I don’t know about you but yesterday was a great day to dance in the warm weather (yes) also to snuggle in the warm blankets before and after – there was time for both – Saturdays are the best…  And by the evening I was ready to dance the “Monster Mash” – after a “THRILLER” of an afternoon that was great to drive up and see the leaves changing and then sit very laid back camping style… nice…

Another song: “If I Had a Hammer” – Peter Paul and Mary song – rings through my head still this morning from yesterday – so much so that when I hold a hammer that I have to let it out – sing it loud and humble – because life IS about ringing out love between my brothers and my sisters… YES…

And since God is love – how can we do any better work than helping LOVE between brothers and sisters…  

And so after yesterday’s “camping at home” in my cushy life, when I stayed watching TV binge style, with leftover food and a relaxed morning until early afternoon – a respite I had promised myself – I THEN actually GOT UP and DID start cleaning as I promised I would force myself to do – and a good hour and a half maybe – LOL that is all I did, 90 minutes, where I got deep into a pesky section of my kitchen – and took out the window AC – took out icky dusty crockpots from the floor where the plants had dumped leaves – and scrubbed and vacuumed – dishes and laundry… And then got distracted by cleaning outside – prepping for the weather and probably should have given the grass one more mow – oh well – and well it IS October wow – so a warm 60 degrees, you can’t beat that for getting outside stuff done. And this morning is also 60 degrees of tremendous warmth BEFORE the rain comes…  So I just now took out an upstairs window AC and felt the warm wind – which if this was cold March, we would be EXCITED about and running outside to go do planting for spring – we are just funny when it comes to how we relate to the weather – so in my opinion if it is 60 degrees there is no need to hunker down at this temperature in October (except when you want to for rest!!!).

And so yesterday – by 3pm – I got my plans together (treating myself to an outing helped motivate me to clean faster) and then I hit the road travelling with a friend up to see another friend and her whole family camping – yes they were glamping camping in big RVs in the woods at a polished nice campground with playgrounds and fun activities for the kids. It was a PACKED campground even with the threat and promise of rain today – but isn’t that a part of camping fun too? Inside with card games etc? Well yeah – a day pass for a few hours was as close as I would get to camping these days – and so I took advantage to crash their party, LOL (hey brought cookies too.) So yeah – good to hit the road – get a slice of pizza – some cookies – and go north up to near a boulder field area – which we did not climb but hit a few from the side… by “hit a few” – I mean these rocks have special sections that ring like a bell – yeah – unusual… And although I had forgotten my hammers – I found that “LOVE between my brothers and my sisters” meant that other people were sharing with us and had left extra hammers and a sign to borrow and return – NICE…  I mean – isn’t that love – leaving a chance for others to enjoy and pass it on… “Pay it forward”…

Why hammer and ring out and sing out LOVE between my brothers and my sisters? Well, because we are commanded by Jesus to take care of each other and to not let the rain stop us (like the post office still delivers, why can’t we) and we are to be strong and keep working the life of love… Yes the rain is coming (well very hyped, but we have seen rain before, haven’t we?) and Jesus is coming too (we need to share that message – not hype but HOPE)… We are reminded by Paul: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”

Jesus said the love of many will grow cold in end times and He also said that the gospel will get shared widely at that time before the coming of the end – so why shouldn’t we help with both – if it is warm in October – or even cold – let us keep being warm in our hearts and sharing and travelling and hammering (and dancing too) – just keep living – keep preaching teaching and reaching…  and just keep LOVING!!!

AMEN!

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Matthew 24:3-31 NKJV – The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
Now as Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 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. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

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Paul wrote to the Thessalonians (1Th 5:8-24 NKJV)

Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. 

Blessing and Admonition – Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

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Music: “If I Had a Hammer – Peter, Paul & Mary (1962)” on YouTube