I walked outside earlier this morning.....stars.....in the sky...after several days of rain, pouring rain, wind, clouds, there were actually stars shining brightly in the early morning sky....
I wonder if Noah was glad to see some stars after so much rain.....
Or Elijah....after so many days of drought, missed the stars when the rains came....
Or the Egyptians when darkness came during the plagues.....
Did the stars shine when Jesus was crucified?
Could the Israelites see the stars when God led by a pillar of fire I the desert???
Or what did the star look like that led the nobles to baby Jesus? It must have been spectacular !!!!
The darkness of the nights when Paul was In the storm at sea....no stars....
This year going from the northern hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere , seeing a different set of stars....was fascinating ...... I can't imagine or fathom doing all my navigational readings just by the stars.... As good seamen do... Here i the north, we look for the Big Dipper and in the south, they look for the southern cross...
It says in the Bible, that they formed on the fourth day...
Genesis 1:14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
God promised that his offspring would be as numerous as the star,,,if he could count them...
Genesis15:5
He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.
David speaks of the care of man In comparison to the stars...the names of the stars
Psalm 8:2-4
New International Version (NIV)
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 147:4
He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.
Isaiah speaks of the desires of Satan....wanting to be above all
Isaiah 14:13
You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
And later....judgement against the nations for their rejection.....
Isaiah 34:4
All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
Ezekiel 32:7
When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.
Matthew 24:29
“Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
Differences...
1 Corinthians 15:41
The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
And finally in Revelations...holding the stars....and their picture...
Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Revelation 2:1
[ To the Church in Ephesus ] “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lamp stands ...
Thank you for your pictures, your creation .....everything has a purpose....in our lives...
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Generations...race for space...
Generations....race for space....
Watching a family movie while treading, "race for space", I was struck by the movie,as well as the trailer at the end...it was quick scenes from the US space program through the years....I. Could remember each one...each scene, each event in my life time...it made me think about the book, "the greatest generation" written several years ago about the generation before me, those who lived through the depression and world War 2.
My father in law recounted that he could remember when Mt. Lassen blew up in his childhood., used a horse drawn wagon to get to town, when his father purchased their first car, the Great Depression , both world wars, as well as the conflicts following, the building of the interstate hi ways , watching a man on the moon, seeing his sons to manhood....
I am part of the "boomer" generation... We came right after world War 2, but have seen some amazing feats as well, the use of penicillin- an antibiotic, not used before; were vaccinated for polio; watched the first chimpanzee go into out space, followed closely by man orbiting the earth, then on to the moon and back; the space shuttle; the various triumphs and tragedies in space; our president assassinated; the Vietnam war as well as others; gone from dial phones to ones can carry in our pockets and talk to people around the world.....and on and on......so many changes....so fast...overwhelming,...exciting...
Over the millenniums of time there have been generations who have seen so much, change, the building of the ark, the migration to and from various countries all over the world; going to the far and back, colonialism; ...here in the US, the move from the east to the west on foot just like the Israelites moving from Egypt to Israel...
All moving forward into the future, looking forward...moving toward promise...it seem like we have all been part a great generation....whatever name we are pegged with....
Thank you for movement, ideals, the paths You have set before us, the lessons along the way, the spectacular and mundane memories...
Hebrews 11
Faith in Action
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 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.
7 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.
8 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. 9 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. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 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.
13 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. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 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.
17 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, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[c] 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22 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.
23 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.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 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. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 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.
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[d]
32 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, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 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. 35 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. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Watching a family movie while treading, "race for space", I was struck by the movie,as well as the trailer at the end...it was quick scenes from the US space program through the years....I. Could remember each one...each scene, each event in my life time...it made me think about the book, "the greatest generation" written several years ago about the generation before me, those who lived through the depression and world War 2.
My father in law recounted that he could remember when Mt. Lassen blew up in his childhood., used a horse drawn wagon to get to town, when his father purchased their first car, the Great Depression , both world wars, as well as the conflicts following, the building of the interstate hi ways , watching a man on the moon, seeing his sons to manhood....
I am part of the "boomer" generation... We came right after world War 2, but have seen some amazing feats as well, the use of penicillin- an antibiotic, not used before; were vaccinated for polio; watched the first chimpanzee go into out space, followed closely by man orbiting the earth, then on to the moon and back; the space shuttle; the various triumphs and tragedies in space; our president assassinated; the Vietnam war as well as others; gone from dial phones to ones can carry in our pockets and talk to people around the world.....and on and on......so many changes....so fast...overwhelming,...exciting...
Over the millenniums of time there have been generations who have seen so much, change, the building of the ark, the migration to and from various countries all over the world; going to the far and back, colonialism; ...here in the US, the move from the east to the west on foot just like the Israelites moving from Egypt to Israel...
All moving forward into the future, looking forward...moving toward promise...it seem like we have all been part a great generation....whatever name we are pegged with....
Thank you for movement, ideals, the paths You have set before us, the lessons along the way, the spectacular and mundane memories...
Hebrews 11
Faith in Action
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 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.
7 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.
8 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. 9 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. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 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.
13 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. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 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.
17 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, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[c] 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22 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.
23 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.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 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. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 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.
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[d]
32 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, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 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. 35 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. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Walk the talk....
Walk the talk......
How do I act in front of my own family? Do I let down my "guard" so to speak around the ones I love most? What will be ramifications of my walk In my descendants? Will it be for good? Or will the bad habits, attitudes rule ??
Do those closest to me know how I stand and for Whom? Or is it a well kept secret? Only coming out when convenient? To look good? What is the commitment? What is the comfort zone?
Through history there have been ones who won the world and lost their families, and also those who won the world and kept their families in tact...we see it all around us In today's world..,,,politicians, church leaders, the neighbor next door or down the street....given that each person has a free will to chose which way they desire to go, still doesn't give me the freedom to make others stumble by my actions....attitudes...words...
Abraham was to lead his family to another land....then the nations would come...
Noah took his family....
Joseph in later years took care of his family along with the nation....
Gideon took down his family's idols before leading the nation....
We have list of sons who followed In their fathers footsteps for good and evil...
Jesus said it is harder to witness in your own hometown rather than those outside that area...but he still told the disciples to witness first in Jerusalem , then the region and finally to the ends of the earth...
Am I willing to walk the talk? Walk the walk? For which each Christian is called? For all my days? Or just when I want to?
Thank you, so much for the examples of good and bad....help me to choose the right course...help my family to choose the right course for their lives as well....it does effect those who after....
Judges 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.
Luke 4:24
“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
How do I act in front of my own family? Do I let down my "guard" so to speak around the ones I love most? What will be ramifications of my walk In my descendants? Will it be for good? Or will the bad habits, attitudes rule ??
Do those closest to me know how I stand and for Whom? Or is it a well kept secret? Only coming out when convenient? To look good? What is the commitment? What is the comfort zone?
Through history there have been ones who won the world and lost their families, and also those who won the world and kept their families in tact...we see it all around us In today's world..,,,politicians, church leaders, the neighbor next door or down the street....given that each person has a free will to chose which way they desire to go, still doesn't give me the freedom to make others stumble by my actions....attitudes...words...
Abraham was to lead his family to another land....then the nations would come...
Noah took his family....
Joseph in later years took care of his family along with the nation....
Gideon took down his family's idols before leading the nation....
We have list of sons who followed In their fathers footsteps for good and evil...
Jesus said it is harder to witness in your own hometown rather than those outside that area...but he still told the disciples to witness first in Jerusalem , then the region and finally to the ends of the earth...
Am I willing to walk the talk? Walk the walk? For which each Christian is called? For all my days? Or just when I want to?
Thank you, so much for the examples of good and bad....help me to choose the right course...help my family to choose the right course for their lives as well....it does effect those who after....
Judges 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.
Luke 4:24
“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Doors....
Last night the doorbell rang, I checked to see who was there and opened the door..to welcome a new neighbor....we had a good visit, found common interests and began a friendship....all because I opened the door...
There are many references to doors and doorways in the Bible...Noah built a door in the ark and the a Lord shut it.....
There were doors in the tabernacle at various openings. Some opened ,some closed....some covered with gold, some carved...
It talks about writing God's commandments on the door frames to remember them.....the Israelites put blood on the door frames as the angel of death passed over....
There were doors in the gates around the cities.....even one called the door of hope....
When we pray, close the door......
Knock and the door will be opened......
Bad leaders, teachers close the door of the kingdom of heaven for themselves and others....
End Time is measured by doors, closeness of time....
Unprepared ones met with closed doors....
People waited, listened to Jesus in the doorways....
The disciples found the colt for Jesus to ride at the doorway.....
They later closed the doors for safety.....
Doors were opened in the prison......
Doors were opened for the believers to tell others the Gospel....
Jesus waits at the door of our heart to let Him in.......
Doors speak of safety, privacy, teaching, being left out or in....
We use them in our homes....for the same things....
Something practical, something of everyday use...taken for granted... But a tool In our lives for use and learning....
Where are my doors in the house of my life? do I keep them closed for safety?....open for learning??? Are they welcoming? Open to others , the Word, Christ??? Who is waiting on the other side???
Thank you for openings in my life...doors, people,,times....Your Word...help me to open the door of your Word...letting You in....
Matthew 6:6
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you....
Matthew 7:7
[ Ask, Seek, Knock ] “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 23:13
[ Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees ] “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying .
Matthew 24:33
Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.
Matthew 25:10
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Matthew 25:11
“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
Mark 1:33
The whole town gathered at the door,
Mark 11:4
They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway.....
Mark 13:34
It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Treading the treadmill....
Treading the treadmill....
Yesterday, I had my treadmill serviced. I have never done that before. It was not an option. But it was sputtering, stopping, spilling black dust bunnies, generally not working well....I figured that it has gone somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 miles....since it was first assembled and started...with no oiling, maintenance other than vacuumed and dusted.. Most of the time someone was walking with it...sometimes, Don would turn it on, "warming it up" as he was getting ready to march to its pace...
So the serviceman, took it all apart, tightened it, cleaned out the guts and the accumulated dust bunnies, reset the tread, straightened out the conveyer belts and then put it all back together.....ready for its next 10,000 miles....
It reminded me of the passage in Ecclesiastes 12:1- 14 where it talks about growing older...what is important.....my treadmill is growing older, as am I...I need a tune up every once In awhile, I sputter every once in a while-churning in place, stopping to see where am I going, how far, what is the trail....not working well sometimes....not walking as well as I would like....getting warmed up....rather than the real deal ......
I have to look forward...moving toward what is really important....with my gaze looking at the right goal...with right motives, with right movement....treading.....forward, cleaned,...willing ...so all my dust bunnies won't be evil...but redeemed.....
Thank you for the things You show us In everyday life....to fear God and tread after Him....
New International Version (NIV)
12 Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[a]
“Everything is meaningless!”
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.[b] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
<
=
Yesterday, I had my treadmill serviced. I have never done that before. It was not an option. But it was sputtering, stopping, spilling black dust bunnies, generally not working well....I figured that it has gone somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 miles....since it was first assembled and started...with no oiling, maintenance other than vacuumed and dusted.. Most of the time someone was walking with it...sometimes, Don would turn it on, "warming it up" as he was getting ready to march to its pace...
So the serviceman, took it all apart, tightened it, cleaned out the guts and the accumulated dust bunnies, reset the tread, straightened out the conveyer belts and then put it all back together.....ready for its next 10,000 miles....
It reminded me of the passage in Ecclesiastes 12:1- 14 where it talks about growing older...what is important.....my treadmill is growing older, as am I...I need a tune up every once In awhile, I sputter every once in a while-churning in place, stopping to see where am I going, how far, what is the trail....not working well sometimes....not walking as well as I would like....getting warmed up....rather than the real deal ......
I have to look forward...moving toward what is really important....with my gaze looking at the right goal...with right motives, with right movement....treading.....forward, cleaned,...willing ...so all my dust bunnies won't be evil...but redeemed.....
Thank you for the things You show us In everyday life....to fear God and tread after Him....
New International Version (NIV)
12 Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[a]
“Everything is meaningless!”
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.[b] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
<
=
Soup weather .....38 degrees....
I have fresh organic vegetables and fruits delivered once a week. They come with a few recipes. I never know what will be in the basket...what ever is fresh here as well in the valley, Washington and California ...this week is contained leeks, zucchinis, apples, raspberries, lettuce, broccoli, grapefruit, mushrooms, as well as recipes for zucchini fettuccini, apple crisp, apple and broccoli Salad, and some other tips.....
And each week if I don't get through all of the veggies, I put whatever is left into the crockpot for vegetable stock or soup...
What an abundance.....
Where I grew up, we had an abundance of fruits and veggies, we either had them fresh or canned them, or froze them for winter use. Then later, we had gardens, or went " gathering from afar", as my husband would say. It feels odd now not to have some kind of garden...am letting someone else enjoy the fun while I get the bounty....but no more garden weed pulling!!
God has provided so much... A bounty, a variety of foods all over the world...for different climates, environments, different diets for different people.....from the high Andes to the low deserts...meats of some kind, fruits in an array of colors,,shapes and sizes...starches from various plants, vegetables in abundance....breads in different shapes, grains....so much ......when we take care of the land.....
Genesis 2:15 the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Isaiah 58:11
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Isaiah 61:11
For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
Jeremiah 29:28
He has sent this message to us in Babylon: It will be a long time. Therefore build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’”
John 15:1
[ The Vine and the Branches ] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
Thank you for Your abundance , your provision, and your gardening In my life...
Escaped
Every time I walk past this flower, it begs to be photographed, it's escape told to the world...no, I don't think flowers can talk, but the picture can...you know, "a picture is worth a thousand words". It looks through the fence into an outside world, not seen by the others contained inside the boarded fence....their prison.....the title of the picture could be "escaped",.....
out of the boundaries , out of the constraints of the others......or ourselves.....outside the envelope.....freedom.....liberated....
I have a friend whose body is bound to a wheel chair, but she is not....she is free to think, say, write, draw,,....or another who is bound in a role for which she was not necessarily prepared for, but she is free to learn new things, new adventures in life...
We long for freedom, with no limits, only to be bound by our thoughts, actions, consequences, bodies, ......
Our freedom may come at a cost, something we give up, or someone else for us.....
Christ came to set us free....but it cost Him immeasurably.....we laugh in His face by refusing
His free gift....thank you for Your free gift given so freely to us....help us know , count the cost .....of our freedom in You....You have given your Spirit as a seal of that gift....help me not to negate Him or His truth by my words, actions, heart or my desire for the world's "freedom"......
Psalm 142:7
Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Galatians 5:1
[ Freedom in Christ ] It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:13
[ Life by the Spirit ] You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Hebrews 2:14,15
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
James 1:25
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.
James 2:12
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
Thursday, September 26, 2013
If...then ....Isaiah 58:10-12
If, then statements....Isaiah 58:10-12
There are so many if, then statements in the Bible...one of these caught my heart this week..
As I read this segment of Isaiah, there were several if, then statements,....but this portion stood out....I like all three versions..
The "then" statements are so encouraging, it makes one want to do the "if" part..even though they may seem hard and wearying in themselves....who are the hungry, the afflicted, victims in my life?? That I might give myself to them...are they people on the street corners, my family, friends in need of encouragement, my neighbor, someone across the world....yes....open my eyes...Lord....and thank you for doing it....
Your light will rise, your lives will glow in the darkness,
Your gloom will become like midday, Night like noon day
The Lord will continually guide you, will guide you always
Satisfy your desire In scorched places, full life in empty places
Give you strength, strengthen your frame
Like a watered garden
Like a spring not failing, a gurgling spring that never runs dry
You will rebuild, use the rubble to build new
Raise up foundations, rebuild on foundations from the past
A repairer of ....ruins, fix anything
A restorer.
“If you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
And like a spring of water whose waters do not [h]fail.
12 “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the [i]streets in which to dwell.
Isaiah 58:10-12 Nasb
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
. Isaiah 58:10-12 NIV
The message, Isaiah 58:9-12
9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.
There are so many if, then statements in the Bible...one of these caught my heart this week..
As I read this segment of Isaiah, there were several if, then statements,....but this portion stood out....I like all three versions..
The "then" statements are so encouraging, it makes one want to do the "if" part..even though they may seem hard and wearying in themselves....who are the hungry, the afflicted, victims in my life?? That I might give myself to them...are they people on the street corners, my family, friends in need of encouragement, my neighbor, someone across the world....yes....open my eyes...Lord....and thank you for doing it....
Your light will rise, your lives will glow in the darkness,
Your gloom will become like midday, Night like noon day
The Lord will continually guide you, will guide you always
Satisfy your desire In scorched places, full life in empty places
Give you strength, strengthen your frame
Like a watered garden
Like a spring not failing, a gurgling spring that never runs dry
You will rebuild, use the rubble to build new
Raise up foundations, rebuild on foundations from the past
A repairer of ....ruins, fix anything
A restorer.
“If you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
And like a spring of water whose waters do not [h]fail.
12 “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the [i]streets in which to dwell.
Isaiah 58:10-12 Nasb
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
. Isaiah 58:10-12 NIV
The message, Isaiah 58:9-12
9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Garage sales...uhauls, moving vans, storage units....
Garage sales,storage units , uhauls and moving vans.....
All summer long and still, there are garage sales out and about the community. Then you may see them at storage Units as well...moving trucks periodically come to the same houses with their ramps, moving crews, and another family moves in or out....boxes everywhere, on the driveways, open garages packed with stuff.....then the dumpsters filled with cardboard and recycle for weeks on end...moving. We think it will take a day, because, "I don't have much".....then we empty every drawer, closet,attic, basement, rooms and it all adds up to a lot of stuff...
I have tried to imagine what it was like living In the desert for the Israelites for forty plus years...what about "the stuff" we carry along? We know their shoes and clothing lasted the whole time, a miracle in itself...no shopping malls along the way the buy new clothing, no food stores-God provided the manna and quail, no faucets of running water, no feed stores to get extra nutrients for the animals, no toy stores for dolls and Legos, no storage units for the extras....no garage sales to browse...
The Israelites had extra as they freely gave to the building of the tabernacle.....skins, cloth, gold....
Were they on a rotating field schedule so that their animals always had food as they did? How did they pack their belongings? As the children grew, did they have clothing exchanges as they moved along? What were their most valuable things, in case of emergencies ? How did they carry their fire to remake their fires for cooking or warmth? Or did they have flint or something quick starting? Did they burn wood and where did it come from? Or did they burn dung as other cultures have through the ages?
After they settled in the promised land, did they want to go camping for pleasure and for the memories of their sojourn In the desert? Or was nomadic life a pleasure? Did they start to accumulate more stuff when they settled into houses?
They didn't have the valuable picture albums, the crystal , valuables that we have handed down and don't use, Aunt Edna's first crocheted doily or someone's first grade report card, college textbooks,......stuff...
Father, thank you for all the history, the stories , your Word, thoughts,,wanderings, and sojourning we do. Help me to know what is valuable, what it temporal, what is eternal.....lessons about life...
Psalm 105:40-42
New International Version (NIV)
40 They asked, and he brought them quail;
he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed like a river in the desert.
42 For he remembered his holy promise
given to his servant Abraham.
Deuteronomy 2:7
The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 29:5
Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.
All summer long and still, there are garage sales out and about the community. Then you may see them at storage Units as well...moving trucks periodically come to the same houses with their ramps, moving crews, and another family moves in or out....boxes everywhere, on the driveways, open garages packed with stuff.....then the dumpsters filled with cardboard and recycle for weeks on end...moving. We think it will take a day, because, "I don't have much".....then we empty every drawer, closet,attic, basement, rooms and it all adds up to a lot of stuff...
I have tried to imagine what it was like living In the desert for the Israelites for forty plus years...what about "the stuff" we carry along? We know their shoes and clothing lasted the whole time, a miracle in itself...no shopping malls along the way the buy new clothing, no food stores-God provided the manna and quail, no faucets of running water, no feed stores to get extra nutrients for the animals, no toy stores for dolls and Legos, no storage units for the extras....no garage sales to browse...
The Israelites had extra as they freely gave to the building of the tabernacle.....skins, cloth, gold....
Were they on a rotating field schedule so that their animals always had food as they did? How did they pack their belongings? As the children grew, did they have clothing exchanges as they moved along? What were their most valuable things, in case of emergencies ? How did they carry their fire to remake their fires for cooking or warmth? Or did they have flint or something quick starting? Did they burn wood and where did it come from? Or did they burn dung as other cultures have through the ages?
After they settled in the promised land, did they want to go camping for pleasure and for the memories of their sojourn In the desert? Or was nomadic life a pleasure? Did they start to accumulate more stuff when they settled into houses?
They didn't have the valuable picture albums, the crystal , valuables that we have handed down and don't use, Aunt Edna's first crocheted doily or someone's first grade report card, college textbooks,......stuff...
Father, thank you for all the history, the stories , your Word, thoughts,,wanderings, and sojourning we do. Help me to know what is valuable, what it temporal, what is eternal.....lessons about life...
Psalm 105:40-42
New International Version (NIV)
40 They asked, and he brought them quail;
he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed like a river in the desert.
42 For he remembered his holy promise
given to his servant Abraham.
Deuteronomy 2:7
The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 29:5
Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Running to and fro.....whom do I serve....
Running to and fro....whom do I serve.....
Yesterday afternoon, I arrived at biofeedback, and the counselor said, "you look as tired as I have ever seen you". Thanks!!! But, I felt that way also...who was i serving???? Why was I tired?? Running to and fro, just at my desk......I had been working on the computer, and my iPad and had two phones going, digging through five different projects and being ambushed by emotions again and again....
I have written that grief comes in pieces before and it was hitting in pieces again....a word here and there, a decision or lack of decision, a one sided discussion-not two sided like it has always been, a song, a phrase used from the past, tears of remembrance, praying for others who are in dire circumstances or going through tragically rough times....
Things work through with time....centering back on Whom I serve, Peace that only
God brings to the soul....am I sharing enough with others about what God has done, is doing....will the generations coming up know what God did and is doing in my life or for them??? Will they know that their grandfather was a good steward? A good provider?
A follower of God?
Then at small group last night, someone said,,,,"you just never know the ripple effect of your life and decisions ....." Right through the heart ......the theme of
Don's funeral....pieces....whom do I serve? Calm in the midst....peace....what are the ripples ? Can someone look and see the service or just the busyness???
I thought of these verses read earlier in the week, I don't want the generations coming not knowing The Lord or what He had done....for us , for our family....tools in others' lives....
Thank you....again and again for your Word, Your reminders, YOur peace, Your grief, Your forbearance..Your provision, Your love and compassion....Your supply.....
Judges 2:10
New International Version (NIV)
10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.
Joshua 24:16-24
New International Version (NIV)
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 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. 18 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.”
19 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. 20 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.”
21 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.
23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”
Monday, September 23, 2013
Reaching out....over time, distance....
Reaching out.....over time, distance
Over the past few years, I have been the recipient of much prayer and encouragement...I am so thankful......I don't know how people do without that support, the love and Nurture of The Lord and His servants...my children have had that care also...from their friends and extended family....then their friends and family for other events in their lives...and my friends and family and on and on a on...to people,whom I have never met, but prayed for or been are praying ...the lines go around the world....as well they should with the open lines of communication through various means....
With world news so quickly reported and people so closely connected through ministries, friendships, there is always some in a common person or tie that we all have with something or someone on the other side of the world or down the street....
We may not be able to be there in person for someone, but we can be there in prayer, concern, thoughts, empathy....notes, cards, quick emails, a phone call, flowers, a meal...whatever task that seems appropriate.....thoughtful, encouraging, loving, enfolding In thought.....
Daily, We need those darts of care, we can all give them, as well....thank God for your words I'd comfort, your people who are called to come along side, both near and far......may we never forget You and others who are need of a word or prayer....
2 Corinthians 1:3-8, 11
Praise to the God of All Comfort
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 71:21
You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.
Psalm 77:2
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted.
Psalm 86:17
Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Psalm 119:50
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
Isaiah 40:1
[ Comfort for God’s People ] Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Isaiah 49:13
Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
Grief share, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).
You have probably been the recipient of much help throughout your time of grief. That is a great blessing. But think about Jesus' words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Now it’s your turn to be the giver.
“Look around and find someone else who’s hurting,” says Linda, whose baby died, “and minister to that person, whether it’s just a card or a phone call. It seems like when you reach out to someone else, your grief begins to heal and it doesn’t seem as overwhelming to you. You can see beyond it.”
Lord Jesus, it sure is hard to see beyond myself. What can I do to reach out to another person in love today? Amen. "
Sunday, September 22, 2013
A center.....
Where is the center..
I heard a radio commentator talking about town centers the other day.Towns used to have centers, a place for gathering,
It made me think about different places I have been or read about....
In china, there is a center with walls built around the diameter, radiating streets from the center.
We used to the city square with the government house, maybe a church that was near the center . Now we sprawl out.....and sprawl some more . When you look at the bird's eye view of new areas, there seems to be no center, just rows...or mazes of streets.
Jerusalem, had the Temple in the center, walls around the outside of the city ...other cities had the same.....old European towns had the same.
I realize that towns were built with walls for protection from the enemy around. But there was a heart....
What is the heart of city, ,what is the center of the heart......for each of us lives...
Towns, countries, people need a center.....where their their heart is....where we can look to...not just a maze of places, or things ....a center....the Shepherd, the Christ who lives, loves, leads.....
Numbers 35:5
Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.
2 Chronicles 6:13
Now he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.
Ezekiel 5:5
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.
Ezekiel 48:8
“Bordering the territory of Judah from east to west will be the portion you are to present as a special gift. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and its length from east to west will equal one of the tribal portions; the sanctuary will be in the center of it.
Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
Thank you for centering Yourself in lives, my life....help me to always look at You as the center of my life.....
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Reaching.....always reaching.....
Reaching....
When I think of reaching, the picture on the ceiling of the Cistine
Chapel comes immediately to mind, finger of God reaching toward man, giving him life.....
Or, Moses reaching the border of the promised land, looking, but not entering into....
The first time the word reach is used, is a warning about to reaching out as taking from The tree of life...
Following that is Noah, reaching out to take the dove which he had sent out.....bringing him safely back into the ark...
People tried to reach toward the heavens with the building of the Tower of Babel ....
Lot reaching Zoar ......
Abraham reaching the place where God told him....
Jacob seeing the stairway reaching toward heaven.....
Various people's cry reaching for God help in times of need....
Reaching borders, reaching the battle....reaching the heavens....reaching destinations....always reaching....
Jesus reaching down to heal......to write in the dirt......to us....
What am I reaching for.....reaching to.....
2 Corinthians 4:15
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Thank you for the grace that is reaching more and more.......reaching.....always reaching....
Deuteronomy 30:10-12
10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
Psalm 48:10
Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Psalm 57:10
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Psalm 71:19
Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you,
Friday, September 20, 2013
The question begs an answer....
The question begs an answer.....
Over the years, I have worked on kindergarten curriculum, home economics, many Bible studies, both by myself and in teams with others in all these subjects...topics....
The observation, Interpretation and application technique in some of the material.. Objectives, material and results in other subjects....
Both, beg for questions to be answered with real life application......what do I personally do with this material???? What is the author/Author saying directly to me.....what is the desirable outcome? What is the test to find out if I learned the material????
Consequently, I have list of questions I ask myself....from time to time or whenever I read scripture particularly.
The person with whom I am doing Biofeedback laughs each time as we start...he knows I will ask the what and when of the session each time.....
Journalists ask the who, what, when, why questions to write their articles. Authors go by outlines to come to the conclusions....now, some authors even add discussion questions at the end of their books.
The Bible ask questions....James 4 for example...there are many other passages as well...I added some of my questions...there are a lot more to ask for this short passage.....
James 4
-What causes fights and quarrels among you?
-Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
(do I ask with wrong motives)
4 You adulterous people,[a]
- don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5
-Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
(Am I at enmity within God....am I proud .....am I humble)
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
(Do I submit to God,....do I resist the devil....do I mourn, do i time to purify my heart...am I double-minded....do I humble myself)
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.
-But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
( do I slander others, do I judge others,,,if I do, do I seek forgiveness....)
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14
-Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.
-What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
( do I make plans without asking.....do I boast.....what sin is within me?)
What do I do with the answers????
Thank you for the time of reflection....make these real in my heart .....
Thursday, September 19, 2013
A skunk went by last night......
The skunk went by last night......
About every 4-6 weeks, a skunk wanders by the neighborhood in the night....we had them in Nevada also. About the same routine each time...the smell gives the small animal away...for some reason, they have to spray something......I guess so we know they have made their journey through the area.....
But, thinking about them, They are small, innocent looking animals....with great "power"...
Made me ponder small things, daily, small amounts of time and how that affects me....
God bears our daily burdens
Gives us daily food
We are to encourage daily...
Gives light to our feet....not the whole picture ahead....
Faith of a mustard seed....
The large ship is steered by a small rudder
The tongue is small, but great power
The lunch of the boy was small, but fed many...
The coins were few, but blessed many by her sacrifice....
Servant was entrusted with much because he stewarded the little well...
There are a lot of other small bits, lines, precepts, manna each day, growing to large made a difference....
Our children, so small and innocent when born grow into adults, not all at once, but day by day....making a difference in the world...
Our words, actions, small InThe world, can make a difference ......somewhere, either for good or bad....
One light, candle shines brightly in the darkness...
Small......giant ideas, actions , words can make a difference....
Thank you so much for the small things that you send into my life which have reminded me of the infinitely large ways you work in my life....
Psalm 68:19
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burden
Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Proverbs 30:24 “Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
25 Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 hyraxes are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
27 locusts have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
Matthew 17:20
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for God.
Luke 19:17
“‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’
Luke 21:2
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
John 6:9
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
James 3:4
Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
James 3:5
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
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