Tag Archives: God

2016 Word of the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – Is

Psalm 23

Understanding my benefits, my tools, my source.
Things that anyone should know to be prepared for battle!

This will be in two parts.

First – what do these words have to do with preparation?
When soldiers are preparing for battle, they get into physical shape, mental shape, and spiritual shape. They also build a community, and get to know their up line officers.
In addition, they learn their weapons. Which ones, and how to use them.

Psalm 23 is completely full of the keys to all of this, in light of preparing for the battles that will come into every life.

Second – IS

Is what?
exactly!

IS
From Dictionary.com
Is
verb
1.
3rd person singular present indicative of be.

bē/Submit
verb
1.
exist.

From Merriam Webster:
1
a : to equal in meaning : have the same connotation as : symbolize
God is love
January is the first month
let x be 10

This word, used in connection with the Divine Creator, draws some interesting correlations.

The Lord IS
we could say, The Lord IS.

Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

This is a bit difficult to comprehend, why I am so excited about the word “IS”.
For this, I’m going to just reference this from Matthew Henry Commentary on Exodus 3:14

Two names God would now be known by. A name that denotes what he is in himself, I AM THAT I AM. This explains his name Jehovah, and signifies,
1. That he is self-existent: he has his being of himself.
2. That he is eternal and unchangeable, and always the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever.
3. That he is incomprehensible; we cannot by searching find him out: this name checks all bold and curious inquiries concerning God.
4. That he is faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his word as well as in his nature; let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me. All else have their being from God, and are wholly dependent upon him. Also, here is a name that denotes what God is to his people. The Lord God of your fathers sent me unto you. Moses must revive among them the religion of their fathers, which was almost lost; and then they might expect the speedy performance of the promises made unto their fathers.

Here are just a few other places that say so much, because of this word:

John 8:58
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Revelation 8:1
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come–the Almighty.

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God.

The interesting thing I’ve noticed when looking at the Strong’s concordance, IS is not in the original, if I understand it correctly.
It is there to point to SHEPHERD.
Yet, I think that it is also an excellent reminder that The Lord OUR Lord IS!
And, in response to the previous post on THE – the uniqueness of Our LORD is that He is alive!

Revelation 1:8
I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Amen!

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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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 of the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – THE

My thoughts on Psalm 23 in relationship to Preparation for my walk with Jesus, specifically, and my life in general.

Psalm 23

Understanding the Benefits part one.

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

the last posts was about the word “Lord”
There are several other words in the first phrase:

The
Lord
is
MY
Shepherd

THE

The definition of “the” by Mirriam Webster.
definite article \ for emphasis before titles and names or to suggest uniqueness \

UNIQUENESS!
used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else
: very special or unusual
: belonging to or connected with only one particular thing, place, or person

This is not just a word to be overlooked as part of the poetry of Psalm 23. It is indicative of another very key part of Who the LORD is.

Deuteronomy 6:4
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before me.”

And this command contains a reason:

Deuteronomy 5:
6 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
7 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Jesus spoke of the first commandment in this way:

Mark 12:29
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

And this was not a NEW thing…even the scribes and pharisees understood this concept:

Mark 12:32
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

The Strongs Concordance defines

ONE this way:
εἷς heîs, hice; a primary numeral; one:—a(-n, -ny, certain), + abundantly, man, one (another), only, other, some. See also G1527, G3367, G3391, G3762.

There are implications here that there are other gods…just none like Yehovah.
It is clear, that we can put other gods above HIM, or HE would not exhort us to NOT put others above, or before Him.

I put this quote in my signature line, from My Utmost for His Highest. It reminds me why I do what I do, and it reminds me to check what is the highest priority in my life:

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

There are many things that can come before THE LORD in our lives – and we each have our own that we need to take down.
I’ve had

things
people
places

and then,

fear
depression
and anxiety.

Often folks don’t realize that those last ones can be idols.
IF things stand between me and my faith in the Lord – or if I run to other things, instead of the Lord – I have put those things up as an idol in my heart. Ouch? Yep – it’s ouchy. Because I am an advocate for mental illness and making it less stigmatic, but more understood and helped.
That doesn’t change what my heart sometimes does – by putting the depression before the Lord! Listening to the words of the enemy rather than focusing on the Words of the Lord.
Running to others for consolation, rather than running to the Lord my counselor and comforter. Even more questionable about being an idol is that I have run to food as my comforter. Food. an Idol. For me, yes.

Each of us have our own things, tangible or not, that we run to instead of Jesus.
Each of us have our own things that we embrace, when God asks us to do something.
Each of us has something that we have or do or struggle with that can come between us, and God.
That is an idol. We should put away all idols…especially those that are in hearts!

Ephesians 4:22-24
22You were taught to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:25- 27 & 30-31
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
26“Be angry, yet do not sin.”c Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
27and do not give the devil a foothold.

30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
32Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

So many of these are emotions, wounds, and feelings of being wronged!
UNFORGIVENESS???
It’s not worth it, and it separates us from fully entering into the joy of our Lord!

Here’s one I didn’t post:

Ephesians 4:
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.

There is a why to this all…THEREFORE – SINCE…

Hebrews 12:
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

1 Peter 2:1-2

It’s because of Jesus – the God-Man, the incarnate God. The only ONE.

Jesus is the ONE – and is different than any other religion’s savour or messiah. UNIQUE!
There is no other.

Acts 4:12New International Version (NIV)

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus

Just looking around the world, we know that there are various deities…but, in this psalm, we are talking about THE God.
The God that created the heavens and the earth.
The God that Adam and Eve sinned against.
The God that provided a sacrifice for Adam and Eve in the garden,
and promised to provide a sacrifice for mankind – and did at the cross.
Other religions have martyrs.
They are dead.
Christianity has the Christ, that died, paying the price for our sins…BUT IS NOW ALIVE! taking death captive!
The ONE way to heaven, with the ONE God, manifested in three persons.

THE –
The definition of “the” by Mirriam Webster.
definite article \ for emphasis before titles and names or to suggest uniqueness \

UNIQUENESS!
used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else
: very special or unusual
: belonging to or connected with only one particular thing, place, or person

This word is designating WHICH Lord – THE Lord.

Another Unique aspect of THE Lord?
The gift of the Holy Spirit – to come, teach, guide, comfort and counsel us. GOD living in us!

John 14:26King James Version (KJV)

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

And that Holy Ghost dwells within us!

1 Corinthians 3:16
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

This – THIS – is what makes THE Lord so unique:

2 Corinthians 6:
The Temple of the Living God
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 What accord has Christ with Belial?[b] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

THIS is what THE is all about!

This is a beautiful meditation video. Enjoy!

My prayer is that those who read this post will be blessed to know the beauty of the Love of the Lord as their shepherd!

And this is an upbeat song…my prayer!

Me and My Love

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

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

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

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

The Lord is my Shepherd by Keith Green

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

PSALM 23 – 11/15/2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When you walk through the valley of death

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

Psalm 23

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Song of Moses after the exodus!
Exodus 15

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

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

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

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

Exodus 20 Then God spoke all these words:

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

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JUDGE
He will judge the quick and the dead.

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

Song of Moses by Chris Codding
By Paul Wilbur

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

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

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

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

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

Acts 10:42
James 5:9

Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful by Keith Green

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

THE LORD IS MY

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

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

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

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

Me and My Love

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

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

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

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

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

2016 Word for the year – PREPARE – today

Ps 90:12 So Teach us therefore to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

Proverbs is full of verses and passages about wisdom.

This blog meditation is about TODAY

Ps 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. – TODAY

Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation – TODAY

Josh 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve…. – TODAY

There is only one day for us to be concerned with – TODAY

We only have today
yesterday is gone
tomorrow is not here yet,
Today is all we have, that is why it’s called the present!

As believers in christ, it is our responsibility to go to the throne at the end of each day, and put our mistakes, sins, and anything that would hinder our progress under the blood of Jesus. Then, we are to let it go. If we believe that putting things under the blood, by asking forgiveness, and truly repenting – then we should LET IT GO!

As believers in Christ, we are to believe that God has tomorrow in His hand. We cannot do anything to effect tomorrow, except to live today in the most powerful way possible. That is to live by faith – not pulled down by fear and anxiety about tomorrow.

Elisabeth Elliot is quoted as saying that we do not have to worry about tomorrow because God is already there.

Tomorrow has enough evil.

Matthew 6:27

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life

Matthew 6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

My focus needs to be on TODAY.
honestly, tomorrow is not promised – therefore, why do I waste energy worrying about tomorrow?

Choose ye this day….how to serve the Lord.

I was thinking about the 10 virgins that were called to wait for the bridegroom.
apparently, 5 of them took the time to PREPARE by obtaining extra oil. 5 did not. (Matthew 25)

They all fell asleep waiting for the Lord(bridegroom) to come.
they all heard the call – but the foolish were running out of oil.

Here is a lesson I want to dig deeper into someday.
When the foolish asked the wise to share their oil, THE WISE DID NOT DO SO! THEY DID NOT JEOPARDIZE THEIR READINESS FOR THE FOOLISH ONES!

The mercy in me wants to say “but they made a mistake! surely you can share a little!”
The server in my wants to say “it’s our duty to help out the brethern!”
The giver – well, the giver wants to give and give and give until my well has run dry.
Oh, there are parts of me that wants to say “you should have prepared!” or “if you had picked up a jar of oil, instead of the new eye shadow….” or “There is a lesson in this”

Somewhere in here is a truth – one that is not as goody goody and sugar sweet as love love love.
My relationship with Jesus Christ comes before anyone else!
Anything that takes me away from my relationship with Jesus, wears me out, leaves me too empty to stand in battle – that is something that is out to destroy me, or able to destroy me, and I could end up just like the foolish virgins that didn’t prepare!

During Y2K, there were many that were stockpiling things, along with guns to protect their families.
At that time, I stood up in a meeting of Christians, and asked how they were going to deal with starving neighbors coming to them for food. Their response was that they would shoot them. Kill to protect their families’ supplies. I could not swallow this. In fact, I stood up and said, ‘dont worry about yrou neighbors, the mormons have been saving up food so that they can bring in their neighbors and bring them into the flock. Far be it for Christians to serve the hungry and show them Jesus christ!’ Oddly enough, we were not invited back!

This has been my focus, to be PREPARED to help our neighbors when things get rough(and they are going to get rough).

A can of tuna is not the same as oil for my lamp that shines my light, the light of Jesus Christ in my heart. I need to separate the two.

Today, if you hear his voice – harden not your heart!
The oil is the word of God, hidden within my heart, that I would not sin against him.
In times of concentration camps, the word of God strengthened men and women.
Bonhoffer
Ten Booms
a story about men jailed, and each one quoted parts of the book of John, and between them all, they were able to compile the whole book.

Today, if you hear his voice – harden not your heart!
The relationship with Jesus Christ cannot be taken away from those that hold it dear.
During the first century, as Christians were being slaughtered, one man stood and stated that God had not abandoned him, how then could he abandon God in the face of death.
Foxes book of Martyrs tells much about those that gave their lives – and right up until they entered into the rest of the Lord, they were declaring Jesus Christ.
Stephen – the first martyr – preached the Bible from Genesis to the current revelation as he was being stoned.
The relationship, with the Word of God – will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Actually, that scripture is Philipians 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It’s interesting – right before Phil 4:7, Phil 4:6 says this:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Back to Matthew 6:27-34 – focus on today – there’s enough evil in today to deal with. Paul tells us how to ‘not be anxious’ in his letter to the Phillipians – take everything to the Lord in prayer.

How can that bring peace?
Because we have a high priest (Jesus Christ) that knows us well, and has made a way into the throne room for us.
Heb 4:

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

Coming boldly unto the throne of grace requires the relationship with Jesus Christ. That relationship grows through prayer(time with Him) and study of the Word(getting to know Him).

We can do all things through Jesus Christ – including taking on the evils of this day – TODAY.

One other thought about the oil – often oil is a symbolism of the Holy Spirit.
I belive that being filled with the Holy Spirit is a second and separate invitation. Once saved, the Holy Spirit comes and abides with you. When invited in, the Holy spirit abides within, and the power of the Godhead dwells within the believer. Could it be that the foolish virgins were those that walked with Christ, but never asked the Holy Spirit in, in order to be empowered from on high? I would not give up my relationship with the Holy spirit within me for anything. And, if the indwelling of the Holy spirit is the only thing to keep me until the end, I can only offer it to others to go get it, I cannot give of mine to them.

It is the very endwelling of the holy spirit that keeps my heart burning for the Lord, learning of the Lord, and shining a light to the world.

I do like how Christian Apologetics explains the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, with wise counsel and warnings of the possible division.

WISDOM
Whatever way the oil is understood, relationship, word, baptism, it is crucial to understand that preparation is necessary to awaite the bridegroom. To apply my heart to wisdom, I must cherish my relationship with God the Father,through Jesus Christ, and by the Power of the Holy spirit. I must appreciate the importance of His Word to strengthen me to not sin. I must not grieve the Holy Spirit that dwells within, and learn to listen to that still small voice.

TODAY if you hear his voice, harden NOT your hearts!

Lord God, I come into your throne room, asking for grace and mercy that I would make sure that my lamp is full, and that I have reserves to handle whatever comes. I thank you that I only have to deal with today. Yesterday I put under the blood of Jesus, so that I can start new this morning, with your mercies. Tomorrow I put into your hand, and I thank you that you are already there. This is the day that the Lord has made – I will rejoice and be glad in in.

Me and My Love

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

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

2016 Word of the Year – Prepare – foundations

Foundations.
What are they?

Webster’s Dictionary says:

Full Definition of foundation
1
: the act of founding

2
: a basis (as a tenet, principle, or axiom) upon which something stands or is supported

3
a : funds given for the permanent support of an institution : endowment
b : an organization or institution established by endowment with provision for future maintenance

4
: an underlying base or support; especially : the whole masonry substructure of a building

5
a : a body or ground upon which something is built up or overlaid
b : a woman’s supporting undergarment : corset
c : a cosmetic usually used as a base for makeup

The Bible has some serious warnings about the importance of foundations:
Psalm 11:3

If the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

1 Corinthians 3:11

Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ.

Jesus described listening to his words and heeding them as building on a rock – solid foundation:

Luke 6:

…47″Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like:
48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
49 “But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

My word PREPARE has brought me to preparing the foundation, and the possibility of repairing the breaches, wherever they may be.

1 Corinthians 3:

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Christ is the foundation stone.
Christ is the stone the builders rejected, and became the cornerstone. (Mt 21:42; Ps 118:22-23)

Foundation to what? Cornerstone for what?
Salvation!
Psalm 118:

…21 I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.
23 This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.…

Jesus Christ is the only foundation – for faith and salvation.

1 Peter 2:4

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—

Jesus isn’t a dead stone, set as a monument – He is risen – He is alive – He is the living cornerstone!

and we are part of that building:
1 Peter 2:5-6

5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual housefn to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

We are to be building upon the foundation!

1 Corinthians 3:

11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.…

The parables about pruning would also fit here.

We are to be building with Gold, Silver and Precious Stones – things that will endure the fiery trials that will come upon us. James talks about how to make it through fiery trials, but the assumption is that the foundation is already laid, and solid. Psalms and Proverbs talk about obtaining Wisdom rather than gold. Knowledge and understanding is better than silver. The author of 119 talks about how precious is the law of God, more so than any riches.
But before we build, we must have the foundation.

Hebrews 3:6

6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

In this passage of Hebrews, over and over we are warned to harden NOT our hearts –

the deceitfulness of sin would harden our hearts.
An unbelieving heart turns away from God.
Not knowing God’s ways will harden one’s heart.

The cure? – hear His voice – hearken to His voice – obey His commands – do not be dull of hearing.

As I said, I found warnings about the foundation.
Ps 11:3 – IF THE FOUNDATION BE DESTROYED – what can the righteous do?

God sees. God knows. His word is quick and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit , and of the joints and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12)
And in Jesus, we have a high priest that cannot….well, Hebrews says it best:

Hebrews 4:

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 5

12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

God provided a way that we could rebuild our foundation, as long as we are building on the solid rock. That will be the next blog!

Me and My Love

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

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

What a Week – GRACE ABOUNDS!

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

So…here’s the progression:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bye Bye Trailer, dropping it off at PPL

WildWood Forest – our apartment – top floor on the right

WildWood Forest

WildWood Forest

The fountain outside our apartment at night

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

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

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

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

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

Naomi's Heart Mission

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

28 DAYS OF GRACE – DAY 22! A NEW DAY!

Jim is doing a Level Up program through Nerd fitness….
and today’s post is AMAZING!

But it’s copy righted and for a private paid for group(I get bonus because I’m Jim’s wife).
But this is a quote that Steve quoted in this post:

Victor Frankl, author of the absolutely heartbreaking and yet incredibly positive “A Man’s Search For Meaning” once said:

“Those who have a ‘why’ can bear with almost any ‘how.”

Here’s my response:

Yes yes.yes…I’ve wanted a why for my whole life, and for our married life!

WHY?

and then, the what and how fall into place, or at least the what nots are more easily recognizable!

I’ve always had a WHY that pertains to EVERY Christian:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Eph 2:10

walk in good works to glorify God!

WHICH GOOD WORKS?????

Obviously, the good works that ALL Christians are supposed to walk in…..
The Fruit of the Spirit – Ephesians 5, Galatians 5

The Number one Fruit – Love – John 13:34

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

The Whole Law – Matt 22:37-40

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

BUT WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO ME, SPECIFICALLY?
That gets into talents, hiding them, or investing them…

I wrote about that before…but the WHY for how to live, for me, is to glorify GOD!
The HOW and WHAT is all about investing the talents God has given ME to use for HIM.

And, there is another thought hidden in here for me….
“Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.”

I HAVE SPENT MANY MANY YEARS NOT LOVING MYSELF!

Not taking care of my own health has been a self hatred behavior.

These 28 days of Grace…which was what I was begging and praying for to get through this Yeast Free program…has not just turned my body and health around…it has turned my heart and mind around.

I need to LOVE ME because HE FIRST LOVED ME!
And if GOD has decided to LOVE ME the way HE does…Who am I to argue?

Good food
Good exercise
Good prayer
Good fellowship….
Good life!

I CHOOSE LIFE!
God life!
And I pray that my life will glorify Him, as I learn my WHY, WHAT and HOW to walk in good works!

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

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

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

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

Naomi's Heart Mission

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

28 days of Grace – day 21

Today has been a very rough day.
Many things in our lives have been placed up in the air this weekend…and we are struggling as a couple to figure out what WE are supposed to be doing, in light of GOD’s plan for our lives.

In the process of MY working things out…I called upon a friend to talk things out with me…so that I could figure out my own logic, heart, mind, emotions…and be able to present my position to my husband, Jim, without all the drama of emotions that ran throughout the weekend for and from me.

DID I BINGE IN THE MIDST OF EMOTIONAL TURMOIL????

BY THE GRACE OF GOD I DID NOT!!!

Food is NOT for settling emotional issues.
Food is NOT for comforting a broken heart.
Food is NOT for answering the tough questions.

Food is Fuel
Food is good for celebrations….and no, every moment of every day is not an option for food celebrations!

This weekend, we spent time eating out.
I CHOSE PLACES WHERE I COULD MAKE GOOD CHOICES!

I MADE THOSE GOOD CHOICES…though of course, they were not as good as if I had stayed home….but staying home forever is not an acceptable concept!

I didn’t even think about deserts at those restaurants! SERIOUSLY! AMAZINGLY! BY GOD’S GRACE, I AM STANDING!

And this is with deep despair, lonesomeness and feelings of abandonment and broken promises swirling around me and my husband.
This used to be Pizza and apple pie time, with ice cream.

This time, it was talk with each other, talk with God time!

I pray that, by the grace of God, I will continue to move forward in my life, with this relationship with food…fuel…that can taste good, but isn’t the fuel to make my life good!

My life is about my choices…and I choose to make food one of my tools, not to be ruled by food!

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

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

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

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

Naomi's Heart Mission

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

28 days of Grace – day 16 – the wreck

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you all for praying!

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

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