895, 20JUL

Written for a friend who is struggling with the frustrations of people and life…

But LOVE is BIGGER

Evil is evil. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Nutty people are nutty. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Distractions big and small eat away at your day.  But LOVE is BIGGER.

Horrible people do horrible things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Lonely people do lonely things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Cantankerous people do cranky things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Thankless people do thankless things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Annoying people do annoying things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Stuck people don’t do many things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Shallow people do minimal things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Boastful people do too many things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Silly people do silly things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Smart people do smart things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Cool people do cool things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Bold people do bold things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Humble people do humble things. But LOVE is BIGGER.

Lovely people do lovely things. But LOVE is BIGGER than even that.

People cannot out love LOVE. For LOVE comes from ABOVE. 

LOVE IS BIGGER THAN BIG. LOVE IS WILLING TO SHARE LOVE THINGS EVERYWHERE.

LOVE GIVES ITSELF AWAY WITHOUT DIMINISHING.

LOVE SPRINGS FROM LOVE WITHOUT DRYING UP.

LOVE IS BIGGER THAN YOU AND ME AND ALL THOSE OTHER PEOPLE TOO.

LOVE ENVELOPES YOU AND ME AND ALL THOSE OTHER PEOPLE TOO.

LOVE LOVES ALL. THE FALLEN AND THE SMALL. THE SHADOW AND THE LIGHT.

LOVE KNOWS THAT LOVE IS WHAT IS RIGHT.

AMEN

 

894, 15JUL

“No Way” vs The Way

I appreciate this small book written specifically about the relationship between Peter and Jesus,  “A Fragile Stone ” by Michael Card. (FYI there are $6 used copies on ebay). It’s not just commentary,  it’s opportunity to learn about our own relationships with Jesus and Jesus with us, as we learn our humanness.

I appreciate that conversation between Peter and Jesus is our conversation too… we can see/hear ourselves in Peter’s humanness for sure… we can feel Jesus’s tenderness in understanding Peter who takes a while to understand who Jesus really is, and we can feel the occasional “what were you thinking!” “ughs” in Jesus’s tone towards Peter… it was important that there was a friendship between Peter and Jesus, the man and Messiah, a familiarity and openness. We also see the rebukes of Peter’s messiness by the Messiah thru His Message, and we see the reconciliation. Peter being Peter is our example of why Jesus chose us too – Jesus came to save, to heal, to teach. Jesus came to get into our mess.

The Matthew 16:13-23 passage about Peter’s shock that Jesus would die on the cross is a blindside that he didn’t see coming and it took a long time for it to register with Peter. Peter essentially abruptly said: “NO WAY!” Jesus said “Satan get behind me.”

Peter: NO WAY!

JESUS: WAY!

We say NO WAY in disbelief all the time. I can hear myself say that. I’ve heard it a LOT recently. We get shocked. The satanic reference (and worldly existence of distractions getting in Jesus’s Way) in conversation between Jesus and Peter behooves us to be examining our life thru our human point of view. Are we also trying to second guess Jesus? Isn’t that surely from the bite on that apple? The human brain lost its way, but Jesus’s Way brings us back on our way to His Way. If all will kneel for Jesus, and follow Him, then He can guide all.

That bite, we weren’t there, but that is what took a bite out of our lives. And Jesus was made for the healing.  Jesus gets us out of the mess. This and all ages of mess bested by the Messiah of Ages, the Message.

That Peter moment is us. Totally us. We put the “No” in front of the Way. We cannot fathom all the Ways of God. Jesus wishes us to see life in His Way. We have to admit that sometimes instead of standing still, we still stand in our own way, blocking our way, not seeing clearly. We are human. Jesus is divine.  Way divine. WAY WAY WAY DIVINE.

Jesus sees from God’s point of view. Can we glimpse that? climb past ourselves? look forward and leave the rest behind? Can we understand that Jesus put Satan behind him, moved the snake and eventually crushed the snake as He arose defeating death. Jesus kept walking and working forward, He still does to this day. His Way is the High Way, the Right Way, the Only Way. The Way that saves your day.

Jesus is the Way. The “NO WAY” of Peter (and us) is WAY behind us now. We are Peter people too, but we can learn. Peter and we can ROCK the Way.

Amen

 

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Matthew 16

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades  will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

 

 

#893, 12JUL

Time, Time, Time

I know there is a time and place for everything… Ecclesiastes 3 always rings True

True.

True.

True.

 

Pandemic outside, Turn Turn Turn.

Not the first one, Turn Turn Turn.

People are scared, Turn Turn Turn.

God is in charge, Turn Turn Turn.

 

Use your time wisely,  True True True.

Feel God’s love deeply, True True True.

ONE DAY AT A TIME, True True True.

Don’t worry, just BE, True True True.

 

Tomorrow takes care of itself, Time Time Time.

Live in the present, Time Time Time.

Today His Grace is enough,  Time Time Time.

Embrace peace right now, Time Time Time.

 

He hath made everything BEAUTIFUL in His Time. Amen Amen Amen

All are of the dust, Amen Amen Amen 

All turn to dust again. Amen Amen Amen 

Rejoice in THIS season. Amen Amen Amen.

 

Praise Him FOREVER.

Praise

Praise

Praise.

 

Amen

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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

 

 

#892, 10JUL

Remember the Rescues

This passage from Michael Card is great for today…. it’s not the miracles that convince us,  it is those rescues from sinking that we remember… yes, the rescues…

Like Peter and sinking after walking…

We remember the rescues.

“[There] was a deeper lesson [Peter] had to learn, and Jesus is intent on him not missing it, even as now you and I must learn it if we are to move forward as we walk through the wind storm of following Jesus. It is almost never heard in American churches. Indeed there are some congregation who would call it heresy. The lesson is that Peter needed to sink in order to take the next step of faith in Jesus. Because walking on the water does not ultimately increase our faith, only sinking does! Those who ask for miracles and receive them soon forget. But those who suffer for Christ’s sake never forget. They have their own wounds to remind them. When we are hurting we do not flee to the rich and healthy for wisdom and real comfort. We seek out those who have fellowshipped in the sufferings of Jesus.”

Michael Card, p53 A Fragile Stone

#891, 09JUL

Restore us Lord

In life I’ve burnt my left leg badly, twice. Both accidentally because of rushing, oversight, oops… the huge burn from 4 years ago you wouldn’t even know it now (but I saved photos). My recent burn still hurts and is healing. I am OK! Walked into a hot iron I placed on the floor. Thank God it is healing and I believe that I am over the worst, but I must still apply anti-microbial medicine. I learned from the last wound, so I can be more knowing this time. Healing takes time.

But I am not really only talking about my leg, I’m talking about spiritual growth...  our burns and burdens are not to be ignored but dealt with and set aside. Learned from and left. Scars remind but they are not to overwhelm our lives, we are to deal with our own selves with grace that covers us from Jesus, otherwise the devil will have a field day. Be forgiven and move forward.

If I did not take care of my wounds, my body would still fight for its survival. If I way prematurely assumed gangrene and leg amputation, then I might give up taking care. If I assumed the worst, I would be too distracted to live.  That’s the distraction of the devil who wants you to be hung up and paralyzed in fear, overthinking, and wrong. That’s the conviction when you have not had the trial. Don’t go that far. Jesus will fight for your soul. Don’t worry about tomorrow,  tomorrow will worry about itself. Stay in the present and tend to the moment. Be attentive to the Lord and let Him handle things.

If I cover my wound, there are less likely chances that microbes that will infect from outside, but I also have to watch for any pre-existing embedded bacteria and fungi which might flourish. I must cover and treat. I must also not inflict false cure attempts that are worse. I must find the balance. That’s not just my wound, that’s also my soul. Jesus and repentance. Jesus covers us. Jesus fought and won the battle over sin and death. Jesus’s blood covers us. And Jesus IS sufficient. Any false cure will hurt more. The treatment for our own sins is repentance, but from pre-existing sin, original sin, human nature sinfulness, you can only be treated and healed by Jesus. And He has saved us, so we MUST ACCEPT His victory and cover ourselves with Him. (and it is easier to cover our wounds if we would only: BE STILL).

Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

And we are to remind ourselves that we do have Jesus, we need to not waiver about our need for him. We must believe that He will bind our wounds and heal us. We are His to heal, He will make ALL wounds disappear. He will create in us clean hearts. He restores the sparkle to our eyes… He will make our fears dissipate. He restoreth our soul.

Lord, restore our sparkle, heal our wounds, cover us with You.

You are our possible.

Amen

 

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Psalm 13:3-6 NLT

O Lord my God!   Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.  Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”  Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.  But I trust in your unfailing love.  I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.

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Psalm 147:1-11 NIV

Praise the Lord.  How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;  he gathers the exiled of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp.

He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.

He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;

the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

#890, 08JUL

I’m Still Here, Lord

Thank you Lord.

Good morning Vine.

If You awoke me, I must be fine, as long as I remain Thine.

These mornings I wake up and say: “I’m still here, Lord.  Thanks.”

Sometimes it’s said with a “whew”  sometimes with a cheer, sometimes in disbelief.  Often times it is in quiet, as these summer days we should try not to wake up in alarm but just in a natural quiet.

The rest of the day will not always be so natural, neutral or even nice. But this morning can be ours – the moment of realizing God’s faithfulness. First and foremost because: We awoke.

“Good morning Lord, I am blessed to be with You, here on earth, my temporary assignment. Not a vacation but a vocation for eternal living. Thank you always dear Father, for my connection to the Vine.”

There are many held in fragile health, and we too are fragile,  a delicate balance of molecules and motions. There are many held in fragile emotions, a spiritual balance of purpose and prayers. There are many in great fear, an anxious unbalance, and there is anger too. Then there are many who don’t even think, they just get up and go, or there are some who purposefully stay slow.

The Vine. Jesus is the Vine. Remain in Him. Regardless of how we all wake, we are all HELD and we are all LOVED. Jesus holds the hope of reaching them to be awake in Him as Lord, not just awake in the world.

The Vine holds us flowingly and lovingly. We can sway and move with the winds of time. We can not bear fruit in life without our connection. We will be fed forever and taken home in Him.

The Vine.

Hold onto the Vine. Yes, hold onto the Vine with man-made tendrils, but flow your life from within, thru Spirit-made purpose.

The best purpose is LOVE. Live love, teach love, be love.

Love flows in, so that it flows out. Love from the Lord, then love to the Lord. Love from the Lord, then love to the Lord’s people.

Jesus: ““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:1-4

Our branch to the Vine grows physically ever longer and stronger and could emotionally grow ever closer and weaker. But we don’t grow our own branch to Vine, He grows us, closer to our Father.

That is love worth waking up for.

 

Amen

 

 

#889, 04JUL

Already Been Fished

Phishing – I walked into a phishing phone call yesterday – I googled and grabbed the wrong number in haste – I didn’t give them too much information before I got very suspicious and hung up the phone. CLOSE… it’s a terrible thing to stress about it and it’s sad those who perpetuate the problems… I’m sorry to not realize, and I reported them… I hope for the best.  No one can say they have been not been phished, and some do take the bite, it’s frustrating but human to be tempted  by bait. So it is important for us to say: “Wait!”

Before I started rolling thru all my other guilty thoughts of “oops”-es, so much woulda coulda shoulda, I realized my own advice, about the experience, also pertained to me: if they keep you on the line and start to aggravate you (like this guy did), you are prone to give even more information about your situation, it’s best to stay calm, don’t give yourself away.  It dawned on me that the devil does the same thing, aggravate you and go phishing for inroads to your sanity. It’s up to us to not give ourselves away.

Tell the phisher you’ve already been fished. Jesus fished!

Ask Jesus to guard you, to answer the mental door. Tell the devil to stand down. Tell Jesus you are sorry, thank Him for forgiveness, and accept it. ACCEPT IT AND MOVE FORWARD.  Next time, ask Jesus to pick up the phone.

I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, basically He walked into my heart and life before I ever asked. Then, when He awoke me, and held me, I really had to accept Him as real. And to accept Jesus is to accept our humanness and accept His forgiveness. We all must say YES! We are not baited but netted. He has fished for us all. We may not have wanted to be caught, yet we are best to stop wriggling away. Now we know, we can not live without Jesus.  Jesus catches us with His Love, holds us with His Hopes, saves us with His Life. We have been fished, for He will bring us back to the Kingdom for Our Father.

Tell the darkness in thoughts that you have SEEN the Light.

Tell the bait you are already FED.

Tell the false freedoms that you are not entangled with false hope, but secured with the Truth.

It is not a net loss but a net GAIN!

Instead of dread, accept the bread.

“Savior,  please save my day.

Capture me from my human way.

Fish me and net me.

Pull me away from the enemy and traps of phish-food.

Jesus, tell them I’M YOURS!!!”

 

Amen

#888, 03JUL

THE Story

Such a blessing to see Hamilton from the comfort of my couch, with my college-aged daughter, who kept checking to see if I was watching… oh yes for sure… In addition to being a huge Broadway fan, I appreciate that it cost less for a month subscription to Disney streaming ($6.99) than it would have cost to simply get Dunkin Donuts food at the train station on the way to surely what could have been $750 ticket cost plus in a theater… yeah… any bargain is a bargain…

The priceless part of each day is spending the time with my kids… the priceless take home message of the Hamilton story includes the lyrics: “who tells your story…” well, often it is your children, your co-humans, your letters, your trace.

Not lost on me was the lyric: “you write like you’re running out of time?” Yes, that’s Hamilton, he wrote and wrote and intensely impacted the formation of the United States like you imagine a founding father would. Hamilton ran out of time, with Aaron Burr’s duel. He really did run out of time but was blessed with a legacy because of Eliza, his wife, who told his story, their story, for 50 more years.  This musical writes her story too…

Legacy…

Why do I write? I have to.  I have no choice.  Whose story? Not mine. Yes I am in these writings, but I KNOW that I am to write to tell about a bigger Story than mine.  Whose legacy? Not mine. What is mine is my personal filter within my writing. My story includes how I need to tell how His Story has an impact on mine. HIM, THE BIG H, the uppercase and only God, the Lord of Lords… the Word of Words… Maybe my kids will read my stories, or not. Maybe others will. But either way, I want all to know that it is His story rather than ours… and when you want to write His Story, you have to put your own pen down. Give Him the opportunity to publish thru you. Be His heart, hands, feet, and certainly be His open book. Be human humbly, hoping to heal in a broken world. Be the help you know the world needs. We all will be healed because we know the end of THE story.

His legacy is life everlasting. His Story is His Life.

So, why do I, like Hamilton, write and write and write? like we are running out of time? Because we are.

But He is not. 

He MAKES time.

It’s His Story, all about Grace, Life, and all of us are in it.

God Bless every Willing Word.

Amen

887, 30JUN

God Wants a Relationship

When I finally organized my recent newly cut piles of fabric for face mask sewing,  it looked pretty, I love fabric, but it also looked sad to me, overwhelming, it looked like I bit off more than I can sew, plus I know that we are sadly in the depths of unusual times and a bad pandemic. When I got back into it and started sewing this batch, I felt much much better, as I felt I was being very purposeful making them for specific people. I imagined progress (half of these are not for anyone, yet, and so it is just an overwhelming pile of half done). I’m sure I will get more energetic about the extra, because God will find purpose for me because  of my relationship with Him… I will probably make some for a nursing home or food bank or homeless  shelter…  I know that I don’t have to finish them all at once… See, sharing JUST with friends is fun, but we need to go further… Sharing our faith is like that too… we need to share for the sake of people whom we won’t even know.  God knows them all. God wants a relationship with all. God wants progress to reach all…

If I can be in joy working for friends and family,  imagine how much JOY that God has working for all of us, reaching all HIS FAMILY.

Imagine how joyful each person’s relationship with God could be, then imagine how JOYFUL God must be!!!

God wants relationship.

Imagine how painful the world is, then imagine how much pain the Lord has for all His children.

God wants relationship.

Imagine the peace of a relationship with God, then imagine how peace-filled God would be if He knew He had reached each child of His.

God wants relationship.

Imagine the organization of the world with God-fearing, God-loving people putting things into perspective,  less bickering,  more giving,  then imagine how perfectly placed all of our needs would be with God regifting the garden caretaking to us.

God wants relationship.

Imagine bleakness, but then eternal glory in Heavenly realms. God provides those heavenly hopes.

God wants relationship.

Imagine NOT bleakness but imagine HEAVEN ON EARTH,

HEAVEN ON EARTH is REALLY what RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD could accomplish.

Imagine that…

Amen

#886, 30JUN

Fear Not

A perfect new read for me, Michael Card’s “A Fragile Stone”. So good…

Nice small book, easy read, with deepest of thoughts… this section was all about Jesus saying: “Fear not” after the miraculous catch of fish. How earth-shattering the realization of Peter who caught the fish only to be overcome with a fear of complete success – unworldly success – not success measured in human terms – but an amazement that knocked him down to his knees – of all people, Peter was realizing that he himself Fimawas being pulled out of the net of people. Peter was given the job to fish for men. Peter, imperfect Peter, was paired with Perfection of Grace.

Peter that day saw an example of complete success in fishing, of extravagant success.  Peter would not barely even grasp what was next, that Jesus IS God… therefore there is no way he would understand what would be needed as a sacrifice for the rest of his life. Imagining the notion to be given the chance to see scripture fulfilled, to see first-hand God’s plan in sending His Son to save the world. How overwhelming… for right now, Jesus is only asking Peter to follow. Jesus never asked Peter to lead.

Jesus calls, we must answer. But wow, it’s Jesus! Are we ready to walk thru the door as He leads? Are we ready to leave our thoughts of “I’m not worthy” – of “I’m too sinful”… Or “there is no way this will succeed…” Can we grasp that it is God Himself who says: Yes, seriously, YOU… I WANT YOU! I HAVE A PLAN AND YOU ARE IN IT!

The best Michael Card sentence is: “[we stand before these terrifying possibilities – to let go of our security, to open ourselves to the frightening possibility of complete and utter success, to leave all that is familiar and safe for an unknown world – but then we noticed that standing beside us is Jesus.  He confidently whispers: “Don’t be afraid, after all it’s me“… ]

We have the perfect imperfect life, like Peter. We are the rash ones, the ones who are used to dealing with failure. If we see our perfect Savior, then we know our sinfulness, but the reverse thinking is best: when we see our sinfulness, we see our Savior looking at us, He sees just us. He walks us away from the sin. He is our Way.

Jesus says fear not, be not consumed by your fear nor be anything but you. JESUS SAYS: BE MINE.

Walk and Be.

Amen

 

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Luke 5:1-11  NKJV

So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”

 

#885, 28JUN

Nesting as a Kingdom Homebody

There is no doubt that I have been feeling a resurgence of a “NESTING” for my children, my house, my days of peaceful homebody-life… I’m not pregnant but that NESTING feeling was real then, and real now, 19 yrs later… HOME is where you raise your brood, excursions are where you teach your brood, vacation is where you escape,  HOME is where you long to linger… NESTING…

My active day yesterday was ultimately focused back on my nest. I moved carloads of stuff out, moved only a $mall carload of IKEA furniture $tuff back in, and caulked holes in a damp corner of the house to keep the bugs out… today will be home NESTING by rearranging furniture, lives, hopes, bugs… (the bugs have plenty of room outside, not IN my house… 1AM is not my favorite time to catch pincher bugs…)

Home, is not an oasis but a lily pad… we are all getting ready to jump, but surveying the scene… Earthly home, it is a temporary dwelling in which to raise kids and live in whatever comfort you can find and afford… home can give peace beyond measure… home gives best sleeping potential… even the cat is sleeping… Home is where I thank the Lord that I circled my wagons to be home.

Yesterday, within the breaks of carloads of moving stuff, a favorite scriptural song and sight and saying resurged again and again to calling out to me: birds chirping and daylilies blooming… birds were noisy in their nest, reminding me that the Lord will take care of me and my brood. Daylilies were grand in their blooms, reminding me that even how intensely beautiful they are, they will fade, so how much more will the Lord bloom us, clothe us, feed us, prosper us… and intensely I am reminded to stop focus on temporary things so much as to miss the point that our KINGDOM home is where GOD HAS BEEN NESTING FOR OUR ETERNAL LIFE. oh, yes, we can be a KINGDOM HOMEBODY here on earth… “on earth as it is in Heaven”

There’s a great deal of teaching in Matthew 6,  Jesus came to SAVE, and He longed to teach… the amazing thing about being at home is being gifted the quiet peace to read and learn and live… Jesus pours out Kingdom NESTING teaching in Matthew 6,  it is a teaching for a lifetime of learning…

Jesus circled wagons with His life to surround and complete God’s circle of Home.

Today is an open day, an open opportunity, and an opportunity to rest so that with the Holy Spirit’s Help we can start to work on the rest. Keep working the walk Jesus is leading, prepare for His next Step for your life. Soak in today, as today (and everyday) the Lord thinks about living Home in His Kingdom NEST with His children, ETERNALLY…

ENJOY EVERYDAY: Be a Homebody for the Kingdom…

Amen

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Matthew 6 (the second half, NKJV)

6 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

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Matthew 6 (the first half, NKJV)

Do Good to Please God

6 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

The Model Prayer

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting to Be Seen Only by God

16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lamp of the Body

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches)

#884, 26JUN

Give it up to the Holy Ghost

Have you ever had such fear, such anxiety that you were very crippled? But you kept trying your best to be walking with the Lord? Knowingly or unknowingly, surely He carried you!

How does Holy Spirit refocusing us save our day? We must “Give it up for The Holy Ghost!”  Giving up problems, big problems, little problems, all problems, to the Holy Spirit means TRUSTING, it means you are remembering you are not yours but His.

Regardless of issues, and everything is relative, I’ve been to a place where I was gripped with the worst fear, where all I could do was pray (which is the best thing to do in any situation). I have had my wind was knocked out of me so fully, that my air life-support MUST have been from Him as it is only His to give. To have no breath of my own I had to to keep breathing the Spirit of Hope. In this place the Lord stayed near and all I could say was He was in charge. Actually that is the best way, His way, it is a saving grace way. I also realized He’s much better at handling me than me. He showed me what was good and praise-worthy. I watched Him pull my brain back after I let my brain run away in fear, where the demons were egging each other on… Oh Lord, I cried out to You and then I KNEW EXACTLY the moment where the demon attack left me like a snap of fingers, a rush of wind whipping me back to me. I knew, I know, I’ve not forgotten that moment, after soul-searching, scorching pain, suffering, I was rescued to pray another day… and with that SNAP, with a flip of a switch, the devil stood down.  I give it all up to the Holy Ghost.

The devil stood down.

GOD TIPPED THE SCALES. 

When? When I stopped focusing on me.

WHEN I STOPPED WORRYING ABOUT ME and focused on another!

When I lived in the moment, HIS MOMENT, and not in my perceived future. The present is a present for us to open.

THE DEVIL DROPPED HIS ATTACK LIKE A HOT POTATO BECAUSE I STAYED ON FIRE FOR THE LORD AND I GOT PASSED MY OWN ISSUES. When my soul sought to help encourage another person, I was returned to me.

Will the attack linger, yes like hot coals still being unearthed in places, but they will grow colder every day. Time heals but any inkling that the devil gets hint of where you are weak, he will try. The best defense? Tell the devil that even when I am weak, the Lord is STRONG!!!!

How did I keep moving? I never lost Hope. I never hoped more in the power of the Lord to protect me, forgive my humanness.  I KNEW I was never dropped out from grace. I knew my place in the heavens was secured because I was and am placed there in advance by His saving Grace. I was taken, netted, by Jesus and taken care of by Him. Kingdom captured, Jesus NEVER lets us go.

Jesus will NEVER let you go.

Whoosh, how would I have known this was an attack unless I was rescued. I knew, I know, and now I need to share not the attack but the RESCUE.  When we say: “Jesus, I’m facing an incident. I NEED YOU!”,  JESUS FOLLOWS THRU.

How did the Holy Spirit make a difference? By reaching me, teaching me, in advance. Mostly by showing me where I needed to grow and how I grew. When I said “I’m sorry Lord, but I learned, I grew” my tears rolled back in.

God wins. If the balance is off in your life, it’s not our scales to tip, it is not the devils to dip into. It is the LORD who weighs all, forgives all, sees all, knows all.

All in All, He will NEVER let us down.

Keep praying for He has ALREADY won the battle.

 

Amen

 

Amen

 

Amen

 

883, 23JUN

“I’m Not Throwing Away My Shot”

There’s a new classic line in modern culture from the musical Hamilton,  “I’m not throwing away my shot.” It’s Alexander Hamilton’s determination to work hard to achieve a dream – not a shot with a bullet but a shot at making a difference in a new land – and he knows he needs to work. And work pays off. All his intense work and life were fueled by not throwing away his opportunities – before that fatal bullet.

A little devotion booklet was handed to me by a new friend, and I turned to a passage that speaks of Nehemiah who desired to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem. He wept, prayed, fasted. He spiritually prepared and believed in the project, he knew he had a shot to improve their future, then he and his co-laborers got to work. The booklet devotion reminds us that the Lord’s protection is around us. That the Lord is building and rebuilding our lives. That people who have a “mind to work” can work hand in hand with the Hand that loves them, with His guidance and strength. The scripture (pasted below) tells of the workers building and being called to defend their positions and families all while working.

And they don’t “throw away their shot” at a better future. Over and over again  in history we see people striving and working together to improve lives. Alexander Hamilton and all workers for their individual causes don’t want to throw away their future. Nehemiah (2:20) said: “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding…”

Of course we are to remember that any work that is not built with a firm foundation will fall. Psalm 127 reminds:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

Nehemiah instructs his worker families to trust the Lord:  “Don’t be afraid of them [their enemies]. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

In reading about Peter in a wonderful book by Michael Card,  “The Fragile Stone”, I understand more of why Jesus was building His church on the rock that Peter will become. That no matter how emotional, quick to anger, fragile, humanly human Peter was, Jesus built him up spiritually and forever, and commanded him to feed, strengthen and buildup “His sheep”…

Jesus builds and rebuilds us too. Jesus grows us, the Spirit protects us, God holds us in His LOVE.

It is a world of anxieties and strife that invades our peace, today more than ever. Yet, we are to rebuild our opportunity to establish peace, whether a wall of peace that brings families together, or an opportunity teaching peace which helps others have more reliance upon our Lord. We are to fear the Lord for His awesome power, outwardly focus and pray for others above our issues, and work knowing that He will protect, provide, and prosper our next generations.

Blessed are those who count their blessings and don’t let anxious times shake their faith. Keep praying forward.

Without God, we are laboring in vain. With God, we are laboring in LOVE.

With faith we won’t fall.

 

Amen

 

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Fight to improve our future, future for all!!!

Nehemiah 4:

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews,  and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

4 Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

#882 – 22JUN

Psalm 121 – “Casting Crowns – Praise You In This Storm”

Storms… sometimes storms rage and we are in the middle and sometimes we have no idea, we might see them but not take the brunt of them because we are held or positioned just out of the fray. We sometimes see the aftermath,  but storms can be so localized that we have no idea the issue only a few miles or lives away.  There are storms… floods… tornadoes so specific… no clue… we often have no clue and live so locally. Life storms, whole catastrophes too. No clue.

I was camping (in a strong house) during a storm, it protected me. I got in from a walk just in time. Last month I didn’t,  I was caught in a rainstorm,  I huddled in an old stone house. I was protected.  I was fine. If I didn’t have that coverage I would have had a different story today. Tomorrow I will probably forget that storm even happened. But I will try to remember that I had coverage under His wing.

In life too. We are in storm season of late… But we are to remember that we have coverage under His wing.

So sometimes we also put ourselves into storms that are not ours to weather… But we are to remember that we have coverage under His wing.

We have coverage, the MIGHTY HAND OF GOD.

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

    where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—

    he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel

    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—

    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,

    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—

    he will watch over your life;

8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

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This song by Casting Crowns sings of praising the Lord in the storm, the lyrics include the first 2 lines of Psalm 121. https://youtu.be/0YUGwUgBvTU

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We are held.

I was sitting on the camp porch, beautiful day and barely remembering the storm that raged two nights before. Even the locals praised that storm because it brought needed rain in a localized near-drought this early summer. I didn’t even worry that night,  I wondered with awe at the thunder. I knew I was covered. I didn’t even close the windows.

Can we ALSO know today that we are covered by the MIGHTY Hand of the Lord? His protection is a promise. His reminder to watch our steps is because He is guiding them. We are really watching His protection in every good thing we experience, ALL GOOD THINGS ARE FROM HIM. and He is the only One we can turn to, to knock down those anxieties of life. By our looking at Him SHINE HOPE, we are reminding the storms themselves that WE CAN and WILL PRAISE HIM…

I was pondering (on that porch) a decision about something and I said to myself: “should I?” And as soon as I said: “I should,  BECAUSE I AM BLESSED” – WOW the clouds opened with an intense flash of sunlight. Wow Lord!!! You are in the minutiae of showing signs. You are the guidance of us, even when we don’t even know it. You go ahead. And what we do, or don’t do, compares but a fraction to what You have already done and will do for us. You save us from storms that DON’T happen, even MORE often than save us from storms that do. You go ahead of us. I believe that You hold us in Your hand, therefore we are to praise you in any storm, yes praise even louder above our fears. You are never asleep and allow us to rest. Your Work and Word saves.

When we lift our eyes unto to the hills, we can see HOPE and we might think how the mountains also block the storms. Even heavy clouds can’t rise above.  If they drop their rain,  they can be lighter and rise. We can too. We are lifted rather than weighted down if we drop our burdens to Jesus. We should always lift our eyes to see where we are – under the watchful eye of Our Lord.

Amen

KEEP PRAISING

Amen

 

#881, 20JUN

Fossil Found

I am the fossil I was looking for – I tried looking for a fossil here in the creek bed – but I forgot my glasses – I am old and need glasses – I am a fossil at fifty – I suppose that I am the fossil I was looking for.

I am the long walk I was looking for – I like to walk and look and be – no one wants to walk or look or be involved in this old-time family time much anymore with me – life is life walking away from kid things when we used to dig in the mud and hike the land – it walks away from when we had that kind of outside fun. I still would do that – I want to do that – I must be the long walk I am looking for.

I am the quiet that I am looking for – no one wants to stay out on the deck with me –  I have the opportunity and without cars it is peace-filled with the sound of peepers, peeping birds, prominent frogs – and a splash of geese retiring for the evening on the lake right in front of me. I am waiting and I am being the quiet in a world filled with good natural sounds, even the red squirrel has retired for the evening by climbing up a pipe to sleep in the roof section next to me on this deck. I am the quiet that I am looking for.

I am the shooting star that I am looking for – no light pollution and no more clouds – no rain and no snow – temperature is perfect to be out here tonight – no way I am going to miss this opportunity – I hope it is an opportunity because last time I actively looked for shooting stars I was scared off by a skunk. I hope that I do not become the “shoot, let me get out of here” star that I am not looking for.

I am the summer time that I am looking for. I have never had such an open summer – never had free time neither. I seemed to never had time for summer – this summer I am going to take/make/be time because I am going to be the summer time that I want. This summer I am going to do summer – enjoy summer – be summer. I am warming up to summer – I love summer.

I am the Milky Way that I want to see. I am one little speck of light in a sea of milky light. you can’t see the Milky Way unless you get yourself into the pureness of dark – you have to give up the light you usually thrive on – you have to allow yourself to be brave enough to be a lone quiet light and wait in the dark. I am waiting to see the Milky Way tonight – I want to see that there is light in the dark that is not seen in the light.

I want to be the light that was lit by the Light, the little light that shines. I am not the source of Light – but catch me on fire, Lord, and let me be the reflection of Your Light. Jesus, You are the Light I need to be, I want to be, I long to see. I am in the dark of me – fill me with Your Light of Thee.

Oh Jesus – let me see You be with me.

This summer, I will just try to be.

 

Amen

 

#880, 20JUN

God’s Consolations

I was driving a familiar road, to camp, up home. I anticipated what was around the bend. Life is not always like that. Bet merely 6 months ago you could have not predicted how today would be, and yet some of the constants in life are still here: the weather with it’s summer heat, the land responding to the weather, and an ever constant in the Lord responding to our needs.

In the unbelievable contrasts in life, there is nothing like our God who majestically just IS. Life changes, God doesn’t. There is no doubt that we are self-absorbed as humans, that we cry out like Old-Testament Job for what we perceive as torment and for those things we humanly want. What a contrast when people are idled and God is strong.

There is nothing and no one that compares to God. And when you stop worrying about human aspects of life, you are called to remember that God is still here – strong,  unchangeable, waiting for whatever God is waiting for.

I am at camp, it is private, golden, stilled, quiet, 200 acres nestled in miles of state forest. It is just amazing and just here. No kids camp this summer. I stood alone in a beautiful chapel, away from chaos of these worldly times, but feeling strong in the Lord’s Peace. Even though I did not have all the mental peace I wanted, I was standing in His Peace gifted to me to experience.  There is much reckoning with aging and fading, life purpose and pitfalls that place our minds in some chaos. It’s important to return to a place that still just IS. Yet, this place, the work at the hands of man, and all places of the earth will fade away. The Kingdom here on Earth will be renewed only on the Lord’s terms… The scripture I flipped to, in a Gideon’s Bible, is from Job 15:7-11:

“Are you the first man ever born?  Were you brought forth before the hills?  Do you listen in on God’s council?  Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?

“What do you know that we do not know?  What insights do you have that we do not have? The gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men even older than your father. 

“Are God’s consolations not enough for you, words spoken gently to you?”

Thru my mind runs the wonder of nature, both green and human, it’s intense peace of aloneness that’s not alone. Contrasts abound between nature and the man-made world… When it may seem so different, idleness is not so idle when nature continues without man’s influence. Last night intense thunderstorms cropped up, it was needed rain. God is letting His creation be, live and continue.

Our lives seem so real and big to us. How much bigger is God? There’s not even an answer big enough to answer that. Job was asked if he knew everything that God knew. He didn’t, we don’t.

God knows all and if we don’t take a moment to let God handle the worry of our lives, what could we possibly accomplish that He won’t. What possibly could we save that He hasn’t already. 

How and why do we wrestle with God’s plan for us also, when we should humbly just be. If the hills can be so intensely beautiful and real with life, can we navigate the bend in the road for our lives? What’s around the bend is still God’s plan. Let’s continue to be consoled by Him. Let us continue to seek His peace. God loves us so much, He has made the road back to Him, of course there will be bends in it, but He knows the path.

Change happens, but God IS.

How will this road end? Perhaps it is best to think of how it doesn’t. Our Lord Jesus was sent to forgive, to place us back into God’s Kingdom, to teach love. Jesus loved us before we knew of Him. If we accept Jesus then we can walk with His Love. We have these words of consolation: Jesus saves, Jesus knows the Way. Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life.

Keep living, for life is in you. Continue to live.

Keep looking for God around the bend.

Keep Jesus in heart and hand, for He already has kept His promise to God to bring us consolidated in the Kingdom. That is God’s consolation to us.

Continue around the bend.

Amen