Heart Hugs: from God's Heart to Mine... from My Heart to Yours

By Jo-Ann Thompson-Mack

Come…

Worship, laugh, and cry with me.

In Godly Happiness…

Inspired by what you read and think,

May your life be richly blessed.

Do you (or someone you know) need a spiritual uplift? This book, with its poems, scriptures and writings may just be the book for you.

It contains Assurance, Comfort, Encouragement, Hope, and Inspiration… along with some Heart-Healthy Humor.

Proverbs 17:22 “ A merry heart doeth good like medicine”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098068035

Book preview

A Mighty Poor Bargain

Once a soul was wandering

Lost in sin’s dark night…

A Christian tried to warn him

To repent and make things right.

Nonsense! said the lost one.

"Right now I want some fun

Perhaps when I am older

I’ll repent before life’s done."

So into Satan’s clutches

Another soul was cast…

He traded his immortal soul

For things that do not last.

It’s sad…he’d be on his way to Heaven

If he’d taken heed that day…

But he just wouldn’t listen…

He chose to live his life his way!

It is so sad when people are so blinded by the things of earth that they miss out on what is heavenly. Someday we will all stand before a just God to give an account of our lives. Then it will be too late to do what we should have done on earth.

The saddest part is how foolish it is to reject God’s pathway, when we can have the best of both worlds. There is joy in serving Jesus. There’s peace in knowing and leaning on him. And the icing on the cake is eternal life, just for a simple act of faith in repenting, believing, and receiving what he offers to us.

All of us have choices to make—some big ones and some small

But what we do about Jesus is the most important one of all!

A Simple Prayer Request

Prayer is a precious privilege,

And a responsibility too…

It’s an unexplainable mystery

What a Fervent prayer can do…

It reaches up to Heaven

Though we don’t understand

How the prayers of finite men

Can move our Father’s hand.

It’s a privilege much neglected…

And a greater mystery too

How men in worldly busyness

Fail to see what prayer can do!

They neglect to use this privilege…

To seek answers for God’s best,

While all along God waits to hear

Their simple prayer request.

Ye have not because ye ask not.

James 4:3

A Small Dash

The dash between our date of death,

and our date of birth

Signifies the span of life

That we’ve lived here on earth…

How very insignificant

This dash may seem to be…

So short and temporary

Compared to God’s eternity.

It doesn’t matter just how short

Or long our lives may be

It matters only if I’ll let

God’s will be done in me.

For earthly things we treasure

Will someday pass away,

And all that matters then, is this:

Have I lived my life God’s way?

Length of years aren’t real important…

But how we’ve done with what we’re given

For nothing else will matter

When God takes us Home to Heaven.

Living life God’s way is the best way to ensure a worthwhile life and a joyous one. Truly, it is a great way to live and a fear-free way to die.

All Christians have Jesus Christ Eternal Life Insurance.

If you have Him, you gain heaven…if you don’t, you won’t!

An Unbroken Connection

Looking out my kitchen window

One gorgeous summer day,

I looked upon the splendor

Of a tree with leaves a sway…

The gentle wind caressed,

It was beauty at its best,

But then I noticed something…

One branch wasn’t like the rest.

It was broken and hanging down…

Severed from sustaining source

And it reminded me of scripture

About the vine and branch of course.

And as I paused to ponder

God affirmed what I know is true…

We need connection with Him

So Christ’s beauty can shine through.

I often think how lightly we take the privilege of daily devotions and prayer, how often we allow other things, not even half so worthy of our time and energies, to push in ahead of our time out with God. We seem never to get a firm and lasting grip on what really matters in life. I think we are all guilty, for we have to strive to keep ourselves on target. It can be done, even though we sometimes slip up. It’s a daily battle. And that’s certainly what it is! Time wars against it, and we need to be aware of its importance in order to glorify Him. We shouldn’t get discouraged and give up. That is giving the devil God’s victory.

If we want to shine for Christ, we need to abide in Christ.

Because He Loves Us

Christ came because He loves us

To ransom us from sin…

If He could die for us,

Why can’t we live for Him?

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your

bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Romans 12:1

Blessings of a Christian Friend

You touch my day

In such a kind and loving way

With your sweet smile

And things you do and say.

You touch my heart,

For I know with fervency you pray

That God will guide my path

And give me help each day.

You touch my life,

Because you always share

All the good things in your heart.

That show me that you care.

I thank God because of you

You always lift me up

We share our laughter and our tears…

And blessings overflow my cup.

"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another;

as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,

if ye have love one to another."

John 13:34–35

Changes

No one can hold life’s clock back…

And not much stays the same,

The hands of time move on…

It sometimes seems a shame.

Small, delightful little ones

Grow up before our eyes,

And in no time, they’re up and gone…

Which makes us realize

That this world’s face is changing

Always…every day…

And what was new just yesterday

Grows old…then fades away.

We can’t hold on and keep things

The way we’d wish they’d stay…

For if we could, I think we would,

And God’s plans don’t work that way.

For all of us are meant to have

A chance to live and grow…

There’s much God wants to teach us

Of things we need to know.

The most important of all things

Is learning of God’s love

And how He longs to have us

In His Heavenly Home above.

Yes, many things do change,

And this will always be…

But God’s love will never, ever change…

Nor will Eternity!

So in this ever-changing world

It’s wonderful to know

That God and His firm promises

Are always…ever so!

These things go on forever—

And aren’t we glad it’s so?

God and His Word will never change…

That’s wonderful to know!

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Christian Stretching

Along life’s many highways…

Amid the trials of day…

Do you stretch yourselves as Christians,

Or go your own self-loving way?

When there’s a problem to be solved,

And you have thought it out with care…

If you don’t get your way about it,

Do you stand right up and shout it?

What about the other person?

And what about the harm we do

When we think there’s no conclusion

Other than the one we drew?

Try rethinking on the problem…

You’ll find solutions can be fun,

For sometimes when we bend a little,

God’s finest victories can be won.

So let’s examine all our problems

In the Lord’s revealing light…

Though we may be sincere and faithful,

Christian, we’re not always right.

And there just might be two right solutions

To the things we strive to do…

As long as both are Christian methods,

Why must all agree with you?!

Yet, sometimes self gets in the way…

And what a hindrance that can be…

For self is big, and oft times blocks out

Things we really ought to see

So you may have to stretch to see it,

But oh the good that you may do!

And while it hurts at first a little,

This kind of stretching’s" good for you!

And so along life’s many highways,

And amid the trials of day,

Will you stretch yourselves as Christians…

Or go on wanting things your way?

We do not compromise on the spiritual truths, but there are many things that arise that can cause dissentions, and most of that is a difference of opinions reflecting our own thinking. A quarrelsome Christian is not an appropriate reflection of God.

We need to remember to be loving and willing to listen to others, rather than wanting everything to go our way. This gives us an excellent chance to show God’s love by the way we work with others for the overall good of all, and for the glory of the Lord.

Climbing Nowhere

A poet once wrote, and I’ll give you this quote:

We build the ladder by which we rise…

But I say to you, while it sometimes seems true…

It’s not actually correct, nor so wise!

To desire life’s brass ring, and to want everything

Is just one of old Satan’s slick lies…

For mere earthly gain, we may struggle and strain

Shunning God and His heavenly prize

Will we think it’s so great, when we find out too late,

And our eternal loss realize?

What’s it worth after all, if our ladders are tall,

If we’ve placed them against the wrong wall?

I believe life is wasted if we aren’t using God’s Word to build our lives upon. Wrong priorities may lead to temporary worldly success. We may climb the ladder, but the end result will leave us with nothing worthwhile to show for our lives if we don’t have God.

For what shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world and lost his own soul?

—Mark 8:36

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness,

and all these things shall be added unto you "

Matthew 6:33

Faith Alone

The Word of God tells us

Salvation comes by Christ alone…

But your words and actions will reveal

If you truly are the Father’s own.

14What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 18 But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. 19 Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

James 2:14, 18, 19

We are saved by faith alone… NOT by works. BUT when we love God, works that please and gloridy the Father, become our delight to do. It shows our gratitude for all He’s done for us.

Faith Multiplied

As you live from day to day

Do you give your faith away?

Little pieces, here and there

Encourage hearts and show we care.

But more importantly than this

Is sharing God within our midst…

And as we give our faith away

It only grows as if to say

Whate’er you do that’s kind and wise

In your own life multiplies

So as you live from day to day

Won’t you give your faith away?

"So faith cometh by hearing,

and hearing by the word of God."

Romans 10:17

Fixing Our Eyes on Him

There are times in a Christian’s life

When the heart seems