love to Him.

     In view of the previous verses, it would appear that hospitality is not limited to the home.  So, if hospitality does not refer only to welcoming people to our homes, what does it refer to?  I like to define hospitality as something that we as Christians bring with us wherever we go.  It is our unconditional acceptance of people, our willingness to listen, our welcoming embrace, our invitation to spend time together, our concern upon someone's loss, our joy upon someone's celebration ~ our concern and love.  Let me suggest that our home is probably the first place where our graciousness is seen, i.e., in the way we make someone feel welcome and at home which is an unfamiliar setting to them or the way our non-judgmental attitude speaks kindness. Our home could be considered an in-reach or an in-our-home reach.

     If we love our neighbors as ourselves, we are conveying hospitality in the finest and most intimate sense.  In other words, we bring hospitality or a sense of welcome, to the person ~where he is.  We meet people along the way, each day:  unaware of their particular circumstance, we greet them.  One may need an encouraging word from the Lord, through us.  One may need a warm embrace that says we care, that says that Jesus cares about him/her.  A child may need an understanding heart to calm his fears.  Mother Teresa considered every adult and child that she met, to be, in essence, Jesus.  In other words, each person took the form of Jesus.  She dressed the wounds of the sick and poor, as though she were ministering to someone who was equally as important as Jesus  . She gave a cup of cold water as though she were giving it to Jesus.  Hers is an amazing story:  she brought her love for Jesus to the people on the streets of Calcutta.   Something Beautiful for God by Malcolm Mudderidge is the story of a journalist's interview with Mother Teresa.   At the age of 80, this journalist, who was an atheist, became a convert (to Catholicism) as a result of his observation  of  Mother Teresa's example of Christ by her gift of self to the homeless of Calcutta.  If our goal, as Christians is to reach the lost for Christ, perhaps, then, hospitality is synonymous with our out-reach or our (out-in-the-world/field-reach), as well as our in-(home) reach.  As Christians we often show that we have a heart for missions, the down-trodden in other countries, the poor without food and water, warm clothes, or medical resources. We are hospitable to these strangers, Good Samaritans to people abroad and in the United States.  The Lord blesses our offerings.  
     In our  little corner of the world, though, around the corner, next door, up the street, we can show the same heart for missions, heart for God, or hospitality.  The mission field or our hospitality track may be right in our own backyard.  
     In this regard, this is still our outreach but we are bringing people in our surrounding area in to our homes (in-home) reach, which kind of gives a warm and cozy, comfortable feel to our mission.  Ultimately, the in-home reach becomes an extension of our out-reach to people in our corner of the world.

May the Love of My Jesus Surround You
A Song for You

May the love of my Jesus surround you

His love encompass, enthrall ~ yes, abide with you

Open your heart and receive Him, today!

His arms are opened ~ He'll show you the way

May the joy of my Jesus be your joy

His joy, unceasing, far-reaching be your joy.

Reach out, He's calling, 

He loves you, today!

He'll give love, joy, love
You'll bring Him praise!

Carol A. Castagna
copyright 11/2013

A POEM OF THANKSGIVING: JOY COMES IN THE MORNING




 Cactus Plants on my Kitchen Bay Window

 

JOY COMES IN THE MORNING

A POEM OF THANKSGIVING

AND REJOICING IN HIS PROMISE

Lord, You have turned my mourning into dancing

My night into the sweet glow of

Moonlight

You’ve touched my life with the might of your

Healing hand

And comforted my soul in the desert

Lord, when I walked through briar and thistle you guided my way

And lifted me close to your heart to breathe your sweet

Presence

My soul sings your praise for directing me God-ward

And upward

I am content to look toward heaven and to know the

Strength of your promise

It is you, oh God, my Portion, my Redeemer, my Joy

Who breathes new life into each new day

Stay with me as I grow old and await your return.

carol a. castagna copyright October 2012

ISAIAH 55: 12 AND 13      

“FOR YE SHALL GO OUT WITH JOY, AND BE LED FORTH WITH PEACE; THE MOUNTAINS AND THE HILLS SHALL BREAK FORTH BEFORE YOU INTO SINGING AND ALL THE TREES OF

THE FIELD SHALL CLAP THEIR HANDS.

         INSTEAD OF THE THORN SHALL COME UP THE FIR TREE, AND INSTEAD OF THE BRIER SHALL   COME   UP THE MYRTLE TREE; AND IT SHALL BE TO THE LORD FOR A NAME, FOR AN EVERLASTING SIGN THAT SHALL NOT BE CUT OFF.