A Dying Perspective: God’s Unfailing Love

05/29/2025

05/16/2024

For the Choir Director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.

- Psalms 36: 5-12

5 Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the Heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.

7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights.

9 For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.

10 Pour out your unfading love on those who you love; give justice to those with honest hearts.

11 Don’t let the proud trample me or the wicked push me around.

12 Look! Those who do evil have fallen! They are thrown down never to rise again.”

- Psalms 36: 5-12

05/15/2024

Happy Birthday Bear!! I can’t believe my little guy is 6 years old today!!

Little did I know that the puppy my boss was trying to give away would become a licensed service dog! He has played such an important part in my medical care team. He has proven himself over and over again, that he’s more than just mt little spoiled brat!

When he was being tested, I thought the doctor was joking when she said, “You have a Service Dog and don’t even know it!” After more testing and some simple training, he became a certified service dog . . . or as I like to call him, “My medical device that has 4 legs!”

I was so proud when he woke up and alerted Lois Farley that I needed assistance! It was 2:00 am in the morning, but he did his job!

05/14/2024

Thank you for stopping by . . .

Just wanted to share my thoughts for today. . .

I’ve decided to start reading through the book of Proverbs.

King Solomon tells us in Proverbs 1:1, that these are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, King of Israel.

Then he begins to tell us, why the Book of Proverbs was written. This is where it get fun for me. It’s amazing at the instructions that were given during the reign of King Solomon, are still relevant today!

Since I have a slight reading comprehension issue, I love it when the writer gives us a sneak peak at what we are reading and why it was written. It helps me pick up the points easier as I read it! So, thank you King Solomon for giving me a heads up!

The purpose of Proverbs is to teach people how to live!

It’s really a cool Book!! I’m using the NLT translation. That stands for New Living Translation. Some people will not use any translation but the King James Version because the believe that’s the most accurate translation.

Well, I believe that “all scripture is inspired by God” (II Timothy 3:16) and it has nothing to do with the translation. If I am putting forth the effort to read, study and draw closer to the Lord, I guarantee, He’s gonna show up and do His part!

So anyway. Will you come along on this journey with me?

I thought that maybe you could just post a cool scripture from Proverbs when you find one you really like.

You don’t have to put why you like it or anything else. Just post it! You just may have found a verse that someone else really needs to read.

I just thought it would be a great way to read what others like! Anyway, I’d love for you to join! Just make sure you like that page and will get notifications! That’s it!

Happy Reading Proverbs!

We are all going to be so wise!!

Here’s my verse:

Proverbs 28:19

05/13/2024

Letter to My Dad: Hiram Jay Shepherd

To my earthly father,

Through quiet persistence, I saw your unwavering commitment to your faith and how you daily lived your life for the Lord.

Through your gentleness and unconditional love, you taught me to accept the person God made me to be.

You taught me to love the Lord quietly.

You encouraged me to be who I fully am, faithfully.

You guided me to love without judgment.

You showed me that my flaws would bring me closer to the Lord.

You helped me understand that God doesn't make mistakes.

You taught me, Grace.

I watched you. I watched people laugh at your tremors. I saw your heart when you responded with kindness, love, and understanding.

I watched you when troubles brewed at home. I admired your unconditional love and commitment.

I listened to you when I came to you with a problem in my life. I saw your eyes filled with compassion. I heard comfort in your voice.

I listened and learned. I'm so thankful that God blessed me with you as my dad, and my Pop.

I wish I could've told you then what I know now.

Your quiet and patient persistence and dying perspective on life had an extraordinary impact on my life.

Thank you, Pop, for committing yourself to a well-lived life for the Lord.

Thank you for your quietness.

Thank you for your persistence and gentleness.

Thank you for never giving up on me and for being my strength when I wanted to give up.

Your faith and wisdom, your strength and love, and for those attributes, I am eternally grateful God gave me you as my earthly father.

I pray that through these pages, others will find the comfort, peace, and grace you lived out before me in their lives.

I pray they know, without a doubt, they are fully loved.

I pray that they find the true source of their strength.

I found mine by your example and will forever be thankful to you.

Pop, I will see you again in God's perfect timing.

Until then, with all my love,
Your Baby Daughter

05/11/2024

Hug A Cop

I was driving our van with our two young grandsons in the backseat—Mason was four, and Maverick was two. Mason saw a police officer who had pulled someone over and said, “Mamaw, I want to hug a cop.”

I asked him “why,” and he said, “Because I like them.” I didn’t respond because I did not want to encourage the impending field trip he was planning!

In a matter of five minutes, Mason spotted four other police cars, and each time, I heard, “Mamaw, look, there’s one! I want to hug him!” Realizing he wasn’t going to forget the mission that his little self was on, I said, “Mason, if I find a police officer, will you really hug him, or will you be shy?” He assured me that he would hug him.

I was exhausted. This old Mamaw had just spent 48 hours with two active little guys. So, I did the right thing . . . this sly old grandma just quit talking about it, hoping Mason would get preoccupied and forget his mission of the day!

I was wrong. For the next 15 minutes, every police car he saw, I heard from the back seat . . . “MAMAW THERES ONE!!” Oh, my goodness!!! I was so tired!!

Finally, I said, “Okay, Mason, Mamaw is going to find “a cop” for you to hug.”

I hear, “Really, Mamaw?”

“Yes, Mason, baby.” Two little voices scream, “Yeah!”

I was heading West. I asked Siri where the nearest Police Station was, and it took me to the Plainview Police Department. As I pulled into the parking lot . . . Mason saw all the police cars at the side of the building and said, “Mamaw, there’s a bunch!”

So, I explained to Mason that we were at the Police Station so he could “hug a cop!” He was so excited!

His 2-year-old brother, Maverick, had been quietly listening to the last few minutes of our conversations. When I told Mason that he was going to get to “hug a cop” . . . I hear, “Me, me?” Maverick wanted to “hug a cop,” too!!

Well, this exhausted grandma finally crawled out of the van and pulled those two precious little boys out of their car seats. They hurried to the front doors of the Police Department and patiently waited for me to get there.

I opened the doors of the Police Station and walked into the journey of a lifetime . . . little did I know what was about to happen. Those two little boys, with big blue eyes wide open, entered those doors looking for a “cop to hug!”

We found one . . . I didn’t get his name, but I saw his heart!

I explained to the officer why we were there. He smiled, knelt before Mason, and said, “I’m a cop, and I could sure use a hug today.”

With all the pride that his little self could muster up, Mason stepped forward and “Hugged His Cop!”

I couldn’t even tell you what their conversation was, but I knew it was the most important conversation of the day!

As I was watching this, I heard a little “Me me me Ma?” and realized Maverick was watching, and he wanted a hug, too. I told the officer that Maverick would also like to hug him. Those little legs couldn’t move quickly enough to step up. Maverick was grinning from ear to ear when he got to “hug his cop,” just like his big brother!

The officer asked us to wait a couple of minutes. Shortly, he appeared from the back and proudly placed a “badge” on each of my grandsons. Another officer gave each boy a little plastic bag with a coloring book, crayons, deputy “badges,” and a pencil. Then, they gave me extra “badges” just in case the original ones fell off their shirts before we got home!

Those two little “officers” walked out of that Police Station joyfully! They got to “hug a cop” AND got “badges” like “the cops have.”

I wish I had asked his name . . . because I want to tell him that, by his kindness, he changed two little lives that day.

Thank you, “cop,” for allowing two little boys to “hug” you! May the Lord keep you safe and protect you in your journey as a “huggable cop!”

I was so exhausted, but I am thankful this grandma listened to her 4-year-old grandson and found a police station!

It’s funny how the Lord changes your plans once in a while. I am most thankful for the Lord’s encouragement to turn around that van.

My two precious little guys got to “hug a cop!”

Honestly, I think the “Cop” needed a hug just as much as the boys wanted to give one!

It was a good day for this tired, old, and exhausted “Ma.”

- Hug A Cop – Find A Police Station!

05/11/2024

My thoughts . . .

I understand the feelings of questioning one's purpose and feeling like a burden or a nuisance to others.

It can be incredibly disheartening and lonely to feel like you don't have value or that your beliefs and experiences make you different from those around you. It's also painful to realize that people you trust have deceived you.

During these difficult times, it's important to remember that you are not alone. Some people will listen, love, and support you through this journey. Reach out to friends and family, or even seek professional help. Surround yourself with people who will uplift and understand you.

When it feels like everything you believe to be true is no longer so, it can be disorienting and cause you to question your faith. But remember that faith is a journey, and doubts and uncertainties are a normal part of that journey.

Seek solace in prayer, meditation, or engaging with a supportive spiritual community. God understands our doubts and is always there to guide us, even when we feel lost.

It's also important to remember that your worth is not defined by others' opinions or by societal standards. You are fearfully and wonderfully made by God, and your uniqueness is a gift. Embrace your individuality and hold onto the truth of who you are in God's eyes.

Lastly, be patient and gentle with yourself. Healing and finding your way may take time, and that's okay.

Allow yourself the space to process your emotions and seek the support you need.

You are not alone, and there is hope for a brighter future.

Read that again . . . You are not alone. There is hope for a brighter future!

Remember, you have a purpose and your life matters. Hold onto that truth, even in the midst of uncertainty and doubt!

With love and understanding,

Reva

05/11/2024

To my earthly father,

Through your quiet persistence, I saw your unwavering commitment to your faith and how you daily lived your life for the Lord.

Through your gentleness and unconditional love, you taught me to accept the person God made me to be.

You taught me to love the Lord quietly.

You encouraged me to be who I fully am, faithfully.

You guided me to love without judgment.

You showed me that flaws would bring me closer to the Lord.

You helped me understand that God doesn't make mistakes.

You taught me, Grace.

I watched you. I watched people laugh at your tremors. I saw your heart when you responded with kindness, love, and understanding.

I watched you when troubles brewed at home. I admired your unconditional love and commitment.

I listened to you when I came to you with a problem in my life. I saw your eyes filled with compassion. I heard comfort in your voice.

I listened and learned. I'm so thankful that God blessed me with you, my dad, and my pop.

I wish I could've told you then what I know now.

Your quiet and patient persistence and dying perspective on life had an extraordinary impact on my life.

Thank you, Pop, for committing yourself to a well-lived life for the Lord.

Thank you for your quietness.

Thank you for your persistence and gentleness.

Thank you for never giving up on me and for being my strength when I wanted to give up.

Your faith and wisdom, your strength and love, and for those attributes, I am eternally grateful God gave me you as my earthly father.

I pray that through these pages, others will find the comfort, peace, and grace you lived out before me in their lives.

I pray they know, without a doubt, they are fully loved.

I pray that they find the true source of their strength.

I found mine by your example and will forever be thankful to you.

Pop, I will see you again in God's perfect timing.

Until then, with all my love,
Your Baby Daughter

05/11/2024

My Dying Perspective

It’s true. I am dying.

The date was March 22, 2018.

My husband and I lived in Indianapolis, and we were fortunate enough to get an appointment with a group of pancreatic specialists in Indianapolis. After hours of testing, hours of waiting, and hours of constant pain, we had answers . . . answers we were not expecting.

Yes, I knew I had a chronic illness. I knew my level of pain was debilitating, and I realized there was a chance that I would always be in pain. I knew it was an incurable disease. But I never once thought it would lead to my death. Am I terminally ill? Surely not!

Then, the final diagnosis . . . “There is no hope.”

They were right in all of their diagnoses except for one.

I understood that there is nothing that can be done; I do have an incurable disease, and I suppose I am terminally ill. However, they were absolutely wrong when they said there was no hope!

Looking back over the last few years, I realized that when they told me there was “no hope” . . . I truly believed them, simply because they told me there was none!

Recently, because of my diagnosis, I’ve been contemplating my life and examining my heart. I thought, “Don’t we all experience one or all of these things throughout our lives? What makes me so ‘special’ that they tell me I have no hope?!??”

Then, I remembered a verse I learned as a young adult growing up in church:

Proverbs 4:23. It says, “Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

I hadn’t been guarding my heart, and that wellspring of life . . . that continual flow of God’s guidance had subsided. It wasn’t gone but stifled due to life circumstances and my lack of attention to His promptings.

In the Bible, Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and persistent in prayer.”

See, Hope is a conscious choice, and guarding my heart is a conscious choice!

I am thankful and blessed to have had Godly parents that the Lord blessed me with, people in my life who love me in spite of myself, and a wonderful husband who supports me at all costs!

So when someone tells you there is no hope, think again.

You may have to look harder to find it, but there is always hope!

Remember to guard your heart, be joyful, patient, and persistent!

Blessings to you my FB friend!

05/11/2024

Writing "A Dying Perspective: God’s Unfailing Love” has been a source of joy and emotional turbulence for me. For years, I have felt a deep desire to share my thoughts and experiences with the world, even though my life has been vastly different from others.

I have often felt like an outsider, someone who didn't quite fit in due to my weight, appearance, and overall sense of being different. Despite this, I have always felt a need to be heard.

I didn't quite understand why I felt this way or what exactly I had to say that would be worth anyone's attention. The urge to write has always been on my heart, waiting for the right words to pour out onto the page. But I am not an author and don't know the first thing about writing a book.

However, I have realized it is not about being a professional writer or having all the knowledge and skills. It is about having a story, a perspective to share, and a desire to connect with others. My unique experiences, struggles, and insights have value, regardless of whether I consider myself a "normal" person.

So, I have embraced this calling to write, even with my fears and doubts. I have learned to trust that the words will come and that my voice matters. Begining this book has allowed me to explore my thoughts and emotions and to offer something meaningful to those who might read it.

I may not have all the answers or know the perfect way to write a book, but I believe my story is worth telling. And if it can touch even one person's life, it is worth every moment of vulnerability and uncertainty.

I wholeheartedly believe that the reason the Lord has prompted me to write "A Dying Perspective" is because I am facing a terminal illness. My perspective on life has shifted drastically, perhaps as a result of my illness. But more than that, I know that the Lord guides my thoughts and brings important matters to my heart that must be brought to light.

When you have the light of faith, you see things more clearly. You gain a deeper understanding of the world and the Lord's presence. Throughout my book, I will be sharing my unique perspective on daily life events, seen through the lens of someone who knows that their journey to be with Jesus is about to begin. It is an exhilarating experience, filled with a mixture of excitement, nerves, and fear of the unknown.

The Lord has placed me in various situations, some good and some bad, some funny and some sad. I am eager to share these experiences with you, as they have shaped my understanding of God's unfailing love.

I ask that you keep your hearts open as you embark on this journey, and may you be blessed with the revelations and insights that come from reading "A Dying Perspective."

With blessings and gratitude,
Reva