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I don’t know why God took over my brain but ideas just form in my brain like clouds, yes clouds… get enough moisture together and precipitation happens…

Clouds of Faith, 17Jul

We think of the clouds in the sky when we think of our loved ones who’ve gone to heaven…

We also think about Jesus riding in on a cloud when He comes back to Earth…

We watched clouds as children imagining shapes, we still do, we are still children. And we need to become more childlike in God-wonder.

God says there is no way we can know or comprehend all His ways… So I wonder: where does He store all those clouds?

Clouds are puffy, clouds are wispy, clouds can be dark and ominous, high up and in low foggy zones… Clouds can just show up – both in relief to scorching hot Sun – and in disappointment for a sunny carnival about to get rained out… Clouds happen…

We know we need the rain, we need the precipitation… we need the rainy days to get our thoughts together… so we need clouds… both physical and spiritual clouds…

We need to gather and form faith clouds, yes, we as people, children of God, are actually pulled together by the HOLY SPIRIT to form faith bonds with others…  Sometimes cloud molecules are stretched far apart and sometimes they are condensed in a tight bonds… that is true with us too… we drift and we return, hopefully to connect… we create faith clouds…

Jesus said: 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Yes, sometimes our faith molecules – meaning God’s children – are stretched far apart and sometimes they are condensed in a tight bonds… tightened, gathered, grouped, grounded clouds of faith.

Clouds happen when the weather is just right… water molecules are gathered from the ground and evaporated up, the enormity of water weight we can not even begin to comprehend and yet these clouds float…

Our faith collectives do the same – children of faith are collected – gathering with faith brothers and sisters will lighten the situation of the darkest doom…  The problems of life we can not begin to comprehend and yet faith floats us thru it… where 2 or 3 gather? Watch Jesus pull together your personal faith cloud. He will.

Where does God keep all those clouds? Right here all the time… us too, we are made of God’s molecules waiting to be pulled together… we don’t always see the Holy spirit but when we are pushed, prodded, pulled and pooled TOGETHER, when we are spiritually moved together, we will then become an opportunity for Him to precipitate the faith… we are His people – we are held in his storehouses so that He can pull together His faith movers and shakers.

Clouds happen. Faith fulfills.  Faith lifts a situation.

Be still and watch for God…

Be the lift in someone else’s cloud today, lift them with their own faith, lift them with your collective faith – TOGETHER.

Amen

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Job 26:8-10
He wraps up the waters in his clouds,
yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it.
He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.

—-

Job 37:5-

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.
6 He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
7 So that everyone he has made may know his work,
he stops all people from their labor.
8 The animals take cover;
they remain in their dens.
9 The tempest comes out from its chamber,
the cold from the driving winds.
10 The breath of God produces ice,
and the broad waters become frozen.
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;
he scatters his lightning through them.
12 At his direction they swirl around
over the face of the whole earth
to do whatever he commands them.
13 He brings the clouds to punish people,
or to water his earth and show his love.

14 “Listen to this, Job;
stop and consider God’s wonders.
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning flash?
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?

 

 

 

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Rebuilding a Temple of PRAISE, 14SEP

Ah – I love the internet – that lyric “And these are the days of Your servant David, Rebuilding a temple of praise.” From “Days of Elijah” sparked a question in my head and my education was in simple reach of my fingertips… that is an awesome resource of God – the people who fill the internet with scripture (instead of cat videos) are rebuilding their own temple of praise… and the song also was written to say that we too have to stand up against the evils of the world like Elijah did – these are the days that we are to “stand up and speak up for Him.”

I knew David’s son built the big temple – but I had forgotten (and found myself scarcely educated) on the fact that David had the Ark under a tent so that he could worship God – and that David had BUILT A TEMPLE OF PRAISE – actually rebuilt it (learning thru this readings below)… David could not enter the temple of Moses (and only a select few could) – so he made a temple of praise FOR praise – for everyone… So, before Indiana Jones found the Ark in time for the movies, LOL, the Ark of the Covenant (containing all those great God goodies) simply was under a tent – no matter the simple tent – it was all about the praise…

*** That’s us too!!! We are to build, and rebuild, and rebuild again our own temples of praise – find our place for reflection, find our own figurative tent, and find our place to praise the Lord – this also gave way to the saying/lyric “Sacrifice of Praise” – send up the praise – spend the time in praise – and spend the time in rebuilding our own temple – we are human – we are flawed – but when we invite the rebuilding our own temple of praise, God fills us – Jesus heals us – the Spirit moves us…. One of the commentaries below says: “When things do not go as we planned—when God closes a door—we should continue to praise the Lord and then move on in a new direction. Rather than complain about what we can’t do, we should do what we can, giving God the glory. “

Everyone can worship the Lord – everyone can build their temple of praise – everyone can do something to make a difference – and that is what we should do – truly we are blessed to be able to do that! – and we, like in the Days of Elijah, must stand up for God!!!!

AMEN!

---

Here are good internet reads and some of their text:

• From the author of the song “Days of Elijah” – https://robinmark.com/the-story-behind-days-of-elijah/

“Firstly the song came from watching a television “Review of the Year” at the end of 1994. This was the year of the Rwandan civil war tragedy which claimed 1 million people’s lives, and also when the first ceasefires in N.I. were declared. On this TV review were a lot of daft stories, happy stories, serious stories, and then absolutely devastating stories like the Rwandan situation. As I watched the review unfold I found myself despairing about the state of the world and, in prayer, began asking God if He was really in control and what sort of days were we living in.

I felt in my spirit that He replied to my prayer by saying that indeed He was very much in control and that the days we were living in were special times when He would require Christians to be filled with integrity and to stand up for Him just like Elijah did, particularly with the prophets of Baal. “These are ‘Elijah’ days”. Elijah’s story is in the book of Kings and you can read how he felt isolated and alone in the culture in which he lived. But God told him to stand up and speak for Him.

———-

“Of course David didn’t get to build the structural temple (that’s why the word in the song line is “rebuild”), that was left to Solomon his son, but David was used by God to introduce a revised form of worship, praise and thanksgiving into, firstly, his little tent which he pitched around the Ark of the covenant (the presence of God) and then the temple that Solomon his son built.

This worship, unlike the Mosaic Tabernacle, involved many people being able to come into Gods presence and worship him openly. (In Moses time only one man, the high priest, could enter the Holy of Holies, once a year. David’s tent was a picture of how Christ would enable us to come right into Gods presence, through his sacrifice, and worship openly there).

If you search carefully through the Book of Amos (chapter 9) you will find reference to this “Restoration of David’s Tabernacle”. In Acts this prophecy was used to explain, at the council of Jerusalem, why the “Gentiles” should be allowed to become Christians and worship their saviour without all the legal requirements of the Jewish law. It is also accepted among restoration theologians that this refers to restored Praise and Worship. The physical temple was “Solomon’s”, David’s “temple” was a little tent but you and I are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. It sounds complex, doesn’t it, but if you just understand that the line in the song refers to Praise and Worship before the presence of God just like David enjoyed, then that’s all there needs to be to it!”

———

• https://opentheword.org/2016/09/18/why-did-king-david-build-the-tabernacle-of-david/

“After David became king, he decided to move the Ark of the Covenant to a tent set up in Jerusalem — called the Tabernacle of David (see also 1 Chronicles 16) instead of returning it to the Tabernacle of Moses.

16 Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.17 So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed each to his house. (2 Samuel 6:16-19 NASV)

Though the Ark of the Covenant was now in Jerusalem, the priests continued making sacrifices at the Tabernacle of Moses  (1 Chronicles 16:37-40).

David deeply desired to be in God’s presence, but he couldn’t do it at the Tabernacle of Moses because of his illegitimacy. But he could do it, if he moved the Ark of the Covenant to a different location and different home. And despite one glitch (2 Samuel 6:6-7), the move had God’s approval.

At the Tabernacle of David, King David now had full, free access to God’s Presence. Further, there was no veil separating people from Ark of the Covenant, as there was in Moses’s tabernacle.

Everyone could come before God’s Presence at this simple tent.

Many of the Psalms were written for worship in the Tabernacle of David. The move sparked a different type of worship than what typically occurred at Moses’s tabernacle. At David’s tabernacle, the people:

• Made sacrifices of praise (instead of animal sacrifices) to God (Psalm 27:6).
• Clapped their hands (Psalm 47:1).
• Lifted their hands in worship (Psalm 134).
• Shouted (Psalm 47:1, 5).
• Danced (2 Samuel 6:16; Psalm 149:3).
• Sought the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:10-11), and
• Played their instruments (1 Chronicles 23:5; Psalm 47:5; Psalm 149:3).

They had glory times in God’s presence.

Aside from these expressions of worship, the psalmists also wrote several time of gentiles coming into the Kingdom of God (Psalm 18:49; Psalm 117:1; Psalm 47:8-9). They would have the same access to God’s presence as the Jews.

The Tabernacle of David existed for a brief time between the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple that David’s son Solomon constructed. After the temple was completed, the priests transported the Ark of the Covenant from David’s tent into the Temple’s Holy of Holies and the Glory of God fell (2 Chronicles 5:14).

• https://www.gotquestions.org/David-temple.html

Question: “Why didn’t God allow David to build the temple?”

Answer: In 1 Chronicles 17:1, David’s thoughts turn to building a temple for the Lord. The king sent for the prophet Nathan and said, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” The discrepancy bothered David. Why should the king’s house be a palace, while the house of God was just a tent?

At first, Nathan encouraged David to follow through on his desire to build a temple for the Lord (1 Chronicles 17:2). Yet that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, changing their plans: “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in’” (verse 4). God then points out that, in all the long history of the tabernacle, He never once rebuked Israel’s leaders for not building a permanent temple (verses 5–6). Rather than David building a temple, God decided to allow David’s son to oversee this work (verses 11–12).

In response, David offered a prayer of praise: “You, Lord, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever” (1 Chronicles 17:26–27). David considered God’s word as a tremendous blessing that affirmed his son would also serve as king.

First Chronicles 22:8 sheds some light on God’s decision not to allow David to build the temple: “You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.” David’s background of shedding blood in times of war was God’s reason for choosing David’s son instead (see also 1 Chronicles 28:3). God wanted a man of peace to construct the temple, not a man of war. His house was to be “a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7).

Since David was forbidden from building the temple himself, he helped to gather materials and prepare the plans for the temple’s construction. He said to Solomon, “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you” (1 Chronicles 22:14–16).

Solomon faithfully fulfilled this command during his reign, leading Israel to the height of world power. David’s desire to build a house for the Lord was noble, but God had other plans. David’s reaction to God’s nixing his plan is a model for us. When things do not go as we planned—when God closes a door—we should continue to praise the Lord and then move on in a new direction. Rather than complain about what we can’t do, we should do what we can, giving God the glory. “

GROW, 07SEP

Christmas the crab has taken a back seat to our cat, of course,  but quietly he has grown throughout this year. I thought he was silly talking the biggest shell as his new one, but wow he has grown and filled it!…

I’ve been blessed to be the caretaker of my corner of this world: crab, cat, children..  It’s raining, but I’m in a shell of a beautiful house on a hill. My fingers reach outside my shell to type to the spirit that resides in you lovely friends… I’m encouraged that we encourage each other…

It’s early Saturday morning, I’ve grown to know for the last 3 years that there’s often a new devotion for me to write – but I have to I pause to let it out, and I haven’t been pausing enough lately…. It’s times like these quiet moments in my shell of a house that I stop to think about how blessed I am and like this pouring rain, today’s devotion about spiritual growth is going to pour out of me… I think with my 600 writings that I would have covered spiritual growth a lot, but there’s always room for more growth… I have grown… I urge you all to GROW. Grow in faith…

One should never stop growing in one’s faith…. just like the crab’s tremendous growth this year, our faith will grow to fill the shell around us – our shell is not small, our shell is as big as the hands of God. Do you know how big that is? No, nothing could measure the vastness of Him, therefore our faith could grow to unfathomable sizes too… The smallest growth in faith is HUGE growth, proportional to what we had before… yet we are not to worry about proportion – we simply are called to GROW – there is so much NEW opportunity to see how we connect to the vastness of the shell space of the higher and utmost greatest power around us…

Christmas the crab likes to run for cover, I put him on the openness of the bed and he bolts instantly for darker spaces by the covers, he knows instinctively to gain protection… we need to do that too, except our protection is not in the darkness – our protection is in the LIGHT – our protection is from being in the LIGHT.  Yes it might be tough out in this world, but our best future is to keep growing towards LIGHT anyway.
Instinctually as humans we might run for dark, but as spiritually-filled souls  we are called to grow towards the LIGHT… a smile induced in a sad person is growing towards LIGHT… a chance to make a situation better is growing towards LIGHT… granting forgiveness and mercy to others is growing towards LIGHT… growing humble is growing towards LIGHT…

Let LIGHT lift your eyes to see where to grow your FAITH – then just GROW…

Never stop growing…

Amen

 

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Practice Peace, 04Sep

Light invaded my dark, and I had a productive weekend where I intensely felt moments of peace that surpassed the angst I had…

I pray you open this new morning looking for the peace that is looking for you.

Peace finds us and moves us. That’s God’s plan. He’s working those lights that we try to hide ourselves under our own baskets of angst…

My strife subsided – I did not ignore but I kept busy “in the moment” – and so did the Lord. My increasing peace made it possible for me to be a witness of others’ peace in the eye of their own hurricanes – they had difficulties too and yet they were practicing peace. If ever I wanted to hide under my basket of covers, I’m glad I didn’t, I slowly plugged back in and God kept me working – witnessing them on their paths of peace… Don’t hide those lights – besides God will blow the baskets off anyway…

Three church services that day. Three communion opportunities. These were the placeholders in my schedule that kept me moving and became the brackets to my day and I felt light invade my dark – I knew the light that was there – we hear the Lord – “my sheep know my voice and I know them, and they hear me” John 10:27.

One of my favorite moments in between church services was with meeting Bob, I asked him about the painted rock inside the drive-thru tip jar, he was a jovial young soul, I showed him my collection of painted rocks with scripture encouragements in my cup holder, ready to be hidden in hiking trails or wherever, it’s a new project of mine… He was excited about the whole thing and I offered him one, he chose “Practice Peace”… he told me why and I said God Bless you… I ask you reading this to pray for Bob too… I was excited to share, he said he was getting more spiritual – to practice peace is an action item for him… Bob was happy to receive encouragement and that also really encouraged me… basket blown off – the light shined thru my smile – God needs me to smile, I realize that – God needs each of us to shine His light, I knew that but to shine it in a drive-thru window opportunity ONLY happen when you actually drive yourself into them. Drive yourself to find opportunities to share HIS light.

Light invades dark – but we must crack the lid of our own boxes of darkness… We must let the light in…

Later, I got a healing hug from a friend who taught me that exact box thought in a spiritual retreat class – to think about how the light enters a box when it is cracked open even if just a sliver…. Jesus the light of the world. Light peeks in – and it is light – we need to let Jesus enter the box. We need to listen – we are His sheep…

My time that day was also spent at the nursing home, I witnessed with Joe, who sings “Let the be peace on Earth – and let it begin with me”… He clamors for peace and he can and does remind so many by his plea, he moves people to think just like he moves his wheelchair…  yes, we need to make the moves for world peace.  Joe is trying to do just that – no hiding that basket – God is using Joe to shine a very important message…

“Practicing peace” is no game for God, He knows where and what plays to run. We however, as humans, need to “practice peace” actively and put in the effort…

That’s because the Holy Spirit is actively swirling and guiding us – practicing peace means us putting ourselves into His service – a task for us to bring peace to others by giving them HOPE.

“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” Luke 14:15-17 NLT

I pray you practice peace today – for yourself – and for others –  importantly for God…

Look for the spirit that lives in you to use you today…

Practice blowing off the basket – shine the wholeness of His light!

Practice Peace.

AMEN

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Peace Pieced Together, 02SEP

My tears of life overflowed yesterday at home and blessedly my teenager put his hand on my shoulder to comfort me and moved the tissue box close to me and told me to take deep breaths and to pet the cat for comfort… wow…. wow, how did God get me here? God pieced that blessing together a little at a time, everyday working a little in His world to piece together a peace-filling moment – JUST FOR ME – instead of my tears, I was then distracted by the awesomeness of my son knowing how to process this situation to help me…  did you see how mercy and love moved God to move that tissue box toward me using him? I did…. I hear God in the slide… I felt God in the touch… I was distracted by His love fading the world away… I picked up on the pieces of peace that God has been leaving like breadcrumbs along the path to Him…

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A piece I’ve been meaning to write for my whole life…

Distraction, 02Sep

Distraction should become focus.

In my anxiety, I know I am human – troubled, just uneasy, scared, worried, ugh…

In my Lord, I know I am HIS – I really don’t need to know anything else – because in being HIS I am always in HIS LOVE

I already know the truth – I already know God’s answer to all my anxiety – but I need to get the rest of me to get there I need to feel that peace too…

Here is the answer before all problems existed and the answer once problems arise: “Set your mind on things above.”

I’m not usually anxious but I’m miserable in angst for a particular problem – but there’s nothing I can do at this very moment until a certain day – a day that’s a long way off – therefore I can’t get rid of the burden, nor should I – I’m going to hold on to this issue and yet there’s no reason to burden others, so I guess I have to keep working on problems and tasks at hand, not the mental break or refreshing moment that I want, but I have to deal…. in life we have to deal… for all God’s timing, this angst makes me distracted from my normal angst which was upsetting enough – I pray God to distract me from me… I know I am a complainer when it comes to comparing my angst to HIS greatness!

God distracts us by what He attracts us to – in order to “set your mind on things above”…

Talking about my issues it does seem little to complain about, but big to me in this moment – and yes I am in the disconnect area right now – even though I can see peace ahead, but I’m not there yet…

One place I know to focus is on other friends’ problems instead of mine –  I should clam up about my issues and keep moving… and yes also I should be looking at God’s problem of this broken world – I should speak up instead and take the time to help Him – to tell of Him – yes, we are to spend our time going to God –  working for God – that is how the peace gets pieced back together.

In truth, we should spend ALL our time piecing peace together.

In truth, I can see God sending signs to distract me from me – and attract me to Him.

I pray to not to run into bad times to shock me into counting my blessings – but the world is still a broken place… I am not at peace with the world, nor should I be – worse yet we should not become complacent.

I appreciate hearing and seeing God distract me… “set your mind on things above”…

This morning I hear summer bugs, I hear my hermit crab crunching and clunking his shell, I hear the quiet but stirring of my sleeping teenage babies – do I need anything else to be thankful for?

I ask and know the most important question: Do I hear God? I do, I don’t need anything else but God here…

I have known that God is in all things – I have peace even if I can’t piece it together right now – I am the distraction – God is the peace.

Right now, I hear birds singing and have a warm place to sit. Right now, I hear the hum of the highway, even on a Sunday morning, there are others working much earlier and much harder than me – God is humming while He works us for His peace. Actually, He whistles as He works – that whistling wind will catch your ear – God will too…

I hear in rewind, in my head, my conversations this past week with others who have far worse off issues than me – I often think that God distracts us from our own problems by getting us to remember others…

Right now, I can see in my head all the new babies of the week – God distracts us from our own problems, we can remember others being given the joyous opportunities that make the rest of the world fade away by them living in the moment…

Life is best lived in the present- the present is a gift… set your mind on things above and listen to the Lord for clues to discover that path today… we can only follow the Lord if we listen for Him…

I hope to work my peace out by writing – it’s a process – my peace and God’s peace is a process – if I stop to observe my progress then I can see that God placed me in the process to work for Him…

Let’s start the day by looking for His distractions…

His distractions should be our focus.

Amen

—-

PS

586

My tears of life overflowed yesterday at home and blessedly my teenager put his hand on my shoulder to comfort me and moved the tissue box close to me and told me to take deep breaths and to pet the cat for comfort… wow…. wow, how did God get me here? God pieced that blessing together a little at a time, everyday working a little in His world to piece together a peace-filling moment – JUST FOR ME – instead of my tears, I was then distracted by the awesomeness of my son knowing how to process this situation to help me…  did you see how mercy and love moved God to move that tissue box toward me using him? I did…. I hear God in the slide… I felt God in the touch… I was distracted by His love fading the world away… I picked up on the pieces of peace that God has been leaving like breadcrumbs along the path to Him…

 

584

Tip God’s Hand, 30AUG

Sometimes God lets you know what He’s thinking. Sometimes it might feel like a card game as we wait on the Lord and we don’t know what’s in store. But it’s no game to God, its played out on purpose.  Sometimes, just sometimes God lets you peek at His Cards…

In the end, God Wins! We already knew that! Therefore, we have to believe that He’s got a winning hand already and yes, He’s putting all His chips in…

Does He keep His plays secret? Does He whisper sometimes to you as He makes a move? Do you need to hear him say: “Watch this” or are you already watching?… Do you have a feeling,  as you watch Him rearrange His cards, for what His next play will be?…

When God lets you peek at His hand, does He actually want you to keep it a secret or not?. Maybe His plays need studying first so that we notice His subtle coordination, maybe His plays are way out in the open…. Actually, and in all ways, God wants us to know that He has plans for each of us. And yes, for everyone’s sake, God wants you to “Tip His Hand”…

Tip God’s Hand and tell the world His plans. God may surprise us, but it’s all written for us to know and see… Did He not already make His biggest move by sending Jesus? He has already told us, thru Jesus, that the most important commandment is LOVE – Love God, Love His people. Jesus has given us the directive that God wants us to “BELIEVE IN THE ONE HE SENT” … that’s because Jesus has been watching Gods moves from day 1. In the beginning there was the WORD…

And now? Jesus is now at His Right Hand, Jesus is watching inside every move that God deals. Jesus can and wants to direct your life… Jesus tells each of us individually that we do all fit into God’s plan. Jesus wants us to rest our minds and take comfort in Him, Jesus asks us to let His Holy Spirit lead. He wants us to empty our minds of our plans and fill them with His.

God wins… God wants LOVE to win. GOD made the world and God is sorting out all the cards right now – and we can watch Him as He plays them. We belong to Him!

Yes, God shows us His cards.

And it is no poker face – Love is written all over God’s face…

LET’S TIP GOD’S HAND – LET’S TELL THE WORLD about THE WORD, about the LOVE, about the PLAN…

AMEN

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For all my bluefish friends, and especially swimming souls, may you always be voracious for the Lord!

Voracious, 25AUG

Swells of the ocean up and down, I was getting used to navigating the waves and felt comfortable, not completely but enough… how amazing the ocean and the sand…. so much sand, so much beach and oh how I had so much to praise… Yes, a quick swim at sunrise was worth the drive… worth squashing fears of many things that predominated in my head but they didn’t stop me… I prayed: “please keep me swimming, Lord, even if i doubt my path at times…”

I was happy I was there, I didn’t know if I should have tried to fit that swim time in, with all the logistics, but oh I’m so glad I did… I didn’t know if when falling asleep at 1030pm if a 445 am wakeup alarm would feel terrible. I questioned if it worth that for a sunrise swim?  Yet this would be my first swim of the disappearing season… I also knew that the scriptures say: “all my days have been ordained” – and I thought I’m going to know either way at 4:45am if it was a mistake or not… So guess what? At 4:17am God says: “oh, is this enough pre-alarm time wake up time for you?” Yeah God, really… it’s 4:17am and I am wide awake huh?… God chuckled and I was wide awake? Yeah, all my days have been ordained,ordered and appointed huh?… I get it, I got it, I’m getting out of bed, I’m going Lord… up and out to the beach… LET’S GO!

The stealth outside cat greeted me, it was 5:15 am, and my swimming sister opened her door, smiled and grabbed snacks, and we were off… the drive was just 52 minutes… 52…

At the beach it felt right… the water was so warm! The sun said “welcome to your new day to live for God!” And there were so many people! They were there for the sunrise – they were there for people watching too… 6:30 am never felt so normal for a beach!

I was able to feel comfortable with my choice of an early morning adventure, it is good to know that all our days have been ordained – even if sometimes I doubt my steps…

Swells of the ocean up and down… swell… just keep swimming…

Swells for sure, but it was the calmest of water, I felt peace in motion… We swam and got great exercise.  Then all of a sudden in this calm water there was a Splash Splash Splash!… Wait, what? What in the world was going on? More sprinkled splash splash splashes again, and again – all around us – a big wow – it was coordinated schools of leaping little fish, jumping up at my ear and eye level…. my whole life I never imagined being INSIDE and seeing a school of fish synchronized leaping IN THE AIR! Cool… It was so very cool!!!

BUT WAIT…

“Keep swimming”… just then my VERY knowledgeable swimming sister says “It’s a good time to get out of the water!!!” – what? Oh! With hurried expression it was a sign to escape – not to overpanic but with precautionary and expedited strokes,  we kept swimming fast to shore,  the little bait fish meant a needed meal to bigger fish, maybe a Bluefish! We did NOT want to be on the menu!!!!!… Not necessarily a purposeful attack but we humans can get in the way of life and a fish’s lunch! Quickly we swam to shore, rested on the sand… Whew!  Later we got back in…. Little fish and big fish – all reminders that life may bring you trouble,  but you still have to get back in and keep swimming!

Bluefish, they are naturally hungry,  bluefish know how to chase, and they know how to bite! Bluefish school themselves travel in packs… if there is one hungry fish there are many! Bluefish are so voracious…. I’m grateful and blessed my swimming sister knew the signs of trouble, we rested after that and while we shared a snack we got to share also in the wonder of life… It is amazing that when you realize how far God has already brought you “safe thus far”, it’s a good sign that He wants you to keep hungry for life! Remembering that all LIFE and all LOVE is from God.

So, how can we be voracious Bluefish too? We know we have to eat for health, but what choices do we make for feeding our souls? We make that choice,  we have to nourish our own hungers with the spiritual milk that God provides… How could we even measure how much LOVE God provides for us? We can be minnows or we can be bigger and bigger fish, but we will find out that we are all part of one big ocean of God’s Love.  So when you start seeing all the little love God has already shown on you, it keeps your eyes open for the bigger and bigger LOVE,  and as you expend more of your energy by living for the Lord,  this keeps you hungry for more of God’s love…

God’s love is precious,  abundant,  freeing… it’s natural to be hungry…

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand When I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139:17-18

It’s natural to know our humanness, it’s ok to feel our weakness,  it’s normal to feel doubts, or to feel weird, or to mourn, and it’s good to keep swimmin for the future… So let us all look for God’s love in all… let’s keep swimming… let’s enjoy all God gives us as opportunities… let’s enjoy life and share the joy… let’s look to each other for direction, motivation and knowledge.

Gobble up as much summer as you can,  every day before it gets cold,  splash your way thru the waves of life, make a school of fish type leap away from trouble, and keep swimming! Be ever vigilant for the signs of trouble! Don’t let fear stop you. Keep swimming.

Gobble up every nourishing bite of God’s love,  be voracious! And share your share. Be blessed to know how to crave spiritual milk…

Enjoy life and make the most of it, even if days are troubled…. each day there is a sunrise and a sunset reset – each day is a gift – each as a new day to bask in God’s Love…

Today is God’s day – everyday – all our days have been ordained…

Live life and love voraciously for God.

Amen

—–

Be Voracious for the Lord!

“2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ….

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  from 1st Peter 2

—–

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? …..” From Psalm 139

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What about God’s Anger? Learning and Applying Wisdom, 21Aug

Wow, the Psalms were written over the course of 500 years, by multiple authors!

I erroneously thought it was just David… it shouldn’t surprise me, I know little old testament bible history, the bible is so vast that there is no way anyone could know it all,  so clearly there is a need to keep studying… and there are so many aspects to the bible, it’s important to know context to help interpret it,  like who was writing psalms while they were under stress,  who was writing while they were at peace…. I would like to understand the people and their feelings, but first and foremost, I need to understand God, … that’s where wisdom comes in. Thankfully we can always ask for more wisdom.

Here’s more info of the history of the psalms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalms

One psalm by Moses, many by David, but odds and ends by others, many not in the modern bible and different cultures kept different ones…

I think it’s interesting that today’s world brushes the concept (and reality) of God’s anger under the rug. Do modern churches not want to scare people? Or do we acknowledge anger more lightly than we should?  Perhaps is God more selective showing anger these days? Or since we have Jesus with us, reflected in the distinct separation of old and new testament stories, does that mean that God is less angry now? Hmmm… Or do we just not attribute all aspects of life properly? Maybe we do mix up global correction vs individual corrective action by God… I question to understand more… If God can know every hair on our heads, then He can know how to use His anger purposely and very individually… Anger, rebuttal, teaching, it’s all mixed into life… we need to learn from anger, ours and others, and especially from God’s…. Jesus may feel like a golden ticket of relief, but we still have to walk that very narrow path – fear of the Lord means respect of the Lord – it is better to fear God than be flippant, that’s always true… Pray to listen, we all still need wisdom… wisdom means applying what we know. Fruit grows best on strong branches which know how to hold up the fruit of one’s blessings and give the bountiful crops away to balance – it takes wisdom in life to find balance…

I like how Jesus appreciated wisdom and intelligence, I recently read scripture in Mark detailing the conversation with the scribe. The scribe acknowledged that Jesus knew and taught the most important commandments, to love God and love each other… Peter’s recollections, thru Mark’s writings, saw Jesus’s appreciation of thoughtful intelligence – of wisdom… Now everyone would benefit from more wisdom, wisdom means we can have intelligent conversations with the Lord. We can always have conversations with Jesus walking alongside us… There are hard ways and less hard ways to get wisdom from our past history,  so using wisdom for our future is most crucial… Jesus taught for us to live our future.

Moses speaks about wisdom in Psalm 90 – the days are short, we should try to get as much wisdom as we can and use it. We should pray like Moses to get joy by asking the Lord to “establish the works of our hands” – that’s our job – applying wisdom for our future…

Wisdom is to love God and love our neighbors – these are commandments for right now and for the future too…

We need to ask Jesus to help us understand God, that’s a most important first step… wisdom means applying what we know. We know God wants us to apply what we know….

Love is an action. Pray for wisdom to put love into action.

Amen

——-

Psalm 90 – A prayer of Moses the man of God.

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You turn people back to dust,
saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
4 A thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
5 Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
they are like the new grass of the morning:
6 In the morning it springs up new,
but by evening it is dry and withered.

7 We are consumed by your anger
and terrified by your indignation.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 All our days pass away under your wrath;
we finish our years with a moan.
10 Our days may come to seventy years,
or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
11 If only we knew the power of your anger!
Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
12 Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
your splendor to their children.

17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.

 

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Roll It Off Your Back, 18Aug

I recall reading about the decline of the penguin populations and I feel guilty that I haven’t saved the world yet in science efforts…. face it, I feel guilty about EVERYTHING (even feel guilty about feeling guilty!) – yes guilty,  we need to teach, we need to pray that folks become more in tune with whole world reality… we are in this together…

I know that Jesus was frustrated with the people, and I can be frustrated too, especially with myself, but I need to not let resentment keep me back, I need to keep moving FORWARD. Jesus moved FORWARD, teaching as He went.

I know that Jesus cried on His ride into Jerusalem, because the people were not all saved, I can be sad too, but I need to not let woe keep me back from still riding into my Jerusalem, I need to keep moving FORWARD. Jesus moved FORWARD, teaching as He went.

We must move forward with what we actually can do, and appreciate where each of us have come from… We all must keep moving.

Guilt may remind me to stop being so concerned with my picky “first world problems” and think about the bigger issues – but whether it’s too much guilt (or not enough) I will choose to focus myself knowing that it is NOT actually guilt that moves me forward… what actually moves us all forward is a MUCH STRONGER force, that’s the force of LOVE!!!!

LOVE is the force that beckons us to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.” We are called to pay attention, we are called to act.

I appreciate that for our own problems God says “roll it off your back”, “Keep moving forward”…

Jesus tries to remind us, and the Holy Spirit guides us to do what we can… We know that there will always be world problems… Yes, the goal is no problems, but that’s not our current reality in a broken world, these issues are reminding us we still have God’s work to do.

God says “DO EVERYTHING IN LOVE”

I wake up every morning so very grateful that I’m alive, that I feel well enough and strong… I’m glad that if I remember that I am responsible for me, then I know what I deal with is deal-able, with God’s help… that I’m not responsible for solving ALL the world’s problems – but I am responsible for doing my part to fix them. If I wake up with a shoulderful of LOVE, there is little room from the problems to weigh me down. Actually, LOVE lifts us up from inside and carries us thru the day.

I’m thankful that God helped me thru yesterday.

I’m excited that God has plans for me today…

If we remember we are filled with the LOVE of the Lord, from the Lord, for the Lord, then how can we not roll with LIFE… YES, we need to roll our problems, insults, big and little things off our backs… we need to step forward and leave that pile behind us, and because of LOVE we will power thru.

Let LOVE carry you thru the day.

God lives LOVE, we live LIFE… we are placed in this world, but not of this world, because our treasure is in HEAVEN… we are on earth to use LOVE as a tool for witnessing LIFE, improving LIFE, forgiving LIFE, then LIVING LIFE.

Pick up the LOVE and LIFE moves FORWARD… everything else rolls away…

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Give it ALL back – Give it all FORWARD to God, 15Aug

Instead of giving SOME back to God – just give it ALL back – actually give it all FORWARD to God.

“Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.”  (Proverbs)

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.” (Proverbs)

Jesus commands us to give everything to God – that means EVERYTHING – that means the good and the bad –  the pain and the praise – we are not to think too highly of ourselves for achievements – we are not to get too down on ourselves for failures – the good and the bad and the uneasiness in between, give it all to God – and give God the credit for being able to wake up each day – therefore, each day give the fruits of your labor FORWARD to His credit and His plan…

Give Caesar what is Caesar’s – but to God give what is His – we are His!!! Let us give ourselves to Him!

We ask you Lord to help us remain thankful that we are fruitful – as always thank you for keeping us in Your plan!

—-

3 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at him.

Link to https://debbieupper.wordpress.com/2017/05/29/proverbs-guard-your-heart-392/

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Give Some Back, 15AUG

We are reminded to give some of our fruit back – a share that the landowner asks for – and then even more. When God hangs fruit on us – when we prosper – when we have blessings – we should share – and give back to God… the tenant farmers in Jesus’ parable are us – in this story they were the authorities who questioned and eventually killed Jesus – but in today’s world we are the ones who need to keep Jesus alive – perhaps we are not “killing” Jesus – but if we fail to share our bountiful harvest of blessings then we are not doing our part to keep Him alive in our hearts and available to others…  and if we fail to share our fruit that God has given us, it will rot and will not be use as effectively as God using it… God would rather give the vineyard to those who appreciate it rather than those who hoard the bounty for themselves…  and if we fail to produce fruit at all, He will cast our dead branches into the fire…

Therefore, it is good for us to give back – we are gifted so much – we can give back – to God…

The Parable of the Tenants (Mark 12)

12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

LINK – Fruit with seeds
https://debbieupper.wordpress.com/2017/06/03/fruit-with-seeds-share-02jun-408/