Tag Archives: Choose

Just my thoughts on current events – PlayBoy Legacy

My Point of View about Hugh Hefner is based on his exploitation of women, not speaking ill of the dead.

My point of view of him has not changed from while he was alive to now that he has met his eternal reward, whatever that is.

I have been especially forced to think about this, because of Matt Walsh’s fb write up…

Hugh Hefner died last night. I’m sorry he’s dead. I’m sorry for his family. But mostly I’m sorry for the incredible damage he did to society as one of the pioneers of the sexual revolution and a driving force behind our cultural decay.

It’s unfortunate that we must point out the fact that Hefner was a pornographer and a pimp. That his life’s work was to amass a collection of desperate women who were willing to be used and exploited. But we must tell this truth in order to combat the untruths that people are now saying about him.

We live in a country where men like Hefner are immediately canonized upon death. I’ve seen Hefner described as a “hero” and a “role model.” These are lies, and we must call them lies. The fact that Hefner is dead does not change the fact that he was a peddler of filth. If a man wishes to be remembered as virtuous and decent, he must live virtuously and decently. We don’t become virtuous and decent when we die, as if death itself washes away every bad thing we’ve done. Quite the opposite, actually. Death is when we reckon with the bad things.

I’ve been assured that Hefner is “in a better place” now. I realize this is just a thing we say about all dead people, no matter who they are and what they did. And indeed it’s possible that Hefner repented before death and has now entered the Better Place. But to confidently state as fact that a pornographer is in Heaven is arrogant and dangerous. Pray that God has mercy on him, but do not run around declaring that a man who spent his life having orgies and taking pictures of naked women must necessarily be reaping eternal rewards.

Let’s try to be serious for a change. Let’s treat the death of a man like Hefner with somber honesty. It is always sad when someone dies. It is even sadder when a corrupt and decadent man dies. We may have hope that a man of great faith and goodness is in Heaven. We may have the same hope for the corrupt man, but it is a slimmer hope. So, we simply trust in the mercy and justice of God, knowing that He will deliver us all to the destinations we have chosen. And, if we must learn anything from Hefner’s life, it’s that a life of selfish pleasure seems so pointless once it’s over. That is the great lesson he taught us.

May God have mercy on him and all sinners. Amen.

It is not my place to say what his eternal reward is, because I do not know what the last moments of his life pertained and contained.

Jude 1:22-23
1 Corinthians 3:15
If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

No one is good enough to enter into the presence of God!
Here’s a explanation of ‘good enough’.

I do know what the Bible says, and I do know what the God of Heaven says are the rules for entering into his house. The two biggies are to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to love the Lord with all your heart mind soul spirit and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Believe in/on the Lord Jesus Christ
I wrote about this in Spiritual Walking Steps, Step 1

Acts 16:30-31
30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Romans 10

This well known salvation scripture has some additional pieces that folks would rather ignore:

John 3:16-18
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And love your neighbor?

Mark 12:30-31
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

This is the summary of the ten commandments.
Everyone would agree that the ten commandments are the set of rules originally given to mankind from God. They are listed in Exodus 20.

Exodus 20:14 says:
14 “You shall not commit adultery.

Mathew 5:27-28 (the words of Jesus – they are red in the red letter editions!)
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Jesus didn’t take lusting after a woman lightly!

Exploiting women and objectifying women is not loving your neighbor as yourself. It was raising men to a level of control over women and degrading women down to a level of objects to be used and toyed with for men’s own pleasure. There are many verses about how men should treat women. Sex toys is not in any of them.

While I am not so naive as to believe that women were raised up, cherished, respected and honored prior to Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Empire, there was a general concept that mothers and sisters were to be protected – daughters looked after. And, some husbands took advantage of that…but the scripture clearly states that a husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church.

I do believe that the Bible teaches that women are to be treated as special as God the Father and God the Son treat God the Holy Spirit(The triune God) and defend God the Holy Spirit in a very extreme manner. The unpardonable sin – blasphemy of the Holy Spirit –

Mark 3:29
but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—

Even in prisons, inmates will fight at the derogatory comment against their mother. If even the wicked know it’s right, what about those that are considered above a criminal?

God the Father, God the son, hold God the holy spirit in a very high regard. That is what a father, husband, child, should do to their mother, wife, sister, daughter. Not belittle, not degrade, not objectify, but cherish as a unique and different but equal partner in this path of life. This is the Godly way!

By God’s grace, I don’t have to show my private parts in order for men to have some interest in me. The true honor of a human being is that their value is based on their soul, their character, and their very life. Not their physical attributes that fade, but the qualities in which they bring to The Human Condition, in order to raise others up with guidance, Comfort, love, joy, peace, patience, healing, and Reconciliation.

Here’s just a few ideas for how to cherish a woman:

In my faith walk, that reconciliation of most importance is reconciliation between The Sinner and their God through Jesus Christ his son. Eternity is real. If someone wants to spend eternity in heaven, the “better place”, they need to mind the household rules of the owner of that place. Those who come into my house and disobey my house rules are asked to leave. Those who come to my house and state that they do not intend to follow my household rules, are not invited in. Someone choosing to break into my house to steal kill or destroy, is placed under government laws that we all agree are real and need to be enforced. These are but a foreshadowing of what happens on the day we die. We do stand at the gate and we do answer for our life and we do answer for whether or not we’ve made the choice that we want to spend eternity in heaven with God the Father through God the son by the power of God the Holy Spirit, In The Name of Jesus Christ.

Hindus are not saying that he who Hefner made it to their highest plane, Svargam.
Buddhists are not saying that you have never made it to their highest plane, Nirvana.
Why is it assumed that the Christian Heaven has to take in anyone and everyone no matter how disrespectful and arrogant they are against the Lord God Of Heaven and Earth?
It doesn’t make logical sense.

So if you lived a life with no belief in a God, don’t say you went to a better place, because a “better place” is just the end result of some form of faith.
The Atheist has no heaven.
Of course the atheist has no hell.
The thing is once you die as an atheist you no longer have a choice.

So this comment that he is in a better place from the life of totally anti-god and anti-religion, would mean that the better place is rotting in a casket or being incinerated whichever way they choose to deal with his Earthly remains.
You don’t go to a better place by causing the world to be a worse place.

The amazing part of Grace, though, is that at any moment anyone no matter what they have done can repent of their sins declare Jesus Christ as their lord and savior, and they can enter in to the kingdom of God, that better or best place, even though as if by fire.
But if people are not going to embrace the actual meaning of a “better place”, then stop playing the game, and just accept the man died.

His legacy is what it is no matter whose point of view feels they agree with that. And there is no basis other than some form of faith for there to be anything after life. So just accept the man died. And his legacy is what it is.

In light of this conversation:
Did Mother Teresa go to heaven?
I don’t know – but her life certainly was lived publicly as if she believed in the Christ of the Bible!

Did Judas, the betrayer of Christ go to heaven?
I don’t know – he killed himself, and for some, that is an unforgivable sin.
Killing oneself after realizing that you had condemned your Lord and Savior could have been an act of repentance.

Did Benjamin Franklin go to heaven or hell?
I don’t know…he was a Quaker, but, not necessarily a believer in Christ.

Here is an excellent write up on whether Buddhists go to heaven.…as in, a Christian Heaven! The answer is NO!

If someone wants to enter into paradise and enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom of God – Yahweh, or Jehovah – one must follow his house rules.

My point is that if one wants to enter into the King’s palace, one must be a servant of the King.
If one wants to enter Nirvana, one must practice Buddhism.
If one wants to experience the various levels of Hindu fulfillment, one must practice Hinduism.
I would also say that if someone wanted to go to the heaven of the Muslims, one would need to practice Islam!

Why, then, is it so difficult to comprehend that a man that spent his life defending ungodliness probably did not go to God’s house at his death?

Hugh Hefner died.
Hugh Hefner left a legacy of death.
Hugh Hefner’s eternal reward is between him and God – whichever God he chose to follow.
If it was the god of flesh – that god is fully in charge of his body now.

Choose ye this day whom you will serve! Joshua 24:14-28
THIS is the day of salvation! 2 Corinthians 6:2

Hebrews 9:27-28
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Not because of fear – but because of His great love for us!

1 John 4:17
By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

There is a principle – live so that when you die, no one will have to wonder what your believed or stood for.
The Apostles Creed

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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2017 – My One Word – #mydays – how long bitter?

Psalm 90:12 – teach me to number my days so that I might apply my heart to WISDOM!
Or, officially:

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

My last post for my one word was on timeliness, or specifically, timing.

At this time in my life – I have a husband dealing with prostate cancer, and a dog that is dealing with oral melanoma, friends that have dealt with breast cancer surgeries, and I’m praying for some friends’ family members dealing with very serious cancer diagnoses.
Cancer seems to bring timeliness up…it makes people appreciate the time they have left.

What happens when someone is diagnosed with cancer?
Often, they start taking account of their lives, and making sure their ‘house’ is in order – that their relationships are in order – that they have more life in the days they have left – rather than more days added to their life.

When you are aware of Jesus coming – whether in your life time, as in your days or short, or as in the Biblical end of the world – you tend to put your house in order.
Hezekiah was addressed by Isaiah when it was his time…Isaiah 38:1

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.

I’m not going to talk about how he asked for more time, and that more time gave him the son that became the most wicked king over Israel – but, my point is, get your house in order!

In our church sermons, our pastor has been teaching from the book of Mark. This past Sunday, it was about the Gadarene demoniac in Mark 5. On Monday, we have a small group that meets to discuss the sermon from Sunday(not chew up the pastor and spit him out…but rather to dig deeper into the message).
This is a BAPTIST church, and the pastor is talking about demon possession, or demonizing.
The pastor is teaching about the ways of the enemy!
The pastor is warning us about being alert and attentive to the enemy’s tactics.

And it was within this study that I was struck with something VERY powerful for me.
The devil wants us to hold on to wounds and irritations and miscommunications so that we are divided!

The story about the demon possessed man is in Mark 5:1-20
Short version.

  • Man is crazy, filled with legion(a legion is 6000) of demons.
  • Jesus makes a trip across a lake to meet him.
  • He runs to Jesus – Jesus commands the demons out – pigs run into the lake and are drowned.
  • Man is in his right mind for the first time in who knows when.
  • Pig owner and townspeople get mad and tell Jesus to leave.

WHY were they so upset?
devils tactics…they were more concerned with the financial loss than with the obvious miracle in this man’s life!

This isn’t to judge the townspeople – this was an instant thing…they were NOT Jews…they were gentiles and how on earth did they have any basis to process this happening other than what they could see? 2000 pigs lost in one day! That’s the meat for the whole community…the livelihood of at least ONE man…if not several.

The point is that it’s the devil’s plan to steal, kill and destroy the testimony of Jesus! John 10:10

What is the single most damaging thing between family members?
unresolved hurts.
Think about YOUR family…is there anyone you haven’t talked to in a long time?
why not?
did something happen?
is someone’s feelings hurt?
was someone wronged?

  • Hezekiah felt that he’d been wronged by not having a son….oops! Isaiah 58
  • Jacob’s sons felt that they’d been wronged by their father favoring their brother Joseph. oops! Genesis 37
  • Esau felt that he’d been cheated by his brother Jacob! oops….Genesis 27
  • Ishmael wasn’t too happy about Issac being the favored son! oops! Genesis 21(and this is where the middle east conflict started!)
  • Cain did not like that Abel’s sacrifice as accepted, and his was not! first murder!Genesis 4

Jesus tells us to be careful! It’s even MORE dangerous than the old testament teachings!

Matthew 5:21-26
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

It’s not even an implication here. He speaks it pretty clearly!
if we know that someone has something against us – BEFORE we offer OUR offering to the Lord…FIRST be reconciled with the one that is offended!

And, what if we’re sinned against?
Matthew 18:15-17
We’re still supposed to work on a peaceful conflict resolution!

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

WHY IS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO CLEAR UP THESE ISSUES WITH ANOTHER PERSON????

1 peter 5:8

  • Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:(KJV)
  • Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. (Holman Christian)
  • Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.(New Heart English)
  • Be temperate and vigilant because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour,(Jubilee Bible)
  • Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.(NIV)
  • Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.(NLT)
  • Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.(ESV)

My favorite version – amplified:

8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

WHY? Because we are to be aware of the tactics of the enemy…and one of his tactics is division.
In our dig deeper study, we were given 1 cor 2:10-11 as applying here.

10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,
11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

This verse was causing me trouble…I did not know how it applied to the concept of the Gadarene Demoniac in Mark 5. Where was the need for forgiving…and what does that have to do with THIS???

11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

How do you battle an enemy? first you have to recognize him….
then you have to acknowledge his methods!

We have Armor:

Ephesians 6:10-13
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

There is so much there, in that passage, about spiritual warfare….we do not wrestle with FLESH AND BLOOD!

One of the first steps of Peaceful Conflict Resolution is to NOT attack the other person…flesh and blood…but to discuss the PROBLEM.
In the case of the enemy – he influences us at our weakest points, and drives wedges between us and God.
How?
Genesis 3

1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

1 John 2:16

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

James 4:1-3

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James 1:12-16

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

These are the same three issues with which the enemy tried to test Jesus, to make him fall! Matthew 4

Hebrews 4:15

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

It is OUR issue that causes us troubles…OUR lusts and passions and such. THESE are what we are able to control!

  • When little Johnny gets mad at little Chrissy because she has a piece of bread and he doesn’t…is it really that he has an issue with Chrissy, or is it that he wants the bread…and doesn’t want her to have it?
  • When Tommy gets better grades than Billy, is it Tommy that Billy is angry at? Or embarassment that he didn’t do as well?
  • When Joe sees another car on the road that is going the speed limit and he wants to be going 10 mph faster, and can’t get around them, is it really that they are angry at the other driver, or is it that they are angry that they cannot do what they want?
  • When someone spills a drink in a bar, does the other person(spillee) really have an issue with the spiller, or is their ego affected?
  • When someone has an affair, does the other person in the situation have an issue with the PERSON with whom the affair was committed, or that they were injured, in their trust, their confidence, their emotional property?
  • When one group of people is offended by an ugly past and demands that all evidence of that past (statues) be removed, and those that declare that the evidence is part of the past, and that they have learned from it – who are the people angry with? Those living today or the hurts from the past that have not been resolved?
  • When someone stands up for what is right for their own lifestyle – do others get mad at them for being homosexual, atheist, muslim, Christian, or brightly colored hair? Or do they get mad that they are not confident enough to stand up for their own beliefs and allow others to stand up as well.

I’m not talking about someone hitting, stealing, damaging or whatever.
I’m not talking about legal ramifications.
There are laws against so many actions…and the only choice is to punish the person having done the action.

The gadarene demoniac was often chained…bound…and he lived among the tombs.
Mark 5:

3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

He was removed from society.
They had done some pretty serious things to him to try to control him.
He was scary.
He was unwelcome.

The thing here isn’t that what he did was ok…the thing is that often we react to what the other person does…and attack the other person…rather than try to figure out how to find a solution.

Where is the person in all of this?
What is going on in the offenders life at this time?
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood….
there are so many unseen things going in, and to figure out how to deal with it, one must take the TIME to understand the other person.
Again – I do not agree with giving criminal behavior a pass for poor childhood, even mental illness.

  • But, OUR response, as taught by Jesus MUST be other than attacking the other person!
  • OUR response, as taught by Jesus MUST be about reconciliation – which may include restitution and maybe some separation for a time.
  • NEVER REVENGE!
  • Not even retribution!
  • Our response needs to be forgiveness!

James 1:19-20
19 Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener],
slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and],
slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];
20 for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us].

There is an interesting list of proverbs as the cross references for James 1:19 on Bible Hub.

Can you truly forgive if you are still angry? I don’t think so…but, that’s really between you and God!
The issue is that if you hold onto the anger – the hurt – the wounds, and do not forgive, you poison yourself!

Hebrews 12:14-16
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence].
32 Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

The enemy:
1 Peter 5:8

8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

The Answer:
John 10:10

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Our responsibility when we are hurt:
Matthew 6:14-15

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Then we can go back round to 2 Corinthians 2:10-11

10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,
11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

It really had nothing to do with the Gadarene Demoniac, as much as the concept had to do with understanding the wiles of the enemy…
And taking up our Armor, and utilizing our weapons!
2 Corinthians 10:3-6

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Where do we do our warfare?
On our knees.
In the presence of God Our Father, through Jesus Christ His son, by the power of the Holy Spirit living within us!

I just read this blog about 10 Ways Prayers are Hindered.

If you take this with the verse:
James 5:16

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

It is OUR prayers that need to be heard….
It is OUR right relationship with God that needs to be considered…
And, in order to battle in the spiritual realm…we need first to consider ourselves.

I mentioned the first step of teaching peaceful conflict resolution.
I taught it to 1st and 2nd graders, and supported the group that taught peer mediators in schools.

  1. focus on the problem, not the person. don’t attack the person.
  2. listen – to each other
  3. reflect what the other said – show understanding.
  4. find common ground and a resolution that is mutually agreeable.
  5. Practice what you agreed upon.

A middle school source gives three steps and a graphic.

Here is a current group that are teaching this to youths. The First Tee talks about Four steps to resolving conflict!

Here are 5 steps for a mediator to utilize when someone else needs to come into the situation.

Here are 6 steps to resolve conflict in the workplace.

Pastor Rick Warren talks about 7 steps to resolve a conflict and restore a broken relationship, based on Blessed are the PeaceMakers.

It doesn’t matter how many steps it takes…we have to take the steps!

First, one has to be able to let go…forgive.
Then, be reconciled.
And THEN – we can give our offerings, our gifts, our talents to the Lord.
And then, we are called the children of God.

The enemy wants to divide and conquer.
God wants the body to be united and victorious.
Unforgiveness is a huge cause for bitterness – and bitterness poisons everything!

How long do we want to hold onto bitterness, and not see the Power of God in our lives?
Am I so hung up on MY rights that I am willing to not only give up on the other person’s ability to be reconciled to me, and GOD, but to give up MY ability to dwell in God’s presence?

Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

WHAT PART OF THIS DO I WANT TO RISK LOSING IN MY LIFE????

IS HOLDING ONTO BITTERNESS WORTH IT?

Proverbs 14:30
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.

Jealousy is often mentioned in the same thought with wrath, and such.

In the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of Joy…
PEACE is the opposite of Anger…
The fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy, Peace…LONGSUFFERING!

I declare that I want to be like Jesus.
Jesus forgave…and tells me to forgive.
When Jesus said Father forgive them – he was in such an excruciating situation, and yet, HE thought to say HE forgave those that put HIM on that cross…both then, before and after.
JESUS FORGAVE DURING THE ACT AGAINST HIM!


That is even more immediate than immediately after someone hurts me!

but, yes, I’m human, I may need time to process…but how much time?
How long do I want to wallow in my own self pity, and hold on to my own poison, waiting for the offender to hurt?

I have written about forgiveness – in my Itty Bitty Bible Study on Ephesians, and in light of a very dark past, written about during my prayer thoughts on My One Word.

Forgiveness is a key in my life story!

I spent so many years in a church that prayed the lord’s prayer every time we were gathered!

I really have no choice…if I am grateful t Jesus – I must forgive…and share that with anyone and everyone I meet!

Here’s a couple more!
One Step Away – Casting Crowns
Your Love – Brandon Heath

Rather than wallow in my pain, and blame, my desire is to offer God’s love, mercy, grace and MY forgiveness because HE first loved ME!

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

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission.
The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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.

2017 – My One Word – #mydays – first love

As I said, last weekend really brought me around to remembering what my focus should be, in light of eternity.

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

I turn 57 on September 8.
that is 7 years past a half century.
that is 13 years until the ‘fullness’ or, if I’m strong, 23. (threescore and 10 in KJV)

Psalm 90:10
The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Numbering my days….

Psalm 39:4
“O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!

Is this a morbid consideration? No, at least, not according to Solomom:

Eccl 7:2
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

What is the purpose for this focus?

Eccl 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

To number our days…to make our days count!

Colossians 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Ephesians 6:1-9 speaks on how a servant – and I am a servant of God – should serve.

In my last post, I shared how it is my desire to see my Lord face to face – and hear him say:

Matthew 25:23
23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

I want to respond as Isaiah and Samuel:

Isaiah 6:8
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

1 Samuel 3:10
10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

I want to respond as Mary and Ruth:

Luke 1:38
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Ruth 1:16-17
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

I have just re-read what I wrote about Ruth 1.
For Advent, I did a study on Mary – the mother of Christ. Very convicting how this girl just obeyed…even in the face of death. And, in the face of a horrible death for her son.

There is Abraham – who in the face of sacrificing his son – got up in the morning immediately!

Genesis 22:1-3
22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

And there are those that followed Jesus – when he called – straightway….always immediately. I’m not going to list all of them here.

Then, Jesus condemns those that put their hand to the plow and look back:

Luke 9:
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus[g] said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The first one, I will follow you wherever you go – receives a challenge about the difficulty. Did Jesus know something about this person’s heart?

The next requests to take care of things seems reasonable…
First, let me bury my dead – commentaries say that this person asks to be allowed to care for his family then come.
First let me say goodbye – it would appear that putting those at home above service and following did not go over well with Christ.

From Blue Letter Bible, here is Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Luke 9 – for he says it much better than I, and I am convicted by this commentary:

Luk 9:57-62

We have here an account of three several persons that offered themselves to follow Christ, and the answers that Christ gave to each of them. The two former we had an account of in Mt. 19:21.

I. Here is one that is extremely forward to follow Christ immediately, but seems to have been too rash, hasty, and inconsiderate, and not to have set down and counted the cost.

1. He makes Christ a very large promise (v. 57): As they went in the way, going up to Jerusalem, where it was expected Christ would first appear in his glory, one said to him, Lord, I will follow thee withersoever thou goest. This must be the resolution of all that will be found Christ’s disciples indeed; they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes (Rev. 14:4), though it be through fire and water, to prisons and deaths.

2. Christ gives him a necessary caution, not to promise himself great things in the world, in following him, but, on the contrary, to count upon poverty and meanness; for the Son of man has not where to lay his head.
We may look upon this,

(1.) As setting forth the very low condition that our Lord Jesus was in, in this world. He not only wanted the delights and ornaments that great princes usually have, but even such accommodations for mere necessity as the foxes have, and the birds of the air. See what a depth of poverty our Lord Jesus submitted to for us, to increase the worth and merit of his satisfaction, and to purchase for us a larger allowance of grace, that we through his poverty might be rich, 2 Co. 8:9. He that made all did not make a dwelling-place for himself, not a house of his own to put his head in, but what he was beholden to others for. He here calls himself the Son of man, a Son of Adam, partaker of flesh and blood. He glories in his condescension towards us, not only to the meanness of our nature, but to the meanest condition in that nature, to testify his love to us, and to teach us a holy contempt of the world and of great things in it, and a continual regard to another world. Christ was thus poor, to sanctify and sweeten poverty to his people; the apostles had not certain dwelling-place (1 Co. 4:11), which they might the better bear when they knew their Master had not; see 2 Sa. 11:11. We may well be content to fare as Christ did.

(2.) As proposing this to the consideration of those who intend to be his disciples. If we mean to follow Christ, we must lay aside the thoughts of great things in the world, and not reckon upon making any thing more than heaven of our religion, as we must resolve not to take up with any thing less. Let us not go about to compound the profession of Christianity with secular advantages; Christ has put them asunder, let us not think of joining them together; on the contrary, we must expect to enter into the kingdom of heaven through many tribulations, must deny ourselves, and take up our cross. Christ tells this man what he must count upon if he followed him, to lie cold and uneasy, to fare hard, and live in contempt; if he could not submit to this, let him not pretend to follow Christ. This word sent him back, for aught that appears; but it will be no discouragement to any that know what there is in Christ and heaven to set in the scale against this.

II. Here is another, that seems resolved to follow Christ, but he begs a day, v. 59. To this man Christ first gave the call; he said to him, Follow me. He that proposed the thing of himself fled off when he heard of the difficulties that attended it; but this man to whom Christ gave a call, though he hesitated at first, yet, as it should seem, afterwards yielded; so true was that of Christ, You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, Jn. 15:16. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth (as that forward spark in the foregoing verses), but of God that showeth mercy, that gives the call, and makes it effectual, as to this man here. Observe,

1. The excuse he made: “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. I have an aged father at home, who cannot live long, and will need me while he does live; let me go and attend on him until he is dead, and I have performed my last office of love to him, and then I will do any thing.’ We may here see three temptations, by which we are in danger of being drawn and kept from following Christ, which therefore we should guard against:-

(1.) We are tempted to rest in a discipleship at large, in which we may be at a loose end, and not to come close, and give up ourselves to be strict and constant.

(2.) We are tempted to defer the doing of that which we know to be our duty, and to put if off to some other time. When we have got clear of such a care and difficulty, when we have despatched such a business, raised an estate to such a pitch, then we will begin to think of being religious; and so we are cozened out of all our time, by being cozened out of the present time.

(3.) We are tempted to think that our duty to our relations will excuse us from our duty to Christ. It is a plausible excuse indeed: “Let me go and bury my father,-let me take care of my family, and provide for my children, and then I will think of serving Christ;’ whereas the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof must be sought ad minded in the first place.

2. Christ’s answer to it (v. 60): “Let the dead bury their dead. Suppose (which is not likely) that there are none but the dead to bury their dead, or none but those who are themselves aged and dying, who are as good as dead, and fit for no other service, yet thou hast other work to do; go thou, and preach the kingdom of God.’ Not that Christ would have his followers or his ministers to be unnatural; our religion teaches us to be kind and good in every relation, to show piety at home, and to requite our parents. But we must not make these offices an excuse from our duty to God. If the nearest and dearest relation we have in the world stand in our way to keep us from Christ, it is necessary that we have a zeal that will make us forget father and mother, as Levi did, Deu. 33:9. This disciple was called to be a minister, and therefore must not entangle himself with the affairs of this world, 2 Tim. 2:4. And it is a rule that, whenever Christ calls to any duty, we must not consult with flesh and blood, Gal. 1:15, 16. No excuses must be admitted against a present obedience to the call of Christ.

III. Here is another that is willing to follow Christ, but he must have a little time to talk with his friends about it.
Observe,

1. His request for a dispensation, v. 61. He said, “Lord, I will follow thee; I design no other, I am determined to do it: but let me first go bid them farewell that are at home.’ This seemed reasonable; it was what Elisha desired when Elijah called him,Let me kiss my father and my mother; and it was allowed him: but the ministry of the gospel is preferable, and the service of it more urgent than that of the prophets; and therefore here it would not be allowed. Suffer me apotaxasthai tois eis ton oikon mou-Let me go and set in order my household affairs, and give direction concerning them; so some understand it. Now that which was amiss in this is,

(1.) That he looked upon his following Christ as a melancholy, troublesome, dangerous thing; it was to him as if he were going to die and therefore he must take leave of all his friends, never to see them again, or never with any comfort; whereas, in following Christ, he might be more a comfort and blessing to them than if he had continued with them.

(2.) That he seemed to have his worldly concerns more upon his heart than he ought to have, and than would consist with a close attendance to his duty as a follower of Christ. He seemed to hanker after his relations and family concerns, and he could not part easily and suitably from them, but they stuck to him. It may be he had bidden them farewell once, but Loth to depart bids oft farewell, and therefore he must bid them farewell once more, for they are at home at his house.

(3.) That he was willing to enter into a temptation from his purpose of following Christ. To go and bid them farewell that were at home at his house would be to expose himself to the strongest solicitations imaginable to alter his resolution; for they would all be against it, and would beg and pray that he would not leave them. Now it was presumption in him to thrust himself into such a temptation. Those that resolve to walk with their Maker, and follow their Redeemer, must resolve that they will not so much as parley with their tempter.

2. The rebuke which Christ gave him for this request (v. 62): “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and designing to make good work of his ploughing, will look back, or look behind him, for then he makes balks with his plough, and the ground he ploughs is not fit to be sown; so thou, if thou hast a design to follow me and to reap the advantages of those that do so, yet if thou lookest back to a worldly life again and hankerest after that, if thou lookest back as Lot’s wife did to Sodom, which seems to be alluded to here, thou art not fit for the kingdom of God.’

(1.) “Thou art not soil fit to receive the good seed of the kingdom of God if thou art thus ploughed by the halves, and not gone through with.’

(2.) “Thou art not a sower fit to scatter the good seed of the kingdom if thou canst hold the plough no better.’ Ploughing is in order to sowing. As those are not fit to be sown with divine comforts whose fallow ground is not first broken up, so those are not fit to be employed in sowing who know not how to break up the fallow ground, but, when they have laid their hand to the plough, upon every occasion look back and think of quitting it. Note, Those who begin with the work of God must resolve to go on with it, or they will make nothing of it. Looking back inclines to drawing back, and drawing back is to perdition. Those are not fit for heaven who, having set their faces heavenward, face about. But he, and he only, that endures to the end, shall be saved.

Lot’s wife experienced the effects of turning back!

Simply said:

Matthew 10:37-39
37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

In Revelation, The church at Ephesus is rebuked:

Revelation 2:1-7
“To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Such a promise! Repent and do the things you did at first.

Psalm 23 – thy rod and thy staff they comfort me!

Hebrews 12:10-13
10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[a] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Luke 9:23-27 talks about taking up our cross and following…

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

My first loves….

  • life time service to the Lord – full commitment – seen in my young Anglican mind as becoming a nun.
  • to whom I should serve – children and women – with the childhood thought of an orphanage, but, enacted by working with children’s homes, and crisis pregnancies, and training to come alongside abused women.
  • The Bible – I have always loved digging deeply into the Bible.
  • Writing – I write to remember, and I write to share. As a child, I wrote stories.
  • Art – as my dear school time best friend reminded me once – I was always drawing and painting.
  • Prayer – as in constant communication with the Lord Jesus Christ
  • Worship – singing praises to my God.
  • Mission field – serving those in country and out of country that are in need, in Jesus’ name.

I knew from early on that I was called, that I was gifted, that I was chosen.
I just could not believe it – nor did most of the adults that I confided in.
My spirit was broken from abuse from 12 months to 13 years.
My energy was broken for care of my mother.
My body was broken for the disobedience to the calling of God, removing his hand of blessing and protection(check out Deut 28 for that principle).
BUT – GOD!

I will be 57 years old in a little over a month.
I declare here and now –

Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”(Matthew 4:19)
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

I want to say with Paul in the letter to the Philippians:

Phil 3:8-14
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

In my own strength, it is impossible – (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; Lk 18:27)

But I declare with Jeremiah(32:17):

‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

My God began a good work in me in 1969.
I have bungled it – but nothing is a surprise to Him.
Here I am – I’m not dead yet(though, I’ve been dead a couple of times).
My story is not finished yet.
This is what I hear Him saying:

Isaiah 55:
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

John 4 – to the Samaritan Woman:

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.[b] The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

And this is my desire:

John 7:37-38
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Is 12:3

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

As Brother John says in 1 John 1 and 2 – confessing our sins, HE is faithful to forgive us –
I want to stop buying things that do not satisfy!
I want to stop expecting others to fill what only God can fill!
I want to press on toward the mark of the prize of the HIGH CALLING of Christ Jesus – for all the rest of my days.
I want light, salt and living water to flow from me – to the glory of GOD!

Phil 4:13
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Enjoy a touch of worship:
Mandisa – Unfinished:

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 want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission.
The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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.

2017 – My One Word – #mydays – cleansing

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

Honestly folks, I did not think that this was going to be part of my one word this year!
Cleansing?
BUT…..GOD!
This past weekend, I have spent a wonderful time with my classmates at a reunion.
Springfield South High School – combined reunion of classes 74-79.

my high school days were a little different than many.
Sophomore – 1975-1976 – Band, Choir, fun…except for the things going on at home.
I was enjoying music and the one semester of art so much – I wanted to go to the JVS school for art. the school counselors told me that I was ‘too smart’ to go to JVS – and to stay at the high school. I look back now, and realize, at that time, I knew I was to be an artist – but the powers that be(were) did not see that path for me.

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Junior – 1976-1977 – things got worse at home with my mother’s bi-polar, and her self medicating, and, I ‘dropped out’ of classes for a couple months to work at Burger Chef as much as possible to pay for the heat, electric, and make sure my brother Johnny had some sort of Christmas.

Senior – 1977-1978 – I didn’t even do band or choir. I tried to get all of my classes before Dec, but could not get government in first semester.


I started working for my Aunt to get a paycheck to support the family, in case my mom would lose another job at another nursing home.

I started running with a bit rougher crowd because the stress of what was going on at home was getting rough…I needed release, and I needed to feel like someone was accepting me.

When I say a rough crowd – I may have gone to a handful of parties and drank. I never did drugs, because of my mom’s issues with drugs. But, I was inching away from my Jesus Freak days of my sophomore year. I was worried that I wasn’t good enough to accomplish anything.
The second semester – I started working full time-ish for my Aunt Dodi, to pay for the family needs.
I was trying out different churches to see if I could find something that would fill my emotional needs.
I found ways that I thought were filling my emotional needs – and, those ways undid my desire to be a nun.
By the time the end of my senior year came around – I was so tired of taking care of my mother’s drug problem(self medicating bi-polar, manic depression back then), and I was so sure that there was something seriously wrong with me, I could not accept a scholarship to THE Ohio State University for art and music. I remember telling God that HE did not know what HE was doing – I was NOT good enough for an Art OR Music career.
I also was convinced that I needed to make sure I was taken care of, and that I had a steady paycheck to make sure that my mom and brother would be taken care of. If I went to college, it was only going to be money going out…not coming in.
I joined the Navy.

I almost skipped my graduation for leaving for bootcamp.
God intervened there. I did march in graduation with my class.


But, my photo is NOT in the senior class yearbook – because I was not attending school after 11am, and didn’t show up for the photos.

I disobeyed God in 1978, and joined the Navy.
I did not have enough faith that He would provide for our little family.
I don’t think I had the energy to actually go to school AND care for my family.
I also had so little confidence in myself that I got so sick, I never took the ACT or SAT – I would be totally nauseated – and didn’t attend the test.
I’d been so isolated from my school friends, I didn’t even know when anyone else was taking it!
The counselors that were supposed to guide me had implied, at least in my mind, that a technical art career was only for those troubled kids that could not make it through college, and needed to attend the Joint Vocational School. By the time I made it to deciding the course for my life(what a horrible pressure to put upon a 17 year old!), I was so mixed up in my head, I couldn’t even believe God knew what HE was doing!

CONFESSION FOR CLEANSING –

James 5:15-16
15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1 John 1:7-10
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 2:1-2
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

James 4:10
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

What happened because I went into the Navy?
ON THE THIRD DAY – he didn’t raise me – because I was NOT in obedience, I was NOT listening to the voice of the Lord…

I was NOT trusting in the Lord – in my reverse pride, I was trusting in my own might:

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

I KNEW I was not following the path the Lord put before me – though I did ask him to bless it! (such pride!):

Psalm 37:5
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

on the third day of boot camp – as I was running in our PT – thrilled that I was being able to run, and keeping up, and not out of breath, as I turned to my friend and said “I’m not even out of breath…”

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.

SMACK!
I blacked out!
first my tail bone hit…
the snap of my back whipped my mid back, then my neck….
then my head hit the pavement.
Those on the other side of this HUGE black top area HEARD my head hit the ground.
Within a week, I could not stand on my right leg – and I was being carried to and from classes and the galley for meals.

I spent one week, I think it was week four, in the recruit hospital, because I could not walk.
I had fallen!

2 Sam 1:27
“How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!”

Strongs Concordance breaks “mighty” down very interestingly.

Within the above tool, there is a tool called Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon.
there is a slight twist on this definition within that Lexicon:
“commonly of an impetuous soldier”

I had been so busy taking care of my family (and I’m sure it was not nearly as competently done as my little 16 and 17 year old heart remembers) – that I was impetuous in my decision to join the Navy.
I thought it was MY job to take care of my mom and brother.
I made a decision at age 17 that laid the course of my life, forever.

I can go into how my thinking I wasn’t good enough in the face of God’s gift of college was actually thinking I could do better than God – that I knew better than God.
I can go into how my not placing my burdens on God was my actually being prideful – that I was more able than God.
I can go into the stories that brought me to this point….

But, the point here is that I DISOBEYED MY FATHER GOD!
it’s as simple as that.

1 John 2:3-6
3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

There’s only one thing I can do!

James 4:7-10
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Therefore – I am confessing before my brothers and sisters, the pride of a 17 year old…that laid a path for my life.

I have been in disobedience for a very long time.
I have not addressed the art gift that the Lord placed within me as a calling to be focused and applied. I have allowed the prideful aspect of a lack of confidence IN MYSELF(thank you brother Darryl Simmons, for again pointing that out!) to put my light under a bushel.
I have allowed my lack of confidence to quiet my story, in much the same way as Moses…and I am hearing God cry out from His word to me:

Exodus 4 specifically”
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses

This weekend, I obtained some closure to the years of my highschool.
Like our highschool has been revived to produce new fruit, the Lord Jesus has touched my struggling heart to produce new fruit.
Like lost friendships have been rekindled, the lost first love of my faith has been rekindled.

Oh Lord Jesus – I thank you for not giving up on me!
Oh Dear Heavenly Father – I thank you for grace, mercy, forgiveness, and that rod and staff that you use to guide me, protect me, draw me to you, and comfort me!
Oh Dear Holy Spirit – fill me – and renew a right spirit within me!

Psalm 51:3-12
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

And when one is forgiven – there is a “show me” response:

Psalm 51:13-15
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

UhOh –
yes, there is teaching…but, there is some singing in there as well!

I have some marching orders:

1 Timothy 4:14
14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, [that special endowment] which was intentionally bestowed on you [by the Holy Spirit] through prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands on you [at your ordination].

I do not want to fall into the negative aspects of Matthew 25.
the ten virgins – 5 prepared, 5 not…and miss out.
The servants given the ‘talents’ – 5, 2, 1. and the one that only hid his talent:
“30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

I know that my salvation is sure – so please, do not worry about that.

John 10:28-30
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

But, this is my cleansing by confession post.
I just said I did not want to fall into the negative aspects of Matthew 25.

Jesus gave me a command:

Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

For this reason was I created!

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

I do not want to see my Lord face to face – and hear him say:
depart from me, I never knew you….

Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

I do work out my own salvation with fear and trembling now….

Philippians 2:12-13
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

I know it is by grace that I am saved, and that not of myself…but that it is a gift from God!

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The desire of my heart is to please my Heavenly Father….and to one day hear these words:

Matthew 25:23
23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. ….Enter into the joy of your master.’

Very few would accuse me of hiding my light under a bushel.
and that’s fine…they aren’t the ones that will invite me in past the white throne!
here is my confession:

Proverbs 16:2
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.

The Apostle Paul thought he was doing God’s work by persecuting the Christians.
The Apostle Peter thought he was doing God’s work by rebuking Jesus for stating that he would be killed.
Martha thought she was doing the work of the Lord by taking care of the household!
Jacob wrestled with God – Genesis 32:22-32 – and while God gave me what I asked, I walk with a limp.

Psalm 106:15
And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

I have felt, always, that something was preventing me to be all that I wanted to be for Christ. Yes, it was my sin!

I can ‘defend’ and ‘explain’ my decisions in 1977-80.
But GOD knows my heart.
I disobeyed what I KNEW God wanted me to do.
And yet, HE knew that I was but dust – and HE never left me!
My salvation was not jeopardized – but, my relationship with My Lord has had a deep dark secret for many many years. Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner! Forgive me and cleanse me! In Jesus’ name!

This quote explains my understanding of WHY I should obey…
“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

While I was in the Navy hospital – the Lord and I had a talk.
Again, I was bargaining.
“I will yield to your will for me to be removed from the Navy. I ask that you will make it so that they cannot find the reason I am paralyzed, and that you will allow me to finish bootcamp. ”
But God knows our hearts…HE knew mind…and HE was so gentle with me.
The swelling went down and I was released from the bedrest.
The doctors were going to put me back into another unit, but my CPO believed I would do the PT work – and I actually graduated with my unit!
I was chosen to paint the unit concrete block in the hallway – and it was a painting illustrating:

Isaiah 40:31
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.

This became my life verse.
as well as:

Ps 63:7
“Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your Wings.”

The story of what God did to have me removed from the Navy – WITH HONORABLE DISCHARGE – is another story.
And it’s part of the story I’m supposed to write…
It’s part of the light I have hidden under a bushel.
It’s part of the salt that I have not shared.
Because I did not continue in His word – there were many more stumbles.
I’m not dead yet!
But my soul needed cleansing – I needed the confrontation of that time, to realize that I needed to more completely confess my sins, and ask for forgiveness.

Now – I am facing the dilema that Isaiah did in chapter 6

Isaiah 6:5
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

I know that I am forgiven – as Isaiah was:

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

And, I want my response to be as Isaiah:

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

I want my heart to be that of Samuel:

10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

This was the prayer I prayed as I knelt in the church wherein I grew up.
This was the prayer I prayed as I read those prayers from the Episcopal prayer book.
This was my commitment sealed as I took the bread and the cup, in remembrance of what Jesus has done for me.

Proverbs 9 gives us the Ways of Wisdom….
and these are some points for me to heed:

Proverb 9:
9 Give instruction[b] to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life

Prov 1:5
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Psalm 111:110

Job 28:28
And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Hosea 6:3
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”.

2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

The above explains my marching orders!
I have been forgiven much – and, therefore, I love much!

Luke 7:36-50
Luke 12:41-48

Mark 12:30-31
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

I will not apologize that this is such a long post.
I will not apologize for the Word of God that is set forth in this blog.
I will not apologize for my faith in the Lord Jesus.
For I am not ashamed!

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

I AM NOT CONDEMNED!

Romans 8:1-6
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

But, I do have work to do!

Philippians 3:13-14
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Amen! and Amen!
I will be writing about committing my way to the Lord – as I work on the second installment of the Itty Bitty Bible Study Philippians 1:3-11.

For now, here’s a few photos of my shenanigans this weekend:

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Until then:

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 want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission.
The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
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Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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2016 Word of the Year – Prepare? – yeah, right!

This contains many photos of our trip for surgery.

In January, the Lord gave me this word to meditate upon this year.
Prepare

In 2014, we weren’t prepared to deal with cancer.
We chose a procedure that had a 98% cure rate…as in, no recurrence. It is called HIFU.
At that time, it was not approved in the United States.
In 2015, February, we made out of pocket, traveled to Cancun, Mexico, to receive this state of the art procedure to treat Prostate cancer.
January 2016, the PSA let us know that we were not in the 98%.
So, we started to research options.
From January, to August, the PSA rose from 1.7 to 5.6. In the last few months, it doubled. It was time to do something, but, what?

By now, the procedure had been FDA approved, but not insurance covered. So, still out of pocket. In the meantime, I started doing intense research on the prostate, and what nutritional options would strengthen Jim’s body to fight off this enemy.
~~~~~~~~~

James 1:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

~~~~~~~~~
In September, We went to see the doctor and obtain biopsies in order to make sure that we have all the options for any future need for cancer treatments.
We were told that November 29th was the date that was open. We were waiting for confirmation, and working to handle our money in order to pay for this procedure.

In addition to choosing to repeat the HIFU, we wanted to get a second opinion for the cancer treatment – and we went through the process of setting up a visit to Cancer Treatment Centers of America, their prostate division based in Atlanta.

We were scheduled for August 17-21. We would be flown in, and see the medical team Thursday, Friday, then stay over the weekend, and get the final recommendations on Monday. We were working with the travel team, the medical information team and everyone at that center.

One week before our trip, we spoke with the Nurse Navigator. We discussed the HIFU done in February 2015, and let her know that we were planning on doing a repeat to eradicate the remission.
She took our information to the medical director who then said that we were not a good fit for their program.
Why?
Jim had not jumped up on a surgery table when his PSA was at 5 when he was 50.
Jim had undergone HIFU without biopsies, based upon Dr. Wheeler’s explanation of Prostate Cancer development, and because of the incidence of track back metastisis at the site of biopsies.
We based it upon a specialized MRI system that indicated the dubious nature of the mass – even though it was in a very difficult place to be found by biopsies.
We did not follow the CTCA procedure. Of course not, we weren’t their patient! So, they denied us the opportunity to ask questions about traditional treatments, to talk with naturopath and nutritionist about how to combat the side effects, and to strengthen Jim’s body to fight cancer.

This was like a punch in the stomach. We didn’t know what the Lord was up to, but at least we knew that we were not going to go to Atlanta.
Then, fires around Atlanta. The city was dealing with the smoke just as we were going to be there. That seemed like a good enough reason for God to change that plan. I don’t do well in smoke filled areas.

Every good gift comes from the Father of Lights…

We went ahead and sent part of the downpayment for Jim’s treatment at the end of November, and we were working on obtaining other funding. I even was a bit rough on Doc about the date…when??? November 29th, but many things need to be orchestrated – please be patient. That was the conversation on Wednesday, November 16.

Friday, November 18, before noon, we got the call that the place had been set up, and we were scheduled for Sunday, November 20. At 9am. WHAT?!?! So, we cleared out schedules, and left for St. Augustine on Friday evening. I had just unpacked my suitcase from my plans to be in Boston. Now, I just had to put those clothes back into the suitcase! I threw most of next weeks groceries I’d just purchased into the freezer!

If we had gone to Atlanta as planned, for the CTCA consult, we would not have been available for this opening! We would have been sitting around Atlanta watching the forest burn, instead of burning out the cancer.

We arrived into the hotel in St. Augustine Beach around 8. We ate at Wendy’s because it was so late.

 

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Saturday, November 19, I woke up barely able to keep back tears. I did not have any peace about the procedure, but Jim was freaking out enough that I needed to stay calm.
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We had breakfast at a local eatery, and Jim started on his clear liquid diet.

 

We did have to find some clear liquid options – which ended up being cartons of bone broth and green jello.

Mostly, Jim drank water. water. water.

First, we explored Palatka.

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This is where the specialists have their out patient clinic, and more importantly,
the Ablatherm HIFU machine.

 

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

We traveled around St Augustine, took photos, and just basically spent time enjoying each other.

Fort Matanzas,

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Crescent Beach – just across the road.

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We had not been in the hotel very long when we got the call that the anesthesiologist had been called back home, and that the procedure was canceled for Sunday. “Go ahead and eat some supper, breakfast tomorrow, then clear liquids again after 10, and nothing by mouth after midnight. You are scheduled for noon on Monday.”
I guess God wanted a different anesthesiologist for the procedure.

Exodus 31 – God set apart specific ones for specific giftings

We went to Applebees, because of the burgers.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified

 

It was so beautiful out, that we took a walk along this St Augustine Beach community.(Christmas lights at the beach)

street view

street view

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dock

dock

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We walked out on the dark, and looked at the stars!

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Then we finished our Christmas Lights walk!
 

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We returned to the frog place for breakfast. Jim really enjoyed their omelet.

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Then, we  spent Sunday driving around, enjoying the sights, and each other.

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Monday morning, enemas, and take off for Palatka, Florida.
I was very nervous, very sensitive – and I felt like I was going to fall into a crying fit at any minute. But I needed to be strong for Jim.
As we were waiting, with Jim in the spiffy paper gown,

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we overheard the conversation between the engineer and the doctor about the machine. A cable was not working correctly on the machine. The one that connected the ultrasound to the HIFU machine was dead. It had been working just fine on Saturday. It’s canceled for mechanical reasons.

What? Ok.
“Better before than during” – Jim said, after he took a moment.

“the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:7.

Nerves?
Yes.
Disappointed?
Completely.
Confused?
You bet.

Jim’s comment:

It’s really futile to complain that something is not going right when you are listening to “The Sovereignty of God” by AW Pink

How’s this for preparation – I had brought my medicines for up to one extra day, through Tuesday. I will run out Tuesday evening, and Wednesday morning. Oops. I know I heard a voice in my head telling me to fill in the whole medicine container! I didn’t listen. “I’ll be home – there’s no way that we would be here past Tuesday!” Yeah, Right! Another lesson to LISTEN!

We took another drive.

So, today(I wrote this while waiting for him during the surgery), Tuesday, enemas again. Jim should be very cleaned out by now!

At 9am, we arrived at the clinic again.
The office nurse is not here.
The office doctor came in, then left, and did not unlock the medicine cabinet.
Whew. I’m not telling Jim what I’ve overheard this time.
Jim’s snapping – and who can blame him? He’s not angry, he’s just very guarded. He’s so tired. Very hungry. Tired of drinking bone broth and eating jello!
More nervous than he was any of the previous days. And again, who can blame him?
Jim went out for a walk, and I was not sure if he would come back in.

I found the gown for him this time.
I found the chux to put under him on the chair.
I’ve sat watching the doc, the technician, the anesthesiolgist looking through the cabinets and such in this office. I have heard the doctor say that he didn’t have the catheters that he is used to using.
And then, I was asked to go sit in the waiting room. Of course, that is probably better for me anyway, because I could hear almost everything that they were saying. Now, they could have closed additional doors, but, I was struggling between being able to know what was going on, and being somewhere peaceful!

Prepare for this? HOW?
Be wrapped in the word of God.
Jim played some scripture music as we were on our way here.
I’m focusing on the scriptures while I’m waiting.

Storms?
This feels like a hurricane that just keeps swirling around and coming back and hitting again.
And each time, I feel weaker – and yet, maybe this feeling of being resigned to the Lord’s hand, is exactly where I need to be.
Waiting in the palm of God’s hand.

I met the couple that are going after Jim. Mike and Sandy Norris.
A very sweet couple.
We discussed how we all got here.
We discussed how we believed that God’s hand was in these delays.
I’m so grateful for Christians to sit with.

Post Procedure

  • He had much difficulty with the intubation – almost called off the procedure.
    If not for the new anesthesiologist – this would have been canceled.
  • Jim was difficult to wake up – if not for this very skilled anesthesiologist, we may have ended up at the hospital across the street.
  • Jim could not have the same type of catheter…the had to have one through his abdomen.
    If not for the experienced Doctor, this could have been a serious complication.
  • Considering the stress of all the delays, Jim’s blood pressure remained safe.
    His oxygen even remained 98 and above!

Jim has some wins as well.

Jim was not happy with the placement of the catheter, but, when one is under anesthesia, one cannot understand all the things the doctor explains.

The upside is that the doctor said that he was able to do everything that he wanted to do and that the tissue responded so well, just melting instantly, that he didn’t even go around to do some other areas that were ‘just in case’.
Now, it’s a different type of recovery than the first time. But recover, we shall!

I’m trying to finish this the following week.
To be honest, we are still struggling, which is why this blog is a week late.

The doctor that was supposed to follow up with Jim, and in fact, talked to him on Wednesday, giving him great calming advice, decided on Monday that Jim was not a candidate for his practice.
WHAT? We were just IN his clinic! He’d been talking to us, and gave Jim his cell phone number! And talked to him on said cell phone!

Disappointed?
Yeah!
Confused?
Completely.
Jim was completely frustrated, potentially angry, but I was not with him, because my leg had given out.

Same day – I found out that my pain doctor may not take me back because I’d rescheduled 2 appointments over the last year, and cancelled one. Not one no show…but, still, I was told that she could not schedule me until he looked over my chart and decided he still wanted me for a patient. WHAT? now it’s wrong to reschedule or cancel appointments?

Angry?
you bet.
And I fell apart.
I was trying very hard not to cry as I went in to see my doctor, and ask for pain meds!

I did get in to see my PCP, and she gave me a new medicine for the pain in my hip. One that will not have the side effects that the previous one had. Surprise? IT WORKS BETTER THAN THE OTHER ONE WITH A PAIN PILL! No pain pills! No pain! And sleep, precious sleep.

How do you prepare for surprises?
You put your faith in the Lord, and you dwell on His word, and you join together, and remind each other that we are a team, Jim, me and God.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

I found this devotional on Isaiah 54:17 by James MacDonald
It reminds me of everything that I believe about God walking with us through storms.

no-weapon-formed-resized
And another devotional about preparing for warfare came with this graphic above. From ChristiansTT, it teaches about warfare in prayer.

The point is, just because we don’t know the answer – our faith tells us that we know the ONE that holds the ANSWER in His hand.
If we did not believe this – we would not be where we are today.
We would both be locked up in a hospital for not being able to think straight!

  • Our lives are not perfect, but we live in the One Who is.
  • they are riddled with sin, but woven with mercy.
  • they are encumbered with guilt, but awash with grace.
  • they are surrounded with storms, but enveloped with his words “Peace, be still”.
  • HE holds us together…without the Love of God through Jesus Christ – we would not be able to handle the storms.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
and the Power
and the Glory,
Forever.
Amen.

We celebrated Thanksgiving by giving thanks that the Lord is in His house, and in our hearts.
We celebrate Advent, by remembering that many before us have waited to see God’s hand move on their behalf.
We will celebrate Christmas, by thanking the Creator of the Universe for choosing to give of Himself to win us back to Him.
My studies in Prepare this year have been very appropriate.
My studies in Psalm 23 have been very personal.
My heart is that you will be blessed by something in my life stories.

Thank you for sharing them with me.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

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

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

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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.

THE SKY IS FALLING! The end of the world as we know it!

Yes, Donald Trump is going to be our next president.
No, Hillary Clinton did not win.
And, no, all the independent candidates only kept the big show from being more of a separation. 1-2-6% just didn’t come close to winning…but, it could have effected the outcome, one way or another.
I know very seriously committed Christians that voted in every one of those categories. No one has the Christian mandate.

AND YET – that is NOT the focus of my post!

godneverpanics

AS CHRISTIANS – What should our response be?

My first post this morning was to thank friends of mine on the “other side of the aisle” for having respectful discussions with me throughout this election.

KB, I want to thank you for reaching out to me this election. I pray that our respect for one another is a symbol for others that vehemently disagree and the who…but completely agree in the need for change. SS, you and I have described our political relationship as being on opposite sides so dramatically that we end up back to back fighting for the same issues from different points of view.

I know how you feel on the day after an election, and you ladies did not gloat and rub your victories in my face in 2008 and 2012. I wish I would say ” good race”, but I can’t. What I can say is thank you for your love for our country. May God bless America…and may we the people come together to don’t a more perfect union!
Thank you, ladies, and other friends that disagree with my position…I’m thanking DP, JR, DE and others. Thank you for the respectful freedom to discuss our differences. THIS is what makes America great!

Then, I wrote this post on Facebook this morning, as I saw folks blasting both sides:

For 8 years, I’ve been respectful of a man for which I had no respect. I hope those that were for Hillary can find themselves able to honor the way the founders set up our method of election, and be respectful. Our country needs to be united against our common foes…poverty, uneducated, Healthcare issues and security issues among so many others. Let’s all be AMERICAN!

I’m going to post that discussion here. I’m not going to name my friend, because she is not the only Christian that is feeling this way.

One response:

Yes, you were, but we need to face the fact that many, MANY people were not respectful of President Obama. Those people have no right to expect Hillary supporters to all of a sudden respect Trump. What goes around, comes around.

My reply:

It doesn’t mean that Christians shouldn’t raise the bar and live above the past. We can encourage one another to shine a light. To be a light. People live down to your expectations.

Her comment:

I totally agree that we should encourage one another to do what’s right, but I think that Christians who were disrespectful of President Obama gave up their opportunity to be the light in this particular situation.

My reply:

Repentance and confession go a long way…and then, they can show their change by their quiet response to wrath. The Christian life is about growth. I’m speaking a vision…I hope believers will hear. Every day I have to try to live and love better than yesterday. In times like these, that’s the light that can be shown. I hope that a sinful past does not eliminate my future opportunities to be salt and light. By grace through Faith I stand! And that not of myself! The psalmist said that we are to shine brighter and brighter…I call out to my brothers and sisters to rise to the call of the kingdom of God, not muck around in sport game celebrations. Even sports know it’s unsportsmanlike. We are to be different…and someone has to call out and remind us that we have a higher calling! That is what I am attempting to do.

I got one response from another friend that said:

I am not united with bigots, racists, misogynists, and xenophopes.

hmmm. That means me.

Another post by a friend, was this meme:

bullyvotingmap

Here’s my response:

This is highly offensive to me. If you are one that is posting such memes, this is to you.
It just hurts me when folks make such generalizations. As if I’m ignorant…and those like me could not possibly have an intelligent reason for our position. I cannot comprehend your position, and you cannot comprehend mine, but isn’t that where we grow by respecting each other and not supporting memes and such that call each other ugly names? Doesn’t that smack of bullying? And isn’t that a huge thing Democrats have screamed about trump? Wasn’t part of Hillary’s campaign anti bullying? I just don’t understand the divisiveness. And yes, just as blacks consider themselves judged as part of a whole group…and the Democrat position was anti bias, I’m part of the group indicated in red…I have been bullied and judged by this meme.
I’m anti-bullying, anti-stereotyping. Are you?

And this is just in response to the stuff that those pro Hillary and anti Trump have posted.

I’ve told those that are pro trump that I will not be posting or liking any of their meme’s either. On both sides, there have been some funny things, but, not everyone sees the humor.

As a follower of Christ, here is how I have handled the last 8 years of a presidency that I did not agree with.

1. I have dual citizenship! United States Citizen(by birth) and
The Kingdom of Heaven (by rebirth).

  • Phil 3:20
    But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
  • Romans 8:17
    Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
  • John 17:15-17
    15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[a] the truth; your word is truth.
  • John 18:36
    36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

2. Responsibility to My Heavenly King
I’m going to post this after #3, but I wanted it to be clear that my first responsibility is to my Heavenly King. This is from where all of my decisions derive, and this is where my world view is formed.

Here’s a hint!

Mark 12:29-33
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.
33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Here, take a break and listen to Rich Mullins singing Creed!

3. Responsibility to my earthly government

  • Romans 13:1-2

    1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
    2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

  • Mark 12:13-17

    17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

    Matthew 22:15-22

  • Romans 14:17-18

    17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval

  • A great sermon was preached on 11/6/2016 by David Uth of First Baptist Church of Orlando. I hope I can update this soon, when that podcast is published.

Back to point 2.

no-matter-who-is-president-jesus-is-king

Is Jesus my King? YES!

Joshua 24:14-15
14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

1 John 3:23
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

John 1:12
1 John 4:15
Acts 16:31
1 Corinthians 3:11

Now, what is my responsibility as a Christian – to those around me?
Jesus had a lot to say, and none of it depended upon the outcome of an election.

Ephesians 4:1-3
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

LOVE

John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 15:17
This is my command: Love each other.

If you are not familiar with the standard of how love acts, in the life of a Christian, please click on 1 Corinthians 13.

PEACE

Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Psalm 34:14
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, rejoice! Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

FORGIVENESS, KINDNESS, COMPASSIONATE

Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

galatians 5:13-16
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:22-26
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

LIGHT(to cause darkness to flee)

Ephesians 5:8-9
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
9for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

SALT (preservative, seasoning)

Matthew 5:13
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot

Mark 9:50
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Get rid of ugliness:

Galatians 4:29-32
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Romans 14:19; Romans 15:2; Colossians 3:8;1 Thessalonians 5:11

And verse upon verse upon verse about the dangers of the tongue!

Focus on the Good:

Phillipians 4:8-9
8 Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true,
whatever is noble,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable—
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—
think about such things.
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Speak not evil of governing authorities

2 Peter 2:10
But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Jude 8

Exodus 22:28
Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

The wisdom of Solomon:

Ecclesiastes 10:20
Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

And if you can’t bring yourself to do that, here are a few verses that always bring me to my knees:

Matt 5:43 – 46
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

Luke 6:27-28
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Why?
Because Christians are called to be DIFFERENT than the rest of the world.
Christians are supposed to be growing into the likeness and image of CHRIST JESUS!

Philipians 2:5
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

John 13:15
“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

Romans 8:29
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Mark 8:34-35
And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

John 15:10
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 13:35
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I’m commanded to love those that use me, abuse me, persecute me, and even are my enemies. Jesus Loved from the cross.

But I have another responsibility, to this country, based on my citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven.

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

My responsibility is:

  • as one of HIS people
  • called by HIS name
  • HUMBLE MYSELF
  • Pray
  • Seek HIS face
  • Turn from MY wicked ways
  • THEN
  • He will hear me
  • and forgive me
  • and heal our land.

But the verse is PLURAL – MY PEOPLE!
There is a need for revival in the land – for the children of God to rise up to their responsibility for the condition of our country.
I know that I have not been consistent with this set of requirements to be a good citizen. Have you?

Yahweh, Jehovah, Yeshua or Jesus(however you want to speak the name of God) did not put any clarification that this only applied when the King was a Godly King. In fact, Daniel was led to pray for the King of Persia…
Israelites were called to pray for the leaders when in Babylon(jeremiah 29:7)
The early Christians were told to pray for the government, that would kill them.

Our government in the United States of America grants us freedom of religion – at this time – in the constitution. That is NOT the case around the world. And, according to the scriptures, that will not be the case forever.

Matthew 24 is a good place to read about how things will change.
Luke 21.
Mark 13.
And they are changing.

1 Timothy 4
2 Peter 3
1 Thessalonians 5

So, my prayer, dear Christian, follower of Christ, lover of the true Light – is this:

Hebrews 10:22-25
22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Jeremiah was told

(Jeremiah 29:7):
7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13
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.
12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

1 Timothy 2:1-4
2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Let’s humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.
Let’s stand in the gap on behalf of our nation.
Let’s make our speech, both written and spoken, be wholesome and edifying, not given to gossip and division.

prayforamerica2

Let’s live our lives to rise to glorify God in our bodies, and not fall to the destructive methods of others.

Romans 12:1-2
12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

When Jesus returns for his Bride – I want him to be able to pick me out of the crowd! I want to be different. How about you?

note – this does not discuss the grace and mercy of God upon us, the propitiation for our sin through Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness when we fail. On the other hand, I did not reference the times we are told to be perfect as he is perfect or holy as he is holy. The point is – we are supposed to aim higher. That is my goal. I fail often, but by His grace, I go before the throne, call upon the name of Jesus, and I’m cleansed, and welcomed back to try again.

Team Wildman

Team Wildman

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

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

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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.

Holidays – Why I don’t celebrate Halloween

I’ve been asked over the years by Christians and nonChristians alike. Oddly, the non Christians accept my reasoning much more readily than Christians.  This is MY point of view, based on MY life experiences and MY understanding of the Bible.  I’m sharing MY story.  What you do is between YOU and Your God and conscience!

IT’S SCARY!
No, actually, that’s not the original reason that I stopped celebrating Halloween. I once participated in Halloween dances, haunted houses, and watched horror movies. So, I cannot say that this is the reason I quit.

I have a history with witchcraft, so I am very sensitive to anything that has the slightest hint of it.  I know there are those that participate. I know there are those that do so in order to pass out tracts and to share the gospel.  Others may, I may not. But why?

Once, many years ago, my dear husband refused to watch a scary movie with me. His reason? It gave him nightmares! Over the years, I stopped watching the crime dramas because, they, too, gave me nightmares. Why would I want to put myself through such things? Still, that has little to do with why I stopped celebrating Halloween.

When we decided to make it known to our family that we would not be participating in holidays, we mentioned Christmas, Easter and Halloween. Which one got the reaction? Halloween. The one that has nothing to do with celebrating Christ Jesus. I have one family member that has never spoken to me again since.

One church we participated in many years ago, had a harvest party, and asked that children come as Bible characters. I caved in. What harm could come from this? We had a dress for one that with some wings, she became an Angel. The others all had animal sleepers, and went as animals from the ark. All this did was to muddy the waters, and give others reasons to question our integrity. My desire is to be a light to the world, shining Christ’s light. I do not want to be accused of sounding an uncertain sound, or having a filtered light, or casting a shadow.

I am going to share my thoughts on this holiday.
This is how I came up with my decision to not participate at all, in any way.

What is a Christian supposed to focus upon?
Phillipians 4:8-9

8 Finally, brothers and sisters,

  • whatever is true,
  • whatever is noble,
  • whatever is right,
  • whatever is pure,
  • whatever is lovely,
  • whatever is admirable—
  • if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.
And the God of peace will be with you.

In my experience, there is nothing in Halloween that fits these categories. And, yes, I have heard all of the excuses to participate…I’ll share my thoughts on those later.

So, if Halloween is NOT these things, upon what does it focus?

Witches – worshippers of the devil

Death –

Darkness –

  • We’ve been called OUT of darkness –
    1 Peter 2:9

    But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

    John 8:12

    Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

  • We are called into the Light –
    1 John 1:5-7

    5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
    6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
    7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

  • We are called to BE light –Matthew 5:14-16

    14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
    15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
    16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

  • and darkness is the realm of the devil:
    Acts 26:18

    to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.

Horror

  • this is a simple statement – look at the Halloween movie offerings!
  • My issue with this is that it feeds fear.2 Timothy 1:7

    7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind

  • Jesus said that He came to give us peace…
    John 14:27

    Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

  • All through scripture, God tells us not to be afraid…he doesn’t say there aren’t things to be afraid of. If it is best for me to not be afraid, why would I put myself in the position to be fearful to get an adrenaline rush?

Monsters, demons, vampires and the undead.
Again – none of these glorifies God or confirms the gospel of Christ.

Here is the one scripture verse that really turned my head:
2 Corinthians 6:14-16

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

So – is it serious enough just to base this upon what the current practice does? Well, I look around at the continual decay of the celebration. More and more decorations are based around scaring, with death, and witchcraft and demonic activities. In my area, there are even sheets hanging from the trees covered in “blood”.
None of this brings Philippians 4:8-9 to mind!
None of this brings the light of Christ into our midst… were delivered From darkness into HIS LIGHT. Why would I want to go back there?

To do a very simple research upon the roots of Halloween, I have turned to Wikipedia. This is NOT known for it’s religious bent! Even so, this research option includes some of the pagan background of Halloween.

Just reading the generic write up of Halloween in Wikipedia sets my nerves on edge. There are too many similarities to the various occult practices. As for using it to celebrate those that have gone on before, such as all hallows eve? We are not told to celebrate the dead…and even when the rich man asks Lazarus, who was in Abraham’s bosom, awaiting the day of the resurrection, Abraham says that there is a chasm between the living and the dead, and that no one could go through it.(Luke 16:19-31) Those who have died are either in the place of suffering, or are in the place Jesus called paradise when he spoke to the thief upon the cross.

May I present some interesting articles, that of course, support my position, some more than others.

So, why do Christians participate in Halloween?
Why do Christians participate in any worldly activity?
It is much easier to just follow along rather than stand up for one’s beliefs.
In many cases, it is even excused by those in leadership.

You, dear reader, can google why a Christian SHOULD celebrate Halloween on your own. There are many, many articles out there to support this position.

I said I would comment on some of the reasons Christians use to excuse participating in Halloween.
Some just do not see the harm in participating in this high holy day of the devil.
Some use it to pass out Christian Tracts – little pamphlets that present the gospel.
my issues with this:

  • Who really believes that a child that is looking for candy is going to be happy about a little booklet?
  • Who really believes that a child looking for candy is going to READ said booklet?
  • Could this be considered a bait and switch tactic? Oh, yes, the church has gotten very good at bait and switch in order to ‘preach’ the gospel, or to ‘catch’ converts.
  • It’s very dangerous to bring the worldly ways, the pagan ways, into the gospel. There are passages that speak about this, and stories that illustrate this in the Bible. Strange fire and uncertain sound come to mind.

Christianity is not immune to the occult practices, and has it’s share of worship of the dead, as well as giving demons and the devil way too much credit for some things, and not enough credit for others. In fact, even angels and those that have passed on before us are sometimes given special powers and honor that is not biblical! That does not make any of this right. It is the Bible that is my source for my decision.

Again, for me, I must turn to scripture:

2 Corinthians 6:17

Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

More than any other thing, I want to hear the Lord say, “Enter into the Joy of the Lord”.
My heart’s desire is to be received by my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Do I think that celebrating Halloween would keep someone out of the Kingdom of God? I honestly don’t know. I know salvation is based upon the relationship with Jesus Christ.  I know that for me to participate is for me to go against all that I have learned about Jesus Christ, God the Father, and against all that the Holy Spirit confirms in my spirit. For me, it opens doors to my past in witchcraft, which, was practiced with the blessing of my church. For me, this is not something I want to risk damaging my relationship with my Creator God. For me, this is playing with fire. I know that I will get burned. This is my experience any time I go against what I believe the Bible leads me to do. I want to enter in at the straight gate….

Matthew 7:14

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Contemplating this very post has had an effect upon my recent watching of murder mysteries. Not the scary, gory ones…these are the ones on Hallmark channel! I believe that a sign of a living relationship with Jesus Christ is that we grow, and change, and learn to look more and more like Him. For my own peace of mind, I will be giving these shows up as well.

I want my life to stand for all that Jesus has given me.
I do not want to complicate it.
I do not want to contaminate it.
Seriously, giving up a scary holiday is the least that I can do to tell my Father God that HE is my one and only God.
Giving up gory or non-gory, scary shows is such a tiny offering, considering all that my Lord has given me.

Deuteronomy 30:15-19

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,
18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

Here is my declaration:

Joshua 24:14-15

14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

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.

“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

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

2016 word of the year – prepare – when you can’t prepare! 

In the last 18 months,  my husband and I have been walking a path that we were not prepared for.  How do you prepare for hearing the “C” word, when there are no noticeable symptoms?

Once you prepare by researching treatments,  and choose the best option for 99% cure,  how do you prepare to find out that you are one of the 1%?

The answer for us has been, we couldn’t.

I was in the midst of a depressive breakdown, and I was an inpatient in a wonderful mental health hospital.
Jim was in the midst of a mental and emotional stressful time. His wife was in the hospital, and he had just found out that the reason for the elevated PSA was cancer. The procedure was not yet approved in the States, and he needed a companion to accompany him to Cancun for the procedure. We had to schedule my release from the hospital program with the date for the procedure.

98% cure rate(though they cannot use the term ‘cure’).

Fast forward almost one year – and the PSA was coming up again.
The cancer was back.

We had to rearrange our thought process – because we were not planning on dealing with Cancer again!

When God is with you, to guide your steps, there is peace.

Jim went for his MRI.
We set up an appointment with the Doctor.

and God told me that I was to set up my life in order to assist Jim to grow in strength, and spirit, and to lessen his stress where possible.

This meant travel with him as much as possible.
First, I had worked out a system with my counselor to do our visits via Google hangouts. This was arranged while I was in Ohio to assist our daughter with her third child.

Second, we had a situation with our cat. She could not be boarded, because she did not trust anyone. In Ohio, we had her with us. One day, she slipped out, and instead of going and exploring the fields on three sides of us, she ran to the multi lane road a mile+ away, and was hit and killed. Sad, yes. This event did set us free from that concern.

Next, how to travel with my service dog.
He went deaf while being treated for an ear infection. He stopped being able to alert to my medical issues. And, he was depressed with no friend to spend time with.
His hips were getting so painful that he was having difficulty getting up into and down out of a vehicle. Lying on the floor of an airplane had become painful, and stiff.
He had also aged, and was no longer always able to let me know if he needed to go out. There had been several accidents in places that it was imperative that he did not have accidents!
Enter in a new boarder, that loved Gabriel, and Gabriel loved her.
I discussed with her my concerns for Gabriel, and my concerns that Gabriel would no longer be able to train the next service dog, because of the deafness.
Then came the ‘call’ that I was to travel with Jim.
Our new friend agreed to be Gabriel’s caregiver, giving him a small farm to run around, other dogs to play with, release from the anxiety of not being able to serve me, and a job to comfort his new handler, Dana.

Another sad, but important part of this preparation.

Treatment Preparation!

I went with him to Sarasota in order to research the cancer treatments, and discuss things with his doctor.
My presentation(not having studied anything prior) impacted the doctor that was against all biopsies in such a way that he performed the biopsy on Jim, so that if we beat the odds again, with the second procedure, we would have the biopsies in order to know how to treat the cancer.

Now, the travel part!

Jim earned a companion pass for me to fly free with him. That came just as this situation was unfolding.

I needed TSA precheck in order to get through the security with Jim.

Set up an appointment?
Next morning was open!
Wait for the TSA number…30+ days.
Email came in within three days!
Luggage needed to arrange my travel needs.
Macy’s had a sale – and the luggage was available at the closest store the next day! As Jim says – in my weird color!

These things all came about within days of a two week trip.

MY art and writing
I am held to continuing that set of callings. How?
The laptop. WordPress.
And, I need to make sure that drafts do not get published!

Travel sets of art – acrylic, watercolor, colored pencils.
I even found a portable easel!

And when the enemy distracted me and I left my camera in a rental car – (Arting at Stone Mountain) – Jesus had already prepared Jim’s schedule to take him by the house in order for him to pick up another camera. That was only important, because we were going to be back in Atlanta the following week, and we could retake the photos.

Weather? Photos?
The Lord Jesus prepared the timing, the lighting, and the schedule for the pavilion so that we were able to get there, and take the exact set of photos again.

stone mountain, georgia

stone mountain, georgia

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

Our Creator God had prepared this path for us, before we even realized that we needed to say YES to Him.

I hope you are enjoying this journey!

Team Wildman

Team Wildman

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

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

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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

Obed’s House Ministries

2016 – word for the year – Prepare – for Jesus’ Return

Today is Good Friday for 2016.

The story was started on Christmas Morning.
This is something I try to read every Christmas – and Easter:

Today commemorates the whole focus of Christianity, save one part.
Today commemorates the day that a perfect man took upon himself the cost, the debt, that every man, woman or child incurs by our flesh. I am a sinner.
Romans 3:23(Amplified)

since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God,

No one is able to walk perfectly – because we continue to sin.

Romans 3:10(AMP)

10 As it is written and forever remains written,

“There is none righteous [none that meets God’s standard], not even one.

It has been this way since the beginning of time – we sin.

Romans 5:12 (AMP)

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all people [no one being able to stop it or escape its power], because they all sinned.

Because God is the creator of everything, and the master of heaven, he makes the rules.
God is so holy that no unrighteousness can appear in his presence.
Because one fell that is now our enemy, and we tend to follow in his steps, there is a price to pay for sin.

Romans 6:23a(AMP)

23 For the wages of sin is death,

And yet, God is so loving, he provided a way to pay for that debt.

Romans 6:23b (AMP)

but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That debt is death, and He chose to pay that debt HIMSELF.

Romans 5:8(AMP)

8 But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

He paid a debt He did not Owe.

Randy Matthews from 1972 – Didn’t He

I want to thank Teen Missions for their Romans Road page. There is additional explanation for these points on that webpage, and there is another part of this story, that is Easter Morning.

The Romans Road IS the Preparation for Jesus Coming.
Because He IS coming again – just as He said.

Hebrews 9:28(AMP)

28 so Christ, having been offered once and once for all to bear [as a burden] [a]the sins of many, will appear a second time [when he returns to earth], not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly and confidently waiting for Him.

The Open Bible website has compiled verses about Jesus’s Second Coming.

When Jesus returns there is one thing that he will be looking for. And that is faith.

Luke 18:8(AMP)

8 I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?”

2 Chron 16:9a(AMP)

9 For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth so that He may support those whose heart is completely His.

It starts at the cross.
The first step to prepare for Jesus’ return is to go to the cross, and be cleanse by the blood of the Lamb – Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:17-19

17If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
18knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
19but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.…

Make sure that you have confessed your belief in Jesus:
Romans 10:8-10(AMP)

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word [the message, the basis] of faith which we preach—
9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.

And, there is a recipricating act for our gratitude for being saved from the debt of sin:
1 Cor 6:19-20(AMP)

…19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

and back to Romans:
Romans 12:1(AMP)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.

And how do we live this(with an extra footnote from the Amplified Bible):
John 13:34(AMP)

34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you [a]love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another.

Footnotes:

John 13:34 The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.

Jesus wrapped up the 10 commandments into two:
Matthew 22:36-40(AMP)

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 And Jesus replied to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’
40 The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

And this rolls back to Love…Love is patient, Love is kind, Love is not envious nor rude….1 Cor 13.

1 John 4:7-12(AMP)

7 Beloved, let us [unselfishly] [a]love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience].
8 The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]
9 By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath].
11 Beloved, if God so loved us [in this incredible way], we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time. But if we love one another [with unselfish concern], God abides in us, and His love [the love that is His essence abides in us and] is completed and perfected in us.

It all starts at the cross.

This is one of the songs that focuses my heart:
As sung on the Voice:
https://youtu.be/amxE80Zj1Ys

Here is the Old Rugged Cross with Lyrics, if you prefer.

Today is the day that I refresh my focus upon what Jesus did for me, how much he loves me, and how much it cost him to make a way for me to enter into Heaven.
My steps for preparing for Jesus’ return is to remember the cross – but also remember, that Sunday is coming!

https://youtu.be/YByT6wfdhJs

Worship with me!
Alan Jackson – Are you washed?
https://youtu.be/SDqTENtNvKQ

Jesus's Palms

Jesus’s Palms


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

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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

2016 word for the year – Prepare – your marriage

Marriage thoughts in the Valentine’s month. Of Course!
I know it’s trite – February being Valentines month(well, the first half is full price, the second is 50% off!).
Marriage is always 100%.
Sometimes it’s 150% depending on the circumstances, and events.
It never goes on sale, and the cost is never reduced. Everything. It costs everything!

There is only one relationship that merits more effort, more focus, more devotion, and more commitment. That, of course, is your relationship with Jesus Christ. Honestly, I have no idea how someone can make a marriage work without being able to lean upon an omniscient, omnipotent, all compassionate Lord.

I wrote twice so far about marriage:
Marriage tools 1
Marriage tools 2
These will help to fix a broken marriage. These came out of our time at the Smalley Institute’s Marriage Intensive REIGNITE based upon the book DNA of Relationships.

The best idea is to prepare your marriage before you get married, and Jim and I truly did.

  • We went through two premarriage counseling sessions,
  • and we spent the 9 months between engagement and wedding separated by states(Jim was at Purdue, I was working in my hometown).
  • We traded notes from our individual church services,
  • and when we were together, we were attending the fellowship where we met.
  • In fact, we were both baptized in the same river, out back from the Barn!
  • Our first time together was based around being late to a summer retreat, and we both needed to catch up on the Bible Studies.
  • After we caught up, we just continued to do them together.
  • We abstained until marriage(though we were unwise in some necking)
  • We researched marriage traditions, and threw out the occult ones, and made our wedding an evangelistic event, sharing our faith.
  • Once married, We attended churches that were preaching solid Bible,
  • and we did our own Bible Studies.
  • We prayed together nightly, and at every meal, even in public before it was “cool” to do so as Christian.

But shortly after our wedding, I knew something was wrong.
I think Jim did, too. We could not discuss things that were crucial to the running of a partnership. We didn’t realize it then, but we were butting heads and we didn’t know why. It didn’t help that in the first 10 years of our marriage,

  • two parents died(one in the first month),
  • and I was pregnant or nursing 5 babies and two miscarriages from 1981 to 1988.(five babies in 6 years)
  • Then, I had major surgery – and health issues started.
  • STRESS!
  • Jim left Purdue and the degree he was focused upon,
  • worked in various entry level jobs,
  • found a new love(computers),
  • went back to school full time,
  • and of course, there were money issues. Always money issues.

And we still couldn’t communicate!
WHY???

We didn’t know how to prepare our marriage from the beginning – and in the midst of the storms of life, the holes in our marriage ship were not getting the attention they deserved. We were sinking.

We got a hand with Marriage Encounter – we found out that we were really thinking the same thing, but we couldn’t communicate it verbally. Unfortunately, life hit us and we never had the chance to really learn the technique.

Health issues with me, with the children, and money just slipping through our hands, and we were at our wits end.

We were both counseled over and over to leave the other. Again, no help to stay together, no help on how to listen and communicate.

My heart started to change once I realized that Jim spoke a different language(Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman), and that He was a different animal(The treasure Tree, by Gary Smalley and John Trent) Two Sides of Love is the adult version.
Jim read books by Douglas Wilson that affirmed his position in the marriage. But we also got a lot of bad information from errors preached from the pulpit, and our own wounds and personalities.

We are opposites in every way. No matter what test is done on us, other than confirming that Jesus Christ is Lord of our life, we are opposites! I’m not going to list them all here. Let’s just leave it that we’ve been told by pastors that we should never have married! THANKS for the help!

After one particularly hard time, I drew this to ilustrate what was going on in our marriage. We are like onions (thanks Shrek!), and we are under attack.

opposite hearts

opposite hearts

We wanted a marriage based upon our love for Jesus Christ, but our flesh and the attacks of our life were just dragging us down. Our marriage did not have the preparation it needed, and our foundation was badly shaken.

Prepare for your marriage, and prepare your marriage for storms!

  1. base you marriage on the word of God

    2. are you going to follow the word, and not divorce?
    are you going to commit, covenant, before GOD that you will do all in your power to make this work? easy to say on day one, but it’s crucial, and this is the #1 key that has kept Jim and I together!

  2. base your faith on the word of God

    3. Your walk with God is more important than your marriage. and it is most important that you walk with God FOR your marriage.

  3. base your relationship on the word of God

    4. This sounds very obvious, but this is one that we did not do.

    • Love one another as I have loved you!
    • Esteem one another more highly than yourself
    • Submit to one another
    • Love thy neighbor as thy self
    • Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
    • If we live by the Spirit, let is also walk in the Spirit(Gal 5)
    • 1 Corinthians 13
    • Matthew 5, 6, 7
    • Love your enemies (yes, this one applies sometimes!)
  4. Base your communication upon understanding of each other

    5. This is where learn each other’s love languages comes into play.
    This is also where The DNA of relationships, and the Smalley Marriage Intensive comes into play. LEARN HOW TO COMMUNICATE!

  5. Base the fight on KNOWING WHO THE ENEMY IS! AND ISN’T!

    6. There was a reason that you were married. You weren’t in competition. It was you and me against the World! you and me became WE!
    It is the enemy of the saints that prowls around looking for whom he can destroy – to steal, kill and destroy. JOIN FORCES AGAINST HIM!

  6. LOVE ONE ANOTHER

    7. Here is my favorite prayer template for 1 Cor 13

    Love Check up, from Sylvia Gunter, The Father's Business

    Love Check up, from Sylvia Gunter, The Father’s Business

    This booklet has taught me how to check my own heart, and there are many prayers for the family in this booklet.

    Prayer Portions for the Family

    Prayer Portions for the Family

    It is available at The Father’s business for only $7! and no, I don’t get anything for posting this!

  7. Base your focus upon PRAYING for your spouse

    8. That little book has a wonderful set of prayers for your spouse and your children.
    Of course, there are many options for praying for your spouse online now. Just do it.

  8. Base your own walk upon Confessing your own SIN

    9. Oh, this was hard!
    If there is nothing you can think to confess, go through 1 cor 13, or Gal 5 and ask yourself “have I been loving, patient, kind…?”

    • Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God – and he will lift you up in His time!
    • Confess your sins one to another that you may be healed!
    • and then there’s 1 John…how can you say you love God whom you have not seen and you do not love your brother(sister)that you have seen!

    Very difficult to not be humbled when you prepare your heart to pray.

  9. Base your communications upon FORGIVENESS

    10. Matt 6:14-15

    For if you forgive other people when they sin agaisnt you, your HEAVENLY fATHER WILL ALSO FORGIVE YOU. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

    OUCH!! This is an eternal, life and death issue!
    and shouldn’t it be clearly practiced in our homes?

We should be examples to the world.
John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

February has been a consistently hard month for our marriage. There are reasons, but, I’m not going to share them here!
This February, I learned much about preparing for storms that would attack our security in marriage. I utilized these tools above, as well as some fasting and prayer, as spoken of by Jesus(Matt 17:21), and Isaiah(Is 58:6), to set the captives free.

Honestly, the biggest issues in our marriage has been being captive to our past, our personalities, our family culture, and our love languages. As we’ve worked through issues, we have focused on the Truth. And God promises that the truth shall set us free(John 8:32)!

Enjoy this song by Sanctus Real, and the story behind it!

Me and My Love

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

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Naomi’s Heart Ministries