Tag Archives: Blessing

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ruth 4

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

4
1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

I have a question here –
Boaz knew he was the kinsman redeemer for Naomi – and he knew that there was someone closer than him…
WHY WEREN’T THESE MEN DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT?
Why did Ruth have to glean, why did Naomi have to send Ruth to the threshing floor?
Why did Ruth have to propose to Boaz? In Ruth’s defense, she didn’t understand that ways of the Hebrews –
BUT BOAZ DID! and he was very quick to say “there is another closer than I”
WHY did Ruth and Naomi have to institute the care for widows?
Why did Ruth and Naomi have to beg for the care of the family that was ordained, whether by God or by tradition?

Ok, so now that Boaz has been called out on his duty – he’s going to to his job, and get things in order.

2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

oops – wrong answer…or was this a sly way to lay things out?
And again, this is not a huge metropolis…why doesn’t this unnamed family member know all about this as well?

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

Boaz was apparently a shrewd business man.
I’m assuming he knew exactly how to ask and present this to this family member.

9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon.
10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

Here is a neat thing – this is the blessing spoken upon HEBREW women when they are married.
Here’s an interesting twist…Tamar bore to Judah?
Genesis 38 tells the progression of Levirate marriage!
Tamar was married to Er – Judah’s first born.
Er dies.

Genesis 38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.

Onan refuses- by spilling his seed (not by abstaining).
Onan dies.

Genesis 38:9 But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.

So, Judah has one more son…Shelah. He promises him to Tamar when he grows up.
long story short – he doesn’t.
Judah’s wife dies – he is greiving – and sees one that he thinks is a prostitute at the side of the road.
Tamar.

Here is an interesting part:

Genesis 38:24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”
Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”

I’m remembering Mary – who was found to be pregnant.
I’m thinking about what could have happened to Ruth, had Boaz accused her of prostitution!

Instead – Genesis 38:25-30
Tamar calls him on his broken promise as well as for sleeping with a, perceived, prostitute!
Twins – Perez and Zerah.

The Hebrew blessing upon a marrying woman speaks of Tamar! a woman who was scorned(and, suffered because she was married to a man that was evil in God’s sight!). God raised up her name to be part of a blessing!

Ruth 4:
Naomi Gains a Son
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Boaz and Ruth redeem Naomi’s family, that of her husband and her sons, by giving her their first born son.
What if Boaz didn’t have another? Boaz did the right thing, swearing to the possibility of his own hurt. Psalm 15:4
I don’t know, but there is no mention of Boaz having a prior wife, or prior children. This could have been his only chance.

I find this next passage interesting!

Ruth 4
The Genealogy of David
18 This, then, is the family line of Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron,

19 Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,[d]
21 Salmon the father of Boaz,

Perez, the one born of some sort of legal incest, was Boaz’s ancestor!

Boaz the father of Obed,

22 Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of David.

Matthew 1 repeats this genealogy. This is the mother’s side(I think)
it includes Rahab…

Matthew 1:5

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Boaz was half Amorite! Rahab – from the story of the men Joshua sent out in Joshua 2 was an Amorite. And a Prostitute!

Another from another land that professed her trust and belief in the God of Israel!

Joshua 2:8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof
9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.
10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.
11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

Of course, the story of Rahab and the spies is where we get the shadow of the scarlet cord – the foreshadowing of the scarlet blood that was shed by Christ to save us all.

Obed, the father of David – the shepherd King and the forerunner of Jesus Christ – was 1/4 Amorite and 1/2 Moabite!

God truly raises up the humble, the meek, the poor, the lowly to be His instruments!

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Matthew 23:12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

James 4:7-10
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Romans 9:15-16
15 For he says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[a]
16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

And this – I see this flowing through the whole of the story of Ruth!

Matthew 5:3-9
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

If I ever get to thinking that I am special in anyway – I can look at this…and I can look at Balaam’s Donkey – and remember, God uses those that are willing – not those that are special.

I want to live the beattitudes – and there is no room for pride of arrogance in that list.

James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

I am just now reading the Torah Class lesson about the rest of Ruth 4. I love how the teacher does not try to excuse the words, but rather, accept it for what it is, while also looking to the whole Hebrew history. Boaz and Ruth did not have the Levirate marriage. That was Tamar and Judah’s sons. Read more about this in the Torah Class.

In this lesson, it is also mentioned that Leah and Rachel were gentiles before marrying into Israel!

Then after the elders publically notarize the agreement, they pronounce a prayer and a blessing over Boaz and Ruth asking that God would make them very fruitful (in children and descendants) like Leah and Rachael did for Jacob. It is an interesting choice of women’s names to invoke because Rachael and Leah had something in common with Ruth: they were all gentiles before their Hebrew husbands married them. It’s hard to get away from the fact that gentiles always played a key role in building up of the nation of Israel and in their redemption. In fact, when even the name of Tamar is mentioned as the mother of Peretz (Judah being the father) she too was a gentile woman. And Peretz is mentioned because he was an ancestor of Boaz.

This teachers final thoughts are well written:

But let’s not let one other connection zoom by us the son of Ruth, the one who redeems, was born in Bethlehem and then perhaps 125 years later that son’s grandchild, King David, would also be born in Bethlehem. And then 1000 years after that, Yoseph and Miriam who lived far to the north in Nazareth of the Galilee found themselves in Bethlehem for a few days and there, in the same place that Obed and David were brought into this world, so was Yeshua the Messiah.

I’m going to write up some final thoughts tomorrow about my thoughts on Ruth.
Please join me!

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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2016 Word for the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – understanding my benefits

Psalm 23.
Understanding the benefits for those to whom the Lord is Shepherd.

The Lord is my Shepherd by Keith Green

In 2011, I prepared a Bible Study for several women at an RV park in which we lived.

PSALM 23 – 11/15/2011

A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

Shepherd/sheep
Ps 100:3; Ps 79:13
John 10:11 & 14; 27-28

Provide:
Phil 4:19
Matt 6:25ff; Lk 12:30-32
Ps 84:11

Peaceful Place/ Peaceful heart
Ps 29:11; Is 26:3
Rev 7:17; 22:17
Mk 4:9; John 14:27, John 16:33

Yesterday, while I was meditating upon the Lord and His word, I checked out the Bible Promise for the day.Promise 269.

When you walk through the valley of death

Today, I’m meditating on Psalm 23. Not specifically verse 4, but, the fullness of Psalm 23, in providing so much for me to make it through life’s storms.

Psalm 23

THE LORD
Definition of lord
1
: one having power and authority over others:
a : a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due
b : one of whom a fee or estate is held in feudal tenure
c : an owner of land or other real property
d obsolete : the male head of a household
e : husband
f : one that has achieved mastery or that exercises leadership or great power in some area
2
capitalized
a : god 1
b : jesus

There is much in the Bible about the LORD. Of course, this depends upon one’s beliefs, but for me, this is the part of the definition of GOD’s position:

1
: one having power and authority over others:
a : a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due

It’s difficult for me to separate WHO GOD is, with Who I believe HIM to be.

CREATOR
The Hebrew from Strongs says this word is Yehovah.
It’s the same word used for the creator in Genesis 2.

יְהֹוָה Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw’; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.

Genesis 2:4 This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the [a]Lord God made the earth and the heavens—

Continuing on in the Bible, it is evident that the LORD has his fingers in everything that effects mankind.

For anyone’s research pleasure, Blue Letter Bible has a comprehensive list of the use of the word Yehovah!

DELIVERER
The only reason the Israelites were at the Mountain to receive God’s commandments, was that HE delivered them from the slavery of Egypt.

a quick google for God as deliverer produces a Bible Verse list on deliverance of God as deliverer.

The Song of Moses after the exodus!
Exodus 15

Exodus 15
1
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this [a]song to the Lord, singing,

“I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously;
The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea.
2
“The Lord is my strength and my song,
And He has become my salvation;
This is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Psalms 50:14-16
14″Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High;
15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”
16But to the wicked God says, “What right have you to tell of My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth?…

GOVERNOR
When God met Moses on the mount, and gave him the 10 commandments, he described himself thus:

Exodus 20 Then God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship].
5 You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [[a]demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing graciousness and steadfast lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lord will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who [b]takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].

Gen 17:17-18
Psalms 50:7; 81:10
Isaiah 44:6; 45:5-6
Jeremiah 10:10-11

When Moses had to replace the tablets, he begged God to show him HIS glory. Moses wanted to know God better. This is how God described HIMself.

Exodus 33:
18 Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!”
19 And God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion.”
20 But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me and live!”
21 Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;
22 and while My glory is passing by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and protectively cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
23 Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

When they were done with the new tablets, God granted his request:

Exodus 34
5 Then the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with Moses as he proclaimed the Name of the Lord.
6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth (faithfulness);
7 keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].”

There is another aspect of LORD that holds great meaning indicated in that visitation from God.

JUDGE
He will judge the quick and the dead.

The Song of Moses(from Ex 15) is spoken about in Revelation 15:1-4…the end.
From the Beginning (Genesis) to the end (Revelation) – the LORD is involved in the lives of man.

Song of Moses by Chris Codding
By Paul Wilbur

Romans 14:12 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

1 Peter 4:5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
2 Tim 4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

Creator, Deliverer, Governor and Judge.
The verses point to Christ within the context of LORD.

Romans 14:9
For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Acts 10:42
James 5:9

Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful by Keith Green

The next important part is the response to WHOM HE is.
It gets personal.

THE LORD IS MY

I’m going to stop here – and discuss MY the next time.

How does this apply to PREPARE?
Before one goes into battle, one must know his/her weapons and armor, and how to use them. By the time I get to walking in that valley of the shadow of death, I need to KNOW my shepherd, and KNOW what HE will do for me, and what I can do for myself.

This Psalm came before Psalms 91, and before Ephesians 6.
God putting forth HIS hand to cover Moses is a beautiful illustration of God’s protection, and understanding of our form, and what we need and don’t need.
To be prepared, I have had to hide God’s word in my heart – that I not sin against HIM.

I pray that my thoughts can bless those that read this.
I am so far from getting this right, but I’m willing to share my journey with you.

Me and My Love

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 want to thank Blue Letter Bible and Bible Gateway for the ability to search the Bible online.

“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

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

Does God Hear me?

Sometimes, I wonder if God’ hears me.
I believe that Job felt this way….
Job 3 is full of what I consider a desire to die…life is so rough.

Don’t get me wrong…Job had it rough!!!

And, in rereading Job 5 – I realize that many of these scriptures are ones that we use to encourage one another in the midst of trials!

So, as God would have it, the other morning, I happened to get a Facebook Messenger with my new friend, Becky Mingus, who is currently serving as Principal in the School at Naomi’s Heart Mission.

Here is that chat:

ME: Thank you. Still no answers for why I was bleeding! But the pain is going away.
Becky:That’s a blessing.

ME: Trying to stable my neck without surgery. .. because surgery would be near December finance wise. And I’d rather use t that for a trip to the Philippines!
Becky: Absolutely!! This will definitely be all God if it is to happen.

ME: I know. Maybe I should stop praying for him to glorify himself in my life! Lol!
Becky: Never!! The biggest prayer and God dreams are what honor Him the most. Glorifying himself in our lives, releasing the Spirit, that is where all the fun is. Otherwise think how dull our walks would be.

ME: I have been used to raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out demons and of course preach the gospel. Sometimes I get discouraged that I can’t lay hands on myself and be healed. But I know that this is my spiritual fitness training. I know that Father has plans for me. .. and I just have to trust.
Becky: And trusting and waiting are always the hardest part. They are where I struggle the most. I know He can. But why doesn’t he? Ugh. James 1:2-5 has become one of my newest scriptures to read, reread, reread again. That and 2 Cor 12:9-10. Oh, so much still to learn.

ME: Oh those verses. .. perfect work? Sigh…. but to be complete. .. in Him. … what a beautiful promise! And, to recognize that there is nothing in me that is any good, except the spirit of God that lives here. .. and to rejoice in his strength manifested in spite of, or because of my weakness. .. this works true humility… humble myself under the mighty hand of God. .. and he shall lift me up. .. not to glorify ME, but to glorify his name!
We are created for good works. .. to glorify HIM! And that only comes worth letting patience have her perfect work!
Becky: But it is always a struggle for me. So wonderful but always stretching me and moving be deeper. We are being trained up – through the trials, through the struggles to be more ready for our futures – to do even more for Him, to be able to stand stronger, love deeper, walk more determinedly.

ME: Exactly. I thank God that there are those times of rejoicing in the presence of our enemies after walking through the valley of the shadow of death. The purpose for training is to prepare us for the next adventure with God. Sometimes I’d rather stay on the mountain top. .. not go back down in the valley of testing… but it is the testing that grows is into the fulness of Christ. Suffering through training is not fun. .. but I try to keep my eye on the prize. It had been my hearts cry from the day I have my life to Jesus to work with orphans, to work in missions, and then later, to work with women, and in jails! Young mothers. ..I believe these are desires given to me by Jesus. .. and it will be his glory to male or happen!
Did I just interrupt your prayer time?

Becky: No. Haven’t started that yet. But this has been wonderful discussion. I am going to email you a devotion. You would like it. It has big words in it but it is powerful. Yes, I had to use a dictionary. I have translated it into words I can understand and I read it all the time. LOL!
I’ll be praying. God is going to open amazing doors for you – maybe none you are expecting, but amazing all the same. One more verse for the evening: Isaiah 64:3-4. Oh. It is morning there. Enjoy your day!

ME: May God bless your rest! I thank God for my trials. .. because I am not who I used to be. .. and I thank God that he is not through with me!

Goodnight! Much love and hugs!

Prior to this discussion, I had been praying in the midst of my trials.
I could even be accused of praying some of the same types of prayers that Job did –

“Let me die…my life is but a vapor…I cannot do anything!”

“Why have you allowed this/these calamities to fall upon ME?”

“My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

That may be a little dramatic – but, honestly, I was tired of the continuous trials.
I even wrote about it…..How Many is Too Many?
And this was before several more trials were added!

The point?

James 1: 2- 4
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Patience.
Perfection
Entire
Wanting Nothing

Yes – but – rejoice in TRIALS?

2 Cor 12:9-10
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

This is Jesus Speaking to Paul…and Paul sharing it with us.
Paul is a pretty good role Model….once he got his head turned around. Actually, his passion as a Jew was a pretty good example as well!

His glory is shown when I am at the end of my ability.
I couldn’t heal my eye – but he could, and did!
I couldn’t conceive and carry a baby to term – but he did it, five times!
I couldn’t walk when I was paralyzed in the Navy hospital – but he could touch the swelling, and cause it to go down – and cause my leg to grow out so that I could walk.

I have not gone to school for art…but he has called me to paint.
I have not gone to school to write…but he has called me to share.

IN another chat with a dear sister, this verse was shared:

Is 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I shared with this someone that this was my life verse….
WAIT UPON THE LORD!
renew strength
mount up with wings as eagles
run, not be weary
walk, and not faint.

And God made that real to me in the Navy Boot camp…when I fell, and was paralyzed for a week.
My Petty Officer believed in me, and let me back in the unit – unheard of!
My God’s grace, I completed the physical training, twice a day, and I was able to run for my final test!
I was chosen from the group of 80 females to paint the cinder block outside our unit door – to memorialize what this unit stood for.
I painted a mountain scene, with an eagle – with this verse.
Until Orlando RTC was closed – God’s glory spoke through on a wall in a Navy Barracks.
BECAUSE of my trial with paralysis and herniated discs from a fall, the third day in boot camp.
BECAUSE of my trial, I was chosen to paint, and God was glorified.

My friend Becky ended our Bible Study with

Is 64:3-4
When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

I’m not crazy about KJV on this verse…but the gist of it is that things happen, but they happen by God’s hand(look back at Job 1-2!)
And we don’t understand it…but, God prepares things for us, who wait upon him!

They aren’t always pretty – but then,
those biology exams weren’t pretty either, but I know that they were worth something!
Learning Spanish wasn’t pretty – but it has helped me to communicate and minister to some!
Learning to ice skate had to be ugly at times…and breaking my arm having fun definitely hurt – but I remember the fun I had on ice skates!

Ps 23:4 –
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

comes before

Ps 23:5 & 6 –
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

and everyone knows:

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

My question was – Does God hear me?
My cry was WHY?
And God created a time that a friend in the Phillipines was online the same time as I was, and we were able to have a Bible discussion – on the opposite sides of the earth!

YES – God hears!
And He answered me – through one of His children.

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

Naomi’s Heart Mission

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Welcome 2014

I may be a bit strange…well, yes, I am peculiar….but I have a way of looking at the new year that sort of gets some folks down.

It is like a new salvation confession.

During December, in the midst of all the celebrations, I look at my life as if I am going to meet the Lord Jesus. Of course, that IS what folks supposedly celebrate on Dec 25, welcoming the Lord Jesus into their lives – but that discussion is for another blog!

I look at the Old year as, well, my old life….it is passed away by 2014…and I look it over as if I was preparing for my confession of Christ as my savior. Sort of like one would do before their public baptism.

What things troubled me last year?

What things needed help last year?

What were my weak areas?

What were, if any, my strong areas?

DID MY LIFE SCREAM JESUS EVERYWHERE I WENT?

Well, of course, there are times that our lives should just whisper Jesus – but the point is, did I shine the light of Jesus to those around me? Or did I hide my light under a bushel?

2013 was a year of recovery.

2013 was a year of acceptance.

2013 was a year of resting and leaning on Jesus.

Yes, I failed.

I failed in my consistency of blogging.
I failed in my consistency of painting.
I failed in my consistency of writing…or writing the books at all!
and those are just the public failures!

But were those my goals or God’s goals????

I was blessed to help out our daughter, Faith, around her baby boy’s birth.
I was blessed to enjoy a week of vacation with our son and his family here in Florida.
I was blessed to visit some ‘old’ friends in Ohio.
I was blessed to take a road trip with my daughter, Rachel.
I was blessed to go on some trips with my husband.
I was blessed to walk up FOUR lighthouses!
I was blessed to get to see two cousins that I hadn’t seen in years…one that was my ‘older sister’ cousin, and one that was my ‘younger sister’ cousin.
I was blessed to learn that milk and bread mess up my body and cause pain.
I was blessed to learn about alkaline ionized water, and how it benefits my body to enable me to do many more things with my chronic illnesses.
I was blessed to learn that I could choose my food…my food did not dictate or, rather, my emotions did not dictate my food.
I was blessed to learn that my husband and I love each other more and more than we did when we got married…with 34 years of experiences, good and bad, shared.

In all of those, I learned many things.

Did I get done the things I thought I was supposed to get done? no.

Some of that is my fault…some of that is what God brought down my path.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Ps 16:11)

I say I want to walk the path God gives me…that I want Him to lead me and be the light unto my feet, and the lamp unto my path…but

do I follow? or,
do I follow willingly? or,
do I follow unbegrudgedly? or,
do I whine? or,
do I embrace JOY? and accept HIS pleasures (listed above as blessings)?

The sheep don’t whine about following the shepherd.

Those that wander, he breaks their leg, so that they learn to stay near…

I have had several years of learning to be still….the last surgery was a HUGE be still lesson.

But, that was last year.

Just as someone that is going to their baptism, their public confession of Faith…that is in the past. When I confess my sins, he is faithful to forgive and to cleanse me of all my sins (1 John 1:9).

That is what my evaluation of last year is all about.

Then, 2014 – all things are new….I have been washed in the blood – and my time before me is NEW…just as after my confession of sin, and confession of the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, I am a new creation…old things are passed away, all things become new(2 Cor 5:17)!!!

So, I start this year with some new goals…I’ll write about that in another blog. But, 1/1 seems to be a great time for a NEW start.

I will fail…but He is the glory and the lifter of my head(Ps 3:3).

I will succeed…but I am weak, success is because HE is strong(2 Cor 12:10)…

and I will flounder…I still live in this body of flesh…Romans 7

But I will work out my own salvation with fear and trembling(Phil 2:12)…I will press on towards the mark of the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus…I will continue to run this race….because I know what is at stake! Eternity! 1 cor 9:24; Heb 12:1-2; Phil 3:14

BTW – every evening can be a re-eval of your day, and every morning can be a new day – weeping may be for the night, but joy comes in the morning.(Ps 30:5)

May each of my readers be blessed this year with a new and fresh knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!

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.

We have email subscription! And you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

Naomi’s Heart Mission

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What a Week – GRACE ABOUNDS!

In the last two weeks we have gone from settled into our trailer(RV) life in Spring, Texas, to wanting to possibly move it to Katy, Texas, to rethinking everything in our lives financially, and remembering our first desire of our life….to live debt free in glory to the Lord, and honoring His command to owe no man anything but to love him.

So…here’s the progression:

June 1-15, safely secure in our current situation – living in an RV in Spring, TX
June 16-17, find out about a new RV park in Katy,TX and discuss moving there!
June 17-24, financial digging – Katy does not make sense $$$, but, what about our desire to be debt free? (rent the same, studio +$150, drive rougher)
June 22-23, hotel suite in Austin – room, room, room- even Gabriel seems happier
June 24- Looking at Wildwood Forest Apartments – love, love, love! (two patios, facing lake, East and South sun, a studio 3x the size, for the same rent as RV lot and Studio/Storage)
June 25 – apply for apartment (called PPL RV sellers, they want the trailer by Saturday, free detailing, for their 4th of July sale! very excited)
June 27 – accepted – put in to move before July 1st – avoid rent at RV park
June 29 – move in and empty trailer (added to the going away party for those leaving for the Katy RV park – some day in the future, we leave tomorrow) And God blessed with a cloudy day and less heat!
June 30 – empty trailer – and drive through driving rain storms down to PPL (appraiser declares it EXCELLENT!)
July 1 – no trailer, no bed, no living room furniture – but we are in this beautiful apartment, in this beautiful complex, in obedience to the Lord.

We are praying that the trailer sells quickly, so that we are out of debt…AND with $1,000 extra that we may use purchase a bed.
But, God is not done with us yet!

On top of all of this provision…we are on the third floor.
In January, I was in a wheelchair!
I am able to walk up and down these stairs – yesterday, I did it twice!
AND walked a mile around this beautiful property!

On June 13th, I was rearended…went to the ER, and we were unable to find the police report until a week ago.
The insurance agent set up with me to meet on Monday, July 2…since we were moving.
On top of giving me the $120 out of pocket expenses, and setting aside the amounts to cover the medical – SHE GAVE ME $1000 FOR MY INCONVENIENCE!

The Trailer wasn’t even on the lot at PPL, and GOD had given us the $1000 for the bed!!!

Last night, we were discussing whether or not we would use one of the credit cards to purchase a mattress “just in case”
What were we thinking? Oh US of LITTLE FAITH!!!
We have now gotten totally free of the debt, and things we bought with debt because we wouldn’t wait upon the Lord…and before the trailer is even set onto the lot for the sale, we are talking about putting things back on a credit card?
AND IN THE FACE OF GOD PROVIDING TWO WEEKS EARLIER WITH A ROMANS 8:28 TYPE OCCURRENCE!

PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GRACE ABOUNDING IN OUR LIVES!
God is so quick to forgive, so gracious to allow us to be human, and to draw us nearer and nearer to HIM!
We both decided that WE WOULD NOT GO BACK INTO DEBT TO PURCHASE THINGS BEFORE THE VERY THING WE ARE SELLING TO GET OUT OF DEBT IS LISTED TO BE SOLD!
In fact –
We both recommitted to:

Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

These weeks have been full of roller coaster rides, death of visions, renewal of visions and commitments, and connecting to each other to refine OUR vision of OUR life for Christ Jesus.
We have had to make some hard choices in order to choose Jesus instead of OUR plans.
The joy that we feel, even in this empty apartment, is indescribable!
Grace is definitely abounding to us!

Here’s some fun photos – and a youtube video!

Bye Bye Trailer, dropping it off at PPL

WildWood Forest – our apartment – top floor on the right

WildWood Forest

WildWood Forest

The fountain outside our apartment at night

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!

If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.

We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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!

28 Days of Grace – day 19 – in the flow!

This morning, I woke up before Jim, and got dressed to take Gabriel out for his walk.
Before I was ready, Jim awakened, and offered to go with me.
As we walked, we made plans for the day.

I walked further than usual, and then asked him to walk up to the exercise room with me.
We walked in, and I tried my feet at the bicycle(first time in a year or more!) and he showed me a few exercises that I could get started with.
When we walked back, with full intentions of following OUR plans for the day, we bumped into some friends we hadn’t seen for a while.

These friends told us about a new RV park over near where I go for Physical Therapy. We had wanted a place in that area for any time that I might need extended care.
We decided to drive there right then.
But we were out of eggs, so we went to a restaurant, and I was able to order just eggs and meat for breakfast! And unsweet iced tea!

We were almost to this new RV park, and our friends from Katy(the area where the new RV park is located) called us.
These are the friends that we were not able to meet up with because of the car wreck. Their morning was open, for a change, and we were able to run on over.

Their daughter and son-in-law were home from Germany, and we were able to take everyone out for a welcome home lunch!
Kaley and Omar got to meet Gabriel.
We all got to sit and visit.
We went to a restaurant that I knew, and was able to ask for my salad per my needs, with a half a lemon and olive oil for dressing! And unsweet iced tea!

If Jim and I had not gone on the long walk, and had not walked into the exercise room, we would not have just bumped into our friends.
If Jim and I had not just taken off to head towards Katy, we would not have been in the position to say, Hey, let’s just drop by!
If Jim and I had not been open to the Spirit of the Lord moving across the waters of our plans, we would have missed the beautiful time we had with the Maben family!

Then,Jim was able to put together some of my meal plans for supper…for a wonderful turkey spaghetti, with black beans and grated goat Parmesan cheese! Absolutely delicious! Ah, but all out of unsweet iced tea! LOL!

Jim’s word? Serendipitous!
My word? Divine Intervention!

The truth? being filled with the grace of God to follow where HE leads!

Ps 37:23The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Ps 121:8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

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!

If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.

We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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!

28 days of Grace – day 16 – the wreck

On Wednesday, June 13, I was in a wreck.
when I posted for prayers, one of the most common comments was “not another injury!” or something like that.
I was looking forward to my physical therapy session (to where I was headed), and dinner out with friends…and I was thinking that I was almost done with PT for my ankle. Anyway, I wrote this email to a list that prayed for me…and since I am in some pain, I’m just going to post it here.

First, Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you all for your daily prayers for this group!

I was driving NB, on a major freeway loop around Houston, and a small white car stopped in front of me.
Now, as everyone knows, when driving, you should keep 2-3 car lengths between you, and drive the speed limit.
I got my 1 ton truck stopped…and the two people behind me did not.
Thunk, THUNK!

610 is one of the busiest highways around Houston. 3:50PM is already rush ‘hour’.
I was about to get off at the 59 exit, and this car just stopped. I don’t know why…it’s highway traffic. It happens.

I was fine, until I was hit from behind(yeah, milliseconds there)
I could see behind me that both vehicles were hit, and the rear one, the driver’s face was hidden for a while….and then, he picked his head up. Was he hurt? Did his airbags deploy? How was I going to get out and offer first aide in this 60 mph zone?

We had an exit that we could pull off, if cars would let us move to the side! The second car back kept moving so that I could pull out. There was no room to pull off to the side, because it had already turned into an exit only lane, so I exited, and headed to the parking lot, where two police officer cruisers were sitting.

To say I was dazed is an understatement. I couldn’t get out on the freeway…and when I came up to the police officers to tell them, I looked back, and the two other drivers did not follow me down there. I was sure they were trying to get out of the middle of the road, too!

While I was getting the police officers attention, they were being called to assist at a multi car crash….and with much confusion, they determined that it was mine…but only came up with one vehicle. They told me that apparently the third vehicle didn’t hit, because there was no rear damage to this car. Seriously, I believe that this was the third car, and the middle truck just drove off. But, I can’t prove it!

I kept asking the officer, “should I have stayed on the road? I thought we were supposed to get off the road!” Officer Jefferson was so comforting, as he was trying to calm me down, figure out if I indeed was the first vehicle in this reported accident…and trying to get the whole thing pieced together. As I walked around the truck, my back and neck started hurting…and I just felt like “Oh c$@p. I’m going to have a headache!”

“Oh, yeah, I’m not going to get to take our friends out that just returned from Germany.”
“Oh yeah, I’m not going to get to…..PAINT THURSDAY!”

As the adrenaline wore off…and things started hurting, the officer asked did I want medical. Jim said,(on the phone) absolutely!
He called for medical.
The EMT’s came, and the first concern was the dog.
They questioned whether they could transport the dog…the answer is YES(duh)
I had to threaten to contact the city about the policy about service dogs…and then, they said, oh, wait, I didn’t know it was a service dog. (That’s why I put a vest on him, and tags that shout SERVICE DOG).
They wouldn’t put me on a backboard or cervical collar, because I had to control the dog…so, um,what was the point of riding in the ambulance???
BUT, it meant I had to sign a paper saying I would not take the back board or the cervical collar. I wanted that collar…every movement in my neck hurt…but, they wanted me to be sure to take care of the dog(handled the dog while in transit). I even had to strap Gabe in.
GET IT DONE ALREADY, THE PAIN IS CAUSING ME TO HAVE DIFFICULTY THINKING!

So I was transported by ambulance to the inner city type hospital, and they did nothing…I was more comfortable sitting on the floor (didn’t think they’d let me lay on the floor – cold for my back).
No xrays…just a muscle relaxer that I told them I had at home…and sent on my way.
No x-rays for a back and neck injury???? WHAT?????

The hospital questioned whether I could have Gabe with me…the answer is YES(duh)
And then, the typical “so can you see some?”
“I can see, he is a medical alert dog”
“So, does that mean that you aren’t totally blind, just impaired?”
“No Ma’am…I am not blind…he is a medical alert dog…he alerts to my medical conditions”
“Oh, all this time I thought you were blind!”
hmmm, that’s why I could find the bathroom all by myself…oh well…

Jim was able to have someone from work take him to the truck, and then he came from there to the hospital. You see, Jim takes the bus into Houston…30 plus miles. I had the truck on the SW side of Houston…and he thought he was going to have to take a taxi! Another friend was able to drive him to the park and ride and pick up the car when we got back home. I thank God for great friends! Jim got to the hospital just after I got into my room…and he was able to take Gabriel out for a bathroom break, and I was able to take myself for a bathroom break.

And then, I blew my yf diet with a whopper. No cheese, removed half of the bun.
then I remembered that I had a great piece of chicken breast in my cooler. When I was checking for my tomatoes.
Oops….I could have been totally on program!
Oh well, live and learn!

Did I say that my truck won?
I’ll post a few photos.

I did talk with my PCP, and I’m going in tomorrow to get some x-rays….
I talked with the PT folks, and they are going to do a little bit of an evaluation….
Then, we will move forward talking to someone about getting this done.

Thank you all for praying!

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!

If you like The WildBerry Patch, follow me with the RSS feed.

We have email subscription! Or sign up for an account, and you can manage your subscription from the dashboard!
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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 – Starting again and quiting

WHAT IS A FAST?

Isaiah 58 -THE FAST

Isaiah 58
:6 [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
:7 [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

WHY FAST?

I wrote about Isaiah 58 and Finding the Purpose on 1/7/2012.

I wrote about beginning the Daniel Fast with the world on 1/8/2012.

I wrote about starting the fast on my own on 1/1/2012

I have confessed my difficulty with going to food and TV shows to comfort me, or distract me in times of stress.
I have confessed my need to be set free from TV and food.
A quote that I have in my signature line explains my dilemma clearly:

“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

Running to food and/or TV/movies in times of stress is NOT running into the name of the Lord…the strong tower.

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

I am not allowing the Lord to be my shepherd, and lead me beside still water, or allowing him to make me to lie down in green pastures – and that means, my soul is not restored! (Psalm 23)
I am NOT casting my cares upon the Lord – and maybe, it’s because I don’t believe that HE cares for my struggles?

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

It’s all about PRIDE!!! And Fasting is about humbling myself – putting my flesh into subjection so that I can be changed into the likeness of Christ.
I NEED HELP!

Here’s my promises:
Is 58:6 [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen?
to loose the bands of wickedness,
(and)
to undo the heavy burdens,
and
to let the oppressed go free,
and
that ye break every yoke?

I NEED TO HAVE THESE BANDS BROKEN, THESE HEAVY YOKES BROKEN!!!
I have tried to get free of the comfort replacements for God – and I can’t do it on my own…I am oppressed – and I want to be set free!

Here is more of the promises:

Is 58:11 And the LORD will guide you continually
and
satisfy your desire in scorched places
and
make your bones strong;
and
you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
:12 And
your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
(and)
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
(and)
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
(and)
the restorer of streets to dwell in.

MY BONES STRONG!!!! I NEED THIS PROMISE TO BE FULFILLED IN MY LIFE!
There are places in my walk that are dry and scorched – the battle has been hard –
I need my bones to be strong…
A watered garden – in the midst of a drought – this will draw folks to me so that I can share Christ’s living water with them! It will also revive the dry bones in my life – and create an army’s worth of power against the kingdom of darkness.
Raise up foundation of many generations – both Jim and I have some Godly heritage, and I desire to raise up that legacy to God’s glory.
I don’t care for any accolades – but to be used as the repairer of the breach and the restorer of the streets – that is HUGE!

Is 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning,
and
thine health shall spring forth speedily:
and
thy righteousness shall go before thee;
(and)
the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.(rearguard)

I NEED THESE PROMISES IN MY LIFE!!!
I want my light to shine – Matthew 5:14
I need my health to spring forth!
Righteousness – a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ – I want this!
And the glory of the Lord being my rear guard – WOW!!!

Here is another promise:
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and
ye shall find rest unto your souls.
:30 For my yoke [is] easy,
and
my burden is light.

I have chosen Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior – I believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!
Heb 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

I want to diligently seek the Lord, I want to put off these yokes, have them broken from me, and put on the yoke of Jesus Christ, and learn of HIM!!!
For this reason, I will be starting this Daniel fast again…
NOT as part of the world wide 21 day fast promoted by many ministries
NOT as a diet – though I know that fasting does have health results
BUT TO DILIGENTLY SEEK MY LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST – AND TO LEARN OF HIM!

I will focus my prayers on the hungry, and the naked, the poor…I will seek the Lord as to how I can help and do things in these arenas…but mostly …I want to comit this temple to HIM, clean it out of the wickedness that has been allowed in, and fill it(me) with HIS word, HIS light, HIS love, so that I will shine – His light will shine through me into the world for His glory.

I am not participating in a Daniel Fast –
I am doing a Christi fast – I am seeking MY Lord – and it has NOTHING to do with Daniel!
This will be the last post about MY fast – any insights will show up on my blog, but not necessarily as ‘fasting’.

Thank you for reading!
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!

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

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.

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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.

Bible Reading –
Prayer
Writing
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.