Waiting…

 Waiting…

I am reading through a 7 day devotional,called , “sitting in the still” by Jessica Hardrick…an appropriate devo for being in rehab and wanting out!

 Chapters such as;in the still places, what to do when God says nothing, God is here, in His Will, Waiting on purpose, Forfeiting destiny, permission to exit…

Each chapter has been so good…there are times when we need a waiting space, self imposed, others when God puts us there to learn lessons not found anywhere else…

We may rebel, listen, run away, not listen and lose a blessing….etc…

None of our time in any place is wasted, even times when we are still…

Think of great Christian authors, Paul, Bunyon, Amy Carmichael, etc, etc..etc…their writings from still places have gone around the world, encouraging others…

Thank YOU….

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Rom.8.28

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Jas.1.2-6,12

 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lordmore than watchmen wait for the morning,more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Ps.130:5-6

Blessings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc



What, no student driver’s lessons ?

 What, no student driver’s lessons?

When my mom was regaining her strength after her stroke, we finally got to the point that she was ready for an outing. One of the first places she wanted to go, Costco…we had tried the smaller stores for a brief visit, leaning on the cart for support. Now she was ready for the “big time”…

Her idea was to use the little electric cars they have for the physically challenged…the only trouble was, neither of us had a clue how to use them…and that was the trouble all through the excursion…fortunately there were few people at the time, the people who were there were very tolerant, and we could laugh at ourselves…nothing got severely damaged, fortunately….no one got purposely run over, we didn’t have to call any ambulances and we finally finished…we laughed so hard during this trip, that it broke the tension of months of working diligently to get better…my mom was able to carry on and I went home, relieved that we had brought her out of a second  sickness scare…

I did question the young man,who was caring for the carts,if they had “student driver” signs to stick on the carts…we should have had one, but then again, those around us probably guessed that…

Being here in rehab, I am back forth using both the walker and a wheelchair…I could use a student driver with my wheelchair…there are lots of little tricks that come with the vehicle…the main safeguard is is be sure and remember is to set your brakes when getting in and out…otherwise you may yourself with added injuries quickly…

The electric cart, the wheelchair and walkers are tools to

help us get around, to heal, to simplify life…we may use them for life or short periods of time…but such a help no matter what…

It makes me think of the people that Jesus and others healed of their infirmities…”take up your bed and walk”…times when our simple tools weren’t available…they waited to be carried, or begged along the way…

 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 

Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. 

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 

At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” 

So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. 

When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

Matt.9.1-8

You raise me up…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSJZcJPMvNs

There are still places like that now, where simple wheelchairs are not available…

Joni and Friends have that ministry of helping those who are in need…

https://www.joniandfriends.org

Prunes are not a featured menu item…

 Prunes are not a featured menu item!!

We went on a cruise several years ago…one of my family observed that prunes were featured every meal…”must be for older people”…

Here I am living in a rehab center and I haven’t seen one prune yet…

By definition, a physical rehabilitation center is a place to come and get well…

“ A person going through physical rehabilitation might work with a variety of professionals who use different intervention techniques, such as medication or injections administered by a physiatrist, home exercise programs prescribed by a physical therapist, retraining in activities of daily living with an occupational therapist, and much more.

Physical Rehabilitation vs. Therapy

Physical rehabilitation describes the process that a person goes through to reach optimal physical functioning.

Physical therapy refers specifically to the physical therapy profession.

Physical therapy is a term that refers specifically to the physical therapy profession. In the United States, physical therapists (PTs) earn a doctorate of physical therapy (DPT), pass a medical board exam, and receive a license to work in their state.

PTs are an important part of the physical rehabilitation team and process. They are movement specialists and help restore a person’s physical functioning through assessment, goal setting, and a variety of interventions like strengthening, alignment, balance and vestibular training, and other therapeutic modalities.”from verywellhealth…

This place has been an education for me, having never needed one in the past..like living in a non-private motel room, where they make you work!

But staff wants you to succeed! They want to get rid of you in a good way! And are doing what they can to make you successful!

When you think of other group settings, most don’t want to get rid of you…but hopefully we want to see other’s successful in their endeavors…

In a church setting, the pastor/elders are there to equip the people, sending them out with the great commission…equip others to teach, the serve…they are not there to all the work of the church..

As in the rehab, they are giving the ways and means to move forward, to be healthy, to be strong or stronger, To have and use the tools for Christian life…using the instructions, both written and spoken…

In rehab, I have been given written instructions….which I can read or not…if I do, I find help for daily living…they also give verbal instructions and how-to’s which encourage me and show me the right directions…if I don’t do anything, my health is not restored, nor will I get back any strength lost…

So too, in the Christian body…we have the Word which we can read or not, but if I do, I have a guide for healthy Christian living, transforming words…

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

2Tim.3.16-17

We have the teachers/ fellow Christians there to equip and encourage us in our living…

 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

2Cor.13.11

 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Eph.4.2, 32

Not all of have the opportunity to go to physical rehabilitation…but we have the opportunity to partake in the fellowship with one another…where we can build up one another the Christian love  and edification…making all stronger in our walk…

Thank YOU…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lunFIc-8r8o

History…

 

History….

On May 30, 2013 I finally had the guts to publish my first blog on “http://suzi775.blogspot.com/“…

I started journaling during my husband’s illness, through his death and aftermath…never realizing that over 2000 entries, I would be still here…

It has gone world wide to places I have never visited or ever will… people have picked it up, maybe in some kind of monitoring or personal,  not sure which, places that the Word is ridiculed, banned or embraced…

Then these last few years, I was convicted that it only was it to be on a blog spot, but Facebook, which was really hard to do…putting  yourself out there for people you know and care for is pretty risky…they may know the real you and you may not measure up…

But, over the year comments from near and far have been encouraging…which I want to do for others…

Each of us have a story to tell and we do it in different ways with gifts of service, love, words, care and multitudes more ways…

Using our God given gifts brings joy to each of us and Glory to God, ultimately…

 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. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it  cheerfully…

Rom.12.4-8

Thank YOU for this unique opportunity….

This is the air breath…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEDcKZB7r2A

“along the path...

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Packing a suit case...

 

When I am getting ready to travel, it takes several days to pack. Not that there is that much, but I want what is neededfor that particular trip, not too much, just the right amount. Not too much weight as I  have to carry it, or roll it as the case may be...( i have switched from two wheel drive to four wheel drive this year with my suitcases, though...much easier)

 

On a longer journey, I lookup the weather and adjust my clothing for that climate or the itinerary . What will it Be like, what are the activities be?  It is casual , dress up?

I try to pack as many easy wash items as possible  so that I don't have to spend time at the laundry or will they do the laundry for me?

 

Preparation....a key task, in preparing for the journey...

 

What do I need in life's journey????who will I meet, what are the events..

In 2 Timothy 4, Paul exhorts Timothy to be prepared in season and put of season......

 

Throughout scripture the word "prepared" is used 79 times, people prepared for battle, they prepared meals, 

God prepared various things, times....each event, seems to be a thoughtful planned out time..preparing...getting ready for.....

 Again,  what do I need on life's journey ?

 

God ' s view of life

His Word

His care

His provision 

His view

His fruit

His pruning

 

Openness to His preparations for my life....not my own all the time...

 

1 Corinthians 2:9

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—

 

Now I need to go pack that suitcase for a journey...

 

Traveling through grief---

Grief causes growth like nothing else we know of. It reorders priorities and life values. It helps us appreciate the goodness of the smaller things found in each day, of children playing and nature all around .......” 

of smiles, of people who enter our lives forever, a season, temporarily spicing our lives with their humor, their lifestyle, or whatever we learn from them…

 

My mother-in- law’s cooking…

 My mother in law and her food…

My mother in law was orphaned with siblings when she and they were under ten years old…they were divided among families, but were able to find one another after a time…not sure of all the timelines…but, as the oldest of this little family group, she was always disappointed that she could not keep her family together in some way…and I think  she felt guilty about it all of her life…my father in law helped her get together with family over the years…she learned cooking at an early age and in some things she was excellent! Her yeast rolls and pies were award winning, literally year after year…but her vegetables were less than award winning…we had many discussions about this, and as a daughter in law in adult home economics , I finally let it go and went on with life( my husband and I laughed over those early years many times- one of those early marriage adjustments)her family was healthy, well fed, well taken care of and sooooo loved…the important part…

I was raised in California, the land of the fruits, nuts and fresh, fresh,fresh food, so obviously we cooked differently. If it was cooked, it was done with a light hand, more often than not, we ate raw if possible…you went to the garden as you put on the water to boil, picked your vegetables, ran them through the boiling water to blanch, basically and you ate “ sweet corn” or crispy green beans, etc…..

  

Elizabeth or Mary, my mother in law cooked for ranch hands, groups of dairymen, lumberjacks….meat and potatoes types with mounds of foods served up in huge portions morning, noon and night…quickly eaten between the never ending chores. She loved what she did and did it well.. raising a family of all boys, her style moved through the ages and stages of family meals…and I know when everyone left home, her adjustment to cooking for two was huge. That was her love language, serving others….  

So… where am I going with this? 

Eating here at rehab is, for me, taking me back to my mother in law’s table.Food cooked for groups, lots of carbs, some well cooked veggies, easy the chew “everything “…am I walking into their kitchen making suggestions?…nope! But, it made me remember Elizabeth, her love of family, cooking, home…her hard beginnings …I am content to sit here among these strangers, thankful for each one, their stories, their hard work…

 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

Mark.7.19

Acts 10, Peter and Cornelius…

 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

1Tim.6.6-8

Shall not want…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duLKCOmxbJse

The history of the surrounding valleys…

 The history of the surrounding valleys…

There are stories here…people who have lived lives in the surrounding valleys, “pre-environmentalists”, teachers, pastor’s wives, geotechers,etc…the problem is some can’t remember past their title…

I sat with one woman who has the sweetest countenance, she could tell me her name and what her husband had done, but no further…he had been a pastor of a well known missionary church all of his life…I thought,I could really glean some wisdom from this woman, but, alas, when pressed further about their adventures…all she could say was the same thing over and over…if you have a story to tell, wisdom to impart, write it down!

Another owned a concrete company that built here years ago…but his history seems a bit distorted…

Others I have met have been , for various reasons, hard to talk to…silence, can’t hear, don’t talk at all, language barriers…

A lot of history has been lost as these fall further and further behind a wall of non verbal….

The ones I work with in the rehab section all have a goal of getting out and going on with life…they laugh and joke, work hard, tell stories, give each other and the therapists a bad time…

This truly is a lesson in Ecclesiastes…thank YOU…

 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say,“I find no pleasure in them”— before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark,and the clouds return after the rain; 

when the keepers of the house tremble,

and the strong men stoop,

when the grinders cease because they are few,

and those looking through the windows grow dim; when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades;when people rise up at the sound of birds,but all their songs grow faint; when people are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets;when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire no longer is stirred.Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets. Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,and the golden bowl is broken;before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,and the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from,and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

 Eccl.12.1-7

Condfidence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXv82dHU_GA

Picturing yourself….

 Picturing yourself,

You know I never pictured myself dependent upon a wheelchair…I never pictured that for my husband either…

When we are young we blithely go through life seeing ourselves as cowboys, nurses, dancers, mothers, fathers or whatever we may think we want to be…but there maybe changes, dips in the road, many false starts or complete route changes which come on gradually or by surprise…

I never pictured myself a widow…oh,a mother or grandmother, yes…I didn’t picture myself pushing a wheelchair with my husband balancing precariously along for the ride …and I sure didn’t picture myself tendering holding to the handles as I was pushed either…entering a rehab and wellness facility to join the ranks of those who are lost in time or place…those whose tempers flare at a moments notice or who stare into space not knowing who or whose they are…has been mind blowing…the caretakers are amazing, ready with a smile or encouraging word to all they serve and care for…one woman that takes care of me has been here for 22 years…she has raised her children while working here…I applauded her for her love and service…this is hard…but she has a true gift of caring…this is what she  pictured herself doling… there are young women and men who are getting started in their life’s journey as well…

No matter where we are or whom we come into contact , we have the opportunity to encourage, to picture life with them, to help them and ourselves picture ourselves , how we will handle the situations…through the thick and thin of life…the dips in the road, the complex changes…and we know that God it there…never leaving…

 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

Josh.1.5-6

 Yet I am always with you;you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel,and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you?And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heart-and my portion forever.

Ps.73.23-26

Thank YOU go before and behind….

You area good good Father…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqybaIesbuA

Tools…

 Tools….

Then I opened up emails this morning m the first advertisement was for tools…now I don’t think I have ever ordered tools over the internet before.but there it was …but, after this operation, I don’t think I will ever view the simple mallet the same…

Oh I have a mallet in my tool box and I use it on various occasions for pounding in this or that, time when  I need a soft head rather than the steel or iron hard head, like pounding legos together firmly without shattering them to pieces or a variety of other items…

Mallets are what the hip doctor uses to pound the new hip pieces into the persons’ bones…during the operation… I can just hear the sound. “Thunk, thunk, thunk”…there would be no ring to the sound, just a dull thud before putting the person all back together again, knotting the 9 inch incision and sending them on their painful way…

There are even places in the Bible that talks about the use of a hammer; the building of the tabernacle and the temple, the killing of Sisera, judgement and finally the crucifixion of Jesus …

The craftsman who hammered sheets of fine gold to make and cover various items for the tabernacle and the temple…they were chosen because they were artistic and knew their craft, following the patterns that God had laid out for them…

 They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen—the work of skilled workers..Exod.39.3 

 “Most blessed of women be Jael,the wife of Heber the Kenite,most blessed of tent-dwelling women. He asked for water, and she gave him milk;in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk. Her hand reached for the tent peg,her right hand for the workman’s hammer.She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,she shattered and pierced his temple. At her feet he sank,he fell; there he lay.At her feet he sank, he fell;where he sank, there he fell—dead.

Judg.5.24-27

 “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

Jer.23.29

 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

Matt.27.35-37

All the uses were for a specific purpose…carried out by specific people…you never know how God may use something we view as Common, for something special…

Thank YOU…

Something beautiful…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPw9HMQZZ_E

Iron, bones, muscles…

 Iron, bones, muscles…

I had to chuckle at this verse this morning as it came across the internet…

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This week I had a full hip replacement…

“Oh, this one is easy…”

“Easier that knee…”

“You will be up in no time…”

NOT….

One of my sons pointed out, though, that my past surgeries have been in and out, nothing prolonged or I was a lot younger….

Anyway, they sent me home the second day…I couldn’t do anything on my own, except sit in bed…we decided quickly that none of knew what we were doing…or doing it correctly…so sought out a nearby rehab center…where I could get real help…so here I am…

The verse just reminded me the muscle sharpens muscle like the iron…makes us stronger…which is exactly what I need to be doing …getting stronger as I work those muscles, joints and tendons,etc…

You are strength…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeezo01meFA

Filled with fragrance….

 Filled with fragrance…

When I worked as a florist, one of the gift items sold was a well-known name line of candles…so every once in awhile a new shipment would arrive…

In between waiting on customers and arranging flowers, the staff had to unpack, inventory, price and fill the displays with these candles of all sizes…the catch was the fragrance…some smelled of flowers, fruits, and delicious desserts…we noticed that the fruits and flower scents took less time to finish, but the dessert ones all has to be passed around, smelled and discussed…also, whomever was processing the  food smelling ones, their stomachs started growling in need of food no matter the time of day…the smells started their digestive juices working!

The shop on those candle processing days was “filled with fragrance” added to the fragrance of fresh flowers…

I couldn’t help but think of those days when reading the following passage in the Book of John…how this scent, poured out on Jesus filled the room…a sacrifice, a preparing…

Judas wanting only the money, Jesus honored in dinner, Mary’s sacrifice and burial preparation, Lazarus reclining and listening, Martha serving…each tell a story of their heart…each had a relationship with Jesus that is recorded for all to see…only one was rebuked…

I would imagine that that fragrance poured out on Jesus was still will him in the coming days as Jesus faced to cross, the people he met along the way…carrying it to the cross…and his burial …

Thank YOU…help us to serve, to listen, to prepare…finding our places in your kingdom…being a fragrance of You… 

 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 

Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. 

Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. 

And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 

He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 

You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

John.12.1-8

We are to praise You, may the fragrance of Jesus fill this place…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sp1aVHWd7c

https://www.gotquestions.org/spikenard-in-the-Bible.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spikenard

Set out for…

 

Set out for….

There are times in our lives when we “set out for….” (Fill in the blank)…

Thinking back, taking care of my husband, we knew an end, we didn’t know the path or how it would be, but we had to go forward day by day….you can’t stop the clock no matter how painful it is or in some cases how joyful…there are times when we want to stop the clock and keep a hold of the moments, they are so wonderful or hold back the time to live the fullest…but time does march on….

I have been thinking  of this as this week marches on…I have hip replacement surgery this coming Monday…not sure if it is total, partial…not sure of the recovery time…are any of the many variables…I don’t know the outcome…I know each day brings it closer…dread and anticipation at the same time…not a real fan of  surgery…I have been  trying to keep  my mind grasping that perfect  peace which only God gives…not always successful, I admit…then He gives me a song, a verse…an encouragement of His Word…

Jesus “resolutely “ set out for Jerusalem…he knew, being God what was ahead…and he still went forward, not balking, not denying, knew with the joy set before him…what was the outcome even through unbelievable pain, he set out…

 

There are times when “our” paths change so much and we are wondering what hit us…as when we got the diagnosis of “terminal cancer” or “the terminator” of cancers, our world is sent reeling into chaos…

Or loss of loved ones, loss of home, loss of jobs or a myriad of changes…we don’t know what we are “setting out for”… but, God is still in control… 

I was reminded of this again this week as I received a letter from a friend…her father, a wonderful friend of ours, who has since finished his earthly journey…he was a wonderful family pastor and was let go of his pastoral services…what a blow it was…but, it freed him up to pursue his passion of family ministry and counseling which has blossomed and continues years later…

Time and time again, I see God changing our direction, using past experiences to mold, mature our hearts in trust that He has a path that far above our imaginations…

Look at Joseph, either one of them, 

Moses, 

Gideon, 

David ….to name a scant few…

Thank YOU….

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

Luke.9.51

 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your waysand my thoughts than your thoughts. 

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:It will not return to me empty,but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;the mountains and hillswill burst into song before you,and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 

Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,for an everlasting sign,that will endure forever.”

Isa.55.8-13

You’ll Never Walk Alone…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YbUyjt_MQQ

Minas…..what do you do with them?

 Minas…what to do with them…

Okay, your boss is leaving for awhile and he gives/entrusts  you with part of his business while he is away…what do you do?

Say…”party is on” and do the minimum or nothing…, keep the doors open, let it slide until you see him on the horizon, scrambling to clean up, looking smug as he walks through door…like everything has gone on when he left…

Or, do you say, “wow, he trusts me, what can I do to increase that trust.”, clean shelves, contact customers, innovate new ideas and increase the business…show him your enthusiasm…

I have watched TV shows where the owner has installed cameras around the business to see what is happening while he is gone…wondering why the business has gone downhill or flourished in their absence…

As I read about the parable of the ten minas, these scenes are what came to mind…

 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 

He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ 

“But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ “He was made king, however, and returned home. 

Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ 

“The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ 

“Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ 

“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ 

“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ 

“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 

But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

Luke.19.11-27

We have king who loves us, giving us gifts as well while he “away”…what do we do with them? Do we hide them under a bushel, do we party on as if there is no return? Or do we find joy in using those gifts to to glorify Him?

Thank YOU for the gifts you bestow…so generously…

 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Rom.12.6-8

There’s a sweet sweet Spirit in this place…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enloHcLayyQ

There are many sources for finding your spiritual gifting…it is a delight to see how God has gifted each one of his children…as it is a delight to be used by Him in furthering the kingdom…

https://www.raystedman.org/daily-devotions/ephesians/what-is-your-gift

https://www.tyndale.com/sites/unfoldingfaithblog/2019/10/01/a-quick-list-of-biblical-spiritual-gifts-which-gifts-exist-and-what-they-mean/

I want to see…

 I want to see…

The first time I saw real begging along the road or in a city was in a town in Western China…we had just arrived and were being escorted into our hotel…there on the sidewalk was a very challenged young person sitting next to the entrance with his hands held high asking for money…I didn’t take a picture as I didn’t want to further humiliate him…but, my mind’s eye still can see his disfigured body waiting for a coin or some kind of help….

Three of the gospel writers wrote about the healing of the blind…

Each one recounts what Jesus asks, “what do you want me to do for you?”  

And they answer, “I want to see”…

Jesus says, “your faith has healed you”…

Luke further writes, “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. 

When all the people saw it, they also praised God.”

When I open  and look into the Word each time, that is my request as well, “I want to see..” what you are saying/teaching me…and Jesus answers…

He opens our hearts and minds to seek His Word, his lessons and how to apply them to our hearts and lIves…it may be a new lesson or insight or He may repeat it until we learn it…but He is always there…

Thank YOU…

Matthew 20:29-34

Mark 10:46-52

 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 

When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 

They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 

He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. 

When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”“Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. 

When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Luke.18.35-40

 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.Ps.119.18

 

 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever. 

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free,     the Lord gives sight to the blind,the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,the Lord loves the righteous. 

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow,but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. 

The Lord reigns forever,your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Ps.146.6-10

Open my eyes…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTbyBr0axdI

And he took the children in his arms…

 And he  took the children in his arms….

I have had the heritage of going to church and Sunday school for as long as I can remember….my first picture that I can remember from there is the picture of Jesus holding children on his lap…I knew that he loved them, that he loved me…there was never any doubt…

Oh, I can’t say there all my life was rosy without problems by any stretch…but He has held me in his arms through the thick and thin of life…and I still appreciate that picture of Jesus holding those children in his arms…He holds me still a lifetime later…

Thank YOU…

 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Matt.19.13-15

 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Mark.10.13-16

 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Luke.18.15-17

 Come, my children, listen to me;I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Ps.34.11

 Children are a heritage from the Lord,offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

Ps.127:3-5a

Jesus loves me…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5PleJJJtc

Jesus loves the little children…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg6W76q6a2E 

Voices…

 

Voices…

The first recordings of a human’s voice is 1860…10 seconds of someone singing a song …followed two decades later by Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, with their phone and phonograph…

Now we have voice recording devices of all kinds, more than I can name…

When my children were young, we recorded several phone conversations of them with their grandparents on cassette tapes…later I had them all transferred to CDs…when my dad was older, I had him record his Christmas story book, which he read every Christmas…

I have given out several recordable books to people over time…something maybe grandparents should do as a gift to their children and grandchildren along with pictures…hearing a voice on a recording lasts…(as long as we have batteries)…

I can still hear my parents’ voices when I remember them or my husband’s… or my grandfather’s laugh as he told a story…

When I answer the phone, from various friends and family, I know them by their voice…

There are over a hundred references to “voice” in the Word…a few follow…

Thank YOU for your voice as You speak into our hearts…

 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

Exod.19.19

 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Deut.30.19-20

 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;the God of glory thunders,the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. 

The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is majestic. 

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 

The voice of the Lord strikeswith flashes of lightning. 

The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. 

The voice of the Lord twists the oaksand strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

Ps.29.3-5Ps.29.7-9

 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Mark.1.11

 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

John.10.27

 As has just been said:“Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your heartsas you did in the rebellion.”

Heb.3.15

Word of God speak…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PbUNhbeBZM&list=RD9PbUNhbeBZM&start_radio=1&rv=9PbUNhbeBZM&t=113

Softly and tenderly…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOa3aSyZYsU

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tim-mcgraw-helps-dying-dad-194835194.html

https://www.cmuse.org/first-recording-of-a-human-voice/

The ultimate gift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXPlQ-lE8m0

Running …to and fro…

 Running…to and fro…

 Watching small children play sports is sometimes so hilarious…

In soccer, the smiler ones, play “puddle ball”…they chase after the ball in a group…all of them racing together  trying to catch the ball and move it somewhere, anywhere…

The baseball ones or t-ball, the children are dancing around the dugout, or playing in the dirt or a dozen other activities rather than watching the “game”….the one in the “outfield “  are dancing, running, sitting and sorting through the grass…watching the cows in the next field…whatever…maybe tuning into the “game” once in a while…

Watching the parents is just as fun…as they are yelling,  covering their embarrassment, pacing, trying to “help” the coach or a myriad of other parent activities…

As I read the following verses…Jesus was telling of the kingdom of God……not to run to and fro looking first at this person or another…but wait for the real Son of Man…watch for the real game…don’t be drawn into other activities…

Thank YOU for the reminder to keep our eyes on YOU…

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them.

Luke.17.20-23

On the way..l

 On his way…

 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.

Luke.17.11

It started with the phrase, “on the way or on his way”….at first I was thinking about Magdala…a village in Israel on the Sea of Galilee, north of Tiberius….but as I looked it up…it became much more…it was a teaching and sharing time…

 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deut.6.6-7

Jesus was living out the Word from Deuteronomy…using every possible moment to impart what they had seen and heard…walking through the wheat fields, walking along path, healing…Paul’s life direction changed on the way…the Ethiopian’s as well…and many more…listening, encountering Jesus “on the way”.

Each day we are “on the way”…are we listening, hearing, using, aware of those teachable moments in our lives and those around us…

Thank YOU for the “on the way” times…

 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Matt.20.17-19

 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”

Mark.8.27

 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Mark.10.52

 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

Luke.13.22

 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,

Luke.19.37

 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.

John.4.50

  And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Acts.8.39

  Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.

Acts.9.3

Deuteronomy 5:33

33 You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

Step by Step..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H9E0cduub4

Simple things…2023…

 

It’s the simple things…2023…

I keep rereading the parables of the lost..sheep, coin, son…simple stories… they don’t take up many verses to relate…they all end similarly…

 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Luke.15.7, 10, 32

Simple yet profound…there is rejoicing over sinners who realize their need of the Life that only Christ can give them…can’t you just hear the angels clapping…

 Can you imagine looking for your lost sheep in the wilds of the rocky hills…or looking for a coin in the cobble stones of the floors…or watching over the valley for a son to return…all a cause to rejoice at the “found”…small stories to tell a profound truth…

 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Luke.19.10

Thank YOU…

Simple things…written after trip to Israel…2019

“It was finding a shepherd with his sheep in a field deep with flowers and deep green lush grass....simply standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where fisherman still fish or Jesus fixed a meal of bread and fish....it was looking at the city of Jerusalem, seeing it as Jesus saw it and wept...it was sitting inside a Bedouin tent receiving their hospitality as Abraham might have done for the visitors...it was walking down the narrow streets of the cities surrounded by crowds of people like Jesus did...having communion in the garden under ancient olive trees...seeing a 2000 year old sycamore tree in Jericho where Zacchaeus may have climbed to better see the Savior of the world...walking on ancient stones uncovered  where Jesus may have walked...the dry parched desert of the Engedi where David hide from Saul....seeing the skull in the rock formations on the hill of Golgotha...it was seeing an empty tomb where Jesus may have been laid....none of these worthy of worship...but it was just glimpses of history...written in God’s Word that came alive…”

Found…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1Yn1RtfCDc

Dogwood…

 Dogwood…

The painting project for today is a dogwood blossom…not sure how that will turn out, but going to try…

This blog was written, May of 2019 in Washington DC…while visiting. A friend and I were at a conference at the Bible Museum…but we walked and walked, took as many local trips as we could…

It was beautiful, the cherry blossoms has finished and the dogwood was in full bloom…

Blessings…

“Dogwood...Washington DC 3...

The cherry  blossoms have vanished giving way to lush greenery...here in Washington DC...souvenirs from cherry candy to cherry scented soaps to tee shirts of all designs are for sale everywhere...depicting the beauty of the pink blossoms which lined the streets...some of the trees were a gift from Japan in 1912...thousands of trees have been planted here in the DC area...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Cherry_Blossom_Festival

Now the dogwood trees are in full bloom...along with flowers of all kinds...

The Arlington National Cemetery has the dogwood trees dotting the hundreds of acres...mixed with the white gravestones of fallen soldiers...so a brilliant contrast of lush lawns, white stones and white and green dogwood...adds to the somberness of the place...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church_(Alexandria,_Virginia)

We traveled to Alexandria by water taxi yesterday, and then rode a trolley up and down King street to see sights of this old town...stopping at Christ Church where George Washington attended...a beautiful brick building...again an old graveyard to the side with evergreen trees, abundant flowers, and a dogwood tree in full bloom...the grave stones dating back to the early 1800’s crookedly scattered here and there..

What beauty amongst the somber again...

The Dogwood Tree

by Anonymous

When Christ was on earth, the dogwood grew

To a towering size with a lovely hue.

Its branches were strong and interwoven

And for Christ's cross its timbers were chosen

Being distressed at the use of the wood

Christ made a promise which still holds good:

"Not ever again shall the dogwood grow

To be large enough for a tree, and so

Slender and twisted it shall always be

With cross-shaped blossoms for all to see.

The petals shall have bloodstains marked brown

And in the blossom's center a thorny crown.

All who see it will think of Me,

Nailed to a cross from a dogwood tree.

Protected and cherished this tree shall be

A reflection to all of My agony."

Dogwood in spring always reminds me of this poem and my mother...first the poem...reminds me of the cross on which my Savior died, his agony...but His resurrection...a praise

Second, my mother, who loved the first blooms of spring...my dad would bring a bouquet home from the woods when he could...

Thank YOU for the memories....Your beauty of spring and reminder of life after the “death” of winter...”

Did Martha have a Pharisees’ attitude? Do I?

 Did Martha have a Pharisees’ attitude? Do I?

 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. 

And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 

And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 

But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? 

Tell her then to help me.” 

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. 

Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke.10.38-42

 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 

The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 

And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 

You fools! 

Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 

But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

Luke.11.37-41

Luke 11:42-52, woes to the “experts of the law”

Wow…legalism crops up,again… Martha…Mary…Pharisees….experts of the Law…the outside…the inside…heart attitude…

These passages can be soooo convicting…is my heart attitude that of Martha or Mary? The rule followers…the experts of the Law?

Am I constantly cleaning up the “outside” so that I look good? Do I put down those who follow Jesus’ heart?  Am I working my way to heaven, following manmade rules rather than looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith? Hard hearted versus softened toward the gospel?

Do rules supersede the Over-powering redemptive Love of Jesus?

Am I always busy preparing? Am I too busy to listen?

 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

1Cor.11:28-32

 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

2Cor.13.5

 Create in me a clean heart, O God,and renew a right spirit within me.

Ps.51.10

 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Jas.4.8,10

thank YOU…

Create in me a clean heart…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFe4r3qe1x0

Abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…

 

Abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness….

 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Exod.34.6-7

In the early 1990’s, eons, light years ago and yesterday it seems, 5 women set sail on a journey of writing a women’s Bible study…our chosen verses, the preceding ones were prayed over, and diligently taken apart and put together, written about, lived and breathed for several months…

We came from different backgrounds…our children were various ages, our husbands had different vocations…our giftings , love languages and personalities were very different…we brought a variety of life experiences…all to mesh into a close knit group with a goal of building up, encouraging one another and handing that off to a group of leaders and a multitude of women wanting a closer walk with Jesus…

We wrestled over questions, wording, applications of each lesson and the whole of the theme…until one day it was ready for the publisher and finally ready to facilitate in small groups of women…It was like birthing your baby into the world…what an amazing experience…

We have all moved since then, our children have grown, grandchildren have come…good things and bad things have happened…there has been pain, death, joy, aging parents, books published, a worldwide ministry started…and just day to day living…we can pick up the phone and continue a conversation with one another like there were no ensuing years…

Those words, “ abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness “ that the Lord promised still stand fast…

Thank YOU…

“Gentle and Lowly”, by Dane Ortlund, chapter 16…

The Steadfast Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo46VTYtvD0

Mercy ….the Good Samaritan…

 

Mercy…and the Good Samaritan….

In 2019, I was honored and humbled to visit Israel with family and friends…a whirlwind trip with whirlwind stops, explanations, history…I still go back to those pictures I took, to places we visited, to the words spoken to sort through impressions made and what God was teaching…in the simple and complex…I look for pictures to tell a story…

One such stop was “The Good Samaritan Church “, a traditional spot of the story of the Good Samaritan…dry, dusty, non-descript,  little vegetation, a bit deserted, sitting along the road… a few local looking people standing about, a puppy,in desperate need of food, looking for a handout… the puppy, kicked away from the others, seeing us, another potential food supply, ran over eagerly looking for food, even a pat on the head…

This pup, such a visual of the place we were visiting, needed that mercy shown by the Good Samaritan. Someone to care, to dress its wounds, to be shown compassion, to give it food, to pay the price of its care…instead of beaten, kicked and thrown aside for dead…mercy…

Mercy is used throughout the Word…and Jesus spoke of it in this story of the Good Samaritan…an example of how we should act toward others…as God has shown us, His mercy…

I have often wondered what happened to that puppy…was he there just for that lesson to us?…did he get the care he needed?…was he my visual to remind me time and time again of my need for mercy and my need to show it?…only God knows the answers…

But, thank YOU….

 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.

Zech.7.9

 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. 

They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 

So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. 

Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 

The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 

‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke.10.25-37

 But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Neh.9.31

 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;the Lord accepts my prayer.

Ps.6.2,9

 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and to love mercyand to walk humbly with your God.

Mic.6.8

 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Rom.12.8

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2Cor.1.3-4

 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Eph.2.4-5Eph.2.8-10

 …..Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Jas.2.13b

 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Jas.3.17

(Saturday, May 25, 2019- another reference to this same story..)

 

Journeys…

 

Journeys…

I have been reading a short version of the settling of the city of Seattle, with its interactions of Illinois immigrants and the local tribes, the beginning industry of logging and export, the people, their hardships and vision…some stayed, some left for other adventures…each sought their destiny …

I first saw Seattle in 1962 for the World’s Fair…oh, yes, we used to have World’s Fairs where people from all over the world would work together to create an exposition celebrating new technologies, foods, new buildings, museums, etc…they were held all over the world every few years…amazing places to visit…

Seattle built the Space Needle and the monorail among other things which still draw people from all over…

My parents, a friend and I saved our money to attend, we stayed in a 16’ travel trailer in a gravel lot, temporary housing for fair visitors(one of the freeways now passes over the “luxurious” spot now). We marveled at the sights…the dome shaped energy efficient house, ate Belgian waffles, went through the science exhibition…etc…the. We journeyed to Victoria, B.C. and saw the beautiful Buchart Gardens…what an adventure… 

As I turned the page to today passage, this is what came up…

“Jesus’ final journey “



The Chronological Study Bible, Thomas Nelson, NIV, 2014

The phrase, “a destiny, of which he was well aware and which he faced willingly “…caught my heart…Jesus came with a purpose…He met it with joy, courage…He came with us in mind…the World of people in his heart, because He loved, loves us…the journey was planned, looked forward to…he didn’t stay in luxury, or wealth, which he could have claimed…he walked among the sights he created with people he loved…he came with vision to build, to save…

We each have journeys, be they near or far…destinations for we which we plan (or not)…there are journeys all through the Word…but, I am so glad Jesus made this journey for each and every one of us…

Thank YOU…

 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

John.19.17-18

 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

2Tim.1.9-10

I have decided…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaVTmrPdvDQ

 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

John.19.17-18

 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

2Tim.1.9-10

https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2080.html