Category Archives: 100 Spiritual Walking Steps

Marching into Mark Chapter Four

Marching into Mark Chapter Four

(c)2023 M. Christine Wildman

Marching into Mark Registry,
the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 69, March 10 )

On Facebook, you can join us at Itty Bitty Bible Study Group.

Passage
Mark Chapter Four

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

The Images that I use are from Knowing Jesus and are available as downloads in every format that I can imagine for screen savers and wallpapers.

  • Mark 4 (cross reference Matthew 5, 7 and 8, mostly Matthew 13)
    • Mk 4:1-2
      • Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:
      • Mk 4:13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?
    • Mk 4:11-12 & 33-34 the reason for parables
      • 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables
      • “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
            and ever hearing but never understanding;
        otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’
      • Hew did not say anything without using a parable but when He was alone with His own disciples He explained everything.
      • 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
    •  Mk 4:3-8 and 14-20 The Parable of the sower and interpretation
      • 3 & 14 farmer sows seed – seed is the Word of God.
      • 4 &15 birds steal seed – satan steals word
      • 5-6 & 16-17 rocky places scorched – received with joy, but no root
      • 7 & 18-19  Thorns choke seed – worries of this life choke out  Word of God
      • 8 & 20 good soil, hears, accepts, and does therefore produces fruit.
    • Mk 4:21-23 Lampstand Parable
    • Mk 4:24-25
      • 24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
    • Mk 4:26-29Parable of the Growing Seed
      • 26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.
      • 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 
      • 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
      • 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
    • Mk  4:30-31 Parable of the Mustard seed
      • 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
    • Mk 4:35-39 Jesus calms the storm – the Prince of Peace
      • And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be Still" and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39
      • Jesus and a bunch of boats start out to go to the otherside
      • 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
      • 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
      • 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
    • Mk 4:40-  The rebuke,
      • 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
    • Mk 4:41 Shock and Awe
      • 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

For other references and thoughts – Meditating in Matthew 8, and MMM13

A place to see the four gospels compared is from Synoptic Gospel Parallels.

Mindful Meditating

  1. choose a verse,
  2.  set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
  3.  example: Mark 4:39
  4. repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

  • And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
  • PEACE! Be still! and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
  • Peace! BE still! and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
  • Peace! Be STILL! and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
  • Peace! Be Still! AND the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

and so on.  This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

Songs for Meditation

Peace Be Still – Hope Durst

This is the Kingdom – Elevation Worship

We Declare that the Kingdom of God is Here – Ron Kenoly

Coloring – I use coloring to help me focus on the fullness of a verse.

Mark Coloring page – Ministry to Children – simple enough to finish in an hour or less

Several Jesus Calms the Storms coloring pages – Connect us

Quick Questions – if  you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later.  Some thoughts to dig deeper.

  1. How do you think that Mark 4: 26-29 applies to us if we are not farmers?
    1. GotQuestions discusses the growing seed well.
  2. How do you react to the storms?
    1. Cry out to Jesus? Forget that He’s there?
    2. Deuteronomy 31 – He will never leave us nor forsake us.
    3. Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
    4. Matthew 2820 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Older woman with shades of coral in jewelry and sweater, glasses, silver and brown hair.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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100 Spiritual Walking Steps #51 – Listen AND WRITE IT DOWN

This morning, in my prayer time, I KNEW I had something I was supposed to write.
I KNEW I had a word from God to share.
I also knew that I have a few things to do in order to get up, and come to my computer, and sit down and type it up.
My problem with that is my mental illness – my mental disability – my ‘handicap’ if you will.
In order to write a blog from the LORD – I NEED TO WRITE IT DOWN WHEN I GET IT!

Sometimes, I have written down the scriptures – but not today.
Even when I write down the scriptures, I may not remember, once things have cycled through my rolodex of daily duties, what it was that God was giving me.
If I don’t write it down – I may as well have not obeyed at all – and forget even sitting down at my computer.

That is why there is such a huge time and date difference between some of these steps…
Some, I started writing, and life happened, and I couldn’t remember what I was writing. Those are in drafts…waiting for my mind to remember.
Some, are in notes on a notepad – when I was obedient and wrote something down – but I cannot remember what my notes meant.
Sometimes, I get so busy editing the blog so it looks pretty, and easy for someone to read, and I forget what God’s voice is saying.

Do I stop hearing God’s voice after my morning prayer time? NO!
This has been a lesson I have had to learn.
But, in the quiet of the morning, I hear so much clearer…when I am lying on my bed, only focusing on Him, and my prayers.
It is then, that the writer in me is able to write what she hears – not being distracted – not having the weeds of the world and life float in and distract.

I need to be quiet, body, mind and spirit, to write.
Writing is an act of worship for me – it’s between me and God…and the fruit is what gets shared with others through this blog.
When I am in the ‘God zone’ – there is something that happens to my hands, and I rarely have typos…and I can type VERY fast.

This blog is an attempt to just be obedient to the call to write.
I can ‘feel’ the message in my mind…but I cannot get ‘eyes’ onto it in order to bring it out and share it…my heart will hold it, I know it’s not lost to me, spiritually, but because of my challenges, I cannot type it out. I cannot get it out of my head, and onto the computer screen – or even paper via pen.

Why would God call someone with such a difficulty to write?
I don’t know…and yet, I do.
Anything that I write comes from the Lord…that is, anything that is glorifying to Him! I do write garbage sometimes, later in the day…but early in the morning, when I write things that are blessings to people, those come from the Lord.

I feel like the full field in which the sower sows seeds.
In the morning – the seed falls on good ground…ground prepared by prayer, and worship.
In the afternoon – the weeds of the world start choking it out…I can’t hear as clearly..oh, I hear the basic stuff…but not the things that folks think are really insightful and gifts from God.
By evening…well, the ground is harder…and this is the time that is hardest for me to hear the Lord’s voice…and, it’s not always because my heart is hard, it’s because my inner voices have been telling me all about the things I failed to do that day, possibly starting with, not writing the blog the Lord laid upon my heart.

Moses argued with God that he was not a good speaker…
Gideon argued that he was not courageous…
Peter argued that he was not worthy….
I know what God has called me to do…I have spent time arguing…HE WINS the arguments with “Who made your mouth, ear, mind, hand, legs, back, neck?”
He wins with “who called you?”
He wins with “Do you love me? feed my lambs”
He wins with “If you love me, obey my commands”
HE WINS WITH “I HAVE LOVED YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE!”

And how could I say no to that?
Well, I have. over and over.
But, HE continues to reply to me, over and over, with the paraphrases above, and others.

You see, My God is a personal God – and I call Him, Abba, Father!
My Jesus is my personal savior, and HE calls me friend.

Ps 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

It breaks my heart that I cannot remember what God shared with me this morning…and that I cannot share it with you.
Some will say “Then it obviously wasn’t supposed to be shared” and they will miss the point.
When God calls a person to do His will, and they refuse, or delay, or object, or whatever….His will is going to be done, but not through that person.
The thing is, what if there was someone that would have read this blog – and had their heart turn, and because I did not speak to them, their blood is on my head?

Ez 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

Ez 33:6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take [any] person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.

These chapters in Ezekiel do not give much leeway for the watch(wo)man that does not choose to stand in the gap, nor shout out the warning to draw in the children of God.

On the other hand, maybe this is the blog I was supposed to write…
What has God called YOU to do?
Be about YOUR Father’s business…the time is short…we know not the hour or the day, and it doesn’t have to be the rapture. Every moment of every day, we are called to speak the truth and shine a light….

I pray that my confession has touched your heart…to turn to the Lord – not take your hand off the plow, and to press on towards the mark of the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!

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Soon, we’ll have email subscription, and maybe a newsletter.
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Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

 

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

100 Spiritual Walking Steps #41 – John 3:16, football and boldness

Tim Tebow - www.timtebow.com

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Tim Tebow – the wonderful young man that is quarterback for the Denver Broncos – threw passes for 316 yards against the Steelers.
They said he couldn’t do it…but God is the one that writes the story of our life.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This young man is an example to all who call themselves by the name of Christ:
Tim has embraced the reality of John 3:16, along with the following passages from John 3:

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

I have posted my testimony as “Who Is ChristArtist?”

But here’s a question for all that want to ride on Tim Tebow’s coat tails…Do you think you’re going to heaven?

If you are a Christian, why aren’t WE being persecuted in the same manner as Tim Tebow?

Tebow has done what we as Christians are commanded to do – encourage one another while it is still day….Heb 3:13;
and

Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Can we say:

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

And do we believe:

Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and [in his] Father’s, and of the holy angels.

or

Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

I wrote about boldness in Step #37 New Beginnings, Again!

I have been challenged to be BOLD this year…BOLD for the LORD…and Tim Tebow has been a beautiful example of that this year.
You can see a ripple of boldness in the other football players, and the teams…being unafraid to share their faith.
I challenge anyone to live like Tim Tebow – imitating him as he imitates Christ.
We could all follow much worse.

Thank you, God, for bringing Tim Tebow into our lives for such a time as this! Bless him and his family, as they have blessed us, in Jesus’ name.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!

If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.
Soon, we’ll have email subscription.

Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

 

 

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

Daniel Fast – Day 2 – Struggles

Today, I woke up with struggles.
I wrote this post – about my Recovery Today – and it’s not very happy.

My focus for this fast has been that I would grow closer to God, more and more like Jesus.
And I think, I’ve just been attacked.

And, If you read that blog, you will know some of my struggles…and right now, I feel very tired, and very worn…
So today, my prayer is that Jesus would support me, lift up my hands, and carry me through today – give me wisdom to know what to pray.

The Bible reading that I am doing with my husband starts with Psalm 5:

Ps 5:1 Give ear to my words, O Lord; Consider my groaning.
:2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, My King and my God, for to you do I pray.
:3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
In the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

The next few verses is how God does not like wickedness…and they won’t have a place in His Kingdom…BUT here’s a promise:

Ps 5:7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

King James says it this way: “But as for me, I will come [into] thy house in the multitude of thy mercy:”

I can’t come into the house of the Lord based on MY righteousness – it’s because of the gift He gave…His son.

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?
:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

This morning, as Jim was leaving, he mentioned to me that he’d read Psalm 5 – and that the last verse were very full of promise.

Ps 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as [with] a shield.

English Standard version says it this way:

Ps 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult you.

Take refuge…

Prov 18:10 The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.


Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
:2 I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

My recovery struggles are going to be part of my Daniel Fast.
The Daniel Fast is one of those things that I’m sure the enemy is not happy about.
But I don’t have to worry about the enemy, because he can’t do anything without going through God’s hands first.
All I have to ‘worry’ about is ME – and I’m going to be running into the Name of the Lord, and dwelling in the secret place…and abiding under the shadow of the Almighty.
HE is my fortress and refuge.

Psalm 32:7 Thou [art] my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Psalm 119:114 Thou [art] my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

I am learning how to draw near to Him Who gave His life for me – Jesus.
And, that IS what I wanted to focus on, for this 21 day project.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!

If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.
Soon, we’ll have email subscription.

Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

 

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

100 Spiritual Walking Steps #38 Choose to Move

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

These 100 Spiritual Steps are all about moving from one place to another – in the spiritual realm, which effects the physical realm.

The other day, I wrote about a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.
Today, I’m taking a first step.
Today, I am starting the Daniel Fast – because I can’t fast with no food, and because I need to bring my body under subjection.
This is a first step for this year, to effect change in me.

There are changes that need to be made in me:

  • Heart
  • Soul
  • Mind
  • Strength

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.

Everything and everyone changes.
Moving is Change and change is moving!

Some change just happens.
Some change is a choice.

Change is scary!
Sometimes change is because of a lack of a choice.
Not choosing is giving up your power to allow someone or something else to choose for you.
SCARY!

In this context, CHANGES could be replaced with CHOICES.
We have a CHOICE about how we react or respond to CHANGE.

From our birth, things have changed – in us and around us – and for the first years, we had no choice in the matter.
When we started becoming aware, we started to make choices, and our choices brought consequences, whether desirable, or not.
WE SHOULD HAVE LEARNED FROM OUR CHOICES.
SOME CHOICES DETERMINED THE DIRECTION OF OUR LIVES.

You can choose to move….

Gen 12: 1 & 4 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Or be moved….by your choices:

Gen 3:23-24 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The key is – the choices have their consequences:
Abraham:

Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Adam and Eve:

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;
:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.

We are asked to make a choice for our heart’s devotion, and that gives us a direction in which to go.

God, through Moses, asked the Israelites to make a choice before moving on towards the promised land:


Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he [is] thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

God, through Joshua, asked the Israelites to choose whom they would serve before moving forward:

Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Jesus asks us to make a choice, and change our direction, and follow Him.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand.

Jesus asked the rich young ruler to make a choice:

Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Jesus lets us know there is a cost:

Matt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

I think of that poor rich young ruler. He’d done everything right, EXCEPT give his HEART to Jesus – his heart was tied up in his things.
I also think about the 10 virgins – they were all waiting for the bridegroom to come, they had all fallen asleep – but when it all came down to when it counted – there were five that had paid the price to have enough oil….

Matthew 25 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

When the cry went out that the bridegroom was on the way, they all awoke, and five realized they didn’t have enough oil. Five refilled their lamps. The foolish five had to go buy oil – and while they were off doing that, the bridegroom came, the door was opened, the wise five went in…and the door was shut. Not to be opened again. Those that had not paid the price to be prepared, were left out.

The moral of the story?

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Choices have consequences, and determine where we can go.
In our spiritual life – choices have spiritual consequences, and determine where we will spend eternity.

I am suffering the consequences of choices that I made many years past.
Some are visible, some are not.
Some are physical, some are not.

But the first step is to move away from those choices, and to choose to make a change.

Matt 3:2 Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The word repent here, in the Greek, means:

to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins

That is also the first step of salvation.
It is also, the first step for change.

In Christ, I am a new creation. (2 Cor 5:17)
In Christ, I have gone from darkness into light. (Eph 5:18)
I have to choose to put off the old man, and put on the new man. (2 Cor 5:17)
But, thank God – I can do it just one step at a time.
This journey, of however many steps, starts with ONE STEP.
I just have to be stepping in the right direction!
I have to CHOOSE to MOVE!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!

If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.
Soon, we’ll have email subscription.

Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

 

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

100 Spiritual Steps #40 – “A Word on Fire Extinguishers”

I stared this morning with my through the Bible readings.

I started this morning with several blogs that I have to write.

I started this morning with some concerns for my focus with my life.

I started this morning with my facebook to check up on a few of my prayer concerns(as in, people that I pray for).

What I got was a dear friend, Vicki Small’s status saying this:

“I wish I didn’t understand this post so well, that I had always “walked the walk” and spoken, as Dave says, when the Holy Spirit gave me the opportunity. Too often have I quenched the Spirit out of fear of rejection or ridicule. Not since the 9th grade, the end of my “zeal without knowledge,” have I been one to push my faith on those who weren’t interested. Ugh. In my 20’s, there were times when I tried, in fear and in trembling, to pull of some evangelistic strategy promoted by my church. The last time was such a bomb that I swore, “Never again.” The result has been most of a lifetime of NOT speaking up; on the other hand, if you’re not walking the walk, it’s best not to talk, isn’t it?
Sorry. That is not the direction of Dave’s post, and I encourage my friends who love and follow Christ Jesus to read it. It’s good for chills up your spine.

Her status shocked me.

Her words unnerved me.

Vicki is one of the ones that inspires me to be better, to be more compassionate, to be more Christ like…and she’s confessing that she doesn’t think she quenches the Holy Spirit?  This blog sent chills up her spine?  What does this guy say?

A Word on Fire Extinguishers

This not only sent chills up my spine, it set a fire under my bum.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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100 Spiritual Steps #36 consistency

A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. ~Lao-tzu

The quotation page suggests this quote be translated more like this:

Although this is the popular form of this quotation, a more correct translation from the original Chinese would be

“The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.” Rather than emphasizing the first step, Lau Tzu regarded action as something that arises naturally from stillness. Another potential phrasing would be “Even the longest journey must begin where you stand.” [note by Michael Moncur, September 01, 2004]

This saying is so enlightened, so ethereal, and so useless! Every year I take the first steps to do something new! Yea! I’ve started a journey of a thousand miles…but I never get out my front door! Starting is great..but it doesn’t amount to much unless each day, each morning, I get up, and take that next step.

Elisabeth Elliott Gren often said “When you don’t know what to do, just do the next right thing.”
AA uses this quote.

What steps are there? What would be the next right step?

Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Press on….
International Standard Version says it this way:

I keep pursuing the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly call in the Messiah Jesus.

Many translate it run towards.

Later, I’m going to write about taking steps…but right now, I am dealing with my difficulty with being consistent in taking steps, no matter how small or how large.

Philipians 3:14 is a forward moving, active concept. It is NOT static. It is NOT waiting for the next step, it is MOVING toward that next step…even if there is a question.

WHAT DO I DO NEXT?
The next right thing.

WHAT IS THE NEXT RIGHT THING?
That which would glorify God at this time.

WHAT WOULD GLORIFY GOD AT THIS TIME?
For that answer, one needs to spend time with the Lord, hearing HIS voice, and following HIM.

For me – right now it is writing, and I believe that soon, it will be painting again.
For me – it is praying.
For me – it is reading my Bible through and through.

WHEN CAN I NOT DO THOSE THINGS?
With an Android phone – I can always read my Bible – no excuses.
With the tablet Jim provided by God’s grace – I can always write.
With my easel, and my supplies, soon, I can always do some art.
WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN ME – I CAN ALWAYS PRAY!!!

I want to consistently decide to do the NEXT RIGHT THING.

So, this year, I am combating procrastination, distraction, and even laziness.

Prov 6:10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
:11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.(Pr 24:33-34)

Psalm 90 is the song of Moses – and he is talking about the brevity of life. We are but dust – and days of our lives are nothing in comparison to the eternity of God. Our years are filled with trouble, and they end with a sigh. But, Moses prays:

Ps 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Dear Lord – TEACH US TO MAKE OUR DAYS COUNT!!! FOR ETERNITY!!!

WISDOM?

Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: his praise endureth for ever.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

BECAUSE

Eccl 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

AND SOLOMON SAYS:

Eccl 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.
:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.

After my 51st birthday, I started sensing an urgency of time. I am past 1/2 way to 100. As Moses said:

Psalm 90:10The length of our days is seventy years–or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span [fn] is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

75 is between the two – and is only 24 years away.

My first 50 years has so many starts without finishes that, even if I tried to get everything I started done, I would NOT finish them by the time I was 75!

Starting, without finishing is the lack of consistency.

For me, I think my lack of consistency has always been about “I will have time later” or “I’ll do it tomorrow.” or distraction.

Luke 9:62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.

  • 2008 – Jim and I participated in The Biggest Loser Million Pound Matchup – and I lost almost 40 pounds in 4 months, and completed many 5k’s. I didn’t keep it up.
  • 2009 – after Physical Therapy, I completed a modified mini triathlon. I had lost the weight, again. I didn’t keep it up.
  • 2010 – many surgeries…but I didn’t keep up the eating plan.
  • AND NOT ONCE DID I READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE BIBLE!
  • NOT ONCE DID I KEEP MY PRAYER JOURNAL!

I still have many unfinished projects – though I did donate many of them to worthy causes. Does that count? Of course not! I didn’t finish those projects! I want to be fit for the Kingdom of Heaven!

So – why did I fail?

  • Lack of consistency…I didn’t do the next right step moving towards a goal…I stood still. I stood still so long that time moved past me, and those projects became impossible to complete.
  • Lack of diligence…I got distracted by other projects, people and events.
  • Laziness…no sense of urgency. I didn’t number my days.

In 2012 – I have some goals to press on towards.

  1. Bible Reading –
  2. Prayer
  3. Writing
  4. Painting

In that order.

While doing this – I feel that I have some responsibilities.

  • Health
  • Relationships
  • Home

What is my responsibility, really?

To fear God, and keep His commandments. ~Solomon

Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

It’s simple really:

John 10: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Just listen and follow! It only costs everything!
Just be consistent!
Day By Day!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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Naomi's Heart Mission

 

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

100 Spiritual Steps #37 – New Beginnings – Again

My word for 2012 – boldness.

BOLDNESS

Based on Acts 4:13

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

and

Heb 4:16

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Peter and John – UNLEARNED AND IGNORANT
with the help of the online parallel bible
NLT says this:

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

ESV says uneducated, common
NIV says unschooled, ordinary
many versions agree with KJV, NIV, NLT and ESV
– these guys were NOT the elite members of society.
But, they were BOLD!

Bold is also translated COURAGE in the NIV:

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

NASB translates it as confidence.

I’m going to have to deal with that word later – courage.
Confidence is another good word!
Right now, I’m dealing with boldness – HOW DID THEY GET IT?

The key is in the last part of the verse….

They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

KJV says

and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

ISV says

they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus.

I have learned the circle of joy –
I have learned the circle of peace –

Here is a circle of boldness –
be with Jesus = boldness -> come boldly before the throne of God = be with Jesus -> obtain mercy and grace in time of need = face time of need with boldness!

I know there are many other verses that will come up…and this circle may get wider… but, God provides a way for us to be bold because HE is the one that gives us the ability to have courage in HIM. This is just the beginning of my journey toward boldness, courage and confidence.

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Each one of us is given a gift – and each one of us needs to boldly walk in that gift…

1 Tim 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

… and not let the enemy deny us the fruit of that gift by filling us with negative thoughts.

2 Cor 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

My leading for this year is to BOLDLY practice the GIFTS THAT ARE WITHIN ME! This is my NEW beginnings for this year!

I wrote about Boldness in Step #9 – Where do we stand?
and
Step #31 – With what Shall I go?

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!

Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

100 Spiritual Walking Steps – #35 Looking toward the goal

From where I’m standing
Lord it’s so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You’re leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out
In a world I can’t control

This song really makes it clear that when we look at our current circumstances we rarely can see our future clearly.

Ruth “Bunny” Graham wrote a book:
Fear Not Tomorrow, for God is already there.

Casting Crowns:

When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there

When I think about my tomorrows, I wonder what I’m going to do, and will I be prepared, will I be happy there, will there be others there with me. Wondering is one thing, but fearing is another. wondering can lead to anxiousness, which is stress, and can lead to fear.

Nothing is going to happen to me that the Lord and I can’t handle. ~AA

The will of God will not lead me to a place where the grace of God cannot protect me.~Folk wisdom

Casting Crowns:

From where You’re standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan
When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there

This is all about God’s sovereignty…Everything that happens to me has to go through HIS hand. No need to fear.  So, why plan? Because, we don’t know the hour or the time for His return, and we must work while it is night, until the morning light.

So, looking toward the goal –

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

This is my whole purpose in life…to press on toward the prize.

1 Cor 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Heb 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

As I press on towards the goal, I can rest that Jesus is already there, and will not be surprised by anything, but is waiting for me with open arms. And when this life is over, we will look back together, and HE will show me the great masterpiece that HE has created.  I just have to make sure to keep headed in the right direction!

~Casting Crowns

One day I’ll stand before You
And look back on the life I’ve lived
I can’t wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit [x2]

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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Naomi's Heart Mission

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!

100 Spiritual Walking Steps #34 – Prayer to be a light on my Path

This blog is not so much what I’ve been learning as it is a prayer to practice what I’ve been learning.  In one week, 12/29/2011, I will have Achilles tendon surgery, with some bone deformities repaired and many spurs removed.

There is an insurance issue. Someone changed our insurance policy – causing us to supposedly need to pay 1000 deductible(and ‘only’ 200 has been met…totally bogus) and 10% of the surgery. On 9/27 and 11/2, surgeries were covered 100% – but, a person, somewhere, did something…and we are having trouble THIS WEEK getting things approved for next week. Christmas is Sunday and no one will be at work tomorrow or Monday. New Years is coming…and with that, a new program with higher deductibles.

I’m sure anyone can imagine what stress that adds to getting together with family. And we have an additional family member attending our weekend that is especially caustic.

A dear friend shared Rom 15:13 with me…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

it goes nicely with Phil 4:7 –

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I have been battling down fear for this 12 week situation – 8 in which I am non weight bearing(cannot walk)…and I guess the enemy has not enjoyed the fact that I have been in victory over this, and has been throwing all sorts of things in my path. I have stumbled. I have fallen.
But Ps 37:24 says

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand.

I am trying to hold onto Is 41:10 and 13

Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Victory is mine – in the Lord, and I know

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.(Phil 4:13)

My desire is to

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That (I) may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom (I) shine as lights in the world;(Phil 2:14-15)

Hebrews 11:1 reminds me that

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Just because I cannot see the manifestation of my faith in this situation, does not mean that God isn’t working in me.
I will always be in a battle – until the day I see HIM face to face…but in the mean time, I need to dwell in the secret place that is so eloquently described in Ps 23.

So, what is my prayer request?

  • That I will hold fast to the truth,
  • that I will stand fast in the Word of God,
  • that I will be a light shining on a hill to all in the next week, and in the 12 weeks that follow.
  • I pray that the joy of the Lord will be my strength(more specifically,
  • that I will run into the name of the Lord, that strong tower,
  • and absorb that joy that is in His presence, and be strong), and
  • that the Prince of Peace will reign in my heart in the midst of the storms swirling around me.
  • I pray that I will hear HIS voice saying – PEACE, BE STILL –
  • and that I will instantly obey.

Total healing would be great, too…but, I have no problem believing for that.

It’s for my walk with the Lord that I am asking for prayer – and not just that, it’s that my life will shine to all who meet me. I can get so self focused when I am in pain, and I want to be a blessing to those that help, serve, and care for me.

This is my prayer.

I hope that these songs bless you, as the Word of God will bless you – in the midst of storms. I pray that I will dance in the midst of the storms.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or ‘like’ me!

Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Barbs Drawing

Naomi's Heart Mission

Help a child in need. Check out Naomi’s Heart Mission or Compassion International. The life that changes will be your own!