Month: March 2018

Bloom where you are planted

Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

After I had my stroke and moved to this nursing home I began to eagerly search after God and his ways. I wanted so much to do what he wanted me to do. I had tried living for myself alone and that had been an utter disaster. I realized that I needed his help more than ever. The more I looked back over my life the more I could see that he had always been there for me.

I really had a great life and I was sabotaging it. Wow I was a spoiled brat and did not deserve his awesome love. That didn’t matter because he was continuing to love me anyway. To help me get back to him. I kept asking him what I could do. One day I was going to talk to a lady that worked here and outside the door she had a plaque. It said ‘Bloom where you are planted.’ I felt God nudge me. That’s what you can do. I have you here for a short time and you will be going back home. But while you are here just rest in me.

That was it. Just be the best me I can be. Help out wherever I can. Nothing hard. I spent my days relaxing and reading ( which I had always wanted to do more of anyway). But I always tried to help others. I was always eager to help out. One day one of the leaders asked me if I would like to deliver the residents mail in our area.

I had wanted to be a mailman when my kids were little but never did it. Sure,that sounds fun! They showed me how my electric wheelchair could help deliver the mail in no time at all. While I was at it I got to know a lot of the residents. People were becoming part of my new family. It was like living in a close little town and I knew everyone.

Then one day I went to the laundry and asked if I could help deliver clothes to people. In no time at all I was helping them. They even gave me a bag of socks that needed to be sorted. I was keeping busy and having a good time doing it.

My son-in-law came by one day to show me his brand new iPad when they had just come out. Wow, I wanted one. I had a laptop that I had written a book about my stroke on but this was so much more. I told God if I could get one I would use it for him. I really meant it also. So my daughter went down to the Apple store in person to see about getting one. The shipments were going the minute they hit the stores. They had just got some in and had one left when she came in. I got one.

Now what was I going to do with it to help people. I had a friend download a Bible app that would play audibly. So I started thinking how people might not be able to read the Bible but they could listen. I had a woman that I had been visiting that could not move anything but her head. She laid in bed on her back and watched tv all day but she loved the Lord and talked about him a lot.

I decided to start with her. I could not speak very well so I had someone explain to her that I would like to play the Bible for her. I stayed about 30 minutes. I would come a couple times a week. She loved it so much. I even bought a praise tape on the iPad and would play that instead sometimes.

I asked a few other people if I could play the Bible for them. It went over really well.

One woman’s son came in while I was there and I got to meet him, We became good friends in no time at all. He actually get my first book published. I had finished it but didn’t know what to do next.

Our home had a resident council to help see that the residents rights were being met. They would meet once a month and I always went. I had brought up problems before that I had. Well they were looking for new officers and God told me to volunteer. So I offered to be treasurer since I had done that before in another club.

Every year at election time I just did not feel right about leaving. I went from treasurer to Vice President, and finally became president. I also felt led to volunteer to help out activities. What could I do? The girl asked if I could lead a Bible group. So I did.

I’m not trying to brag because I did most of these things to keep myself busy, so I wouldn’t be bored. The fact that they helped others was a bonus. The more I got to know the Lord, the more I wanted to do to show the love Jesus was giving me. He was always doing so much for me and helping me love my new home and family.

It’s a never ending circle. The more you do for the Lord, the richer your life gets. Then you want to do more for all those blessings you receive.

My God How Great Thou Art

Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

The one sure thing we are here on earth for is to give praise to our King. He so deserves it. Think of all he has done for you in your life. I’m fifty-eight so I have many good years to thank him for. I can look back over my life and see how amazing he has been over the years.

Many people have contemplated these same things and have come up with great praise songs to show God how much they adore him. This morning at church we sang ‘How Great Thou Art’. As I sang the words resonated throughout my heart. Oh how much I felt these words.

‘Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds thy hands hath made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

And when I think of God, his son not sparing

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing

He bled and died to take away my sin

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart

Then I shall bow with humble adoration

And then proclaim, my God, how great thou art

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

God truly has done so much for me. Sending his one and only son to be born of a virgin. In a poor young family. His was not a life of privilege and esteem. Just the opposite. His life was difficult just like ours. He can understand our burdens and pain. Sin tried so hard to break him but, he overcame it.

He did all that gladly. Gladly, not just getting by, but there was joy in his heart as he suffered. He knew this was the only way we could be together forever. Unless we were redeemed by that perfect spotless lamb, it could never be.

This world he created is one thing, one mighty thing, but think of how he has enriched this world by working in the lives of billions of humans giving them great wisdom and ideas that continue to make this world better and better. People whose hearts have touched the world so.

People like mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Martin Luther King. They have made such a difference in so many lives. People like Moses, Elijah, King David, and Saul(Paul). Where would we be without them. Many would not be sons and daughters of our King.

Think about that day when as sons and daughters we will see his face. Standing before him FOREVER. In that wonderful place he has prepared for us in advance.

That awesome perfect place where absolutely nothing is too good for us. His building plans surpass all we can imagine.

Oh God how GREAT thou art!!

How Big God Is

Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

I went to the movies one night and it got me thinking. How big our God is. Throughout history, for thousands of generations God has been creating people and endowing them with great things to be world changers. He has given that power to all people. It doesn’t matter if you are black or white or green, male or female, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor. We are all God’s children and He wants the very best for us.

Just think of all people past, present and future God has placed on this planet. He cares about each one. He knows the hairs on our heads. He can design us each differently for the time we are in this earth. We can all be world changers.

Look at Esther in the Bible and Rahab and King David. Just to think of a few.

They were nobody’s till God made them somebody’s. He wants to do that for everyone, if we will let Him. To be made for a unique purpose should be the cry of our hearts. “Let me be a part of what you are doing in the world, today and every day Lord.”

Think of all the important people in the world. Inventors, writers, athletes, world thinkers like Einstein, doctors and others who make a great difference in our lives. God made them for a purpose.

Every morning I thank God for someone making coffee beans into coffee as I enjoy my breakfast with a hot cup of coffee. And I can’t really do anything without thinking of Him and something he did. Everything that is or was or will be in the future came from Him and the knowledge he gave someone.

Look at mother Teresa and all she did for the world and hurting people. Or Billy Graham and all the people who came to know the Lord through his ministry. Bill Gates and technology, Henry Thoreau , Isaac Newton, Henry Ford and I could go on forever. These people changed our lives. Could we live without these things, sure but God wants us to have them.

They make our world evolve, getting better every day. In this movie men were working at putting a man on the moon. They just couldn’t get it right. The trajectory was all wrong. Well God gave a bunch of black women unbelievable talent in mathematics and science. They were looked down on in those days of segregation. But they showed America what they were made of. Changing the way people saw black people. Martin Luther King did so much to change thinking towards black people. God used him mightily.