Warm water…

 Warm water…

Warm water is a luxury that many do not have in the world…and I for one take it for granted…

I was giving my little dog  a bath the other day and he was totally enjoying the warm water with scrubbing …he stood patiently taking  it all in… a free wet massage…

I realized I like the same thing, I will sometimes just stand in the warm shower or bath tube, soaking in the warmth…

There are songs that feel like that to me as well…

One of which is…

There’s a sweet spirit in this place…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WAPFp4raTR4&pp=ygUqdGhlcmUncyBhIHN3ZWV0IHN3ZWV0IHNwaXJpdCBpbiB0aGlzIHBsYWNl

It makes me remember…the verse..

 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Exod.40.34

Or the songs of Moses, Mary, or Zechariah…and others when they paused the Lord…thanked Him…proclaiming Him…or when in Acts,  the people were filled with the Holy Spirit…

 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts.2.1-4

Holy Spirit rain down..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-SI_HRWooA&list=RDd-SI_HRWooA&start_radio=1

Thank YOU…

LORD your God…

 

LORD your God….

He praise, “LORD your God” repeats 272 times just in the book of Deuteronomy…out of over 600 in the whole Bible…talk about repetition!!!! The Word lists what He did, what he will do, who he was to the nation of Israel….he was everything and he reminded them over and over and over…blessing, treasure, care, comfort, etc., etc.,etc…..

I am not an Israelite…I am adopted into God’s family by my redeemer, Jesus, God’s son, who died for my sins, who has saved me, prayed for me, loves me, sent a comforter to live in my heart…but not just for me, but the whole world…He is the LORD my God…

Thank YOU…

 The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

Deut.2.7

 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

Deut.7.6

 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.’”

Num.15.41

 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John.3.16-17

“The phrase "The LORD your God" appears frequently throughout the Old Testament, particularly in the Pentateuch, the historical books, and the prophetic writings. It is often used in contexts where God is reminding His people of His commandments, His promises, and His role as their protector and provider.”……

“While the exact phrase "The LORD your God" is less common in the New Testament, the concept of God as a personal, covenant-keeping deity continues. Jesus reaffirms the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37 , quoting the Shema: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’" This continuity underscores the enduring nature of God's relationship with His people through Christ.”…..

“The phrase "The LORD your God" encapsulates the essence of God's relationship with His people, highlighting His sovereignty, faithfulness, and the call to love and obedience. It serves as a powerful reminder of the covenantal bond between God and those who follow Him, a bond that is both personal and communal, rooted in love, holiness, and divine promise.”

https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_lord_your_god.htm

https://namesforgod.net/lord-your-god/

The Lord our God…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTbY24n-8Ik

Widows all around…

 Widows all around….

I found this blog from several years ago and wanted to reshare….

For whatever reason,(divine appointments) this week I have met widows, each with their own unique stories, pain….I was  wishing for a place, a retreat that could be offered for widows like the marriage retreat for couples…encouragement, growth, camaraderie, a place to get away, be real, cry, share, grow, delve into God’s Word…

“Widows...loss..

.

This message was very good...I wanted to share it...

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord . A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
Psalm 68:4-5

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked...psalm 146:9



Thank YOU....



“What Do Widows in the Bible Teach Us about Loss?
Dr. Julie Barrier 

My best friend Abby was widowed at 44. Her husband John passed away from sleep apnea. He was healthy. No warning. Four little faces greeted Mom at the breakfast table. They had no idea their Daddy was gone. Ten years later, Abby cautiously remarried.
Two years after she tied the knot, Abby’s second husband died following a gruesome battle with cancer. Abby loved and lost. Devastating!
Over 220,000 Americans died in World War II. Men and women who sent their loved ones into battle kissed their spouses goodbye never knowing if that goodbye would be their last.
According to wiserwomen.org, 50% of women will lose their spouses by age 65.
My Mom was happily married to my Dad for 63 years. She told me her deepest hurt was going to sleep at night in an empty bed. My mother-in-law lost her first husband in World War II. My husband Roger never knew of his Mom’s first marriage until long after his mother’s death. Helen never grieved openly, and because she hid her pain, she was fearful and angry most of her life.
How will you face the empty bed? The empty pew?
Many women tell me that losing a mate is like losing a limb. They have to redefine who they are and how they relate to others. Couple friendships may be awkward. Income may be reduced. It's a torturous, treacherous journey. Only by the grace of God can one survive it.

The Bible is filled with stories of widows. We can learn much from them.
Ruth and Naomi demonstrated two different ways of dealing with grief. Naomi cried, “Don’t call me Naomi (which means pleasant)” she told them. “Call me Mara (bitter) because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” (Ruth 1:20)
Ruth, also heartbroken, showed incredible love and loyalty to her mother-in-law:
“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17)
Ruth taught us two invaluable lessons about grief:
From Ruth, we learn to not grieve alone, and to face the future with faith.
Too often we pull away from comforters because we are afraid to show our weakness. Too often we turn away from God because we are angry with Him for taking away the love of our life.
Naomi wallowed in self-pity.
Ruth clung to her dear mother-in-law. She forsook the worship of Chemosh, the Semitic god she feared, for a life-long commitment to Yahweh, the God she had yet to know. The Moabite widow became a beloved wife, mother and the great-grandmother of Jesus.
Joppa’s widow Dorcas blessed others in her sorrow.
Instead of allowing her overwhelming loss to engulf her in self-pity, Dorcas used her solitary moments to minister to the poor:
“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor...
When he (Peter) arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.” (Acts 9:36-41)
Dorcas cultivated a community of widows, a safe place for women to share their pain and an outlet to use their gifts to help others.
God not only blessed Dorcas for her generosity and faithfulness, He raised her from the dead!

Anna continued to worship God through her loss.
The prophetess Anna is only mentioned in two short verses of the New Testament, but her story gives us the greatest inspiration in the loss of a spouse:
“There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36-38)
Anna, alone and probably destitute, lived her life worshipping God. She drenched the temple floor with her tears. How unfair to lose her family at such a young age! But Anna prayed and praised her entire life.
Her unfailing devotion to God was rewarded. Anna saw the Messiah and joyfully foretold His ministry and coming kingdom.
Anna probably lived 65 years without a husband. I’m sure there were mornings when she didn’t even want to get out of bed. But she kept coming back to God, giving Him glory day after day.
Christ created the church as a place of comfort, safety and service. Only in God’s presence do we find God’s healing and rest.
Ruth, Dorcas and Anna teach us that tragedy and loss does not have to define us.

Widows have the unique opportunity to experience God’s sweetest favor, (Psalm 68:5) protection, and blessing (Psalm 146:9)

“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy!” (Psalm 38:11)



Dr. Julie Barrier, along with her pastor-husband, Dr. Roger Barrier, have taught conferences on marriage and ministry in 35 countries. The Barriers are founders and directors of Preach It, Teach It providing free resources in 10 languages to 5 million visitors in 229 countries. The Barriers pastored 35 years at Casas Church in Arizona, Julie has served as a worship minister, concert artist and adjunct professor at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. She has authored or composed of over 500 published works.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tom-Merton”

Heart of compassion…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrDxtxqWL2o



Prepared place…

  Prepared a place…

Reading through the Old Testament books again…

The promise of a promised land for the Israelites is a major theme…over and over…generation after generation throughout history…and that small piece of land continues to this day to be in dispute…at some point in time that promise will be fulfilled…maybe this generation or the future…only

God knows the time, the final circumstances… they wait expectantly…

As Christians, we have a “promised land” as well…no given date on it yet either… 

We all have to trust in the preparations…promises…we wait expectantly as well…for the return of the Messiah…

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

John .14.1-3

 But, as it is written,“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,nor the heart of man imagined,what God has prepared for those who love him”—

1Cor.2.9

 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Heb.11.16

 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Col. 3:24

 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Heb.9.15

 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. 

This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

1Pet.1.3-6

Thank YOU…

prepared a place for me…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XzYstkSNc88&pp=ygUncHJlcGFyZWQgYSBwbGFjZSBmb3IgbWUgc292ZXJlaWduIGdyYWNl

2604+1

 2604+1….

I started printing off my blogs on to paper this week…all 2604 of them…I could hardly believe there were so many…I had no idea that when I started in 2013 where they would take me, how long they would continue.…I still don’t know….most days the words bubble up within my soul and I can hardly wait to transfer them to the written word…other days the words have to simmer for a day or two, awaiting further instructions…it may be just a verse that captures my heart or a song that won’t stop singing ….or a lesson that God  is teaching me to share…the Word translates to everyday lessons…and I am soooo thankful…I am glad the Holy Spirit teaches us…so glad for the gift that Jesus left us…so glad for His love…

The following is one blog from the past…a poignant one…for this season…for prayer requests that come  my way…for prayers of my own…

Thank YOU….

“

Entrust....

Okay, last year I wrote about my husband-"forever 67" and now another year has passed since he has died...this year seems to have  gone even more quickly than the years before...with so much activity. 

But even though he has died, there are still many times that I turn to share, to point out and realize that I can't. It is a rude awakening again and again. But, I continue to go on..the ache of aloneness is still there, maybe less than last year and the year before...the ambushes of emotion still hit without rhyme or reason at times....the wish for that partnership that we shared is still strong....especially when I am around others whose marriages are intact....

Reading this Jesus Calling this morning, I admit, was hard...I thought I had entrusted my husband to God....But, His decision was to take him home...not leave him with his family...that wasn't my Plan....I wanted to hold my husband's hand...not God's...

I remember the day of the diagnosis, the tear filled, stricken faces of my children, my father, myself, when the doctor told us the prognosis of my husband, their father, his son in law....it is engraved in my mind..."this can't be happening, not us, that only happens to someone else"...and then the resolution, "move forward, day by day...."  And we did, holding each other and holding on to God's mighty hand....entrusting ......

thank YOU for always being  there to hold us.  Help me to entrust You with each person in my family, knowing that You have the Best in mind for each of us. Help me not to hold them too tightly or too loosely, so that You have full reign in their lives. You work mightily on their behalf....

 

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

“ 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus…

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

2604+1

Scar tissue…binding…

 Scar tissue…binding…

This past week, I was encouraged to start rubbing all the scar tissue I have  accumulated this past year, to break down and soften the areas, break down the fibrous areas…all the fibrous bindings that scar tissue makes as wounds heal…

As I looked up the word, “bind”, here following definitions were suggested…

Bind….

“To make secure by tying,

To confine, restrain or restrict as if in bonds,

To put under obligation,

To constrain with legal authority,

To wrap around with something so as to enclose or cover,

To fasten round about,

To tie together,

To cause to stick together,

To make a firm commitment for,

To protect, strengthen, or decorate by a band,

To fasten together,

To set at work as an apprentice,

To cause an emotional attachment….”

Merriam Webster 

We are bound by soooo many things…legal obligations, worry, pain, scars, vows, thoughts, things that may consume our minds, etc.,etc….

In Deuteronomy God wanted the Israelites to bind his 

Word on their hearts, their minds, their souls…

Solomon spoke of letting love and faithfulness bind us…

Isaiah speaks of the Lord binding, healing the brokenhearted…

Jesus speaks of what we bind…

Paul speaks of what viruses bring unity…

I had to ask, what am I bound with…what needs softening, what worries/anxiety are binding my mind…do I bind love to seek unity…do I bind God’s Word to my life…(as I looked at these various definitions of “bind” and each could have a unique, spiritual application…)

What should  I be learning from them…

Thank YOU…

 

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deut.6.6,Deut.6.8,Deut.11.18-19

 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;bind them around your neck,write them on the tablet of your heart.

Prov.3.3

 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,because the Lord has anointed me to  proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,to comfort all who mourn,     

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning,and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Isa.61.1-3

 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Matt.18.18

 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. 

Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Col.3.12-14

Blest be the ties that bind….

https://youtu.be/AarVrkf7Kb0?si=00ZWy3gqV2JWd8OZ

https://www.stjamesrehab.com/blog/how-to-manage-scar-tissue-after-surgery-or-injury

1. “Scar tissue forms as part of the natural healing process after surgery.
2. It is made up of collagen fibers that replace normal tissue.
3. Scar tissue can be less flexible and weaker than the original tissue.
4. Some individuals may experience pain or discomfort in the area of the scar.
5. The appearance of scar tissue can vary, ranging from red and raised to flat and pale.
6. Treatments for scar tissue include massage, silicone sheets, and laser therapy.
7. In some cases, surgical revision may be necessary to improve appearance or function.
8. Factors influencing scar formation include genetics, age, and the type of surgery performed.
9. Proper wound care can help minimize scar tissue development.
10. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice and treatment options.” 

When, but if…

 When, but if…

As parents we want the best for our children…as we raise them, we realize there are consequences for good or bad…and usually we want them to choose  the good…we should learn from the good and bad choices….

We don’t put our hands on something hot and expect not to get burned…but little ones have to learn that…

We say, “when”…such and such happens, this will usually be the outcome…

The other day, I heard a young woman say, “I wouldn’t make a good mother, because I don’t like to repeat myself”. And as parents we get to repeat often!

And then there are the times, we say “if”…such and such , this will be the consequence…

God wrote, “ when “ in Deuteronomy 30…he knew the Israelites would return…and had promises for their return…

But, He also wrote “if”…there would be those who chose not to return to Him…

Oh, how he must agonize over those who turn away…

As He said, “choose life”…he has so much abundance to give…”for the Lord is your life”…

Thank YOU….

 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. 

Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 

Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deut.6.4-9

 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deut.30.1-10

 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 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.30.11-20

My life is in you Lord…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBYCsNCnNk4