God's Love Notes

Have you ever been given a love note by anyone?

Last summer before actually getting ready to move to another state, I started looking through some things that had I had inherited after my father had passed away. There had been boxes of items and because we were paying to have everything moved to another state, I was trying to sort through items that I did not want to take.

In dad's things there were love letters, photos and other things that I had never seen before. I got through some of it, but then stopped going through his stuff to concentrate on the move itself.

Now, here we are just a few months on the other side of the move and because we are retired and have time, I decided to go through those boxes again that had held my parents precious memories.

And so much has come and is still coming to light about their young lives which I never knew.

I knew dad had written love notes to my mom during WW2 when he served overseas. But I did not know that mom had kept her own scrap book of letters and other pieces of her own during that time.

Her scrap book now is of course, old and getting very crumbly. But what we could make out of its contents lasted through their marriage. Oh they had their times all through it.. Their lives had not been easy. But the love they had from their early years, had stood its time.

Did you know that God has likewise sent us His own love note? They come to us through the Bible, God's Word.  And there are many.

Unlike my parents notes from a tumultuous time in the world during their youthful years,, God's word  has survived through the ages has never crumbled. It has survived all the evil of this world and will continue to do so until Jesus comes back.

Starting tomorrow, I thought we would take a look at some of the love notes in the Bible that God sent to us so that we too can survive that evil until such a time that Jesus returns. I hope you will join me.

May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 

Have a great day in the Lord, Friends. May His praises continually be in your mouth. Psalm 34:1

Imperfect People but Perfect for the Job/Peter

Who would have thought that Jesus would forgive a man that had denied that he even knew Him  at the time when Jesus most needed him?

  After all, Peter had loved Jesus. He had been a fisherman by trade the day Jesus, the Son of God walked into his life. "Come follow me,"  Christ had said to him and his brother Andrew "and I will make you fishers of men." Mathew 4:18-22.

And Peter had. He left his net and followed Jesus throughout His ministry. And so what happened that morning that Jesus was to be arrested for his abominable crime of claiming that he was God's Son? Why would he deny the man he followed and loved?

Jesus had known he was going to do what he did. He had told him that he would . Peter denied that he would ever do that. And in fact, he had told Jesus that would go to prison and his death for His cause. Luke 22:33. But Jesus had went on to tell Peter that before the rooster crowed that morning, he would deny him, not once, not twice. But three times.

What happened that Peter would do that to Jesus after he was so sure that he wouldn't?

Maybe there were reasons. Maybe he hadn't resigned himself to the fact that this was it. Jesus was going to die. He was going to have to let them.kill him. Maybe there was nothing he could do.

Who really knows what was in his mind that morning. But he had done the unthinkable. And now he was very sorry. The Roman Soldiers had already come and taken Jesus away. What could he do? Try to rally the trues to break Jesus free? Offer himself as a replacement for his friend?

But he couldn't do anything. Whatever might have been in Peter's mind that morning was not in God's plan. And obviously, what had happened, was.

That didn't make Peter feel very good at all. He had denied his Lord. His friend. All he could do at that point, was weep bitterly. Luke 22:62

He had failed him.

Did Jesus forgive Peter?

How could he have not? His own teachings were about forgiveness at times. And what's more, Jesus had already told Peter in Mathew 16:17-19 that because of his faith, Jesus would build the church on him.And that the gates of hell would not prevail against it.

Peter, the unworthy. In his own right a human that sinned just like all of God's people. And yet forgiven by the One that loved him. Destined to become the rock on which the church began and no matter who tried to come against it, even the gates of hell could not tear it down.

What would we have done in Peter's place? I would love think, that we would have stood right there with Jesus, facing an angry mob ready to take matters into their own hands, and not do what Peter had done. How grand a thought. But would have we?

It still could happen in such a way if this country does not get its act together and go back to what it used to be when God was at the center of so many homes.

Even now we could hide away our faith and not tell anyone for fear of what friends, family or anyone else might think of us.

However, we would always hope that we would not deny Christ and when we do, there is room for forgiveness. For He turns no one away, that is truly sorry for their sin. Just as Peter made some poor decisions in his day, so we do. But there is always room at the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for coming by today again Friends. I truly hope you enjoy your day and God bless!

Imperfect People but Perfect for the Job/Miriam

But then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. Exodus 15:20

Who was Miriam in the bible? What did God give her to do? And she was one out of so many others that was perfect-right?

Miriam had two brothers. We know them as Aaron (her older brother) and Moses. (her baby brother) You will remember the story of Moses when his mother made him a basket and hid him in the bulrushes on the Nile River, to hide him from Pharaoh who wanted all baby boys to be thrown into the river.

Indeed, God had other plans for Moses. Miriam was instrumental in saving his life and their mother got to help care for him.

Miriam, along with Moses and Aaron were the ones that led God's people from Egypt's slavery to the Promise Land. But it twas Miriam that led the women into worshiping God with their tambourines and dancing, after the Egyptian army were thrown into the Red Sea.

God had used her in his service. But here again we have a non-perfect woman, doing His work and like all others that God called and is still calling today, she too had some rough edges that needed to be smoothed off and sins to be forgiven.

She and Aaron began to complain. (Really, who does that?)  And she began to criticize and question why God had chosen Moses as their leader. Numbers 12:1-2.

As we can imagine, this did not make God happy at all. Aaron did repent of his sin. But God struck Miriam with leprosy Moses prayed for his sister and after she had been quarantined for a week, God healed her.. Numbers 12:13.Why didn't Aaron suffer like Miriam had? Was it because he was quick to ask forgiveness and she wasn't? Did she need to learn a harder lesson? We don't know, but how about you and I.....

...do we bridle our tongue? It is sometimes a hard thing to do. And yet, we are called to do it. And the wonderful thing about God is that even though there are consequences to our sin, when we truly repents, he does forgive us. He knows we are not perfect but we are perfect for whatever it is he wants us to do even during those times that we don't feel we are even qualified.

Thanks for coming by today Friends. I pray you are having a wonderful week so far. God bless you and yours.

Imperfect People but Perfect for the Job/Solomon

He had been the son of King David and Bathsheba. He had written parts of the Old Testament, including Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. And he pursued God.

While he was king, God allowed him to ask Him for anything that he would like to have. And what was it that King Solomon asked him for? Wisdom. That he what he wanted from God. Why wisdom instead of riches that he could have asked for?

He knew he would need wisdom with which to rule God's people. And so God gave it to him. However, God didn't stop there. He gave him much more. He also gave him wealth and peace on all sides. 1 Kings 10:23, 4:20-25.

The whole world listened to King Solomon's wisdom because it came from God, and they brought him many gifts. 1 Kings 10:24, And he completed many things while he was king. Among them was his many songs and proverbs, but also his building projects. 1 Kings 7:1-12, 9:15-23 and most importantly was the completion of the Jewish temple in 1 Kings 6 and 1 Chronicles 22.

King Solomon. A man after God's heart. A perfect man with whom God gave to him not only wisdom, but all of the material wealth that he could handle.

What? Perfect? Not on your life. He was still human. And so what was his downfall?

He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Many were foreign women and God had told him that he must not intermarry with them. Why? Because they would turn his heart to other gods.

But surely this man of God would not let this happen. Right? Perhaps he didn't think so. But yes, they did. As he grew old, his heart did turn to other gods and was no longer devoted as fully to the true God. He built alters for many of the gods that his wives sacrificed to.

This made God angry and He raised up adversaries against King Solomon who caused him problems for the rest of his days as king.

Yes, King Solomon had been human. He had at some point taken another way that led him away from God. But God in his mercy still loved him. He was allowed to rule over Israel all the days of his life. He had been an imperfect man, who had still been called by God to be perfect for the job.

Sometimes, just like you and I are imperfect people, yet called to be perfect for the jobs that God calls us to. Always remembering that we may make mistakes. We may even have to pay the consequences for them as King Solomon did. But that even so, God loves us still.

Thanks once again coming by today, Friends. May your Lord's Day be blessed with all of God's good things!

Imperfect People but Perfect for the Job/Adam

"Lord, I am too weak to do your will." "I am not good enough." "I have sinned and so I know you could never use me in your service." "I am not talented enough." I am not...fill in the blank."

We are not perfect people. Just as the saints of old that God proclaimed as his own, were sinners. Sometimes we are weak,  down on ourselves, and sometimes even down right scared to do the will of God.

God does not call us to get perfect or even worthy to do his bidding. There is no such things in us on this side of heaven. Only through God are we made perfect, and worthy. If we were those things in ourselves, we would be able to take the credit for what we do for God. And God, being the jealous God that he is, wants all of our worship and praise to go to him. Not to ourselves.

So who in the bible do we find that had been weak or thought they were unable to do what God asked them to do?

In the past I have done different posts about some of them, but for the next few days, I think it is a good thing to remind us that we are not alone in how we feel about ourselves sometimes, and just  look again at some of those that were human yes, and had their problems, but still  God loved, despite their downfalls.

Today, we start with Adam:

We know him as the first human that God created, of course. He did not come from woman as every other human has, since his wife Eve was herself created.  He came from the "dust of the ground" and "God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." Genesis 2:15

But God had some jobs for Adam to do. He gave him the responsibility for caring the garden that he had created. (Genesis 2:15) And Adam probably enjoyed it. Everything God had created was good and so it stands to reason Adam didn't have to do any hard work to keep it that way. Not until he sinned, anyway.

God went on to give Adam the care and naming of all of the animals that He had also created. (2:19-20)

The next job that we see God giving Adam, was of being a father, where in Genesis 5:4, it tells us that he had sons and daughters.

Three main jobs, that we know of. And no doubt because everything God created was good, the things that Adam did on a daily basis, were probably not all that hard.

But then Adam did something that he probably had wished he hadn't done.

He rebelled again God.

And we know how the story goes. His wife Eve was tempted by the snake (devil) to eat an apple out of a tree that God had said not to eat from. (The tree of good and evil: Genesis 2:17)

Some of the men of our day wants to blame the fact that sin came into the world through Eve, because she was the first one to eat of said fruit. But not so, says Romans 5:12.

It was due to his sin that sin did indeed come into the world, God cursed the ground and death enters the world as Adam and Eve begin to die spiritually and physically from that moment on.

Adam's life after that had become as hard labor as he toiled in his garden now. He had been a weak man, perhaps unable to resist Eve's encouragement to eat that fruit.

But the fact is, he was called by God to do a job that no one had ever done or has done since. To become human totally from God and dust, the first human to exist. To have the first chance of God to either obey Him or not. To do so many of the "firsts" that were to come. Seemingly not an overwhelming task at living maybe at first, but becoming that after the fruit incident,  But, Adam and Eve were not lost to their sin. The first recorded shedding of blood came about when God made garments of skins for them to cover themselves with (Genesis 3:21) from an animal that he killed. Because as Hebrews 9:22 says, "Without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sin."  And as we see into the history of the Old Testament, God's people of the day, used animals for their own sin and God accepted them until Jesus came to be born and take over that job as their Savior and ours, because God wanted a perfect scarf ice, and animals were no longer needed.

God had first given Adam some important jobs to do. He failed at some. But God still made a way for him to do what needed to be done.

And more importantly, God covered his sin himself.

Yes, Adam had messed  up good. He had ruined the good life for everyone to come. How ashamed he must have been of himself.

But that didn't mean God had given up on us. It just made for a change of plans.

edeSo, while we think we aren't good enough, or God can't use us, think of Adam who was God's first human creation. How indeed he messed up. But how God himself provided them with a blood sacrifice for their sin. God still loved them. He still provided them. He still had work for them to do

And it is the same with you and me. Even when we miss up or think we n't good enough, It is because God is good enough.  And he still has a job for us to do. Not only that, but better yet, he provided that perfect sin Sacrifice for you and me!

Thanks for coming by today friends. God bless. Until next time....

Skin Color? Does It Really Matter?

Was Jesus black or white? And does it really matter?

Yes, it does matter to some.

 Because we want the truth to be known and not just some theory. At least as much of the truth as we can know on this side of heaven.

And so then, what is the truth, was he black or white?

He  probably wasn't either. He probably had light to dark brown skin. Because he was a Jew. He even called himself a Jew in John 4:22 as he was speaking to the Gentiles.

You worship what you do not know, we (Jews) worship for the salvation of the Jews.

Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah who were Jewish. (David, Abraham etc)  His mother Mary too was a direct decedent of King David. 

But getting right down to it, should we be so concerned with his skin color? Because there are those that would use that to argue about with others. 

Or should we be more concerned with the eternal and leading others to Christ?

The thing is, God has given us what he wants us to know. If we are always arguing about something that he has not shown us yet, should we just not admit there are things that we may never know until we get to heaven, and go about the real business of God by preaching and teaching his gospel?

The information I read up on in doing this post, gave me a different outlook about it, because I began with asking if his skin color does really matter and as you see above, my answer was because I wanted the truth. But now I  have changed my feelings about it, because it is true, God has given us what we are to know and it is more important that we are concerned about salvation then his skin color. The truth is going to endure. His skin color is going to endure no matter the color. And that is not for me to worry about. There is too much more about him that we need to be proclaiming that is eternal and not just physical.  

If you would like to read more about this topic, please go to Was Jesus black? | GotQuestions.org

or: https://www.gotquestions.org/was-Jesus-white.html  or: Was Jesus a Jew? | GotQuestions.org

Thanks for coming by today Friends. Until next time, God bless your day!

What Color Was Jesus? And Does It Really Matter

The truth of the matter is, I never really thought about it before. Until around Christmas time, that is. And I wanted to do a post about it then, but just was not able to get to it. And so, the questions in my mind came up again. What did Jesus look like? Was he black or white or brown? And does it really matter what he looked like. 

We have seen many over the years of what he might have looked like. But does the bible say anything about him, and if so where?  Consider Isaiah 53:2b

"He had no beauty that would attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that would should draw us to him.

With the due respect of those painters that create him as being very beautiful, well many of them just don't have it right, even though they can't paint someone truly as they are, if they have never even seen a picture of him and can only guess. 

That scripture proves to us that he was an ordinary, common human being while he was here walking the earth. There was nothing special about him and those that knew him as Jesus and accepted him as God's Son, did so without being drawn by his physic appearance. 

Really, why would anyone want to claim as their Savior, someone with ordinary looks? After all, the Jews had been looking for someone that would be wearing a crown at least.

Why are we drawn to people that are beautiful at times? Because we might be drawn to them for the wrong reasons, maybe? God didn't want people to be drawn to him for any other reason then that they wanted to accept and serve him as his Son. 

His appearance did change however. But not to one of beauty but of one of sheer horror. Isaiah 52:14 also describes him prior to his crucifixion.

"His appearance was so disfigured beyond of that of any man and his from marred beyond human likeness."

Mathew and John describes his appearance as he was beaten that day in Mathew 26:67. 27:30 and John 19:23. His looks were far beyond anything that we could ever imagine when those Roman Soldiers got done with him. 

And so what did he look like humanly and before that beating began. Next time we will go into that as well as why it might be important to know the truth of what he looked like. 

Thanks for coming Friends. God bless your day!

I Am Free!

I will walk in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. Psalm 119:45

What is a precept anyway? The dictionary defines it this way: (From Oxford) A guiding rule that is used to control, influence or regulate conduct. An example is of a precept is a commandment found in the Ten Commandments.

I would say that the Ten Commandments fit that definition pretty well. Because we are called to be obedient to them.. 

What kind of freedom do we walk in if we follow them or any of God's ways?

If we are not obeying God, we are sinning against him. But when we have received Christ, we are to walk in him. To obey him. To keep his commandments. And when we do that, we walk in freedom from our sin.

The Ten commandments are not just there to stop us from having a good time. They are there to keep us out of that razor sharp fence that prevents us from being truly free. If the human race would obey them, there would be no need for prisons, or mental hospitals or anything else that keeps us from the freedom of Christ. 

And yet, what do we do? We want our own way. We don't want to listen to what is good for us. And we go our own way. Isaiah 53:6. And because we have done that, God lets us have our own way because he does not make us do what we do not want to do. And that is why we need a Savior..

To set us free from that sin that we have allowed ourselves to indulge in.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:35

And that is the answer to being free from sin. To search for his precepts and then obey them. To receive him into our hearts and lives. So that we can burst out of the fences that surrounds us and thereby having Christ as our advocate to the Father for the forgiveness of our sin. 

Do you need that freedom today? You can have it by praying this prayer. And if you honestly mean it, Jesus will hear you. He is waiting for you. Do it now. 

Friends, I hope if you need freedom from your sin, you will take advantage of this moment and pray that prayer. And if you have done so, you have started an amazing journey with Jesus Christ. May you ever be blessed...until nest time, may our praises to him penetrate heavens floor and ascend to its highest, wherever that may go! 

Who Do I See?

Mirror, mirror on the wall, do you see Christ in me at all?

A good question that we should be asking ourselves when we get out of bed in the morning. And maybe several times a day. Who do we see when we look in the mirror?  Are there even any glimpses of Christ in us? 

If not, there should be.

When we look into God's mirror of us, perhaps we can believe what He wants us to know about him. And so what does he think of us anyway? Lets take a look.

For I know the thoughts I have for you. says the Lord. thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him that called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4

Now then, if you will indeed obey My Voice and keep My Covenant, then you will be a special treasure above all people, for all the earth is Mine. Exodus 19:5

And the Lord, He is the One that goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave or forsake you, do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:168

Those verses are fine, but really-they aren't for us today, are they?

After all, they were given to God people that actually lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

Right?

Well Ok, I agree with that. However,f it doesn't stop there. Consider these verses.

All the promises of God are yes in Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:20

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

God didn't just make promises to the people that he created. He made them for all of us that have followed and accepted him as our Savior.  Remember what he says in Exodus 18:5. For those that obey his voice, we are his "special treasures."  How can we question his love for us any more then that along with all the other things that he says to us in his word? 

Is it time for you to look into your mirror and see Christ in you? I myself have struggled with it myself. But I do know this for a fact,  If you have a hard time seeing him there, start meditating on the above scriptures along with the many others that God has given us and you will begin to sense his great love for you.  It is time we start seeing ourselves as what we should be. His special treasures. Because Friends, that is what we are. We just have to see it. He already does. 

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. God bless you and yours. Have a wonderful day in him!

Miror Mirror On the Wall

Have you ever seen the show "Who Do You Think You Are?"

r

A TV series by that name was made popular in the US in 2010 by using DNA to find loved ones etc of celebrates. I don't think there is any argument that the testing of DNA has picked up momentum in more then just the celebrates as it has become available to anyone that has a desire to find out who their ancestors were or other facts about their health and so on in the ensuing years since the TV program first aired. 

This post is not for the propose of advertising companies that provide DNA services  However, the title does pose an interesting question. . 

Who Do you Think You Are?

Perhaps our feelings about ourselves go back to our childhood days. We might say to ourselves: We are not pretty enough. We aren't smart enough. We aren't talented like other kids are. 

We just aren't......

We aren't anything. And as we grow, if we let it, the devil can use those feelings keep us in that barbed wire fence because our self-esteem is so low, that we just do not have any confidence that we are anything but a body that is taking up space until our time is up on earth. 

Remember that scene in the Disney Movie,  where the Queen asks the mirror, "Whose the fairest of them all?"

Perhaps if she had been a real person, the queen would have had a little too much confidence in herself. But the fact is, for those of us that don't have any self-confidence in ourselves, we don't even look in a mirror and ask what God thinks of us. 

And really, that is sad....

because it his opinion that out ranks anyone else's thoughts about who we are, how good we might be, how pretty, smart or talented we are, and everything else about us. And it even trumps our own feelings about ourselves. 

So what does God think of his creation of humanity? We have to admit, as we look around, some of it has gone to the dogs. But, are we a hopeless cause in his eyes? Can we change our attitudes about us to line up with his. Or are we doomed to having the negative thoughts that we think about ourselves, and for some even the self hate that might come from those thoughts as we are locked into that fence that jabs at us because we buy into those things that we hear the devil telling us.

We can learn a lot about what he thinks of it and about our own selves as individuals. That is if we take the time to read his word and believe it. Jesus says to learn from him in Mathew 11:29 because why? Because when we do, we will find rest for our souls.

Isn't that what we need in this world? To find rest for our souls. Sometimes it begins with how we view ourselves as God does. When we find that rest in him, it can only make us happier people. Happier in our family, jobs and happier in our world. 

Do you need to learn from him what he thinks of you? Come back tomorrow and I will share some scriptures with you that will give you the confidence that you need in him. If you let them. 

Thanks for coming by today Friends. Have a blessed day!

tl

A Rocking Chair of Anxiety or Trusting Jesus?

Worrying is really not having faith in God that he is going to or can take care of our situations. He wants us to bring all of our concerns to him, because he loves us. 1 Peter 5:7

When we do that, worry that is-we are trusting in ourselves. Instead of saying, "God I know you have got this, and I put my trust in you to handle it for me...." We might as well be saying, "Lord, you can't handle this and so I might as well just worry."

I read a quote on another site about worry and thought I would share it with you.

"Worry is like a good rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."
https://newchurch.org/get-answers/connection-magazine/dealing-with-fear-and-worry/live-with-less-anxiety-and-more-joy/?gclid=CjwKCAiA6vXwBRBKEiwAYE7iS9DMRJ9clLdc7RVWGRhnAuP8agWkxwrOcmkcPiwy2fAacNBANSjg4BoC-IwQAvD_BwE

And how true that is. It doesn't get us where we want to go. It gets us nothing but anxiety and depression because we can't get our problems solved. And we know where that can lead us.

But amidst the worries of everyday living-the stack of unpaid bills on the table, the rebellious teenager, the sickness that is invading our family-not to mention the downright craziness that goes on in the world, can we really do that? Can we really trust God to take care of us?

Well, I ask you, what other choice do we really have?

The answer goes back to that good old afore mentioned "rocking chair."  No where, except where we don't want to go.

Trusting God seems like a hard thing to do at times. And yet many scriptures calls us to do just that. And furthermore, to do it with patience and hope and prayer.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

When we can do those things, we can ward off the worry and find the escape route in which to break free of the devils tools to keep us inside that barbed wire fence that wants to keep us from what God wants for us.

Easy? Not usually? Doable? Yes, or God would not ask it of us. But in asking us to hope, be patient, and trust in him, he doesn't ask us to do it alone. He is right there with us.

Hello Friends. I pray for you today to have the peace that only God can give you. He is all  together lovely. Altogether worthy. Altogether wonderful. And he is there just for you! God bless.

Sticking Us With Worry (Part One)

That is what the devil wants to do to us. Stick us with worry along with all the other things he tries to do. Worry really does not get us anywhere. Except awake at night and could get so bad as to worry us sick. But really, what good does it do? Whatever we are worrying about is not going to go away if we can't lay it down and sleep. It will continue to be there and can even grow into more worry then we want. 

Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. Proverbs 12:25

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Worry is a trap that keeps us in that fence of barbed wire. So what can happen to someone physically, when they worry too much?

We can worry so much that it interferes with our daily lives. After we have not slept well during the night, it can control us by taking away our appetites. That can cause weight loss. Or just the opposite, for some, it can cause them to eat more then they should and gain weight.  Excessive worry can take our minds to those places we are worrying about and we may not be able to do our jobs the way they should be done.

Have you or someone you know ever felt the muscles in your neck or shoulders tighten up? That could be due to worry and stress. It can cause short term memory loss and/or suppress the immune system. And it can cause someone to have a heart attack.

These are just a few of the things that can happen to us when we let worry overtake us. So what can we do about it?

Well, if you have been reading my blogs for any length of time, you will know that I usually and almost always am a big proponent of going to God's Word for any and all things.

Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be moved. Psalm 55:22

We will say confidentially, " The Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6

They will have no fear of bad news, their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. Psalm 56:3

There are many other great verses that deal with anxiety and worry. One of my very favorites is in Philippians 4:8.

Finally brothers, whatever is true, what ever is honorable, what ever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admiral-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things. 

I wonder how different our lives would be, and how different our world could be, if we followed those instructions everyday about everything. Even when we are going through hard times. Instead of grumbling or complaining. Instead of worrying and being fearful. How different could things be?
It is something to think about. It is something to practice. It is something that is important for our health.

Aside from meditating on God's Word,  which is the most important thing we can do instead of worrying, what else can we do? Up next time I will give you some ideas on that very question. I hope you will come back for that. Thanks for coming and God bless!

A Sharp Jab of Fear

One spike in our fence of life is fear. It can be so big a problem for some, that they suffer from a condition called agoraphobia.

Agoraphobia: a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations that might make you panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed. 

Have you ever suffered from a problem such as this? I can't say I have but I know it exists in some people. It can be so bad that it is debilitating. The person might not even be able to go outside their home, because they don't feel safe in doing so.

It has to be just an awful way to live. To be so out of control in your life, that you can't go anywhere.
We know that fear is not of God. It comes from the devil. He wants to catch us in that barbed wire fence and keep us locked up in it.Jabbing us with his spikes, every minute of every day.  If he can do that, what good are we as Christians. We cannot carry the gospel of Christ to those that need it.

One way of getting free is to mediate on God's Word. There are so many verses that reminds us that God loves us. That he helps us.That he delivers us. And that we can trust him.

In the mean time, this condition is far to serious to not get medical treatment for those that suffer with it. Help can be tricky because the person has to confront their fear. But it can be done. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37) and because it isn't impossible for God to heal, through prayer and treatment, nothing is impossible for us.

For more information on agoraphobia follow this link:https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/agoraphobia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355987

For scripture to meditate on when going through a time of any kind of fear, follow this link:
https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/debbie-mcdaniel/33-verses-to-remind-us--we-do-not-have-to-fear.html

Thanks for coming today Friends. May God's richest blessing rest on your today!

Barbed Wire That Hurts

Life, just as sharp as barbed wire, can cut into our very souls when we least expect it. I once couldn't wait for my fairy tale life to begin. And that is what it turned out to be.

I was getting married, and it was going to be so much fun. Almost like playing house which I had done when I was younger.

So I got married, and in hardly any time, I ran right into that barbed wire.

Is that you? Have you run into it too? Well if not, most likely at some point-you will.

There are many kinds of it, sad to say. Drug abuse, too much debt, loss of a job, divorce and yes even the things that we think are going to be good things, can jab us. Mine was marrying someone that was becoming an alcoholic as we said our wedding vows.

So what do we do when we run into those painful wires?

Well, there is usually not a cut and dry answer that is going to suddenly set us free. Because we do make our own messes and when we get jabbed, it could stay there for a long time. Of course, the best way to not get jabbed, is to stay away from them (temptations) in the first place.

If caught in the middle of one of those fences, it may hold us in so deeply that we can't escape. There may be no place in the fence that is open to let us out. And so we have to either try to craw under it, or go over top of it, or just plain stay within it.

That is, unless we have Jesus in our lives.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will provide a way of escape, so that you can stand up under it. I Corinthians 10:13.

He doesn't tempt us, and he doesn't let us be tempted beyond what we can do that would break us down and keep us inside that fence we have allowed to close us in.

For sure life is hard. Sometimes we do allow temptations to do the things that do not please him. But if he allows it, he also provide a way in which we can get out. We still might have climb up and go over. We might have to do what I felt like I was doing during the years my husband drank, and craw on my belly to get out. And in so doing, we can get jabbed and stuck again and again. And it can hurt. But there are always lessons that God wants to teach us. And one of them is that he is faithful, and when the time is right, he will get us safely out. I know that, because he did it for me. After about 15 years of living with a husband that drank, he provided us with the escape from that kind of life, and my husband has not touched a drop since. As of January 15th he will celebrate 35 years of sobriety. How awesome is that! How great is our God!

Life wasn't miraculously easy after he got sober. But what was miraculous was the work God did in us to get to the point that the pain of spikes that we had felt jabbing us, have long since gone away. Oh, we have our days. Believe me. But life is so much better on this side of it.

If you feel you are stuck in something you can't get out of and are hurting because you can't escape from it, take heart. There is always hope and Jesus wants to provide your own way of escape. If he said it, believe it. He did it for us. He can do it for you!

Hello Friends. Thanks for coming by today. God bless you and have a wonderful day. Until next time.... 

How To Survive The Barbwire's Of 2020 (coming 1/7)

Barb wire: a type of steel wire fencing constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. It is used to protect property, An animal or person trying to pass through or over it will suffer discomfort or injury which is especially true if it is electric.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbed_wire

If you have ever lived on a farm, many of you have probably seen animals kept inside of this type of fencing to prevent them from leaving the area that the farmer did not want them to go. As a teenager, we were allowed to roam on my own grandparents land, but we avoided such areas that would have this type of fence, because we knew the danger of trying to get through or over them. 

Have you ever thought about barbed wire though as something that could be used as a metaphor in your daily life? Something that jabs and pricks into your very soul. Something that hurts and sometimes even damages?

Most of us have experienced these injuries in one way or another, at one time or another. 

So how do we deal with them? How do we survive them? Is there a way to overcome them? Is there a way we can even avoid them?

Starting tomorrow (January 7) we will explore some of the above questions to find out what we can do to possibly have a better year in 2020, according to God's word. I hope you will join

Until then,  Have a Happy and Blessed New Year 2020 from my home to yours!

2020 Resolutions, or Goals?

A new year has started. What does 2020 mean for you? What are your hopes, dreams and goals for this year? Have you made any resolutions? How did you do last year with any resolutions you made? Did you see them through?

 Did  you know that statistics have it that just 25% of those that make resolutions stick to them for a whopping 30 days, and only 8% actually accomplish them.

So then why even resolve to do things we think or know we should do, if we end up in that other 22%? And by the way, is there something that we can do instead that would get us farther down the road then that?

The answer is to turn those resolutions into goals. 

Setting goals in steps that we want to take to reach the things that we want to accomplish, is much more manageable then just making resolutions and then not knowing how to get where we want to go.

For example, one of my goals for this year is to work towards paying off some credit card debt. I have 2 that I will be working on and this is how I plan to accomplish my goal.

Pay the minimum monthly payment on one card. On the other card, pay the minimum amount plus whatever extra I can pay above that. Once I pay that card off, I can then use what I had been paying on the second card each month plus its regular monthly payment to work on getting that card paid off. 

This can work on most any kind of debt you have. Doctor bills, loans etc. It may take some time. It may even take longer then a year. But if we work on it, step by step and stay on the course, it will work. 

Another goal might be to work at getting rid of junk and downsizing your home. 

I had faced this over last summer when we were going to move. We wanted to get rid of the things we had accumulated over the years we have been married. Believe me there was lots of it. And sometimes it was hard to know what we wanted to keep and what we wanted to get rid of. 

But God knew we needed help and he helped us make some decisions on that. We started with one room at a time, deciding on what to give our kids, what to donate to the Goodwill, and what to get rid of. We even set the things we wanted to get rid of down by the street and almost everything was picked up by someone that could use them. We really had very little trash to get rid of.

Setting a time of how much to actually spend on it, and doing one room at a time, makes it a more attainable goal so that you don't become overwhelmed. 

Making clear decisions, setting goals for each day to accomplish and then making sure to follow through, was the answer to a house full of things that needed a place to end up. 

God wants us to be debt and junk free. Sometimes, it is not easy. But if we make clear decisions about what we need to do, it can work. And it can be accomplished easier then just make a resolution that ends up in that 22%

These are just two of the ways you can accomplish the things that you want to do. There are many sites that you can go on to find more. Try Pinterest. It is a great place to start.

Above all, keep God at the top of your list. He will help you get those things done even when you wonder how you will ever get through them. I am proof of it, believe me.

Hi Friends. Have a blessed year ahead!