I was so surprised – I had no idea there was newsreal film footage of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan as well as Polly Thomson, Helen’s assistant after Anne’s death. They had a lot of correspondence and travelled. Famous and sought-after… But yes it was an AMAZING story – one we should remember as both what can be achieved with love and to remember we count our blessings for.
There is a YouTube channel of these videos, including one that is the only known (or last known) of Anne speaking in the 1930s about helping and teaching Helen, blind and deaf since an illness at age 19 months. I remember the stark scenes from “The Miracle Worker” movie – of teaching this wayward child. You would never know that from the newsreels of elderly Helen – all smiles – working so hard – doing so much. It took teaching – it took intervention – it took perseverance – and mostly it took LOVE.
The great nugget of information that the one video stated, was that Helen (as we see in the 1954 news film) started and ended the day with scripture. One of her quotes was essentially: I am not blind as much as the world is blind. And as the video quoted Psalm 19 – isn’t that the truth? We must not be blind to the HOPE of the Lord. “With the Bible.” – in the transcript: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmaments show us his handy work. Day unto day affirm his speech, and night unto night show his knowledge. There is no speech, no language where their voice is not heard.”
The movies on that YouTube channel spoke of people Helen was indebted to, Louis Braille, Alexander Graham Bell, and countless others who brought innovations and schools. Imagine everyone who works hard and serves. It is us knowing – without the seeing – the work of their hands and feet and everything else to serve the Lord by loving His people. And God accomplishes SO MUCH in LOVE. This knowledge is also from HIM – not from us.
Encouragement – to keep going – keep trying – and to praise the Lord for the accomplishments that He allows us to see and feel.
Amen
Psalm 19 NIV
For the director of music. A psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
I do many things – cleaning my house enough is NOT one of them… I don’t make the time, I don’t think I have the time, I don’t take the time… I need time for lots of things…
And so today when I found the one of my plushy Jesus dolls toppled over, hanging on a binder by his feet, well that’s just fitting… and on top of it that i’m having issues with my cat protesting, so I HAVE to clean, and add to that, that I know I will be away and busy in all of July, I better clean now….
Yes, it Holy Spirit convicts me to see the omissions of my cleanings in addition to the commissioning sins of not stopping to scrub.
Our lives and our houses certainly need good scrubs on occasion, so I have been and WILL scrub today…
Blessedly, Jesus is our “FALL GUY”. He takes the hit, He redeems our value out of our trashed existence or prideful ignorance. He took our sinful ways and got them OUT OF HIS WAY, to present us clean: “He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight…”
So I will pick up this little plush doll, and vacuum hand scrub and be thankful I HAVE stuff to clean… I will scrub dutifully my thoughts of grief, grudges and grumpiness, taking time for clarity, cleansing and calming cues from Jesus.
May we devote extra time to devotion. I pray us to “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” – to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”.
And when I/we fall short, I will appreciate Jesus the “FALL GUY ”…
Amen
—
Colossians 1 NKJV
Greeting
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their Faith in Christ
We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.
Preeminence of Christ
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Reconciled in Christ
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Sacrificial Service for Christ
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’
“So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
—
I had the snippet of a dream where Jesus was holding up plastic bag and explaining this verse printed on it, that He wrote it to remind God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit truly do intend to LOVE us forever.
AND THE BLESSING MUST COME, BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE AND HE WANTS US TO KNOW HIS BLESSINGS.
I’ll take that as a dream anytime… I’ll appreciate that as a reality too… The Blessing!!!
May we all remember that we are children of God Himself!!
“From your mouth to God’s ear” was what the fellow bagel-shop customer laughingly blurted out when I had just ASSURED that it was NOT supposed to rain that night. WELL, I WAS WRONG. That was 2 weeks ago now, and the rain did stop raining eventually and then the temperature shot up, I can’t even imagine the winter gear so necessary such a short time ago. God’s ability to put together our seasons of the year and of life are unimaginable. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
I am thankful for the cool weather in hindsight because I was in the last stages and days of helping my friend move, filling pods, sorting paper, cleaning, clearing, and closing a chapter. Whew… only thing left now is to catch a cat, but that’s another story… So the photo we received yesterday was worth it all, the JOY of grandma and grandkids together. How blessed they all are!
The temperatures moderated and now I’m definitely in summer mode. Inside and outside merge for me, I love it. Now it’s going to be beach weather. And I’m gearing up for a decent long vacation. And I hope it doesn’t rain TOO MUCH… but let’s let the Lord lead His plan, we just prepare for it.
Well, I also was wrong last night and the rain caught me off guard, I had left the mower out to finish the grass. I quickly called home and my youngest got it into the shed, whew… I should have prepared for rain. This is where we must prepare for God’s Plan over ours. Yes, I left it, was doing errands after a meeting and there are never enough hours in the day for me. Busy blessed busy… Someday I likely won’t be able to have such freedom of movement, so I’m maximizing my motion now. I did appreciate sitting at the members meeting for a historical society last night, one more opportunity to be busy in a small way. I appreciate that we sat but those people 200 years ago worked!!! We work – but not in a back-breaking way they did… Well, anyway – it was a good finish to my day. Saw the fireflies and thought a perfect night weatherwise (until it rained).
My evenings can’t even comprehend how I got through the day. Isn’t that true for you?
So in the morning, I try to remember to stop and write, write a praise for these Godly days. The Lord has blessed us being the Lord of our lives if we only could listen more for His Will. It’s like the Lord has to melt our hearts and also the wax in our ears of our hearts, we then have to listen, not just hear. The wax protects our ears but we have the ability to close our ears too much to His Will. “Walk by faith, not by sight”. And listen by faith too. And rest in Him. And work FOR His Will in us and others.
God’s ears – He must have wax-like waterproofing in His ears too – can you even imagine? God is God and needs no human protection to our tears – but oh the rivers overflowing in tears must keep his ears busy… and our complaints? Yikes… And yet His heart is FOR US. GOD LOVES US!!! God does not have clogged ears to our prayers, not clogged with wax. God is working on a whole other level that we can’t perceive nor understand. We must just trust.
Faith is for understanding deeply within THAT GOD IS READY TO GUIDE US. If we get from morning to night, then how amazing we get from night to morning. God’s Way is to start fresh with us, fresh hearts, fresh starts. Let us remember to praise what we do see, and double praise what we don’t.
Let us melt the earth wax and heart blockages, and trust, and PRAISE.
Amen
—
Isaiah 55 NKJV
An Invitation to Abundant Life
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you -The sure mercies of David. Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people. Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the Lord your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
“For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
My neighbor passed away. She was ninety-one years and had been full of life until her slow decline… Three years ago I think, she had broken her hip twice and her house flooded and I don’t know how many other things. And that’s when her family decided to pull her out and put her in an assisted living facility which she absolutely loved. Three meals a day and bingo and manicures and physical therapy and socialization!!! She never looked back. She lived life in the present and seemed to let the past stay in the past… Yes, even when she left her house, most of her stuff was left behind which did get donated, except I kept her green towel and she gave me some statues and a big bowl. And of course lots of laughter and great memories. She was the first neighbor we met years ago now.
She also was Jewish and although I didn’t see her practicing holidays much, we talked about God all the time being in charge. I did come across a Jewish scripture book when I cleaned out her house. Her house is gone and the new house replaced it and a new family… and that’s the way life goes… We are here but for a moment. What is remembered is our wonderful fun loving tribes of folks and I’m so grateful I got to be in her tribe and that of my neighbors.
Now, being of the Jewish faith, Jesus, fully man and fully God, was also from a tribe – the tribe of Judah, Jesus called “The Lion of Judah”. The tribes of God – they are pillars of regular people being chosen to do big things for God – including be fruitful and multiply the children of God. The 12 tribes and then Jesus took 12 disciples. 12 is a good number!
The tribes (from Abraham then Issac then Jacob) were set into the world by the 12 children of Jacob – from 4 mothers – children including Joseph and his dreamcoat (for which my first VBS this year is about) – and then Moses coming from that tribe to pull them out of Egypt some 400 years later (for which my second VBS is about) – imagine that 400 years is a long time – and imagine that God has known all these things for from before forever ago and way past forever from now – it is unbelievable but God knows His Plan. And He knows the plans for us too – so enjoy the people you enjoy – make peace with your neighbors and you will be blessed – take time to be in the moment – and enjoy life…
And may your own tribe thrive!!!
Amen
—
Genesis 22:14-18 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
But God thinks we are the most important sheep of all.
God will bless us all.
.
Watching the world go by?
Understand it all? Don’t even try!
Wars, famine, earthquake, temperatures that fry?
Jesus says don’t be troubled, you and I, keep living, TRY.
God knows this all, God created this earth and sky.
.
Jesus says the beginnings of sorrows is today’s tomorrow’s.
Don’t grow cold. Be lovingly BOLD!
Skip the hate, tell others of God’s Love so overcomingly great!
Don’t be lured by deception, Jesus knew these times from inception.
Trust Jesus, not the World.
That’s the message on our flags to unfurl.
Write it on every sign, say it in rhyme.
Live the attitude of “GOD LOVES YOU”, there is nothing else, nothing better to say or do.
TRUE!
.
Trust Jesus to get us through.
God will reign today.
Know that is TRUE.
Amen
——–
Matthew 24:6-13
New King James Version
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
It was great to be home, with my family, even just for a couple days, but you know you have to get what you get when you get it. . . And I always take the opportunity when the kids are ok, for me to travel… and with the storms I never lost power, so house was OK so I could go… and? And, now I’m very happy to be home home, in my own bed. Isn’t it funny how we can have a feeling of home in many different ways?
My friend’s house, who’ve I’ve been helping move, had a tree fall through the front, yikes, wow, one day after she left… and it was like she rolled out of town and the temperatures started to roll on up!! I’m so grateful she got the bulk of the moving done when the temperature was still cool.
I stepped into my friend’s house to see the damage and grab something. She’s gone, yet it still feels like her home, but she’s finding a new home and she will love it with her grandkids. And even if the damage to the house is bad, it is not tragic. This is repairable. That house will be a home again to a new family. I appreciate she left the scripture picture on the fridge. God’s with us. He is.
Jesus IS.
For the house, the damage could have been much worse. No one got hurt and the tree debris was removed so quickly. And the realtor had just stepped away from that area when the tree went. This was God’s timing, she said, that she was DELAYED earlier in the day. Kept her out of this trouble. And we all can appreciate God’s timing even if we can’t understand it…
God’s timing will come in His Timing. God Himself will always be with us.
What makes a home a home? They say home is where the heart is. OUR HEARTS SHOULD BE FILLED WITH JESUS AND THEREFORE OUR HOME WITH JESUS AND HIS WITH US.
Jesus said He had no place to lay His head, and even though we do rest ours, the rest of our time will be Home in Heaven. The cost of discipleship is remembering not to cling too tightly to this earth… Yes, make our homes homey, but best make our hearts heavenly and keep moving to where He needs us.
He will always be with us. Matthew 29
And someday we will say to our Father, it’s GOOD to be HOME…
Amen
—
Matthew 28:16-20 NKJV
The Great Commission
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
—
MATTHEW 8:18-27
The Cost of Discipleship
And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus
Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
When a friend asks me to plan to do the particular station for a 2-day weekend VBS in July, a station that she picked for me, she asked me to include an experiment. How could I respond? “Let me ask the Holy Spirit to get me the idea!!!” Yeah!!! I know that the Lord always provides!!!
And you may think social media has flaws, but SPIRIT MEDIA as in HOLY SPIRIT MEDIA is FILLED with ideas. Click click click… and within 5 minutes, it was settled in my mind… in Holy Spirit time!
Here’s the life lesson for the Gospel lesson experiment that is in the book for VBS “ROAR” – about the journey for Moses and the people out of Egypt. We will have the kids talk about sin, and rocks represent sin, a bucket too heavy to lift… but if we ask God for forgiveness and we give our sins, represented by these rocks and leave them at the foot of the cross, Jesus takes care of our sins. Jesus raised is a miracle taking our sins away as far as the east is from the west – which means they don’t meet – our sins gone. Jesus said in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
And then with a quick Google for a video suggestion of a science experiment for Easter, the Acetone and Styrofoam appeared faster than Styrofoam disappears in acetone (ok it dissolves, but you get the picture…) YEAH!
Oh I can’t wait to try this!!! $3 acetone I can’t wait to test the demo!!! And for the kids, I’m thinking about the dissolvable starch packing peanuts and water…
God is Good and FULL of ideas!!! Love it!!!
AMEN!!!
Psalm 103 of David, NKJV
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion.
The BLUE macaron from the patisserie, maybe living like Paris-erie, was DELICIOUS – and so was the hot cocoa and whipped cream – and so was the pastry I had – and the air conditioning was great – and and and… Yeah – being on a one day vacation is living it up!!! And sitting in the Hudson Yards after riding up to “The Edge” – this was like a perfect local experience (except for the construction that IS NYC – bang bang bang – and the sirens of the moment)… The most important aspect of this trip was seeing my friend for a day out!
So I didn’t really mind that my blue Marie Antoinette macaron was smushed by the time I ate it sitting on the train on the way home, reminiscing of the great day. It was a vacation day and it’s hard to complain when you have had a great day. So I accepted the blessings and thanked the Lord!
Yes. I went to see my friend from grad school in NYC. We have been great friends for over 30 years now! WOW!!! He met me at the train station. Haven’t see him since way before covid. It was sunny and hot, and then it rained wickedly like 3 times, felt like Florida weather on and off and on and off. But it could rain on you anywhere – might as well just be anywhere vacationing anyway…
I HIGHLY recommend visiting “The EDGE”. I love the sights from up above, it’s like the best view, taller than Empire State building, perfect to see TOPS of the Chrysler building and Vanderbilt towers, then in a distance Lady Liberty, the bridges, the rivers, the Highline, and awesome to step OUTSIDE!!! WOW!!!! Yes, it is safe!!! Scary at first to step on the clear glass over the city, but I did it!!! whew!!! So then wow after we were outside for a while, we then watched the storm roll in from NJ to the west. And the security staff pulled us inside. There are windows for every direction. And amazing that there is no sway even at 100 stories up.
So we sat and chatted more – watching the storm roll in then roll out!!! We saw beautiful sites all around! Then we went down to the patisserie, yum, then walked the Highline to the Little Island where we held safe under the support structures until the next storm passed. great views walking the little island and even ducked into the free “Forest show”, beautiful light show run as an incentive to a car show. Dinner in Chelsea Market. Then to get back up to the train station, we hopped on a bus for the few blocks as the rain started again then back on the train.
The train where I got to sit and reminisce while relaxing – I know where the electricity plugs are for recharging my phone – and eat that smashed macaron for recharging my sugar – the Marie Antoinette macron. BLUE. “Let them eat cake” – is the phrase reportedly said by Marie Antoinette – queen of France as she disregarded the plight of the peasants – but this is a made up story they say – written many years before. “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche”, is still used for frivolous disregard for the starving people – or just being frivolous as someone else’s expense. So I could think that being on vacation (even for one day) while others are suffering in the world is a dilema – like I could say “Let them eat smashed macarons!” for enjoying a day of frivolity – and this is a dilemma of our world – we enjoy even while others are suffering – we are in a broken world – this is true. (And we pray for the societies and families who are suffering in terrible wars these day – terrible! Marie Antoinette’s time also saw the dilemma of great opulence while others were at war and suffering – we are always in this tough spot of living in an unjust and unequal balance of brokenness)… May we pray the Lord’s mercy on us all especially when we forget to count our blessings and our savior and salvation…
Taking a day break is not a bad thing – for we all need to take a breather sometimes – and therefore we should praise the Lord (at all situations) and especially that we can do this vacation thing – this day off thing – that we have freedom etc… And that we have relative safety – even in a thunderstorm – compared to the unknown volatile parts of the world. We should be saying “Let us PRAISE what we have!” – not complain about what we lack. We really should count our blessings and make the most of life while we have it – and then remember and help those who are in worse straights – the best we can do is to pray for them!
And especially praise – for in the Lord, we have everything we need…
Have a great day everyone and eat the macarons and enjoy – smooshed smashed whole or otherwise!
AMEN
—–
Psalm 16 NKJV – A Michtam of David.
The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory
Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips.
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Opportunity doesn’t just knock, OPPORTUNITY KNOWS…
I had the opportunity to accompany my youngest on a drive on an errand, a quaint and quiet town for a cloudy Tuesday – that was quite fine, not too hot and not too cold, not raining at that moment.
And instead of stressing about using up too much vacation time, I instead realized THIS was the type of opportunity that I should be looking for, in the present. Yes, I would have enjoyment in vacation, so why not a mini one now… I switched my mindset and called myself of work for a half-day… yeah… I realized instead of saving up for theoretical vacation that I would like with my youngest, that this actually fits part of that bill. And it’s nice to have an opportunity to talk, sightseeing, and just be.
And walking, I took notice of the mulberry tree, squish, purple mess, I also wanted to eat one but I didn’t.. it’s a memory from growing up. I have lots of memories, good stuff, but that I don’t need to repeat, it’s time for NEW ones. You know, it’s still not too late to have memories and make NEW memories, just like the flowers and trees come alive again, so can we. I look forward to more adventure opportunities with both my kids. And yes, as a napkin pack stated in a gift shop, they have to be patient with me because I’m from the nineteen hundreds!!! LOL!!!
Walking, we also saw a 911 memorial with some of the steel from the World Trade Centers, remembering that my youngest wasn’t even born yet and gets to understand this in a new way. There is much to teach in the new generations.
This morning, I heard about a woman my same age who passed away, a celebrity chef. I also heard of a local woman who passed away who left a son the same age as my youngest. You know tomorrow is never promised here on earth, only in heaven. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Ps90:12
So, yes… Let us get into new memories… Opportunity Knocks and Opportunity KNOWS!!!
Get traveling now!!! Be with the ones that you want to be with!!!
It was a good father’s day of remembering special years, having cheers, switching gears, and yes a few tears. I remember my Dad as awesome – and also remember folks whose dads are gone – and those who are not gone but gone from people’s lives – it is a mixed emotion type of day. And we all need processing for whatever state we take Father’s day. I hope we all processed how much our Heavenly Father God loves us. God is LOVE – and my friend whom I have been helping handed me a pin that said “GOD IS LOVE” … Amen… That processing will take the rest of our years and then forever… God is love and therefore love is God.
God always provides the LOVE – so don’t worry about that – Jesus said DON’T WORRY about anything – and if Jesus was saying it – He was showing it too.
Cleaning out my friend’s house “has been a process” for sure – literally and emotionally. The pods drove off yesterday, the process was intense but spread over the course of a month. We both would say that 8 months ago it was seemingly unimaginable, but it was real and really happened. And the stuff behind will be donated and some trashed – but the bulk is recoverable to someone. In other words, it is good stuff – and some junk too… But that is all our lives and our stuff – good and some a bit of junk.
Here is the junk of the day: the junk is the mindset of “I can’t do this” or “I can’t help” – none of that is true – that is pure junk thoughts – because WITH God everything is possible. And he demonstrates it too!
On Father’s Day – after my sermon – I spent a couple hours back at the paper pile – but sitting outside – cat outside – and working either at the back of the subaru or later in her driveway finishing off a whole wheelbarrow full of paper. We figured this was from 8 people’s important junk paper barrage that we get in life. One paper that struck my attention this morning was one of my own – “The Moments that Matter” – yup – these moments even if mundane or whatever do matter – because it is the place to help and to plug in – and as the woman across from me separating paper said: “It’s like the modern day equivalent of sitting on the porch and taking the ends off the beans.” – EXACTLY…
We came across not just paper that needed shredding – SSN’s everywhere – but then inside her Dad’s wallet – her brother’s irish cap – her mom’s hat – her many memories held onto with trinkets and treasures. And in this seemingly endless packing – it was done… the kitchen table pretty much empty – the pods full, the car full, the process made it to progress. My friend would say: “look at all the angels that God has sent me”.
What would my Dad have done in this occasion – on this day – with friends and strangers he didn’t know – yes my Dad was a helper – both my parents always had lots of projects helping – my Dad especially was the organizer for many but the hands-on worker too – from putting together paper directories for the service clubs – to making the coffee for workers coming to help at the camp rebuild cabins getting it ready for summer – all this volunteer work on the evening and weekends – and yeah some “volunteer” at his work too – setting up internal potlucks and raffles to help colleagues with cancer treatment and living expenses…
Yeah – and separating paper – not a hard job and remembering that it is a sitting down job to take a break from the standing up hauling loads job – that’s what my Dad did too… He was also the treasurer to many organizations. And one special time, I was too little to remember, he would drive up to an hour each way in the evening to go help flood victims each night – cleaning out their houses – people he didn’t even know.
Of course, he got to know them – being personable too – he helped a neighbor of a friend he knew thru his service club and we would go visit them years later – he would bring us to see them – both households. The neighbor was a glassblower – immigrant family – old timers – nearly 80 in the 1970’s then – but in his hayday he made beautiful artwork – and then when my mom was talking in the kitchen with his wife, the wife would sneak a piece to my mom to give her – and say “don’t tell my husband’ – but the husband knew and told my dad it was OK to let my mom take them… We still have them – and even I have a glass-made crystal clear candy cane uniquely made by him for that christmas… Treasures – but of memories over items – the items will last – for a time – the memories will be treasures forever.
That is special remembering my Dad – that He would have helped too…
That is special knowing the Lord – that He has made us His Hands and Feet – He helps and He has us help too – to share that love – to be of service – to make a difference – and to shed a few tears in between.
And to be present.
That is the moment that matters most – being present (presence) IS the present (gift) for the present (now).
God always provides the LOVE – so don’t worry about that – Jesus said DON’T WORRY about anything – and if Jesus was saying it – He was showing it too – a moment that MATTERS.
Amen
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Matthew 6:25-34 New King James Version Do Not Worry “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 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? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
“Love That Bears All Things” (Galatians 5:22-26; 1 Corinthians 13:7, Psalm 1, John 15)
NOTE: edited to add photos from the actual service!!! Thankful for my church family!
The first of the Show Love series – “Love in Action” – and we will cover the spectrum of love but wow we could never comprehend or describe the whole gamut of love – AGAPE love – a LOVE so huge without measure – that God gives us… We (our 4 sharers) will talk about Love in Action over the next few weeks starting today with “Love That Bears All Things” (Galatians 5:22-26; 1 Corinthians 13:7) – then talk about “Loving God” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Matthew 22:34-40) – “Loving Your Neighbor” (Luke 10:25-37) – “Loving Your Enemy” (Matthew 5:43-48, Romans 12:17-21) – “Radical Hospitality” (Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 13:2) and “The Love of Jesus” (John 13:1-17, John 15:9-17).
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TODAY IS FATHER’S DAY – HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!!!
HOW WONDERFUL TO CELEBRATE OUR EARTHLY FATHERS – and our Heavenly One
AND as scripture reminds us to weep with those who weep, we send condolences to those who have lost their dads, and also those whose relationships are strained – we are in a broken world when we know of so many with strained relationships… We ask the Lord’s mercy and healing to all these situations – if not now then in heaven…
Today – we also remember our Heavenly Father – God – who IS LOVE – and we celebrate through the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and The Holy Spirit to talk about SHOWING LOVE.
We cannot do these things I listed in the upcoming scripture series about SHOWING LOVE without God HIMSELF – and how can we show this Love to a higher level unless we start with an understanding of how Love TO US has been shown to us – and what a fitting way to start here on Father’s Day – Our Heavenly Father Who gave us life by giving us His Love – being His Love and spreading that to us…
LOVEbears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
HOW MUCH DO OUR FATHERS EMPOWER US – TO LIVE OUR LIVES AS INDEPENDENT GROWING CHILDREN – AND YET TO KEEP TRACK OF US – LIKE AS OUR PARENT I KNOW HE WILL REDUCE HIS WORRY ABOUT US BY PROVIDING FOR US…
I think of my Dad, gone few years ago now – can’t believe it but I know He is in Heaven OK – I believe that He is playing cards with the guys – I am content that he is taken care of… In the last of my dad’s weeks – his communication was limited but his mind was still there – and his love never wavered – I visited as often as I could since it is 5 plus hours away – and on one of the last times I saw him, he said “how long will it take you?” And he looked distantly at the clock – he knew that clock… He looked at that clock and the worry on his face told me everything. Granted the roads are so much better now than when he drove up and down – but that stretch thru the mountains was what worried him – I can still hear him say “drive it in the daylight” – he cared and cares. He wanted to make sure I would be OK – I was.
My Grandpa ALSO – as a dad – always asked how my brakes were on my car. Always checking in.
[Also I was wearing a t-shirt that said ‘GO against the flow” with a little white fish in the background of colorful letters as a gift from my friend moving and me packing her Dad’s items – things I found that reminded us of how much she loved him – because he loved her first – and that is what Jesus tells us – that He loved us before we were even born – love by Jesus is long – longsuffering and patient…. and our path should be AGAINST the flow of the world – don’t go with the world – go with JESUS – He will bring you to places He needs you to be…]
Love bears all things – love bears the worry of a father for his children – how much more our Heavenly Father bears that love – bears concern and yes provides for us in all ways.
I am blessed to talk about the ways that God Shows us Love – so that we may show it to others – You know that saying: “He EQUIPS the called – not He calls the equipped” – meaning we can go to God with nothing and He will provide. He provides our skillsets our personalities our energy our demeaner.
We should remember to rely upon God for the gifts – and the Holy Spirit reminder to use those gifts. Here is that great scripture – but wait – I HAVE PROPS !!!!!!!!!!!!!
——– Bring out the binder clip Words of the Fruits of the Spirit ————–
Galatians 5:22-26 NKJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (also called patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
—- speak about JOY – Jesus Others Yourself – that is the order of whom we should think about
—- speak about long-suffering – our earthly troubles nothing compared to God’s Longsuffering
—- speak about self-control – about a tube of toothpaste that is things we can not control always – but should – you can’t get it back in the tube. My friend teaching Sunday school said she would get out $100 cash and tell her Sunday school kids she would give it to them if they could figure out how to get all the toothpaste back into the tube (after squirting out all the toothpaste) that something like saying hurtful things – you can never take those back and can’t get the toothpaste back in the tube…
The next line in the scripture reminds us to “stay in line with God” – “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” We are to experience Love in getting us through the rough stuff and to get to the forgiveness and to reduce our neediness – and increase our willingness to “let it go” – don’t sweat the small stuff… This is both in us getting what we are blessed with and NOT getting what we really would be destined for if we didn’t have this love of Jesus – this is LOVE giving us Grace and Mercy.
Thank God we have all this – and we have MORE!!!
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Read again 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.1 Corinthians 13:7-13 NKJV
YES – love that can bear these things from us – is the love that we can bear for each other – and I want to do a visual demonstration for our tree of life comes from Jesus’s sacrifice from the beginning – and we are to gain these attributes of love from His love.
We have go to make a tree – grow our tree to bear all these fruits –
How are we going to keep this tree up??? The bible has the advice of course:
Psalm 1 NKJV of David – to talk about devotion to God – it also talks about the ungodly – but I am certain here that we are in church to become more devoted – to question and to at least pause and think of the benefits of sticking close to God – to gain the fruits of the spirit.
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,And in His law he meditates day and night.3 HE SHALL BE LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE RIVERS OF WATER, THAT BRINGS FORTH ITS FRUIT IN ITS SEASON, WHOSE LEAF ALSO SHALL NOT WITHER; AND WHATEVER HE DOES SHALL PROSPER.
4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
——- VISUAL DEMONSTRATION – with help from the audience – put the words in color bursts onto pieces of the material to symbolize wood – how are we going to make this stand up – how do we get all these pieces together – (someone yells – we need a tree) – and YES – bring in the the cross made from sticks and the trunk the strong cardboard material – and then have the volunteers help wrap the tree cross with the green vines – representing a LIVING JESUS – and then move the fruit of the spirit words on carabiner clips to the mockup of a tree – that these are fruits to bear… and we can’t do it without Jesus – we need HIM – structurally, living, giving, forgiving, whole…
Conclude with the scripture from John 15 – Jesus will be that support for our bearing of fruits – bearing the good stuff and the bad stuff. Jesus gives us the growth potential – Jesus the True Vine – and Jesus tells us that God will prune away the unproductive ness of us… Jesus tells us about Himself – that we can not do anything without Him.
Our efforts and our fruit are resulting from God pruning our branches for HIS Fruit –
Read John 15 NKJV – The True Vine
15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. AMEN – and conclude with prayer…
Buried, Risen, only to be buried again???, that’s what my Jesus plush doll looks like, buried under a pile of my own paperwork, which I know is important but I couldn’t tell you what was in it. And gee I hope I paid the bills!
Each of these plush Jesus dolls from the Hallmark store have a slightly unique look, so I think the doll has a “trying to be non judgmental” but with an all-knowing smile, even a smirk at our humanness. Because we all know that Jesus sees right through us.
Don’t worry, I’ll get through this paperwork sorted, it is nothing more than 3 inches. I’ve actually been filtering instead through somebody else’s paperwork recently for helping my friend move. She has made TREMENDOUS STRIDES and will skip town with the moving pods early next week. It’s kind of addicting helping people and projects, the project fits my personality and mental quick processing mind to match my fingers. After helping at least 4 different friends at different times clean out their backlog of paper, I pretty much know what I’m looking for (sort, shred, save, stash away for another look). I even understand history and vintage things up to 100 years. I’m fair in saving and trashing the uncleanable. And you do have to look at everything.
Shred to the right, recycle the folders to the left. Take out the binder clips but leave paperclips. Be thankful for free shredding drives. I’ve done this numerous times – I pull up a chair and just decompress my day while my mind filters the paper…
And the same is true with cleaning out my family farmstead, up north (we are not cleaning it out but cleaning it up, honestly it can become a museum in my opinion). That cleaning has no quick time frame, like my friend’s who is moving. But up home those folks are not getting any younger in their 80’s… At my farmstead, my most treasured treasures are the people who still remember the stuff. This makes for a more delicate sort but also a chance to reminisce.
We are on God’s time frame, so we are to remember the people who won’t always be around. In all occasions it is good to remove the excess 25 to 125 years of paper and shred and recycle… and it’s even more important to remember the memories. But if there’s too much stuff and everything is important then nothing is important… so we must weed out the clutter and rescue the memories.
It’s especially important to LOOK – to underearth the treasures, this can range from a Dad’s dogtags to a child’s artwork, you don’t have to keep everything – there are treasures for someone else – that is valuable in the universe of sharing. And in cleaning we can go through our own memories and appreciate the past that doesn’t have to follow us in paperwork. (and remember things that USED to be important even stressful and don’t even ring a bell now)… Time heals all wounds… And so we might want to save items that can be token not necessarily big, knowing the experience is treasured. Of course the love is forever.
They say there are only two certain things in life: death and taxes. But don’t forget the LOVE… there is certainty that there is LOVE because God is LOVE and God LOVES us. This can be squishy plush LOVE or tough LOVE towards us, it is always AGAPE love over the top and more than we deserve or could understand. And our LOVE of mercy and grace will bring us closer to Jesus. We need to bring JESUS into our lives and rise Him up in our piles that need to be shed. And by raising our eyes to focus on Him we raise up His values and our hope. Find Him in all things.
He rose once, we don’t need to bury Him again!
Let us be more like Jesus in Love and in looking above!
Shed the pack, don’t pack the shed.
Don’t ever pack away love, unpack it and take it forth.
Amen
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John 15 NKJV
The True Vine
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Love and Joy Perfected
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.
The World’s Hatred
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
The Coming Rejection
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:28-31
My friend who is moving has worked her last day at her office! I wouldn’t say she is retiring but moving to different work because the work she’s gonna go do over there – far from here – is to help raise her grandkids. She is so talented she also could work anywhere…
I don’t know about my retirement but think that when one retires, you can think of the ALL things you could do!!! Or when you retire, think of the things you DON’T need to do… and give up unpleasant things to do. I think I just need a vacation personally, give my brain a chance to think… but wow if I was retired, THINK of the THINKING you could do! OR NOT!
AND THEN I THOUGHT RETIREMENT COULD BE LIKE RETREDDING… When you retread a tire, it is not retired, just given new life with the same core. Then new veneers of rubber help keep the truck running on the road.
When you retire as a person, like my friend is, you’ve go to keep moving!
Some push the pedal to the medal and speed forward, some put their pedal pushers on and kick back.
Yesterday I was at a home improvement store getting rocks for painting, not for vacation bible school or a school class, but for my work friend for a nice activity of writing encouraging messages.
Dr Randy came up the aisle and help load these heavy bags, eight in total. just chit-chat, but seemingly of a retired age. I surmised that he was keeping busy. Then when he asked me what school the rocks were for, he started to tell me that he was a professor and taught college courses at 2 local prestigious universities. Then I said why are you here? And he said I gotta pay the ex-wife, and we both laughed… he’s got a full marine pension… this man certainly can keep busy. And i’m sure he is a blessing because works hard, plus he is hassling in a good way and advising all the younger workers…
It’s good when we keep our retreated retired wheels on the road.
What about fishing? Is everybody says “gone fishing” when on vacation or retired. Well when you decide to keep working for the Lord in His fishing of men, you can work your whole life AND in retirement to RETHREAD and reweave and reinforce the nets. You can still keep going…
And on your retredded tires, you probably have lots of work for the Lord, He puts more gas in the tank, your tank, our tanks….
I had to get a photo – of this minivan with a magnet saying “Do you follow Jesus this closely?” – cute – but a good question…
There was another road construction stretch yesterday – and wow that road was smooth and fabulous – they were still painting and I thought to take a photo of the template set down before the arrow was painted – so interesting to use a dotted line template before filling it in. This is how I pre-wrote letters for my kids – especially of their names when they were starting to learn how to write (they both are well educated now and marvelous in being smart – my daughter just got her first review and a glowing review it was! plus a raise! yeah! my son is interested in pursuing higher education more too – and I keep learning!)
As for a scripture for following Jesus – I think the dotted lines are appropriate – because we know the direction but how that arrow is filled in will be so unique to us and to how the Lord must make it brighter and brighter for us to really understand. This arrow was faint but I saw it – the next one will be painted and clear – the next level would likely be an overhead sign, and then there is the all out “flashing lights” for direction you can’t miss and/or traffic light addition that could be used for regulation. All in All – the direction is to THAT direction.
We need direction and we also need that forgiveness when we go the wrong way – sometimes we don’t see the arrow that is faint – sometimes we are asleep at the wheel – sometimes we are purposefully plotters of plodders into muck and mud or a disastrous wrong turn. In scripture story, King David took some disastrous wrong turns and paid the price in both sorrow and being pursued by enemies. David went down the wrong path, but he did then look for the light – the flashing light of LIFE in Jesus. Psalm 25 prays to be forgiven, delivered, and set on the right path again. We should all pray this… Keep my soul, and deliver me… Show me… Teach me… Lead me…
If only we could follow as closely as a car magnet – or have our dotted lines and lives filled in by our glorious painter for clearer direction. If only we keep on the road that is newly paved for us. If only we recognize our only way to Jesus is to ask forgiveness and for His Loving Kindness – Mercy for the sins we do, Grace for the acts we can not repair but do repent for. We must turn to prayer for everything in between…
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth…
Amen
Psalm 25 NKJV
A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness – A Psalm of David.
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.
Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.
Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
It may be early, but it’s summer and early morning we (the cat and I) can go outside. My peas and strawberry plants are reaching fruition in fruiting and the birds are chirping, the cat is happier outside. It is not too buggy yet, I wrapped up with an old sheet for a blanket for protection anyway. Life is good within the small slice of the 6am morning before time marches on.
The cardinal chirping was clear, there are distinct calls for each bird, was it warning or song? (Many think the cardinals are visits from our family members – well they would be warning us too as well as encouraging us to keep moving forward and be fruitful. Truly the warnings and encouragements of life are to keep moving forward always anyway…)
There are dangers in the world, for birds yes, and for us too. The best warning is to guard against the drain of our fruitfulness, for stresses and unknowns come but we are to stay solid upon the Rock of the Lord’s support and the fertile ground of His enrichment. We need to always grow and grow in all ways – especially in Patience and in Piety. There are times that things work out and other times we have “what ifs?”… and yet each morning is reset as new, there is a time to just pause and pray. This is the time to stop racing thoughts, just work, praise, pray, play, and participate in life. There is a season for everything, like Ecclesiastes 3 recounts – and we are to ask the Lord to help us “number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” – which to me means to strike when the iron is hot, and change directions when it is not!
Proverbs 19:20-121 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
After my fruitful container garden (may not look pretty but it is pretty secured against the groundhog and rabbits) is harvested from strawberries and peas – the early season is done, in a couple of weeks, maybe the tomatoes will be planted, got to still buy those, and maybe my sitting outside will be different again. Life and seasons change quickly. But pray the sun still rises and mornings still come with new mercies and more and different fruitfulness.
These garden fruits take time to develop and within us, if we picture fruitfulness – we can gain it – by wisdom – and ask for the Lord to lay HIS Fruit upon us for His usefulness of our work for HIM (and ourselves). The fruits of the Spirit (Romans 12) are: JOY, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. These are all to be applied and accepted with LOVE. That is the harvest of the Lord in us.
Amen
Solomon laments not always understanding life and surely observes life in Ecclesiastes 3 – but especially he knows that God is in charge – and knows there is a time for everything:
Ecclesiastes 3 NIV A Time for Everything There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.
And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”
I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Purpose – if we say we are driven by purpose – let us put ourselves in the proper seat – the passenger – because God’s Purpose prevails and therefore it is best to let Him Drive – because He is the owner of not just the car but the roads and the houses and the hills and the cows on the hills and the stuff made from the stuff on the hills.
How a West Side story CD figures into His Plan is mind-blowing if only to know that He likes to shake you up sometimes and remind you of HIS PLANS – not yours…
We must PLAN to follow HIM – plan to look for HIS PURPOSE…
I am busy – that is not a curse but a blessing. I am OK – being busy is a blessing that keeps on blessing. I am a sharer of time and resources, a connector of people and concepts, a sanguine personality Hippocrates would say of the small section of human population, I am a “Campaigner” aka the 16personalities website based upon the Myers Briggs psychology tests, otherwise known as an ENFP. The source material says the Campaigner is a personality type with “the Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Prospecting traits. These people tend to embrace big ideas and actions that reflect their sense of hope and goodwill toward others. Their vibrant energy can flow in many directions.”
Yup – that’s me – I was raised this way and made this way – it does get tiring but I’ve never been so blessed to see a role for my life… And yeah – to sing God’s praises too that He keeps me in this life.
I’ve written blogs for work and here – and connect my many experiences – purpose-driven means you never run out of experiences. (I am longing for the vacation experience too, LOL). Well yesterday there was a connection I made from a work blog talking about the Foster Kids that we are helping with decorating birthday boxes – and this person saw at work about our help for foster kids in homes – providing them a birthday box of items to celebrate them – we get to color the items and write inspirational messages – we get to help kids we don’t even know… I was amazed when this person I newly connected with at another site (another state) told me about a child in the Foster system and the struggles of more kids than homes available to give them homes. I also read that a Campaigner personality person is more likely to be the person who adopts kids. Well, I thought – well I am not planning to adopt any little kids but I’ve always been appreciative to be with these big kids who are “work kids” – I could be like the Grandma to them – which I have taken on as a mentality for years – be bright – be brief and be gone is the toastmaster’s motto for giving speeches. Well, grandmothers hang in the picture longer.
Grandmothers – I was cleaning out from my friend’s yard sale all the paper accumulation from being a mom of 3 – all the elementary attendance awards etc – kids artwork – papers for report cards – volumes and volumes – and I loved seeing the cards that said – “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!” – I was thinking of that little girl in the foster care system – how much her life is different right now. And I know that my friend needs to get to her daughter (grown up) and grandkids as she moves cross country. HOW MANY WONDERFUL GRANDMOTHERS EXIST THAT HELP THEIR GRANDKIDS!!!! There is purpose in my friend’s moving – purpose in her kids lives and to so many whom she doesn’t even know yet.
THAT’S ALL OF US – YOU TOO – PURPOSE – THE LORD’S PURPOSE – SO KEEP GOING!!!
And then in the pile of stuff – after I had just been thinking of the Tony Awards and wouldn’t it have been nice to have some good old time Broadway ballads like West Side Story on the show – nearly less than an hour later from that thought – in that box of paperwork – was a new unwrapped CD of West Side Story – original cast – I mean what are the chances – in a 30yr old box of papers… What are the odds… There is no odd that could encompass that randomness of not random… I think the angels in the realm of this world like to throw in a reminder here and there that WE ARE NOT IN CHARGE – that GOD IS IN CHARGE – HIS PURPOSE will prevail.
We are to step one day at a time – and encounter the people He needs us to be with.
Lord – today let us keep walking in step with you and do the random things that remind us that YOU ARE IN CHARGE – let us look for purpose of plan and planning – prodding and plotting – poise and performance – and playful purpose too…
Purpose – God’s Got it for us!!!
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
The Lord has been so good to me and even especially to tell me that I am OK – I have the ability to count my blessings, which after salvation is probably the best gift He has given me personally in my soul gratefulness, allowing me to then do everything else in my life…
This is a poem I wrote a while ago in November – “I put away my stressings, to count my blessings”. Funny how I remember writing it but don’t – must be some Holy Spirit inspiration. Now I re-release it for my hardworking friend who is moving her whole life’s worth of stuff across the country – I send this writing back out as a re-release with New HOLY SPIRIT power…
In the yard sale and packing and sorting – we worked HARD over the weekend – and made lots of progress – physically and mentally. Our bodies HURT – hers worse – but made marked remarkable progress. Yes there is more to do but it CAN be done – that is the best thing to know: IT CAN BE DONE… thanks for prayers…
And to work though mental blockages of “this is too hard” – my friend put it in gear when she needed too – the moving momentum of Jesus’s Will within her – and we put the pedal to the metal and “got it done” – THIS was the PENTOCOST of life in movement… She will be sharing with her grandkids all about Jesus, in their language – the language of little kids – and she will inspire others immensely…
Here is the poem I wrote before – so fitting today for many – including myself – “I Saw Today, I Was OK” – editted somewhat from before.
Let us count our blessings – know we are OK.
THANK YOU LORD – our souls know we are OK. I am OK.
Amen
A Poem: I Saw Today, I Was OK
I saw today my neighbor with a repaired broken hip,
No one likes hospitals but seeing her BIG BIG smile was well worth my trip…
I Saw Today, I Was OK.
I put away my stressings, to count my blessings.
.
I felt cold today from frozen toes,
But the cat begged and then was SO con-tent outside, so you know how that goes…
I Saw Today, I Was OK.
I put away my stressings, to count my blessings.
.
I walked today slowly politely behind a man with a crutch.
He had just one leg, a loss I can’t even dream as having such.
I Saw Today, I Was OK.
I put away my stressings, to count my blessings.
.
I held today cash to pay some bills.
I can make plans. I can even plan some frills and thrills.
I Saw Today, I Was OK.
I put away my stressings, to count my blessings.
.
I heard today recorded 911 calls from a school shooting, a voice crying.
A brave 10 year old begging help for the dying.
I Saw Today, in vast comparison, I Was OK, my own children were OK.
I put away my stressings, to count my blessings.
.
I consulted the Lord today.
There is so much UGH in life’s fray.
There’s cruddy stuff on the airways.
Friends turned foes these strifeful days.
We must rise above the crud TODAY. We must choose LOVE today.
.
I consulted the Lord today.
A broken world can not heal in any human way.
So there ARE prayers,
There ARE HOPEFUL prayers.
Why don’t we pray for others today.
Accept our own blessings and say: “I am OK.”
.
When I have called upon the Lord, He gave me peace, He showed me love.
He gave me action or inaction with pondering. He sheltered my day.
He responded to my past jams with His amazing plans. I must believe Him now, He told me He will resolve all my troubles, our troubles, in HIS WAY.
.
I Saw Today, I Was OK.
I put away my stressings, to count my blessings.
.
Let us wait on the Lord and pray.
Amen
—
Psalm 116
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!”
The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
I trusted in the Lord when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”; in my alarm I said, “Everyone is a liar.”
What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.
Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains.
I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord.I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord— in your midst, Jerusalem.
You have made known to me the ways of life;You will make me full of joy in Your presence.
I enjoyed the randomness of Saturday. I try walking by faith not by sight, Saturday makes that easier especially when you put all your whims into God’s Wind – the Holy Spirit to take one anywhere – even just around the corner. We are to walk by faith and insight… which of course isn’t possible for us to know everything that God has going on. Which of course events are not random anyway… because every day is a great day to listen for God and His Direction. And today is celebrating Pentecost. God gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to just do His Will – and to move in His Power – and even to rest in His rest.
I enjoyed enjoying the whole day Saturday, EVEN if EXHAUSTING, by helping my friend with her moving estate sale… Sunday is another busy day with the sale after church and wrapping up stuff as she gets ready to move, prayers appreciated. Honestly these are prayers answered because it’s really happening and progress has been palatable and God given. I appreciate that we don’t live because of a God whim but a God WIN and a God WIND blowing the stress and stuff away. All good things come from God, and this coming together is all good, ALL GOD.
In faith I enjoyed helping, as well as talking to people. The people at the sale included our first customer, a woman from West Africa originally who told me she was so happy as a child and all she had was one pair of flip flops and now as an older adult here in America, she marvels at her own addiction to shoes and why we are such consumers. However her amazing fashion sneakers, name brand, she got at a yard sale for a dollar. I would have to say that as Americans we are consumers but by looking at the piles of things we have, we’re more like those people who have way too much on their plates and they just keep moving it around.
Then there were the metal scrapper guys who were like the best guys in the world SO HELPFUL. They filled up their truck, but also they were moving stuff and helping with other customers to just enjoy chatting in a rainy morning situation when you had a great garage to work in. And wow we had some big storms and big winds but that garage stood still.
I enjoyed my multiple trips to donate items. It’s unique when you roll your car up and they give you a whole big bucket to fill. It is unique when you look at the volume of stuff we have and we could get it for practically free if we just didn’t mind it was used.
OK back to the sale and more interesting people. I found myself putting on a costume space helmet and waving at cars. As it was lunch time by then, and I impromptu made a delivery of an old fashioned push lawn mower, the guy was tickled pink, and even game me a ten dollar tip… with the cash in hand plus I had a twenty, I had the awesome randomness of driving right by the market. Oh! A power outage at a stretch of road made the novelty of pitch black at the market with the exception of everybody’s cell phone flashlights, everybody was orderly, pleasant, KIND even. Funny situation but every one still wanted their food – and had to be more patient with the situation. Everybody seemed to be doing fine. Everybody got their donuts and their barbecue… and hardly even had to wait in line. It was cash only but plenty of people had it. (They said power came back on within two hours.)
Back to the sale and enjoying lunch. More people and personalities – more rain and randomness – more God motivation.
So yes I enjoyed enjoyed the whole day, but wow my back – too much lifting and not enough resting – but that because it is my own fault for not resting… But I was having fun wearing myself out and well, ibuprofen and rest and the Lord brought it back to OK – and to start a fresh day – I am PRAISING that my legs and my back feel so much better and ready to start the day. I also know other people who need prayer so let us pause and pray: Lord, bless, teach, and sustain us another not-random day.
In my recovery, fueled by God, rest and ibuprofen, I can see the devotion right away. One could say that my recovery was IN reconciliation PHYSICALLY. First achy then OK. So how much more could we long for in reconciliation SPIRITUALLY? Broken then WHOLE. In Jesus we are WHOLE. And what will we do between now and when we are back with the Lord spiritually because our then physical situation has finally failed us in death? Well – we will WALK BY FAITH – not by sight… and rest by faith too.
Yeah…
In faith walking by faith each day is in an easy hard way – and man, it is a HARD walk to walk like you think Jesus would walk you and approach interactive situations all the time… It is IMPOSSIBLE for Man but only with God is it possible to keep walking…
We need Jesus to be more like Jesus. That is where the Holy Spirit is here to help!!! Pentecost – the wind of the Lord is the Win of the Lord. Jesus came, Jesus left and Jesus sent an advocate to accomplish His Will in our Work. And His Work is to LOVE. Know we are loved and then love God and love others because God loves them.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ –that scripture is a command and a wish and a hope and a life to live. To be an ambassador FOR Christ is to meet the people where they are, and remind them of the hope that comes from Christ – and GIFTS INCLUDING the self-control, the faithfulness, the gentleness, the JOY, and all those other things that come when the Lord puts His fruit onto YOUR branch of HIS VINE… We can’t do anything without Jesus – can’t do anything AS an ambassador for Christ unless we let Him have His Will… For we walk by faith, not by sight.
I am just now listening to this very energetic and sweet sounding bird outside my window. It is so nice to be able to sleep with the windows open. I think these birds chirp by faith. We should too. We need to sing of Him – LIVE BY FAITH AND INSIGHT!!!
Amen
2 Corinthians 5 NKJV Assurance of the Resurrection For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
The Judgment Seat of Christ Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
Be Reconciled to God For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Acts 2 NKJV Coming of the Holy Spirit When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Crowd’s Response And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
Peter’s Sermon But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him:
‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’
“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
A Vital Church Grows And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
I don’t know how I got started watching but a youtube news reel from the Sept 11th attacks was a REAL reel to me, since I was there in that point of time and remember the events in my perspective. And then I started looking at the map because I have never been to the flight 93 memorial area in the middle of nowhere but somewhere – it is south of Pittsburgh – and actually near a place I went year after year, for camping – and it is not far from Fallingwater the Frank Llyod Wright house.
Well, the park service has a wonderful webpage and after the video, I went and read each passenger on that Flight 93 and what they did – and importantly who they called back home before they decided to attack and fight back “Let’s Roll”… https://www.nps.gov/flni/learn/historyculture/crew-and-passengers.htm
Here are some quotes from the page: “When terrorists took over their plane, Gronlund called her sister to express her love, give her the combination to her safe, and say good-bye.”
and from a flight attendant talking about the passengers (forced in the back who voted to attack the cockpit): “During the hijacking of Flight 93, Lyles phoned her husband, reaching their answering machine. She told him, “I hope to be able to see your face again, baby. I love you. Good-bye.” In a second call five minutes before the crash, the couple spoke and prayed together. Her husband recalls that she told him, “Tell the boys I love them. We’re getting ready to do it now. It’s happening!” “
They were trading their lives for others – they knew that the planes had already hit the trade center towers – they heard on those phone calls. They had to act.
The video interview I watched was with the 2 first fighter pilots (who had no missiles on their planes but scrambled up to the air as immediate as you can imagine) – this interview was 20 years later – and they said they were not armed but willing (and had discussed it) that one would ram the front of the plane and the other would ram the rear. https://youtu.be/3H1JHVI7kCo?si=0kPvv-IDG5YV01cj
The other video was about how the secret service had to delicately tell the president of the situation while in front of school children learning to read – and how he and the press core knew all this (and reacted themselves) and then knew they had to keep their cool for a moment around all these school children – the interesting how they were determined to be calm and collected – and then such interesting photos of the war rooms (for both president and separately the press) set up in childhood classrooms… So interesting to watch 20 plus years later. They had to stay calm and decide how to act. https://youtu.be/ripNNLiSFUY?si=QpSwBFlBh92vb8C4
One could be mesmerized all day by these experiences.
This past week was D-day – honestly we forget even if we did study this over and over – but if you experienced it yourself then you would remember… That memory and that history gets written down and shared. Imagine how much gets lost…. Surreal…
Imagine now how much is saved in the bible – details – down to numbers of soldiers and the songs of prayers and praise around the battles – and around every day activities… This is the workings of the Lord – who traded His life on earth for so many that day – FOR EVERYONE – and traded His whole life for the Word made flesh – the Word from the beginning to the continuing… Imagine too that Jesus decided to trade one life for another – all while keeping us calm and making sure we, as little children, understood and were not jostled into life’s troubles… We may see the troubled reels and reals of life now, but we don’t have to worry about the long term battle – Jesus already won…
Interesting to know our Lord – and it know His Love. A Blessing to know it for REAL and for FOREVER.
Amen
—
1st John 3
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
More on Love and Hatred For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
one more entry from a passenger, whose bible survived
On September 11, Donald Arthur and his wife Jean Hoadley Peterson were traveling to Yosemite National Park in California for a vacation with Jean’s brother and parents. When they arrived at the Newark airport early that morning, they were offered the opportunity to take Flight 93 instead of their scheduled, later flight. Don was the retired President of Continental Electric Company in New Jersey. Volunteerism, driven by deep faith, filled him and his wife’s retirement years. Don worked with men struggling with drug and alcohol dependency. They mentored and supported many in their church and community of Spring Lake, New Jersey. Don grew up in South Orange, New Jersey, had an electrical engineering degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and earned an MBA from Rutgers University. When the Petersons married in 1984, each had three children from a previous marriage. Don’s personal Bible was recovered at the Flight 93 crash site, complete with a handwritten list of men for whom he was praying.
Give up – tired, wondering, frustrated – but Give Anyways.
Give in – don’t try to win, keep the peace, move forward – Give in but Give Anyways.
Give out – broken but ok, survive for another day, give it all away – give it anyway – Give Anyways.
Give until it hurts, Give Anyways…
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Give it a chance, Get everything
Give hope, Get everything
Give glory, Get everything
Give until it hurts, Give Anyways…
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Give generously, Get the idea
Give thoughtfully Get the IDEA
Give idealistically, Give the IDEAL
Give until it hurts, Give Anyways…
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GIVE UNCONDITIONALLY, GIVE JESUS
GIVE WISDOM, GIVE JESUS
GIVE EVERYTHING, GIVE JESUS
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GIVE JESUS, GIVE PEACE
GIVE JESUS, GIVE LOVE
GIVE JESUS, BE JESUS
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AMEN
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God’s Love and Ours 1st JOHN 4:7-21 NIV Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
If we had summer all the time, we would NOT appreciate it.
I am sitting outside, just ate a strawberry from my garden, awaiting the peas. This is an early summer morning, no mosquitoes yet, cat is content in her tent, birds are chirping, God is good.
Just ate a strawberry from the container garden but some in the garden are left, the birds left me some. God takes care of those birds, and surely us. Yes, looking forward to the peas soon and I am reminiscing to remember how quickly things go from flower to fruit. How quickly spring sprung when it did. How quickly it will soon get hot and then how quickly it might fade in the fall. But right now, this is a moment to enjoy.
Last night too, went to our local baseball game, free tickets (with food) for a work perk, not mine but my daughter’s! Cool… I was thankfully there as invited yet third wheel for the “youngsters”, but nice chit chat about architecture stuff, tiles ceilings etc, over summer picnic fare of hamburgers and hotdogs and watermelon, included. Interestingly, her firm was the one that originally worked on that ball park… It is so interesting to partake of something that you are not involved with, but yet you can reap then benefits… I sat later right behind home plate for the last inning, cool…
Isn’t that us and time and summer and God’s blessings. We are partakers watching from behind third base or right nearly in the dugout. We witness the world and yet the Lord wants us to be a part of it. He gets us up each morning to “Play Life!” Even if it is no game…
I watched the little kids at the ballpark and remembered 20 years ago, when my little ones wouldn’t sit still… how far we’ve come in just twenty years. I can’t even remember to appreciate what the fullness of time will be like for us…
If there are nine innings in baseball, some boring some exciting, then life moves the same. This inning is summer, soak it in…
Lord, teach us to number our days and stretch the hours too.
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.
Amen
Psalm 90 NIV
A prayer of Moses the man of God.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting YOU ARE GOD.
You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death – they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.
We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. 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. If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.
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.
It is a joy of math, yes math… I’m a forever nerd of course, loved math club in high school and the awesome topics in a club format was a no pressure tickling of the mind, fun from fractions to fractals… Get your pens and pencils out… Protractors and straight edges. That was 40 years ago now, wow. I just used basic math, just now, to figure out how long ago from my age. Basic math of figures, different than the basic math of figuring out life.
Can we figure out life? (And I’m not talking about the number 42 from the hitch-hikers guide to the universe, nerds)… Life tells us things but Jesus says “Don’t worry” – even about the math…
But math is something you do, you need, you figure out with teaching tools AND RULES. So when my youngest started to get serious interested in furthering education, I started grinning ear to ear, heart string to apron string. It’s not about cutting an apron string but myself being strung along on this adventure to further education to jump into life – to have a future. But oh I have to take this ONE DAY AT A TIME, I’M REMINDED BY THE LORD, take life one day at a time. AND it is NOT my college experience but theirs. (and they have to take it one day at a time too!)
SO, before I can jump in delight on any upcoming trip(s) to visit the place(s) or rush to buy my college mom sweatshirt, first we must do math! Oh, there’s a math placement test. OH MATH!!!!
My youngest asked for my help to brush up on learning. I’ve never been SO HAPPY to be a mom-nerd, nerd-mom in my life. It’s like I can’t help you in teaching you how to cook but I CAN discuss fractions and show the old school basic division AND all the tricks of the trade to simplify fractions and do algebraic equations. But the basic truths I’ve applied mathematically, that I would have learned from years and years of nerd-time, like flipping a fraction when dividing became not good enough of an answer to “WHY” not just “HOW”. Hmmm, a high school grad’s question from something they never absorbed but was rote memorization for me, that is tough to teach. And 40yrs later I can’t remember half the why’s (thank God for Google), and only a part of the hows.
Do we feel like we have been relearning the how? In math and life? We all are. Sometimes one just has rules to KNOW and apply. Sometimes we just live life in the basic figuring out of being blessed without understanding all aspects of God’s complex plan.
Figuring out life is more than basic math, it is complex, we don’t always know the HOW. BUT WE DO KNOW THE WHO!!!
THE WHO IS GOD!!!!
Not “WHO is God?” but “God is WHO”. God Himself, who is a mathematician too (of course He is looking at how complex and rule-following patterns are like swirls in a sunflower), God is in charge and will take care of us – not to worry. Need to figure out life? Just rely on God – LOVE is the answer – the solution for the problems. Love was there from before time – and before math.
Math done for real life is everything from money to cutting an pizza. It comes down to figuring out money often as one of the life skills we apply. We do need to pay the rent and put food on the table, yet we worry obsessively over things and not the basics.
Jesus said don’t worry about the basic math of life, just live it.
Jesus said JUST LOVE – don’t hate – Just live – don’t die – be still and still be.
Jesus says “Don’t worry” – even about the math of life…
I urge the reading of Matthew 6:19-34 NIV – where JESUS KNOWS THE MATH AND MEANING OF TREASURES OF LIFE OF LOVE – JESUS KNOWS THE HOW AND WHY AND ‘DON’T WORRIES’ OF IT ALL.
We number our days – and count on HIM…
Amen
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“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom”. Psalm 90:12
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Matthew 6 – Jesus teaches:
Treasures in Heaven “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
I wrote a meeting reminder on my hand… I told my coworker that I was looking forward to July – the month of VBS – and he was saying how relieved HE WAS that I was not RUNNING a VBS anymore – haha – was it THAT bad? So much that others picked up on the volume of work that stressed THEM out? geez…. I don’t think that it was bad, busy yes, never bad to get focus from the Lord and zone IN…
Well, I know that I had SO MUCH to do during those years – but well YEAH and it was fun too – busy but fun and now I remember it both so far gone in my past and so recently….
And well it was a good chapter in my life – that who knows if someday I will reopen full leader as it was fulfilling – but yeah each year it took much of my summer away – but I don’t regret any moment of it – however this volume of “free time” now is nice too. It is hard sometimes to NOT be in charge but good too, most important is to recharge and do what the Lord needs us (me) to do…
And this year? I told my co-worker, I am not RUNNING any of them but I am HELPING in 3 and a half VBS… yeah well… not running but LOVING VBS… The first one I don’t know yet specifically what I am doing, will have to plug in when asked, second one I think I am doing games in the evening, and third one I know I am doing science and crafts, that’s half planned. and the “half” VBS is just one day with a weekend VBS, I’m looking forward to seeing my friends in Lord’s house over there. It’s never old if new kids are coming.
So yeah, I think it will be a GREAT month – Lord willing – and He often is… Helping but not running and not trying to interfere too much with the running but trying to be an “emeritis” VBS leader almost consultant as well as just seeing where the Lord needs me. One thing for certain – I need the Lord still to direct me, we need guidance and need to be willing to plug in wherever, and these children need the Lord in new ways. Children need the guidance to His Way.
Thank God for God.
In VBS most importantly, I ask you to pray, and God will do all the rest! Please PRAY for the children, parents, volunteers, and leaders. During covid, many VBS was at rest for not knowing what the future held… I recently reopened a closet that I filled and closed and walked away from 6 years ago – but stockpiling essentials and it contains photo displays, tape, chalk, markers, papertowel rolls (LOL), and other VBS “stuff” – which is good stuff. VBS starts with “stuff” and morphs into SOMETHING with the SPIRIT which guides us…
In my old emails, trying to help a new leader but not overwhelm her, I found the old flyers that I put together, the bible buddies and themes drift away from our memories but the scriptures are TRUTHS that never go out of season.And so for VBS this year please pray for leaders of this generation that they want to hear – listening to God to go in a direction, and pray focus right now on getting the kids and getting the volunteers signed up. The supplies are second and the decorations can come third, after you have rolled out your signups, electronic or email or phone call or church outdoor signs… it’s actually true, the more volunteers, the more kids then people can make decorations later. First we pray for the Lord’s blessings in bringing the flock.
Anyways, attached is from my old l training handouts – and that closet – good memory lane – into service – into fun – and into summer (and out of the hot sun)…
Thank you for letting me share – and please do pray for all the leaders and volunteers this year and all the student campers – MAY GOD BLESS THEM ALL.
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.
To have an audience with a 3-year-old is a TREAT, talk to them and then you are going to learn something.
I was resting from many hours of yard work and drove down to my friend’s house to dig up a blueberry bush, gifted from her imminent move. I dug it (there are already blueberries on it!) then resting some more, a car pulls up in the driveway. A man came to look at ladders for sale (this house has a HUGE garage and this upcoming weekend is a garage sale worthy of calling it a garage sale!). Well, right behind him comes not one but two then three cutest little girls, cute cute cute. I am glad that my pausing begat watching this parade of spunky little cute girls. Each child is precious in God’s eyes and ours too.
The dad went into the garage with my friend and the girls asked “do you live here?” – “No, I’m a friend from church”, I replied. I explained that I was the helper that day and clicked into Sunday school teacher mode when they said: “we go to church too”, conversing especially with the 3 yr old and 4 yr old who were intensely interested in the cat. I appreciated the time to watch the wonderful wondering of their minds.
The two youngest had been touching everything all over the patio, stones and trinkets, and intrigued by the pond frogs, and well, using the top of the statue of Mary, her head, to steady themselves while traipsing the balance beam of the garden edging.
Of the youngest, 3 yrs old, I asked: “do you know who that statue is? It’s Mary. Do you know who Mary was the mom to? gave birth to? in the Christmas story?”
A quick, no pause answer came from her mouth (and surely the Holy Spirit): “GOD?” … yes, she said “God” with a 3yr old’s inquiring and reassuring comfort… Yes, pleased as praise, I confirmed “Yes, God…” I can still hear the resonance of that wonderful sound of God’s name from the young babe but old soul.
There was no time for a philosophical conversation about the Holy Trinity, Jesus being God and man, simply she gave an answer to satisfy: “God”… and I thanked the Lord for the girls’ church leaders and teachers, their parents, for all who teach 3 yr olds who then can encourage us with faith. God knows and loves us well before we are born – and we are but to unearth the rich jewels of the Fruit of HIS Labor, like the blueberries to come – they are fruits to be harvested when ready – like the spirit-led thoughts that come out of our souls.
God Loves Little Children, these little children are tomorrow’s teachers, leaders, parents, and forever children of God. Knowing God is first, knowing about God is next, and knowing the stories will confirm their knowledge base. This is where I remind you that summer is upon us and vacation bible school is a GREAT way to teach little ones, and reinforce the Bible messages in yourself. There is nothing greater than to help raise up a child of God – in each of us.
God blesses these little children, and us too.
May we all know how God searches us for His Knowledge, then speak it from the mouth of a 3 year old…
Amen
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Psalm 139 NIV For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. 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? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
A prayer for a sunny Sunday (for giving at church this glorious sunny morning after a week or more of rain)
Thank you, Lord, for giving us pause and we pray You know we are taking a moment to PRAISE. We ask for focus and the Holy Spirit to come – we ask to wash the cares of the world away at this moment. Just like you washed all the pollen of annoyance away with these Spring rains… We thank You Lord for growth possibilities even in the mud of the situation of our lives in a broken world.
May we appreciate, Lord, a RESTORATION of us as Your children, our foundness as lost sheep, and Your willingness to give us everything radically , including salvation through our relationship with You Jesus, so that we will grow in your love and be matured. May we know that You are Our Father in a caring and yet firm certain and devoted Way. And may we know that you take care of us in our worldly needs and most especially in our heavenly ones. May we see you guiding us, lifting us up. May we accept Your guiding hand in the Holy Spirit. May we especially realize that You want us to be heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, and rule with You in Glory.
No matter our present circumstances, rain or sunshine, may we have less earthly complaining and whine – instead turning to You Lord, in appreciation of You as Divine.
Amen
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Romans 8:14-18
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the GLORY that will be revealed in us.
Debbie Upper 