The icicles have been growing, every day I can watch them lengthen in my window. If there wasn’t plastic sealing on this window, I would have already grabbed one for fun. This is a real winter for a change, with real snow and real treasures. Isn’t that one of those great childhood joys of winter? Playing in the snow, giant icicles, hitting them with snowballs and sticks. And how long could they grow? Feet long at my parent’s house. How fun to hold one that long without breaking it. My Aunt told me that on the back porch of the farmhouse she has some many feet in length from gutter to ground – I can see them in my mind.

Endless memories of fun formed by the sun. Cycles of heat, sun, cold, making the melting into more.

Isn’t that like thinking about God’s Endless love.  Watching it grow longer and stronger and more than more. It’s forevermore. We can realize His Endless Love is Love in the present, not just the past or future. Love has not ever been anything but Timeless. 

How does God look at us with adoring Love? Adoring Love is unfailing Love even when we are not ourselves unfailing.

Because His Love is from Him, it is Endless and Unbroken like Him. His Love does not depend on us. And because His Love existed for us always, not as love for the world, but love for the workers in the world, it is adoring Love because it is as specific as it is wide. The length of His days are as long as they are short. It is God doing the looking at us in Love so wide, so forever, so deeply from the depths of His Heart. He has memories of our spirit before we are even born. He remembers our youth like yesterday. He longs for us to be home with Him forever. He watches us with love and longing. He is a generous God as much as He is a jealous God. He is God loving not in cycles but forever.

We can watch and reflect on the progress of our life, but God watches the progress of our LOVE. 

Amen Lord, You are Endless Love, Faithful Love, Forever Love.

You are Love.

—-

Song: You Are My Strength  – a favorite we sang in praise band

https://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/you-are-my-strength-hillsong-worship/

You are my strength

Strength like no other

Strength like no other

Reaches to me

You are my hope

Hope like no other

Hope like no other

Reaches to me

In the fullness of Your grace 

In the power of Your Name

You lift me up

You lift me up

Unfailing love

Stronger than mountains

Deeper than oceans

Reaches to me

Your love O Lord

Reaches to the heavens

Your faithfulness

 Reaches to the sky

I don’t take much downtime – but this slowdown and these really cold winter nights plus semi-isolation time and the fact that my one child is off at college, well I take more downtime… The weekends have never been more open. Work is busy but downtime is not – you can only clean this house so many times before you realize it will never get in order.   Instead, a movie was in order – Netflix and the sleeping cat next to me – imagine that…  The story in the movie “Fatima” (actually I googled most of the plot as I watched) is a classic, always watched the old film at Easter time and this version was well done.  Deep complex characters, hitting the same the classic themes: faith needs no data and unbelief can NOT be bridged by anything but faith… Unbelief builds upon itself just as much as faith builds upon itself… Also seemingly hypocrisy feeds itself and unbelief sometimes pushes the thought that belief is only looking for obvious miracles as well as should bring miracles to that person – as if there is a magic of perfect living, of instant answers, and of “plain as day” revelations. But we know that life with faith doesn’t depend upon perfection, our timing or on our sight. We as people should not pigeonhole God and His Godly Ways to fit our boxes. Life with FAITH depends on HOPE, TRUTH, KNOWING, LISTENING, BEING, and of course LOVE. Faith is ours to grab, hold onto, and appreciate. Blindness is not boldness.

Probably the best movie moments (fictitious or not) in this movie rendition are the conversations back and forth of the unbeliever journalist and older Sister Lucia (who lived until her 90’s). He had tough questions that she answered in a stare down of truth. If she didn’t pick at his shell of unbelief, she wouldn’t find or know of his soft spots. We don’t know from the movie if she made any progress on him, but we should all be poking at the artificial shields and praying for unbelievers so that God can make some good soft spots in their hearts towards Him. Work the soil of the non-believers and perhaps something will grow.

There’s interesting intrigue in this story too, yes, SECRETS, things that even the lady didn’t want revealed until the proper time… Predictions of deaths and hell, assassination and war. It’s been said by later interpretations of Lucia’s own words that nothing predicted was unexpected and Lucia only was giving her testimony as plainly as she experienced… As for apocalyptic visions, regardless of timing or placement, if you have read the book of Revelation, you know that it’s NOT gonna be pretty. Enough said.

I have read so little about this story but these people in 1917 knew wartime AND a flu epidemic. They knew suffering. The visions that Lucia recounted didn’t promise a lack of suffering. A favorite movie line is sadly true: people will still not believe even if they look at the face of God. Yet so many faithful do HOPE, they and we believe in hope, however bad a circumstance is. Hope is stronger than any storm. We who suffer little in comparison to those who suffer(ed) much still must believe that faith is the foundation for everything that brings HOPE. Faith keeps us moving, not faith in our own faith, as we are so fallible, but our faith in God’s ability. God still moves regardless of our faith. He doesn’t need our approval or attention, does He? Let’s give it anyway, in faith.

I have faith that all will be revealed at the proper hour. Jesus said, speaking first to his disciples: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” Luke 12:1-3

Therefore, I have no intent to discuss validity or not of any of the Fatima predictions (but I would love to travel there in Portugal as well as Lourdes in France) – I present these theories of the testimonies because they are interesting, with a link to the description of “the secrets”, but really I include the below link and text because I appreciated at least three (and more) statements by Pope Benedict (who stepped down but is actually still alive) describing Fatima’s Lucia: 1) you have to check EVERYTHING against scripture – YES; 2) he spoke of “data” – God coming to man naturally produces the data which allows man to come to God – YES! God knew I needed data for my brain so that my brain then would both stop getting in the way AND participate in the Way. Jesus sees the heart flares rising and comes a calling! and 3) Jesus as God Himself ‘took on a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word.’

We worship best by placing love first, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).  Let us let God have the Last Word, because He certainly had the First.

Amen  

—-

from https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000626_message-fatima_en.html

2 excerpts:

“It is called a Revelation because in it God gradually made himself known to men, to the point of becoming man himself, in order to draw to himself the whole world and unite it with himself through his Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. It is not a matter therefore of intellectual communication, but of a life-giving process in which God comes to meet man. At the same time this process naturally produces data pertaining to the mind and to the understanding of the mystery of God. It is a process which involves man in his entirety and therefore reason as well, but not reason alone. Because God is one, history, which he shares with humanity, is also one.”

—-

“The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this: In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.”

Took an older post, very early post, and made it into a rhyme…posted on my other blog site where I am revamping the earliest posts from 6 years ago – I promised the Lord and myself that I would do this – finally starting again!

https://learningtoflyasadaugtherofgod.wordpress.com/2021/02/24/jesus-our-hero/

JESUS – OUR HERO

Snow, real and deep, is not a show.

Sound-dampening air-pocket filled piles of big beautiful fluffy flakes covering the muddy-ucky ground – preventing hustle and bustle – World Peace mimicked just from SNOW.

Snow = no driving, no school, no work, no fuss, the world takes a rest, you know.

World peace is a wish. Perhaps you might hear God say “Be Still and Know”.

Perhaps you might remember that God makes the SNOW.

Accepting Jesus – He is always wanting us to GROW.

But like waiting for snow, you have to wait until God tells you so.

I thought I would wait years but instead God said “Come-on, GO!”

Naaman not only dipped himself into the river – he had to get out of his own way – he had to 100% completely LET GO.

Allowing God to baptize him – and us – we have to BELIEVE 100% – to become purer than Ivory SNOW.

We have to share our stories – it is incremental – sometimes it feels fast and sometimes deliberately SLOW.

I had a dream of Jesus – asking me to drink from His cup – oh those many years AGO.

And now – I just so appreciate that He is in me and I just want Him to FLOW.

Christianity is a journey – ongoing – forever a trek – no promises for easy walks – sometimes high and sometimes LOW.

Follow Jesus – He is the Way – He is the ultimate in promises fulfilled – He IS our RAINBOW.

Jesus, You ARE our rescue HERO.

YEAH, I am going to enjoy this new Zoom Bible study – there are 4 of us ladies, 3 from the west coast and me on the east… it is nice to be just a few of us so we don’t talk over each other, LOL…

The book “Be Mature” is about the scriptures in James and how James (Jesus’ brother) is teaching spiritual maturity. We are doing one chapter per week – pre-reading and then sharing the reading during the session. But how did I connect with another church a coast away? I got on a mailing list, well they invited anyone to a zoom bible study for the book of James and I happened to have been reading the book of James when that email came thru…. God does not make mistakes, and God can cross the country, why not??!!!…

The moderator explained that she too attends/is affiliated with multiple churches and wanted to put that out there in case people were confused or taken aback. I chuckled as I feel SO BLESSED to be “attending” 2, and catching up with a couple more services later in the week… yeah, God is Criss-Crossing us all in a stronger support network… Let the Lord strengthen and enrich the network of His net! Spiritual maturity means we eat solid foods rather than just spiritual milk, therefore why wouldn’t the church become a hardy strong intertwine of strong branches, and not just sapling trees all competing for the light… the weaving of a basket, enriching the net, vining the garden to bear fruit, making a stronger ONE church…    Cool…

(from the great Monty Python movie, with a few “adaptations” https://youtu.be/-ea_y8zpzqU )

“There it is, the Bridge of Death. Oh, great. Look, there’s the old man from scene 24, What is he doing here? He is the keeper of the Bridge of Death. He asks each traveler five questions. Three questions. Three questions may cross in safety. What if you get a question wrong? Then you are cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril…    “…just answer the five questions. Three questions. Three questions as best you can and we shall watch and pray… I understand, my liege. Good luck, brave Sir…., God be with you.

“Stop, who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ‘ere the other side he see.   Ask me the questions bridge keeper, I’m not afraid.

What is your name?

My name is ….

What is your quest?

To seek Spiritual Maturity

What is your favorite color?

Blue.

Right, off you go.

Oh, thank you, thank you very much.

That’s easy.

…

Stop, what is your name?

It is Arthur, King of the Britons

What is your quest?

To seek Spiritual Maturity

What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

What do you mean? An African or European swallow?

What? I, I don’t know that!

Aaaaaaaaaa.

“How do know so much about swallows?  Well, you have to know these things when you’re a king, you know”….

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (plus some, LOL)   https://youtu.be/-ea_y8zpzqU

…….

What REALLY is our quest?

Saved and accepting Jesus or traversing and being pulled towards that free “grace space”? In all, we are to desire SPIRITUAL MATURITY, moving forward from spiritual milk to solid food to our Daily Bread.

How easy or tough is it to be on a quest for SPIRITUAL MATURITY? Is it really as easy as answering a question about your favorite color and moving on? Perhaps it is just taking life, one question at a time, and answering with truth and NOT be wishy washy (“blue? no yellow! aaaaarrrgggghhh” like in the movie the traveler is tossed into the chasm). Spiritual maturity is just something your Spirit has been wanting your whole life. It means continued daily walking with the Lord and emulating Jesus. Accepting, then doing, living, and maturing.

Is it first necessary that you WANT spiritual maturity? Well sometimes it is thrust upon you like a school of hard knocks, learning to trust the Lord when you especially DIDN’T.  Tis much better to walk along your quest. Tis much better to follow the Leader, Jesus, and answer the questions (“FIVE, no THREE“), just be like He… And actually it’s best to let Jesus answer any question FOR THEE.

“How do know so much about swallows? Well, you have to know these things when you’re a king, you know.” Yes, Jesus knows all the answers better than King Arthur or any earthly king (make believe or not). God knows the swallows and the birds – and God cares for them. Jesus tells us how much MORE we ae cared for.

How do we approach growing? Read? Write? Walk? GROW. We should live to grow. Keep asking “now what?” Better to read ahead in our bibles and walk our faith, ask for direction before we have to ask because we are lost.

My mother recently said simply, when I mentioned my writing was not forced but I just had to do it: “Well, if you can make pies, you make pies. If you write, you write.” She really said that. Yeah. She’s really is a great apple pie maker… How to make a good crust, well that’s from lots of practice and not overworking the dough. She’s an excellent bread maker too. Over work the dough, or underbake it, switch to inferior ingredients, these things will all make a pie crust or bread worse. I guess I have a different task than pie making, and my quest is not necessarily the writing, is BETTER WALKING – it is actually better reading scripture and reading life in the light of scripture… Incorporating and walking WITH the Lord, not anything else. Learn from the Smart Kid. Walk in His path, like sure steps in deep snow.

How similar to the making of pies, to the meat of it. For the writing or reading scriptures, and being walked further into spiritual maturity, is the same: overwork it, under think it, switch to inferior thoughts, these will all make a less desirable impact in you.

Spiritual Maturity? Why do we want it? I think that Life would be overworked, overwrought and have you overstepping your daily bread to overstressing your life into toast. Don’t become toast. Life would be underbaked, raw and less palatable without continued LEARNING and WALKING WITH THE LORD. Don’t stop short of God’s plan for you.  Life would be inferior and made from scraps or fluff or something other than what the Lord feeds us on, HIS WORD. Don’t get distracted by false prophets or worldly things or sugary pie fillings. Life would not be Life to the level of Life without Life IN the Lord… We should all want to work the Word and have the Word work thru us. Jesus IS the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE.

To keep maturing and wanting spiritual maturity – that IS our quest.

What about our daily bread? Isn’t that much more sustenance than food? Bread of life IN the Lord, of the Lord, brings a daily direction and sustenance to our steps: don’t overthink it, under prep it, or look elsewhere. Daily bread is only enough for today, new manna for each man every day, not too much or too little. Don’t save daily bread for tomorrow as it will grow stale, moldy, and NOT a treasure on earth to keep.  Daily bread for TODAY and not for tomorrow’s worries. Tomorrow will take care of itself. As the Lord WILL take your burdens today for today, let Him lead, and then tomorrow He will be there too.

Keep QUESTING the Spiritual Way, not questioning.

Keep the faith not falling behind in our walk.

Keep the Walk WITH Jesus, because HE KNOWS THE WAY.

Cross the bridges of everything in life by KNOWING the Lord.

Knowing the Lord growing IN us, IS OUR QUEST.

AMEN

—-

Proverbs 11

The Lord detests dishonest scales,

    but accurate weights find favor with him.

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

    but with humility comes wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright guides them,

    but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,

    but righteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,

    but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

    but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them;

    all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble,

    and it falls on the wicked instead.

9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,

    but through knowledge the righteous escape.

10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;

    when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,

    but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

12 Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,

    but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.

13 A gossip betrays a confidence,

    but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.

14 For lack of guidance a nation falls,

    but victory is won through many advisers.

15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,

    but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.

16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,

    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

17 Those who are kind benefit themselves,

    but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,

    but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

19 Truly the righteous attain life,

    but whoever pursues evil finds death.

20 The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,

    but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,

    but those who are righteous will go free.

22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

    is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,

    but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;

    another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

25 A generous person will prosper;

    whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

26 People curse the one who hoards grain,

    but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,

    but evil comes to one who searches for it.

28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,

    but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,

    and the fool will be servant to the wise.

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

    and the one who is wise saves lives.

31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,

    how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

I don’t knock the snow or complain “too much” if it snows – God knows why He needs that snow – think of all the things that He could use to get our attention or stop us in our tracks for His purposes… Snow is one of them…  and often we DO see it coming. How can we complain if we know the game.

ICE? well, that is another question – and we seem to get more ice than snow lately, LIKE TODAY, where I sit on the classic ice/snow corridor- but why wouldn’t God use any and all circumstances to His advantage? Ice is even more halting, more stopping power than snow. Ice is nice if you want to skate on it, not brake on it.

I love snow as you all know – but with folks worrying about the snow, I have to share these important blogs to me that were early on in my awakening, where the snow and the ice were CRUCIAL to my awakening… So, I don’t knock the snow, God is IN THE KNOW!!! Your inconvenience may be someone else’s awakening, like mine…

GOD SENDS SNOWFLAKES AT HIS RIGHT TIME. SNOWFLAKES timing may be divine.

Don’t Knock the Snow, God is in the Know!

Snow is divine! Just ask Job if he knows!

—————-

blogs where I KNEW God was pushing me more mature in my faith

https://debbieupper.blog/2015/12/23/god-decorated-my-christmas-tree-27jan-42/

#42 God Decorated my Christmas Tree, 27JAN 2015

Oh crud (not the word I used)…I just realized that this is nor’EASTER snow…not Christmas snow but Easter snow….guess Easter’s roller coaster is here for me to start my ride…  😉

I see God decorated my Christmas tree even more beautifully then I could have ever done…. Countless tiny decorations…Not the snow amounts I expected, but the snow I needed, and it’s still coming…and I thank God for SNOW and Christmas…

—-

https://debbieupper.blog/2016/01/30/sheds-snow-be-still-and-know-that-i-am-god-20mar-101/

#101

Sheds, Snow, Be Still and Know that I AM GOD, 20Mar 2015

“Be still and know that I am God.”    I think about that scripture a lot… and yet I’ve always thought that doesn’t mean I have to be idle. I was thinking so much about God, about me, about the church, and about bringing people back into the church… and about the conference I’m going to tomorrow about why people leave church.

Maybe we should ask why people stay in church rather than why they leave church. Maybe people are not being fed with spiritual wholesomeness, maybe they just don’t have time for light church activities, maybe they stay when they really feel connected.

If I hadn’t reached out with my faith questions I wonder how long it would have taken for someone to ask me (in love): “Hey there, Debbie, where are you with your faith?”  You know, I think people really had already asked me that, perhaps I really didn’t hear them talking to me!  An early person to whom I told about my faith questioning said something like: “Oh, you are a church leader… we really are not doing a good job of tending to our own are were?”. But well, it’s OK – no one knew – I know that everybody’s busy… it’s not really anyone’s fault…it’s no one’s fault that we are so busy… there’s so many people to attend to….  If I felt the time in the place to question to vocalize my struggles years before, I wonder if I would have done it. It took me awhile to get over this embarrassment of my faith questions. So, who knows where I’d be now…. it was God’s timing – not mine and certainly not anyone elses…. It’s always God’s timing… God took the corrective action on me now, after I was already well established in my church community, so maybe I’m the one that is supposed to now ask you people, you friends, “Where are you in your faith?”

People say read your Bible everyday, I didn’t… I did certainly talk to God everyday and I had just said to myself:  ’well I get devotions emailed to me everyday… I see God everyday… the bible scriptures seem to come to me while I am moving asking on this life… do I really need to pause to read??? I really am only idle when I write…. “… Well it was JUST then, immediately, that God ANSWERED my question. See, I’ve been cleaning out the shed and talking to God….you know idle hands do the Devils work, right? and for me moving hands frees my brain to think, and to talk with myself, and to talk with God. I had just finished getting the shed ready for somebody who is currently homeless and we are going to store some of his stuff. It’s okay we have some room. But that’s NOT why God blessed me in His attentiveness. That’s not why you are blessed. It is not the good works that cause God to give us Grace… We have it already. God made us human to get work done – He gave us two hands, two feet, a brain and He certainly gave us a mouth.   Sometimes we are to use our mouths to comfort and sometimes to keep quiet….when we know that we could say something, but the fact that we don’t speaks more volumes… Maybe we are to ask somebody everyday “where are you in your faith?”  and then shut up and listen..  I had just finished these GOD thoughts when I walking back to the house… it starts SNOWING! I stopped – cold – dead in my tracks. God, I really stopped, I was truly shaken to a stop… for two maybe three minutes looking at the small precious unique snowflakes.

Stopped IDLE in my tracks… looked up in tears and said:  “Thank you God, for the snow….Thank you God, for listening to me… Why did you choose me to witness your glory? Thank you God… for making me still and know that YOU ARE GOD.

Be STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD.

—–

More snow blogs:

In my last few days of awakening and not being at 100% yet with Jesus – I was an emotional softening heart… God knew me to place me with the right people, who knew His heart but didn’t know what was going on with me… here’s a crucial one:

https://debbieupper.blog/2015/12/23/and-god-sent-ice-18jan-32/

#32 (connected  to #31 before this)

This is an important follow up to last night’s post… It is not lost on me that while hot tea would be appropriate to drink here on the cozy couch by the Christmas tree (I wrote this after the Ice storm) that instead the extra drink from my kids’ happy meal is (yes) ICE tea…I am drinking ICE tea…

And God Sent ICE, 18Jan2015

After my fails at belaying and trusting during rock climbing, I couldn’t wait to get back this morning to try again. Luckily we stayed overnight; I had good therapy of silly moms until 1am, a good solid five hours sleep. We had 2 hours to climb in the morning. but I knew I had to leave an hour early to get to church class… and because of Girl Scout falling ill with fever, I was leaving even earlier – which meant only half an hour of climbing for my daughter… she was not happy at the least because rock climbing appears to be her life calling now…

But then God sent ICE. Icy freezing rain covering everything… Church  at 8 o’clock cancelled 9 o’clock canceled… I zip through social media , phone calls, texts … will my 10 o’clock class be cancelled too?.. prayerfully hoping (not that we should have left anyway because the roads were the worst…  shut down, many car pileups)…ICE…terrible to say, but the JOY as I knew they would cancel, and they did…I could tell my daughter that she could climb the whole two hours…and climb she did, wow she is amazing!

After the flurry of texting etc about church canceled, I turned my attention to myself…it was time to retrain, refocus, retest …it was time to belay again, this time I was so determined, practiced and said I will belay my own daughter…I will never take my eye off of her…I would give my whole hand to keep her from falling…not worry about a possible pinch like I got last night. Well, she was too exhausted, I asked for a volunteer…guess what?  The daughter of my friend who I left hanging last night when I pinched my hand…she is the one who volunteered…yes I would give my hand for this daughter too…

With steady, even-keeled serious Keith our trainer, by my side, we started the test…she climbed, I belayed, I gave her advice for foot holds…I had good technique Keith assured me…I didn’t take my eye off her… She was to randomly fall four times in my test…she did, I found the right position for my hands…I didn’t drop her or forget about her…I saw her safely back to the wall…and safely down when we were done. I passed. No, I didn’t make a fuss…quiet victory, humbled achievement.

Now that I am certified, and my daughter will be wanting to go to the climbing gym, I know there will be more pain and pinches ahead…but I have better technique, better focus…it is not just rock climbing I am taking about…it’s counseling, it’s reaching out to people, it’s LIFE. Focus on your technique, never lose sight of the climber, keep the faith, and pray for God’s guidance.

The ice gave me extra time to climb my personal mountain, made us slow down and not be over confident on our drive home… And on my ride home, one of my teenage passengers was named Grace. I drove home with Grace, the free and unmerited favor from God.

Thank God for the Ice and the Grace.

——

And more with snow

https://debbieupper.blog/2015/12/23/rain-a-floating-rain-18jan-34/

so close to Feb 1st – God was softening my last ice blocks to 100% – I felt the ice jam ready to go…

https://debbieupper.blog/2015/12/23/weird-dreams-snow-and-jesus-26jan-41/

I woke up in the edges of a dream where I saw dangling letters, chunky cartoon-like letters in upper and lowercases, hung on strings, blowing in the breeze hanging from the roof of my mind (wow what a cave!)… I guess these letters dancing will remind me to finish this writing of how the Word’s word “genuineness” looked like “gentleness” to me in my reading:

It’s not unusual for me to multitask, not just with my hands, but in my brain I might have 3 conversations at the same time. Yup. That’s why music that fills 2/3 of my brain possibly keeps that part busy and allows that last third of my brain to get work done.

I read this passage as my brain was mulling over what I could say to my family members (really anyone) about their belief in an afterlife, about knowing and acknowledging Jesus. Many of us wonder how to share and see someone’s commitment to Christ within our family and friends. Really, except for the obvious oblivious, it is unknown to use whether some people are saved or not, we can’t measure their mustard seed of faith, as Jesus does the judging,  we just do the nudging… and in my triple tasking mind, one third sleepy, one third talking to myself, it was in the third third that God morphed an important word: “genuineness” appeared as “gentleness”. YES, as it is the Spirit directing me to continue sharing faith, the Spirit is also reminding of nudging in GENTLENESS (as well as GENUINENESS)… Maybe my eyes morphed and SAW “Gentleness” in the softness of my heart, but I know in my soul that the Word which does NOT change, and the Word brings clarity.

Gentleness is what happens when genuineness in faith gets you thru the trials of life. Peter’s 1st letter (ch1 v6-8) is where my morphing eyes probably got the other letters from these dangling in the breeze thru my swiss cheese mind:

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven GENUINENESS of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”

Faith by fire is almost a guaranteed position we are placed in… but either you are IN the fire (ouch) or near it’s warming warmth (ahhhh…). So genuine gentleness, AND real witness of saving grace, will demonstrate that your faith IS more valuable to you than gold… and gold is VERY valuable as a solid rock of interest. Well, our rock of faith is unseen but joy-filling. Our rock IS Jesus the Christ. Our lives sometimes inside a rock tumbler, but our faith is what is shined, genuine-ed and refined…

Another rock reference: Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ … and, ‘A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’   They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for.  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1st Peter 2

I love how God uses real tangible things like rocks to describe Himself and His plan… ESPECIALLY since He doesn’t want us to listen to the rumblings of loose rocks in our head but feel the FIRM Rock of Faith in our souls, the Rock which makes us stumble when we don’t listen or obey, the Rock who rocks our perceived notions of God, and the Rock of which we are to build our faith upon. The Rock of Jesus…

Jesus is genuine gentle God.

Jesus is the rock that stumbles and saves.

Gentleness is not catching more flies with honey, gentleness is about being yourself (and gentleness in my family is treasured) – so gentleness is genuine for me. We are also to hear the rattling of the reminders that the unsaved are running out of time, and hear loud authoritative types warning of accepting salvation, saying: “repent or die!”…

I love this cartoon posted recently (attached) which shows a doomsday prophet’s day job with an orange hardhat in a construction crew, his sign says: “The bend is near”. Well, we could look to the end of life or even the next bend in life, the next tumble in the rocks of our life tumbler, OR we could find our Rock of Faith in Jesus, build on it and make straight the path for Him, to Him, with Him… then, you who believe in him and have received His mercy can be “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”

We can be the gentleness of HIS genuineness – and warm (and warn):

THAT THE END IS NEAR BUT THE SAVIOR IS HERE.

Amen

I have come across Psalm 139 like 3 times in the last couple days…  I think it is one of the best psalms since it really hammers home the message that we are God’s and He will find us. He loves us so much to hunt us down. He knows everything… and David prays what we all should pray: if there is anything offensive in me, set me straight, lead me to everlasting.

What makes this psalm more real to me is when I am singing it (verses 7-10). I would raise my right hand to grab His so strongly – He will never let us go, but I still think it is SO important to hold on tight.

I appreciate that verse: even the darkness is light to you. We think about times when we are not sure what the next step is, how this life on earth will go down for us, and we wonder sometimes: “what am I missing here?” Well, God knows the words before we speak them, He is watching us react to the Light He unveils for us, He thinks about us endlessly. He also wants us to realize that “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” This means we will be alright. Remain the Lord.

God’s knowledge of us is from before we are born. He Himself knits us together – no one given to Jesus will fall out of His Hand. We may get scared into Holy Fear if we stray, but Jesus won’t let us go.

Psalm 139.

God knows… Jesus holds… the Spirit flows…   

Amen

——

Psalm 139 For the director of music. Of David.

1 You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you’re there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will [bring me home] hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
15 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.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

The mystery of God becomes so clear when you look behind the curtain: IT’S LOVE. 

When Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz appeared before the “all powerful Oz”, she quickly realized the Oz man was not a god but a man putting up a bluff. “Don’t worry about the man behind the curtain.” He had to separate himself to look powerful. Well, there was no great power or purpose except for the make believe. He may have thought it was because the world of the Emerald City wanted a great and mysterious ruler, but Dorothy quickly found out that there was no power and he couldn’t help her, nor could he even control his hot air balloon. But he helped the others, the tinman, lion, scarecrow, realize that they always had what they desired. Wisdom is a gift to all of us, if we ask for it.

We might see some mysteries, but those blinded by glitz will look for escalating glitz. How defeating it is if the mystery becomes fake. We should desire to see plain truth.

In faith, we can see thru fake. We can and will see real truth when we start walking with opening eyes.  We can especially feel the truth when we let our eyes of the heart lead us, not the eyes on our head. We can see and know the mystery of the Lord includes what we don’t yet know, not what does not exist, but what we have yet to see. We don’t have fake or need to fake anything, we have REAL truth to love, real hope to honor, real Spirit to guide, and real love to share.  The great mystery of all, Paul writes to Ephesians and to us, is “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep IS the love of Christ, and to know THIS LOVE that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God“…. YES, how intense the LOVE IS, how lovely GOD’S LOVE IS. These are mysteries of faith, but as real as real can be. 

And we have direct access, no curtain, no separation.  The temple curtain which separated the people from the innermost chambers of worship was the most thick. It split right thru when Jesus gave up His Spirit and died. There was and is NO barrier to God, no blockages for our travel. There was no mystery behind the curtain that we cannot see, we just haven’t been around long enough to know everything. But there’s NO mystery that behind the mystery of God is LOVE.

“My anchor holds within the veil” – we are to ENTER into the inner chamber, we are to anchor our lives IN that love of God from God. He loved us first. We are to worship in Spirit and Truth because God IS ALL these. Jesus revealed that thru Him, and our acceptance of His invitation, we will NEVER be separated from the LOVE of God.

That’s what’s behind, below, around the curtain: LOVE 

No doubt, real TRUTH is that Jesus is BOTH the “mystery” to those who only could prophesy about His coming but did not live to tell of the actual coming – and that Jesus was and is the mystery IN us, who’ve come to know that His Spirit in dwells in us.

Paul discovered and wrote about this truth – We hold the MYSTERY of faith, Jesus, right inside us. We are the ones who get to learn by living thru Him. 

We learn that with God, it’s ALL LOVE.

Amen

—–

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. Paul to the Colossians 

—–

Matthew 27:50-54

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Cake is cake. It’s still cake. 

I had to decide what impromptu birthday treat I would bring to work. Yes, I can bake elaborate or simple cakes, I can buy cakes. A question of time or money or convenience or shelf life (not just flavor). And yes, I am too frugal and want to make a dollar cake over buying a $20 one from a store. BUT, it is covid time and the convenience of single serve cupcakes that they can “trust” seems better. Nowadays in healthier eating, we can skip the cake and carbs but when it’s a birthday, a “token cake”  is the visual sweetness you like to see… and if it surprises someone out of the blue or seems very specially made for us (like from our mom), it is special. OR if it’s not even wanted, any cake for remembering others and being remembered, it is nice. Cake is a personal take.

Doesn’t even matter if you bake or not. Maybe the sight of cake melts our moment.

It doesn’t have to be an elaborate cake, from scratch, the best bakery, the most expensive, or the smallest cutest cupcake. It is the thought counts to the thinker and the receiver. But to the basic birthday, it’s still cake.

It’s still cake.

Ever put a candle on a can of catfood for your cat? It’s still cake for a cat? It’s still cake. 

Remember that you were born and still live well? That’s having your icing on your cake.

Ever think about your faith in Jesus? Does it matter how you come to know Jesus? NO. Coming to Him is the only thing at stake. Childlike faith reborn birthdays make!

Eyes opening to see Him, ears opening to hear Him. Saving Grace is His gift to you on your birth in Him. Know that He already knew you – that is like having cake and eating it too.

Does it matter how brainiac book smart your knowledge of Him is? No. It’s enough to just know and believe. There’s the dividing line: you have to BELIEVE, not just be familiar. You have to have firm faith, not just a fancy for it. You will want to see, hear, and taste of your salvation. Jesus just needs your faith.

It’s still faith. 

It’s faith.

It’s still Jesus. 

It’s Jesus.

Amen to Faith – Amen to Life – Amen to Jesus – He says to rebuild the Kingdom is at stake.

Salvation Makes Rebirth Birthday Cake

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1st letter of Peter 1-9  “…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

---

FAITH.

It doesn’t matter your preparation, your expectation or even if it came as a SURPRISE.

In faith it matters for you to have OPEN EYES.

It matters feeling His Birthday inside you ARISE.

Accepting Jesus is the re-birth PRIZE.

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Your sin is what Jesus takes. 

Don’t let life’s trials take your cake.

Eternal Life is forever yours if you Faith partake.

Jesus our lives we forsake.

Reborn in You Jesus, Salvation Makes.

Jesus Reborn in You, Salvation Makes.

Your sin is what Jesus takes. 

Don’t let life’s trials take your cake.

Eternal Life is forever yours if you Faith partake.

Jesus our lives we forsake.

Rebirth in Jesus Salvation Makes.

FAITH.

It doesn’t matter your preparation, your expectation or even if it came as a SURPRISE.

Rebirth by faith makes you have OPEN EYES.

It matters that His Birthday inside you did ARISE.

Accepting Jesus is the re-birth PRIZE.

You Noah, 02FEB

(Best first spoken to get the rhyme “you knowwa”)

You Noah you are goingna have to WAIT. 

You Noah there’s a big snowstorm out there.

You Noah this snow represents anything you are excited about but takes forever to get here.

You Noah this snow represents anything you dread but can not change. 

You Noah this snow represents anything you have to WAIT OUT.

You Noah it’s all in your attitude. 

You Noah it’s not done snowing. 

You Noah it was coming. 

You Noah it would take a while. 

You Noah that you had to prepare. 

You Noah that you would be stuck in the house. 

You Noah you really could get out but shouldn’t. 

You Noah it’s ONLY snow. 

You Noah you were safe at home.

You Noah you are not supposed to be bored but be blessed. 

You Noah it is weird to be stuck.

You Noah it was a LONG storm. 

You Noah you just had to sit it out.

You Noah that someday it will thaw.

You Noah this too shall pass.

You Noah you used to be more excited about the snow. 

You Noah that you’ve a long way to go. 

You Noah time will pass.

You Noah that God’s got this. 

You Noah you will just be alright 

You Noah, just sit tight.

Noah, be alright. 

Right.

1062

Sunday, yesterday, I went to the 911 Garden of Reflection, knowing the high probability of all being snowed in today Monday FEB 1st, my 6th anniversary of knowing that I was 100% believing in Jesus, February 1st 2015… The same place I visited on that day I knew… I reflected that the Lord had changed me forever over the course of 2 intense months writing, praying, awakening (see writings 1-50, 1000 writings ago).

You could say that IT IS MORE IMPORTANT that I LIVE IN THE PRESENT, but I like to REFLECT on where the Lord has taken me. Reflecting is not looking back as much as looking at the trajectory the Lord has taken me on. Six years, huh? A lifetime with His lifeline…

But I didn’t feel major tears or grand moments at the park, like previous years… it started to snow and my reflection at the word “reflection” made me realize that if you look at any light or object beam as it enters a pool of water, when the pool is calm, it will appear back as a clear beam of REFLECTION. An inflection reflection. A reflection out from what goes in. We are to reflect the Light of the Lord, and if the water is calm, all the better the picture we have of Him beaming in. This is NOT novel an idea, but if I think of the calm nature of a pool as a calming of my seas, I think about His peace, and how these 6 years have passed Him thru me for me, to be more into peace. I have to believe that I am much more calm but I HOPEFULLY am not any less ON FIRE. (And yet, you know that we ALWAYS could become MORE ON FIRE.)  It’s the PEACE of the Lord in our souls that allows us to see Him more clearly AND reflect and beam Him more clearly. The fire intensity will send the beam as far as the Lord takes it. 

My beam angle/direction has changed, the direction has pivoted, but my reflection has stayed strong. It is normal how many reborn people mature, their beam will change in angle, but they are to NOT cloud their view of Him. Our work for the Kingdom often changes direction. Mine includes still writing, but the VBS years, Sunday school years, UMW years and praise band years were angled in my past and they are not my current beams. I will re-beam some of those at some point, I will plan new tracks but TODAY I will be ok to beam just in the angle in which the Lord has me positioned, and beam strong.  And there will be new directions. Pray I hear Him just as clear as He urged Peter: “… Do you love me? Feed my sheep. Strengthen the others”

In looking at the statue I-beam of the Trade Center, placed as a rememberance. Is it angled into the ground or out of the ground? Interesting thought of perspective. Both or neither, or who knows.  Different thought: if the Lord is Light into and onto our path and the Lord DOES NOT CHANGE, then it doesn’t matter if His light is going into you or out from you, it doesn’t matter the angle, it is STILL from Him. Lighting your path to Him or with Him or service outwardly from Him, in one beam angle or another, it’s still a guidance with the same Spirit. He’s working ALL angles. And our reflection of Him should hold as true to Him as possible. 

Before I left the garden, not with grandiose instructions or inspiration, I caught the sight of a bird, a ROBIN, in my view. It’s a snowstorm, it’s January, it’s winter, it’s an early sign of spring? Sure these birds travel less these warm years, not a surprise in my eyes but a prize view to my heart, this bird, me, we are taken care of. Is this bird hungry? What can I feed it? Is that the message in a whisper? I think so. Be still the active bird, taken care of and giving hope, like a robin, for others. I will always look forward to the spring but enjoy the present. I will hope, to see and share paths moving forward in serving Him, and I in the present am alive to serve. The bird, taken care of helps me look to the spring, forward. How could it not be a message that sharing HOPE to those who need it is CRUCIAL, especially this winter. Sharing HOPE still is the future direction the Lord is taking me, taking all of us: HOPE COMES VIA HIS WAY…It’s winter, turn your fire of the heart up.

Yes, HE IS A GOD WHO WHISPERS so that we PAY ATTENTION… Look, lean in to hear Him.

Yes, HE IS A GOD WHO WHISPERS, not screams, so that your peace stays intact, and your reflection pool is calm, and your vision of Him, as well as reflection of Him, stays most CLEAR. Look, lean in to see Him.

Reflect IN the Whisper.

God WILL take care of me/us. 

God needs me/us to give others hope. 

God encourages a true and clear reflection of Him.

God knows we need to go strengthen the others.

Feed My sheep. 

“Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep… Then he said, “Follow me!”

AMEN 

I whisper amen…

I stumbled upon a PUZZLE, Noah’s story is SO interesting and yet we have SO little information and REALLY we have NO IDEA what Noah and his family mentally went through!  How could we know what 100’s of years of life would feel like! What I do know is that while reading further into the story of Noah’s preparations for the flood as directed by Jehovah, the scriptures mention 7 sets, not only 2 pairs, of animals… see the scriptures below… I AM NOT KIDDING…  “seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.”

RIDDLE ME THIS NOAH, how come no one remembers that!

So 2 by 2 in multiple sets (for the clean animals) is a possible scenario of how we have embedded 2 animals into our mindsets. OH, this might help the math of the geneticists who have always been scratching their heads at diversity by so few starting animals. Perhaps, maybe, I don’t know, the multiple sets allowed for a food source (or maybe they took dried meats with them in the preparations), it turned out to be a year on the ark, maybe they stayed vegetarian as a friend suggests, but if Noah had anything like my son’s eating habits, beef jerky was a staple. But really, we have SO LITTLE UNDERSTANDING of how the Lord keeps this planet spinning let alone how every creature came into being. I believe the Bible is Truth and whatever we believe or don’t understand does NOT diminish how the Lord did it all.  I believe that we will learn what we need to know, when I need to know it – which is NOT necessarily now. Maybe that backstage pass, that I have been asking the Lord for, will appear in Heaven for me, maybe I won’t even worry about it then! What we DO need to know is to NOT pigeonhole the Lord into what WE think is possible… Noah lived to 950 years old, let us pause for a moment and say how CRAZY that is – and Noah was hundreds of years old when he built the ark and building it alone took 100 years!!!!!!!! (I don’t feel as bad about my untouched sewing pile anymore, but Noah probably worked every day on that ship.) So, Noah was not just an anomaly of old age, all those people must have lived so very long, his ancestors certainly did. In the sad drifting of the people away from the Lord, Jehovah started to limit life to ONLY to 120 years. However, Noah stayed committed to the Lord, and thus the Lord was so pleased with this Noah – decided to save him. Then God told Noah about preparing for the flood…. 

God didn’t tell Noah the details of the flood, only how to prepare for it. 

We should listen to this – we won’t know WHAT will go down in the future, but we do know to trust the Lord to carry us thru.

This all being a puzzle – a mystery – let us try not to over worry what we don’t understand – especially since we ONLY have up to 120 years here on earth (likely only 80 or so with my family history).  In this mystery, we will just wonder… In the meantime, let’s think like Noah and just remember that God asks for our faithfulness for a VERY LONG TIME. We are to wait on the Lord, just like Noah, faithful and active all that time. Plus, the Lord gave him resources and direction and preserved him and his family on that unknown boat ride for a whole year to save him. The unknown ON the boat was but a fraction of that 100 years that it took to build the ark. And that one year was only a fraction out of nearly 1000 years that Noah was alive. So, if you were counting the days, which they probably didn’t have time for in the time of Noah, this one year on the ark and the 100 years building were time well spent. 

Therefore, looking at our ordeals and the troubles and the rocky boat rides, we MUST remember they will only last a short number of days in comparison to our Lord’s forever and His forever for us…  Our issues are but to strengthen our resolve that the Lord will solve not the issue but provide for the petitioner…  

Keep praying, Keep reading, Keep the faith!

AMEN

—–

PS – attaching the email conversation when I had to check my eyes with my biblical professor friend…. Never keep your questions quiet – I believe that we CAN ask and reach for resources, this is how we all learn. i WILL NEVER KNOW ENOUGH BUT THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT – I WANT TO KNOW THE LORD AND HE IS ENOUGH.

AMEN!

——–

HERE IS SOURCE MATERIAL:

Genesis 6:5-22

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah and the Flood, 

This is the account of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Genesis 7:1-10

The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.

Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.  Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. And after the seven days the floodwaters came.

I have not truly hunkered down but I certainly have nested in more this year and lately… Subtract one kid away at college and I am blessed and bothered by the silence, wow… I am not sad but reminded to make hay in the sunshine (be busy) and just be. After my scripture readings, in the book of James, I just now finished watching a tremendous National Geographic show: walking the whole Grand Canyon, 200 plus miles by river is actually 700 plus miles by foot. Wow. (the show on Disney Plus).  Breathtaking, beautiful, bold landscapes and thought provoking discussions about development and economic growth compared to sacred land and preservation… how blessed to be nestled and on the move. 

Isn’t that bible reading too? Nestled but on the move. “Even angels long to look into these things.” Yes. How could we not?

One documentary hiker, hiking four segments in four times over the course of a year, stated that he learned humility and insignificance of one person, him, and saw mental layers of himself removed, which changed him as a person.  Amazing and awesome… 

I found his insignificant observation significant, because in the all vastness of the Grand Canyon, even we, small as we are, are all part of all the vastness of God. Spiritually, significant importance is that God’s Word is With Us, ALWAYS. So, as we decrease importance of human us in our layers, more and more we can discover that we are His. As we lose layers of our humanness, we expose our deepest core, bare bone, soul of Spirit and Truth. He is in us. He walks with us, but most importantly, He walks us.

I would like to hike, camp, be outside warm. (Snow storm coming tomorrow, “camp me” will stay at base camp… ) Imagine sleeping outside under the ribbon of stars. See it all. Be. But even if I travel, I won’t walk myself any fraction of a distance compared to how far He will walk me.

At base camp, I still sit and be absorbed in the vastness of all, while still on my couch. Where can I go in my quiet self? Walk the Word. Read the Word. Stay in Spirit shape. 

I am reading methodically thru the bible, in James right now as well as 1st Samuel. So, if I read thru the WHOLE bible, even in segments, it’s amazing to know there are vast places where He will take me. This is especially since it is not me reading my bible as much as THE BIBLE IS READING ME. What? Yes. Our bible scriptures are reading us. The Word, OUR WORD, works thru us because the Word wrote us into His love. He knew us first.  Jesus is the Word, walk His Way and He will walk you His Way too. 

Jesus will walk you His Way. Wear good shoes. 

In the Grand Canyon, they would die without water and food sources. We too. We need Spirit Source-water. In the Grand Canyon, the river of water flowed and formed the land. We too. We are cut from His Rock, water etched in His image. In the Grand Canyon, they captured photos and video, images and emotions, imagined life and death. We too. We are imagined into life from His death, reborn into His new life making us whole by way of Heaven. We are the captured ones. We are the Walk of His WORD. 

Where is Jesus taking you? Enjoy His View.

Amen

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1Peter 1:16

If I didn’t know the Lord, I would be super super bored.

If I didn’t know the Lord, I might be driven crazy or overboard.

If I didn’t know the Lord, I probably wouldn’t even write. 

And whether my writing was in rhyme or not, it would lose the point, right?

But we do have the Lord, and the Lord has us. 

So, I write and so I rhyme thus.

If I didn’t know the Lord, I would be a super glum Gus.

If I didn’t know the Lord, I would probably make such a fuss.

But now we DO know the Lord, now our whole living in Him becomes a plus. 

We DO know the Lord, oh my what good from Him we can discuss. 

We DO know the Lord, our hope in Him sets up framework to life, us living in trust.

We DO love the Lord, we can live for Him, for He lives in us.

Amen, Amen for us

I keep thinking how Jesus offers the Way, but many are just ignorant of His Way, or blinded, or going to wait to commit. I don’t fault any of them any more than I fault myself for not knowing that Jesus was calling me. For 45 years, I didn’t stop to answer the phone, perhaps I thought it was a call for someone else. Maybe I listened in like a partyline but didn’t hear my name clear. I heard when He got my number– He ALWAYS had my number – I could see from the caller ID that He was calling for me.

We do worry about those who might hear the callings yet push the HOLD button. I also worry they, like me, are hearing too much SPAM. I was one asking in trying to be understanding faith within the noise: “Where’s the beef?”

Jesus is Legit.

Like the rich man who was asked to give things up to physically follow Jesus, people don’t know how much control to give away. They can’t even know what they are missing if they don’t know what to ask for? Maybe puzzled by missing bits, they need simply to hear more. Actually, they have to hear TRUTH. And totally they have to trade human reasoning for increasing FAITH. And FAITH means trusting the Lord to provide the Way. Jesus is Legit. 

Recently on the news, there were 6 extra vaccine doses in a car stuck in snow that left a mega clinic when they got stuck in a traffic backup, they offered the doses to others stuck in the jam as well, so they wouldn’t go bad. How random would you feel if someone knocked on your window and said: you want this free shot?  How bizarre… Trust them? but perhaps all seemed legit. One lady was stuck in snow making her way TO the appointment and here the shot made it to her. Her blessed lucky day even stuck in the snow. I imagine it all seemed legit. 

Jesus is like that too. You can come to Him, or He will come to you when you are stuck. You will know His voice. He WILL knock on your window. He will ask for your TRUST. Jesus is Legit. If you doubt, He will show you His scars. If you wait, He will wait with you. If You listen, He will speak. 

Jesus says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”

Some people, like someone I overheard in the store this week, are WAITING for what they perceive is a BETTER vaccine shot or one they TRUST more, based on their own reasoning. Surely, we must walk into faith with our eyes open, and Jesus asks us to TRUST HIM based on FAITH and NOT our own reasoning.  Some people will take any “messiah” they can get. That’s dangerous if you don’t look clearly for pitfalls or deceivers, backroom money makers, too good to be true deals. The Book of Revelation says watch out for deceivers, watch out for falsehoods.  Well with Jesus, it’s not who you know but if you know your WHO. Jesus is the WHO. And reading scripture and checking everything you hear against scripture is the BEST PLAN to discern HIS VOICE from deceivers (see 2nd Peter). Know Him above the noise.

Some simply just don’t know what to do, for vaccination OR salvation.  Some will wait.  With Jesus, there’s more than enough for everyone. But yes, there IS still an issue of running out of time!

Jesus wants to be known, and we have to search for Him, but He is really easy to find because He was stored directly for us. He is buried in us, not from us but buried in SAFEKEEPING until we awake in Him. He is true Life. Deny ours for His. He must be raised FROM the Word planted as a seed in us. We have to become a tender and willing soil of a soul to allow Him to grow, to let faith take us farther.  Money won’t buy Him but Love WILL find Him. If we reject both the appealing and the revolting aspects of the world’s noise, and listen within, we will find Him. James scripture writes:  humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

I do know that as we continue walking in the world, it will cloud our view.  It’s “anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4. THEREFORE, Listen for the whisper of heaven: “…the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” James 3

Pray to make the best decisions… Accepting Jesus is like that. Accepting His Way over our way, acknowledging He’s trying to get to you so you become integrated into His team to help others. Placing you ready then to help others. People and Christians sometimes forget that Jesus wants us to awaken, NOT as the “end recipients’, but as the conduits. It’s NOT “TO” us as much as “THRU” us. 

We pray to ask God to open ears and eyes, soften hearts, especially ours, for BOTH purposes of individual salvation AND WHOLE KINGDOM WHOLENESS. 

We pray Jesus to be sought after by being studied WITHIN. 

Jesus is Legit. Just ask Him.

---

2nd Peter 1:19-21  We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

I took so many road trips when I was a kid. I asked my parents all the time: “ARE WE THERE YET?” 

So NOW we are asking this more and more to our HEAVENLY FATHER, to our BROTHER JESUS traveling with us,  and to the HOLY SPIRIT who buckled us in their car seat and told us to “hold on” for this tremendous road trip until the end of time. It’s “the ride of our lives” for sure. 

Are we there yet? Many people are asking if we are at the time when Jesus will return.  Perhaps if we look out the window and have pre-read our “Triptik” from John’s AAA’s Book of Revelation, we would be able to judge distance.   But unfortunately, I don’t think it’s like playing travel bingo with very obvious signs. The scholars are always looking, so we are also simply asking the Lord: “Are we there yet?” 

What would He say? He would want us to KEEP BUSY, to read a GOOD book, to play nice with our seatmates, and to look out the windows.  He would tell us to look at the license plates on the other cars and realize we are all family with everyone in the world, all traveling, even if we come from different states, different countries.  He would have us realize that we are all traveling at different speeds and not everyone knows where He is taking us. In all, we must be courteous to each other, firmly teaching AND following the rules of the road.

“Are we there yet?” God is surely saying: You will know it when We get there.”

When will we be at the end? Or the beginning of the end? Because the beautiful blue sky and peace of the moment is not fake. How will we know? The book of Revelation certainly was written down so that we can try to discern, surely to prepare and be aware of false prophets, of beasts, of creatures who may be deceivers… And keep on the path… Surely signs of the times are best interpreted by the spirit in us, not us. So buckle on your seatbelts and keep busy.

There is a TREMENDOUS scripture teaching from the local big evangelical church, a recent teaching posted online, speaking about where we are in the process of Jesus coming again.  

Pastor Joe speaks of us being in the time of the “Braxton Hicks” stage, like in a pregnancy, before all breaks loose. For we are awaiting real birth of the beginning of the end… we are in the pre-stages, and what we observe in our time, even with covid, is RESTRAINED compared to the real setting in motion of the Tribulation. I remember the teaching to discern for yourselves by reading this book of Revelation. Just know that we are to keep looking to Jesus. 

Even though I’ve read the book of Revelation and listened to it much, it’s tough to absorb, I still don’t have the whole time structure in my head either.  So this teaching REALLY helps me:

“The Beginning of the End” according to the book of Revelation (these are web links but I listen to these 20 minute bible study teachings from Pastor Joe each morning on the radio at 7am or on my “CC Philly Straight from the Heart” app.)  Part 1:  https://subspla.sh/n8kbh22  and Part 2: https://subspla.sh/9nngbr6

I appreciate that Jesus told John to write this all down, to warn us to NOT be surprised and to KEEP WORKING, sharing the Word. Keep moving forward. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Better yet, JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL!                    

Amen 

————

PS

I always remember my writing, early on, about us in the board game perfection – that we are to be working the board and not just sit in our peg seat and wait… we are to be out and WORKING the board and helping the Lord…

https://debbieupper.blog/2016/12/23/perfection-07sept-258/
Perfection, 07Sept 2016 – #258

Ok, so you’ve accepted Jesus, accepted you were loved enough by GOD to be saved thru the bloodshed of Jesus, and yes, you have even been treasured so much that you still have to question: “This was all for us? For me???”

Ok, now what??

Yeah, you aren’t on your death bed, YOU actually pray that you have energy to live out God’s plan picked for you….

Perhaps you feel that you need to accept God’s command to go make disciples?…
Yet perhaps you feel more work needs to be done to clean out every corner of your heart first?…
Perhaps God says DON’T wait….

Yes, God says sing your praises and share His Grace and HE will see you thru each storm as you arrive at it… But God ALSO asks you to work the soil in the lives of the people around you, as well as within your own life….at the same time…

God wants wholeness from society, not piecemeal pockets of salvation…. He wants perfection and HIS game is no game at all, He wants a time where we ALL accept our salvation at His appointed time.

Perfection, one of my favorite games growing up… Fit all the pieces in the spring-loaded puzzle board before that timer is up and POP!… The whole board pops out throwing all the pieces everywhere… Finish the board and the timer is stopped… Perfection for eternity…

Each piece must be fit individually into the unique spaces. Each piece is different from all the rest, some are tricky, they all must be studied (or shape memorized) for uniqueness… and they ALL must get into the board before time is up…

Each SOUL must fit individually into HIS plan. Each soul is different from all the rest, some are tricky, they all must be studied (or shape memorized) for uniqueness… and they ALL must get into the space marked by God’s plan before time is up…

And whenever that is, when time is up, are you going to have your skull and soul “safe” nestled into a space? Done and just pray the board will get finished before time is up? Or perhaps you might consider to be out ON the board, finding space for all the other pieces? Since you know your space is marked out, saved for you, and you know how to hop into it at the last minute… Well perhaps it would behoove you to work on the other pieces, to help God… Especially since time could be short or time could be long…  Be busy and help God work on their souls by sharing your unique tool set to support them. Help set as many of these pieces of God’s plan upright so it’s easier for all of us to prepare for eternity… It is God who will grab them to fit them all in before time is up… Before we all pray…

Shareholders, we are ALL shareholders in HIS plan, we all have a stake… We can work for the company or wait gathering dust while we slowly turn into dust. We can find use for our lives by being out there, working to increase the return on the investment of God’s capital… We can’t finish the job unless we are working in the job…

Who wants to help God?
I DO…   DO YOU?

It’s the plan for us ALL to be in God’s plan.
I want to work the plan…   DO YOU?

When you donate Power Red blood in a church, it’s great to be reminded WHO gave HIS BLOOD for ALL… BLESSED by the blood of JESUS! THERE’S POWER IN THE BLOOD !!!!

After I donated power reds, I noticed the banner behind me that said: “The blood of Jesus will never lose its power”. AMEN!!! 

(And I passed my iron screening as well, 13.3!!!! Woohoo!!! Took iron supplements for the last week before today, and steak last night!!! Now I’m set for another 16 weeks, power reds take double cells but give back your fluids plus some, I HIGHLY recommend it over regular donations. There were very few people at the place, so I felt covid safe…. And I got mini oreos… yum)

So true, God wants us to do what the Word says, as scripture urges. God desires this sacrifice of praise, and that’s a good idea as well as a command because it keeps our words HOLY… What comes from our mouths should be praise, only praise, so that it becomes our spoken sacrificial offering. Speaking of God is a good and is an apt sacrifice of our time. Our words for praise and sacrifice don’t mirror the old time sacrifices of animals because it is offerings OF words to move THE WORD, which IS Jesus, which is needed. Jesus completed God’s mission for Him on earth… Jesus was the sacrifice that saved the people for God’s cause, for our Father’s sake so that He would have us all free from sin and able to come Home. But was that sufficient to save everyone? ONLY IF THEY KNOW ABOUT IT AND AGREE! Our sacrifice of living in praise helps to bring Heaven on earth to those ears that have not yet heard… We are to speak OF GOD and speak in support of God. 

“Sacrifice of Praise” lyrics is in a favorite praise song of mine, quoted from Paul out of Hebrews 13:15-16, and described in Hebrews 10 (see 23JAN writing “Once For All”). We are able to speak in sacrificial words as well as work in sacrificial acts. Jesus was and is BOTH. Jesus spoke of God and Jesus lived as God. Jesus was and is ALL. Jesus praised God and Jesus sacrificed for God. Jesus sacrificed for us, God sacrificed for us, we can sacrifice our time and lives for Him. These are all trades of sacrifice of earthly freedom FOR ultimate freedom. That is what we praise, that we can do the same.

Our HOPE is found in our praise. Our re-imagining of ourselves to be more like Jesus, IS a choice,  we are to speak in praise and acknowledgement of God: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.“

Because this is a choice, that is what makes a sacrifice of our own desires necessary.  And yet any praise we can give is both worth our time and our lives, as that praise IS a fruit of the Spirit maturing, because the Word is planted, grows, fruits, nourishes sweetly. James commands us in a similar thought thread: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.” 

Therefore as Paul writes the Ephesians, let us: “follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.“

Let us therefore instead of making a sacrifice of other things, let us make as sacrifice of us, and we be the offering, the fragrant offering of Christ in our walks. Let us be a SACRIFICE OF PRAISE. (It’s well worth our time, and His.)

TO YOU LORD!!

AMEN 

Well, I caught up to the scriptures God had placed me in. No wonder God waits for us to read His Word.

Sounds weird but the phrase “by faith” which I mentioned previously (as in “we will do things, by faith, if the Lord allows”) has now shown up now in Hebrews 11-12 LIKE CRAZY… Plus there is so much history referred to that I had to go back to read in Genesis about these people, and wow they lived lives 600 700 800 900 years – well, if they didn’t live “by faith” then they would not have survived that long. God limited our lifespans to 120 years (wow) but yet we must still live “by faith” – how could we NOT? – or we won’t know where we are going or supposed to go. The “ancients” “BY FAITH” meant they were looking ahead to heavenly destinations, not the places they came from. Our “by Faith“, explained in Hebrews 11 verse 1, is: “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” That is the same as my favorite movie’s most famous line: “Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.” Well, my common sense tells me that by faith I have to believe in Our Lord because Our Lord, Our amazing Lord, is not something or someone common. By faith we believe because it is FAITH that is gifted to us to live BY. Live in, not Live next to, but Live by. God WILL commend us if we live BY FAITH. 

I don’t understand the logistics and the workings of “the ancients”, of the creation of the world, the heavens and the earth, the stars and the sand particles, but BY FAITH I believe that I can NOT and will NOT force my God into my limited brain power. BY FAITH, I know that OUR FAITH has to go wider and deeper and longer than our brain power. Even Abraham, especially Abraham, believed God could raise people from the dead, who was he to doubt the Lord.

BY FAITH I know that this journey for the Lord creating the World for His pleasure only to have people scattered could not and must not have been easy. Human vulnerability to evil influences, including jealousy and rage, are tops on my list of pain for the Peacemaker. His Heart was “deeply troubled” (Genesis 6). My God I can NOT even imagine the fraction of the magnitude of Your pain. Ugh the distancing of Adam and Eve, Oh the death of Abel at Cain’s hands, where a shepherd Abel was taken from life by Cain, a worker of the earth (Genesis 4:1-12). And isn’t this is SO foretelling of Jesus the Shepherd being crucified by human hands influenced by their worldly wants. 

AND IT IS JESUS – He was the One that we know and yet they “the ancients” had to WAIT for – they lived “by faith” because they never got to THE PROMISE in their lifetimes… God found favor with Noah and many because of their living “by faith“. So we now know and are told that it is by Jesus, Who is God’s Promise, that “the ancients” and we now will be reunified into His perfect future.  By the death and resurrection of Jesus, “God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

It is these “ancients” that Paul demonstrates are a “great cloud of witnesses” surrounding us so that we too can “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

BY FAITH, We consider Jesus so that we do not grow weary and lose heat. We witness God’s awesomeness and love His lovingness. BY FAITH, we will wait upon the Lord for His calling. BY FAITH, we will know in advance where we are going: HOME. That is the Promised Land PROMISE.

Amen, Keep Walking (and please read the “by faith” examples below)

Amen Keep Running with Perseverance BY FAITH.

Amen

——–

Paul to the Hebrews chapters 11, 12 v1-3

Faith in Action

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what “the ancients” were commended for.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider JESUS who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  

We have had many moods during our year-long pandemic.   I have been thinking about the moods that I have had and would have when at home, which I rarely am therefore I MOSTLY have had much relief to be home, like opportunities to be stuck in a snow day that I was able to prepare for and that I know won’t last. But over the course of a year, we all can have so many emotions… to realize being in the same place can change based on your attitude. Above all, we can care about the way we take on every day. 

Are you stuck at home OR blessed at home OR just home…

If you were home, would you feel glad, sad or mad? If you were home (stuck, blessed, just) would you be fearful, sheltered, careful or actually forgetful of the pandemic? If you were isolating would it be from exposure caution or contemplation? Careful consideration of other people or closet closure away from society for yourself? Hiding or Healing? It’s the same house, how could you have so many different feelings for being home? It is the same place, so WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? OUR MOODS. 

I think that’s our Christian mindsets as well. Our mood and our mode. Are we aware, are we grateful or are we just there? Our mode: are we going anywhere or nowhere. Are we being a disciple to the Lord or dis-placed rather than placed in His service. Are sitting at His feet or not?  It depends on our mood.

If we think of the discipline we sometimes get from the Lord, are we grumpy or grateful for it? It depends on our mood. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13

If we think of how much forgiveness, mercy and grace we get from the Lord, are we feeling embarrassed or feel embraced and enlightened?  It depends on our mood. Either way it’s the same forgiveness, for any and all sin weighted equal. Hebrews 12;5-15 gives words of encouragement: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 

James writes (ch 2): “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you KNOW that the testing of your faith produces PERSEVERANCE. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. “

I am wondering, this year of covid, if we made it a good year or not. If we paid attention to His leading or led ourselves down our own sorrow or ignorance of the opportunities. I would think that so many of us took the opportunities that the Lord placed in front of us – knowing you all, I know you would and you did. THERE IS STILL TIME TO START. We may take CAUTION in our lives. We should CARE for other’s lives. And ALL IN ALL, we MUST acknowledge that we are COMMISSIONED by Jesus to follow Jesus and share Jesus.

No matter what our mood is, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

We can care about the way we take on every day.  Let us take HIS WAY today.    Amen

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.   Hebrews 12:14-15

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.   Hebrews 13:8

Well I am floored, Lord.

I can say Lord that lately: I’ve NOT been bored.

I never knew what You had in stored.

There’s plenty of opportunities I have not yet even explored.

And so many blessings that are not by my own accord.

It’s Your Spirit in my brain that has roared.

It’s Your Spirit in my life that has soared.

Piercing my heart and soul, Your Word like a sword.

Into my mind, Your thoughts You have poured.

My pleas have never gone ignored.

You calm me in stormy seas, I welcome You all aboard.

Your Word in me, Lord You have struck such a Spirit chord.

Writing and rhyming, almost like lyrics that You have scored.

Your presence strong like strands intertwined into my cord.

You have given me peace when I felt so out of my gourd.

Directed me endlessly and yet never made me feel chored.

Sharing You Lord is purposeful, for You I could NEVER hoard.

For the rest of my life, Lord, I pray to You Whom I walk toward.

You have given me an ultimate feeling of wonderfully adored.

Lord, You raise me up, I’m forever floored.

Floored.

Be BOLD. 

The temperature says it’s COLD. 

Your breath you certainly HOLD.

However the sunshine feels like GOLD. 

Don’t let enjoyment of life be STOLED.

Life is watching what God will UNFOLD. 

God’s LOVE needs to be TOLD.

HIS LOVE was FORETOLD.

HIS LOVE does not SCOLD.

HIS LOVE never gets OLD.

Lord, You are LIFE and LOVE to BEHOLD.

LIFE from You LORD, I’m SOLD.

You LOVE me into being BOLD.

BOLD. 

The Holy Spirit is amazing, God is amazing, Jesus is amazing. How can we wrap our heads around the amazement? We can’t, because we are not around “it”, instead “it” surrounds us, we are surrounded by “it”, ACTUALLY we are all a part of “it”…

In old testament times, they sacrificed animals and plants to the Lord. Fragrant and smoky, these sacrifices carried through the air. Then it was time for God to reveal the New Convent, one that the Lord had always intended to make with His people, FOR we ARE His people. The Lord sacrificed a phase of earthly life, took Himself into a transition that did not change His God-ness but did change Him into Human-ness, for He came to earth to burn off the sins that were hindering all of us from reaching Heaven. Jesus became a Fragrant Sacrifice of our sins. Jesus was “ONCE FOR ALL” offered by Our Father, which Jesus offered of Himself. Once and done. That’s “it”. Love for all, in all, from giving all.  In one act, Jesus made a huge sacrifice of LOVE, in LOVE, because LOVE is so integral to the Lord. A sacrifice made because of the sin of one man, Adam, which cascaded sin to the world, broke a system that the Lord KNEW would need fixing. We are whom God wants in His Kingdom before we are born.

Paul writes to the Hebrews about Christ being the sacrifice above all sacrifices… In their history back thru old testament 1000’s of years, year after year, the priests made sacrifices. Paul said the sacrifices will never “make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.“

Paul continues speaking of Jesus as the blessing we partake in: “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’”

I love how Paul doubled back to repeat and explain Jesus’s sacrifice and that we are the ones made holy from His offering: “First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then He said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.”

“Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest [JESUS] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”     THAT’S US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.”

THAT’S FORGIVENESS: sins sacrificed and burnt to a crisp. That’s why Paul, writing Ephesians separately, said: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

FOLLOW HIS FUMES USING HIS HOLY SPIRITED-FUEL.

Paul writes Corinthians that IF WE DON’T FORGIVE,  SATAN WILL USE THAT TO EAT AWAY AT OUR PEACE: “Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” 

FORGIVENESS IS WHAT SETS US APART FROM THE WORLD. 

Paul continues: “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.” 

See Paul, in his letters to Hebrews, Ephesians, Corinthians, writes about the love we ALL experience. The fragrance of faith is just that: Jesus burning up sin ONE FOR ALL. Not needing us to annually remember our sins but forever remember His Love. Then walk freed, walking on sunshine maybe, walking on air not exactly, walking still – walking IN faith IN the newness of “IT” – in the fragrance of His sacrifice.

“A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE” – I never fully understood this lyric to a favorite praise band song, are we praising that we can sacrifice for the Lord and for His mission? We sacrifice our time and serve? Only partially, as HIS SACRED SACRIFICE is PRAISE that we need to share with others. And His sacrifice is fully worthy of praise and we ARE to continue to be that sacrifice, that aroma of Christ, the giving up of ourselves to carry on His Work, to serve ‘YOU LORD” – “A Sacrifice of Praise to You, to You Lord”

Paul closes this letter to the Hebrews section with a call for us all to Persevere in Faith: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the HOPE we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Amen 

Whew, had a terrible dream/nightmare! Something bizarre had happened to a friend, and me trying to help them was hitting roadblocks… It woke me up at 1am. Ugh. I prayed for peace and I prayed for Jesus to rule over the evil one biting away at my peace. I lifted my hand in reaching for the Lord to pull me out of the water only to lower my hand to a position of realizing Jesus being NEXT to me, Him having my hand AND touching my shoulder. Two-handed Jesus. Saved AND guided. Whew – and me realizing I was NOT distant from Him at all, as He was guiding me thru that pothole-filled section of my dream all along. He really is in the healing business. The Spirit walks us thru Life.

So later this same morning, I had a second separate dream of checking in on this same friend and he was alright, whew. I told him about the dream, we reconciled about how worried I was and others were of him.

It’s been really good that I’ve slept more in healing ways with healing dreams over this past year. When I asked the Lord to guide me in the pandemic, He said “REST”. And I have actively taken much rest, repair, and realization that it is a gift. I truly have seen the Lord going back in my brain to heal those ruffles in my memories. I know He is actively repairing pieces of my peace… I’ve also had more quiet times this past year than ever – certainly also because my daughter is away to college and with my son doing his own thing, but the elephant in the room is not loneliness, it is bold quietness that permeates the space.

What’s more, thru all this processing, I have actively felt Jesus working. I’ve dreamt about my faith lately. I’ve never done that until about 3 or 4 months ago. It’s like the Lord had THAT MUCH repair to do in old ruffles before He could get me to my current me. We were in repair of backroad stretches for a while. Like you can only lay down new roads to peace AFTER the Lord and you together move all the messes blocking the paths. Plus, the LORD has to source all the repair materials when you give Him time to shop and when give Him the dimensions of your life into His Hands. He knows, but if you call out the measures of your pain, He will measure out your healing and then some. Even more, Jesus wants to write the next blueprints of what you and Him are going to build together in your life.

Potholes in the road to peace are sometimes patched, sometimes eliminated in road rebuilds, and sometimes LEFT ALONE but Jesus steps you OVER or AROUND them. Sometimes it takes quite a while to go around the big ones. Jesus ALWAYS takes the scenic route.

The Lord heals, a Lord-given PEACE measures at unfathomable levels, PEACE THAT SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING… We may not be at that peace yet or completely, or the pothole filling is so fresh that it may not stay in, but don’t stay down in that pothole, call out to the Living Water to float you out.

In between those dreams, I went to some of my failsafe methods of finding peace, including texting to that friend (but NOT hitting send in the middle of the night). I could shake off that nightmare knowing that the Lord would rescue. And of course, He does. I know where my anxieties lie, because the Lord leaves them on the ground to step over as you leave them behind. 

Actually, the Lord knows EXACTLY where to step with you because He IS the only one who saw ALL THOSE moments in the making. He remembers making wide open spaces on your life map. He would love for you to use Him as your blueprints for building the new you.

Keep walking with the Lord.

AMEN

“If you take care of your character, God will take care of your reputation.”

I heard a lot of things lately, but that quote stuck with me recently, it is still with me. It stopped me in my mental tracks while I walked listening to my radio app bible teaching, a great series about Samuel chapters 10-12.  Samuel warned the people about wanting a king over listening to God. And found himself defending his actions: “Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed.” The people found no fault. 

We too must consult the Lord and walk in His steps. Like deep footprints in the snow, it’s a path that we are more sure in taking. We see the next step and we also see the set of steps way ahead of time. And we are more secure in following. The Lord knows where we are going.

I have had challenges big and small. surely you have too, This quote was and is timely.  “If you take care of your character, God will take care of your reputation.”

I can hear the judge in “Miracle on 34th Street” speak “I’ve consulted with the highest authority possible.” He was just saying that to say it. But I believe that if we consult with God, we will see that He HAS gone ahead of us to fight our battles. 

The radio biblical scholar quoted that famous “If you take care of your character, God will take care of your reputation.” quote within a segment of advice to walk with people who are on fire for the Lord. This is so good for us. We don’t want to walk with people dulled with their life experiences and shrinking from the Lord. We want to be on fire and keep with people on fire for the Lord. Iron sharpens iron. And their witness will help us to listen and obey.  The scholar reminds us: “If you will serve Him, and you AND your King will follow the Lord, He will go before you.” Yes, the Lord goes before us. We have to let Him lead.

Walking and listening to the Lord has pulled me out of a jumble of thoughts quite often.  It has protected me from the devil chipping away at my peace of mind.

Samuel continued:

… “do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.  Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. [This is when they slipped up and felt God’s wrath and begged Samuel] And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

So much I appreciate the scriptures and the support of the Lord. And I appreciate that when we are still, we and He have time to mull things over. When we stop worrying about tomorrow and focus on today, as Jesus suggested, we have more peace. 

Just recently I took time to be quiet, rare for me, but I had a burden that I shared only minimally, but maximum-ally with the Lord. Wow, the peace was real and the steps were there, and He kept me from getting ahead of myself. He allowed me family conversations that taught my children my thought process and developed theirs. And He gave me step by step peace. Another good thing about walking in the footsteps when they are nestled in snowbanks is that the sides steady your foot. The Lord steadies you when you step out in trying to follow His steps. He steadies your feet AND your leg AND your mind. The Lord supports you as you pause to rest too. With Him, it’s always “consulting with the HIGHEST authority”. 

“If you take care of your character, God will take care of your reputation.”

Go with God today.

Amen 

—-

Paul to the Galatians 

Doing Good to All (Galatians 6)

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

We do care about many things – but what to care about first?…  SO much going on in the world, and the scriptures remind us that it is a broken world – not a world will be fixed but the PEOPLE who will be made whole. Whole only if they remain holy. So, looking at life I think, “What would Jesus do?” Remind you to look for His direction for HOPE (and would help too). HOPE is not in earthly things but in Heavenly Power. Heavenly Power then powers the rest of what we CAN do…

We are not perfect, the world is not perfect, but if we tend to dwell on our non-perfections more than we dwell on the One who is perfect, we will miss out. And Jesus IS perfect…  What would Jesus do? Instead of dwelling on HIMSELF, HE did His Father’s Will. He had to pray hard to not focus on His own needs and temptations, and so do we. How can we keep sharing His message? spread the news of where our HOPE lives. My HOPE lives in Jesus. His Life is Life itself. I hope to remember that for me, sure, but more importantly, I HOPE for the world’s people to know that too. Hope for the people is different than the hope for the world as a whole. The HOPE of the people of the world relies on people following Jesus – I hope someone tells them that – yes, someone has to tell them that!

I was watching the news of thousands of refugees trying to migrate thru central america – wow (we have no idea how our lives compare to the lives of others outside America and even inside America, we are VERY blessed as privileged). Even if we take a wider lens to our news, we find that may still be limited to what is really happening in the outside world. These people, and many refugees, are trying to move ahead – move to safety – move anywhere but where they currently are. Is there anything we can do? These are not easy questions – there are not simple answers – the world is broken and so are our lenses… Tough times… But in all that, I would hope that there is HOPE. I would pray that the people themselves are driven by HOPE. God Bless those people. Also God bless the homeless of our area, the countries without clean water, still dealing with diseases that we have long forgotten about. The plight of the hopeful masses. God bless the workers who bring HOPE.

I visited Ellis Island and the train station to take people to places far and wide – we have nostalgia for this place but it was a rough road over rough seas to get here – and we have pride in our ancestor’s grit and determination.  But really what did drive them to a better future? Their HOPE.

In a pandemic we have fears, distracting circumstances – but we still need to HOPE. And we still need to sacrifice things in our lives to keep delivering HOPE to others…  If we were working in a warzone, we would venture out to spread HOPE. If we are staying inside, we can continue to call out, write out, type out, pray for the outside – send HOPE… And we show care for others by letting them know that someone is paying attention. Everyone HOPES someone is paying attention. Shining LIGHT, we HOPE that they will HOPE.

We can’t solve everything today – in a broken world – we are supposed to remember that God knows these situations – and we petition by prayer. If you don’t know where to start, start with the HOPE. 

“Jesus is a better HOPE, by which we draw near to God”.  Paul wrote to the Hebrews about the old law and the new HOPE. He compared the priesthoods of old and the sacrifices of old and spoke to educate about JESUS and how He fulfilled all these things and He is better than the law – He also IS a new covenant – He IS the HOPE.

Keep spreading the HOPE!

AMEN

From Hebrews 7, 8…

14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better HOPE is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”  Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

…

This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.   I will be their God, and they will be my people.

A germaphobe I am not, I eat things that bounce off the ground. I do stop short however at stuff that gets covered in cat hair. And I’m a tosser of sketchy fridge stuff (which reminds me that the salmon I ate last night must have been OK – which means I know what I am having for lunch!). A superstitious person I try not to be, the Lord gives us direction and confidence that he has things under control. Superstition is distraction and the Lord is Truth. I still won’t walk under a ladder, however, that’s just plain not good. It’s not Irish luck I should pray for, but awareness and gratefulness of things I already have. I will laugh about wearing lucky socks, but the fact is that I am not lucky that I have many socks, even ones that match, but that I am blessed to have feet that need socks! Feet that take me places and I am grateful because they are just there and they still work… I am blessed and I do know that the Lord has provided… None of these blessings came by luck.

I went to Target, not my choice, and the massive volume of people, especially in these covid-concerned times, was a bit much. I put on my mask and my armor of God and increased my prayers for a hedge of protection. But I had to realize that I was just as much of the problem as everyone else there, because I was there too… I don’t know where they’ve been and they don’t know where I’ve been. Don’t think of me as virtuous because we all have this collective unknown of potential bubble bursts moments.

That very moment of these thoughts, standing in the sweetner aisle, I looked up and on the top shelf I saw the blue box with the word: “EQUAL“. Yup.  At that moment I felt the EQUAL of being just as much of a problem as everyone else. Humbling EQUAL. We are all the same. ALL IN THE SAME BOAT. We are all EQUAL. This is a wind out of your sails humbling, rather than a raise the sails for superiority. No one is superior here.

 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 ESV

“As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one…” Romans 3:10 ESV 

But OF COURSE this blog is not just about shopping and covid. When I say we are “all in this together”, I know that I’m not just speaking about a pandemic, I’m speaking about ONE BODY IN CHRIST. EQUAL is our sin weighing equal with everyone else. We are all equal. And we are all wanted by Jesus to be together in worship, in helping, in healing. Together.

SO, so many sins including ones we don’t even think about on top of original sin. Sins like “thou should not covet”… yup… and everything in between.

Jesus said: “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible“. Matthew 19: 24-26

Equal, the sweetener, attempts to be thought of the same as any other artificial sweetener (of course they want to be considered better). There are pros and cons to the pink stuff the yellow stuff the blue stuff the green stuff and the white stuff and the brown stuff (raw and yummy but not any better for your waistline).  Sweeteners are not all equal. Sinners are. And we should not think of ourselves as better or less than the other sinners. All EQUAL. Humbling… Yeah…

We are not “lucky” that we have Jesus, we are BLESSED.

Jesus’s life purpose is EQUAL to the task.

AMEN!

How perfect these Proverbs scriptures! Proverbs 16:4,9

The Lord works out everything to its proper end.

In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

These scriptures came to mind when I think about how the Lord paces us – I felt that way with my shoulder surgery few years back, I feel that way when we have to pause and think of our next steps… you probably feel that way occasionally… PACED.

And the Lord is fair. The Lord knows to pace our steps for calmness and peace and precaution.

Scriptures of encouragement? The Lord works out everything to its proper end.

In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

That time had passed – almost forgotten now – and yet the Lord’s protection and pacing and peace will NEVER be forgotten.

This devotion email reminded me of the Lord’s Refuge:  Refuge in Times of Trouble 1/15/2021

Good Morning, Is Jesus Christ always your first choice for refuge in times of trouble?

Psalm 91:2 “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

We live in an evil world and evil has the ability to find any of us at any time. As a family, in June of 2012 we experienced this evil first hand with the tragic loss of my daughter-in-law. I am thankful that this horrible, evil act did not cause me to live in fear each day. I am thankful that instead, it caused me to cry out even more for the Lord’s mercy and protection over my family and not take a day for granted. And while I often wrestle with the “Whys”, as do many other believers who have experienced tragedies on this earth, I still and always will trust in the protective power of our awesome, faithful God. I have built my faith around God’s word and it truth. One such verse I use is Proverbs 3:5-6, which I often say this out loud to myself throughout the day, “I will trust in the Lord with all of my heart, I will not lean not on my own understanding, I will acknowledge Him in all of my ways, and trust that He will always be faithful and make my paths straight.” The harsh reality is that our only true refuge is in God through Jesus Christ. Christ offers us an eternal refuge that is filled forever with His goodness, peace and joy.

And while there may be places on this earth that are safer than others, we are reminded so eloquently by David, that our only true refuge is in the Lord.” Psalm 11:1 Psalm 14:6 Psalm 16:1“God is our refuge in times of distress” Psalm 59:16 “God is our tower of strength against the enemy.” Psalm 61:3 “Our salvation and glory rest in God, Who is the Rock of our strength.” Psalm 62:7 “We must learn to take refuge in the shelter of His wings, and not the things of this world.” Psalm 61:4

Jesus Christ must always be our refuge in times of distress, as we fight to abide and remain in Him daily. John 15:5 As we approach the end of days, the safest spot in the universe is in Christ, the perfect refuge only God could design. “I love You, O Lord, my strength.” 2 he Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies Psalm 18:1-3.

One key to abiding in Christ is to discipline ourselves to set aside time each day, in order to spend some quality time with Him in the Word and in prayer. It is during these times that we insure that we are engrafted in Him, Who is our sufficiency. “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” 1 John 5:12. “Jesus Christ is the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life”! John 14:6 

Let’s all attempt to find our refuge in Christ each day and not turn to the things of this world first for our comfort and protection, as Jesus Christ is our only true hope, our only true refuge, and our only way to salvation. And Jesus is as close as a cry, an outstretched hand, or an upturned heart. He is only one thought or prayer away. From any location, anyone can instantly arrive in that safest of all places. That is our ultimate hope as we approach the end of days.

Lord, please help us to trust more in Your faithfulness to us. Do not allow us to be deceived into thinking that this world offers us any true comfort and refuge. Thank You for Your faithfulness to us! In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Have another powerful and prosperous day of remaining in the comforting refuge of God as you emulate Jesus Christ by serving others in the workplace and at home!

Bob Bennett, Real Men Ministries

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” — Philippians 2:3

Copyright © 2021 Real Men Ministries. All rights reserved.

How quickly our lives run thru the days…

Rest is often forced, not forged. Today is half gone before we know it. Tomorrow either never comes fast enough, or too fast. We just don’t embrace enough in the moment. But TODAY is a good day to be living in the present. TODAY is a day God has set aside for us to HEAR. Today if we soften our hearts… No wonder Jesus said let tomorrow worries take care of themselves. !!!!!!! Listen today, take care of today. 

Today is Monday, and I didn’t finish this writing on Sunday, the Sabbath, but it’s OK I was living in the present yesterday and I rested some too, and I was busy taking my daughter back to school, shopping, and sightseeing in a window of opportunity. I enjoyed yesterday. I also rested. I relaxed a little too. There’s a DIFFERENCE. The fortune cookie saying I have taped inside my cabinet says: “Take time to relax especially when you don’t have time for it.” That’s good advice, but that also is DIFFERENT, REST is NOT the same as relaxing, because rest is RESTing in God’s moments, LETTING HIM HANDLE THINGS, and also to HEAR to SOFTEN OUR HEARTS to  “enter His REST”… Ah, Rest takes movement to enter, takes understanding and it’s not just waiting, it’s actively understanding Rest – and for that we must take time to understand God.

Our rest is not just about napping, our rest is demonstrating that we comprehend that even God took a day to Rest from His Works, but not His Word. 

I appreciated the last bit of an online sermon, which put this end cap on my day while driving on Sunday night, driving home from my busy day. The pastor preached at the end of a sermon about John the Baptist, that Jesus said “follow me” to new believers and if we go to where He is, trusting Him, following Him, THAT IS where we will see Him working, see His power. If we follow Him. Today we need to be hearing His voice… and TODAY WE DEMONSTRATE OUR FOLLOWING OF JESUS.

We rest AND follow because of this scripture: “Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest,…, God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” …. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

That’s why we take the Sabbath for the sake of REST, sharing the Word and living it too, take it so that we help others MOVE forward into where He is. Everyday and especially TODAY we pray for a moving rest for softening of hearts, ours and theirs.

Our dedicated following of powerful Jesus will let us see “where His power RESTS“… 

Amen (and please read the scriptures)

—-

Paul to the Hebrew church (ch4): 

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.  For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger,

    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”

Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,

    do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.  Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

We are poured out like a drink, as we get older, that’s how Paul sees his life. And ours. We have such as a short time on this earth, ever being made aware of that as we get older. Let us pray that we also get wiser! 

Paul is really instructive on people getting wiser. If we have heard Jesus calling us, then surely we want to move deeper in our hearing of His Word touching our lives. Many times scriptures speak about spiritual milk, so when Paul reminds the Hebrews (chapters 4 and 5) that they are selected by God to grow in faith (just as we are, just as Jesus was), he tells them to desire maturity enough to EAT SOLID FOOD and not regress to just milk.

Craving milk then solid food as a progression, that’s basic growth in our human needs… my daughter just had her wisdom teeth out and it’s quite a process moving to solid food. There’s a time when you just don’t want to eat the soft yogurt or down protein shakes anymore and you just want a cheeseburger (and five-guys fries). With desires to heal, you have a motivation to not undo the stiches, but you need food. It’s a taste for more sustenance.

The sacrifices of old testament peoples were of real animals, probably ones they could have eaten, but didn’t. Their Spiritual feeding was met by meeting with God. What’s our sacrifice? Our time.  100% our time. Add sacrificing our desires to control our own lives and you can see where God wants your commitment. This is not all bad, this is direction. This is the ticket to peace. “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” 

In our own motivation to mature, we move from faith sound bites to reading deeper into the foundations of faith, scriptures for the soul… We are given motivation to mature by God Himself who calls us not to be glorious in our own eyes but in His, to listen to our guts and inner spirits about our lives and where to take them. Our internal compass is set by God’s direction, if we take our hands off of it. 

It would be too easy to continue just on milk (or milkshakes) in our eating but that’s not going to keep satisfying our continued growth. So, as we all know, it is time for us to eat some solid food of faith, real meat, maybe some five-guys fries allowed too… We are to enjoy the Word and make it heard.  Make the most of your meal!

AMEN 

HEBREWS ch4: 1-5, 11-14: ch5:1-12 

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honour on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’

….

Warning against falling away

11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.

—

Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case – the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.  We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

So busy yesterday, but in quiet moments I remembered that a good friend of our family, an uncle by love not birth, had passed away. He was my godfather, best man at my parents wedding, one of the sweetest people on earth.  A kid at heart and a man of God. I will still see him as forever young. 

We know he’s not gone in God’s frame of mind. He is physically gone from here, and he will be missed. We will remember his love. I spoke briefly with his daughter, she remarked that she couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t hear his voice anymore… that’s a missing sound that still runs thru our heads not our ears. A Spirit that permeates God’s space. He as father loved his children deeply and forever like God Father loves us. I can crisply see a memory of him holding each of his children’s hands taking them up the stairs to church. He held them IN love in his hands. 

“[Love has given me great joy and encouragement, because love refreshes the hearts of the Lord’s people].” from Paul to Philemon.

A Facebook post from his niece showed a video of him playing beanbag toss with her then 2yr old daughter. Every sense of who he was shines thru his SMILE in that archive snapshot video, 100% joy in the journey in individual steps. His smile WAS infectious. That’s a smile that we can’t see in person, but we can still feel in our hearts. A Spirit that permeates God’s space. As my dad did get to speak with him twice recently, I know my parents kept him close to their hearts always. Such friends like brothers and better as best friends, not always physically present but there. My thoughts lean on the hope that friends and loved ones’ voices will be some of the FIRST we will hear on that eventual day of our passing. I’m praying ahead. I’m thanking God for all the voices that will be present in Heaven ahead that will and do recognize our piece of the Godly puzzle and point out a space in heaven where we fit. And I know it is the Holy Spirit who tells us here on earth where we fit. A Spirit who fits into heaven and works from heaven is a Spirit that will never quit. 

I have a bump on my forehead, silly bump accident running into a door, it is not visible but when touched it still hurts. Pain in losing loved ones is not always visible but it still hurts. When touched by the heart, we remember. When touched by the memory, we smile. When touched by the loss, we tear. When touched by faith, we quiet and still ourselves to remember their and our very short journeys in this earthly place. Journeys of spiritual strength to keep moving thru God’s space. We teach our children to love, we model love. We teach our children to love God, we model God. 

God, we are thankful for long and short times with our loved ones. We share life with them, and they share life with us. God, we are all in a time of ache and heart break. We know that time is precious. We know that time is a gift. We pray to gift our time back to You Lord, by loving others in this space You currently place us in. God, Father, as we thank our earthly fathers for raising us, we also thank You for raising up all fathers and mothers in God and into Your forever peace. We will remember them by Your Love touching our lives. Forever we pray that our hearts may sing your praises and not be silent.

Amen and Thank You. 

Psalm 30:4-12

Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm;

but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit?

Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.”

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

I love reading the bible!!!

Three plays on words today in just one scripture chapter: CROSS-REFERENCE, FOOTNOTES, FOUNDATIONS…

In reading foundations of faith in Hebrews chapter 1, there are tremendous cross references and footnotes. Yes of course the CROSS of Jesus, but also CROSS-references to other scriptures seen in the electronic (and scholarly notations in printed versions). So much good information buried to be raised!!!

The author of Hebrews speaks of the old testament prophecies and matches them to Jesus. That is important both to learn about Jesus AND God’s plan for Jesus and angels and us, AND to learn that the old testament writings hundreds of years prior were LONGING for Jesus to come. Prophecy cross-reference “mix and match” never was so blessedly fulfilled… (FULL-filled, filled with the FULLness of Christ)

The FOOTNOTES not just signal the position of extra tidbits of notes, but note the FOOT position of Jesus “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet” …

And in this great writing, we learn of FOUNDATIONS of faith by knowledge of the physical foundations of the earth at God and Jesus’s command:  “God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”  (Don’t you love Jesus Joy!)   “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the FOUNDATIONS of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain;  they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed.

But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”

So much information I have learned in stepping thru the bible these last few months… lots of “Oh, that’s where that’s written” – KEEP READING MY FRIENDS! There is no better foundation than that which God laid. Learning never ends. God never ends.

All of Hebrews 1 is below. The cross-references AND the footnotes AND the foundations. 

Cool!!! Amen…

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PS: Here’s a great history discussion about the authors of the bible, and Hebrews. The best conclusion is of course that the Holy Spirit wrote it regardless of who put pen to paper. An important note where the sections of the new testament are discussed: Hebrews “outlines our faith and defines faith itself in the same way that Romans defines the tenets of Christian living. It closes the chapters of faith alone and serves as a prelude to the chapters on good works built on a foundation of faith in God. Cool…..   https://www.gotquestions.org/author-Hebrews.html 

See: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%201&version=NIV&interface=amp#cen-NIV-29974Y

Hebrews 1 God’s Final Word: His Son

1 In the past God spoke(A) to our ancestors through the prophets(B) at many times and in various ways,(C) 2 but in these last days(D) he has spoken to us by his Son,(E) whom he appointed heir(F) of all things, and through whom(G) also he made the universe.(H) 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory(I) and the exact representation of his being,(J) sustaining all things(K) by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins,(L) he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.(M) 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.(N)

The Son Superior to Angels

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;    today I have become your Father” [a]? (O)

Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son” [b]? (P)

6 And again, when God brings his firstborn(Q) into the world, (R) he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.” [c](S)

7 In speaking of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels spirits,

    and his servants flames of fire.” [d](T)

8 But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;(U)

    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions(V)

    by anointing you with the oil(W) of joy.” [e](X)

10 He also says,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,

    and the heavens are the work of your hands. (Y)

11 They will perish, but you remain;

    they will all wear out like a garment. (Z)

12 You will roll them up like a robe;

    like a garment they will be changed.

But you remain the same, (AA)

    and your years will never end.” [f](AB)

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

“Sit at my right hand (AC) until I make your enemies

    a footstool (AD) for your feet” [g]?(AE)

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits (AF) sent to serve those who will inherit(AG) salvation?(AH)

Footnotes

1. Hebrews 1:5 Psalm 2:7
2. Hebrews 1:5 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chron. 17:13
3. Hebrews 1:6 Deut. 32:43 (see Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint)
4. Hebrews 1:7 Psalm 104:4
5. Hebrews 1:9 Psalm 45:6,7
6.     Hebrews 1:12 Psalm 102:25-27
7. Hebrews 1:13 Psalm 110:1

CROSS references

1. Hebrews 1:1 : Jn 9:29; Heb 2:2, 3; 4:8; 12:25
2. Hebrews 1:1 : Lk 1:70; Ac 2:30
3. Hebrews 1:1 : Nu 12:6, 8
4. Hebrews 1:2 : Dt 4:30; Heb 9:26; 1Pe 1:20
5. Hebrews 1:2 : ver 5; S Mt 3:17; Heb 3:6; 5:8; 7:28
6. Hebrews 1:2 : Ps 2:8; Mt 11:27; S 28:18
7. Hebrews 1:2 : S Jn 1:3
8. Hebrews 1:2 : Heb 11:3
9.     Hebrews 1:3 : Jn 1:14
10. Hebrews 1:3 : S Jn 14:9
11. Hebrews 1:3 : Col 1:17
12. Hebrews 1:3 : Tit 2:14; Heb 7:27; 9:11-14
13. Hebrews 1:3 : S Mk 16:19
14. Hebrews 1:4 : Eph 1:21; Php 2:9, 10; Heb 8:6
15. Hebrews 1:5 : Ps 2:7; S Mt 3:17
16. Hebrews 1:5 : 2Sa 7:14
17. Hebrews 1:6 : Jn 3:16; S Col 1:18
18. Hebrews 1:6 : Heb 10:5
19. Hebrews 1:6 : Dt 32:43 (LXX and DSS); Ps 97:7
20. Hebrews 1:7 : Ps 104:4
21. Hebrews 1:8 : S Lk 1:33
22. Hebrews 1:9 : Php 2:9
23. Hebrews 1:9 : Isa 61:1, 3
24. Hebrews 1:9 : Ps 45:6, 7
25. Hebrews 1:10 : Ps 8:6; Zec 12:1
26. Hebrews 1:11 : Isa 34:4; 51:6; S Heb 12:27
27. Hebrews 1:12 : Heb 13:8
28. Hebrews 1:12 : Ps 102:25-27
29. Hebrews 1:13 : ver 3; S Mk 16:19
30. Hebrews 1:13 : Jos 10:24; Heb 10:13
31. Hebrews 1:13 : Ps 110:1; S Mt 22:44
32. Hebrews 1:14 : Ps 91:11; 103:20; Da 7:10
33. Hebrews 1:14 : Mt 25:34; Mk 10:17; S Ac 20:32
34. Hebrews 1:14 : S Ro 11:14; Heb 2:3; 5:9; 9:28

A friend of a friend thinks about the world dynasties that come and go – like the Roman Empire, the British Empire, and maybe maybe the US fading in the future. Maybe the rise of China or India will have the next global impact. Maybe we don’t know the future!

How IMPORTANT therefore that we remember the world is BIG, History is LONG. How important, even in these tumultuous times in the US (and especially in these times), that we remember the end of the world is not dependent on our observations or on any ticking time schedule, but ONLY in the timing that the Lord has. (and it sounds so very elaborate!!) ALL in ALL we are present on Earth in a VERY short blip of time.

When we stress about the brokenness in the world, we also worry about the rips in the American melting pot, the pockets of coldness, the boiling over factions, the segments flying off the ladle handle. What should we do with America? (perceived or actual) The #1 thing we should NOT do is NOT worship it…. We are NOT to worship the ground we or anyone walks on, it is beneath us. (I just made up that quote – cool…) We are to worship the Lord.

Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE AMERICA – I LOVE the freedom – I love the opportunity – I love the flag – I love to wear my red white and blue. No matter who is in ruling power, the red white and blue are a blessing to me and you…  I do love America and freedom, yet I am reminded to NOT worship it. I am reminded to NOT worship people (even rock stars). I am reminded to NOT worship the world. Don’t worship what won’t last. We are to WORSHIP THE LORD AND THE LORD ONLY!

The best thing we can do for America is to do something for Americans – teach them about God. The best thing we can do for the world is to do something for the people – teach them about God. Teach and show them Jesus in our lives. Model Christ-like behavior. Acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers but know the ONE who does. Stand strong sharing the Word not for the Word’s sake but for the World’s HOPE.

Do we know the future? NO. We actually don’t even know much about the past and we repeat history all the time…  Therefore we don’t know the immediate future. What we have learned in the Book of Revelation is that the world does not last. God knows the World is broken and knows what happens. In this truth is where we learn that we have to be lifted from this world, be in the world but not of it. And in the Book of Revelation is where we learn that God and God alone sets the new Kingdom into place. 

How do we get to this new Kingdom? Walk. Keep the Walk. Walk the Faith.

I love this quote I just heard from St Francis of Assisi: “It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching”. 

Be prayerfully worshipful – put your prayers in the Peacemaker not in the place – and put your place into Peacemaking

Amen!

(all my opinion – just to put that out there)

(God IS in change – that is the truth!)

I had a great dream, I had to write it down.  I was flipping through an illustration of the birds in the bible – coloring pages and beautiful pictures nestled as inserts for each time there was a reference to birds.  (Please do run with this idea if you know a book publisher)…  The books in my dream were exquisitely detailed and beautiful. My dream reminded me if God takes care of the birds, then how much we are loved, enough for me at that moment, in my dream and as soon as I awoke, to have a connective moment of peace. In watching me in my own dream, I was watching my peace, knowing God, and just being alive. 

Think of how much our Heavenly Father cares for us, and in my dream and just after, I had been thinking of how my earthly father loves to watch the birds, so many do, and how much it gives a connection between my mom and my brother with him. This whole 10 months of self-isolation for them, in our covid pandemic, I thank God the birds have been there, to entertain. I look out my windows too and a beautiful red cardinal reminds me of them. All our lives as a family, birds figured in, designs for their club pins, artwork, and arts and crafts all around the house. There are lots and lots of feeders, windows and even perfect porch seats.  The porch is the only place I got this year. I sat WITH the birds in my Father’s and Mother’s view. So this Christmas I gave my dad a calendar, 365 days of pages of colorful bird photos. My mom (who is always easy to please) also loves it. (I got it at Hallmark). And gave them lots of bird themed presents (you have to love Hallmark). Sadly, or fittingly, the cookies I sent, which I felt SO strongly about making 4 weeks ago for them, arrived crushed and so old in the mail delay that they now were best to feed them to the birds too. It’s OKAY, this is the year that “the thought counts”. The birds and the squirrels will enjoy them. They will return to God their intended purpose, the joy of just being sent, the joy of loved ones being remembered.

Everyone it seems loves to watch the birds… My friend told me about her mom, in the nursing home, who loved to watch the birds. She was not able to communicate much, but seeing the birds and listening to music were known to soothe her.

In the scriptures, Jesus is telling us directly just as much as he was telling his listeners (Matthew 6) how important we are to God. He will take care of us. In daily life and in transition life and in forever life, God loves and cherishes us.  “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?“

I watch the birds on a livesteam webpage from my hometown. I can hear and feel my connection to home, and this gives me more a peace while working on the computer. Isn’t that what Jesus connecting us to God is all about? Our connections to HOME while we work and live give us PEACE. God wants us to think of HOME. Home is a place of mind, not just physical place. Home IS where the heart is. Home is where we lay our heads. Home is a comfort. Home is a gift.  This whole pandemic, our homes are supposed to be the safest place. Home is where we can just be.

The cat will get so confused about the feeder sounds on the computer and dart from window to window to try to see the activities. We too don’t want to be left out. We too know that it is not always peaceful patience between different birds at the feeders. Hope that they would take turns, but no the little birds wait their turns while the aggressive birds grab food. And that squirrel!!!??? Ugh!!!

I am going to make an effort to start hanging feeders in my yard. My neighbor put up a big fence, her feeders are now hidden. I should take the opportunity to start my feeding zone at my home. I love to nest at home. Nest – now that is a term that the Lord allows us to enjoy His Nest for us – right inside the palm of His hand.

So, heaven on earth is where we find our glimpses of HOME. This may mean that we also can participate to bring the peace closer, make the opportunities for peace ourselves and for others, be the little birds looking for a crumb or waiting our turn, be the earthly birdfeeder and provide… be the watcher and intervene.

Our Heavenly Birdfeeder Vinedresser Creator Father watches us like we watch the birds. He feeds, keeps an eye on us, ready to intervene, and certainly simply watches how we interact with our fellow humans. Watch out for squirrels in life, but know that they are simply after the food, not you.  Use your wings in trouble, rise to safety, squawk in alarm, sing in delight. Roost safely  and warm. Be fed. Nest. Rest. 

Like the birds, we must look for our food, spiritual food. Yes it is provided and plentiful – the light dawns and we are up to read our nourishment… the biblical Word feeds our souls. 

It would be nice to see pictures of bird in the bible, it would could should remind us that every biblical Word is a seed. Every page a place of feeding. Of course, we can look for ourselves in the bible – we ARE the results of God planting seeds in us…

There might be a few birds in the bushes, but how much MORE precious is a bird in the hand – and you in God’s Hand. We are forever held in God’s Hand. 

Be fed.

Amen 

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I love how the Word is SO TIMELY and fittingly TIMELESS… 

Ministry moments are most important to vocalize. Certain times like these call for EXTRA care to hold the tongue from controversies, to go above the fray to teach peace, and to keep and share the Word in a broken world. The people need perspective, the preaching needs purpose, and the power comes from pursuing peace. A great message from Paul, writing to Titus (ch1 v1-9) for encouragement of what an elder (AND ALL OF US) should TRY to be: “To further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time“…

An elder must be: 

blameless, 

faithful

whose children believe

not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient

not overbearing

not quick-tempered

not given to drunkenness

not violent 

not pursuing dishonest gain

and:

must be hospitable

love what is good

self-controlled

upright

holy

disciplined

hold firmly to the trustworthy message

encourage others by sound doctrine

refute those who oppose sound doctrine 

(Paul also says to rebuke the cretins…)

Paul in chapter 2 urges Titus to: 

teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine:

be temperate

worthy of respect

self-controlled

sound in faith, in love and in endurance

be reverent

not to be a slanderer

not be addicted

teach what is good

to love

be self-controlled and pure

be busy at home

be kind

Always to be meaningful so that no one will malign the word of God.

To set an example by: 

doing what is good

teach to show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned

so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

For the Grace of God:

offers salvation to all people

teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions

to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age 

while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Paul continues (ch3 excerpts):

Remind the people:

to be subject to rulers and authorities

to be obedient

to be ready to do whatever is good

to slander no one

to be peaceable and considerate

to be gentle toward everyone.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. 

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.

And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone….

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.

Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.

(All from Titus ch1-3)

I wrote this just after the riots… we must keep going!!!  Keep running the good race!!!

REFOCUS

“But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry”. Paul to Timothy… 2nd Timothy 3-4

It’s not like we have time to lolly gag, stop ministering, even though crazy times will just get crazier, BECAUSE Christ IS coming again.  Keep running the good race. Yes, rejuvenate and rest up and regroup, but do so in a Spirit of Revival… Like climbing a mountain, get to the next step and don’t dream of getting down, dream of reaching the top. Keep running the race and rallying the team.

The chaos of the world does not change Christ nor should it change Christians. Our cause to teach is just as strong, never-ending and never-wavering…

It’s not like saying: “Don’t sweat the small stuff” in this day and age, because the bad stuff IS bad. INSTEAD, say: “Don’t sweat the satan stuff” and KEEP WORKING FOR THE WORD. Keep your hearts and minds and souls strengthened and secure in the Spiritual Armor of God and keep moving forward in ministry.

Paul kept working, so can we. Paul urged Timothy:

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”

Paul realized the marathon of ministry was both a good race and a baton-passing relay race where the runners continually get back into the race. They run and rest, they relay and root each other on. They share in the victory too.

Jesus Christ has passed the baton of sharing the truth onto you, keep running until your Timothy runs up beside you to take on his leg… then don’t head out of the arena, keep keeping the faith and keep watching until all knees bow crossing the finish line.

Doesn’t matter if satan runs next to you, faking you out, mocking you, or seemingly in front, you have to believe that Jesus lapped him 2000 years ago. You keep running the race set out for you. Don’t let the false facades make you think that he might win. Know better. KNOW THE TRUTH.

And KEEP TRAINING:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOUT YOU.

“They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

KEEP RUNNING THE GOOD RACE.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

LEAVE A LEGACY OF LOVE.

Amen

---

What if God Painted Your Smile?

If you remembered that God painted your smile, would you smile more? You would.

If you thought that God knows what makes you smile, would your smile become more warm? It could.

If you thought about Him making your spirit to knit you into your mother’s womb, would you smile for Him even if no one else was around? You should.

When God Painted Your Smile, did He repaint and retouch it or just make it ONCE and say “Good”. 

He would actually say: “Very Good.”

God would.

Your smile to Him is uniquely understood.

Smile His masterpiece more, that is what you should.

We are to be selfless in the Lord’s plans for us, and that means take on a “what would the Lord have me do?”  type of mentality. We are not to be selfish. We are not to selfishly say: how is this better for me? And yet if we think about what’s better for me, isn’t being humble before the Lord the best plan?

The Lord goes before us, so take a moment and try to focus on Him. Witnessing blessings from obedience convinces us that’s a good plan. We are purchased by Him to be His, forgiving our sin, made clean in His eyes. We have to be selfless and let the Lord do His Work in us. He always does a better job of us in us then we do in us.

Selfies, I love selfies for they show my joy. And I wonder, if we thought about our actions (if the people who are entangled in crazy times thought about their actions), would you be posing with angels or devils? Would you be posing in encouragement or mockery? If I scaled a mountain, I would post a selfie in joyful victory. If I did something scandalous, I would not post it (or at least limit the audience LOL)… I pray to not selfie in selfishness but Lord knows I am human!

We forget what we are doing, we have oops moments, or know of stuff that is none of anyone’s business. Yet we still can have the selfless moment to double check with the Lord.  If in selfishness, we ignore the Lord, then we will face His scrutiny. Better to have Him and we search our hearts than close them up (and He won’t allow that – see Psalm 139). If we oops, we can fall on our knees to beg forgiveness. If we don’t drop on our knees, well… consequences… If you ask me, I would rather crawl on my knees than walk boldly on that eventual day I am called on the carpet by the Lord. 

The day of our deaths, how will our photo albums be displayed at the gates? Did we take more selfies with the selfless angels than in fishy selfish moments? How will we approach the throne? Well, with Jesus and Jesus alone. 

And all those people in oops moments? Jesus will guide them too… we must WAIT and see what develops. God is His Own Publisher and Punisher. We just are called to pose in poise. Don’t worry about your hair, only your soul to bear.

Can I have a selfie with you Lord? You hold the camera. 

Thanks and Amen 

—-

Psalm 139

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
15 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.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

We are not always above the fray, but Jesus certainly points us that Way.

Jesus spoke of weeds planted by the evil one, that get entangled amongst the grain of a farmer’s filed, and how his workers had to endure the growing season without yanking out the weeds because they did not want to disrupt the good seed that also was just starting to take root. They were reminded that the farmer for the field (and likewise the Lord with the people) will harvest it all LATER, burn the bad, keep the good… At some point, God will look at His people, there will be a time for separating the sheep from the goats… Therefore, we are not to judge it all now, not to avenge everything in the entangled mess of the world right now but we are called to keep planting new seeds of peace… That requires us taking the long view. I have faith, we will get thru this too, we always do.

So, the writings from Paul to Timothy pertain here… behave “like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” Our Commanding Officer? God. Please God.

Paul felt blessed in His mess, keeping his eyes to his future above. Life is messy, Paul felt the disarray of people that were once good in progressing places and saw church folks he established sometimes go corrupt and wayward. Paul urged Timothy to keep working, keep teaching, keep being the good example. He said DON’T get caught up in the world. Don’t get entangled.

Life keeps moving and so should we. Jesus gives us the Way above the Fray.

For the Lord’s sake, we pull our children closer.

For the Lord’s sake, we keep moving.

For the sake of PEACE, we do our piece of praying and planting. The thorns and the thistles may try, but the Lord knows how to find His peace people in the piles… The Lord knows all that gets entangled, let Him lift you up away from the fray.

Amen to a new day.

---

Paul to Timothy: And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.

—-

2nd Timothy 1

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself…

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene…. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.  Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Put down your stone,

It’s not your judging throne.

Put down your stone,

Where has your sense flown.

Put down your stone, 

We all have something to atone. 

Put down your stone, 

Writing in the sand, feel it’s tone. 

Put down your stone, 

Quiet your moan.

Put down your stone, 

Our lives are earth are just on loan.

Put down your stone, 

Forgive and forgive alone. 

I want to run at the mouth. 

Satan get behind me.

I want to run and hide.

Satan get behind me.

---

I want to self-indulge slide. 

Satan get behind me. 

I want to cuss and fume. 

Satan get behind me. 

I want to clear a room. 

Satan get behind me. 

---

I want to stare and stop.

Satan get behind me. 

I distractedly pause from the walk.

Satan get behind me. 

I want to ignore this broken world. 

Satan get behind me. 

I want to call out from fear.

Satan get behind me. 

I want to reduce into a tear. 

Satan get behind me. 

---

Jesus hear my plea.

Satan got behind Thee.

Jesus rule my heart.

Satan got behind Thee.

Jesus make us a fresh start. 

Satan got behind Thee.

Jesus help me do my part.

Satan got behind Thee. 

Satan, get behind me. 

Satan, Jesus did crush thee.

---

Jesus, hear my plea.

Jesus, tell Satan to flee.

Jesus, be ahead of me.

Jesus, mark me free with Thee.

Jesus, Thee are in front of me.

Amen

---

The world sometimes makes me feel like a made-up Disney Princess with sweet compliments and fans.

The Lord, however, makes me His and tells me that I really AM the daughter of the KING. 

The world sometimes makes me scrub on my knees and feel like Cinderella in rags, not in a kingdom.

The Lord, however, clothes me with garments of salvation and arrays me in a robe of his righteousness.

In the world: time stops when the clock strikes midnight.

In the Lord: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”.

The world fades. 

The Lord shines. 

The world stops short. 

The Lord goes on forever. 

The world chases the wind, never has enough.

The Lord gives gladness of heart to enjoy one’s lot in life.

The world hates, moves on, forgets us.

The Lord forever holds and protects us.

The world is not prayed for.

The Lord PRAYS FOR US.

In this world, we are incomplete like chains of a broken necklace. 

In the Lord, we are restored to whole.

In the world, we are dust – but the Lord’s dust.

In the Lord, WE ARE HIS JOY.

The World vs the Lord.

In HIM we are won.

In HIM we are ONE.

Amen 

—

Jesus says: I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.    John 17:9-19

Also see Ecclesiastes.

A friend mentioned that their life-long friend had passed of covid – and just after I saw this story of a Swedish artist who made metal flowers to place in a field – he was using this as a way to wrap his mind around the numbers so they weren’t just numbers.    https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-55415765

What I appreciated was what the artist said at the end – that he wanted each person to have the place where they felt respect. 

We are always talking numbers – so when we have a memory of a person we become the mental planter of that flower using our love, which comes from the Lord… sometimes if someone passed that I knew, that next spring I would think of them when planting my flower beds…

Scriptures tell us of how flowers fade. Scripture also tells us that the Word of the Lord endures forever – therefore we are to love fervently – and that love will last forever… If we love and share love – then we are actually planting and cultivating that person INTO the Love and Word of God – and hopefully they bloomed in love too – whether they knew the Lord or not they were planted in love that originated from Him. He then could water that field of their souls… 

Love is eternal and that loved one is never gone from the love that permeates the world – just the soul is relocated home – closer to the Source…

Peace and keep planting…

PS – Be Unto Your Name https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLOt2DlhdrY

———

1st Peter 1:22-25

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

“The only one who was qualified to hold a stone, didn’t.” Anonymous Author but a real Amen

Stone Hold Truth

We aren’t qualified to judge, but we do.

We aren’t supposed to whisper, but we do.

We aren’t supposed to shun, but we do.

We hold the stones just as much even more as they are held poised at us.

Instead of holding a stone, throwing a stone, by choice Jesus instead HOLDS your hand within His. 

Guidance over judgement.

The Rock holds your hand, not a stone.

That is Truth to hold on to.

Amen

A friend gets a new faith word of the year, each year… This year her Word is “Love”. Love is a great Word because God is Love, Love is God, Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus says to LOVE. “Love one another as I have Loved you.”

Perhaps you have a new/old faith word as well.

I believe that my word should be this year, 2 words, “By Faith” –  That what we ask for, as in things, we should ask for in the Lord’s name and what we asked to do or to go we should ask to do them “BY FAITH”.  Lord-willing. Not spoken boldly but quietly and under the breath even. Spoken in faith by asking the Lord, not demanding… Always in an ask, confident that the Lord will answer!!! Either it will happen or it won’t.

By Faith… 

The Lord has plans for you that you can NOT imagine.

Imagine that the Lord has BETTER plans for yoy than you have for yourself. Believe it.

Plan to follow the Lord. (And try really really hard to listen and obey.)

Really – this is a Godly pursuit but it has a positive human side-effect: “By Faith” gives CONTENTMENT, as well as self-discipline, especially for the realization that there are things we can and cannot do, places we can and cannot go, plans we cannot have unless the Lord agrees and builds them for us. There is nothing that helps us more into peace than to follow the Lord’s plans. Sometimes we will ask: “Why am I here Lord?” – “Why am I waiting” – “What is this side-tracking for?”. We may not get an answer we understand – or it may take a while – but CONTENTMENT (not compromise or complacency) true CONTENTMENT only comes with the PEACE you accept from the Lord’s pace for you and how He has you placed.

Peace by Place and Pace.

Amen

—

… Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” James 4:14

—

“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24

—

Advancing God’s work—which is by faith. Paul to 1Timothy 1:4

—

Fan into flame the gift of God… For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Paul to 2Timothy 1:6-7

—

You have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Paul to the Colossians 3:1-4

—

Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the word, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Fight the good fight of the faith.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. Paul to 1Timothy 6:6-12, 17-19

—

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8

—

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

—

AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS.  Philippians 4:4

I’m SO thankful Lord in Thee.

When I thought I had two, You and me, I see I have actually three: God Father, Jesus Word, and Holy Spirit – All in Thee.

When I thought my finances stretched thin. It was only You I needed within. 

When I thought my cupboards bare. You told me You were sufficient to feed me anywhere. 

When I had enough money in my eyes, You allowed me to go get goodies, sweets, and even Five Guys Fries.

When I could replace my old green then old blue car, I realize it is You Whom has driven me sucessfully safe this far.

When I got to hold my loved ones dear, it was You who gathered them near. When I sat quite alone, You said it was OK, I only needed You and You alone.

Someday we won’t be steady, but You will make us ready. Secured in Jesus we need to atone. Someday, He will hold our hand while You will call us each HOME. 

We LIVE and LOVE by Thee and Thee Alone.

I thank You Lord, Thee Alone 

Amen 

Jesus in Our Cup

Perhaps Jesus is filling your coffee cup:

With a BOLD blend, strong and mighty. 

With a delicate aroma, sweet and welcoming. 

A percolator type, traditional and long-processed.

Sanka, on the go and doesn’t give you the shakes.

Instant, there when you need Him.

Espresso, steaming, noisy in the ears and concentrated in small sips.

All sugary, easy to down. 

Black, straight and no nonsense. 

A mug you barely wash, home brew.

A takeout cup, still will do.

Half full, there’s still more to savor. 

Half empty, don’t miss out on all sips of Savior. 

Drips, spill out on the ground. 

Floods, whole carafe rendered down. 

Beans crushed and brewed, broken, it smells of Heaven.

Jesus, the best Savior in town. 

Flavoring life, Jesus in the cup, the perk to bring you around.

The essence of Jesus, nothing compares. 

Our cup He fills, He will always make you aware.

Filtered He still runs thru.

Rip open the filter, temple curtain, God’s Jesus made a Way for you.

Jesus in our cups.

Filled with Love.

Drinking Living Water.

Savor everything sent from above.

Amen 

A friend said she wanted to work on her faith in this New Year. Actually, God is working on us!  So as for me, in my limited knowledge of the Lord, I have mostly learned that it is HE who works on us.

Apostle Paul, with Timothy his scribe and student, aspired to advancing God’s work—which IS by faith. “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 

Sincere means listening and not quenching the lead of the Lord, doing what He says. Faith knows peace without understanding it.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians church folk whom he taught: “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by HIS POWER he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed PROMPTED by faith.  We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I’ve experienced in me that Jesus as the Vine is the One who connects and feeds us as branches (gospel of John). It can be like growing the Grinch’s heart when he saw and experienced love. The vine valves we squeaked open. If we want to grow our faith, really all we need to do is start listening to the flow better – tap into it – grease up the valves – LET IT FLOW  – and faith will be ebbing thru us, overcoming as it overflows. 

Like leaves on the branches, we turn our faces to the sun to absorb the light, open special stomata underneath to take in carbon dioxide, absorb the water flowing from the vine deeply rooted, and growing gets to work. Do we produce sugars, vitamins, minerals, nourishment for ourselves? Not exclusively as the creations, work, products become fruit of HIS Vine. An orange tree or tomato bush grows fruit for the picking, giving up its best. We should too.

Like He desires in us, from us, as His Vine branches, we need to leaf out in spring, absorb the Shine of His Light, intake the flow of Spirit, be fed by the Living Water – and be His strong branches to bear fruit. Our Vinedresser watches and prunes us for the good of His crop.

Psalm 90:1-4, 12, 16-17

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…

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom…

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.

AMEN 

Jesus said:

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

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-12

AMEN AMEN 

Jesus doesn’t always have to come to us because we experience a tragedy.

Often He speaks to us when we are simply sipping a cup of tea.

Jesus is not hiding or scarcely found.

His Spirit is ever-present and all around. 

Jesus grows THRU, not on us like fungal decay.

From inside He is changing your heart, your soul, your mind, in His Way.

Jesus in us doesn’t get thrown off by our sinful spots.

God made us by faith to ask and receive grace, unlike the lost of those blind “have nots”.

Jesus’s forgiveness makes us NEW in a new creation way.

Listen to Him teach you a new lesson today. 

Jesus puts the purpose in our LOVE. 

His LOVE is all in all, grace given from God above.

It’s good to listen to Jesus, read His Word, and just be.

Faith can strengthen you, motivate you, simply while sipping a cup of tea.

Thank You Jesus for flowing Your peace in me.

I love to ponder Thee.

Amen

OKAY OKAY Lord, it’s time to get up and rhyme. 

OKAY OKAY Lord, You’re right I am feeling just fine.

How come You give me an early wake up time?

Let me write, of course I am living on Your dime.

—

OKAY OKAY Lord, it’s New Year’s Day. 

OKAY OKAY Lord, another day to play. 

Play? Instead what’s that You say? 

Oh, You gave us ANOTHER DAY TO PRAY. 

—

OKAY OKAY LORD, I get Your drift.

You are repairing this big listening rift.

You want to give everyone a lift?

Ah, I see, You want to give lost people Your greatest Gift.

—

OKAY OKAY Lord, today is that day. 

For another soul we should always pray.

Lord, what really do You want me to say?

JESUS IS THE ONE AND TRUE WAY.

—

I believe that Lord, but there are those who DON’T. 

I believe in You Lord, but there are those who WON’T. 

Those blind to Your ways will rant, pay You no mind.

Awake them Lord, not to punish but for them to know that You are KIND.

—

You need us to live Your Word. 

You want us all to retell Your Word.

Open ears hear, eyes see, hearts are stirred. 

Jesus, You NEED to be heard.

—

Your New. Your Year. Your Day.

Lord, who will NEWLY hear You TODAY?

To open more eyes and hearts, You need us ALL, yes everyone to PRAY.

Open Ears to hear, for TODAY is NEW EARS DAY! 

—

I will pray Your Way, OKAY!

It’s not just about me, that’s OKAY! 

I will petition for all to have an awakening DAY. A NEW EAR DAY!

Thank You Lord, please Light their Way.

—

You put the NEW into this New Year’s Day.

You made the YEAR of this New Year’s Day.

You own the DAY on this New Year’s Day. 

Open ears as You are light, truth and the WAY.

—

I will pray for what to say. Your Word works everyday. 

Thru me, Lord, I hope You ALWAYS get Your Way. 

Amen to those who become NEW in YOU on this Day.

Wishing new EARS for You Lord, every day.

—

Lord, HAPPY NEW EARS DAY!      

Amen

I got advice for a work document I was writing by asking someone who had recently written a similar document. I joked that I was cheating off the smart kid – but really it was and is handy to have help. I then thought this concept is just like us and Jesus. We don’t have to guess, we have to confess that He knows better than us. How fitting that we get to get to Salvation because we have Jesus. We are kind of riding on His coat tails – but not really – because to make it to Heaven, we have to NOT ride but WALK alongside Him. We do have to commit to the journey.

Recently I called a friend and he helped me fix the pipe leaking under my sink (silly I just had to tighten this ring). It is handy to have a phone a friend – phone a plumber – cheat off the smart kid… That is Jesus too – handy to have His Hand guiding ours – cheating yes by cheating death because He crushed it. The smart kid? Oh Yeah – Jesus is the smartest kid you can imagine – and He is NOT hiding His paper – and He is not even testing us. Jesus IS showing not just His paper to us but HIS OPEN BOOK.

---

JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE OPEN BOOK.

He doesn’t open His book to just mark up our pages based on His.

He does open His book to hint His answers to us.

He doesn’t open His book to read us the riot act.

He does open His book to teach us His righteous acts.

He doesn’t open His book to write down our wrongs.

He does open His book to copy it onto our hearts.

He doesn’t open His book to cut us with the pages.

He does open His book to cut open our ears, hearts, minds and souls.

He doesn’t open His book to simply be wordy.

He does open His book to make us simply worthy.

Thank You Jesus for reading us the Way – one Word at a time.

Amen

I have no clue, Lord, what’s vining thru me from You. But You do.

I have no clue of today’s challenges, but you do. 

I can’t interpret my dreams, no clue what they mean, but You process them for me, don’t you?

I have no clue. I have to rely on You.

No clue but You.

I get rest, get to rise, get to move, get to live because of You.

Good is good all because of You.

I can know of good things because I know You.

I can fear not small things, because I respect You.

Why am I awake, alive, ready to thrive?

Well, all because of You.

You are my clue, better yet, You are my answer too.

If I don’t know what to do, I will ask You.

If I can’t comprehend, I will figure on You.

If I am lost, I will look for You.

If I am scared, I will feel for You.

If I don’t know what to say, I will speak about You.

If I need a clue, I will listen to You.

You always see me thru. Better than a clue, You are You.

Lord Your Name is So Powerful too.

True.

Amen and Thank You.

I held this writing in drafts for 2 weeks, and I appreciate the chance to revisit it. After one of my writings helped their situation, a friend said “keep doing your job” – meaning acting on this feeling of writing for the Lord’s purposes… 

Classically I had written that same thought in this note I started writing below, about my friend a servant of the Lord, grateful for him for just “doing his job” for the Lord… We don’t work for men, we work for the Lord. The Doors lyric: “keep your eyes on the road – your hands upon the wheel”

Isn’t that the truth!!!  Keep going my friends, doing the best you can to serve the Lord – it DOES make a difference – it made me SAVED!

———-
1000 and Forever More, 12Dec-DEBBIEtime2020

I am often writing from “having to write” – but this time I simply want to write this note – I am quite taken by the fact that I have approached then gone over 1000 devotions/blogs/processing writings especially since I begged the Lord to stop making me write at about 100 or so writings… I asked for my brain back. Well, He said: NO!

It’s not an accomplishment for the writing but I will take credit for paying attention to feeling an urgency of the curation of the writings, what I describe as me having no choice. I have to “contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me”… YES!

But today I want to write this as a thank you note – specifically for the Lord for picking up a task for me that I would have NEVER picked for myself – for showing me the better way when I myself was “in the way” – and for giving me an abundant feeling of blessings. I am thankful that this is not a chore, like mowing the lawn, but a direction to keep walking. Whatever I am doing or supposed to be doing, this feels like being the puzzle piece in You Lord moving around the box. I pray, Lord, that you move me to the parts of the picture where I connect. I often ask “Lord, where do I fit?” He says “Don’t worry where you fit – just be happy that you do.” And I am Lord, I am happy to know You in me and me in You. I am handmaiden of the Lord (Luke 1:38) and “feel to be a cog in something turning” (like Joni Mitchell sings).

And I want to add to this thank you note a great THANK YOU LORD FOR MY FRIEND “A” – in musical notes, sermons of note, and notes written and exchanged. I know he doesn’t want thanks – never did – because He knows, like I know, that anything we do for the Spirit is FROM the Spirit… so I will say THANK YOU to the Holy Spirit for Your servant! Thank You for placing me in timing and space – or thank you for not moving your servant onto some other place before the Lord caught me up to catch up with him.

I would not be anywhere without the Lord – none of us would be, but with servants placed in that particular place and time, paced and placed by the Holy Spirit, in my earshot, I had the most important pieces falling into my puzzling,  I had people to talk to whom didn’t know I was talking to them!. My conversations were not many at the beginning, and servants were not interveners but guides being placed in advance to when I caught up to listening with opening ears, someone to talk to whom I just felt would not ridicule me, someone who “got it”, and who wasn’t just randomly placed. I knew I had someone to trust in for whom I could hide my thoughts, not dismiss me or even try to change or affect me – but he could tell something was turning in my head… I won’t recap the whole story (which of course I have written out) but just state that this servant was just doing his job of teaching and reaching – He was placed – and participated in the work from his calling. Just doing his job.

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Paul to Philippians)

The best advice this servant gave me about serving the Lord, when I was preparing my first sermon, was “You just do the best you can to present the scriptures.” That’s true – God wants to use each of us – just do the best you can to help Him shine thru. He already did everything – nothing can be added or taken away – so just present the truth. People will listen to and seek the Holy Spirit.

I will always need someone to talk to – just do – that is my known brokenness in me – a gift of brokenness so why not pour LIGHT out – and because I like to talk, at least Lord, I can always talk to You. Please Lord forever take all my brokenness in order to shine You…

I don’t know how this life or writing journey will bend or end, Lord, but I know it will continue, until You Lord change my direction of what I do. I don’t know this next stage of my journey Lord, none of us do, but I do know this: that You will push us thru – pull us thru it – lift us thru it – especially to understand more of You. Our job? My job? Share You!

Whether 10,000 years or 1000 writings and forever more, I’ll have no less days to sing God’s praise, than when I first begun. I will write in my brokenness because He is making us all whole. 

Thanks Lord. 

Thanks all Your servants. 

Thanks all for listening. 

Thanks. 

These few days after Christmas are a gift especially to a working mom/Mrs Santa/Julia Child Chef/pleaser to the workplace and world, just trying to get everything done by Christmas and now Christmas joy can now be enjoyed by me because the pressure is off. I’m blessed to be at work to reset my brain but hold onto my Christmas heart. 

I appreciate that the word the Lord has given me all throughout this covid season has been “REST” – both rest physically for health and rest assuredly in His love. Rest has allowed me to process in my sleep, and all of us to reduce stress resting assured that we are doing our best each day. At least we are trying.

I appreciated hearing in a sermon video today the great story of Simeon at the temple when Jesus was brought as a baby for dedication.   I can see/hear a song from Michael Card in my head and I can see the image of Simeon holding the baby, so touched that he was allowed to see his and the world’s Savior come to fruition. Anna was also gifted seeing our Gift. They KNEW.  And the sermon pastor spoke of how they were allowed rest, no not slack-off in faith or life, but to simply rest assured of a promise fulfilled. 

It brings me to tears to know that Jesus not only entered my own temple to teach me about His love for me, but He created it to house His Word and in doing so, gave me an empty slate wiped clean on which to write on my heart… if you have accepted Jesus rest in His arms, rest your future in His love. If you have not fully accepted Jesus – this is a good time to – at Christmas when He is a gentle as a baby to behold and then hold you. He really is the only comfort that satisfies what we need. We accept Him because He chose us first.

And Simeon did not sugarcoat the hardships that Jesus would endure, that Mary had in store. But Simeon saw and praised the glory first. We also will not rest in or on easy street, but we CAN see the glory of the Lord. We can feel Christmas rest, Easter best and our temple blessed. 

We have God with us. Let that sink in.

Be blessed. Merry Christmas rest.

Amen 

—-

Luke 2:22-40 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord  (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”),  and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,  so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

——-

Michael Card’s song:

Now that I’ve held him in my arms

That old man in the temple

Waiting in the court

Waiting for the answer to a promise

And all at once he sees them

In the morning sunshine

A couple come and carry in a baby

Now that I’ve held Him in my arms

My life can now come to an end

Let Your servant now depart in peace

Cause I’ve seen Your salvation

He’s the Light of the Gentiles

And the glory of His people Israel

Marry and the baby come

And in her hand five shekels

The price to redeem her baby boy

The baby softly cooing

Nestled in her arms

Simeon takes the boy and starts to sing

Now’s the time to take Him in your arms

Your life will never come to an end

He’s the only way that you’ll find peace

He’ll give you salvation cause

He’s the Light of the Gentiles

And the glory of His people Israel

The year ends, some call it horrible, a trying year. I call it a teaching year. Did we really put our money where our mouths were? Did we really flip over the rocks and look for hidden blessings? Did we help over hinder? Did we focus on things above? I didn’t always, but I tried. Let’s hope 2021 is not a trying year but a year of trying even harder in whatever we do, working at it with all our hearts, as working for the Lord….

Let’s reflect on NOT the year but the opportunities. Let’s think about what worked out and what didn’t. Learn from our past but then let it go and don’t glory in our glory or gloom in our gloom. Tomorrow isn’t today – focus on today. Yesterday isn’t today – focus on today.

Above all, focus all on all above.

Don’t look to 2021 as a focus ahead as much as focusing on the Lord ABOVE.  There WILL BE challenges in 2021. I know that we cannot avoid earthly pain. But as a friend once told me, life has valleys, but you don’t have to stay there.

I often wonder about my older family members their health and hard decisions and then remember to take one day at a time. I wonder about my children and their futures and then remember to take one day at a time and to keep going, best I can for them, nesting and resting and investing time into them and their future.

In 2020 hindsight, wouldn’t we all have been better each time we focused on things above. Heaven’s call to pause, pray and PRAISE takes the sting out of earthly life, allowing us to see, stand and SING.

Let us chime in 2021 as a year for Christ. He is the model for us. We think we have so much to focus on, forgive and figure out, but God has ALREADY gone ahead of us, to win our battles. Praise Him and in 2021 walk the lighted path that only He will blaze. It will be a path leading ABOVE.

Amen

—-

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ (Paul to Colossians 3:1-4, 12-17, 23)

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ……

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. …..

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…

It was a blessed Christmas Day, to rest in the Christmas prepwork now DONE (except the dishes, but they can wait), and just as blessed on Christmas Eve – this is how that day played out:

It’s fair to say that Christmas Eve, it was God’s choice for how my game plan would go.  I thought I had a plan for the day but He rearranged it HIS Way. I WAS going to travel the hour South to be at one church for outdoor living nativity caroling and smores and a church service in an open air tent. I still believe that the less time you are inside, the better – just GO OUTSIDE!!!… of course, I had so much to do in the morning first, still shopping and wrapping and life… so, in the afternoon I planned (God willing) to go to church(es), even though my kids didn’t want to go. I thought I would be blessed to see my friends, and sing and feel the Christmas love, especially outside and it was 60 degrees in December! BUT, the weather changed all that. No tent, no smores outside, just DOWNPOURS!!!… I still was considering going, even packed my car, it’s an hour drive, but then my son asked to do some shopping with me, SO RARE, and it became more and more CLEAR – God had me CHANGE my GEAR. Lord knows it’s my children, His children, and time with them which I hold most DEAR.

and then, my hip. Owww… I did something – or God touched it – because my wrestling decisions were solved by asking Him, the Lord to help me – AND HE DID by stopping me by temporarily stopping me in my tracks!

Owwww… what did I do? Twist it getting out of the car? hoping over a snowbank? No clue, but out it went. It’s fine now. I’ve done that before, then it takes a good mini rest to click it back in – old bursitis rears its wacky ways on occasions. I knew I had to pause and lay down to reset it, you can’t ignore it or walk it off. No worries about it but home I was and the couch I went… So, no attempt to get anywhere for a couple hours – off the table, and I went off my feet. Watched some parts of a movie. Watched (heard) my daughter cook herself some food (yes!). Watched my neighbor drop off goodies – yum! 

I did get up after an hour or so – the hip was fine enough and I did walk it mid-afternoon – fabulous 60 degrees and not raining at that point. So, in my walk I started noticing people outside – then a little boy (maybe 4?) said: “Get out of the road, you don’t want to get hit by a car!” and he wanted me to stay on his driveway with mom and him and dad because Santa was coming!! I then heard the sirens – oh Santa was indeed coming on his firetruck after all!!!  wow – I was so amazed at the social nature of this little boy but especially looking out for me and others – his mom said he was always social – I get that! and so we waited and talked and waited…  Santa makes his rounds so you hear him FOREVER until he gets to your road – so I excused myself from this driveway party – and thanked the little boy (how blessed to be in a Christmas moment with a child – my teenagers were not amused to see Santa or even his firetruck – but I love a parade!) – and I kept walking – I waved “Hi” to like 20 sets of neighbors – like walking a parade route – and then I got home to my house and chatted with our neighbors, gave them cookies, and gave Santa a HUGE wave on his amazing fire truck. Blessed to hold my fingers in my ears, he was so LOUD!

My hip was totally fine by evening. I cooked dinner for the kids, got out my Grandma’s fancy china and tablecloth, and honestly enjoyed playing house…  we enjoyed “a fancy dinner”, the gift of chocolates and a candle and sparkling grape juice from neighbors who brought gifts. We enjoyed playing a video game they choose after dinner. And I FINISHED MY WRAPPING!!! I then had enough time to go to late 9:30 local church with services outside in the parking lot in my safe and snug Subaru, eating peanuts from Five Guys, as if it were the messy floor of the Ground Round… (and how blessed that our new pastor is crazy enough to put on a raincoat and preach in the rain! surrounded by faithful boyscout-like assistants who certainly have been in a rainstorm or two – at least it WAS 60 degrees!!!

And then I got to sing in the Subaru – and this brought tears to my eyes because all the times I didn’t sing in church this year, it is still the most TOUCHING to the Lord that we are singing to Him. I ALSO sang with the online live feed from my other church – both blessed times to sing my heart out. Silent Night Holy Night. Subaru, hold Thy Light. 

Isn’t that just like the Lord to remind us – if we value spending time with our kids so much that HE DOES TOO. The Lord our God values EVERY precious moment that we spend WITH Him. Every thought, every tear, every nap and every awake moment. Every smile, wave, tear in love. Every wrestling moment and move we do – God can let us wrestle and then STILL bless us. Our looking to Him is touching His Heart. 

I feel like when we wrestle with decisions and directions and THEN we place it into God’s hands, we are blessed to watch Him decide the best plan of action. It’s not watching a Christmas movie, it’s actually watching the director’s cut: “and then I placed her over there…”  And even when the results are not what we thought, He gives us peace to accept them. I wrestled with my schedule, my busy-ness, my decision process but I did have lots of options that day – and we do EVERYDAY. Putting it into God’s Hands is the ONLY WAY. He fits in time His Way. We ask to see His face – and turns out all we really need is our faith.

BLESSED

WRESTLED

Lost to God, Won by God, Blessed even more.

Amen

Genesis 32: 24-32 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

And in my 1000th blog, “Christmas is still Christmas”, I should have added that the Christmas Tree LEANS big time!!!  https://debbieupper.blog/2020/12/25/christmas-is-still-christmas-even-this-year-1000/    It’s wired to the banister to lean less, but it still leans. It doesn’t need wiring, the tree stand is stable no problem, but I wanted it to look like only a small leaning tilt, oh well…

It’s a year NOT for perfect Christmas but a remembrance of leaning into our PERFECT Christmas counselor Jesus for sure… I could not have made it thru this day, this month, this year, these past few years especially, AND my whole life without listening in and LEANING IN for HIS PEACE… none of us would be here without Jesus. 

The cookies I made? Half didn’t even get to their destinations, stuck in NY or PA trucks, maybe they will still be edible in January.  Better yet, cast off the calories and feed the cookies to the birds. It’s a year where at Christmas and every day, this message rings true: “it’s the thought that counts.” When we let the Lord stabilize us, speak into our thoughts, decisions and lives, we get a glimpse of PEACE so that we can make the decisions big and small… He’s always helping with it ALL. 

Even though I placed 1000 writings into the ethernet to date, I am STILL convinced at the same conclusion that it is the PERSONAL TOUCH that makes our faith grow. I appreciate both the local connections and perceived personal touch connecting with people globally, all can be comforted to realize the deepest meanings of the Lord being ALIVE and active… Just like we have spent more time locally this year, speaking with neighbors more than extended family, our faith comes from the close connections with our Lord, daily, moment by moment. (and the local people got to eat those cookies 3 weeks ago!).

I can’t think of any other reason that I write than I am supposed to promote the process of leaning into the peace that ONLY Jesus can bring. So today and always, please lean into your faith, it’s the best possible Christmas and life plan!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! LOVE YOU ALL!

(PS – Lately in my statistics I see that people in China have clicked on the links. Blessed! There must be OTHERS WHO STILL NEED TO HEAR!)

When I walked up to the outside prep area of a church living nativity last night, looking for my friend Liane, I recognized her from behind, all bundled and standing still on the steps but I KNEW it was her. Had not seen her in a year, although we talk on the phone when we can. She heard me speak and instantly knew that it was me.  We are old FOREVER friends (not old but forever young) and there’s no distance in our friendship in time or conversation even when we are physically distant in our dust for a long time. She was completely costumed and covered by her fluffy coat, hood and mask, yet I knew her in an instant. She had also expected me that evening and was holding a present, of an inside joke, for me in her hand. It was a moment in the making when you know that the Lord Himself made the moment possible, because He makes our moments meaningful.

There’s no distance between old forever friends because the Lord has made each of us from His Dust. We may swirl around in different circles, but our Spirits are connected. Often I meet new people who are old souls to me and we connect instantly. A friend of mine says that’s my “superpower” but I know that is the Lord’s dust aligning.  I am often meeting old friends for the first time.

We are we and He is He, we do hope to abide in Thee!

That’s also why when we meet Jesus in our hearts, we connect in Spirit, Truth, Life. Truly His Way gives us Life. Jesus and you are old friends. He whom made you is always looking for you from the inside and the out. God, in God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit together, brought you into life on earth in order to move you thru the World, however you are given free will on earth and your eyes of your heart may be nearly closed for you, or occasionally we all put blinders on. We must ask the Lord to open the eyes of hearts around the world, for our friends and family and ours, to see Him more clearly.  There’s no distance in time or conversation with Jesus, even when we have emotionally distanced from Him, when we forget to call Him up. But we see His old friends around us all the time. 

I saw the Lord moving yesterday and shepherding and protecting and busy. Mom-mom as Mary, members of this big family who make me feel right at home. My parents and extended family in another state, so I get included in my big church families down here. A witness for me in that I saw the little children, the fourth generation of this family, dressed as angels, shepherds, and a donkey.  The little angel girl, maybe 6 yrs old, saw her cousin donkey and adorably said “Here, let me fix your ears.” That was after watching her grandma helping dress people. Helpers, Witnesses, Workers. We are watchers and learners, so if we watch Jesus and watch Him work, we learn from the best. If we imitate Jesus, others may learn about Him, understand our deep love for Him and look for Him too.

Amen and Amen to keep going…

PS – Perhaps you can call an old friend today, see what their dust has been up to. Shake the dust of God from your heart and spread it around like Christmas cheer… Jesus will be with you, our old Forever Friend, every step of the Way.

I don’t mind the shortened X in “XMAS” for representing Christmas,  I use both words Christmas and XMAS because the Word, being Jesus, is more alive than any notation we can make anyway. 

Here’s what the X can be in XMAS:

X is the Cross which bore Jesus and on which He said “It is Finished” – while still IN human form, Jesus spoke of that salvation was eternally accomplished thru Him. The X means Jesus came from Heaven for us.

X is a “t” tipped sideways – representing the Cross being tipped sideways, the Heavens dipped onto Earth, lowered to raise us.

X is the Cross with Jesus’s human dead form, the tree, tipped sideways lowering the arms of Jesus into the arms of the people God sent to love Him, carry Him, bury Him, anoint Him, witness Him and remember Him. The X represents care for Jesus and all He stood for.

X is the eXtraordinary plan that God put into motion to bring us Home. 

X is the eXcitement of Christmas and Easter. Glory in eXcelsis Deo.

X is the eXclamation of Jesus as the Message of God’s Grace, Forgiveness, Mercy, Love. The X represents the hope to share Jesus for all to hear.

X is the eXamination of hearts and the erasing of sin. The soulful searching of the saved.

X is the eXtinguished banishment of eternal separation.  The body and the temple curtain ripped open. The brokenness bringing Openness and Wholeness. 

X is the multiplier. One God One Love One Life multiplied (not divided) into us. Times for eXpanding knowledge time and time and time again so Christ could be made known. 

The X of XMAS is the celebration for His eXacting LOVE. 

Merry XMAS. 

eXactly Jesus eXactly us.

Amen

People enjoy sitting down for a meal, to open presents and just rest at Christmas. Many of us enjoy sitting in a church service, listening to the carols, bells, organ, squirming children and of course feeling the reverence of Christmas. I can hear/feel it now in my memories… It’s going to be different this year for many reasons, but maybe it is OK after all to feel different. If it’s NOT a Sit-Down Christmas this year, that doesn’t mean the Christmas Spirit has to stall. Not at all.

This year, be ready for NOT a sit-down Christmas, but stand up, walk-around, active, outside the box, sharing Christmas to spread the message of Christmas in a new way which is the never-changing Way, with a personal touch of Christmas Spirit… You have to get out, send out, ring out, call out. Christmas does not ever run out.

This year and always we are to remember the Way who made His Way into our world so we could make our way home to Heaven, forgiven and in peace. That’s a message for the moment and the masses. Jesus came to bring us HOME. Jesus is the Way to Light our Way.

Take time to see the lights, you can still go outside to see live Living Nativity scenes, because Jesus IS ALREADY HERE. You might need to walk a little bit outside as well as outside your comfort zone. Mary rode a donkey to her Christmas outing, but you can take your car. You might not find it “perfect” a Christmas, but what in life is? You can find imperfect scenes populated with imperfect people every year. However, there IS a PERFECTION in Christmas this year (and every year). You can find Christ in Christmas.

So this year, shake out of your old chairs, don’t worry about the parties or plays. Go with the praise. Share your gifts with those you find near. Focus on sharing the REAL Christmas Cheer: the peace and love and hope and heart of Christmas, ESPECIALLY this year.  You might have to find a new route, a new normal, but that is OK – Jesus did too – and travelled with Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem then to Egypt and back, they all had to make do too. 

Joy to the World, the Savior is Here!

Christ and Christmas still arrived right on time. 

They still do.

Amen 

I always thought I wrote about black ice, and every year when I see some, I think back to writing about it. Apparently, seeing a black ice photo in my draft email folder indicates that it was one Subaru ago (blue Forester) when I started to write something but didn’t.  Ice and life has come and gone but my thoughts are still here: Watch out, there are black ice days and black ice times of life. This deep freeze is one of them where areas not treated or cleaned up have frozen up. The black patches of ice look like water or disappear under a snow drift. Step wrong and watch out!!! These are also the times when we forget to praise the Lord as we are so blinded by the show (or snow) of the worldly things that we forget to praise. All good things are from God and He is a jealous God! Don’t forget to praise – it warms the heart and the step.

There are black ice days and black ice times. Because we can trip up and fall when we neglect to pay attention to life and when we don’t count our blessings and even freeze our gaze and only focus too short. Life is not a bowl of cherries, but at least if the road was covered with cherries, you would see them and step more carefully. Life cannot and will not be perfect to human hopes and dreams. Life would be boring that way anyway. Our greater danger is multi-fold, we go on autopilot without looking where we step and we don’t remember Whom is better as our pilot. And we don’t take the long view and get caught in a blind spot. 

We need to see. We need to look. We still have to step out into life. We need our Lord and His Spirit to guide us. And remember He does have work for us to keep driving, keep stepping forward to share His love. We cannot become complacent nor get riled up and start running at distractions. Hit the ice and crash and burn. Stall the car and sit and stew. Slam on the brakes of living and spin out of control. 

When I learned to drive, in snowy and icy weather, we didn’t have antilock brakes or all-wheel drive. I was taught to turn into a skid to regain control of the car. I was taught to pump the brakes to slow down. It was about regaining safety by giving up some control and working WITH the vehicle you had (plus the sheer weight of the tanks that old cars were, you often spun into snowbanks unscathed). So even when your mind was racing, your autopilot of learned driver reactions took over to listen. Isn’t that life too? Lean into the issues, this time with guidance from above, give up a bit of control and pump on the brakes a little at a time to NOT lock up your options.  Each time you let up on the brake and release the steering wheel of life, this becomes a time to let the Lord steer. We must give up control and let the Lord steer.

Black ice will catch us when we stop paying attention. The Lord knows His way around it for you.

Sometimes we are best to think ahead and add salt to a situation to prevent freeze ups, to shine light on situations and dry up the danger, sometimes add salt to conversations to smooth things over and give our best apt reply so that we can continue on our way.  Always we can ask to see where the Lord has ALREADY stepped into our future and knows our best way. We must pay attention! He is trying to get our attention! And after any near miss, we can warn, help and yell for others to steer clear of danger too. Always watch for the Lord when the going gets tough!

Scripture reminds us to help others survive and thrive no matter what life throws their way: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.  Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.    1 Thessalonians 5:11-24

Saved from the black ice for another day, we look for the Lord’s Way. 

Have a safe and blessed and skid-free day.

Amen 

We have blessings, so many blessings – and in (or on top of) all that we “HAVES” have the Lord AS Lord, who helps in the crises as well as in blessings. I mean if you fabulously won the multimillion dollar jackpot you would STILL need a good accountant! Isn’t it a blessing that the Lord is our accountability accountant, who blesses us with direction, gives us skills and outlets to use them, then sorts thru our skill sets to reinforce that He wants us to work FOR Him. The Lord is the One Who carries us thru.

Everyone COULD be a “HAVE” – after eyes opened. Sadly there are people who HAVE NOT – I don’t mean financially, but meaning they have NOT realized that they HAVE the Lord, as they can’t see Him, feel Him, comprehend Him. Some shun Him but others just plain don’t know. They don’t know WHERE to place their HOPE. Without HOPE how can they cope?… Maybe they just lost track of hope under the piles of stress. One of the first line items in our personal Accountability Accountant Audit should be to PRAY for them to see and know the Lord as Lord, to understand Him more, to grow in faith, to hold on to HOPE.

Paul, the prisoner apostle who got to write and write, actually had so much HOPE. He felt blessings for He KNEW that others GREW in faith. He KNEW the Lord was expanding the devoted follower base from jews and gentiles. Paul even saw the workings of the Holy Spirit, a force above all forces, a re-in-forcer to the gospel of Jesus which “came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” Re-IN the Holy Spirit re-in-forces the force of Jesus.

I think back to when I didn’t understand my faith as much as today, I wasn’t shunning as much as ignoring, but I still understood that I was blessed. And I believe that many we know are in understanding of their blessings even if they can’t see the complete connection to the Lord. Their deep conviction only could come after convincing conviction, but we are always “works in progress”. I have hope in that Hope IS building. If we, who HAVE faith, don’t display HOPE, who will???

HOPE should be tops of our skill sets. It’s a blessing to be able to use your skill sets. Yesterday and especially yesterday, I was blessed to be at work to help logistics for a big party – not the normal party sense but in distancing terms for covid, you can still think of it as a party for 150. My joy usually is to find my niche of where I am needed and just show up there and be there. Nowadays many are planning, but the need is in the doing. Smiling, and displaying Hope is right in my skill set. Lord, how you bless me to be me. It honestly was the only holiday party that I will likely attend this covid year, and I got paid to be there, go figure. But I didn’t get to be in a big room to mingle, no one did, we don’t even have a big room anymore. Everyone ate at their desks. And I instead I got to chat with each of the 100 to 125 people at work that day in a socially distanced way continuously over the course of 4 hours because they had to stop into the room I was in! I did nothing but show up and see where I was needed, set up items already waiting for me, and START. There are blessings this year to figure out how to keep going. When one door is closed, look for the window of opportunity. There’s ALWAYS a window of Hope, if YOU choose to open it.

The hot turkey lunches were bagged and safely handed out like takeout. I was SO busy, I didn’t even have time to finish eating that until I opened it again, safely unmasked and at home from the snowstorm. I realized that I got to see everyone – and to me that is the party gift that never could have been wrapped. Then handing out the goodies of candy, cakes, and electronics as a small big thank you was icing on the cake I didn’t actually eat because I was giving them away. Great gifts for these behind the scenes but CRUCIAL workers who test the safety of therapeutic and preventive medications many take. They didn’t take much vacation this year, they worked in as best socially distanced ways as they could. They masked faithfully and never grudgingly, ever since March. Half these workers already wear masks in the labs, so not an issue to just put on a simple stretchy mask at their desks too and continue working … and they are appreciated! They give HOPE.

Aren’t we blessed to see where the Holy hope and saving help comes from? Even in and especially in a pandemic, you can look for the LIGHT of HOPE.

Hope IS raise-able and remember when we take our Hopeful watch of our Holy Host, the Holy Spirit, we see Him watching how we react when He places His Power into play. One should say “OH! THAT’S the Holy Spirit Way!” Yes, the Holy Spirit is Powering the Power, so if you lean into His Spirit Breeze, you can catch a drift of saving help.

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” (from Psalm 70).

Rejoice with the “haves”, but work for the glory of God catching up the “have nots”. Work as if the world depended upon His Hope, because it does.

Just like accounting for everyone getting their holiday gift, have your Holy audit sheets of sharing HOPE ready to be checked. Help where you can, HOPE in all, because God already powered you to HEAR.

We should all be Thanksgiving all throughout the year. We “have” the Lord – rather He has and holds us!

Amen

—–

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith (a 1st letter from Paul)

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.  We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.  You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Paul to Colossians 4:5-6

! YEAH !

I walked into a small business yesterday, looking for a few Christmas items to mail. Nice that downstairs they had an upscale thrift shop stuff. When I came back up, neither the owner or worker were wearing their masks, were 1 foot apart discussing prices. I’m NOT a germaphobe, never was, but it AMAZES me that these people in this business are not as responsive to customers as you would think! This is not March, this is December in a post-thanksgiving spike. Many businesses ARE wonderfully compliant, some aren’t, and if front of the store workers aren’t wearing their masks, higher chances the backroom workers aren’t either). 

We must rely on GRACE.  GRACE UNDER PRESSURE. 

What do I say to the shop folks? So, you know as consumers we/I could have chosen a course of responses to the unmasked ladies. I wanted my items, didn’t want to walk away and not say why. I waited 6 feet away until I finally said I was ready to check out, they were oblivious to me standing there. The cashier lady scrambled for her mask, a cute Christmas motif even, complimented me on my purchases, and made nice. The owner lady in oblivion to mask wearing or my frown (couldn’t see it because I was masked). Even if she was certified clean, a proper mask would go a long way in comforting me that she cared. Perhaps and probably she cared and was ignorant to my opinion? GRACE. 

Let your conversation be always full of GRACE, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 

I was stunned quiet, and if you know me, if I’m quiet, there’s a PROBLEM. But as the cashier apologized for her mask being down, I mentioned loud enough for both of them to hear that I have a friend and his wife and her mother all down with bad cases of covid, it’s still out there, he said it feels like a marathon to walk from one room to another. The cashier showed genuine concern, the other lady either did not listen or I just don’t know where he head was. She was being silly and showed the new baubles of Christmas decorations she was pricing, but really that didn’t amuse me. I cannot hide my quietness, it’s earth shattering quiet in my opinion, knowing me. I cashed out and dashed out. Open air, open windows, open prayers. And prayers for her too. Granted, cases are still scattered, still rare enough, but they are spiking because of traditional winter close quarters, it IS cold and flu season, why are we surprised at this covid spike?… Customer service could be consistent regardless of spikes, year-round. I just remember good advice: don’t challenge others, unless crucial. Keeping quiet was not hard when stunned quiet, but I could write volumes, of course. Seasoned with salt, our responses SHOULD be after prayerful pondering. 

I’m not a perfect mask wearer, I’m terrible to judge, I make my own faux pas in other crucial things, I know – take the log out of your own eye before trying to see the splint in someone elses.

This is a season of thankfulness and GRACE, actually EVERY SEASON is a season of GRACE. Jesus came to share GRACE. There are not as many “enemies to us” but “opposers to us” these days. We are judgmental folks, me too, and what can be done but for us to try to be better… In conversation try to speak up or shut up. Let life finish out its course with God’s judgement not ours. Meanwhile GRACE is needed. 

We are a world in need of GRACE. We are a people who are told to give GRACE, even under pressure. WE WERE GIVEN GRACE UNDER PRESSURE. God really really wants us back Home with Him – Grace thru Jesus is the only way He could make it – He loves us too much to not give it.

Why are we supposed to share and show GRACE? Share yes, because the Lord forgives us. Show? Because we are to model Christ-like behavior. Others are to know that we are Christians by our love.  And seasoned Christians are gifted seasoned answers and conversations. PRAY ON YOUR ANSWERS.

It is ours to speak up after seasoning-up or we are to shut up.

Grace under pressure is just the start…

Amen

It’s kind of cute the excitement of the two moving planets to create a double star image in the sky near Christmas time, but those planets are there all the time, and those planets have been edging closer every night, and those planets have been ignored most everyday and those planets are really very far apart and honestly when they come together it’s not gonna be that bright… but it’s ok, people like some good excitement. I’m all about good excitement, especially this year.

It’s NOT ok the excitement I just saw on video playback of a church shooting, at an outdoor concert in NYC. It’s NOT ok that people were forced hiding behind a light post, a traffic box, a trashcan. It’s not ok that the shooter was deranged and uncooperative and seemed to be seeking “suicide by cop”. It’s not OK that I could sense that either. It’s not ok that life and death situations are deliberately forced. It’s not ok that the world is broken. It’s OK to be sad. It’s OK to wish peace on earth. It’s our mission to seek PEACE ON EARTH.

The police officer on the right, behind his trash can barrier, was the first to run over to the scared people behind the traffic box, as soon as the shooter was downed, the cop yelled “move move move” and helped the two run further back. Then he crisscrossed the stairs with the other trashcan cop, and made his way to the ladies on the ground huddled behind a deep concrete step. “Move move move”. The crowd filming yells” “It’s ok, your ok” – the video picks up the crowd comforting the ladies. The crowd also praising the police who put their lives on the line. Those are the bright connections in the light of day. Those are people connections from a heavenly Spirit that shines BRIGHTER than humanity is darkened. Those are Spirit connections. That’s the planet we live on. Connection between good people outshines the bad people. Light overcomes darkness.

It’s ok and not ok that we don’t understand evil or even sadly mental illness that we can’t understand. It’s ok and not ok that we wish to ignore bad things.

Move move move. The stars are already moving everyday, and so are we. The human condition is movable and not. The Spirit desires to be moved away from humanness. The humans are to desire Spirit.

There’s nothing OK with the human condition, but know that it will eventually be OK after all evil influences are destroyed. It’s not us that can dispel the evil for all time, but we can wait and watch the Spirit use us and others for good. Remember, Mr. Rogers’s mother always said: in tragedies, look for the helpers.

That’s an alignment of human hope and sacrifice. Time is inching closer to the time the Lord will be overcoming all evil. Let us look to overcoming and practice peace now.

Move move move.

Amen, I believe in the Lord overcoming.

Of course I wasn’t going to eat a candy cane, too much sugar, but when offered last night at a tree lighting by the lady handing out song sheets, I changed my mind and took one anyway, figured I could pass it on to my son. But then ICK, a rainbow one? I’M A TRADITIONAL CANDY CANE SNOB. ICK… I put it in my pocket. 

I was excited about the song sheet! Singing Christ-containing Christmas songs! Outside!!! And I loved the quaint village and opportunity to be in Christmas Spirit. Yay singing!!! Joy to the World! I had visited Saturday, came back Sunday both to see the lighting and hang an ornament of a pinecone rolled in peanut butter and birdseed on the tree. These were free projects placed on the porch of the historical museum antique shop where I finished much Christmas shopping. The lady said “they’re not just for kids! Adults can do them too!” Yup, that’s me and hearing her plea touched me. Her concerns on the tree event and livestream. I took a bag, I really enjoyed making it, it’s a theme of birds weekend as the presents I bought were birdhouses. I made it and placing it on the tree and being present at the lighting was my present to myself in this Christmas covid complexity craze. 

Be present as my own present. 

Afterwards, I took my photos and the people (less than 30) dispersed, but this little boy was crying in an escalating tantrum, the kind a mother knows, the kind that can’t be smoothed over until the ORIGINAL issue is solved. Yeah, been there A LOT.  Crying but not my business, not mine to solve, but I listened in prayerful concern as I took a photo. Mom tried and said: “I will get more rainbow ones!”

OH!!!!!!!!

Rainbow connection, that RAINBOW CANDY CANE – not for me after all. A rainbow to remedy the pain. A candy to soothe the crying. All wrapped up in a disregarded pocketted rainbow candy cane of my discontent. Wasn’t for me after all. I can still hear the thank you and the crinkle of cellophane. I said Merry Christmas. 

But the thank yous from mom should not be at all placed into me, I was placed and paced, I can not take credit for something that I didn’t intend but walked into because of my brokenness to want to be in a collection of Christmas spirits. No, the thank you goes to the invisible Spirit who works all things for good, IF WE ONLY LISTEN!

My Rainbow Connection is Your Rainbow Connection too, it’s JESUS who came as the Promise, God’s promise symbol to Noah, God’s Promise to us. JESUS.  Jesus also Who ascended as the One to leave and to make Way for the Holy Spirit to guide. It’s a Spirit thing to hang NOT our ornaments on a string, to place our lives on a tree but to place them in Thee. Thee from hanging on a tree made us free.

Merry Christmas to not just the children, but to the moms who soothe, peace on earth and wishing peace in her ears. God’s watching out for you. God’s gift is for you. These Rainbow connections like candy canes are for blessings others. That’s God for you! 

Jesus’s present was and is to be present. See that His Spirit at Christmas Shines. 

Amen 

---

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. Colossians 1:10-12

Paul’s letter to the Colossians chapter 2:9-12 relates to the notion in my head recently about Godly Spirit and human form, what was masked in Jesus on earth but not lost, but taken away from Adam with God’s actions after the apple bite of disobedience. Then we, after being cut out for God’s plan, take on our Spirit life again. The Spirit nature on earth not of earth. The letting of our Spirit shine when our humanness is pulled back.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Paul speaks of being cut out of your human self by God’s precise cut, your humanness pulled back as an action for spiritual revelation. Raising in you life invisible to human eyes.

The cut of the Lord to achieve an alive nature for our spirit to be free from human form, although always tied and hidden to and in His purposes. We are not cut out to be escapees but to be made more movable and malleable for making a difference. Our sinfulness and humanness cut out and hung to that cross like dirty laundry. Then our life relocated into the Spirit realm WITH CHRIST, so that we really ARE revealed to Him but hidden in Christ as visible to the world. That makes it more likely to not sweat the small stuff. Your life is now hidden with Christ in God!!! That makes His motivations over ours paramount and we take a step back from taking any of the credit. 

V13-15 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Cut away from the rule of sin, we ask the Lord to continue cutting out our relapses of life, our scar tissue overgrowth and the gunk we accumulate. It’s easier to not get re-messed up in sin when we stay focused on above “Set your minds on things above” (probably one of my favorite things to say).

Ch3v1-5 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.

We can tell ourselves to “Cut it out!” Cut out that humanness for us Jesus, let out Spirit be yours, out for You to use and have unhindered and ALIVE. 

Amen!

I am often writing from “having to write” – but this time I simply want to write this – I am quite taken by the fact that I have approached then gone over 1000 devotions/blogs/processing writings especially since I begged the Lord to stop making me write at about 100 writings… Well, He said: NO!

But today I want to write this as a thank you note – specifically for the Lord picking up a task for me that I would have NEVER picked for myself – for showing me the better way when I myself was “in the way” – and for giving me an abundant feeling of blessings and a forever work-load which also feels light because Jesus takes our burdens. Whatever I am doing or supposed to be doing, I know that it becomes a puzzle piece in You Lord, and I pray that you move me to the parts of the picture where I connect. I often ask “Lord, where do I fit?” He says: “don’t worry where you fit – just be happy that you do.” – and I am Lord, I am happy to know You in me and me in You.

And I want to add to this a great Thank You to the Lord specifically for my friend with whom I first quietly shared my first 3 writings when I thought I was going crazy and didn’t know the Lord was taking over my brain. My friend doesn’t want thanks because He knows, like I know, that ANYTHING we do for the Spirit is FROM the Spirit… so I will say THANK YOU to the Holy Spirit for him, his service, his devotion, his availability. Thank You Holy Spirit for placing me in timing and space – moving me into place – and thank you for not moving him onto some other place before the Lord caught me up to catch up with him.

I would not be anywhere without the Lord – none of us would be, so with Holy Spirit place and timing, I had someone to talk to whom I sensed “got it” – even if I didn’t even really know him –  but I had heard his sermons and I just felt he would not ridicule me, and I realized soon that he was not just randomly placed – but moved by the Lord to do his job. He didn’t dismiss me or even try to change or affect me – I won’t recap the whole story (which of course I have written out) but just state that he was just doing his job of teaching and reaching – He was placed – and paced. The best advice he gave me about serving the Lord, a year later when I was preparing my first sermon, was: “You just do the best you can to present the scriptures.” That’s true – God wants to use you – just do the best you can to help Him shine thru.

I will always need someone to talk to – that is my known brokenness to me – and I also LIKE to talk to people too. Lord, I can always talk to You, and please forever take my brokenness to shine You thru. Please take my writings or the fact that I must write and use them for Your Glory. You took my time because it is Your time anyway.

I don’t know what this writing journey will morph into, Lord, but I know it will continue, until You change what I do. I don’t know this next stage of my journey Lord, but I do know this: that You will push me thru – especially for me to understand more of You.

THE LORD UNDERSTANDS.

THE LORD DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES.

THE LORD IS LORD.

AMEN AMEN AMEN

Whether 10,000 years or 1000 writings and forever more, we’ll have no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we first begun…

Believe me, I have tears when I remember how God chose me to hear. Took many many a year. Am I special, no and yes. I am NOT special above others, I am not special. But without God’s timing, I would have never known how God connects in me and THRU me. So, I am SPECIAL in that I am His. Just that. He IS special in me. GUESS WHAT!!!??? YOU ARE SPECIAL TOO!!!   GOD LIVES IN YOU!!! TRUE!!!

Do you know that? I didn’t know that, I knew I HEARD from God, thought about God, but was it thru Jesus? I had no clue, neither did anyone who knew me. But God knew and He knows for you too. He knows… He trying to reach you thru the Spirit IN you. TRUE!!!

It’s not ours to understand, but God IS the One who opens ears, stops blockages of Spirit and softens hearts. We can encourage and we CAN keep reiterating that when we believed and continue to believe in Jesus, our whole perspective of life changes… TRUE!!!

Why believe in Jesus?

He rescued us from darkness.

He IS the Light.

He IS God in the flesh and Spirit in the soul.

Why believe that Jesus is bearing fruit in you? Because you are connected to Life thru Him. God the Father is the Vinedresser. Jesus is the Vine. We are the branches. The fruit of our living comes thru us from Him. In abiding in Jesus and loving Him, we can do all things. Jesus is in you. (Read John 15)

The best reason for believing in Jesus is that He already believes in you.

He chose you! Special? YES. His? YES.

If you don’t know Him – at least know that He knows you – and that He wants for Him in you to grow TRUE.

TRUE!!!  (and read the great description of Him in You in Paul’s letter to the Colossians 1:3-23)

AMEN!!!

—–

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,  and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,  and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. Colossians 1:3-23

“TRA-DI-TION, tradition,,, TRADITION” – I’m still singing with gusto after watching a Fiddler on the Roof special on PBS online – not traditional to watch it on a kindle like a personal TV, but what luxury! Broadway on Demand… “If I were a rich man”… I think we are rich in blessings, conveniences and yes, TRADITIONS!!! But in the play storyline, because of his traditions, the father had to try to shun his own daughter for marriage outside their faith,  let alone be pained but eventually disregard the arranged marriage traditions for his other daughter… some traditions made life so constraining… some traditions hurt…

Just after the show finished, I listened to Keith Green speaking about a Christmas song that he wrote in tears, having felt the heart and tears of Jesus beating thru him, and how sad he was that the “musak” canned industry of Christmas music in the stores became more about buying influences over knowing the real meaning of Jesus and WHY He came. 

(It is interesting to listen to Keith Green’s observation also about us worshipping the Christmas tree over Christ, quoting a warning from Jeremiah 10 (see below))… the point here is don’t lose the meaning of Christmas over traditions we invent. Don’t worship idols, including our ideas for ideals. 

Tradition! TRADITION! Isn’t it now SO traditional to give gifts? How true that “hustle and bustle last year after year”, as Michael Card sings, “but this little baby won’t always be here…”   it’s true, our windows of opportunity to soften our hearts is fleeting… 

Woe to us when we forget to unpack our Spirituality first before the decorations. We need Christmas for Christ’s sake, we need to focus forward and help with a revival of renewal. This has to be demonstrated not dictated. This year, we have to be OK with breaking with some traditional events (ah how stubborn a people we are, ugh) and with full force return to the Lord all that He is due… and place love and peace over idols  like the trees and the ornamentation and the purchases, which you know won’t last… We have to place others above our perceived needs, isn’t that what we witness when Jesus came?

And no worries, even if our Christmas is different, we can celebrate Christmas. We can cast off old moments, prepare mentally, rebuilding for future days, and yes dig deeper into our joy too.

I love the moment when I switch from shunning the work of decorating to snapping “into the zone”. At our house we alternate placement of the Christmas tree by the couch (my daughter’s choice) or by the stairs (my son’s choice). She’s away at college, and I have been gifted this time with my son – it is so precious to me – of course he gets star treatment and I know these days at home are not going to last. He directed the tasks after school was done, rearranging furniture, SWEEPING the floor WOW, setting where we will place the tree (it is a stairs year anyway), hanging lights, and oh such joy as we listened to his choice of Christmas music to prepare too (yeah!). I love the tree and the smell and the lights. Love comes in the logistics too for we are creating future memories filled with love. And a reminder, as I later sat in warm glow, that we carve out niches where we are not to be afraid even in trying times…

Ah, yes, don’t worship the traditions but work for and foster the peace.  I sat quietly listening to the silent house and being okay with the alone moments this year and sat quietly listening to my heart and loving it. The lights twinkling my eyes and my heart thinking about the blessed moment of peace and security around me. The quiet of the morning now also reminds in gifted moments to ponder Him and His mission over all worldly things. How can we, especially this year, use our unusual circumstances to break traditions that hurt, forgo traditions that distract, and hold onto traditions that help… all while making it hopeful for our children. We are stubborn people and so many want what they want, like they DESERVE Christmas and all the glitz and grandeur. Well, then Christmas wouldn’t be the GIFT, would it? Can we get an Amen?…

Perhaps we best teach our children, this year and always, to delight in the Lord first…  “This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24

Be Christmas, Be Christ-centered, Be Blessed. 

Amen 

—-

Jeremiah 10:1-10   God and Idols

Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. This is what the Lord says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.”

No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.

They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple — all made by skilled workers. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.

—–

Tradition – Zero Mostel  https://youtu.be/kw2SJxPAp_k

Keith Green intro: https://youtu.be/G_nRDx43m9U

Keith Green Happy Birthday to You (Jesus) https://youtu.be/SIu-11q7Lsc

I saw a friend getting her mail today – she sure was happy about getting christmas cards – she sure was happy about the weight she recently lost and I saw her move effortlessly – she sure was happy to be happy! Plus it was 50 degrees out, OK for an outdoor visit and I brought her cheerful masks for her grandkids… When the pandemic first hit, this same lady was in TEARS thinking about her grandkids having to wear masks, and now such a change, she was cheerfully wearing hers and happy to be alive… Isn’t that what we all should be doing? Be happy to be alive and kicking and able to approach each day? And make a difference rather than a fuss? Tap into our life Spirit that brings life…. I bet it will so much LESS a hard winter for her because she will melt the snow with each of her cheerful steps… we should too.

It will only be a hard winter if we make it so – and around here there is barely any snow anyway… But it WILL be a brutal winter for others we know and SO many we don’t.  The loneliness or loss of loved ones, and there will be lost battles for those in losing battles, and we know it will be hard for those losing hope. It has to be our mission to find hope, and shine hope, so how will we maintain hope? Soften our hearts as well as our steps and feel for these friends and strangers… Let the Spirit shine – darkness needs light.

Soften our hearts to let the hope spill out of them, and they may be held together better for the good of all. Humble ourselves to be OK. Hope in the Lord to push thru another day. It’s a Hanukkah now too, a thank you celebration to God for the light that lasted so much longer than it should have. So, like that light and thru His Light, let us prove that our HOPE lasts too.

FEAR can be real and fear can be masked of course, and some spout anger because of it. Fear can also be hidden by putting on a brave face. But Light and cheer can NOT be hidden. Light shines in the darkness and dark has NOT overcome it. Therefore, fear has nothing on CHRISTMAS CHEER. You can not block the cheer of the heart, even if the spirit can not smile it will be known thru the quiet joy of knowing the joy… So how will we tap into this joy? You have to SOFTEN your heart as well as your steps… 

We can make it much less a hard winter if we soften the ground of others too, by not marking time but making it clear where our hope comes from. Clue in others on Who. My hope comes from the Lord.

 Isaiah says,“The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will HOPE.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15.

Amen. 

Keep softening hearts, Lord, show us Your Love and Light. Show us how to SHINE.

Amen Amen

I wonder why. 

I wonder why we wonder. 

I saw the moon, so beautiful and just a crescent this early morning. And why does the moon move? Why is it different everytime and everyday? Why does the moon affect the tides of the oceans which are so crucial to earth. And why do we have only one moon, not many?

I wonder why we wonder. 

The Tweedlebugs wondered, on Sesame Street.  Ernie wondered what they were doing and would look into his windowsill flower box to see their latest adventure. Make believe, yes, but always the Tweedlebugs were involved in a situation that required thinking and discussion and collective ideas and we could watch them through their mental thought processes, have discussion and make progress. Often they didn’t get far on their way, but the ideas made sense to them even if we thought they fell short of finishing their ultimate goal. We think they never got to reach the destination intended, like the beach or the zoo, yet we saw they were satisfied with the answer they discovered that day. Then they moved out with joy to accomplish it. They certainly always discussed the problem together. They wondered then THOUGHT, they THOUGHT then decided. They decided together. 

Togetherness, perhaps that’s the point of wondering.

Satisfaction, perhaps that’s the point of wondering. 

Joy in simple and complex solutions, perhaps that is the point of wondering. 

I wonder why we have joy.

I wonder why we wonder. 

God only knows. 

That’s not a wonder to me, but a wonderful GIFT of knowing that He knows. 

I wonder why it frustrates me when I don’t know everything, as if I should. But there is NO reason why we should. So, when I do know something, it’s not just because I took time to learn but also my brain is wired to learn certain things and not others. I can remember emotionally connected situations, like where people were sitting in a heated meeting, or when everyone was laughing at something someone did. I can’t remember many things, but I can remember being in the room where things happened.  Does God know everything or is God simply complexly everywhere or perhaps the point is not where He is but where He gives us free will.

I wonder why we have free will.

We certainly do. We can choose to not even go with what we know is a good idea. We can be stubborn to a fault. We can have hindsight to a problem. We can see our failures. We also can see when God intervenes despite ourselves to make something happen. 

Now that I have RAMBLED, and surely this is a ramble thru the randomness of my brain, I realized what I was missing was reading the scriptures. See when we wonder we often wonder “about me” – “were do I fit” – “how does this affect me?”… perhaps, no for sure, we are supposed to have the thoughts of “how does this help Thee?”

Someone remarked at me that I always look on the bright side, and in a down situation always looked where I myself could have an impact turning it to the positive. I already did that naturally, it’s not like I think why I do that, I just do. We are to think, not be rash but work at working things out… 

Now I have read and found the scriptures which found me. See Philippians 4

whatever is true,

whatever is noble,

whatever is right,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

REJOICE, BE GENTLE  THINK. Ahhhh….. THINK… 

When we are given wonder to think about Godly things, He wants us to not think the same but think of Him and His Ways. We are given moments to give back our mental energies for togetherness thinking. Not lone souls, but always together. Like Tweedlebugs who didn’t seem to get far, yet they ALWAYS got to a moment of togetherness, they made one decision, one step at a time. They would still be in progress achieving their collective goal, even as a functional family, and they are together in all kinds of weather.

How DIVIDED we are in this land. How tangent-driven we are. Surely if we stop to find peace, the common ground, we must acknowledge that it’s not the ground that brings us together. The ground grounds us, but the Lord lifts us. If we find peace, we must acknowledge it can ONLY be HIS PEACE. How much easier for me to move through my day by doing and thinking about God and what He would do. Oh, we have a model in Him too. What really would Jesus do? And remember, Jesus took time NOT to think about His next step, He took time to PRAY. He didn’t wonder what, JESUS KNEW, He prayed in free will for alignment under God’s Will. WE SHOULD TOO.

We should pray that same prayer. 

In all things, do what God would have us do, and keep moving….

Put into practice thinking of good things. 

Think of God… And the God of peace will be with you.

Amen 

---

Philippians 4:4-9, 11-13

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

Finally, brothers and sisters, 

whatever is true, 

whatever is noble, 

whatever is right, 

whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, 

whatever is admirable

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 

…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I CAN DO ALL THIS through HIM who GIVES ME STRENGTH.

——

Video of the Tweedlebugs 

“What smart little bugs”

The scripture I read just now (Philippians 2) tells us that God KNOWS the way and also the TIME when every knee will bow to Jesus, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We THINK that we know His timing but we don’t and we think that we need to do to work to hurry His system along for Him, and we worry when we fall short, but HE is really aiming to use us in big and small things – and work us FOR His purposes in His timing... so we simply are to abide or work hard at abiding and let Him do the positioning…

It doesn’t have to be BIG work, for God is in all the small stuff too… Yesterday, I was feeling like every plate was spinning at the same time with me trying to work from home in meetings, taking care of my son – and making more Christmas cookies too – full spinning plates will hurl stuff off of them and crash to the floor – and then I just decided to give it up to the Lord and go grocery shopping at lunch time. So, I pulled up to my normal full-service station (I love full service gas stations) and the attendant had a sign in the window (be back 10 minutes) and I waited a bit… I thought to just leave, actually pulled out, but then backed my car back in because I saw the little old lady next to me, with her handicap window hanger on her mirror, and I said to myself: “Why am I being so silly thinking that I am out of sorts when I am NOT, especially when I am SO BLESSED.” So I just got out and pumped her gas for her (and then pumped my own)… She was thankful – it was so minimal of a thing for me to do – and reminded me to stop thinking that small tasks are nothing…  small tasks are still God’s tasks…

I think sometimes God also likes to have us wait just long enough so that we get out of our own heads and into His service… Just like I also shiver at the cold and then remember I am from upstate where it is MUCH MUCH colder than this and I am being silly and could simply put a hat and mittens on to go outside…

If God can exalt Jesus, then surely He can move us into position to be His helpers: even if just to pump gas and humble our heads… And bow our heads when we realize that our lives are lived for Him. Just keep working for Him.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2

Yup!!! Amen!!!

PS, after I got home from shopping,  my son wanted to bring out the Christmas stuff (really to earn money for chores LOL) and so we worked hard together in rearranging and cleaning, and putting stuff out, even spoke about his friends and school and lots of stuff… what a blessing… I got back to work work later, but that was SUCH a blessing to be with him!! Yay! And guess what? Christmas stuff is out!!! God’s timing and silver linings!!! Ask for the desires of your heart!

Life is not perfect, but that doesn’t matter this year. The house is a mess, the dishes undone but really no one is here to leer or sneer.

Christmas is coming, too fast to even fear. Some cookies are smooshed, some decorations dented. Even some will stay in their boxes. Oh dear! Regretfully some cheer might be held back until a non-covid year.

Yet it’s a BABY coming, NOT the fancy folks, my dear.

He wants your head to stop spinning, and actually for you to get your heart in gear.

He really loves you. He wants to give you PEACE and draw you near.

He also tells us it is God our Father, we should all revere.

Jesus will take our burdens and hold us wherever we shed a tear. He will be the founder of your cheer.

No cookies were ever needed for Jesus, He knows EXACTLY what He wants from you this year.

Jesus simply wants to BEND YOUR EAR.

Jesus gives you forever life, you are made new in Him. All He wants is for you to HEAR.

That’s why Christmas is still a blessed Christmas, even THIS year. 

AMEN 

I love Paul’s message to the Philippians, chapter 2. It’s an anti-rant teaching… A cajoling… A HOPE for a HUMAN CONDITION TO COMPLAIN…

This year, every year, it is good to think about NOT GRUMBLING… Not just because Santa’s watching “you better not pout” – but I KNOW it IS better to count blessings. It is better and best to not only count blessings but hand them back out to others. Let them see the Spirit SHINE like the stars – and in this light pollution of our times, show Spirit Shine brighter than bright, with all your might!

Smile and serve. 

If life inconveniences you, count your blessings. If people infuriate you, count your blessings because you CAN take a LONGVIEW. It’s not being a Pollyanna and forgetting the past as much as it is being a future-looker seeing fulfillment in the forever… SO MUCH to praise but not to boast. God gives us the power within His Spirit from His Spirit to simply smile, simply keep our mouths shut except to boast in God’s faithfulness…

If people wonder how – how you can be you – perhaps it is better if they will see humility displayed in you so that they may give credit to God.  It’s not being a pushover if you are already kneeling in servant position to God.  For it is God within you to help you be you.

Imagine putting others in front of yourselves… anti the rant with a prayer for others. Imagine that others have been doing that for you! Others have put you before themselves. Why? Because Jesus did too.

Did you ever see the news after a fire tears thru someone’s dwelling? They are often praising that they are still alive. Imagine how much more praising we could do when we are still OK. 

(And imagine when we are not OK, but we praise anyway.)

If we count blessings, they spill out everywhere. If we fall on our knees in prayer and thankfulness, our cushioning is covered by the blessings that can’t be contained…

Amen (and please read Paul’s anti-rant letter)

Imitating Christ’s Humility

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Do Everything Without Grumbling

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. Paul to the Phillipians chapter 2

It’s cool how two planets are coming closer together as Christmas approaches. One is brighter than the other because of distance and size, making them distinct.  But there were much brighter lights in motion tonight as I traveled down the highway, BIG beaming lights, with flashing red and green side lights. One after another gliding down from the sky.   When I caught glimpses of the 2 planets again, sometimes they were mixed up in a show of 5 lights, sometimes there were 3. See, those were all headlights! BIG airplanes descending, dotting the night sky in a distance, coming in for a landing at an international airport… Busy busy busy and certainly BRIGHT. 

Objects in motion – stay in motion – and you have to pay attention. Car lights also – EXTREMELY important to pay attention to them… they all move FAST. 

It has always fascinated me that people pay attention to some fanciful moments but miss others. And now this significant planet alignment is cool, but not apocalyptic, is in motion. Yet, how about us remembering that Christmas has ALREADY been in motion, 2000 years, because Jesus has already been born. It’s not different or special this year, but every year is uber special. And the difference is in us! Yes, Christmas IS the motion, we are the objects all around, ready to be moved – needing to be moved – praying to be moved. 

We are sentimental people, and always looking for a sign. This Christmas, let’s look MORE for the big motion and not the nuances. Let’s look for the objects in motion to stay in motion, yes according to Newton’s Law, and then REALLY look at Jesus in motion in our lives, for Christmas in motion is UNSTOPPABLE and BRIGHT. God’s plan, His Light, our life. Christ is the revealed Way. Nothing could be brighter than Him or more monumental a movement for God to come with us, Immanuel. God for us, for Him, thru Grace. 

Movable… let us feel those tender moments of being emotionally and spiritually moved by the Lord. Mary, Jesus’s mother, was moved too… emotionally and spiritually moved, plus physically moved (to her cousin’s place and then to Bethlehem). Likewise, Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin was in motion and even her womb carrying John the Baptist moved, filled with the Holy Spirit, when hearing Mary’s voice. And then Mary sang of her Lord, moving the people closer to Him.

Yes, we are the objects, the people, that God wants to place into motion. Oh, how movable can we be? Lord only knows. Only as we humble ourselves can He lift us this Christmas and always… Let us look for the Holy Spirit moving in us.

Be movable.

Be in motion.

Be His.

Watch for God.

Amen 

—–

Luke 1:35-56

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

I love watching the planets Jupiter and Saturn as they inch closer and closer to each other each night and will become a star pair just before Christmas… This will be the visually closest that they come together for like hundreds of years… they don’t change brightness on each other but together they may look that way.

We too are inching closer to Christmas, so will our brightness and joy amplify?  We may not think we are ready for Christmas, but Christmas is ready for us. There IS One who makes us brighter, wiser, and more at peace. Our Prince of Peace, Christ is revealed and ALREADY ready and ALWAYS bright… He never stopped being with us, but since the Christmas spirit captures and softens our hearts, we want to meet Him fresh. 

Then we may foster that freshness for others and plant the seeds of growing faith.

Honestly, don’t you feel we NEED to think about Christmas more than ever this year? Not the presents but the presence.

Perhaps we need to explain Christmas in terms of how it gives us peace. We can show that we love and are even MORE relying on God this year for Christmas Hope.  Yes, we need to remember that Jesus came into the world with a very tough mission, with a very important mission, with a mission only He could fulfill. He made a Way where there was no way. The stars aligned to announce the Way, the angels sang to celebrate the Way, we are called to be reminders OF THE WAY. Jesus IS the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

As Christmas approaches, my prayer is that your star(dust) inches closer to the star (of the morning) Jesus. 

Morning Star – keep my heart.

Be at peace.

Share the peace. 

Shine the Love.

Love the Lord, He IS the ONLY Way…

Amen

Pulling on my favorite jeans, clean and WARM from the dryer – ahhh… They slip on tight and feel alright.

Isn’t that just like the Lord to make things seem and feel better? Better than OK. Better than alright.

Sure it was cold and is cold outside, BUT let’s not be blue, let’s stay OK knowing that the Lord stays with us, He IS forever and true. He IS our Light.

Slip on warm jeans, oh it gets better than that: let the Lord slip into, over and thru you, warming our hearts and hopes. Isn’t that better, better than OK for you? It is now alright.

Sipping a cup of tea. Slipping my hands around the warm cup – my Jesus and me – His Hands hold us to a T – how blessed to know that in Him, we are free. Slipping deeper into my favorite sweater – watching the world go by (wrong or right)… The world may look a fright, however, in HIM, life and we will be alright.

Yes, the world aches, creation groans and we don’t always get things right. But the Lord keeps working day and night. It will take time to weed out the worries, it will take work to keep sharing His news of glories. It’s not always going to be pleasant – not always going to be an easy sight. Yet we can be sure for everything we endure, He will help light the Light.

So, it WILL be OK. Today, it will be OK. Same tonight. 

Tomorrow we will worry about tomorrow on another day – remember that each day has it’s own light. 

Isn’t that just like the Lord to make things better? To right the right?

Better than OK, the Lord will light the light, today, tomorrow and tonight.

Amen

I love watching the movie the Bishop’s Wife. I love Cary Grant’s style as “Dudley” and his sureness as an angel, I love Julia’s sweet innocence and I love the joy that permeates the lives of everyone when the angel arrives, joy that had been slipping away from the stressful living under strongheaded people’s individualist plans. Joy returned, making it easier to then share that joy forward – experienced by the dog to the professor to the house staff to little Debbie. I especially like little Debbie, she was allowed to be a child, allowed to be in joy… and how about the strong-arm snowball throw that the angel gave her?  “She pitched a curve!” She didn’t know what came over her. She didn’t know her own strength. She looked back at the Angel in her new friend Dudley, knowing this was NOT from her, and kept running to join in the snowball game. She knew something had changed and this was an opportunity for fun and inclusion. Really muscles and miracles overcoming gloom and doom make for good movies. Good moves make for meaningful messages. And messages are all around from this movie…

Now, I’m not saying this movie is a documentary, LOL, it is JUST a movie, taking lots of liberties, but it has a message that IS tender and soulful. It warns of slipping away from the Lord. My how our hearts ache with the Bishop’s wife Julia, how they get soothed with hope from the choir boys singing, and how ours skips a beat when Dudley tells a story then recites Psalm 23 to little Debbie as King David’s thank you song to the Lord. Not knowing an angel helped him, but for sure knowing the Lord cared.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.

The Bishop sees his life slipping away. The others see it too – and don’t know how to bring Him back. Well, who restoreth my soul? Who restoreth our souls? Our Shepherd. Our Lord.

I go back to the scene with little Debbie being pulled into the snowball game unexpectedly because of what the angel did for her and how much she loved it. Did the angel HAVE to do that for her? No. Did she have a startling good time? Yes. Did she get to be in the fray of life and love it? Yes. Did little Debbie know her new strength was of a non-human source? That’s me too – that’s maybe you – or might be a new thought for you. Did the Lord or some of His angels pull you out of your stuck corner? Did they put you back into the game? Give you the strength? Did you have to navigate the fray? Will you always have to navigate? Does life get messy? YES on all counts. When angel Dudley answers mom Julia’s question: “Do you think she will get hurt?” with a statement of truth: “Yes, but she will love it.” – well, YES, that IS us and life. Will we get hurt? Yes, probably. But we wouldn’t choose to NOT be in the play. Life is not for slipping away. Life is not simple like snowballs and defending forts, but we ARE strengthened by the Lord, by the Armor of God, and we never know what can happen when angels are guiding us. Not knowing when an angel helps us, but for sure knowing the Lord cares.

Am I still in love with this movie? Yes 

Am I forever in love with the Lord? Forever… Life is for Living – He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We can do anything thru Christ who strengthens us.

Go enjoy Life. Don’t be slipping away/ Make the most of today.

Amen

———–

The choir boys’ scene – miracles in the making: https://youtu.be/EgIvJl2P3JI

The whole movie – a favorite! (but a website with commercials) https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2chnjx

———

Phillipians 4: 4-9, 12-13

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Meditate on These Things
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
—-
Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Surprised is what happens to us. 

Prepared is where God wants us to find ourselves. 

Mary was surprised by the Angel who told her she would be pregnant.

Mary was then prepared for the pregnancy and birth by visiting her cousin Elizabeth to help with her pregnancy. 

Joseph was surprised by Mary’s pregnancy. 

Joseph was then prepared by the Angel’s instructions to not divorce Mary. 

Mary was surprised to be the chosen mother of the Savior. 

Mary chose to become prepared to be her Lord’s handmaiden servant.

Joseph was surprised to be the father of the Savior.

Joseph chose to become prepared to take care of his/His family. 

The scene, 30 years later, saw surprise by being introduced to the Son of Man who was prophesized to be Savior. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” they said.

John the Baptist beckoned others to prepare: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

John’s audience was surprised by this chosen moment. 

But the prophet Isaiah had prepared them (700 years prior) to hear: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ “

The paths to Him surely were surprised by their straightening. 

The Lord was prepared to make His Way.

The skeptics were surprised that they were not saved simply by being children of Abraham. 

John the Baptist boldly spoke to prepare them for demise or repentance. “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

The surprise of deliverance brings desire of repentance and baptism.

The humbling thru repentance prepares us to be baptized “with the Holy Spirit and fire”.

We are surprised in life by the voice of Jesus calling us to come to Him. 

We are prepared for life when we hear the unchanging voice of Jesus saying “I am already here with you”.

We are surprised by our own experiences. 

We are prepared by the Lord to keep going. 

We are surprised by God’s love. 

We are prepared for God’s plan. 

We are surprised to be chosen.

Jesus was prepared to choose us.

We are surprised, but we are MORE prepared to be blessed.

Blessed. Be Blessed.

Amen

In the slow down I go out the door less, but I still need the Lord, I need the Lord EVEN MORE.

In the slow down I drive less, use gas less, and yet I still need the Lord, I need the Lord EVEN MORE.

In the slow down I wear the same comfy clothes, do laundry less, live more simply, but I still need the Lord, I need the Lord EVEN MORE.

In the slow down I work just as much, actually I work more, and for sure I still need the Lord, I need the Lord EVEN MORE. 

In the world of worry, I worry more and I worry less, but (and and) I still need the Lord, I need the Lord EVEN MORE. 

In a Spirit of Peace, I find more peace in the Lord, and I still need the Lord, I need the Lord EVEN MORE.

In a season of giving, I still need the Lord, I need to remember the Lord. I need to GIVE FROM the Lord EVEN MORE. 

In a season of life, I need to give credit to the Lord EVEN MORE.

In a season of hope, I need to look to the Lord EVEN MORE.

In a season of praying, I need to pray to the Lord EVEN MORE.

In a season of wanting more, EVEN MORE I need to KNOW that the Lord is ALL I NEED. ALL I EVER DID. ALL I EVER WILL.

EVEN MORE, I need to remember the Lord was never not here. Immanuel, God IS with us

EVEN MORE I Praise the Lord.

EVEN MORE I am OK.

EVEN MORE GOD IS GOD

GOD IS

AMEN

Was listening to the podcast of the radio preacher who said people were arguing with him in discussion of whether there were only some predestined to be saved and others who would never be saved. So, his answer to the arguer was: “Get saved”…  good answer…  if we know enough to argue then we should know enough to educate ourselves… then we should know enough to listen and witness and hope to hear God closer and closer.

We get to help. We get to love. I love the explanation my dear friend Pastor PJ, said to me long time ago: If I am not allowed into the pearly gates – at least I can be one of the people holding my hands for a foothold for others to step on and climb over. Yes. How humble and sweet PJ was and is. If he is still there when I get there – I would help him up and over for sure too…

That is why we work for the Lord now – to let those predestined get prepared. And to beg mercy for everyone else. I’m always praying for a last minute moment for all.

In Romans 8:28-30, Paul teaches: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

I believe that our “conformed to the image” includes both politeness and boldness. And for sure includes us KNOWING that the Spirit is placed INSIDE of us, to use us and move us. So we are too polite to tell people that God’s looking at them or much anything – gee if we are too polite to tell people to put a mask on in our presence (which shocked me twice this half week alone – the car repair shop and the grocery store – not just behind the scenes folks but out-front folks required to but not wearing masks), then I am NOT surprised that we simply don’t jump right out and speak scripture to everyone.  But we CAN walk in scripture, walk in faith, show them we are Christians by our love…. I want to try to be better and more educating to anyone who will hear, but I KNOW that I am being watched as a Christian for my actions. 

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“

I thank God that I get to write. I thank God that of the many ways He forced me to stop seeing things “my way” and into seeing His Way, is that I simply want to share cool stuff that I read and that I experience. How blessed I feel in a pandemic that the Lord gave me a “backup” task – grew me into this way of serving – wakes me up and gives me rest so that I can get on with the rest of His work in me, for me, for others… I might be too polite in blasting my Facebook page every day with scripture – but God is FIRM in WHY He wants us to share. Remember the Holy Spirit doesn’t come simply “to us” – but “thru us”.  We are to share… In writing to the church folks in Ephesians 4: 12-13, Paul says: “…to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.“

I appreciate those scriptures that tell us to be ready for Jesus coming again – I appreciate the workload because our work is a way we help the Way. Actually, another pastor’s sermon this week said “God doesn’t actually need our help”- True, but He wants it anyway! and so as we see the Way – we encourage others, the masses of people who have not heard. To reach unity in the faith, we are tasked to be sometimes polite and affirming and sometimes not even polite at all but always FIRM in sharing so that: “speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Each part does it’s work. 

Paul continues in chapters 4 and 5 to say:, “don’t give the devil a foothold” – I see that as taking a moment to listen to the Lord on how to react and not rashly react – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”…

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.“…

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.”… “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Amen!!!

I heard the news report about the weather, such terrible storms rolled through!!!  And the newscaster told of a roof HVAC system that is now in the middle of a parking lot. “But was it a tornado?”  Isn’t it interesting that we always ask that question!!!

I am a weather junkie, and I do care – BUT a tornado diagnosis vs straight line winds makes NO DIFFERENCE to the HVAC system or the people affected. The weather did make a difference whether it was which weather or what. 

Does God make a difference? 

Does it matter our perception or not?

Well, yes, of course He makes a difference whether you or anyone thinks He does or not. See, God makes the difference, the equals, the quotient and the sum. God multiplies and divides. God adds it all up in one lump sum because He never DIDN’T make everything. He always had everything. He then SHARED everything. We are made from His discernment. We ARE the dust in HIS Tracks.

So, the splitting of hairs on semantics is not of importance in the long run with weather or even with descriptions. But what IS important to how we live and feel about life is how we perceive God. If we see God only as a force of nature that is different and incomplete than seeing God as Creator of nature (which He Is). And it goes much more personal than that. If we see God as making a difference in our lives, we will look for Him more and more. And then we will realize He was there always, we just didn’t notice. And better yet, we won’t ask Him to lead as much as we will ask Him: HOW CAN I BETTER FOLLOW?

God has always been making our dust particles into someone making a difference for Him. He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the coming of our Lord Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

Perhaps the better question to ask is: how can I see the answer that You have already written on my heart: Let me see what you have made me to be: Yours.

I was thinking about Luke, the doctor in the bible, who identified with and told the stories of some of the invisible people from history: including the women, the shepherds, the slaves, and how they all “got Jesus” when they were in direct interactions with Him… The servants and the hidden folks…  God sees them, Jesus knows them, and they are willing to be known to Him.

With Covid these days, it is the nursing homes that are both the hardest hit and the hardest to keep safe from viral spread… It has always been a shame that the nursing home folks are kinda invisible to the world in a normal day – let alone these days… My grandmother was in a home for over 10 years in the 70’s and 80’s – I helped sing at the communion services in nursing homes here – the people are wonderful, the staff do the best they can – but they are coldspots of warm visitations… there were never enough visitors…  Now there are practically none. Sad.

My isolated hometown had so few deaths pretty much this whole time and now a nursing home there became a hotspot with 52 cases, 3 deaths in one week… my prayers for all… With advancements in testing, it’s hopeful that somehow a hedge of protection will be possible to contain everything and regain control as we are in a spiral of non-containment right now. Yes, it is going to be tough…

My work sent a note about something that could happen to any workforce – putting the same critical people in a room together without taking enough precautions. They used the example of the Denver Broncos having to play a game without a starting QB as one of their QBs tested positive for Covid during the week and the other three QBs on the roster had been in a film room session with him and didn’t follow protocols like mask wearing, so they were not allowed to play due to contact. They said in the article below that they thought being forced to still field a team with no quarterback meant they were being used as an example… well, whether they were used as an example or not is irrelevant to them being an example (and they lost the game) – a reminder to not put all your eggs in one basket, or your good eggs at least…yup…  That is a visible result from an invisible issue.  here’s that article: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30418190/quarterback-less-denver-broncos-rolled-saints-kendall-hinton-finishes-1-9

The last article I read today, related to all this, was about the South Dakota American Indian reservations – that they were putting in more strict rules for people who visited or crossed their lands, than the state wanted them too… it is hard to protect people when there are invisible communities… the Native Americans have always felt invisible…

I don’t know where we are going to end up in the fight of covid before the vaccinations take place – I don’t know how invisible people can become visible – but I do know that the Lord knows them all… I pray the visible parts of our society catch on to help those less visible.  I do know that the Lord has ALL the power to make Himself known to all – but He will do that one person at a time.

I am comforted to know that the Lord has not stopped being present with the forgotten folks – they are first on His visitation list.

A thoughtful Amen…

Just Because it’s Raining

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can’t turn on the lights and brighten the room.

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can’t put on a smile on the brighten the mood.

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can’t walk in the rain and splash some too.

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can’t call a friend to splash cheer there too.

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can’t eat just as healthy as you usually do.

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can’t have pie for breakfast, TRUE!

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you can’t watch the rain falling.

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean you have to.

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean be blue. 

Whether it rains on your day or not, just be you.

Let the rain just be rain.

You, just be you.

Certainly, your Facebook feed is a diverse set of friends. Certainly some people are more venting than others. Same would be true at a big party, say a new year’s eve party, where you meet friends of friends and decide to chat or move far to the other side of the room. 

On Facebook there’s a snooze button. I use it. So that what I see doesn’t make me upset. I like to stay friends with all, but wow some with their visceral wall.

Apostle Paul saw these attributes in his time and longed for people learning and maturing. Yes! We, like Paul writing to Ephesians, are all at different stages of reaching unity in the faith. Honestly, I think that we are walking up many ladders – I hope they are built strong. 

Paul spoke of listening to the gifted servant teachers who: equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Paul wanted all of us to “Grow up!”

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Paul wanted us to GET REAL and speak truthfully to our neighbors, as members of one body in Christ.  In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Yeah, I bet Paul would have liked to see not the rage of the “information age” but growth in the spiritual age of the information…  I bet if Paul had a Facebook page, he would post this:

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. 

—

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 

—

be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5

Naturally when I watch my all-time favorite movie, Miracle on 34th Street, I am reminded of my faith journey, and how I came to believe in Jesus, because I didn’t… six years ago, I didn’t. 

How my tears flow in awe-filled JOY that Jesus was really patient and waited, and even if God presented His case over and over again, I didn’t get it – until I saw it – until I felt it – until I knew it – until I believed. Actually, He had to reveal the missing links in my logic, then He gave me the facts to fill them in. No one knew. He knew how to get thru. I could not deny anymore, even if I had no idea what i was denying. 

No one makes you believe. You have to see it for yourself, an unreal reveal that is real. Really. 

This time watching the end of my favorite movie, a fresh revelation: the time and place was determinant upon all factors coming together JUST RIGHT… winning the case in court, the morning Christmas party wrap up with a start of a reconciliation of Doris and Fred, their driving thru the suburbs not the city, see, this all lined up the necessary prevenient stage… but little Susie, even all while trying to convince herself of faith, was still not buying it. Then with all pieces in play, when she sees WITH HER OWN EYES the house that she has dreamed of, that no one knew but her and “you know who”, it is an amazing movie moment – it is an amazing non-coincidence – it is a moment of an unreal reveal that is real. Really. 

She saw… she believed…

I saw… I know…

I don’t know what God had/has up His sleeves in your faith journey. But in mine? Not tricks, just truths. Not silly moves, but mountain moves. 

Here’s writing #16, 6 years ago, half way thru my awakening 2 months. I wasn’t quite there – to have faith when common sense tells you not to… I wanted to, I wanted to drop thinking it was silly. He knew what to do.

How blessed to write my own – I mean HIS own – Way…

Blessed. 

---

#16

Miracle on 34th Street – “I Believe, I Believe, it’s Silly but I Believe”, 04JAN2015

My favorite movie – not just Christmas movie – but all time movie – is Miracle on 34th Street.  Not the ’70’s version, not the colorized version but the original 1947 version – Edwin Gwynn as Kris Kringle – Maureen O’Hara, Natalie Wood as mom and daughter…  and Fred Gailey the lawyer (John Payne).  yes my favorite movie of all time – ever since I was a teen…

Little Susie says “I believe, I believe, it’s silly but I believe”. She was talking about Santa Claus – but the movie goes much deeper than that – see Santa (Kris Kringle) was looking for belief in people – in everyone who didn’t believe – looking for hope to continue in his line of work – to continue hoping for the world.  Fred was asking Doris (Maureen O’Hara) to believe – to believe in him – to believe in anything – she swore off fairy tales, swore off any belief in what she wasn’t in control of.  she suffered from too much reality check – “should be realistic and completely truthful with our children and not have them growing up believing in a lot of legends and myths” … “And by filling them full of fairy tales they grow up considering life a fantasy instead of a reality.” Fred will work on Doris – Kris Kringle work on Susie too – together they can make this happen – it is a movie after all – together we will see how it all unfolds…

At the pinnacle of the movie – Doris is upset that Fred throws away his career by taking on the seemingly win-less case of proving that Kris Kringle is indeed Santa Claus – the one and only Santa Claus… Fred urges her “Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to. It’s not just Kris that’s on trial. It’s everything he stands for. It’s kindness, joy, love, and all other intangibles.” “Someday, you’re going to find out that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn’t work. And when you do, don’t overlook those lovely intangibles. You’ll discover they’re the only things that are worthwhile.”

Fast forward to Doris trying to reassure Susie that Mr Kringle will be ok – Doris is not sure she yet believes what she is telling her daughter – but Doris tells little Susie that she has to have faith – Doris even adds to Susie’s letter that “I believe in you too” – win – Kris Kringle gets the letter and all the other dead letters at the post office and Fred wins the case – Kris is recognized by the federal government to be the “One and Only Santa Claus” – WIN!

Susie has asked Mr Kringle for something big – bigger than a normal present – she asks for a house – one of those Long Island cape cod’s – similar to the suburb house that I live in today  quaint, quiet and family friendly… Susie expects Mr Kringle to deliver – big time – expects a miracle – expects that snap and she will have this house – puts it as a test to him…  No – she doesn’t get it at the Christmas morning party – Doris has to say – “You must believe in Mr. Kringle and keep right on doing it. You must have faith in him.” … “you’ve still got to believe in people. I found that out.”

“I believe. I believe. It’s silly but I believe” – Kris has orchestrated a car ride home with Fred – down a quaint quiet street – in a family neighborhood. “I believe. I believe. It’s silly but I believe” – Susie repeats and repeats – and then – oh snap! there it is – the house – on a quaint and quiet street – the perfect house – it’s for sale – it’s unlocked – with a swing in the back – WIN.

Fred learns from Susie that Doris told her “Mommy said if things don’t turn out right at first, you’ve still got to believe. You were right Mommy!”  – WIN – Doris to Fred “I never really doubted you. It was just my silly common sense.” WIN – BIG WIN. Kiss – realization that believing is seeing – believing came first – then seeing Kris Kringle’s cane in the house – hmmm….

Believe – it was and is that belief has to be there first – the rest follows – you have to believe  – to have faith when common sense tells you not to…  BELIEVE

https://debbieupper.blog/2015/12/20/miracle-on-34th-street-i-believe-i-believe-its-silly-but-i-believe-04jan-16/

You know what the best Thanksgiving leftover is? (And I have some GREAT leftovers in the fridge)… No. It’s not food.

The best Thanksgiving leftover is THANKFULNESS.

Just in this relaxing weekend and great weather, I have had unusual moments of pause, but what is NOT unusual is my thankful spirit prodding me to thank the Lord even more. And as I remember WHO, the Great I AM, who gives peace and pause… I ask why? FOR HIS CAUSE, lest we forget. 

What is another so thankful leftover I just now had? Well, time to catch up listening to Pastor deliver a deep Thanksgiving Eve message of what he is NOT thankful for, and what he is. 

What struck me as a Holy Spirit combination was that I had just read an article of the horrible bombings in the UK in WW2, and here Pastor mentions the horrors of WW2, and so many other times that really were much worse than now… yeah,  I agreed so much with his statement that times ARE stressful now, and yet for many of us, we have a cake walk now, even thru covid, compared to the intense level of other people’s lives then (and even now). I agree that we have blessings beyond blessings, ESPECIALLY knowing that we have JESUS. And He has a personal connection with us.

To me, when I read this old article about the villagers of Coventry, and how EXTRA anxiety ridden they were in the bombings, the line that struck me was it felt worse to them because of the nearly 600 people who died, knowing many of them in a small knit village, it felt so personal. As a war strategy, and an evil-related tactic, the disillusionment was just as bad as the damage, and infighting started to take place. They recovered from the devastation, but not without people coming to help – including Americans who felt a personal touch of their hearts to help intercede in the war. The statement in the article was that the CHRISTMAS SERVICE FROM A BOMBED-OUT CATHEDRAL drew the international news broadcasts. Light from dark won.

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-34746691

And I thought that isn’t it interesting how compliance with covering their windows was not only so important in wartime but they probably didn’t fight it, and they did it for the sake of all. (I don’t know, I wasn’t there, but I hope it was).  My thoughts are that blackouts were not the stressors, but the bombings were. Yeah, we have no idea how bad those people were shaken, but I believe that they pulled together: blackout curtains pulled together, people pulled together. I recently saw the YouTube video of the 96yr old Queen knighting Captain Tom who did 100 laps of his garden for his 100th birthday, raising money for the English healthcare system. Well, he knew the British Spirit to pull together, and raised 30 million pounds!!!. Here’s a 96 yr old and a 100 yr old who got to chat and count their own blessings. They both did their part then in WW2, they both do their parts now in encouragement. How can we not? How can we not???!!!

What’s our biggest part to play? SHARE THE LOVE. See, with God, it’s ALL PERSONAL. He knows and created EVERY ONE of us. Not just all people who love Him, He knows all.

Pastor’s sermon also reminded about how we are to LOVE on people to bring God’s peace to fruition… that is so true, how will hearts change? Not thru hate, thru LOVE. How will this be achievable? Not thru anything else but JESUS. How will He be known? How about us helping!

We still have Thanksgiving leftovers, and Christmas is coming fast. JESUS is not lost in the shuffle, especially if YOU deal Him and His peace into your next hand. DEMONSTRATE HIS PEACE. We don’t have time to keep stirring up angst of “woe is me” – let us trade that strategy into “wondering where God is needing me”. Let us trade the “I can’t wait until this is over” into “I have many missions over my mumblings”.  And what perfect timing for us to get as PERSONAL in our praise as we can. For Jesus, PEACE IS PERSONAL!

Don’t bemoan the bothers, be in thankfulness for the blessings. Be the example of the Lord raising you up, because you know that He will, that He did, that He does.

I always say that God pays me to smile. HOW DARE I SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. I’m human and I do whine, but God PERSONALLY reminds me to be THANKFUL EVERY TIME. 

AMEN.

Bless this mess.

I was thinking that we watch the world of people who do things that we would NEVER dream of, and instead of giving in to the temptation to say statements like: “I told you so.”, “what did you expect?” – and taking the stance, that is SO tempting, of: “they were asking for trouble!” – that instead we should ask God for mercy over them… bless them too… 

Yeah, wake them up Lord, but bless them please while I avert my eyes from their train wreck. (Wouldn’t you be happy if others prayed against your train wrecks too?) That crash that you DON’T hear? That is from Jesus blessing you and blessing them too… He’s got the SAVING GRACE, and who are we to withhold ours. Who are we to pray for less. (When we don’t know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us. The Spirit can not help but intercede.)

We should forgive, pray and ask the Lord to bless them too.

God never shuts His eyes. Jesus says: “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” The Spirit in us already knows.

Jonah, as so famously is known for being forced to go to Nineveh, carried in a whale, also is known for wanting/expecting to watch the people suffer. He didn’t like them, what they did, but when he delivered God’s message, they themselves repented. Jonah thought: Huh? Where’s the train wreck? The Lord said: I can and will save my children… God has first and final say.

In the book of Ephesians (chapters 3, 4 see below), Paul is praying for those working for spreading the good news among the gentiles. Imagine if collectively we could pray this same level of blessing to whom we perceived as those masses of misguidedness, those throngs of wrongs, those neighbors of naysayers. 

We SHOULD pray for all, especially for those whom we disagree. 

Lord, bless the mess.

Amen 

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19)

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:2-6)

THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO DELIVERS ME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

A tremendous bible study teaching I heard on the radio today, from the book of Romans (that HUGE book of Romans, how convenient to have this teaching), explained about Apostle Paul’s observations of the WRESTLING back and forth in our consciousness of spiritual battles between us being slaves to sin and to the Lord.

Paul gives an “if this, then that” detailed sense, in an almost mathematical proof, of how he wishes that he didn’t do sinful things, knows better, and yet his mind and body does them anyway.  Romans 7

The bible study pastor also spoke of how this IS an example of our born-again nature. To accept Jesus and know we are dependent upon Jesus, we are born again of the spirit (John 3). That we are made aware of our wrestling back and forth, this means that our fight within us makes for moments as Christians which may feel like our “long sufferings”. These could be intense moments of mental stress – even for what used to be simple decisions which were simply NOT thinking but human nature default actions, These could things that we see others doing and say “well, so and so is doing that”. Remember that we were all born into original sin, God has been pulling us back out of the mud ever since. (And remember that the evil one can not touch us, being sealed by the Spirit. We are HIS!)

THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO DELIVERS ME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

I can think of personal examples, I’m sure you can too. And can I urge delighting in God and His power to pull me thru them. (I’m not intending to detail them lest I glamorize my sinfulness, we do that too much). I will say that we do wrestle with many things… more than I could or should list… you get my point… we are human. 

THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO DELIVERS ME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

How about how we treat people?

How about how we focus or don’t?

How about how about????????

THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO DELIVERS ME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

(And don’t dwell on the list, because you become fodder for the devil as if he was playing bingo and saying gee, since you mentioned your sin, let’s take you down that road of not feeling worthy)… LET’S NOT.  Answer instead with Paul’s words and OUR born-again blessing: THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO DELIVERS ME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

Like I said (and the radio pastor said), this list of our humanness is long. Paul details humanness to explain that we all go thru wrestling… and because our hope IS, and has to be, IN JESUS, we put ourselves back on track of denying our sinful selves and reaching for Jesus to live within us less cluttered. Jesus will bring the joy over the junk. He will take care of your sin, live in Him.

AMEN 

Romans 7:14-25

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO DELIVERS ME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

Once again as I start reading a new book of the bible, Ephesians, I find it to be such a gem of a chapters.  Lot’s of THANKS-GIVING in this!!!  Paul writes of the whole of God’s mercy and how it happens.  “For He Himself is our peace” speaking of the unity Jesus desires and makes – not only wants but essentially takes it upon Himself to accomplish, by giving of Himself over death, and by being the cornerstone in a new temple where we are the building blocks that God is making new. We are all included, we have grace to save us – even while we were and are sinners.

Not much more I need this Thanksgiving day to say about this great chapter, except to say I’m so thankful for Jesus – so thankful for the Holy Spirit – so thankful for Our Father – from whom all blessings flow.

Thank you for allowing me to share my musings and my thanksgivings and even my endless processing…  Thank you for being moved by Christ to be His, there is not much more encouraging that an encourager can see… Alive in Christ is Thee!!!! “For He Himself is our PEACE!”    

😉

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Ephesians 2 – Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

I don’t think there is a more apt scripture lesson for today’s covid-era Thanksgiving celebrations, yours, mine or others (whether small or large, mixed family units or basic bubbles) than this: “Don’t Judge“.

I don’t think that we can stand on our idealized thoughts of ourselves doing everything right and others being wrong – we are all a mix of each – we must take the specks out of our eyes (Matthew 7:3). We are all in this together and we are all human and certainly in a broken world. Yes, spiritual battles abound, and the Bible instills in us that God loves us ENORMOUSLY enough to forgive us – SO MUCH to give His only Son for us – Forgiven and THEREFORE we are to forgive others. Forgive and Don’t Judge.

There is no one who can love as much as He loves us, individually and collectively. We are loved and therefore we love. Love, Forgive, and Don’t Judge.

We are not perfect. We are not even close. We are fraught within a spiritual battle over the world. We must participate in this fight by praying and not only put on the armor of God, but also choosing offensive tactics of speaking and believing in the Word of God, the most powerful of all. The Word IS Jesus, the Word made flesh. We must believe in Jesus to win our ultimate battle. Believe, Love, Forgive, and Don’t Judge.

We Believe – as God believed in us first.

We Love – as God loved us first.

We Forgive – as God forgave us first.

We Judge – whoops – we are human and we do judge… perhaps if we spend time counting blessings we would run out of time to look at what others do.

God could judge us now – BUT, if we believe in Jesus and Salvation, we are judged only to know how deeply He needs to save us. End times may be tough and we want to be in the sheep rather than the goats, so we want to take Jesus as our ONLY WAY, apologize, and recommit to LOVE another day. 

Today the Way is looking for you, so we best try not to be a judge of the people in the fray. We have a better Way. Let us say: we simply Loved, Forgave and Believed in this day. 

Thanksgiving – giving thanks for our Way.

Amen

Matthew 7:1-2   Jesus said:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Hard to believe that it is just one month until Christmas.  Time to open the windows of the church. Brrrrr…. Wait, isn’t that COLD? Actually no, that’s the warmest thing you can do. It is always a JOY to “Spill the Spirit” out from the church to those whom God needs us to reach. Loving the lyrics by Paul Balouche: “Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord – I want to see You”. Yes, He is in view when we look – He will come close to us especially when He is using us to get His message to others – yes we want to see Him in action. We must invite the people in and BETTER YET: go to meet the people where they are. Jesus did.

I was sitting in a recently re-opened church, still in covid-times, and oh that sharp breeze… in November?? Bring not a good sweater but your winter coat! Actually, we are having a warm autumn, and I do have many warm coats, so whom am I to complain. These windows are open for the breeze to enter to increase airflow to combat and break up the potential pockets of airborne Sars2 virus. The “solution to pollution is dilution” – this takes on a whole new meaning today. 

The other of my church families is having extra Christmas eve services inside the building, to reduce close quarters and for one mid-afternoon service they are bringing a big circus tent to their parking lot (and heaters), complete with Living Nativity. The airflow will be good for the health of the people and the outdoor openness will be good for the flow the Spirit and to warm the hearts. I was THRILLED to attend Easter sunrise service in my car there and went to many outdoor events all over the place all summer. This time we won’t wear an Easter bonnet but our Cheerful Christmas Caps). And a mask is a must. I wear mine, even outside, it keeps my rosy cheeks less chapped. Whom am I to complain as I have knowledge to play it safe, comply and smile with my eyes.

Recently, I visited a hilltop church graveyard near my work, where I walk occasionally. It was a brilliantly blue-sky day, so loving the fresh air and good exercise. Sheep usually roam this church yard but it is quiet now, the playground is empty, the services online.  Pulling up the quaint tree-lined path there are cute signs – spaced like the Burma shave road sign advertisements of old – “Help Us With” – “Our Godly Task” – “Now’s The Time” – “Put On Your Mask”. Yes so cute. This church surely has seen its share of challenging times, more than most, having been built in 1711 (YES!) Pre-Revolution – before King George was even King – 20 years before George Washington was even born!  And the gravestones are old, sometimes just marker stones next to the main family headstone. Scattered among them are the Revolutionary soldier grave markers, these stand as testaments, like the trees, that those peoples would have seen MUCH MORE tough times than we could ever imagine. Can you see the stark contrasts of cultures and yet praise from these people who had it tough yet praising the Lord enough to build a church. It has withstood the test of time and the Lord certainly was sustaining these people. If their gravestone could cry out, we would hear tales of lives lost young and praise for long lives lived. We too should praise the Lord in our modern times, for He has gifted us worldly conveniences and improved health.In this cemetery, the people may have died from something that you take for granted is curable and now preventable. Like from every virus in your immunization chart.

Historically there was another time where church windows were opened – holes placed in walls – to allow attendance of those who suffered anything that was thought to be leprosy. The windows were called leper squints. (FYI Mycobacterium Leprae infection is now treatable and curable with courses of antibiotics –  believe it or not, it still affects 250,000 people worldwide).  In Jesus’s time and for a thousand years plus, the lepers were also forced to live isolated from the rest. Unclean – but allowed to listen to the gospel by the church servants who knew that everyone could be cleansed eternally by Jesus’s Love. 

Are we open now to helping those who perceive themselves “unclean” and bring them the Good News of Jesus? Are we open now to making the best we can in the circumstances that we have? It is NOT JUST by putting on our best Christmas Cheer, but by us opening the windows for new ways to worship – to walk – to wait on the Lord – to share the Good News.

I heard a saying that Christmas is not cancelled this year. True! Because Christmas IS the birth of the One who saves us all. We must adjust logistics, sure, but isn’t our best mentor in the ONE who changed His logistics but not His Will to accomplish saving us.

So, put on your cheerful Christmas cap, and your Godly task of a mask, and get OUTSIDE – open the windows of the churches and pray the Lord to open the eyes of our hearts.

Help Jesus be known.

Amen

I am thinking that Facebook, in becoming our latest system for venting, shows us that people who speak nicely in person and during the day, can then online endlessly swear and be filled with dissent and these days folks partake in conspiracy theories like never before. You never saw such harsh words from old and new restrictions due to the pandemic, you never saw such divisions fueled by the devil in this election season,  you never saw such GRUMBLING!!!!!!!  However, we do know Someone to Whom this is nothing new… Jesus has seen it all, been there, felt that. Oh how painful, so sorry Jesus…  and yes, Jesus taught despite all the bitterness in the world… Because of the dangers and trappings of living in this world, He gave advice for rising above it. It wasn’t unity in the government or in the fads of the day, but unity in the Spirit. One Lord. One mission of LOVE.

It’s like questioning if you spend time stopping or gawking about all the bitterness battles one by one OR spend time speaking about the One who Won it All.  

I doubt that I have ever seen so much griping about what people want to do over what’s good and prudent to do. The grumbling about stopping liquor sales at 5pm on the biggest party night of the year, during a pandemic, just now seems to have exploded my newsfeed… “People want what they want when they want it !!!”… I drove by the liquor store and wow it was crowded. I might get something too, but in moderation of course…  Corrective Scripture that comes to mind: “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. DO EVERYTHING WITHOUT GRUMBLING OR ARGUING, so that you may become BLAMELESS and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like STARS IN THE SKY, as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (Paul writing to his Godly penpals in Philippians)

We are observers and walk in this world, but we tend to be grumblers too – I don’t think we can help it even though we should. We of course are told to take the logs out of our own eyes to help anyone with a speck in theirs, meaning don’t pick on others without knowing you yourself are acting just as bad, and worse. Just as we have to know the different audiences that we are talking to, we have to know the One-ness of the Lord.

I am reading in Galatians today, and I appreciate the long-windedness of Paul, the writer and writer and writer…. but WHY were there so many writings? Oh, because they are letters to different groups, different start up churches, different issues, different failings. And there was no cut and paste on a computer program to make it easier. Letters from Paul were to be an education for all, but tailored to the right audience. Paul says to the Galatians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all.”

A corrective penpal, at minimum, Paul wanted to warn and teach…  Yikes how people these days have opinions. People are people…. Paul knew that and all while under threat for teaching, he had to hone the tactics of sharing the UNCHANGING message for personally reaching folks. Paul reflected: “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Paul details how it took him a long time, YEARS, to consult privately with the Lord. When Paul awakened (only Jesus was and is that One who shakes your world all while holding you, His touch is on a personal level as needed), Paul before all these letters was a changed man, ruthless Saul met Jesus – blinded and had to re-see.  So Paul commissioned by God did not FIRST go to people, he went straight to God. He realized God Himself “who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.”

Paul continues: “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”

We have divisions in the world now, and forever more. There will be MORE division based on the riches we have rather than on the things we lack. Before we fuel fires, let us bring our concerns to the Lord. 

Galatians, grumblers and God penpals alike:”Set your mind on things above.”  

“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces.” (Paul to the Galatians)

A prayer:

Lord, I’m a grumbler too. Lord forgive me. Make me a Thanksgiving giver and not just the Turkey. Open up my eyes to the goodness and glory, and not distracted by the grumbling, lest we all become goats… Lord, Morning Star, shine Your love, and help Your people Shine You.

Amen 

There’s no place like home – except an even BETTER HOME, brought to us by Jesus in forever reign, at end times of the earth but a new Jerusalem of Heavenly gifting. There’s nothing that doesn’t sound as AWESOME as the New Jerusalem, the Holy City, where all who love the Lord will dwell WITH HIM forever.

Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. Revelation 21:3

John, the beloved disciple, many years after Jesus was resurrected and ascended, was told to record these observations when he was “carried away in Spirit”. He was NOT having an imaginary vision, or sleeping into a dream, this was real and a revelation. The Spirit of living in the Spirit transcends our earthly existence. John was told, shown, and experienced the future NEW EVERYTHING, so that we would know – and this will encourage us to go with Spirit Flow! We too have God’s Spirit indwelling, in us, with us. 

With the new hope, we are NOT told to cast off all precautionary living, we are NOT told to abandon our senses. We are always told to ABIDE IN HIM. YES, ALWAYS. Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

We will be judged to acknowledge Him as Lord and evaluated how we served Him. We will then be inhabitants of a new and stunning Kingdom where the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are in residence. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

There’s nothing I can add to these glorious descriptions in the last bits of a long chapter of Revelation -please read for yourself of this new life (posted below).

A life in Spirit forever. Yes, we too can be carried away in Spirit! (Read ahead!)

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Revelation 20:11-15

The Judgment of the Dead

 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21 A NEW EVERYTHING!!!!

New Earth

 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.  Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.  It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.  The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.  The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.  The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.  On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 22:1-11: A NEW EDEN 

 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

John and the Angel

 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.  But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.  Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

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https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2021&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2022&version=NIV

Oh WOW! The description of Jesus is AMAZING in Revelation 19 scripture: “King of kings and Lord of lords”! FIERCE WARRIOR!!! Eyes like fire, a mouth of a sharp sword – riding a horse. Ready for battle winning.  Which is next in chapter 20 on…. This is the Winning Word of Jesus. And with battle, the birds were called in to scavenge, to eat the flesh of those killed by the warrior. Eww, but a mighty image of huge scavenger birds of prey. Except they didn’t have to do the killing.  That is a GOOD WORD for us to learn: Hone in (and Harvest).  

It triggered in me another thought of scavenger birds, little birds I imagine, when Jesus taught interested listener ears about the four soils, as the capacity for one’s faith (Luke 8). If you have dry soil, meaning His scripture and teachings will bounce off you, and not sink in to do any good, you will not grow your faith at all. When  the spiritual seeds bounce off,  there are scavenger birds who will eat those wasted seeds. Gone. Those are birds eager for the Word… and didn’t have to work for it. That is a GOOD WORD for us to learn: Partake (and Grow). 

Birds – Jesus also told us about birds who are taken care of by our Father, who eat and sleep and don’t worry. (Matthew 6)  And being a monitoring bird Himself,  Isaiah taught that: “The LORD of Heaven’s Armies will hover over Jerusalem and protect it like a bird protecting its nest. He will defend and save the city; he will pass over it and rescue it.” chapter 31.  That is a GOOD WORD for us to learn: Abide (and Serve).

Actually so many bird scriptures abound, and we are also captivated by the birds today. My father loves watching the birds from the porch, many folks do. The feeders are full, hoping to keep the squirrels at bay, the birds come in. We have to be aware when we partake in life too, be on the lookout for the evil schemes and pitfalls. Our Heavenly Father loves feeding the birds, taking care of His children, reminding us of harmony with Him. We need to be IN HIM to be safe from the snatches. Jesus needed to come slay the evil in the beasts, the false prophets, dragons, which ruled on and off for times calculated and ruinous. Jesus always triumphed and the birds still ate.  That is a GOOD WORD for us to learn: Watch.

Are we not MORE LOVED and valued than the birds? God created man and said: “VERY GOOD”. Man, you and me, are for whom Jesus WENT TO BATTLE, gave His Life, came again.  Birds are called to hover and go. We are called to learn, to grow. The Lord would not have revealed the end without both being in control of everything and triumphing over evil.  The Lord would not have told us to stay close to Him for any other reason than to keep us UNDER HIS WING. That is a GOOD WORD for us to learn: Listen.

I heard a sweet interpretation of the first of Jesus’s miracles, the turning of water into wine.  It was not just any wine, but the best. They exclaimed that usually in history, when the wedding guests are drunk from the first wine, they bring out the worst wine. This is akin to the devil attempting to tempt with cheap stuff that does damage. But thru Jesus making the wine, maturing the water, the BEST wine was kept until last. This pastor (on the radio each weekday) spoke of how if we follow Jesus, remain in Him thru trials and the devil’s schemes, we will see the BEST come to fruition. We will take part in the triumphant time after continually stirred up evil has been defeated – a few times and once and for all. That is a GOOD WORD for us to learn: Wait.

Chapter of Revelation is Revelation of The Future, but we can get started in the present day and listen for the Lord now. If the birds can listen, so can we. 

He will reign, because He does. That’s the Good Word of today. That is a VERY GOOD WORD for us to learn: Jesus.  

Amen 

‐——

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Birds

——-

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2019&version=NIV

Revelation 19:11-21

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.  His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.  The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.  On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

king of kings and lord of lords.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,  so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army.  But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Even life has a continuation after death, when our loved ones pass, we pray they find their way. The Way finds them. The Way finds us – the Way has always been asking ahead of time for us to find the Way…

When my aunt passed away, I didn’t feel “a disturbance in the force” – like Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi when they sensed a whole planet being destroyed by the dark side in fictional movie form. I didn’t think she had disappeared into nothingness. Her soul was searching whether she was or not. I know that she didn’t display book knowledge faith, but her simple lifestyle and pure heart registered her as eligible for Jesus as anyone, to show Himself unveiled and the “as plain as plain could be” GOOD decision. He could and would be in those last moments, to be the explaining voice when she slipped away.  She was a great and good person, the Spirit won’t leave her as a loner. Jesus, I pray her found.

I believe that we do intercede for others with our prayers.  What is not named in people’s faith is still identifiable as good and bad attributes. Some may have denials but many simply have “un-reveals”. The blockage from open eyes does not mean their hearts are not already open for good influences. My aunt was as good as you could get. She certainly heard of Jesus thru Christmas time and Easter. She was on the good side, not the dark side.

(Fictionalized, the Dark side Darth Vader also could sense the Force. Even though evil reigned, the light never was gone… and yes even the biblically described evil-spirits, knew of and know of Jesus as powerful and as God even if they didn’t call Him Lord.)

So, I didn’t feel a disturbance that day, actually I didn’t know until the whole next day that she had passed, my Mom didn’t want to disturb my sleep. I didn’t tell my daughter until the end of that next day, she’s deep in college deadlines. Neither my mother nor I wanted to disturb the flow on earth.  But did I sense that disturbing earthquake in a distance, the shift of souls when she passed? I did not. Certainly, I can say that I am too distant in miles away and not feeling the major impact for those closest. They physically deal with the loss, as I only emotionally deal with it. Yet spiritually I had felt connected and relieved that I had talked to her, if only briefly, three times that week. Even the zoom video just watching her for a moment was comforting to my soul. I will always want to call her up – but at least she can see now and not just hear.

So my point to this long experiential explanation is that I hold onto the truth that earthly death is part of Heavenly life. A pastor I heard, in a recording that same week, sermonized his sense of Heaven being: “just one breath away” – and how this is true before life on earth and after – the Spirits of our souls never “didn’t exist” or “won’t exist” – ALL IS CONNECTED. 

Babies born (and not born) are all accounted for in the Spiritual world. That’s what the recorded sermon spoke of, and that’s where the minister of my aunt’s funeral looked to understand my aunt’s faith, having never met her. He sought to understand the family’s connections to each other, spoke to each person, and found out about her love to a stillborn older baby brother, not unusual for the early 20th century, and he was buried in the baby section of that cemetery. This was evidence to the pastor of her faith thru love to this baby that that he could hang his hope on for knowing that she had a spiritual connection. There was LOVE in the longing. There was spiritual-generated love transferred back and forth. All this is knowing that Heaven is only being a breath away. Love as deep and as wide as love could ever be, in the crossings of the Spirit across the Heaven-earth-Heaven barriers of life in flesh. There’s no barrier for LOVE.

My aunt’s funeral at this lake overview cemetery, overlooks down the hill. (I was on zoom and stayed away for logistics and covid reasons). The site of family plots on this curvy turn on a steep cliff gives quite the view, I can see it with my eyes closed. I’ve spent more time in that cemetery in memory and in honoring, in learning family history, in taking care of the flowers, than attending actual funerals. More time living in memories and learning more than mourning passings. 

My future grave plot is also there, waiting for me (even if I am not waiting for it!)… it is on the hill near my aunt’s plot, they opened the section special to raise extra funds, still it was an inexpensive location on the cliff of the roadside across from the first generation of our family to enter America. Us next generations would be lucky if that hill holds up in torrential rain! I am sure they will catch the caskets. I’m sure of the soul Catch ahead of time by Jesus as well. I’m not wanting or waiting to die, but logistically we should all be ready – not JUST by physically preparing our wills (updated and kept in a firesafe), by paying for life insurance, and by buying a funeral plot ahead of time to make it easier on our children. I’m talking about preparing ourselves emotionally, registering within our “wills” a strong WILLingness to be led to Heaven (even in torrential life storms), and our desire to share Heaven ahead of time by us bringing Heaven on earth best we can… Take the time telling and showing those around us how much we love them – that is time well spent. And time spent talking about, knowing, acknowledging, speaking of, and pursuing the LOVE of the Lord, the Owner and Creator of ALL, especially LOVE. Showing and believing in our worth thru Him AND speaking of our connection to Jesus in terms of His connection to us. Jesus is already at the ready, we have to make ourselves ready to realize. 

My funeral is not planned, neither is yours. But your forever future IS planned, thanks to Jesus, LIFE with the Lord. You won’t fall off the cliff of life, no free-fall, if you are tied to His free-saving gift: extending the Grace of God. You do have to say Yes, but know He never stops asking.

It’s not “May the Force be with you” but “May you know the Grace within you.”

Be ready for the catch. 

Amen 

We know it is going to get worse before it gets better – and we know it is going to be bad.

That is an explanation of the covid cases yes, but that is ALSO an explanation of the coming ending of the world too – before Jesus comes again.  Likewise (but different), we will see the worst – but we WILL see the Better.

We know that there is a remedy coming soon in a vaccine that will reduce cases, we don’t know when we will personally get it, but we at least hope that as many people can get this preventative measure before the cases rise and rise. That is an explanation of covid vaccines, yes, but that is ALSO an explanation of the coming of Jesus once again. Likewise (but different), we don’t know when He is coming, and we hope that as many people can get to prevenient Grace thru Jesus, and He to them, before it too late.

We won’t know how bad it COULD get with covid, because the timing will bring a vaccine soon. Likewise (but different), we won’t know how bad it COULD get for each of us within the Revelation Ruinous Realm, because Jesus will save many BEFORE they are lost. We won’t know how bad it would be without knowing God, because Jesus already knew to grab us.

We do know it will get worse before it gets better, but with everything – we know that we need to be ready – and we know Jesus is the Way. Jesus is the Way regardless if we talk about calamities or calm. 

In Revelation 18 and 19, we hear that Babylon figuratively stands for so much that will be destroyed, never to be inhabited by the faithful who stood strong despite all the crises.  but in chapter 19:6-10, we learn the time that Jesus HAS come to meet His bride, the church, that is us.

John writes in witness: “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

We ARE blessed as we have Jesus to follow and as slaves to the truth, we will be set free. We won’t know how bad it will get, because He already found us, and He already won.

Amen

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2018&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2019&version=NIV

James 5: 7-11 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

This writing is spilling so fast in my brain, it’s like the Lord chomping at the bit for me to wake up. 

Life is NOT a Raffle, but money is a tool for God to use.

Raffles, I enjoy raffles. Yesterday at work, they held a fundraiser for the foodbank netting 1500 dollars for raffling off two expensive Yeti coolers.  Big prizes, big excitement. I didn’t win, but that’s ok. I didn’t need it anyway. I bought some extra tickets for my immediate coworker crew, as thank you’s. It’s good to simply say thank you for all you do. 

Why does John Wesley, of the Methodist church making, thought to frown on raffles? Gambling? I was raised catholic so this intrigued me, and whether that’s now a relaxed view or not, the good intention was and is to not tempt people who have few means into an addictive gambling moment, or to not take money from your neighbor, or to not fall into a destructive lifestyle. And whether John Wesley said it or not, I heard once: no gambling because life is not up for chance. That’s where I will pick up on the current running thoughts…  Life IS secured by Jesus and our belief in Him as Savior. Our buy-in to believing is paramount. And of course, we cannot buy, purchase tickets for, or steal salvation. That is the gift of God to Himself to have all His children (us) come home. The ultimate price He paid was Jesus for the necessary prize of saving us all.

I agree 100%. I believe in Jesus. I need Jesus. I love Jesus. We are chosen by Jesus before He chooses us. Not a coincidence or chance.

Yet I still enjoy raffles, my family had a one-armed bandit for nickels as a kid. I still enjoy bingo. I was raised catholic and in catholic school that was the lifeblood of fundraisers for education. Tuition was minimal then, outrageous in cost now, but necessary to run a building. Most schools have closed. It’s expensive. My parents helped at bingo, the cigarette smoke in the gymnasium rafters was thick in the 1970s, the Sunday night smoke was often still there Monday morning when gym classes started. Ugh. Bingo once only on Fridays became twice a week, Friday and Sunday. That was gambling some quality of life for exchange of money to run gym.

God choosing us by chance? No. Life is not a chance. Jesus is not a fluke. I liken fundraisers like this: you are hoping to win but you are ok if you don’t win. Some purchase and never check their tickets. In raffles, you like helping others, and really you could have given the money straight but that excitement about winning builds jackpots. How different is giving money directly to the church building? Well, similarly different. God bought you and your tickets and handed them to you, but if you never use your ticket, never open your eyes of your heart, even crumple your tickets, you miss out in knowing Him. If you lose your tickets have you lost your way? Well the WAY is already looking for you. JESUS WILL ALWAYS WANT YOU. 

In Christian living, you are supposed to tithe, 10% of gross income, plus talents and time, that is the interpretation of many biblical scholars.  Tithing is straight off the top giving – giving back the best to God who owns it all anyway. He doesn’t want leftovers, not bottom of the barrel. The first fist fruits, and directly to the house of God. Jackpot of life is salvation, so are we buying our ticket to heaven? Nope.

No ticket could be bought to send yourself to heaven. Why give money and time and talents to the church? Are you buying for yourself? Nope. You are not buying tickets but you ARE funding the means to get the message out. You ARE helping others. You are fueling the fire keepers of the Word, the pastors of purpose, and the workers for the Way. Perhaps you could see the giving as sacrifice for others in all this. So perhaps or YES, you see Jesus, the first born, first top cream of the crop, a blessed gift giving of Himself because He knew He was from God for God for us forever.  No sacrifice of our money could ever equate, but regardless, we are a gift to give back. We are to steward that money as well. An investment not a tax.

Tithe for life that is not just your own. Help the others see the Way. Dust off your dust and join in for fellowship for fueling faith-sharing. And not just money, but your time and talents. Your time reading the Word is time well spent, pondering the Word is golden time, writing and wondering, then acting out the Life gifted to you by living from the Word. Salvation secured, get back out there and see to the church helping secure more souls.  The world is not your prize, but seeing workers being able to work is a win. 

It’s not a raffle, but there IS excitement in saving souls. It’s not you saving others, it’s God who waters the seeds you plant. He does give you plenty of reasons to plant: the whole Kingdom of His Love is awaiting awakening of His children.  It’s not what He gambles because Jesus already won it, but it’s His mission and therefore ours too. Jesus finished the bridge between sin and death to freedom and life. We get to help spread the Good News. We get to Watch For God. Bingo – He’s got out number as planned, not pop-up.

So, we give unto the Lord for Him. We cheer as He is winning souls for re-claimed lives.

Amazing Amen !!!

—-

John 15:16-17 NIV

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  This is my command: Love each other.

James 1:17-25 KJV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

So much evil in the world, but we knew that. So much stubbornness in the world, that’s what’s sometimes surprising. “I don’t want to” – “You can’t tell me what to do” – “I don’t deserve this”…. you understand… we have to remember that we are subject to God’s wrath just as much as the worst (or growing worse) folks you could imagine. We have mercy and forgiveness, but we could all use some cleaning up of our act. But it is God’s wrath, not ours…

Revelation 14 states that an angel calls out: “Babylon has fallen” – and reminds that the evil in Babylon spread to all nations and those worshipping evil will “drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented“… “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”

Patient endurance… I heard once in a bible teaching that all nations will eventually become Babylon-like. And we do know that evil is epidemic in the world. We are called to ask for the Lord’s help: “See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:24   God’s wrath, not ours…

I’ll attest to say that it’s a gift and a necessity to ask Jesus to help remove the evil in us and keep us safe and keep us from spewing. We are to clean up our own houses before criticizing others. We then have to be patient in all, not losing focus on Jesus, keep forgiveness and mercy, speak up to injustice, call it out, but let God avenge in His own way the wrongs, wrath is HIS not ours. Easy? No. Imperative? Yes.

God’s wrath awaits according to Revelation 14-15. The earth people and all will be harvested, and God’s wrath will be in a cup, thru a winepress, after more plagues. Earth will be harvested. “Seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head……. swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.”

“Another angel… too had a sharp sickle…. swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.”

Within these extended periods of harvesting, there will be SINGING, from those victorious over the beast of evil, singing: “the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: ‘Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name?’ “…

The wrath of God, is real and planned out that it will touch all evil-following, unrepentant people and kill the false prophet, the dragon and the beast. This occurs with the opening of the ark of the covenant, releasing seven angels with seven plaques to be given “seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.”

Wow. 

Wow, God’s wrath will be fine and dandy? No, severe and scary. Who are we to wrath on others ourselves? Jesus says turn the other cheek for good reason, let God handle it. If anything, our forgiveness will stand out.

The next Revelation chapters explain these symbolisms and events. I’ll get to those tomorrow… whew…

I knew God meant business, but the business God that means was new to me. 

How blessed are we with Jesus as example and Savior?

More than we could ever know…

How important to speak of God’s power and glory over singling out our strife? Paramount. 

Pass the peace today. Jesus gave you peace to share. It’s God’s wrath, not yours. 

Amen 

—–

Links:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2014&version=NIV&interface=amp

Someone must have moved the Ark of the Covenant out of storage, remember that Indiana Jones movie scene? That government warehouse vault, boxed up and hidden in plain sight of endless boxes, lost in artifact lockdown? Safe keeping? Eh, it is a clever movie moment but God’s vault, always was and is where God could reach it. 

We too are nowhere God can’t reach. (Psalm 139)

Revelation 11 – 14 scriptures tell us after the seventh trumpet sounds, that the Ark of the Covenant was opened. That sounds scary enough, but surely the next intense moments are more awe-filled: a dragon with a tail that knocks a third of the stars out of the sky, fighting in heaven against Michael and his angels, being hurled from the heavens to the earth, only to pursue a woman who birthed a child taken up to the throne. The earth, being merciful, swallows the woman who flew with wings to escape.  The beast then has a meeting on the sea with a beast of 10 crowned horns and 7 heads. 

I’m surely reading this yet NOT understanding the reality or symbolism or non-symbolism, and I can not comprehend even the length of these battles either, given with specific days. The fight between creatures being bloody and cruel, I get that. The causes of evil vs good, or evil vs evil, continues in all realms. The second beast appears urging more worshipping from those on earth being deceived.  These creatures and their deceptions, that’s just sad and mayhem mania. This chapter ends with me not understanding either the symbolisms or the plain actuality. The confusion and distractions that existed? That I see painfully always. 

What I do understand is the deceiver always aims to deceive. That evil plots against God’s children. The dragons would be clearly seen, but today’s evils linger deep and stealth as distractions and derision. Division, bickering, bad-mouthing, bleh… 

I started to read the next chapter but will pause here to listen more deeply for where I can make and promote peace in my small realm of life. Where can we take a step back and NOT get swept up in distractions from our peacemaker positions or from our worship. How can we remain as un-defiled as possible? How can we keep our mouths shut and our hearts open? I only know the best advice: that we are to REMAIN IN HIM. Armor of God and all, Jesus is the Only Way, Truth, Life.

Chapter 14 of the Book of Revalation tells us the truths of us remaining in Him being played out: The Lamb appears with 144,000. An angel says in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Another angel speaks of the wrath against anyone who follows the evil one. Then a voice speaks to John from Heaven says, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”  – “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

WE WHO ABIDE IN, REMAIN IN HIM WILL REST IN HIM AS WELL.

God has us, we must remain strong in our faith, not waiver in walking with Him. Keep going… Jesus showed us the Way, we are not uninformed. Sure, the heavens and earth battle, it IS a broken world, but we are to walk where we are led.

Let us:  Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.

PRAY to see hear know – most importantly, where Jesus leads, GO.

AMEN

——

Revelation 11 thru 14

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation11&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation12&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation13&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation14&version=NIV

The book of Revelation is very REVEALING, except there’s one part that John is told to NOT write down. 

I can imagine there is so much he understands and so much more he doesn’t, nor could we, since the vastness of God is immeasurable. The “second WOE” is recorded but John is told to not record what the seven thunders said. No.

John and we see a Heavenly pause, before the seventh seal is opened. Yes, Heaven rolls thru a great plan, but there’s a classic God pause – WHY? A pause as the Lamb opens the 7^th seal.

That’s mysterious and comforting, as I believe that God will pause anytime He wants. God’s plan does not mean He won’t wait for us to catch up. (but don’t wait too long). God does not change but His power is His. With God, I can always imagine His LOVE winning. I can’t picture all the destruction described in the book of revelation, but I can FEEL the LOVE to those who made it thru. And I see the harshness to those who denied His sovereignty as well as His existence. 

“But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

Woe 2, it seems, still has God’s mystery within it to accomplish. God’s mystery, His Majesty, His Own.

See, even having never read these passages and the destruction, I still knew, I KNOW, IN TRUTH, ABOUT JESUS.  Jesus may be shielded in mystery to some non-believers, reluctant believers. But JESUS IS THE MYSTERY GOD WANTS US TO KNOW. Jesus is ready to be revealed to anyone whose eyes will open, whose ears will hear.

In Revelation, even John asks questions! So, for Heaven’s sake we should be asking questions about earth and about life and about believing even stronger in the Lord. How will we scratch the surface of understanding if we fail to dig into it. I believe that we are never going to understand everything (yet), but we can always try to learn more. Endless references to spiritual maturity are flooding my flooded faith right now. The “what now?” is replaced by the “what don’t we know yet?” What can you do? Read more. Love more. Abide more. 

Yes, there is a second woe (and a third), but if we “remain in Him“, Jesus, His Love and being Jesus-like in our love to others, these are our revealing our Way to go and our Way to know. We can ask for revelation, but truly the greatest mystery is solved: Jesus was, IS and will be THE ANSWER all along. 

Amen

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2010&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2011&version=NIV

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 2^nd Peter 3

I remember a really adamant pastor friend who said that we really DON’T want to be around when Heaven starts the plaques and signs of advanced Revelation events… uh,,, ugh… NO! They may be ONGOING – but I doubt we would have gotten to any of that really rough stuff yet!!!

Have you read these scriptures? WOW! John has recorded a GIFT of knowledge for us. A Preview of Pure Power over strife. Oh the strife!

Sure, I would like to see Jesus riding in on a cloud, but ugh and WHOA to all those “woes” before that.  How awful will that be? Awe-filled in an AWFUL way. If the Bible calls them woes, you bet it’s NOT going to be fun.

Revelation chapters 8 and 9, WHOA! Hail, fire mixed with blood??? And we think the insides of our microwaves looks disgusting… we have no clue… a battle in heaven for sure… and heaven will be silent for a half an hour just before this starts? Wow, I will accept the sound of howling wind and rain and thunder and lightning anytime now in comparison.

People dying from bitter water, a third of sea turning to blood, a third of the moon, sun, stars dark? And I’m worried about milk going bad. a little mold on cheese never looked so good.

And 5 months of torture for anyone without the seal of God on their heads… I’ll complain less about the 5 months of cold winter… Waiting for something? Just accept the pause! Bundle up and be glad.

Locusts like horses prepared for battle with hair and lion-like teeth? Maybe I’ll stop complaining about the leaves blowing in my door, cluttering my floor. And those people blowing leaves out back into the street – not taking care of them – really? How annoying is that? and yet we have NO IDEA what annoying really is – OH, how bad those Revelation times will get.

If people in those days “seek death and can not find it”, WHOA, who are we to worry about our aches and pains. Painful refining is not to be ignored but attended to, pain is purposeful if it gets you to act. If creation is groaning, then our groaning means we CAN do something about spreading the Good News about Jesus while waiting, even if we can’t ease the speed. I am so glad my friends and family who have passed won’t see these things in horror, but in fulfillment. 

And UGH and WHOA, those horrors John saw were ONLY in “woe #1″… I bet “the 2^nd woe” and “the 3^rd woe” are not as pleasant either so I certainly won’t rush listening for those trumpets 1 thru 7.  If I think I am going to be sitting on the side, like John was, as if we were watching movies and get a scroll to eat that tastes like honey – well, I would say to myself now: “Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Yes, Yes I am looking forward to Jesus coming again – but We have time – we need to take the time – we need to remember to be thankful for TIME – as it will be may only be a day or maybe years and years more than we can humanly imagine before Jesus comes again… 

SO, why are we STILL here on earth, when it has not yet happened? Why does John get this backstage (upstage?) (Preview?) Pass??? Because GOD DOES NOT WANT US UNINFORMED!!! God is merciful to try to get everyone – all His children gathered –  in His Merciful Grace. God LOVES us to let us know!!! we are to share that information and be the retro Noah and get everyone on board for the Lord!!!

Will I complain about waiting? About inconveniences? About life? Yes, likely yes, because I am human… But today I have an opportunity to say: “Sorry for my complaining Lord!” Yes, THANK YOU LORD for toughening me up! Thank you because You HAVE made us INFORMED.

Do WE get to pick and choose who we are to educate and get to listen about these warnings and workings? Well, God puts certain folks in our earshot – but God is responsible for the ear openings. Our jobs are to pray pray pray for their opening today.

PRAY PRAY PRAY!!!

Where is our HOPE? our HOPE is in JESUS.

JESUS JESUS JESUS

HIS ARMS are so strong holding us – He is the WHOA of all WHOAS!  The Alpha and Omega! The Prince of Peace! Thank You, Jesus, for calling us your own. Your Vine extends our lives for all time. Thank YOU for giving us the TIME to know You.

Amen

The links of these sections of the Book of Revelation are here chapters 8 and 9. Going to need more than popcorn for these stories – sitting back and watching for when they happen, it will be too late then to read ahead… 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%208&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%209&version=NIV

2nd Peter 3:3-18

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

How beautiful my red maple decorates my life and my driveway.  Intense color is revealed as GLORY-full goodness that was always there. These discarded leaves of the trees are SO beautiful and then they get scattered and returned to dust. Therefore imagine how MUCH better the Lord is finishing GOOD WORKS IN US, while we are still alive and in our prime, before we go back to His dust… and even post prime we can still feel unbelievably a blessing to be alive and to be able to complete some of His Work thru us… Oh, so Good of God to Golden us in age… GLORY in HIS glorification. 

So appreciative of our opportunities to GLOW for Him FROM Him. The leaf colors in the fall reveal the inner workings of pigments, masked all spring and summer by the green. We didn’t see them until now, but God did. Our inner GLORY of God working in us and thru us is masked all along by our humanness from Adam forward. That fall for Adam affected us all. We didn’t see it, but God saw all. Original sin, not our fault but our flaw, which heaven will forgo when we accept Jesus, who brings us back. Shedding sin is like leaves falling, we are exposed and ready to bear new growth and new fruit as new renewed creations. Otherwise Adam and we would always be walking in GLORY all along thru the world. Jesus came into our world to save us, not judge the weight of sin against us. Jesus came in measure of how much GLORY it would take to bring us back. John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Jesus was telling Nicodemus about being re-born and how we reach the Father, our Father, thru His Son.

A prayer warrior recently thanked me for my prayers, I said God must have laid his name on my heart “out of the blue”. It was as if Holy Spirit ANGELS ARMIES are always praying for all of us (they are), especially him at that/this moment by name, and when the right ear hears the right message from the right whisper down the lane,  they become prayerful moments – the Spirit connects – heaven on earth is and will be and can be full of GLORY – and that’s how good words get continued along the way – completing a spiritual circuit. No wonder Jesus many times said: “Let all who have ears hear!!!”

We can choose to see NOT the worldliness in glory but attempt to see the GLORY shining thru beauty placed into the world, and yet all this is so temporary. Then, when we leave the world, we can leave it MORE beautiful because we get to share the glory of God overflowing into the moments that catch our eyes, move our hearts, and fill our souls. That’s most GLORY-fulfilling.

Glory is all around, just reconnecting heaven and earth. 

Glory is heavy like the cloud of God flowing through. 

Glory is catching the Spirit of God even when we are failing, falling like leaves, fulfilling life, then returning to dust. Let us leave the world more Glory-full in our dust… 

God dust is Golden. Shed some today thru His Special Way.

Amen 

—-‘

Philippians 1:1-11

A letter from Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.  God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.

When I share about the Lord, I still have a filter of me. I know that what I say is not for everyone but God knows it is coming thru me.    

It’s like we move in our own circles, but the Holy Spirit moves us out into the world of other circles to touch family members of others who may achieve deeper understanding of Him thru us. The family of believers realizes their family of His blood not theirs. Therefore He can call in all cousins to complete the family tree.

I’ve had so many blessings from writing, and life. Perhaps other writers also experience that we sometimes write in joy but it can be taken differently by others. Also, what is sometimes released in grief can be considered joy of processing…  either way Jesus understands – we just serve the Lord and look NOT to disregard the others, but work to look above the fray. We pray to be placed and paced in His best interest. I wrote nearly 1000 devotions so far – yes 1000… processing and praise – some personal and some for a generalized audience, or maybe just you since it is the Spirit that I pray directs what I do. I am not looking for accolades or fortunes, but I see spiritually and humanly that I write probably from the need to express myself coupled with the Spirit pushing my forced processing thru me, out thru my fingers and to achieve peace known in places unknown. The Lord is as personal as personal gets. The Lord will parlay our hearts and our work for Him into the world for us, we really can just let it go and let God…

Yes, Jesus experienced all the same things we experience… And Jesus ALWAYS gave credit to the Father and drew attention away from Himself (as if He could).

Matthew 12:46-50 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”  Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.  For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”   

Matthew 13: 54-58 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”  And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

I’ve often wondered if it is MY job to do my job for Him. Actually, NO!!! It is our job to let Him do His Job thru us. Change the format and He can change the world. Find the peace, don’t force it. Be His. Remain in Him, and rest on things until He settles your dust. Whose Dust? His Dust. Let Him be in charge of your pile of His dust.

Amen and thanks for listening. 

I love the scriptures that tell us the Lord can make things more obvious for us – if we just pay attention to our deep gut feelings. There are things and notions and directions that we get torn between but when we settle down and just pray, He shows us the Way!!! Maybe that’s why we often must sleep on decisions, so He can sort out our thoughts. (Classic example is me editing this in the morning when I am fresh and not falling asleep, but this pertains and includes major decisions today about weighing travel concerns and family things,  honestly I can’t think of a better time to hone our hearing for trusting the Lord)…

I came across this old devotion I wrote about taking big and little steps and trusting the Lord – especially since I was riding a motorcycle that day (now years ago!). Riding any motorcycle is foolish to some, adventurous to many and a basic need to a few.

Decisions in life, with big and small steps should have considerations before we make a choice. Sometimes decisions will affect our peace, sometimes they will affect others, always Jesus wants us to put others before our own wants.  Decisions we may make, about what we say or do, can involve putting other people’s calmness first even if you think they are overreacting. 

It’s ALWAYS a good time to simplify the choices and give our burdens of decisions to the Lord.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

When we look to Him, we get clarity (sometimes we wait for that) and ALWAYS PEACE (sometimes that waits for us). “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:7

See it’s not peace in a vacuum, we shouldn’t be searching for neatly tucked away problems, we really should significantly stuff our stress further out than we place the peace of Jesus nearer in. It can feel like we are pressing that jar of clay stronger and filling our souls with Spirit. 

Can you know Jesus? Yes. Is He always there? Yes.

Then press on… (Amen)

——

Here is an excerpt of the motorcycle devotion (and the whole thing) So totally fitting for more than just that day’s ride:

Clarity of mind and balance of life…We pray: Clarify for us, oh Lord, the path… Clarify your WILL… so that we can loosen our fear of this world and walk in line with your LIGHT. Clear the fog from our lines of sight Lord, to see ourselves – actually so that we can see YOU in us. To balance us Lord, we need YOU ahead of our steps, we need to rest our fears in YOUR precious gentle hands. We need to hear YOUR voice inside, please quiet the clamor…

——

the whole blog about my motorcycle ride that day:

https://debbieupper.blog/2017/03/13/clarity-of-mind-balance-of-life-04-nov-291/

Clarity of mind, balance of life… 

1 John 4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

So, yes I am ever blessed…. I had a sweet motorcycle ride today… only the fourth in my life.

It’s a balance between faith that you won’t get hurt and the thrill of life on the edge… And I mean that for BOTH riding the bike and loving life… Honestly, I knew and trusted the safe care of my wonderful generous friend (who knew I just needed to clear my mind that day)… I felt very little fear… I was likely more safe on that bike than some other thrill situations I could have put myself in… I was being taken care of the best I could be, and we rode a sweet fifteen minutes thru beautiful fall foliage over back roads, past flowing water, into the valleys, and warmed by the Sun… Yes, I went from initially gripping tightly for my life to soon feeling the balance. I was nestled on this massive (and new) Harley and my fear dissipated… but as ALWAYS my respect remained for I was being held in the balance of life by both the bike and by the firm hands of God’s faithfulness…. I do respectfully fear the Lord, I trust in HIM, and because of that, I found how (both in life and on the bike) I was able to loosen my gripping fear of death, relax and enjoyed the ride…. Life is for enjoying the ride…

With God, we will overcome. We will overcome this world and the evil ways of torment because God blesses our journeys when we walk with HIM… We have the One who overcame in our souls – that’s Jesus… Yes it is… Yes HE is… He is right there, homegrown in our hearts, ready to lead us home.

Clarity of mind and balance of life…We pray: Clarify for us, oh Lord, the path… Clarify your WILL… so that we can loosen our fear of this world and walk in line with your LIGHT. Clear the fog from our lines of sight Lord, to see ourselves – actually so that we can see YOU in us. To balance us Lord, we need YOU ahead of our steps, we need to rest our fears in YOUR precious gentle hands. We need to hear YOUR voice inside, please quiet the clamor… Oh our precious Lord, rise us above this world… when we overcome fear to find peace IN YOU, then we will know we are made OF YOU…

I will wait on YOU, Lord, and trust in your WILL. I will return myself back to YOU, and then I will be balanced and whole.

Amen

I might be buying a WIFI extender – and that thought, to remove dead zones around the house, extends me to think about the truth that Jesus brings us life – and thru the Spirit, we have life extenders. Unlike WIFI repeaters, we are to be Jesus-extenders, not a copy but reaching others FROM His Spirit THRU US. The signal strength is hopefully getting stronger and stronger, especially as we approach end times and are reminded to keep strong in the faith. The Book of Revelations tells us all about those – but right now as far as we know we are in the midst of the middle, where God is rallying and herding and nurturing and feeding. Our earthly life will end, but how we are being made into His Kingdom is what eventually will be the recounting of us for the “rest of the story” like Paul Harvey would say on the radio…

I don’t like nitpicking facts with scripture writers – not a good idea – but this one statement gave me pause just now – that “Jesus is firstborn from the dead” – recorded in Revelation which is a fitting name for revealing the end of the “rest of the story”. Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. Gee, I haven’t even gotten off the first 2 paragraphs of this chapter and I have had to write 2 devotions so far! This one started as nitpicking, which led to questioning, which led to pondering, which leads to God being right (because He always was and is), and this always leads to me being taught!

John says in Revelation chapter 1:4-5: “…Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” The King James version of the bible uses: “the first begotten of the dead.”

Jesus surely is the witness, ruler and raised from the dead. But at first I actually thought to nitpick (I either have too many questions or not enough) and say: Hey, but what about Lazarus? What about Jairus’ daughter? What about – what about??? Weren’t they ALL risen from the dead – and weren’t they all early – earlier than Jesus? I had to DISMISS that notion right away, because it is not a simple thing, and even though I know they were risen back up into our earthly world again, they technically were not raised into eternal life, as of yet… See, that is where this notion in my head is going – that Jesus was double born – or never unborn – or repackaged – or clothed in flesh until glory revealed again – or don’t even worry about these things in terminology or logistics – Jesus is the Word and our words (lower case w) won’t describe the God reality – but dead we all were and dead we all will be here on earth – dead in transgressions and dead in flesh – and born and then reborn we all can be in Jesus. We MUST be reborn – be awakened – “get it”. And raised? Jesus Firstborn of the raised? Yes. Ah, I am thankful for Google because it told me that in the Greek, John wrote the word prōtotokos, a word that literally refers to birth order—the first child born…

We have not enough language in the world to describe Jesus, let alone God and the Holy Spirit. We have the bible written in multiple languages from the start, Hebrew and Greek. And Jesus Himself spoke in the local dialect as well, a common language of Arameic… Jesus must have said so many things that we don’t have captured, as He did so many works on Earth that it is said there aren’t enough pages of books to describe it all (John 21:25) – and Jesus thru the Holy Spirit is STILL working and will not rest until all work for the Father is done by helping us realize His Way. 

The statement RAISED from the dead means something else too. The dead are the people dead in sin, all of us. So life in and thru Jesus is not physical although He can alter that too, life thru Jesus is spiritual – and raised from the dead really is raised away from the physical aspects of life. Raised from sin. I bring this notion in from a radio message podcast Pastor Joe, where he described aspects of Adam, who lived to be 900 yrs old humanly,  and life before the fall – that Adam was in the image of God, clothed in light – multidimensional – and all spiritual access to God. Therefore, we will all be risen from the dead – we will be light and back in God’s image. (Death in Adam, Life in Christ Nov 11th  https://subspla.sh/fzkznqs)   

Raised from the dead, means reared away from sin, brought up in the faith, fed with spiritual milk and meat, raised away from earthly trappings. We have to leave this dead zone to extended life (just like the wifi extender).

Jesus was first born of those who walked the earth because Jesus was and is Alpha and Omega, existed at the beginning and will forever be the LIGHT.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” –

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!” Rev 1:17-18

FIRSTBORN, prōtotokos, thanks for breaking thru.

Amen

Love sound bite scripture that pops up in email, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” So the longer version of the whole scripture from Joshua is VERY important, it’s about throwing away false idols and fearing the Lord, it’s about remembering how the Lord brought the people to the promised lands, and how He is a jealous God. It’s about the grumbling they did that kept them wandering,  and it’s about promises made. Joshua, before he died, well over 100yrs old, had them make a promise to serve the Lord over ALL the false idols. 

We have false idols too, including ourselves and our perceived worlds. We worship our schedules and desires, we want what we want when we want it! The Lord has given us brains and skills to serve, but He also wants us to be sheep, yes, and be led. Yes, bear fruit, but let God place the fruit. Be His and be humble servants.

I loved running the science station at a kid’s fest yesterday, oh fun. Made foaming elephant toothpaste and oobleck and SLIME!!!!  One recurring observation is that the kids get extra excited when they can get their parents to join in – to feel the slime or participate in some way. One kid said “my mom never lets us do this” – so I invited mom to join in too!  Oh the scared looks on the parents, loved it. Oh the joy on the kids’ faces. Oh the good messy fun. Isn’t that fitting for God wants us to have faith like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and we are to enjoy the joy of the moment. If we are stuck in our agendas, we won’t see the sunset or the sunrise and know that we were gifted another day. We won’t know the path unless we look for the Way.

We can serve the Lord with our skills – and in doing so, if we can give moments that give memories to people and families, then we are finding the niche that is increasingly hard for them to find. If you go to an amusement park or pumpkin patch, hordes of families, herds of sheep just wanting to be together. Church can be this way too – and we do have the resources, we just have to direct them.  I took my own moment to be a sheep too, and go see the actual sheep, get some popcorn and enjoy some cider (I missed the smores, rats), and to be with my church family. North, South, East and West, as long as we are anchored (which was on the t-shirt I wore yesterday) I believe that we all can be led to serve wherever the Lord fits us in! Be portable and flexible.

The evening fell so quickly but brought me many helpers to clean up in the dark while we watched a brilliant sunset. I was seeing it over my shoulder, but spent the last moments with teenagers. One said “oh no my mom is coming” – so I said “come here mom”, and handed her a slime cup. Good times! Then it was my time to go.  

A helper made me stop and look at the sunset. Yes, we need to pause our agendas and choose to see the beauty of the Lord in all. The sun will set and rise, so as for me and my eyes, I will look for the Lord! I will try to remember that I want to be His sheep. Lead on…

We are all children of God. 

Amen 

—–

Joshua 24:14-28

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”

Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”

But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.

“Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.

“See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”

Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.

We are waiting and waiting… I’m not just talking about election results waiting, but people are waiting for medical reasons and diagnoses and game plans, the imminent decline of a loved ones health, waiting for improvement for health, waiting for perfect timing for special occasions, waiting for everything, waiting for what WE THINK that we need to know. We don’t always NEED to know… perhaps we are waiting and God is busy rallying something without us even knowing. (I’m even waiting for things I can’t control, are you?)

Blessed are the people who keep busy and have a game plan, no matter what the future.  Blessed are the people letting God pick some future focus for themselves… blessed are those not waiting for God to reveal what He ALREADY told you to do.

Fittingly, I am listening to the book of REVELATION and we are all waiting (not that everyone pays attention) for the end of times and beginning of the New Jerusalem… I find an audio reading of the bible, by David Suchet, so convenient and it really makes the word come alive in certain ways…  Honestly the whole book is so deep and vast, that you have to take it in small chunks.

I could write a lot about what is written but today’s soundbite is about the people who are WAITING. https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/suchet/nivuk/Rev.6

Revelation 6:9-11 John writing all this about what he saw:

When he [Jesus, the lamb worthy to break the seal] opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’. Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

Yes, wait…  Jesus had to wait, we have to wait, these martyrs have to wait… and wait we shall, until God has said it’s time. 

Yes,  but wait before you complain and think we have seen tough times, there are tougher times ahead, and wait before you just give up waiting, because there are many things to be done. And wait before complaining because there are many things to get lined up and lived up.

Wait because we have it easy compared to those who don’t…  Things we complain about would be a dream scenario in other parts of the world.  And those martyrs? they are working in the world for the WORD, under punishment of death…  Let us remember them today. Wait it out WITH them… even better, pray for them… 

AND DO SERVE GOD… NO WAITING REQUIRED. 

God’s timing is worth the wait… GOD PRAISE IS WORTH THE TIME. 

AMEN 

Sing it with me! To the tune of “It’s a Small World”:

Da da da da da dada da da da….

It’s a short world after all, it’s a short world after all,  it’s a short world after  all,  it’s a SHORT SHORT WORLD!

Days seem long but years seem SHORT to us, don’t they.  I can’t even imagine how God sees time! I know scriptures say that a day is like a 1000 years and a 1000 years is like a day, and I do believe that God can spin the world in any way He wants, but I can’t wrap my head around it all!!!   I also know that many people (especially now in covid times and in this election season) are trying to tease out and identify the Book of Revelation events to now and see what matches what. But don’t. Simply don’t. For God did not create Earth as a “paint by number” canvas for us to guess. He just wants us to be. God did not hide Waldo in every riot or in every plague. Every earthquake is not the game “Perfection” running out of time. God surely even has lots of good things on His plate for us in the near future, but we are often distracted by the smudge marks of the world seemingly gone mad. Remember God is in control. Remember sometimes the Lord calms the storm and sometimes He calms the child.

I’m pretty sure it’s a short world and I know that Jesus is coming sooner than later, especially because the scriptures constantly tell us that we should be ready. (Book of James)  Everyday draws closer to the end times, therefore prepare your heart!  But don’t shuffle the Book of Revelation events like cards or cut and paste them in any which way, because that was not what John wrote down. And worrying about it would be akin to riding those fabulous Disney rides distracted while trying to figure out how all those animatronic moves happen behind the scenes, rather than simply enjoying the ride. You would not get your money worth out of that ride. You might even fall out of your seat leaning over the edge of speculation. It would also be like talking through the whole ride and missing the enjoyment of the moment (and probably annoying all the people in the movable cars next to you). You would miss the whole thing because you were distracted by your matching game of revelation vs rumination…  Don’t.

Don’t – It’s a short world after all – don’t waste your time. God put you on this ride, and He IS the Operator and gave you the free ticket. So, if He was going to put you behind the scenes instead, He would have told you by now and pulled you off the ride!

So don’t fret – don’t over react to the world – participate but don’t anticipate. Glide above the fray in your Spirit movable way and don’t unbuckle your seat belt until the ride comes to a complete stop. 

Share all the love you can, it’s a short world after all. Soak in the grace not the grief, it’s a short world after all.  Wait your turn and don’t bump the line, God’s timing is right and fine.   It’s a short short world!

Amen 

PS Jesus gives out “E” Tickets – for “E”ternity – Let’s Ride with Him!

—-

Revelation 1 prologue:

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

(A little rhyme in play)

Hey

Hey, Plan to PRAY, every start, middle and end of the day. Plan to SLEEP, don’t let worry take that away.

Plan to PLAN making a difference today! If you know the plan, stick to it. If you don’t know the plan, keep asking. If you don’t know the question, God will forever be your truth. God already has saved your day.

Plan to play, make the most of every day. Don’t worry life away, God holds the world’s wild sway. Every day.

Plan to return to the first line of business, talk to God and PRAY. Say that you can pray.

Plan to work, work the plan today. Make a difference, because that can and will work God’s plan in play.

Plan to pay, pay your debts and pay your way in the world. Pay the Way to Heaven? No way! The WAY is already paved and PAID thru PAIN to grant us Kingdom STAY. Lord, you gave forever to us that day. Thank you is the least we can say.

Plan to Kingdom Stay. Don’t plan to stray.

Pray and pray today. God loves hearing what we, His children, say. Hooray.

Amen

Amen all the Way.

Scoffers… the book of Jude warns about scoffers… the world needs mercy!! Hey book of Jude, you’re right!

3rd John warns: “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God.”  And Jude calls it right out – persevere in the times of scoffers… 

Jude warns about terrible division in the world. This means that we are distracted from walking with the Lord ABOVE THE FRAY. Jesus has serious work for us in big issues and sharing Him for wholeness. It’s not that discussion is bad, but agreeing to disagree allows more forward progress. Persevere my friends on both sides, keep focused above! Jesus works to pull us all above the fray! 

Jude’s scripture:

A Call to Persevere

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen

Listen to the whole chapter: I love David Suchet!!!!

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/suchet/nivuk/Jude.1

I’m glad election season is almost over, there’s much to hurdle in repair, regardless of today’s results. 

I have had to hide a good chunk of people in my Facebook newsfeed, people whom I love, because it’s not pleasant to see what they post and many don’t even realize who in family or friends they are insulting or insinuating. I’m thinking Jesus didn’t have that luxury of not hearing the insults. 

A few years back, a wise advisor told me to not post anything controversial since people looked to me as a leader in the church. When they saw me they were supposed to not be distracted by private stuff made public. They were to not be distracted away from worship. Before posting, critiquing, complaining,  we are to get our own houses in order, not create more chaos. 

Same reason why I have not posted anything about the political races. Yes, I’ve encouraged folks to vote, but not how to vote, even though I have strong opinions.  I also want to remind everyone that we are blessed to vote, to live in freedom, and express our opinions without harm. Free to speak up to keep the peace and free to keep quiet to keep the peace. What did Jesus do to his persecutors? Keep quiet. What did Jesus say to His Father? Forgive them. What did Jesus say to everyone? God loves you and wants you to love Him and His children,  your neighbors. 

Let us EXPRESS LOVE by sharing the Word. And with our time, use time wisely. We are stewards of God’s time in us on earth. (That was a great message this week from a great stewardship sermon). The truth is that the TRUTH is the only thing that we all can agree on. Even the negative spirits acknowledged Jesus, scripture says. Actions in love triumphs over actions taken in ignorance or hate. 

I pray to stop seeing so much negativity turned into anger – and wouldn’t anger be better used to fuel action not friction. How many times I wanted to post “do you realize that you are insulting me?”…  I don’t think anyone’s political views are changed on Facebook. Only result is sadness that we are distracted from spreading love. Similarly, if we did not educate about love, who will?

I saw 2 posts back to back today, uncanny duplicates, with the same Ephesians 4 message: Be kind and compassionate. Forgive. 

John, was writing letters to keep the faithful strong. To remind us to love. Love involves lots of forgiveness. I pray that peace today. I pray we learn from the Lord that sacrificial love. Loving all. Forgiveness. And fueling flames of love not friction and hate.

The truth lives inside of us, God put it there for a reason so it’s easy access for us to share… it’s still all about sharing LOVE.

Amen!

—-

2nd letter of John, The elder,

To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—  because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.  And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.  And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.

A good read for me which was better than any distraction that kept me away from reading: Peter and Jesus – so much to learn.

I am reading and absorbing the last paragraphs in this Michael Card book: A Fragile Stone and as I close the back cover – I remember oh how much I loved this book. He reminds us to be both Peter and Paul as we continue our Christ-like journey – Paul, a pillar of the church for his “passion and exactness” and Peter, a pillar of the church for his “courage and simplicity”.

My goal, our goal, is to find both of them in us – be bold in faith and be a “bridge” to faith (like Peter to the Gentiles). Michael Card says Peter teaches us that we need to “[let go of our possessions and power, let go of our position and authority]” – to be a towel and basin servant, to be Jesus-sharing to peoples unknown… Far and wide we must travel like Peter to meet the people Jesus needs us to meet, not just physically but culturally. We are the hands and feet to reach the ears and hearts for the next awakening souls. We are to serve at the call of our Lord, not lord over our causes.

Our goal is to find Jesus in us – not to hold on to our presets and goals. We must serve – and we must listen. We need to be built upon, learn spiritually and soulfully, like Peter – and grow old in our faith years. 

I know if God had a plan for me, He has a plan for each and every one – He has a plan for you, and Jesus is our navigator. Let’s keep making time to travel ,grow, and be. Let’s be of Thee!.

Amen

————

PS

I did not know about Peter in the many ways that I do now. If anyone would like a copy of this book – only $4 on ebay – I have bought 4 of them now. so good… so good…

Found the scripture to finish this silly not so silly writing from a couple weeks ago.. 

1John 5:18-21 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.  Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

I don’t know anything about why cats have instinctual cat movements,  but they are curious for sure. My cat will cover her food symbolically, will shake excitedly, and instead of simply covering the litter she spends her time brushing the sides of the little box.. weird,  cool, funny, instinctual… since our cat is so smart, an engineer cat and nursemaid cat, she also seems that she knows she’s “just going thru the motions” which are archaic and vestigial with not of house-living physical value. It is as if she says with her eyes: “don’t judge me – I can’t help this.”

Scrape scrape scrape unless she catches you watching her.  Yup.

Am I instinctual? Are we? Yes of course, hormones and brain workings, fight or flight, and being risk averse.  Parental instincts. We are human too. However, we ARE different than animals in our consciousness. However we ALL have our moments of “I can’t help this.” But for us we are to TRY to think of why we do things. And ask for Heavenly Help when we want to stop.

I, like many, find myself in plenty of opportunities to grow in my spiritual journey. With awakening, I went from 0 to 60 Spirit miles per hour in like double four time. Took so long, years and years, for the Lord to snap me into my spiritual car seat with a Jesus seatbelt. Let’s face it, our Holy Spirit lifeplan has us in a supersonic vehicle with no release lever. Once Jesus has you, He has you.

Let’s get back to that cat. Our cat is missing her cat mom, my college daughter, and I am a poor substitute in entertainment. So she is biding her time in this house entertaining herself, basically she owns the whole house for her choices of where to lounge. She surveys the scenes from her perch on top of the stairs, and had at least 6 cat beds/boxes she created herself. Unlike my cat growing up who simply came to snuggle, this cat comes with her own agenda. 

I like it when she kneads the bed, it’s instinctual and I get that. Likewise it takes me a while to settle down too into any task or rest. But in the morning, I have now had, a couple times, the feeling of a phantom cat kneading.  Weird. Nice? Scary? What? Weird. I try to shake it off but it is weird and I want to anticipate it.

I do not know if I am imagining this or maybe there was a possum inside my bed mattress (highly unlikely).  I don’t believe in ghosts but I know there are angels and I know there is a spirit world where good battles evil all the time. So was my phantom cat kneading as an angel cat or something else.  After I thought it was cute it did concern me and this happened a couple mornings but then I realized I need to remember that good ALWAYS triumphs over evil, even if it is not immediately seen. If this kneading was not of the angel nature, then surely an angel or Jesus could take care of it. (I anticipate that it is a good sign for me to simply get out of bed and get moving, but I linger.) So surely a BIG angel cat would probably feel stronger than a light simple cat kneading. Not long after these ponderings and feelings, my live actual cat has leaped on the bed and her kneading is MUCH stronger with MUCH more weight applied, and it is ALL OVER your legs climbing all over you and even coming up to study EXACTLY where to give you a BITE on the hand, arm, toes, forehead, to GET YOU OUT OF BED. I told you, she HAS an agenda. Whether it is time for cat treats or time for opening the front door for cat TV, you serving her with your hands, for things she can not do, is in HER agenda.

Of course this helped me realize that if my actual living cat had so much more power than any phantom cat or whatever, and she’s only one small cat,  then imagine that INTENSE LOVE and care from angel armies for us. My angel cat can be the sunshine of the day, so imagine how BRIGHT the LIGHT of Jesus and all the Spirit blessings are. Imagine how STRONG the GOOD WINS OVER EVIL, even in a broken world. Instinctual behavior or not, we can overcome all, in a heavenly sense, as we know the Spirit lives inside of us. 

Yes, the scripture says: “the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.  We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”

I have not felt that sensation since but ALSO because I have NOT looked for it, because our focus is supposed to be on Jesus, not leading ourselves astray. Keep focus edand let Jesus lead, we are in the world but not of it. I’m not supposed to get carried away in distractions. We are to remain in Him. It is not silly to talk about this and I honestly would prefer if the evil one KNEW exactly how much I LOVE Jesus and pray that Jesus would make him stand down. How about an action that is better than praying for myself, and to pray for the world’s people, for the good over evil – yes to fight the good fight in the world. Jesus is of course personal and prays for the Father to intercede for His disciples.

Yes, don’t trample my angel cat’s walk – and surely don’t underestimate Jesus – He ALREADY won over evil, won over death, and lives inside of us.

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Amen and amen

Remain in Him. 

All Souls Day after Halloween is remembering those who have passed. So how are they remembered? By their LOVE and our LOVE for them. By the LOVE in them, from them, not stifled or lost.

Halloween night, I love because I love to see the love of families together. I decorated real quick with lights because I wanted the families to know they were welcome at my house. (Too cold for our neighborhood firepit collection of friends, brrr, happy to be in the house). Yay, we had almost 25 kids, seemingly either aged 3 or 13… awesome… so excited… and my teenager went to walk too, I hugged him when he left, he is so grown up.

I love Halloween but I have seriously grown distant from the blood and gruel, and evil hauntings on Halloween. I’m good with spiders and webs, but I’m not going to use death decorations. No. (This was clear path ahead for the sake of a friend’s little son ever since he was lost a few years back, oh the horror of that day, that week, that month, no way. No Way….  Death be banished. Life be lived.)

So I LOVE the fall fun of the season, the joy of the children, the LIFE, the LIGHTS, the comradery, the costume fun, the walking thru the neighborhood, YES the LOVE. I’m all about the LOVE. The children do indeed LIGHT up the faces of the world, especially the people whom they visit. It’s a blessing to be visited!!! The teenagers give hope too, I gave them everything teenagery I could find: candy, poptarts, water bottles. 

1st John 2:15-27 writes all about knowing where to place your focus. Don’t love anything of the world – and beware of those denying Jesus. I appreciate how John in his letters speaks encouragement: “you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it.”     WE DO KNOW IT.

It’s good to be the sharer of LOVE in a conversation, be the truth keeper and seeker and speaker, be quiet to listen spiritually, not the spouting about worldly mirings… to remain in Him. 

Remain in Him. That’s sage advice and scripture soothing. No matter how tough or easy life is, remain in Him. 

At the pumpkin patch, I like the name of this flat variety of squash pumpkin “Zombie Bliss” – a flesh not sweet but still good for savory flavors. That’s like our walk with Christ with knowing our bliss of everlasting life, all while knowing that we are in a world of worldly attractions that may seem sweet to some but are trappings not truth. Beware the fake bliss of blindness.  We are to Remain in Him, be more true to the Truth. Let us NOT walk like a dead ghoul zombie but walk with life in resurrection-loving born-again bliss. Sprinkle real light, shine light, and be a savory-savoring Savior-seeped soul. 

Humbling isn’t it? to know our walking with the Lord doesn’t mean we have to catch up with Him, like the stragglers in a trick or treating bunch tripping over their costumes, we don’t have to run but walk, even wait AND SIMPLY LIFT OUR EYES TO HIS. And as He knows where we are stuck in worldly costume snags, and how we are HUMAN with too many human trappings, so He waits for us. HE WAITS FOR US to notice Him. And runs to catch us. He never lets us go. 

Blessed in Bliss,

Keep Walking in truth. 

Be the Light and 

Anti the Anti-Love.

Remain in Him. 

Amen 

——

2nd John 

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.

26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

I really find this passage from 1st John 2:3-11 is a good pause for us to think about not hating, or fueling the fire of hate, fitting for election season, unrest in pockets, and general ugh. Wow. Just wow. Let’s do love instead.  If we only focused on the work of the Lord thru us, we would have less time to hate. Distraction is the deed of the devil.  Derision is feeding the delight of the divider.

Grumbling is not a good thing, but an appropriate word for what we see on our Facebook feeds, TVs and mail. I didn’t know anything about a particular local candidate except that people mailing these flyers harbor hate for her. Negative publicity or fear fueling is just wrong.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.  Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. 1st John 2:9-11

It is not bad that we debate topics, but mob mentality is very easy to cultivate, too easy. True that I don’t like some candidates, opposite to my thinking on certain topics, but that’s for debate not hate. Yes, just like the dried paint I just cleaned up,  and oh yeah the cat surprises behind the furniture, these grumblings and attacks of mudslinging stain the microcosms we live in, how is it on the next day we are going to forget the flinging? Not likely. How will we teach our children to be polite, maybe bite their tongue for keeping the peace. And focus on not making it a messier world than it already is. Dump the divides and clean up the causes.

I don’t post political humor or commentary on Facebook, even if I have strong opinions, I don’t want any friends blocking me. I want to show them happy posts, my kid photos, trips, and of course the cat. 

A particular Facebook post this week was like a cat catastrophe ON the furniture, not behind it. Ignore,  block,  report,  or comment? That is the modern question. I have “snoozed” so many it’s not funny. 

My prayers are for not for unity in worldly things, but unity in love. My prayers are against dribbles and deluges of hate stirring. Verify, validate, vote. Clean it up not clutter life with crud.

Don’t let the darkness overcome, we have an overcomer in Jesus, our Light, who wants to shine love thru us. What we miss being mired in mud, oh what we gain in grace both given and received!

Let’s love first, ask questions second.       

Amen 

—–

1st John 2     Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers  3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them

I am in 1st John. Where are you? I really knew that one has to read the bible deeply – but like a good beach book, people start and stop whenever a good wave goes by. I have started and stopped reading lots of little bible bits – but whole books are where I need to be – chapter by chapter – continuous in my reading. BUT also important is stopping to place Word in my brain and life – actually I mean place my brain into the Word that is ALREADY in my Life because the Word is life and I am the reader of Him in me. Just like we should not miss the scenery if we read the whole time on a train trip and forget to look out the windows. Life IS a journey and really where we are going is out into it, out into LIFE to test our own truth and understanding. To share His Light in the dark world. We need to carry these truths to light the way.

I have benefited greatly from reading all of Luke, then Mark, then Matthew, then John – the 4 gospels read deeply took me 3 years (?) because I was absorbing all that I could and re-reading when I needed to. I was wanting to read the commentary of Michael Card in his Biblical Imagination series, so to understand commentary you have to read source material FIRST. The scriptures are the actual Word of God – the sword of truth – cutting thru to the message – and that makes sense because you have to pierce the gobbly gook in the world with truth. Just like when soap hits oil and it scatters it to the side, the truth reveals clarity.

After the 4 gospels, and the book of Acts (as a church project), my next reading was the letters from 1st and 2nd Peter – I paused my summer reading book about Peter and Jesus (another Michael Card favorite) to absorb the whole letters. I certainly had read them piecemeal – great scriptures everywhere. Now in my “methodical for the moment” scripture perusal/absorption, I am in 1st John. I don’t plan on stopping until I hit the end of the New Testament with lots of backtracking and forward thinking. The time factor is NOT important here but the TESTAMENT of what I will have learned IS!!!!   I think there is nothing better for a “new-in-Christ” or “ongoing-in-Christ” soul than to soak up the source scriptures. Like wisdom from 1st John – we need Jesus to purify ourselves from unrighteousness – to get us back on track and stay on track – to break up the clouds of our own fogginess. We need to know that we go nowhere without the Light of Jesus, we go somewhere WITH the Hope of Jesus, and we are not to even worry when He is going somewhere taking us.  God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.

OK – all aboard for a track thru 1st John – I hope you are reading somewhere on your own tracks – from your station – keep steaming ahead and keep looking out the windows to see where the scriptures fit the scenery – or the scenery fit the scriptures. Don’t read to race but read to embrace.

(I encourage you to journal too! You never know where the Lord is taking you!)

Amen here means we have just begun!

1st John 1:5-10, 2: 1-2   This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Oh such an important message today in the devotion below. I’m super blessed busy with work right now that only small tidbits of writing fit my schedule, but this matches my thinking… 

God doesn’t need BIG things from us, just for us to let the Holy Spirit move thru us to be His Hands and Feet.

I have always suffered from under-confidence for what I know, even though I know that I know lots of things. I do have a PhD not from a whim of the Lord and have survived or thrived nearly 20 years at my job. So why I still have this issue, I don’t know. And that’s where the evil one tries to attack me, my stability and confidence. Well, I’m thinking that if I keep busy and listen to the Lord, His confidence in me replaces anything lost. I know this is true but I have to remind myself!  I am His for some reasons I know and many I don’t need to know. I thank Him for the blessings I have and the stability He shows me.

I walked into work yesterday and on Mondays there’s always SOMETHING new to shift your weeks priorities. No doubt yesterday that’s what happened. My biggest advantage yesterday was my listening and reading skills for editing an important memo and hearing the emotions of the people whom I was around. Oh, same skill God has ALWAYS given me. He reminds me to just use my skills and He will fill my brain when the timing is right. Yup.

Yes, my education is important, my memory is key in my job, and my dependence on God is 100% to see where I fit in. He doesn’t always need me to be big in a project, just His. Our skills are His at any and ALL jobs. He can make your day, or make other peoples day and life by using you.

Yes, my needed placement and timing yesterday and now today started with 30 minutes reading, 30 minutes editing. I could have stopped there but I invited myself into the conference call, so 30 minutes being chatty on the virtual meeting with 10 people all over the country. And 30 minutes of being available today for editing and signing off on a final statement. My role was and is not BIG but small and crucial – someone else could have done it yes, but how God placed me into the right time right place to be crucial is the opportunity He took with me accepting – that’s what we should ask the Lord to show us when we are feeling lost. He had a tendency to deliver, huh? YEAH!

Best we ask everyday, as I walked in yesterday asking the Lord what my purpose was that day, and He quickly showed me. I’m humble in His service because I never think I know enough and He has shown me that nervousness is not a problem, just keep working, let Him move me. Open minds to listen, open hands to type, open hearts to discern. What IS important is that we know and remember to rely on Him. Every minute, He’s got this. We are not big, but His. We are “cogs in something turning” always. We aren’t just counting time on this planet. We need Him all the time and He needs us.  He’s making the time to get His job done. He has shown us that many hands make it all work, we all have a tiny slice of the puzzle. Let’s keep solving it!

Thanks for the reminder Lord that You are Lord, let’s crack open that laptop this morning and get to work.

Amen 

He seals the deal for us doing His Work at work and everywhere. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10  Romans 7:4-6 

We often make this way too complicated in trying to hear something big that He wants us to do, when He simply wants us to be His hands and feet by loving those that He has placed around us and placing their needs above our own.

Amen

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A great inspiring devotion from Bob Bennett, Real Men Ministries

The Daily Dose, Copyright © 2020 Real Men Ministries. All rights reserved.

God is Always Faithful! 10/27/2020

Good Morning,

God will always be faithful to finish the work that He began in each of us!

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

While each of us are unique creations of God with different paths to follow and different crosses to bear, we will all go through similar stages of growth that are common to all who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Here is a few things that I have learned in almost 50 years of following Him:

God is faithful to constantly remind us that apart from Him….we can do nothing! John 15:5 He wants us all to abide and remain in Him, so we do not go our own way, which will eventually lead to spiritual and possibly even physical pain. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 God will allow us all to fail at times, in order to bring us to the place, where we realize we can achieve nothing of value without His divine guidance and power.

God is faithful to allow our pride to cause us to fall, as it is a threat to our spiritual growth. “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Proverbs 16:18 God knows the deepest feeling of our heart, and all He really cares about, is changing and conforming our hearts to His. If we begin to think in our heart that we have accomplished something great without Him, then we chance being deceived and eventually following our own heart and dreams, instead of His. 

God is faithful to discipline any of His children who worship other things ahead of Him. He has been very clear in His Word on how He feels about us placing other things before Him. “Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:4 He will be faithful to eventually bring all of His children face to face with whatever holds them captive, as He is a Jealous God. Exodus 20:5

God is faithful to open our eyes to the things that are evil, as our enemy comes sometimes as a wolf in sheep’s clothing with the desire to deceive and devour us spiritually. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:14-16  “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:11-13

God is faithful to remind us that this life is not about us, but that we are to all live a sold-out life for Christ, instead of ourselves each day. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”. Galatians 2:20 He wants us all to become living sacrifices that are not tossed about in their faith by every whim and circumstance that comes our way. “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Romans 12:1

And finally, God is faithful to remind and empower us to do His good works. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10  Romans 7:4-6 We often make this way too complicated in trying to hear something big that He wants us to do, when He simply wants us to be His hands and feet by loving those that He has placed around us and placing their needs above our own.

Lord, please draw us into a more intimate relationship with you today. Thank You for being so faithful to finish the work that You began in each of us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Have another powerful and prosperous day of being about the kingdom work by serving others in the workplace and at home!

Bob Bennett, Real Men Ministries

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” — Philippians 2:3

So much lately I have been thinking about Spiritual maturation, about growing in dependence on the Holy Spirit. Not simply book knowledge of scripture to increase as we get older, but hopefully APPLICATION of LIVING scripts of scripture as we play out our days. 

It’s my birthday, and I have been gifted with another day, another year. LIFE IS A GIFT. I have prayers for another great year, and a prayer for a closer walk with the Lord every day. It is a hard walk to give up self – but it is easier when we give Jesus the chance to carry us thru another moment, another decision, and to unburden our days. 

It’s time for churning up the spiritual milk that I have been feeding on and have forever been craving for. Churning and whipping up spiritual milk into aged cheeses, butters, and dollops of enriched cream for living more mature. It’s knowing better and living better. 

Whipped cream:  yet a time to NOT add too much artificially sweet sugaring to scripture, not sugar coating any biblical teachings when applying to life. A natural sweetness of joy is enough for us as we are learning to live more true. 

Butter: yet a time to NOT add way too much salt to scripture, not dehydrating the day. A natural saltiness of flavor is good for learning to live more true. Salt that loses saltiness is useless. Life without Spiritual sprinkling goes bland. Savoring the Savior gives life flavor.

Cheese: yet a time to NOT let spiritual milk spoil, but age it into nuggets of wisdom to live, keep, and share later. A natural flavoring of wisdom helps living life more true. A creaminess like mascarpone or firmness like parmesan, aged or fresh, smoky biting or tender flavors, shows us diversity in our days. Our walk without wisdom becomes wandering. Aging without hope grows old. Maturing is life living in the Spirit.

I pray on my 51^st birthday, and forward, to be closer to our Lord, to His sweet, salty, selfless soul. To listen and ask the Lord for His Joy, His spice of flavor, His wisdom to enrich and fortify my witness. To pray years to extend my life and protect me and all whom I love. To give comfort to the hurting and direction to the lost. To quiet the chaos and especially to open up the conversation with the silent souls.

Always birthday cake candles will be hard to keep lit in the winds of life. However, I pray that the true fire in our hearts for Jesus only intensifies. Jesus lights our way – He wants to be our re-birth hooray.

Amen 

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Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1st Peter 2:1-3 NIV

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 14:33-35 KJV

I am nearing the close of Michael Card’s book “The Fragile Stone” about Peter and Jesus.  This crucial section is about Peter in the Book of Acts being interrupted by the Holy Spirit! I will finish – well I won’t – because we are never finished in our movement by the Holy Spirit are we ? ! ?

Fittingly, I was interrupted many times reading and writing this about the Spirit interrupting! Just now I am waiting for an elderly neighbor at a store, then will take her to the post office. Interestingly she was going to call me for a ride this morning, started walking instead and then I drove by, picked her up. Like the theme of the day – to be where the Holy Spirit needs us to be.

The last bits of Michael Card’s book about Peter tells how he grew up in faith, how Peter spiritually MATURED –  and he was EVER realizing that if the Spirit doesn’t lead, we all go nowhere.  Peter was led into the world’s nooks and crannies to where God needed him. We don’t get a biography of the journey, but you can bet Peter never lacked being in the Lord’s plans – we, like he, will NEVER be bored…

For Peter, as Michael Card educates, this increasingly meant he was in the world of the Gentiles – unclean to a Jew, but included, loved and blessed by God. Grace for everyone under the Son. Peter lived in a tanner’s house (unclean and yuck!) and later was called to Cornelius’s house, unclean unclean, but true believers they became! Grace Grace Grace. Peter was forced to explain his actions to the Jewish Christian community. STUNNED. Peter was led by and pushed by the Spirit. And we, like Peter, often see the Spirit moving way ahead of us.

Yes, Jesus did say “the harvest is plentiful but the workers few”.

Peter was tasked by the Lord to reach past “his people” to reach Gentiles. Cornelius was visited by an angel who told him to call for Peter, and Peter went! Peter saw how God’s Holy Spirit poured out onto them, the members of a Gentile’s house, and this Holy Spirit movement was crucial for the growth of the church and Spirit-directed. The Holy Spirit also made it so important for Peter to recount the story back to “his kind”. He had to get alignment to not his plan but The Plan, to SPREAD THE WORD.

Peter, such an important piece of the puzzle, the building of the church, well known hands and feet for the Holy Spirit to be used… He got to see such a powerful and generous Holy Spirit. So will we.

How fitting – we too are on a journey and have to know that God is going to push us too – to GROW.

To feel the Spirit push you, stop fighting the winds.

To see the Lord put you somewhere, ask Him for directions.

To be interrupted by the Spirit? Welcome to the generous nature of God. 

All LEADERS, MUST be a follower FIRST. 

“Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on me”

Amen!!!

Well, do you have a direction in life? Got any open roads and not know where to go? Got not enough roads or no lines on a really wide road???  Ever just get lost in your own shuffle of choices in life? Would you wish for more choices or less? Do you wonder if each step is the right one? Are you stuck and scared to even move? Are there wrong steps? Yes. Are there many right steps? Yes. What about side steps when you almost go the wrong way? Yes you can recover. Do you have to figure out all the steps ahead of time? No. Is there someone to help you step? Yes. Is there someone who will even make a path? Yes.

Jesus asks us to abide in Him. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4

We are free to live freely but isn’t it going to be much better and more fruitful should we choose to live ABIDING in Him? Once you choose to serve Him it seems that you wouldn’t take any other choice. You could say it is not freedom, and it is not, but it IS Kingdom-living and that’s really a lot! Live in Him and He will provide.

When you get to the ice cream place, you have choices, all are probably pretty good. Do you have to put all your energy into the choice? No. Life is more complicated than ice cream, but choosing what to do should not be so complicated. When we abide in Him, we have a range of choices too. But this abiding and Kingdom talk is not intended to be about material things. More about those life choices, those roads to take – and those choices in life, so very important, about using the abilities HE has given us. Why are we given abilities? Because we are made in His image, all with fruit to bear.  Fruit needs STRONG branches first. Weak branches not only will drop fruit, but will be damaged themselves. SO WE MUST GROW AND GROW STRONG! Are we placed in challenging life instances from where we can GROW? That is the point. We should all pray for strength. Even if you are placed “in kind” with comfortable surroundings, you can still grow – spiritually – you can be challenged to use your talents – challenged to reach people for the betterment of mankind. Yes, even the plants are in places suitable for bearing fruit and seeds “according to their kinds”. Therefore we must be in even better circumstances since we especially have the ability to bear not our fruit, but HIS FRUIT – which He will place on us – then we can grow.

In Genesis, God planned everything to thrive “according to their kind”. For the people, He allowed eating from any tree except the one He said not to, which meant they were free to choose amongst so many good things already placed. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. Genesis 1:12.  This meant they bore what they were expected to bear….  

Genesis 2:15-17 – The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

I listened to an old recording of band practice with my first band leader, my dear friend Anthony, for a new beautiful song he had just written. We were learning our parts which were up to us to develop – and Anthony, even in such few words that I already understood,  said: “There’s all kind of room in there to do (trails off)… you know what I am saying?” (“Yeah“) “Just find your spot and do something.”  That’s what I needed to hear today and always: “Just find your spot and do something” – That is what the Lord is allowing us to do – have freedom within limits of His goodness – and do things for Him, including just being us. What we do is not always but sometimes a direct command and not always but sometimes a path that we ourselves have to figure it out. Either way, we have to “find our spot”, abide in Him, listen, be His, and do something. Another song I was being taught, Anthony said “Don’t rush it”. TRUE!. In all ways, He has given us the Spirit to guide us. We are not alone.

That something of doing something always starts with loving God, when we abide in Him, we will be free to live. If we are free to eat from any tree, and there are multiple, then we are free to choose so many things. Surely we first should choose to serve the Lord and not worry about how. Simply abide, find your spot, and do something.

Amen

PS – this leaf all colorful for the fall – the green was pulled back as it reveals all the extra pigments that were doing so much without us knowing. how colorful and beautiful we all are inside – God knows – God knows you are all beautiful.

Amen Amen

Number one message from God to me these covid months has been: “REST“. Maybe that’s what the cat hears half the time from God too, because even when I had this wake up call at 130 am from God, the cat was still sleeping. I’ve now moved around, because I’m awake, the cat is not amused. Creation is groaning (Romans 8) and the cat’s face grumpingly says: haven’t you figured out that we need rest to be God’s best?

Rest – why? Declutter my brain, make room, process to help tuck loose pieces of the day away. God is wanting to speak into my head to conjoin what is already written on my heart, that which was written before I was born. As a child of God, God reads the Word to you while you sleep.  If you are cluttered in your house, it’s a fire trap, it’s a sign of mental something, or it’s just because, like me, we kinda like lots of good stuff – right? Stuff doesn’t mean that it’s expensive or showy, it’s just accumulated, useful for purposes known and unknown. Maybe you need better storage space for stuff so people don’t know what you have hidden, and instead they can complement your organizational skills. IKEA here we come! 

What about the Word written by Jesus lived by Jesus that rests on your heart? Can you hear Jesus thru the dust? Can you hear Him and see Him clearly? Have you made enough room? Dust His Word off? What about storage space? How organized are you or did you just dump scripture into the big bible bin? That’s what spiritual maturation is all about, pull pieces from the bin to let it sink in. How is your sorting? Need a yard sale? Better yet donate your mental state to others who need more scripture stuff. It is said about stuff: “If you really needed it, you will acquire it again”. SO BETTER than stuff, scripture is what sticks with you. AHA! SCRIPTURE STICKS WITH YOU! You can’t give it away. You can try decluttering but the declaration of the Word, for the Word, is trying to get your attention. It pre-knows placement, if you would only give it time to mentally stick. Your stuff can be pre-drilled as puzzling pieces, waiting to fit.

REST – my brain never gets caught up with God, now God is catching me up. REST – SO WE CAN WAKE UP – because GOD’S CALLING. 

I just now caught that sneaky Holy Spirit parsing out some messages in my latest dreams from God -about my future – it was 3 dreams back when I awoke at 1:30 am. Something Holy Spirit for sure. I can barely remember, if I did I would write it, but the next 2 dreams cluttered my now awake brain and yet those dream memories are escaping quickly.  I surely pray my heart brain connection won’t lose whatever God said. The point is that God’s in charge. God’s Spirit is decluttering your brain in dreamland to sort, store and give away. IKEA has nothing on God’s ability to process and position your mind. God says: “REST: so you can then TEST what new thinking ground has been uncovered. 

What did God say? My friends have been resting too, they have been hearing from God’s angels sorting their dreams, fears, plans, blockades, stuff. Now that’s a mental mystery – angels moving stuff. You heard of angel armies? How about Angel  “You got junk?” Armies angling for your attention? No worries, they are pre-paid.

Yup. We got junk. I got junk. God’s only trying to get your Spirit out from under your Stuff. God is decluttering your brain. 

Mentally let the dreams come. Let go of the old you.

Move forward – Jesus said let the dead bury the dead – the Holy Spirit works to herd haul the junk away for every day to become a fresh day. Our loss is His Gain. 

Move into your new mental space – Jesus is already speaking into your heart, ask the Lord to lighten up the mental path for you to follow. 

Move – ask the Holy Spirit to help you move. Look – look at your new place, your new space – then pull out your toolbox of faith building and grace. 

Grace – start freaky fresh. GRACE. Out with the old you. You, you are a new creation. You bee new. New you is now real. You aren’t just dreaming about your life changes, you are ALIVE in CHRIST implementing them.

Hang up a new sign: “This is Jesus’s Place”. He already knows my name. My loss is His Gain. 

Amen

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Romans 8:26-30

the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

So often we enjoy “soundbite scripture”, Jeremiah 29:11 is the perfect example:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

For all of us facing difficulties, the HOPE  OF THE LORD is precisely what we need. Let’s dig deeper, as there is so much more to this teaching than the soundbite. There’s an action plan for living in not so perfect times.

A major prophet (meaning a thick chunk of the old testament chapters), Jeremiah speaks to an exiled people, in chapter 29, and relays a message that urges them to prosper in exile, multiply, and live well. (Few verses below, but not all 52 chapters, wow). He especially told them to do their best while waiting to be delivered. 

What if God told you to do the best that you can with whatever life has handed you? Even better, God says: do the best with what I AM helping and blessing you with!!!!  Would you choose to bloom where you are planted? Or sit and stew? Put your energies into living well with no qualms? Or holdback to wait for greener pastures, even pass over blessings to ask: You got anything better???? 

What if our own placement is temporary, and it is, well that doesn’t mean to NOT till the soil. PERHAPS we are preparing something for the Lord to use, even if we don’t see it, even if we won’t see it bloom, or even if it is not for us. So, until the time you get moved on to another pasture, keep your mind on the matter at hand – as well as your hands on the plow – and maybe in prayer you will get a handle of where and what God is moving you to. 

In exile, aren’t we all in exile from the Garden of Eden? In transition, aren’t we all temporary on Earth? In place, aren’t we all currently somewhere? In momentary pause, aren’t we each evaluating our lives? Especially now? In movement, aren’t we supposed to be ready to go where the Lord takes us. 

If we are called, we should listen. 

If we are calmed, we should quiet. 

If we are to continue, we should continue. 

Watch out for the derelict deceivers, seek the Lord. Seek the peace, prosper and PRAY…

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.

Wherever you are today, seek and praise the Lord. 

Amen 

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Jeremiah 29 – A letter to the exiles

This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

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