Check out my ebook, "Maria's Final Days" on Lulu.com

Hi Folks,

Just published and posted my new ebook, "Maria's Final Days" on Lulu.com. It is my version of what happens to a fictional character, Maria, during and after the Rapture. She is agoraphobic and struggles with the stress and the breakdown of society; a society that is left behind where most people are numb to the End Times and where every man and woman fight for resources left behind.

It is a story of Christianity--the good and bad of it--and what happens to those who were left behind. With our current healthcare in disarray and world governments collapsing, the words in my book may be prophetic, true and a bit frightening.

Check it out and see what you think.....

Here is the link  http://www.lulu.com/shop/toni-star/marias-final-days/ebook/product-21071953.html

Death can Strengthen your Faith in God

My mother at the age of 88 and suffering from Alzheimer's disease died five months ago. It was a sad and gut-wrenching end to a life that was good but also rifled at times with mental and physical illness but throughout her five to seven years of Alzheimer's I saw the glory and promises of the Lord.

You might say, "How can you say that with all of the suffering that she went through?" Yes, she did suffer, as well as some of the family but throughout her hospital and doctor visits, times of confusion and loneliness, I saw the power of God and I saw how he took care of her from day to day. She did suffer and at times and

I'm sure she wondered where God was in all of this but I feel certain from the way she acted at times, that she knew God was with her and that he would see her through.

All I want to say in this brief article is that observing how God provided for her throughout her life--especially the last four years--told me that no matter what goes on in my life and yours--good or bad--He is there always watching over us and providing us with what we need. It may not always be what we want but it will be what we need.

So, whenever life looks bleak and death looks near, God will be nearer to you--so much nearer!

God Bless,

Toni Star June 2013

Whenver you feel weary, think of these words...

There are times in our lives when we feel weary; we feel that we can't go on. Sometimes health problems occur that seem daunting or maybe we've just been over doing for a long time. I'm the kind of person who always keeps going; even when I know I shouldn't. With back and leg pains that have been daunting my movements for several years, I've been finding it hard to keep going and not be able to do as I used to in my younger years.

Maybe you have felt that way before; maybe you're feeling it now. If that's the case, please read this and then ponder on its words:

Isaiah 40:28- 31:

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

The key words here are: "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength." It's that wonderful word hope that keeps us Christians going, isn't it? Just think, where would we be every day without having hope? We hear the word often and most of the time just don't give it any thought but when you really dig deep into "hope" and then place that hope in the Lord, you begin to feel stronger and younger.

So, I say to you today, don't give up hope but put your hope into the good Lord and He will restore you and you will once again feel strong and young!

Toni Star Copyright 2013

Nothing or no one can Separate you from God's Love!

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Romans 8:38-39KJV

 

There are times in our lives when we feel separated from our loved ones; times when we feel alone and lonely. And, there are times when we feel that no one cares about us—especially if we move to a new environment and have a need to belong. Such life changing events of divorce, marriage, relocation and losing a friend; often make us feel lost, insecure and unloved.

Being a military spouse for 25 years I had to get used to moving and adjusting to new environments many times. Coming from a somewhat large and close family, it was hard at first to adjust to new locations and new people. Blending into a new environment and adjusting without the support of  family and friends, was not easy. But, as the years went by and the moves continued, two things remained solid and true in my life—my husband and Lord Jesus. I found that no matter where we lived—be it in Germany—where we stayed for almost 5 years and other parts of the U.S.—Lord Jesus and my husband were with me everywhere we went. Christ’s love and protection for me and my husband were constant and a Rock upon which we built our lives.

There is nothing so comforting and peaceful knowing that no matter where you go, what your worries are or what kind of conditions you go through, that the good Lord and His Son, Jesus will be with you and open doors of opportunity, help and comfort, no matter what day or season of the year they come to you!

I remember a time in Germany when Desert Storm was going on and Saddam was causing misery for everyone and many service men and women and their families were stressed out and concerned about what the outcome would be. Saddam and his minions were causing great pain in that part of the world and killing many people—his own people and in several neighboring countries. It was; however,  wonderful; though, to see how we all pulled together—Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines—when going through such a terrible time. Throughout Desert Storm I saw countless scenes of people comforting each other, sharing and caring for each other in all situations. And, as a Christian, I saw Christ’s love moving and interacting on that base in Germany with the coming together of different cultural backgrounds, working together to keep our military base clean, safe and a respite for those leaving and returning from battle. It was an experience I will never forget. And, even though I was so far away from my country and family, I found out that I am never without those who care because no matter where I travel in this world, I am in the family of God and Jesus and that family is the best family, ever!

There was another time—several years ago-- when it looked like I would lose my husband to an illness that was threatening his life. At that time we lived several hundred miles from our home base in Ohio, had few people we could confide in and lived in an apartment that was filled with noise, confusion and unchristian people. There were many times during his illness that I thought I couldn’t stand the stress of that environment one minute more and I worried that I would lose him. During one time—a time that lasted several days—I felt as if my life with him would be over because the treatment being given to my husband was not a sure ting. It was during that time; however, that I felt the presence of the good Lord and I knew, I just knew, that we both would be alright and soon would be going back to Ohio.

 

What got us through that experience was a stronger bond with Christ, a turning to our Bible for guidance and daily constant prayer and praise throughout the pain and the long process of healing. It was our faith in Christ that got us through his illness and that trying environment. From those days of fear I learned the meaning of Christ’s words, “Fear not; only believe!” Weeks later my husband began to feel better and later on, we moved back to Ohio. The rest is history, or so they say and we’re doing much better now. My husband is well and we live in an area that is safe and peaceful.

 

“Dear Father, never let me forget that nothing, no one, no disaster or evil presence will ever separate me from your love and blessings. I thank you, Jesus, for loving me and I also thank you for dying for me so that I might live!”

 

Copyright 2013

Toni Star

Mount Vernon, Ohio

 

 

An Easter Story for you

Easter Story For Easter 2013

Jennifer was so sad; her father was dying of cancer and she wasn’t sure she was going to make it without emotionally breaking down. Her husband, Fred, was also sick and had been sick for about two weeks. She knew besides praying, that there was nothing she could do for her father but for her husband, she would continue giving him tender loving care for as long as it took. Because he was in the Heart Section of the hospital, doctors and nurses were doing everything they could to make sure he was comfortable and ready for the operation.

What made all of this hard to bear, was that Easter Sunday was only six days away and on every Easter Sunday as a child, teen and young adult, her father had always been there for her and for the last 10 years she and her husband always went to church on Easter. She prayed that her father and Fred would both be feeling better by Easter and that they could all go to church together.
Several days later, it looked like Jennifer’s Dad wasn’t going to be alive much longer. She kept praying and visiting him but he was on drugs for the pain and often didn’t know anyone was with him in the room talking with him.

It looked like this Easter Sunday was going to be a sad one and with her responsibilities of caring for both of them plus her work at a daycare center, her life was deteriorating so badly she wasn’t even sure she would be alive. The stress of the situations was taking a toll on her; her face was lined with wrinkles and her eyes were bloodshot with tears.

Then, something strange and wonderful happened. She began to feel that everything was going to work out alright. She was praying before going to work when “it” happened. As she was praying the Lord’s Prayer, she felt a comfort wash over her; almost like a warm feeling that comes when sitting and enjoying the early morning sun. She couldn’t explain it; only to say that she felt the presence of the Lord or a comforting angel. Deep inside she heard words like, “It’s going to be alright. Help is on the way. Preparations are being made. Don’t give up.”

The warm feeling remained for awhile and later she prepared for work and then visiting with her Dad and husband. Her husband’s operation was in the afternoon and so she prayed a special prayer for him. “Dear Lord, protect and be with my husband. Make sure he comes through the operation well and that good health will return to him. I need him Lord. We are so close. Please show us the way. And, also heal and protect my father and help me to do what I can to lessen his pain. Thank you, Lord.”

Later that day, she made her vigil at the hospital for her husband. The operation seemed to go on for ever but when it was finished, there was good news. “Your husband came through fine but he will have to make some changes to his diet and everyday behavior. He is free to go tomorrow. Want to keep him overnight to make sure he is strong enough to go home.”

After talking with her husband, seeing him smile and both of them sharing love for each other, she felt confident that he was going to be alright. An hour later she left and went to see how her father was doing.

As she rounded the corner to his room, she knew something was wrong. As she approached the door to his room, she could see that their family pastor was reading the Last Rites. She heard, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want….” Tears began to fall but there was a knowing inside of her that said, “It’s Dad’s time to go.” She looked at his face, saw the lines on his face smooth and calm and she could tell that he was at peace and that his pain and fear were over.”

Easter Sunday loomed bright that day and even though her husband couldn’t go with her, she felt his presence and she also felt her Dad’s presence. Over and over, she repeated the phrase, “Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid. Ye Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions…”

It’s a fact of life that there is a time to be born and a time to die. It’s what we do; however, in between; that is what counts!

Copyright Toni Star 2013

"Go and Sin No More"

Think for a moment about what Jesus said to the woman who was found committing adultery and what happened. Everyone found her guilty of adultery and was picking up stones and preparing to throw them at her. One spoke up and said, “We found her in the very act of adultery.” The woman of course, was frightened and embarrassed and no one was standing up for her, except Jesus, who happened to be walking by. Jesus, at that moment, gave the finest example of grace there ever was when he said, “Whoever is without sin, let him throw the first stone.”

Every time I think of these words, I’m taken aback. Imagine how they reacted when they heard those words! Something like, “Who does he think he is?” But Jesus stood firm and soon, one by one, they all put their stones down. When Jesus said, “Whoever is without sin, let him throw the first stone,” they knew he was right; and they then put down their stones. John 8:1-11 NKJV

Imagine for a moment, if this kind of action happened somewhere in our society and a woman was going to be stoned to death or killed by some other means and someone spoke up and said the same words, I wonder what would happen. Would they laugh? Would they try to kill the person? Sometimes in our society we see individuals helping others in peril but we also see others who join in and kill randomly anyone in their path.

When you think about the world and how many countries and individuals no longer look on sin as sin, how does this attitude on sin affect us worldwide? Look at the in-fighting overseas with governments killing their own people so they can stay in power. Look at the many talk shows here in the US and overseas where anything from incest to murder is discussed like it was ordinary and common and part our daily lives.

Going back to what Jesus did with the woman who was going to be stoned. What a wonderful and blessed standard he set for people back then and now. If Jesus didn’t do what his Father told him to do as far as helping and loving people and spreading the word of God, we would still be living in a world with no hope of redemption. But of course, Christ did die for our sins and we have had for several thousands of years the choice of following him and going about our Father’s business or following a much darker path. When Jesus said, “Woman go and sin no more, he not only showed leadership but also grace, two options to choose from, unconditional love and forgiveness.

The word grace has several meanings such as extreme kindness and goodness but the meaning of that word that stands out the most is “allowing someone to be free;” even though he or she committed a sin. Again, take another look at what Jesus did. He said, “Whoever is without sin, let him throw the first stone.” Of course, everyone in the crowd knew that they were sinners; so the stoning of the woman stopped. What made this event extraordinary was what Jesus said to the crowd and how the people reacted to what he said. He spoke as if a leader; which he was and is and with His Truth, they were convicted.

Another interesting point was made in Jesus’ dialogue with the woman. He also said to her, “Go and sin no more.” One could interpret that as meaning, “I will not throw stones at you because of your sin; however, it is important that you turn away from sin and sin no more.”

Again, he was offering a choice. She could go and sin no more, or she could walk away and sin another time. Clearly, this was not a dictator talking; it was a compassionate, all-caring person, better known as the Prince of Peace.!

2013: Another Brand New Year!

Well, here it is again! Another new year and with the beginning of another year, I am not going to resolve to do this or that differently but what I am going to do is give thought to making my life more enjoyable and by that I mean, I am going to take more time for me.

So, what you might ask, are the ways in which I will take more time for me? Well, happy you asked that question. Here are some things I'm thinking about doing:

1. I am going to take more time to walk and think about how to make each day better and more fulfilling.
2. I am going to take time to keep my appearance in better shape; such as my hair, makeup and wearing clothes that look good on me.
3. Most of all, I am going to take time to rest--which is something I rarely do.
4. But, before all of these things I am going to turn to God first in all matters and when I forget to do this, I am going to return to the Bible and seek repentance and guidance.

You might ask, "Why are you doing all of this? Is there a reason or an event that brought this on?" My answer is yes, there is. My mom recently died and before she died she suffered from Alzheimer's and watching her regress has impacted my mind and heart on what is most important in life.

To me, what is most important in my life are: God, Jesus, living a Christian life and of course, my wonderful husband. Death, when you actually see the dying process, does something to your heart, mind and soul and if it doesn't, give serious thought to your soul.

Life is precious and has many opportunities for goodness and in some cases, magnificent acts of courage, productivity and greatness.

So, I say to any and all who read this post, live your life fully, happily and stay close to God because life is short and in an instant, you and I will be gone!

I leave you with a couple of true words, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all else will be added unto you."

Toni Star