Cooking for one...
I loved to cook...and with four children, I cooked a lot...big breakfasts,
easier lunches and sit down dinners every night. When we got into sports, crockpot meals were more imperative, otherwise it was fast food on the way home every night,which was far too expensive.....
My children, attended christian schools most of the time, so their hot,lunch programs varied from place to place..so lunches were either brought from home or from time to time, they could.purchase their lunches. At one school, I prepared hot lunch once a week for the whole school until I enlisted other willing parents to help,with the job...at another school, another parent and I prepared a hot lunch once a week as well from a tiny little kitchen...
Later, as each child left home, the meal prep and meals got less and less..until for several years, it was just cooking for two...I had a hard time paring down the recipes to two though...and now it is just me, one.....harder still...I break the packages down to one serving, but I think it is more the ambiance of the family meal...the fellowship around the table, the jokes, the stories, the excitement, the teasing, the daily news, rather than the cooking I miss....I have never been down to one until now....there was always family meals with other people to visit with...I find myself eating more and more "TV dinners" rather than "cooking". We used to have many meals with a multitude of people around the table or tables...gatherings of friends and family...fun, fun, fun...
There are cookbooks for "cooking for one" and they are great...but it doesn't replace the fellowship, camaraderie of people...around the table...and even going to a restaurant as one is really not fun...
I am working on buying less and less food, but there is still waste when the end of the week comes around, no more big pots of soup-"week in review" as my husband would call it..now I may make a pot of soup and eat it all week..adding various accompanying side dishes...
Contentment..may be the key here...being content in ALL circumstances...with many and In solitude..Thank YOU for Your presence through all the changes, even in the meal times for one.....
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice,
Psalm 95:6-7 NIV
Philippians 4:11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
Philippians 4:12 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.
1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Hebrews 13:5 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.”
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Stewing....
Stewing....
I rarely get angry anymore....I get frustrated instead and stew...neither of which is good....I was wishing for the anger last night, just to get it out and finished....but it wouldn't come....so a sleepless night ensued with bouts of scripture and reading....
Through out the night, I would stew, think, pray to get past the frustration and Every time I picked up the book I was reading, there was encouraging words like, "move on with life", "don't get entangled", or Isaiah 41:10 ---
"10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Or, "Proverbs 3:24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."
And I kept saying, "but....but...." And try to sleep again with these things haunting, niggling my mind ....only to repeat the process over and over again....stewing...praying...reading...trying to sleep...until dawn and finally I just turned on the light for the day...it promises to be a long day ahead...short on sleep...
I was glad my husband couldn't see my frustration...or my dad to pick up my cause or even my mother to feel protective over her "little girl"...none would have had any positive effects...just more stewing....on all of our parts....it reminded me of the days of wedding coordinator when I picked up all stress so the bride would have a wonderful stress free day ......(it was relaxing later to go to a wedding without thinking of all the details to piece together, no crying brides, angry mothers, dancing flower girls, pacing grooms)...
My emotions,obviously, are not always where they need to be, under the complete control of the Holy Spirit...I wish they were...I have fears, frustrations, sins that stagnate my being until I can break free with God's help...He strengthens, He helps, He gives clear minds and thinking, and many times it is difficult to reach that effect peace...even with all the thanksgiving...for me , it is not automatic...like I wish...but a day by day process of working through and on it...yawn....
Thank YOU even for the sleeplessness of the night...help me to put my burdens on your shoulders instead of keeping them, unpacking and repacking the same ones over and over...and not lightening the load...nothing is settled by doing this...for anyone...
Philippians 4:4-9 new International Version (NIV)
Final Exhortations
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 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. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 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. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
I rarely get angry anymore....I get frustrated instead and stew...neither of which is good....I was wishing for the anger last night, just to get it out and finished....but it wouldn't come....so a sleepless night ensued with bouts of scripture and reading....
Through out the night, I would stew, think, pray to get past the frustration and Every time I picked up the book I was reading, there was encouraging words like, "move on with life", "don't get entangled", or Isaiah 41:10 ---
"10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Or, "Proverbs 3:24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."
And I kept saying, "but....but...." And try to sleep again with these things haunting, niggling my mind ....only to repeat the process over and over again....stewing...praying...reading...trying to sleep...until dawn and finally I just turned on the light for the day...it promises to be a long day ahead...short on sleep...
I was glad my husband couldn't see my frustration...or my dad to pick up my cause or even my mother to feel protective over her "little girl"...none would have had any positive effects...just more stewing....on all of our parts....it reminded me of the days of wedding coordinator when I picked up all stress so the bride would have a wonderful stress free day ......(it was relaxing later to go to a wedding without thinking of all the details to piece together, no crying brides, angry mothers, dancing flower girls, pacing grooms)...
My emotions,obviously, are not always where they need to be, under the complete control of the Holy Spirit...I wish they were...I have fears, frustrations, sins that stagnate my being until I can break free with God's help...He strengthens, He helps, He gives clear minds and thinking, and many times it is difficult to reach that effect peace...even with all the thanksgiving...for me , it is not automatic...like I wish...but a day by day process of working through and on it...yawn....
Thank YOU even for the sleeplessness of the night...help me to put my burdens on your shoulders instead of keeping them, unpacking and repacking the same ones over and over...and not lightening the load...nothing is settled by doing this...for anyone...
Philippians 4:4-9 new International Version (NIV)
Final Exhortations
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 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. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 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. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Red sky....
Red sky ......
The other night, I went outside to fell the nice cool air and was surprised to find an enormous cloud moving toward the town from the west...it hadn't been there just awhile ago..it reminded me of the cloud of darkness in the movie, "the Ten Commandments".
But, this cloud was red at the edges..a smoke cloud...not a storm cloud...it grew and grew and covered the town...I went in to check the news to see what was happening..could find nothing until the next morning....it was a smoke cloud built up from a fire some miles away...and had settled over our area...smoky, hazy day until it dissipated slowly throughout the day with a gentle breeze...we are still getting beautiful red sunrises and sunsets from the smoke in the sky...
Red....it is such a powerful color...vivid, brilliant, red...
In China, a red lantern signifies a restaurant...
In Russian, they have the Red square...
We have the "red light districts" drawing people into its sinful activities...
When you accidentally put a red garment into the wash with lighter colors, they turn pink, rather than the white turning the reds, white...
We have red sunrises and sunsets when there is smoke particulates in the air...
Apparently red is a favorite color for men...
People wear red when they want to send the message of authority ....
In the Old Testament, they covered the tabernacle with dyed red ram skins, signifying the blood that was shed....
Our sins are like scarlet, staining our lives, which can be forgiven, becoming the whiteness of purity....when we put our trust in Christ who shed his blood for our salvation...
Thank YOU for red in our lives....it does remind me of the blood that was so freely shed for my salvation....to be changed into the white robes of righteousness ....not stained or blemished....to stand before You in heaven...covered...
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
Exodus 35:7 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood;
Exodus 35:23 Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or the other durable leather brought them.
Exodus 36:19 Then they made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.
Matthew 16 New International Version (NIV)
The Demand for a Sign
16:1-3 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
Acts 7:36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.
Revelation 6:4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
Revelation 6:12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
Revelation 9:17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.
The other night, I went outside to fell the nice cool air and was surprised to find an enormous cloud moving toward the town from the west...it hadn't been there just awhile ago..it reminded me of the cloud of darkness in the movie, "the Ten Commandments".
But, this cloud was red at the edges..a smoke cloud...not a storm cloud...it grew and grew and covered the town...I went in to check the news to see what was happening..could find nothing until the next morning....it was a smoke cloud built up from a fire some miles away...and had settled over our area...smoky, hazy day until it dissipated slowly throughout the day with a gentle breeze...we are still getting beautiful red sunrises and sunsets from the smoke in the sky...
Red....it is such a powerful color...vivid, brilliant, red...
In China, a red lantern signifies a restaurant...
In Russian, they have the Red square...
We have the "red light districts" drawing people into its sinful activities...
When you accidentally put a red garment into the wash with lighter colors, they turn pink, rather than the white turning the reds, white...
We have red sunrises and sunsets when there is smoke particulates in the air...
Apparently red is a favorite color for men...
People wear red when they want to send the message of authority ....
In the Old Testament, they covered the tabernacle with dyed red ram skins, signifying the blood that was shed....
Our sins are like scarlet, staining our lives, which can be forgiven, becoming the whiteness of purity....when we put our trust in Christ who shed his blood for our salvation...
Thank YOU for red in our lives....it does remind me of the blood that was so freely shed for my salvation....to be changed into the white robes of righteousness ....not stained or blemished....to stand before You in heaven...covered...
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
Exodus 35:7 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood;
Exodus 35:23 Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or the other durable leather brought them.
Exodus 36:19 Then they made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.
Matthew 16 New International Version (NIV)
The Demand for a Sign
16:1-3 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
Acts 7:36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.
Revelation 6:4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
Revelation 6:12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
Revelation 9:17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Worrie...focus....
Worries...focus...
"40%, will never occur
30%, already happened
12% needless things about our health
10%, about what others think
8%, legitimate concerns that can be dealt with..."..." The Noticer"
Stepping from the car, she noticed a man hidden in the shadows of the picnic area,,scanning whomever had arrived....should she get back in the car or continue as usual...deciding to to continue, she catches up with other walkers/runners to stay at least next to others....all the while wondering who this man is who is watching everyone as they come and go....is he a stalker, someone to be afraid of....what is he doing just standing there, staring...fear, worry...should she have carried her hand gun....all these thing quickly run through her mind as she continues to circumvent the park area again and again...walking the trail...she was in the 40%.....the man was patiently waiting for the sprinklers to cycle through to repair all the heads and power wash the picnic tables, working for the parks and rec department...
Yes, we have to aware of our surroundings, being watchful, careful...but my imagination ran with this one...at least it got my adrenaline pumping and I walked faster than usual...until I noticed all the other clues of his surroundings and equipment...
What I needed to refocus on was the other people...a couple of young women jogging, visiting, encouraging one another in their lives; an elderly woman walking slowly, stiffly, haltingly, as if recovering from a stroke, regaining strength; a young woman walking her three legged dog; a couple, my age, enjoying an early morning walk; several others out walking their dogs, enjoying the fresh air and exercise...all walks of life, ages, enjoying Gods creation....each carrying worries of their own...legitimate concerns....
Thank YOU for awareness of You in my life and those around me...open my eyes to those around me, praying that each would come to a saving knowledge of you....
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
John 6:29 NIV
Psalm 25:1 [ Psalm 25 ] [ Of David. ] In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.
Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
"40%, will never occur
30%, already happened
12% needless things about our health
10%, about what others think
8%, legitimate concerns that can be dealt with..."..." The Noticer"
Stepping from the car, she noticed a man hidden in the shadows of the picnic area,,scanning whomever had arrived....should she get back in the car or continue as usual...deciding to to continue, she catches up with other walkers/runners to stay at least next to others....all the while wondering who this man is who is watching everyone as they come and go....is he a stalker, someone to be afraid of....what is he doing just standing there, staring...fear, worry...should she have carried her hand gun....all these thing quickly run through her mind as she continues to circumvent the park area again and again...walking the trail...she was in the 40%.....the man was patiently waiting for the sprinklers to cycle through to repair all the heads and power wash the picnic tables, working for the parks and rec department...
Yes, we have to aware of our surroundings, being watchful, careful...but my imagination ran with this one...at least it got my adrenaline pumping and I walked faster than usual...until I noticed all the other clues of his surroundings and equipment...
What I needed to refocus on was the other people...a couple of young women jogging, visiting, encouraging one another in their lives; an elderly woman walking slowly, stiffly, haltingly, as if recovering from a stroke, regaining strength; a young woman walking her three legged dog; a couple, my age, enjoying an early morning walk; several others out walking their dogs, enjoying the fresh air and exercise...all walks of life, ages, enjoying Gods creation....each carrying worries of their own...legitimate concerns....
Thank YOU for awareness of You in my life and those around me...open my eyes to those around me, praying that each would come to a saving knowledge of you....
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
John 6:29 NIV
Psalm 25:1 [ Psalm 25 ] [ Of David. ] In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.
Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
God's not Dead....
God's not dead......
I learned how to use a "new to me" button on my tv remote last night, "vod", "video on demand"....and watched a movie that I had wanted to watch earlier this year, "God's Not Dead". I had watched the writer being interviewed,which was good, about
Christians in Hollywood and faith based movies..
The movie follows a university student taking a philosophy course in which the teacher demands his students sign a paper saying that "God is dead" so that he can "dispense" with the portion of the class that deals with the "lies" of a belief in a supreme being...one student cannot sign that paper and the debate begins...there are also other "separate" lives and scenes which eventually all intersect and play out together showing that, indeed, God is working everywhere in people lives...
Can't you just go back over your life and see those intersections, where with hindsight, you see God's touch in the activity or life decisions?
-an engaged couple breaks up after one's conversion, the other leaving for the military only to be surrounded by Christians...
-divorced couple, going their own separate ways, surrounded by Christian friends, brought back together to recommit their lives to Christian service...to divorced couples...
-prisoner meeting Christians in prison, leading him to a lifetime of service to prisoners and their families...
-student with religious background, leaving home to party, to be surrounded by Christian roommates...
-runaways finding shelter in Christian housing...
-Jewish foreign exchange student encountering The Messiah in grad school...
-suicidal man finds a Gideon Bible in a hotel room...
-homeless person stumbles into a downtown mission...
-VBS teacher finds Christ while teaching preschoolers...
-a cancer patient is drawn to Christ through a Christian nurse and doctor giving out hope as well as medicine...
---and on and on and on...
God meets any of us anywhere, anytime....from the lowest or highest place to the cross....His appointments for us...and so many others around the world...bringing us to Himself...His Son and our moments of decision .....
Thank YOU that You touch us...You bring us to Yourself....creatively, tenderly drawing us to You....
John 3:16New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Psalm 139:7-12 New International Version (NIV)
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.
Even today's devo by Ray Stedman....so I included it...a much better writer ...pastor...another intersection in time and place...
"The Fear of the Lord
Daily Devotional for August 27
From the Writings of Ray Stedman
From your friends at
www.RayStedman.org
Read the Scripture: Jeremiah 36:1-32
So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them. Jeremiah 36:32
Judgment came against Jehoiakim not simply because he acted foolishly in burning the Scriptures but because of the condition of heart which that action revealed. This is given to us in one flaming sentence in Verse 24: Yet neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words, was afraid, nor did they rend their garments. These men had lost the fear of God. And when a nation or a people or an individual loses the fear of God, they are on their way to destruction. For the fear of God is based upon the sovereign power which he exercises in life. These men were shown to be stupid and senseless men who had lost their sense of reality entirely, because they had lost the fear of God.
There is one great fact everywhere revealed — in Scripture, in history, and even in nature — which has been called the law of retribution. That is, there is an inevitable consequence for doing wrong, and there is no way to escape it. Even an atheist, who does not believe in God at all, must admit that when he examines the laws of nature he is faced with the conclusion that you either obey the laws of nature and live, or disobey them and die. And man is helpless to change that. We are in the grip of forces greater than we are, and everything on every side testifies to this. That is why we learn respect for the laws of electricity. You do not fool around with 10,000 volts of electrical potential, thinking you are going to make up the laws as you go along. You had better find out what they are first, for you disobey them to your peril and death.
This is what God has implanted in every part of life. How foolish and utterly stupid is the person who seeks to ignore that fact. God requires of every nation that there be the recognition of his sovereign government of men, and the law of retribution for evil. History has testified repeatedly that God always accomplishes what he says he is going to do. God rules in the affairs of men. Napoleon, at the height of his career, once very boldly said, God is on the side that has the heaviest artillery — his cynical answer to someone who asked if God was on the side of France. Then came the Battle of Waterloo, where he lost both the battle and his empire. Years later, in exile on the island of St. Helena, chastened and humbled, Napoleon said, Man proposes; God disposes. This is the lesson with which life seeks to confront us. God is able to work his sovereign will — despite man. Therefore the basic, elementary knowledge of life with which everyone ought to start is the fear of God.
Our Father, these words sober me. I pray that I will not point the finger of self-righteousness at others, but rather will acknowledge the times I have not shown you the fear worthy of your name.
Life Application: Is the arrogant defiance of God in our cultural environment eroding our reverent fear of our holy God? Do we need to inventory our hearts for signs of self righteous pride?
Related Message: This daily devotional was inspired by one of Ray's messages. Please read "What Does God Require?" or listen to Ray for more on this portion of scripture.
Copyright © 2014 by Ray Stedman Ministries — This daily devotion is from the book Immeasurably More: a year of devotions from the writings of Ray Stedman; compiled by Mark Mitchell. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice and a hyperlink to www.RayStedman.org if the copy is posted on the Internet."
I learned how to use a "new to me" button on my tv remote last night, "vod", "video on demand"....and watched a movie that I had wanted to watch earlier this year, "God's Not Dead". I had watched the writer being interviewed,which was good, about
Christians in Hollywood and faith based movies..
The movie follows a university student taking a philosophy course in which the teacher demands his students sign a paper saying that "God is dead" so that he can "dispense" with the portion of the class that deals with the "lies" of a belief in a supreme being...one student cannot sign that paper and the debate begins...there are also other "separate" lives and scenes which eventually all intersect and play out together showing that, indeed, God is working everywhere in people lives...
Can't you just go back over your life and see those intersections, where with hindsight, you see God's touch in the activity or life decisions?
-an engaged couple breaks up after one's conversion, the other leaving for the military only to be surrounded by Christians...
-divorced couple, going their own separate ways, surrounded by Christian friends, brought back together to recommit their lives to Christian service...to divorced couples...
-prisoner meeting Christians in prison, leading him to a lifetime of service to prisoners and their families...
-student with religious background, leaving home to party, to be surrounded by Christian roommates...
-runaways finding shelter in Christian housing...
-Jewish foreign exchange student encountering The Messiah in grad school...
-suicidal man finds a Gideon Bible in a hotel room...
-homeless person stumbles into a downtown mission...
-VBS teacher finds Christ while teaching preschoolers...
-a cancer patient is drawn to Christ through a Christian nurse and doctor giving out hope as well as medicine...
---and on and on and on...
God meets any of us anywhere, anytime....from the lowest or highest place to the cross....His appointments for us...and so many others around the world...bringing us to Himself...His Son and our moments of decision .....
Thank YOU that You touch us...You bring us to Yourself....creatively, tenderly drawing us to You....
John 3:16New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Psalm 139:7-12 New International Version (NIV)
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.
Even today's devo by Ray Stedman....so I included it...a much better writer ...pastor...another intersection in time and place...
"The Fear of the Lord
Daily Devotional for August 27
From the Writings of Ray Stedman
From your friends at
www.RayStedman.org
Read the Scripture: Jeremiah 36:1-32
So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them. Jeremiah 36:32
Judgment came against Jehoiakim not simply because he acted foolishly in burning the Scriptures but because of the condition of heart which that action revealed. This is given to us in one flaming sentence in Verse 24: Yet neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words, was afraid, nor did they rend their garments. These men had lost the fear of God. And when a nation or a people or an individual loses the fear of God, they are on their way to destruction. For the fear of God is based upon the sovereign power which he exercises in life. These men were shown to be stupid and senseless men who had lost their sense of reality entirely, because they had lost the fear of God.
There is one great fact everywhere revealed — in Scripture, in history, and even in nature — which has been called the law of retribution. That is, there is an inevitable consequence for doing wrong, and there is no way to escape it. Even an atheist, who does not believe in God at all, must admit that when he examines the laws of nature he is faced with the conclusion that you either obey the laws of nature and live, or disobey them and die. And man is helpless to change that. We are in the grip of forces greater than we are, and everything on every side testifies to this. That is why we learn respect for the laws of electricity. You do not fool around with 10,000 volts of electrical potential, thinking you are going to make up the laws as you go along. You had better find out what they are first, for you disobey them to your peril and death.
This is what God has implanted in every part of life. How foolish and utterly stupid is the person who seeks to ignore that fact. God requires of every nation that there be the recognition of his sovereign government of men, and the law of retribution for evil. History has testified repeatedly that God always accomplishes what he says he is going to do. God rules in the affairs of men. Napoleon, at the height of his career, once very boldly said, God is on the side that has the heaviest artillery — his cynical answer to someone who asked if God was on the side of France. Then came the Battle of Waterloo, where he lost both the battle and his empire. Years later, in exile on the island of St. Helena, chastened and humbled, Napoleon said, Man proposes; God disposes. This is the lesson with which life seeks to confront us. God is able to work his sovereign will — despite man. Therefore the basic, elementary knowledge of life with which everyone ought to start is the fear of God.
Our Father, these words sober me. I pray that I will not point the finger of self-righteousness at others, but rather will acknowledge the times I have not shown you the fear worthy of your name.
Life Application: Is the arrogant defiance of God in our cultural environment eroding our reverent fear of our holy God? Do we need to inventory our hearts for signs of self righteous pride?
Related Message: This daily devotional was inspired by one of Ray's messages. Please read "What Does God Require?" or listen to Ray for more on this portion of scripture.
Copyright © 2014 by Ray Stedman Ministries — This daily devotion is from the book Immeasurably More: a year of devotions from the writings of Ray Stedman; compiled by Mark Mitchell. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice and a hyperlink to www.RayStedman.org if the copy is posted on the Internet."
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
The poor among us...
The poor.....among us.....
One of my daughters shared an article about city slums....interesting...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/25/welcome-to-the-billion-man-slum.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews
It made me think about the poor among us...this particular daughter went to Brazil and worked with children who lived in the dump of a major city..each family had a particular thing they collected in the dump to use or sell.....
We have a multitude of world organizations, national groups, local helps for encouraging and enabling the poor among us...right now the push is for school supplies for poorer children, coats for kids, diapers for babies, clothing for the homeless, glasses for the needy, Samaritan Christmas boxes, etc, etc. etc...
Our own family has been poor and rich...I didn't realize until later that we were poor compared to others when I was growing up...we always had food, clothing and a home....but I didn't realize how my mother stretched the food to make it stretch further into the end of the month....sugar and butter sandwiches weren't too nutritious, but I thought they were a treat!? Little did I know...
There are a lot of verses referring to the poor throughout the Bible...Ruth and Naomi were poor and reaped from the laws given earlier about the grain to be left for the poor people on the edges of the fields...The Lord has regard for the poor and needy...no partiality ....
I love collecting to give...I love to see or imagine smiles on children's faces getting a gift that they receive...watching the scenes about the Christmas boxes, the teachers receiving school supplies, coats being warn, food being distributed...we have so much, but we receive more when we give....thank YOU for giving us gifts to give .....
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4-5 NIV
Leviticus 19:10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:15 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
Leviticus 23:22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’”
Deuteronomy 24:14 Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.
Deuteronomy 24:15 Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
Psalm 34:6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
Proverbs 14:31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Proverbs 17:5 Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 22:2 Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.
Proverbs 22:9 The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.
Proverbs 31:20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Matthew 26:11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Mark 12:42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Mark 12:43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
http://video.samaritanspurse.org/good-news-great-joy-2014-3/
One of my daughters shared an article about city slums....interesting...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/25/welcome-to-the-billion-man-slum.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews
It made me think about the poor among us...this particular daughter went to Brazil and worked with children who lived in the dump of a major city..each family had a particular thing they collected in the dump to use or sell.....
We have a multitude of world organizations, national groups, local helps for encouraging and enabling the poor among us...right now the push is for school supplies for poorer children, coats for kids, diapers for babies, clothing for the homeless, glasses for the needy, Samaritan Christmas boxes, etc, etc. etc...
Our own family has been poor and rich...I didn't realize until later that we were poor compared to others when I was growing up...we always had food, clothing and a home....but I didn't realize how my mother stretched the food to make it stretch further into the end of the month....sugar and butter sandwiches weren't too nutritious, but I thought they were a treat!? Little did I know...
There are a lot of verses referring to the poor throughout the Bible...Ruth and Naomi were poor and reaped from the laws given earlier about the grain to be left for the poor people on the edges of the fields...The Lord has regard for the poor and needy...no partiality ....
I love collecting to give...I love to see or imagine smiles on children's faces getting a gift that they receive...watching the scenes about the Christmas boxes, the teachers receiving school supplies, coats being warn, food being distributed...we have so much, but we receive more when we give....thank YOU for giving us gifts to give .....
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4-5 NIV
Leviticus 19:10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:15 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
Leviticus 23:22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’”
Deuteronomy 24:14 Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.
Deuteronomy 24:15 Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
Psalm 34:6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
Proverbs 14:31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Proverbs 17:5 Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 22:2 Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.
Proverbs 22:9 The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.
Proverbs 31:20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Matthew 26:11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Mark 12:42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Mark 12:43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
http://video.samaritanspurse.org/good-news-great-joy-2014-3/
Monday, August 25, 2014
Star power....
Star power.....
When clicking of the news in early mornings, one can't help but notice that there are a lot of "news" stories about Hollywood stars and their antics, lives, problems, shows, dresses, etc...side by side with world and national news...
I remember my parents commenting on the news stories when they were in Europe many years ago...it seemed to them that US news revolved around Hollywood, Like that was our center of news...what happened to the rest of the nation?? Or the World?
Recently, an interviewer was asking questions along the Florida beach to various people playing there...they could answer all of the Hollywood questions, but very few knew who was the vice President was or where various countries In the world were or even the capital of the state they were visiting..they didn't know major news stories at the time....
I am not saying that star power is unworthy or that stars are fools, but that there is more to our lives than Hollywood or its sister cities worldwide...will we give in Just to be entertained ....it is exciting to see more movies with good morals making their appearance...movie stars whose lives reflect good family values making a stand....
Thank YOU that we live in world that You designed...help me to follow You and not the world..humble, asking forgiveness in truth, seeking Your way through the maze of worldliness .....finding my pleasure in You...
Ecclesiastes 2 Pleasures Are Meaningless . I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. ...
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Proverbs 16:13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks what is right.
Proverbs 18:2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.
Proverbs 21:17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
2 Timothy 3 New International Version (NIV)
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
Titus 3:3 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.
Hebrews 10:38 And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”
When clicking of the news in early mornings, one can't help but notice that there are a lot of "news" stories about Hollywood stars and their antics, lives, problems, shows, dresses, etc...side by side with world and national news...
I remember my parents commenting on the news stories when they were in Europe many years ago...it seemed to them that US news revolved around Hollywood, Like that was our center of news...what happened to the rest of the nation?? Or the World?
Recently, an interviewer was asking questions along the Florida beach to various people playing there...they could answer all of the Hollywood questions, but very few knew who was the vice President was or where various countries In the world were or even the capital of the state they were visiting..they didn't know major news stories at the time....
I am not saying that star power is unworthy or that stars are fools, but that there is more to our lives than Hollywood or its sister cities worldwide...will we give in Just to be entertained ....it is exciting to see more movies with good morals making their appearance...movie stars whose lives reflect good family values making a stand....
Thank YOU that we live in world that You designed...help me to follow You and not the world..humble, asking forgiveness in truth, seeking Your way through the maze of worldliness .....finding my pleasure in You...
Ecclesiastes 2 Pleasures Are Meaningless . I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. ...
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Proverbs 16:13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks what is right.
Proverbs 18:2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.
Proverbs 21:17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
2 Timothy 3 New International Version (NIV)
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
Titus 3:3 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.
Hebrews 10:38 And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Quick references....the Bible.....
Quick references.......Bibles....
Over the years, we have learned "quick" references acronyms to various topics in the Bible...we may have even marked them In our Bibles with various means..
The Gideon Bible, found in motel rooms, hospitals, etc...has references in the front and the back for a variety of topics...
We now have apps on our phones, IPads for referencing quickly...we can download whole Bibles, programs, dictionaries, study guides, almost eliminating Bibles and books we may have on our book shelves.....
I wonder with all the fast references, do we read the Bible more or less than we once did? Do we rely on others to do the research for us? Do we study anymore or less the past generations?
Have we become Bible illiterate? Or worldly rich?
Acts 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Various groups give out the Bible or portions of it around the world yearly....it has become tougher and tougher to give it out here in the United States, where we presumably have freedom of religion or is it freedom from religion?
http://www.christianpost.com/news/gideons-celebrate-100-years-of-bible-distribution-36232/
Thank YOU for your eternal Word. Through history it has been burned ,vandalized, loved, used and continues in all those aspects...but It still stands the test of time...
Free Bibles. http://christianity.about.com/od/practicaltools/ht/freebible.htm
Roman Road To Salvation
By Kevin Haag
The Roman Road to salvation is a collection of verses from the book of Romans explaining God’s free gift of eternal life. Follow these verses to learn why we need salvation, God’s plan of salvation, how to receive salvation, God’s promise of eternal life, and the results of salvation.
1st stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
God Is The Creator Of Life
Romans 1:20-21: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” God reveals himself to us - His divine nature and personal qualities - through creation. We must acknowledge God as the Creator and sustainer of life.
2nd stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
Why We Need Salvation – The Fact Of Our Sin
Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We must recognize that we are sinners and that we do not meet God’s perfect standards. Sin is serious in God’s sight and includes thoughts, words and actions. All sin (i.e. hatred and lust) makes us sinners not just the big, obvious sins like murder and adultery (Romans 5:12).
3rd stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
Man’s Inability
Romans 3:10: “As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.” No one can earn right standing with God. We must understand that our good deeds or religion are unacceptable to God because our good works cannot cancel out our sin. For a view of man’s sinful condition, read Romans 3:10-18.
4th stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
The Penalty Of Sin
Romans 6:23a: “For the wages of sin is death.” God’s holiness demands a penalty (consequence) for our sin, which is death. Eternal death is separation from God forever in Hell. God is a just God, and He demands punishment for every sin. Justice is getting what we deserve, because of our sin, we deserve death.
5th stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
God’s Plan Of Salvation
Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sin by dying on the cross. God is a God of mercy and He sent Jesus to take our sin upon Himself and the punishment we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve, we deserve death, and Jesus took our place.
6th stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
God’s Promise Of Eternal Life
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life is a free gift from God, there is nothing we can do to earn eternal life. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Because of God’s amazing grace, He has given us eternal life through Jesus Christ!
7th stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
Man’s Responsibility
Romans 10:9-10: “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” We must believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who died for us on the cross, rose from the dead, and is Lord. We must put our trust in Jesus alone to make us right with God. Salvation involves believing in our hearts (inward belief) and an outward confession that Jesus is Lord.
Romans 10:13: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” There is no complicated formula to salvation; Jesus paid the price of our sin for us. Our response is to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. If we do, we will be saved from eternal death in Hell to eternal life in Heaven.
Final Stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
Results Of Salvation
Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” By accepting Jesus’ death as a payment for our sins, we will never be condemned for our sins.
Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace with God means we have been reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. We can now have a relationship with the living God because sin no longer separates us from Him.
Are you uncertain that if you were to die today you would go to Heaven? Have you followed the Roman Road to salvation? Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today? You can pray to God right now and claim the promises of His word as your own.
Admit that you have sinned against God and ask Him for forgiveness.
Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who died for you on the cross, rose from the dead, and is Lord.
Call upon Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior today, we praise God for your decision! We encourage you to grow in your walk with God by praying to Him, reading the Bible, and joining a Bible believing church. Share with others the Roman Road to salvation, so they too may know of God’s love and amazing grace.
http://31.media.tumblr.com/f86dfa595fbf24c95dd3bcf31644c6f6/tumblr_mvry70CNXv1qhmhdfo1_1280.png
http://www.gospelway.com/verse_references.php
ACTS verses of prayer, adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication
Books of the Bibile. http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WWKKPWNX
Over the years, we have learned "quick" references acronyms to various topics in the Bible...we may have even marked them In our Bibles with various means..
The Gideon Bible, found in motel rooms, hospitals, etc...has references in the front and the back for a variety of topics...
We now have apps on our phones, IPads for referencing quickly...we can download whole Bibles, programs, dictionaries, study guides, almost eliminating Bibles and books we may have on our book shelves.....
I wonder with all the fast references, do we read the Bible more or less than we once did? Do we rely on others to do the research for us? Do we study anymore or less the past generations?
Have we become Bible illiterate? Or worldly rich?
Acts 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Various groups give out the Bible or portions of it around the world yearly....it has become tougher and tougher to give it out here in the United States, where we presumably have freedom of religion or is it freedom from religion?
http://www.christianpost.com/news/gideons-celebrate-100-years-of-bible-distribution-36232/
Thank YOU for your eternal Word. Through history it has been burned ,vandalized, loved, used and continues in all those aspects...but It still stands the test of time...
Free Bibles. http://christianity.about.com/od/practicaltools/ht/freebible.htm
Roman Road To Salvation
By Kevin Haag
The Roman Road to salvation is a collection of verses from the book of Romans explaining God’s free gift of eternal life. Follow these verses to learn why we need salvation, God’s plan of salvation, how to receive salvation, God’s promise of eternal life, and the results of salvation.
1st stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
God Is The Creator Of Life
Romans 1:20-21: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” God reveals himself to us - His divine nature and personal qualities - through creation. We must acknowledge God as the Creator and sustainer of life.
2nd stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
Why We Need Salvation – The Fact Of Our Sin
Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We must recognize that we are sinners and that we do not meet God’s perfect standards. Sin is serious in God’s sight and includes thoughts, words and actions. All sin (i.e. hatred and lust) makes us sinners not just the big, obvious sins like murder and adultery (Romans 5:12).
3rd stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
Man’s Inability
Romans 3:10: “As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.” No one can earn right standing with God. We must understand that our good deeds or religion are unacceptable to God because our good works cannot cancel out our sin. For a view of man’s sinful condition, read Romans 3:10-18.
4th stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
The Penalty Of Sin
Romans 6:23a: “For the wages of sin is death.” God’s holiness demands a penalty (consequence) for our sin, which is death. Eternal death is separation from God forever in Hell. God is a just God, and He demands punishment for every sin. Justice is getting what we deserve, because of our sin, we deserve death.
5th stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
God’s Plan Of Salvation
Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sin by dying on the cross. God is a God of mercy and He sent Jesus to take our sin upon Himself and the punishment we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve, we deserve death, and Jesus took our place.
6th stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
God’s Promise Of Eternal Life
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life is a free gift from God, there is nothing we can do to earn eternal life. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Because of God’s amazing grace, He has given us eternal life through Jesus Christ!
7th stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
Man’s Responsibility
Romans 10:9-10: “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” We must believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who died for us on the cross, rose from the dead, and is Lord. We must put our trust in Jesus alone to make us right with God. Salvation involves believing in our hearts (inward belief) and an outward confession that Jesus is Lord.
Romans 10:13: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” There is no complicated formula to salvation; Jesus paid the price of our sin for us. Our response is to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. If we do, we will be saved from eternal death in Hell to eternal life in Heaven.
Final Stop on the Roman Road To Salvation...
Results Of Salvation
Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” By accepting Jesus’ death as a payment for our sins, we will never be condemned for our sins.
Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace with God means we have been reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. We can now have a relationship with the living God because sin no longer separates us from Him.
Are you uncertain that if you were to die today you would go to Heaven? Have you followed the Roman Road to salvation? Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today? You can pray to God right now and claim the promises of His word as your own.
Admit that you have sinned against God and ask Him for forgiveness.
Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who died for you on the cross, rose from the dead, and is Lord.
Call upon Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior today, we praise God for your decision! We encourage you to grow in your walk with God by praying to Him, reading the Bible, and joining a Bible believing church. Share with others the Roman Road to salvation, so they too may know of God’s love and amazing grace.
http://31.media.tumblr.com/f86dfa595fbf24c95dd3bcf31644c6f6/tumblr_mvry70CNXv1qhmhdfo1_1280.png
http://www.gospelway.com/verse_references.php
ACTS verses of prayer, adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication
Books of the Bibile. http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WWKKPWNX
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Entrusting.....
Entrusting.....
Yesterday, I wrote about milestones....birthday of my late husband...(chuckle of his being late. One of our points of contention was being late). Finding out about terminal cancer is a shocker to say the least...or anything that is life threatening can be catastrophic to all the loved ones....
We can choose to fall to pieces , only to be picked up, put back together, stand on our own two feet, resisting the powerful, sustaining help of God....or cling to Him, holding His hand....either way, He works in our lives..lovingly holds us through the ordeal...we can resist acknowledgment or pour ourselves into His love, soaking up every peaceful moment in the midst of chaos...the latter is so much better...
But, entrusting our loved ones is tough...tough love....natural consequences...not standing in the way of lessons to be learned, events to be met,.....waiting, watching....praying...moving forward...obeying...it all comes down to TRUST....for ourselves and our loved ones...
TRUST is hard, easy, tiring, healing, scary, peaceful, comforting...not easy...I have longed to get to that point where, when something happens, that I immediately say, "I trust what you are doing" without panicking first and trying to find an quick solution on my own....
Did Abraham think those thoughts of panic or did he immediately go forward? Did he ever doubt? He had waited a long time for this son....and then told to sacrifice him on an alter ....he followed through....only to be given a provision at the last moment..a perfect substitution.....God Provides...in his way, in his time...entrusting.....it may not look like what we desire or want, but it will perfectly from Him...
Thank YOU for lifelong lessons of entrusting....they are not easy lessons to be sure, but needful...Your are safe...trustworthy...
"Jesus calling August 23
Entrust your loved ones to Me; release them into My protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one—as well as yourself. Remember the extreme measures I used with Abraham and Isaac. I took Isaac to the very point of death to free Abraham from sonworship. Both Abraham and Isaac suffered terribly because of the father’s undisciplined emotions. I detest idolatry, even in the form of parental love.
When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust others into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them. My Presence will go with them wherever they go, and I will give them rest. This same Presence stays with you, as you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch to see what I will do.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
—Genesis 22:9–12
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…
—Ephesians 3:20
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
—Exodus 33:14"
Yesterday, I wrote about milestones....birthday of my late husband...(chuckle of his being late. One of our points of contention was being late). Finding out about terminal cancer is a shocker to say the least...or anything that is life threatening can be catastrophic to all the loved ones....
We can choose to fall to pieces , only to be picked up, put back together, stand on our own two feet, resisting the powerful, sustaining help of God....or cling to Him, holding His hand....either way, He works in our lives..lovingly holds us through the ordeal...we can resist acknowledgment or pour ourselves into His love, soaking up every peaceful moment in the midst of chaos...the latter is so much better...
But, entrusting our loved ones is tough...tough love....natural consequences...not standing in the way of lessons to be learned, events to be met,.....waiting, watching....praying...moving forward...obeying...it all comes down to TRUST....for ourselves and our loved ones...
TRUST is hard, easy, tiring, healing, scary, peaceful, comforting...not easy...I have longed to get to that point where, when something happens, that I immediately say, "I trust what you are doing" without panicking first and trying to find an quick solution on my own....
Did Abraham think those thoughts of panic or did he immediately go forward? Did he ever doubt? He had waited a long time for this son....and then told to sacrifice him on an alter ....he followed through....only to be given a provision at the last moment..a perfect substitution.....God Provides...in his way, in his time...entrusting.....it may not look like what we desire or want, but it will perfectly from Him...
Thank YOU for lifelong lessons of entrusting....they are not easy lessons to be sure, but needful...Your are safe...trustworthy...
"Jesus calling August 23
Entrust your loved ones to Me; release them into My protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one—as well as yourself. Remember the extreme measures I used with Abraham and Isaac. I took Isaac to the very point of death to free Abraham from sonworship. Both Abraham and Isaac suffered terribly because of the father’s undisciplined emotions. I detest idolatry, even in the form of parental love.
When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust others into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them. My Presence will go with them wherever they go, and I will give them rest. This same Presence stays with you, as you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch to see what I will do.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
—Genesis 22:9–12
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…
—Ephesians 3:20
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
—Exodus 33:14"
Friday, August 22, 2014
Milestones....
Milestones....
Today would have been my husband's 70th birthday...but instead he is a forever 67 year young father/husband in our families memories....we would have had a big birthday get together for him, as this can be a milestone birthday...
It always seemed like his birthday was hard to celebrate as we were always still doing summer work, activities, or on the road for a variety of reasons. We did get to celebrate it a few times as his birthday with special times...a 60th, 65th, 40th, 50th, 30th...one year we were moving, another we all had the flu; another, we were taking care of kids with chicken pox while visiting parents; Portland zoo with family; picnics and fishing; a hike in the Ruby Mountains; dinner at Mt Shasta; fair preparations.... It was a hidden date In the end of summer activities....
He always wanted peach or berry pies instead of a cake...so that part was easy...oh how he loved those pies...I am sure his mother fixed a multitude of pies for a family of four growing boys and a logger for a husband..so pies were a comfort food for him growing up in the hills of Oregon with free wild blackberries in abundance...and he might have even picked his berries himself...(he passed that love of picking berries on to his children)...we would all pick when they were available...I would make "ready to bake" pies for the freezer so that we could have them year around as a treat....
He loved having people around, his family and friends, others...always ready to meet anyone along the way....hear their stories, drop a word of encouragement, talk about geology....talk about missions, share life....
Thank YOU for the days You gave us..as a couple, as a family.....written in tears of joy and sorrow....milestones of life....
Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Genesis 15:15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age.
Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.
1 Chronicles 29:28a He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor......
Job 32:9 It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.
Psalm 92:14a They will still bear fruit in old age....
Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Today would have been my husband's 70th birthday...but instead he is a forever 67 year young father/husband in our families memories....we would have had a big birthday get together for him, as this can be a milestone birthday...
It always seemed like his birthday was hard to celebrate as we were always still doing summer work, activities, or on the road for a variety of reasons. We did get to celebrate it a few times as his birthday with special times...a 60th, 65th, 40th, 50th, 30th...one year we were moving, another we all had the flu; another, we were taking care of kids with chicken pox while visiting parents; Portland zoo with family; picnics and fishing; a hike in the Ruby Mountains; dinner at Mt Shasta; fair preparations.... It was a hidden date In the end of summer activities....
He always wanted peach or berry pies instead of a cake...so that part was easy...oh how he loved those pies...I am sure his mother fixed a multitude of pies for a family of four growing boys and a logger for a husband..so pies were a comfort food for him growing up in the hills of Oregon with free wild blackberries in abundance...and he might have even picked his berries himself...(he passed that love of picking berries on to his children)...we would all pick when they were available...I would make "ready to bake" pies for the freezer so that we could have them year around as a treat....
He loved having people around, his family and friends, others...always ready to meet anyone along the way....hear their stories, drop a word of encouragement, talk about geology....talk about missions, share life....
Thank YOU for the days You gave us..as a couple, as a family.....written in tears of joy and sorrow....milestones of life....
Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Genesis 15:15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age.
Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.
1 Chronicles 29:28a He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor......
Job 32:9 It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.
Psalm 92:14a They will still bear fruit in old age....
Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Thinking....
Thinking.......
I am reading the book, "the Noticer" by Andy Andrews....
Early on In the book, the statement is made, "remember, whatever you focus upon, increases....when you focus on the things you need, your needs increase....if you set your mind on loss, you are more likely to lose....but grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person's life."
This so reminded me of my early times in marriage...my mother in law said so many hurtful things to me and I focused on them with growing anger and resentment to my detriment. I stewed, brooded, focusing of those words, attitudes until everything was colored by my resentments and hurts. Then one day, the Words in Philippians, stood out in bold lettering,...I couldn't go on, carrying the weight of my anger and resentment. It was hurting myself, my relationships with my husband and children....
Indeed, as I focused on the good things, forgiveness, those increased....my love and respect for my mother in law increased....no, the remarks didn't go away, but they were filtered through, "think on these things"...God's Word....until we were able to help her in her last days with honor...
Thank YOU for lessons learned and continue to learn....help me to focus on the good and not the bad....help me to be an encourager to those around me...
Philippians 4:8 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. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 119:15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
I am reading the book, "the Noticer" by Andy Andrews....
Early on In the book, the statement is made, "remember, whatever you focus upon, increases....when you focus on the things you need, your needs increase....if you set your mind on loss, you are more likely to lose....but grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person's life."
This so reminded me of my early times in marriage...my mother in law said so many hurtful things to me and I focused on them with growing anger and resentment to my detriment. I stewed, brooded, focusing of those words, attitudes until everything was colored by my resentments and hurts. Then one day, the Words in Philippians, stood out in bold lettering,...I couldn't go on, carrying the weight of my anger and resentment. It was hurting myself, my relationships with my husband and children....
Indeed, as I focused on the good things, forgiveness, those increased....my love and respect for my mother in law increased....no, the remarks didn't go away, but they were filtered through, "think on these things"...God's Word....until we were able to help her in her last days with honor...
Thank YOU for lessons learned and continue to learn....help me to focus on the good and not the bad....help me to be an encourager to those around me...
Philippians 4:8 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. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 119:15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
You raise me up.....
You raise me up......
Many of us have pain of one sort or another ....mental, physical, emotional....it dogs our steps, our lives on a moment by moment basis...it may be all consuming or a small part of our being...we can be consumed by it and live in it ....or we move forward, working with it, working through it...we sometimes have a choice and other times we don't...for some, medical help is needed and is effective, and others, nothing seems to work....we try and try to lessen it with various means, but it may be our "thorn in the flesh" as the Apostle Paul calls it...and we live through God's grace and His strength....His power....
I don't like pain...I don't like living in it or with it...but since Adam and Eve were thrown out of the garden, it exists...it is part of the way of life.....It wracks our minds, bodies, our families....but we have a healer, comforter....His presence goes before, with and through the pain...
Thank YOU....for Your presence, Your healing powers, Your sufficiency ....through life's pain....
"An angel in our midst . . .
I think this is a little Korean girl - incredible - a tiny living angel, for sure
I think you are going to love this ...
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203438311151901&set=vb.1636358788&type=2&theater"
"Jesus Calling
August 20
I am a God who heals. I heal broken bodies, broken minds, broken hearts, broken lives, and broken relationships. My very Presence has immense healing powers. You cannot live close to Me without experiencing some degree of healing. However, it is also true that you have not because you ask not. You receive the healing that flows naturally from My Presence, whether you seek it or not. But there is more—much more—available to those who ask.
The first step in receiving healing is to live ever so close to Me. The benefits of this practice are too numerous to list. As you grow more and more intimate with Me, I reveal My will to you more directly. When the time is right, I prompt you to ask for healing of some brokenness in you or in another person. The healing may be instantaneous, or it may be a process. That is up to Me. Your part is to trust Me fully and to thank Me for the restoration that has begun.
I rarely heal all the brokenness in a person’s life. Even My servant Paul was told, “My grace is sufficient for you,” when he sought healing for the thorn in his flesh. Nonetheless, much healing is available to those whose lives are intimately interwoven with Mine. Ask, and you will receive.
Ye have not, because ye ask not.
—James 4:2 kjv
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
—2 Corinthians 12:7–9
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find.”
—Matthew 7:7"
Many of us have pain of one sort or another ....mental, physical, emotional....it dogs our steps, our lives on a moment by moment basis...it may be all consuming or a small part of our being...we can be consumed by it and live in it ....or we move forward, working with it, working through it...we sometimes have a choice and other times we don't...for some, medical help is needed and is effective, and others, nothing seems to work....we try and try to lessen it with various means, but it may be our "thorn in the flesh" as the Apostle Paul calls it...and we live through God's grace and His strength....His power....
I don't like pain...I don't like living in it or with it...but since Adam and Eve were thrown out of the garden, it exists...it is part of the way of life.....It wracks our minds, bodies, our families....but we have a healer, comforter....His presence goes before, with and through the pain...
Thank YOU....for Your presence, Your healing powers, Your sufficiency ....through life's pain....
"An angel in our midst . . .
I think this is a little Korean girl - incredible - a tiny living angel, for sure
I think you are going to love this ...
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203438311151901&set=vb.1636358788&type=2&theater"
"Jesus Calling
August 20
I am a God who heals. I heal broken bodies, broken minds, broken hearts, broken lives, and broken relationships. My very Presence has immense healing powers. You cannot live close to Me without experiencing some degree of healing. However, it is also true that you have not because you ask not. You receive the healing that flows naturally from My Presence, whether you seek it or not. But there is more—much more—available to those who ask.
The first step in receiving healing is to live ever so close to Me. The benefits of this practice are too numerous to list. As you grow more and more intimate with Me, I reveal My will to you more directly. When the time is right, I prompt you to ask for healing of some brokenness in you or in another person. The healing may be instantaneous, or it may be a process. That is up to Me. Your part is to trust Me fully and to thank Me for the restoration that has begun.
I rarely heal all the brokenness in a person’s life. Even My servant Paul was told, “My grace is sufficient for you,” when he sought healing for the thorn in his flesh. Nonetheless, much healing is available to those whose lives are intimately interwoven with Mine. Ask, and you will receive.
Ye have not, because ye ask not.
—James 4:2 kjv
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
—2 Corinthians 12:7–9
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find.”
—Matthew 7:7"
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
What's in a name.....
What's in a name.....
For my children and now my grandchildren I have made a framed birth announcement. Using the available craft techniques of the time, each one is totally different,with a different theme as well...
Yesterday, I was working on the newest one for my new grandson, Micheal...I had to look up the meaning, just because ...."humble, gift from God". When we were naming our children so many years ago, we chose ones that had meanings that we liked and even were part of our family historical names.
Our oldest son's name means like a fox and came from a long ago family man. Our daughters each have family names as well as does our youngest son...but we looked for meanings of names first..."Liberty", "beloved of God", "gift of God"... They continue to exude the meanings in their lives even as they grow older...
My husband's name meant "leader, nobleman", which fit him as a leader in his family and in business..
It was fun finding out various meanings and how those have played out in our lives...
Cultures all over the world have different traditions, some waiting for periods of time to name their children, others taking on family names, animal traits, etc...
In the Bible, there are over 900 references to names, some the names of God and others,the names of people by events, or meanings...
Thank YOU that You know my name,even the number of hairs on my head..that I am important to you...that You sent Your Son for my salvation...You gave his name above all names...
Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
"Matthew 1:21 Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves."
Genesis 3:20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
Proverbs 22:1
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”
Genesis 41:52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
Psalm 8:1 [ Psalm 8 ] [ For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David. ] Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.
Daniel 12:1 [ The End Times ] “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
Revelation 19:13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
Revelation 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
For my children and now my grandchildren I have made a framed birth announcement. Using the available craft techniques of the time, each one is totally different,with a different theme as well...
Yesterday, I was working on the newest one for my new grandson, Micheal...I had to look up the meaning, just because ...."humble, gift from God". When we were naming our children so many years ago, we chose ones that had meanings that we liked and even were part of our family historical names.
Our oldest son's name means like a fox and came from a long ago family man. Our daughters each have family names as well as does our youngest son...but we looked for meanings of names first..."Liberty", "beloved of God", "gift of God"... They continue to exude the meanings in their lives even as they grow older...
My husband's name meant "leader, nobleman", which fit him as a leader in his family and in business..
It was fun finding out various meanings and how those have played out in our lives...
Cultures all over the world have different traditions, some waiting for periods of time to name their children, others taking on family names, animal traits, etc...
In the Bible, there are over 900 references to names, some the names of God and others,the names of people by events, or meanings...
Thank YOU that You know my name,even the number of hairs on my head..that I am important to you...that You sent Your Son for my salvation...You gave his name above all names...
Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
"Matthew 1:21 Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves."
Genesis 3:20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
Proverbs 22:1
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”
Genesis 41:52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
Psalm 8:1 [ Psalm 8 ] [ For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David. ] Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.
Daniel 12:1 [ The End Times ] “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
Revelation 19:13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
Revelation 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Disappeared .....
Disappeared ......
Last night we had more thunder and lightning, going on and on for a long period of time.....it rumbled, crashed, lighted the house over and over again....
My little dog was so frightened and was shaking so bad...he could have sold himself as a vibrator.....he sat on my lap or hid under the bed...watching the ceiling,,..anticipating.....trembling....until at last the storm passed....I watched the storm roll through, but he was waiting for it to end....
Finally it ended and he needed to go out....then he disappeared...he has never done that before...I called and called, finally driving around the neighbor in the blackness calling, looking for a panicking dog, visualizing all sorts of things........finally coming back to the house, opening the door again to find him, soaking wet, more than ready to come into the warm lightning free house....
He was glad to be home.....wiggling around getting dried off and scurrying into his bed for a rest....
There is no disappearing from God, no hiding place where He cannot find us .....He doesn't panic, nor is He surprised.....He fills the heaven and earth....nothing we do or say is hidden from Him....that is both scary and comforting.....He knows all from the beginning to the end...we can abide in Him...in His watchful care....and once we are HIs, He never leaves or forsakes us...we are secure....
thank YOU for Your care, Your all knowing, all seeing, all presence...help me to abide more and more in Your security.....
Job 34:22 There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness, where evildoers can hide.
Jeremiah 23:24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.
Revelation 6:16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 38:9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.
Psalm 69:5 You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Jeremiah 16:17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.
Daniel 2:22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
Matthew 10:26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
Last night we had more thunder and lightning, going on and on for a long period of time.....it rumbled, crashed, lighted the house over and over again....
My little dog was so frightened and was shaking so bad...he could have sold himself as a vibrator.....he sat on my lap or hid under the bed...watching the ceiling,,..anticipating.....trembling....until at last the storm passed....I watched the storm roll through, but he was waiting for it to end....
Finally it ended and he needed to go out....then he disappeared...he has never done that before...I called and called, finally driving around the neighbor in the blackness calling, looking for a panicking dog, visualizing all sorts of things........finally coming back to the house, opening the door again to find him, soaking wet, more than ready to come into the warm lightning free house....
He was glad to be home.....wiggling around getting dried off and scurrying into his bed for a rest....
There is no disappearing from God, no hiding place where He cannot find us .....He doesn't panic, nor is He surprised.....He fills the heaven and earth....nothing we do or say is hidden from Him....that is both scary and comforting.....He knows all from the beginning to the end...we can abide in Him...in His watchful care....and once we are HIs, He never leaves or forsakes us...we are secure....
thank YOU for Your care, Your all knowing, all seeing, all presence...help me to abide more and more in Your security.....
Job 34:22 There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness, where evildoers can hide.
Jeremiah 23:24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.
Revelation 6:16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 38:9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.
Psalm 69:5 You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Jeremiah 16:17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.
Daniel 2:22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
Matthew 10:26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Tasting....
Tastes.....
"There are tastes that remind you of home" The Hundred Foot Journey...
A light, enjoyable movie, "the Hundred-Foot Journey" has this line in it at least twice...tastes that remind us of home...
There are certain aromas, tastes that remind me of various places, events, people In the past..that draw memories from deep within...embedded with certain thoughts, emotions...
The smell of new mown hay, a dairy, Christmas or Easter or thanksgiving , certain recipes....grandma's house, the world's fair, first meals prepared in marriage, baby powder, new babies, a new car, newly painted or finished house, .....the list goes on. Smells, tastes that draw out those memories......that we associate with long forgotten days...
And then all of the sudden,,there it is to remind us of "home"...events we may ponder and smile over...
As a widow, a shirt that smells of my husband, or a blanket that reminds me of a child, a forgotten card, or note or message, or picture that reminds of times past...the handwriting, a recorded phone message, a certain laugh we hear in the distance....all those "tastes" that remind us of "home" wherever that might be....
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I can't remember a time when God's word wasn't reverenced in my life...that is a taste I remember...one of my grandmothers always had it beside her chair or bedstead. It was an evident part of life...we took it took church every Sunday...but it wasn't until later that I read it cover to cover, before that it was piecemeal...I knew the major stories, not the everyday "taste" of The Lord, his Words written in book for me to read, ponder, taste and digest...there is always something new to learn (taste).....an everyday delight...
Thank YOU for your words that are sweeter than honey to my mouth .....those tastes that remind me of Home...
Genesis 25:28a Isaac, who had a taste for wild game....
Exodus 16:31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
Numbers 11:8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil.
1 Samuel 14:29 Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.
Job 34:3 For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food.
Proverbs 24:13 [ Saying 26 ] Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
Proverbs 27:7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
Song of Songs 2:3 [ She ] Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
Jeremiah 48:11 “Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another— she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged.
Ezekiel 3:3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
"There are tastes that remind you of home" The Hundred Foot Journey...
A light, enjoyable movie, "the Hundred-Foot Journey" has this line in it at least twice...tastes that remind us of home...
There are certain aromas, tastes that remind me of various places, events, people In the past..that draw memories from deep within...embedded with certain thoughts, emotions...
The smell of new mown hay, a dairy, Christmas or Easter or thanksgiving , certain recipes....grandma's house, the world's fair, first meals prepared in marriage, baby powder, new babies, a new car, newly painted or finished house, .....the list goes on. Smells, tastes that draw out those memories......that we associate with long forgotten days...
And then all of the sudden,,there it is to remind us of "home"...events we may ponder and smile over...
As a widow, a shirt that smells of my husband, or a blanket that reminds me of a child, a forgotten card, or note or message, or picture that reminds of times past...the handwriting, a recorded phone message, a certain laugh we hear in the distance....all those "tastes" that remind us of "home" wherever that might be....
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I can't remember a time when God's word wasn't reverenced in my life...that is a taste I remember...one of my grandmothers always had it beside her chair or bedstead. It was an evident part of life...we took it took church every Sunday...but it wasn't until later that I read it cover to cover, before that it was piecemeal...I knew the major stories, not the everyday "taste" of The Lord, his Words written in book for me to read, ponder, taste and digest...there is always something new to learn (taste).....an everyday delight...
Thank YOU for your words that are sweeter than honey to my mouth .....those tastes that remind me of Home...
Genesis 25:28a Isaac, who had a taste for wild game....
Exodus 16:31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
Numbers 11:8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil.
1 Samuel 14:29 Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.
Job 34:3 For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food.
Proverbs 24:13 [ Saying 26 ] Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
Proverbs 27:7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
Song of Songs 2:3 [ She ] Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
Jeremiah 48:11 “Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another— she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged.
Ezekiel 3:3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Desperation.....
Desperation......
Over and over again, some of the news organizations are carrying the plight of Christians in the Middle East. As I comfortably live in my two bedroom home in the suburbs of a nice town, food, shelter, "care free", people are dying because they profess Christ in the face of death...
It seems that the world is coming apart at the seams, unraveling before our eyes...and we wonder how much further can it go before the return of The Lord.....we don't know the times...but we wait in anticipation. We don't want the hard times...we question...I want life to be comfortable, easy, .....have we been deceived? Are we going down the wrong road? Is our belief in vain?
Time and time again, David comes before the Lord, questioning...through out the Psalms...Jeremiah questioned...great men of faith wondered...waited...and now here again and throughout history we have wondered......questioned.....I am so glad God can take it from our finite beings... In His infinitancy.....he knows the beginning from the end in all things...he knows the day of His return....His outstretched arms waiting to embrace those lose their earthly lives in martyrdom.....could I face what they are facing??? In my comfort, could I look evil in the eye and die for my faith?
thank YOU, that You are there...I am undone before You..laying before You the prayers of the saints.....for their lives, for their eternity....
http://video.foxnews.com/v/3732711626001/rev-graham-people-are-dying-for-their-faith/#sp=show-clips
Jeremiah's Complaint
Daily Devotional for August 16
From the Writings of Ray Stedman
Read the Scripture: Jeremiah 20:1-10
You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name, ?his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Jeremiah 20:7-9
Here, in poetic form, we have the thoughts of Jeremiah while he is in the stocks, waiting for what would happen on the morrow. This is a remarkable account of what the prophet thought while he was imprisoned. He was, to say the least, a profoundly perturbed prophet! Here we get another look at the honest humanity of this man, at the way he faced circumstances just as we do, with fear and despair, alternating at times between faith and confidence.
The first thing he feels is that God himself has deceived him. Here is a bitter cry in which Jeremiah charges God with having lied to him, and with having taken advantage of him. Have you ever felt like that toward God? Jeremiah is probably thinking back to the promise with which he began his ministry. God had called Jeremiah as a young man, and Jeremiah had objected. Remembering those words, he is saying, What happened, Lord? What happened to your promise? You said you'd be with me to deliver me, but here I am in these miserable stocks. That is the way the heart can easily feel toward God. Like so many of us, Jeremiah took these promises rather superficially. He read into them assumptions God never intended, and so he charges God with lying. That, of course, is the one thing God cannot do. God cannot lie. Yet Jeremiah feels, as many of us have felt, that God has failed his promise. I do not know how many times people have said to me, referring to the word of God, Well, I know what it says, but it doesn't work! That is just another way of saying, God has deceived me; God's a liar! That was the prophet's predicament.
The second thing he found was that people were mocking him. Though they could not answer the keenness of his logic, they did the only thing they could do — they began to ridicule his person. That is always the refuge of petty minds. When people cannot handle a logical argument they begin to attack the person, and try to destroy him personally. They laughed at Jeremiah, poked fun at him, ridiculed him. Mockery is hard to bear, hard for the human spirit to take, and this was getting to Jeremiah.
Third, he discovered an unbearable tension within himself. He says, Lord, your word is a reproach and derision to me. I wish I had never heard it! He wants to quit preaching, but he cannot. How he is torn with this inner tension — of fear and a dislike of proclaiming the truth, because it only subjects him to ridicule and scorn; and yet when he resolved to quit he found he could not, because the fire of God was burning in his bones and he had to say something. Do you know anything of that? Perhaps not about public preaching — we are not all called to that. But have you ever felt that you just had to speak out? Some injustice, some moral perversity, some scandalous conduct, some loveless hypocrisy was occurring, and you just could not keep quiet about it. Yet you knew that if you spoke out you would only get into trouble, and nobody would thank you for it — you would only upset the status quo and create strife — but you could not contain yourself. Did you ever feel that way? That was what Jeremiah was experiencing here — this tremendous struggle within himself against the proclamation of the Word of God which only created more trouble.
Lord, thank you that I can pour my heart out to you. Keep me from charging you with falsehood. Keep me, Lord, from weakness. But even when we are weak, thank you for the forgiveness and the healing that you manifest in my life.
Life Application: Are we willing to stand against overt evil, and trust God's sovereign wisdom for the outcome of our witness? When life tumbles in do we question God's prerogative to determine our circumstances?
Related Message: This daily devotional was inspired by one of Ray's messages. Please read "A Burning in the Bones" or listen to Ray for more on this portion of scripture.
Devotions for August from Jeremiah
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Copyright © 2014 by Ray Stedman Ministries — This daily devotion is from the book Immeasurably More: a year of devotions from the writings of Ray Stedman; compiled by Mark Mitchell. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice and a hyperlink to www.RayStedman.org if the copy is posted on the Internet.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Weariness ....
Weariness.....
Years ago, I was at a breaking point.....our family was in turmoil...our church was in turmoil...it seemed everything around us was in turmoil...for a a multitude of reasons...I remember crying out to The Lord, "peace, peace, please peace for my soul...."
I was reading through Jeremiah at the time and came upon this little verse stuck quietly away ...."Jeremiah 31:25 I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint..".....amongst his laments.... It was like water in a thirsty, parched land....
I have returned to that verse and promise and others like it many times since then....desiring that refreshment, that satisfying.....in the turmoils of life...which really don't go away, but my attitude is refreshed...my soul is strengthened....my outlook is changed...because God does not grow weary ....he gives the refreshment, the sustenance....
I love the following one,,also..."Isaiah 50:4 The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed."
As I am definitely a morning person....and I want to listen....(most of the time....)
I am so glad that God gives answers...that He shows the way....that He gives rest when we seek Him....sometimes the answers aren't what we want, but what we need...then He gives a peaceful heart to accept .....Thank YOU....
Job 3:17 There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary will receive rest..
Psalm 68:9 You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.
Psalm 119:28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
Proverbs 25:25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
Proverbs 30:1 [ Sayings of Agur ] The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance. This man’s utterance to Ithiel: “I am weary, God, but I can prevail.
Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Years ago, I was at a breaking point.....our family was in turmoil...our church was in turmoil...it seemed everything around us was in turmoil...for a a multitude of reasons...I remember crying out to The Lord, "peace, peace, please peace for my soul...."
I was reading through Jeremiah at the time and came upon this little verse stuck quietly away ...."Jeremiah 31:25 I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint..".....amongst his laments.... It was like water in a thirsty, parched land....
I have returned to that verse and promise and others like it many times since then....desiring that refreshment, that satisfying.....in the turmoils of life...which really don't go away, but my attitude is refreshed...my soul is strengthened....my outlook is changed...because God does not grow weary ....he gives the refreshment, the sustenance....
I love the following one,,also..."Isaiah 50:4 The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed."
As I am definitely a morning person....and I want to listen....(most of the time....)
I am so glad that God gives answers...that He shows the way....that He gives rest when we seek Him....sometimes the answers aren't what we want, but what we need...then He gives a peaceful heart to accept .....Thank YOU....
Job 3:17 There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary will receive rest..
Psalm 68:9 You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.
Psalm 119:28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
Proverbs 25:25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
Proverbs 30:1 [ Sayings of Agur ] The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance. This man’s utterance to Ithiel: “I am weary, God, but I can prevail.
Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Molding....
Molding.....
I opened this devo this morning and there is was. ."pottery"...I have a love for pottery...having taken pictures of it wherever I have been...not collecting pieces I liked (I truthfully didn't want to dust it or have it end up in a garage sale, for which my children will thank me)....but I still like it...the way the pieces are formed, molded either on a potters wheel or rolled out flat with a rolling pin to be formed or even poured into molds...
God uses this picture of watching the potter form the lump of clay into a pot, reshaping a marred pot into another...into "what seemed best to him".
God is the potter, we are the clay....He doesn't ask us "what seems best to us", although most of us have our own ideas what that would be...we are being transformed moment by moment into "what seemed best to Him". Shaping by the day to day events, our thoughts, words, The Word, the hand of God....forming, reforming, reshaping, molding, centering us on His wheel....not lopsided, just the way He wants....none of will look the same or have the same use, but made individually....by the Creator's hand.....
There are times when I want to jump off that wheel, be my own pot, look my own way, do what I want to do ....then I end up just another lump...the potter picks me up and starts that molding process again...covering or reshaping the wobbles in the clay...transforming, ever transforming....until someday the perfection is completed....
Thank YOU for the patience in Being the eternal potter, the molder, the designer, the embellisher, the finisher....the transformer of our lives....
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
The Potter and the Clay
Daily Devotional for August 14
From the Writings of Ray Stedman
From your friends at
www.RayStedman.org
Read the Scripture: Jeremiah 18:1-23
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message. So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:1-4
We have commented in previous messages about the many things God uses to teach his people, these remarkable visual aids which appear from time to time in this book whereby God imparts lessons to this prophet. Jeremiah was sent down to the potter's house, and there he saw three simple things, conveying to him a fantastic lesson. You may have observed the same things that Jeremiah did, for the art of making a pot has not changed through the centuries. The wheel is now turned by an electric motor, but that is about the only difference. Even this is still controlled by the foot of the potter. The clay is the same as it has always been. The potter is the same, with his capable hands, working to mold and shape the clay into the vessel he has in mind.
What did Jeremiah see in this lesson? First there was the clay. Jeremiah knew, as he watched the potter shaping and molding the clay, that he was looking at a picture of himself, and of every man, and of every nation. We are the clay. Both Isaiah and Zechariah, in the Old Testament, join with Jeremiah in presenting this picture of the potter and the clay. In the New Testament we have the voice of Paul in that great passage in Romans 9, reminding us that God is the Potter and we are the clay. So Jeremiah saw the clay being shaped and molded into a vessel. Then some imperfection in the clay spoiled it in the potter's hand, and the potter crumbled it up, and began anew the process of shaping it into a vessel that pleased him.
Jeremiah saw the wheel turning constantly, bringing the clay against the potter's hand. That wheel stands for the turning circumstances of our life, under the control of the Potter, for it is the potter's foot that guides the wheel. The lesson is clear. As our life is being shaped and molded by the Great Potter, it is the circumstances of our life which bring us again and again under the potter's hand, under the pressure of the molding fingers of the Potter, so that he shapes the vessel according to his will.
Then, Jeremiah saw the potter. God, he knew, was the Great Potter, with absolute right over the clay to make it what he wanted it to be. Paul argues this with keen and clear logic in Romans 9: Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, Why did you make me like this? Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? (Romans 9:20b-21) Of course he has. The vessel is shaped according to the image in the potter's mind.
So Jeremiah, by watching, learned that an individual or a nation is clay in the Great Potter's hands. He has a sovereign right to make it what he wants it to be. He has the skill and design to work with the clay and to bring it to pass. If there be some imperfection in the clay, something which mars the design, spoils the work, the potter simply crushes the clay down to a lump and begins again to make it yet a vessel according to his own mind.
Thank you, Father, for creating men and shaping me. I trust that you are sovereign in all that you do, and that your purpose for me is good.
Life Application: What are three principles we may learn from the visual aid of potter and vessel? Are we learning to be grateful for the Potter's molding of our earthly vessels?
Related Message: This daily devotional was inspired by one of Ray's messages. Please read "The Potter and the Clay" or listen to Ray for more on this portion of scripture.
I opened this devo this morning and there is was. ."pottery"...I have a love for pottery...having taken pictures of it wherever I have been...not collecting pieces I liked (I truthfully didn't want to dust it or have it end up in a garage sale, for which my children will thank me)....but I still like it...the way the pieces are formed, molded either on a potters wheel or rolled out flat with a rolling pin to be formed or even poured into molds...
God uses this picture of watching the potter form the lump of clay into a pot, reshaping a marred pot into another...into "what seemed best to him".
God is the potter, we are the clay....He doesn't ask us "what seems best to us", although most of us have our own ideas what that would be...we are being transformed moment by moment into "what seemed best to Him". Shaping by the day to day events, our thoughts, words, The Word, the hand of God....forming, reforming, reshaping, molding, centering us on His wheel....not lopsided, just the way He wants....none of will look the same or have the same use, but made individually....by the Creator's hand.....
There are times when I want to jump off that wheel, be my own pot, look my own way, do what I want to do ....then I end up just another lump...the potter picks me up and starts that molding process again...covering or reshaping the wobbles in the clay...transforming, ever transforming....until someday the perfection is completed....
Thank YOU for the patience in Being the eternal potter, the molder, the designer, the embellisher, the finisher....the transformer of our lives....
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
The Potter and the Clay
Daily Devotional for August 14
From the Writings of Ray Stedman
From your friends at
www.RayStedman.org
Read the Scripture: Jeremiah 18:1-23
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message. So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:1-4
We have commented in previous messages about the many things God uses to teach his people, these remarkable visual aids which appear from time to time in this book whereby God imparts lessons to this prophet. Jeremiah was sent down to the potter's house, and there he saw three simple things, conveying to him a fantastic lesson. You may have observed the same things that Jeremiah did, for the art of making a pot has not changed through the centuries. The wheel is now turned by an electric motor, but that is about the only difference. Even this is still controlled by the foot of the potter. The clay is the same as it has always been. The potter is the same, with his capable hands, working to mold and shape the clay into the vessel he has in mind.
What did Jeremiah see in this lesson? First there was the clay. Jeremiah knew, as he watched the potter shaping and molding the clay, that he was looking at a picture of himself, and of every man, and of every nation. We are the clay. Both Isaiah and Zechariah, in the Old Testament, join with Jeremiah in presenting this picture of the potter and the clay. In the New Testament we have the voice of Paul in that great passage in Romans 9, reminding us that God is the Potter and we are the clay. So Jeremiah saw the clay being shaped and molded into a vessel. Then some imperfection in the clay spoiled it in the potter's hand, and the potter crumbled it up, and began anew the process of shaping it into a vessel that pleased him.
Jeremiah saw the wheel turning constantly, bringing the clay against the potter's hand. That wheel stands for the turning circumstances of our life, under the control of the Potter, for it is the potter's foot that guides the wheel. The lesson is clear. As our life is being shaped and molded by the Great Potter, it is the circumstances of our life which bring us again and again under the potter's hand, under the pressure of the molding fingers of the Potter, so that he shapes the vessel according to his will.
Then, Jeremiah saw the potter. God, he knew, was the Great Potter, with absolute right over the clay to make it what he wanted it to be. Paul argues this with keen and clear logic in Romans 9: Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, Why did you make me like this? Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? (Romans 9:20b-21) Of course he has. The vessel is shaped according to the image in the potter's mind.
So Jeremiah, by watching, learned that an individual or a nation is clay in the Great Potter's hands. He has a sovereign right to make it what he wants it to be. He has the skill and design to work with the clay and to bring it to pass. If there be some imperfection in the clay, something which mars the design, spoils the work, the potter simply crushes the clay down to a lump and begins again to make it yet a vessel according to his own mind.
Thank you, Father, for creating men and shaping me. I trust that you are sovereign in all that you do, and that your purpose for me is good.
Life Application: What are three principles we may learn from the visual aid of potter and vessel? Are we learning to be grateful for the Potter's molding of our earthly vessels?
Related Message: This daily devotional was inspired by one of Ray's messages. Please read "The Potter and the Clay" or listen to Ray for more on this portion of scripture.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
You shall not commit adultery, Exodus 20:14....
You shall not commit adultery, Exodus 20:14.....
The other day in church, the pastor continued with his study of the Ten Commandments....
I, in my smugness, thought, "well this really pertains to those people who are married. I am a widow now, so I will just sit back and enjoy and no arrows will be pointing at me".....NO....that was not to be....God's word is , "God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16" and "Hebrews 4:12 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."
This was no comfortable sermon....or should not have been to anyone attending...married or unmarried...it spoke to all...
As a widow, my husband is now God himself...my allegiance is to HIm...I have to watch out for "adultery" of the heart. My husband may be unseen, but He sees all, knows all, understands all....his Spirit dwells within me...He is...I need to be faithful in all ways...
The following are some of the notes of Pastor Randy Myers...
Proverbs 4:23 New Century Version
23 Be careful what you think,
because your thoughts run your life.
how to be faithful...
-Recommit to God's will....who is in charge of my life??
1 Thessalonians 4:3-7New Living Translation
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife,for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
-Recognize the seriousness of sin
Proverbs 6:32 English Standard Version
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
Unfaithfulness will tear you down...spiritually, emotionally, relationally
-Reduce the temptation
Proverbs 2:11New Living Translation
11 Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.
-Refocus your life
Proverbs 23:19New Living Translation
19 My child, listen and be wise:
Keep your heart on the right course.
Ask God for Help
Be accountable, trust
Cultivate relationship , focus
As a widow, this sermon very much pertains to me as it does to those still In An earthly marriage...other gods draw away, other activities, other lists of life draw me away as well...I yearn to be wise In heart, understanding and relationship with God...I want to hear His voice..and not follow after false things or be tempted away...I want my thoughts to be His, my ways, His...
thank YOU for breaking my barrier of smugness of thinking....breaking into my Mind, heart and soul with Your Words....help me not to commit adultery in our relationship as I know You will not....
The other day in church, the pastor continued with his study of the Ten Commandments....
I, in my smugness, thought, "well this really pertains to those people who are married. I am a widow now, so I will just sit back and enjoy and no arrows will be pointing at me".....NO....that was not to be....God's word is , "God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16" and "Hebrews 4:12 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."
This was no comfortable sermon....or should not have been to anyone attending...married or unmarried...it spoke to all...
As a widow, my husband is now God himself...my allegiance is to HIm...I have to watch out for "adultery" of the heart. My husband may be unseen, but He sees all, knows all, understands all....his Spirit dwells within me...He is...I need to be faithful in all ways...
The following are some of the notes of Pastor Randy Myers...
Proverbs 4:23 New Century Version
23 Be careful what you think,
because your thoughts run your life.
how to be faithful...
-Recommit to God's will....who is in charge of my life??
1 Thessalonians 4:3-7New Living Translation
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife,for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
-Recognize the seriousness of sin
Proverbs 6:32 English Standard Version
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
Unfaithfulness will tear you down...spiritually, emotionally, relationally
-Reduce the temptation
Proverbs 2:11New Living Translation
11 Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.
-Refocus your life
Proverbs 23:19New Living Translation
19 My child, listen and be wise:
Keep your heart on the right course.
Ask God for Help
Be accountable, trust
Cultivate relationship , focus
As a widow, this sermon very much pertains to me as it does to those still In An earthly marriage...other gods draw away, other activities, other lists of life draw me away as well...I yearn to be wise In heart, understanding and relationship with God...I want to hear His voice..and not follow after false things or be tempted away...I want my thoughts to be His, my ways, His...
thank YOU for breaking my barrier of smugness of thinking....breaking into my Mind, heart and soul with Your Words....help me not to commit adultery in our relationship as I know You will not....
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Darkness .......
Darkness.....
Thunder , lightning, downpour.....a small dog sits shivering on my lap....over and over again.....then utter darkness.....
(I found that an iPad makes a good flashlight until I got to,the real one)
I walk through the house turning off the lights that had been on and head for bed...it is dark everywhere....street lights put, moon and stars covered with clouds.....I can't see my hands or feet....darkness....
It reminded me of when we went on a cave tour and the guide turned out the lights....you could feel the darkness ....so black, thick....darkness....
When I read or listen to the news, there is a darkness that comes with the some of the world news....darkness of mans' sin, depravity, hatred, acts of darkness...so against the
light of God, His awesome love and light....I just can't help but think how distressed He must feel, or seeing man throw away the light He longs to give...the
Love He has for mankind....and they, choosing darkness instead...
The lights came back on quickly...extinguishing the darkness .....the various clocks blinking...forgotten lights awakening from the dark....no more need for the flashlight....but showing the need for light in the world, in my soul....and those around me...
Thank YOU for Your light ...help mankind to seek it rather than the darkness....
2 Samuel 22:29 You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.
Job 5:14 Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.
Job 12:22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.
Psalm 104:20 You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
Psalm 105:28 He sent darkness and made the land dark— for had they not rebelled against his words?
Psalm 107:10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains.
Psalm 107:14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains.
Psalm 112:4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Psalm 139:12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
Proverbs 4:19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.
Proverbs 20:20 If someone curses their father or mother, their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.
Ecclesiastes 2:13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.
Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Isaiah 5:30 In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds.
Isaiah 8:22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.
Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
Isaiah 29:15 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”
Isaiah 42:7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Ezekiel 34:12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
Daniel 2:22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
Luke 1:78-79 New International Version (NIV)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Monday, August 11, 2014
Building bridges....burning bridges....
Burning bridges.....building bridges....
Part of man's existence depends on building bridges. We have built bridges by the thousands all over the globe, connecting land masses, villages, cities,from the deepest of jungles to the wide open plains ,etc so that people groups may connect for business, socially....these manmade bridge require maintenance to keep them safe and usable...
when wars come, those bridges are destroyed to isolate and tear down, stopping that connectivity between people as well...
Bridges...they are so important...
We build human emotional bridges as well. We connect with others by building bridges of communication, relationships by spending time, effort....sometimes those bridges are hard to maintain and other times, they are as natural as can be...
When Satan wants to break down bridges between people he uses all of his many talents to make that happen, lies, deception......whatever it takes to break apart people. We are so susceptible to this and follow along...it takes hard work, sometimes to maintain bridges with some people, cultivating....and it may be easier to just to let the relationship slide, melt away into oblivion....without the required maintenance....
As a parent, grandparent, I try to maintain a bridge of communication between my children and grandchildren in some way...visiting with them now and then, spending time, listening, questioning....anything to try to enter their worlds....which are so busy as mine was when I was their age...
My parents and grandparents worked at doing the same with me as I was growing up....I want my family members to have fond memories of me as I do of mine...not broken down bridges, bad memories....but a word of encouragement, a hug....whatever..
We have another bridge in our lives as well...Jesus...He is the bridge between us and God...He is our connection....our lifeline to eternal life...that connectivity....
Thank YOU for bridges of all kinds. Thank You for family, Help me to continue to bridge the gap between generations, family members...thank YOU for Jesus, the ultimate bridge....
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Part of man's existence depends on building bridges. We have built bridges by the thousands all over the globe, connecting land masses, villages, cities,from the deepest of jungles to the wide open plains ,etc so that people groups may connect for business, socially....these manmade bridge require maintenance to keep them safe and usable...
when wars come, those bridges are destroyed to isolate and tear down, stopping that connectivity between people as well...
Bridges...they are so important...
We build human emotional bridges as well. We connect with others by building bridges of communication, relationships by spending time, effort....sometimes those bridges are hard to maintain and other times, they are as natural as can be...
When Satan wants to break down bridges between people he uses all of his many talents to make that happen, lies, deception......whatever it takes to break apart people. We are so susceptible to this and follow along...it takes hard work, sometimes to maintain bridges with some people, cultivating....and it may be easier to just to let the relationship slide, melt away into oblivion....without the required maintenance....
As a parent, grandparent, I try to maintain a bridge of communication between my children and grandchildren in some way...visiting with them now and then, spending time, listening, questioning....anything to try to enter their worlds....which are so busy as mine was when I was their age...
My parents and grandparents worked at doing the same with me as I was growing up....I want my family members to have fond memories of me as I do of mine...not broken down bridges, bad memories....but a word of encouragement, a hug....whatever..
We have another bridge in our lives as well...Jesus...He is the bridge between us and God...He is our connection....our lifeline to eternal life...that connectivity....
Thank YOU for bridges of all kinds. Thank You for family, Help me to continue to bridge the gap between generations, family members...thank YOU for Jesus, the ultimate bridge....
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Struggles at a sewing machine....
Struggles at a sewing machine.....
I received my first sewing machine at the tender age of 8 years old.....it was a little children's Singer hand crank. It Attached to the table with a clamp, you cranked a little wheel of the side and off it went. My friend got an electric similar to mine, ...Mine was heavier and worked better...I still have it packed away in a box....
I made baby doll clothes, Barbie clothes, whatever I wanted, learned to read my first pattern instructions and a love for creating with cloth...
My next big leap Into sewing was my grandmother's treadle machine. She had it in her bedroom, next to a window....that soft rhythm of your foot on the treadle, back and forth, back and forth as the machine is still a soothing sound memory...she had made many a quilt on that machine as well as other items...I made school clothes while I visited her and sat under her instruction.....
Finally, I learned how to use my mother's electric Singer machine...it sat in a cabinet with a lid over the top..I had to open the lid and lift out the machine where it was hidden down on its side, fold the shelving into place and voila, there sat a black shiny machine...my mother made so many of my clothes and hers as well. Each school year, we went to the fabric store, picked out patterns and material for most of my clothes...my first formal was even fashioned at that machine...as well as others that followed...
My high school graduation present was a sewing machine.....there was much discussion about this as my parents were afraid I wouldn't study because I would be too tempted to sew instead...not so....I did study and find some spare time to sew...that graduation present lasted for ten years with much use in my early marriage and first child...the next machine was and is a Viking. I remember purchasing it with a 25 year guarantee, thinking that is a long time...it flew by swiftly with years added ...and it is still working with all its metal parts...
there were times when I sewed 2-3 hours a day, creating children's dresses, cowboy shirts, underwear, matching doll clothes, little girl clothes and mommy dresses, my husbands shirts, quilts, machine embroidery, Christmas presents of fabric, a wedding dress..and teaching my daughters to sew their first pair of shorts, a simple quilt, and duffle bag.....my oldest son learned at that machine as well...each home had a special spot for that machine, near a window, at ready for its work out...for 36 plus years....it still holds a special spot before a window.....
Granted, sewing held a practical use....but it was and is a place to think, ponder, pray, Struggle through ideas and problems, all the while feeling that piece of material take on new form...just like life with its changes from a one thing to another...a thing of practical use or beauty.....creating....a place of comfort.....God met with me there....my quiet "garden"..... Laying out plans, giving ideas, sorting through life's questions, dilemmas, needs...calmness in storms....
Thank YOU for the art of sewing....it winds it way through my life as a thread of care, comfort, creativity.....listening, struggles unloaded, soothing out the wrinkles....making something out of a simple piece of cloth...as You were and are making me, Your creation out a simple piece of dirt into a molded vessel...
Exodus 31:1-6New International Version (NIV)
Bezalel and Oholiab
31 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you
( I can't say I have the skills these men were obviously gifted with, but He has created in each us, talents that we can use)
I received my first sewing machine at the tender age of 8 years old.....it was a little children's Singer hand crank. It Attached to the table with a clamp, you cranked a little wheel of the side and off it went. My friend got an electric similar to mine, ...Mine was heavier and worked better...I still have it packed away in a box....
I made baby doll clothes, Barbie clothes, whatever I wanted, learned to read my first pattern instructions and a love for creating with cloth...
My next big leap Into sewing was my grandmother's treadle machine. She had it in her bedroom, next to a window....that soft rhythm of your foot on the treadle, back and forth, back and forth as the machine is still a soothing sound memory...she had made many a quilt on that machine as well as other items...I made school clothes while I visited her and sat under her instruction.....
Finally, I learned how to use my mother's electric Singer machine...it sat in a cabinet with a lid over the top..I had to open the lid and lift out the machine where it was hidden down on its side, fold the shelving into place and voila, there sat a black shiny machine...my mother made so many of my clothes and hers as well. Each school year, we went to the fabric store, picked out patterns and material for most of my clothes...my first formal was even fashioned at that machine...as well as others that followed...
My high school graduation present was a sewing machine.....there was much discussion about this as my parents were afraid I wouldn't study because I would be too tempted to sew instead...not so....I did study and find some spare time to sew...that graduation present lasted for ten years with much use in my early marriage and first child...the next machine was and is a Viking. I remember purchasing it with a 25 year guarantee, thinking that is a long time...it flew by swiftly with years added ...and it is still working with all its metal parts...
there were times when I sewed 2-3 hours a day, creating children's dresses, cowboy shirts, underwear, matching doll clothes, little girl clothes and mommy dresses, my husbands shirts, quilts, machine embroidery, Christmas presents of fabric, a wedding dress..and teaching my daughters to sew their first pair of shorts, a simple quilt, and duffle bag.....my oldest son learned at that machine as well...each home had a special spot for that machine, near a window, at ready for its work out...for 36 plus years....it still holds a special spot before a window.....
Granted, sewing held a practical use....but it was and is a place to think, ponder, pray, Struggle through ideas and problems, all the while feeling that piece of material take on new form...just like life with its changes from a one thing to another...a thing of practical use or beauty.....creating....a place of comfort.....God met with me there....my quiet "garden"..... Laying out plans, giving ideas, sorting through life's questions, dilemmas, needs...calmness in storms....
Thank YOU for the art of sewing....it winds it way through my life as a thread of care, comfort, creativity.....listening, struggles unloaded, soothing out the wrinkles....making something out of a simple piece of cloth...as You were and are making me, Your creation out a simple piece of dirt into a molded vessel...
Exodus 31:1-6New International Version (NIV)
Bezalel and Oholiab
31 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you
( I can't say I have the skills these men were obviously gifted with, but He has created in each us, talents that we can use)
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Weary....but good....
Weary ...but good...
Picture three children, ages 4, 2 and a teething/crawling 11 month old, one grandmother and one dog sprawled across couch, two chairs, asleep... Actually I wasn't asleep, but weary...I undid myself from underneath the youngest, put her to bed and went and treaded in treadmill. But the picture from the ceiling of the room that I had in my mind was cute...peaceful...after four active hours....these times make one thankful we are younger when we have our children....times of endless questions, sibling rivalry, attention getting, cuddling, feeding, diaper changing, laundry, quick meals, spilled bottles, washed faces/hands, "mine", "no", "yes"....helter-skelter....and even picture taking....
At times I felt like this verse...
While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. Jeremiah 7:13
Other times, instant obedience....or the shelter in the storm with cling-ons...depended on the minute ....
Grandchildren are a blessing....I have them from three days to almost 15 years...each have their wonderful personalities, temperaments, needs, desires, dreams.....each specially designed for a path planned for them....each loved for their specialness...and I thought my children were/are special as well...but seeing the next generation is delightful....there are no replacements...for either....
Thank YOU so much for the opportunity to be a small part of my grandchildren's lives...from diaper changing to storytelling, to cuddles at night....talking about life and dreams....just time....
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
—2 Thessalonians 3:16
Picture three children, ages 4, 2 and a teething/crawling 11 month old, one grandmother and one dog sprawled across couch, two chairs, asleep... Actually I wasn't asleep, but weary...I undid myself from underneath the youngest, put her to bed and went and treaded in treadmill. But the picture from the ceiling of the room that I had in my mind was cute...peaceful...after four active hours....these times make one thankful we are younger when we have our children....times of endless questions, sibling rivalry, attention getting, cuddling, feeding, diaper changing, laundry, quick meals, spilled bottles, washed faces/hands, "mine", "no", "yes"....helter-skelter....and even picture taking....
At times I felt like this verse...
While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. Jeremiah 7:13
Other times, instant obedience....or the shelter in the storm with cling-ons...depended on the minute ....
Grandchildren are a blessing....I have them from three days to almost 15 years...each have their wonderful personalities, temperaments, needs, desires, dreams.....each specially designed for a path planned for them....each loved for their specialness...and I thought my children were/are special as well...but seeing the next generation is delightful....there are no replacements...for either....
Thank YOU so much for the opportunity to be a small part of my grandchildren's lives...from diaper changing to storytelling, to cuddles at night....talking about life and dreams....just time....
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
—2 Thessalonians 3:16
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