~ Created In His Image ... Yes, I Will Sing! ~

"Instead, be filled with the Ruach,

speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,

 singing and making music in your heart to the Lord—

always giving thanks for everything to God the Father,
in the name of the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah."
Ephesians 5:18b-20 TLV

"Be filled with the Ruach, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5:18b-19

"Then will my head be high above my enemies around me.
In His Tabernacle, I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy.
I will sing, yes, sing praises to Adonai." Psalm 27:6

Friends, there are so many reasons why we should love Adonai (Our Lord, God), Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ) and the Holy Spirit (Ruach ha-kodesh)!
Most important for me though, and I hope for you is that we are God's image-bearers.

Because of His deep love for us humans who each is created in His image, God has from the beginning wanted relationship with us. His gifts of our senses to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells in His creation are just a fragment of what He has bestowed on us on our journey home.

May we each grasp more and more fully the true and powerful reasons for growing our relationship in loving our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbour as ourselves! Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27

That sure makes me want to sing, make music and shout for joy! Hallelujah!!!

"I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." Psalm 104:33b💞✝️🎶

Take good care, keep growing, and keep singing! 
Rose Naomi

~ A Voice In His Garden Ministries ~

 Praise People Plants Possibilities

~ Prayer & the 'Power' of Prayer ~

Have you ever wondered, 'What exactly is prayer and about the power of prayer? I sure had and that made me dive into God's word and other Biblical sources to find out the answers! 

Following is what I learned and I am thankful that I now know what prayer and the power of prayer is and is not ...

First, what prayer is not ...

Prayer is not in the number nor size of, nor the importance of words we speak to God. Nor is it how loudly we profess to Him.

Prayer is also not defined by what we pray about nor even how we pray. Nor is it about who we are or the accomplishments we have achieved. It is not about whether we are rich or poor or somewhere in between. (1 Peter 3:12)

Prayer is not about being able to spout off huge numbers of Bible verses or long lists of 'impressive' things or people or events. Nor is prayer something which needs memorization. Prayer never needs an audience. (Luke 18:14)

Now, let's look into what prayer is ...

In a nutshell, prayer is about who God is! That's right, the simple truth about our Awesome Creator! (Acts 17: 24-28)

Prayer is us, His children, addressing Adonai! He truly wants us to make known what we are thinking or feeling," which He already knows, of course, but He wants to meet with us to love, share and trust Him more by coming to Him for direction, peace, wisdom, etc. (Mark 12:30)

Prayer is definitely seen in our uttering pleas for help by using our voice, but it also occurs when we approach Him using our thoughts, in our writing, in singing, in artful creations, etc.

Although prayer can be defined as simply talking to God, it is, in fact, much more than that. Ultimately, prayer aligns our will with His will for us! It also strengthens us to avoid temptation. (Matthew 26:41)

Prayer is an act of worship (praise, devotion, reverence) that truly glorifies our God, recognizes that He holds the power and reinforces our daily need for Him. 

Finally, we can pull it all together by examining the Power of prayer ...

By living our lives filled with prayer in its various forms, we are connecting to The Person who is the Power of prayer (communicating with) and growing our relationship with the Awesome source of and Provider of our existence.

My prayer for each person who reads this is that, as I did, you will also search scripture and perhaps other Biblical resources for other glimpses of what prayer is, is not and the Power found within it and its doing.

Prayerfully yours,

Rose Naomi 💖✝🎶

Rose Naomi

(c) 2022 Rose Naomi O'Brey

~ Naming My Pain ~

This story is related in hopes that by sharing it you will be pointed to a way to name a heartache and then give it to God to heal because it is only through His love that there could ever be something beautiful come out of such tragedy.



"There is no word for a parent who loses a child. That’s how awful the loss is." ~ Jay Neugeboren


What a sad truth, as bereaved parents, we have no name for our pain.

Before you read further, I invite you to please listen to the story behind a song which so very much bears upon my writing here today.

"The Anchor Holds" written and performed by Lawrence Chewning

https://youtu.be/BxnQzwrF4OU

I had one of my own dear children pass away, so when I heard my friend broach this topic it really hit home for me; so often I too had searched for a word that could adequately describe my parental identity with this horrific experience.

Unfortunately, our English language truly doesn't have a word that defines a parent who loses a child to death. So, I began searching further, deeper until finally, there it was, I found a word that most fittingly describes the unspeakable heartbreak that parents who outlive their son or daughter feel.

This word is from another language, Sanskrit, a classical language of South Asia. It is, 'Vilomah. Vilomah means 'against the natural order'.

In the Bible, Naomi is vilomah, after burying her two sons (Ruth 1:5), so full of sorrow in her bereavement. Without her faith and the love and companionship of her daughter-in-law, Ruth, it would not have been worthwhile for her to wake up the next day and carry on, but she had just enough faith (even as a mustard seed - Matthew 17:20) and family (Ruth) and so she was able!

I understand Naomi's pain, sorrow, and suffering after the death of her grown sons, even though my son was not quite 4 months old when he went to heaven. God strengthened and kept me through the horrific time of grieving and healing and my dear Mom tended to my broken heart with her constant love and careful wisdom. And so it was, as I too began my way forward, with just enough faith (even as a mustard seed), He quickened and strengthened me, and I too, like Naomi, was able!

My heart now has a name for the pain that was so prominent toward the loss of my little boy! I am confident that my 'vilomah' will be changed one day to transcend the laws of nature, unto a supernatural order and I shall then see my oldest son, Christopher George!

Somehow, by giving my pain a name, I have found peace, and joy in my sorrow. It is as though I found the missing piece!

God blessed me with 3 more children who are alive and well today. They, in turn, have given me several grandchildren to love as well.

I pray that all the Moms and Dads whose empty arms and hearts are aching will find solace in this name as well … Vilomah!

--

Take good care, keep growing, and sing out His praises!  
RoseNaomi

~ A Voice In His Garden Ministries ~
Growing Mind, Body, Soul & Spirit
~ Praise People Plants Possibilities ~
Blogspot: https://avoiceinhisgardenministries.blogspot.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AVoiceInHisGardenMinistries
Email: rosenaomiobrey@gmail.com 

(c) 2021 Rose Naomi O'Brey

One Day In A Garden

I received this fantastic photo on my timeline a while ago. It immediately made me remember how I had carved a ‘smiling face’ on one of my immature Mammoth Sunflower heads years ago and how much my 2-year-old grandson loved it as he daily watched its growth and its smile getting bigger and bigger! It also reminded me how much can be gained by the simple planting of just one seed. Of hope. Of care. Of love.

When I think about the fact that one seed that was covered over completely by the darkness of the soil, looking like it had no life in it, but then was given new life and rose up again in a new and glorious body I am still amazed, even after almost 50 years of gardening. What a beautiful and marvellous world God has created!

Most importantly, when I ponder the amazing life of seeds I am reminded of Jesus! Our Saviour, Our Big Brother and very Best Friend! He accepted the will of His Father and when He was crucified (covered by the weight of the sins of all people), was buried in darkness and 3 days later emerged in a glorious & resurrected body! Through the new immortal life that He gained we too, as His followers have been given a new life  Every day the seeds of faith grow, through the power of the Holy Spirit, within us. In turn, we can sow seeds that will one day bear Fruit (of the Spirit) Galatians 5:22-23, thereby changing and enriching lives around us. Fruit that bears a close resemblance to the smiling face, not of a Mammoth Sunflower, but of our Brother!

Can you think of some ways that you may have seeded smiles of love or any of the other 9 Fruit of the Spirit? How may you have bestowed beauty, or generated warmth in a neighbour's life? Maybe your sowing came through in your gifts or talents in baking, singing, gardening, or repairing autos. Whatever the way(s) you are growing you can be sure that it is due to the deep love our Father has for us and the obedience of His Son despite our darkness of sinfulness.

Let us give joyous praise to the Master Gardener who has given us so many ways to sow Good Seed in His gardening treasury - our neighbour's lives - as we travel Homeward!

Take good care, keep growing, and keep singing! 
Rose Naomi

"I will sing praise to ADONAI, my God, as long as I live." Psalm 104:33a

(c) 2021 Rose Naomi O'Brey