Tag Archives: Light

Marching into Mark Chapter Sixteen

Marching into Mark Registry,
the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 90, March 31 )

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

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

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

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

Mark 16 (cross referenced with Matthew 28 and Luke 24)
- Mk 16:1-8 Mary, Mary and Salome at the Tomb
  - Mk 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so they could go and anoint Him. ²Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise.
  - They got there, and the stone was moved
  - a young was there in the tomb, they were alarmed
  - Mk 16⁶“Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected! He is not here! See the place where they put Him. ⁷But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you.’”
  - Mk 16⁸So they went out and started running from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid.
  - THEY SAID NOTHING????
- Mk 16:9-11 Mary Magdalene meets Jesus
  - Mk 16⁹Early on the first day of the week, after He had risen, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons. ¹⁰She went and reported to those who had been with Him, as they were mourning and weeping. ¹¹Yet, when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.
- Mk 16:12-13 Men on a country road meet Jesus
  - Mk 16¹²Then after this, He appeared in a different form to two of them walking on their way into the country. ¹³And they went and reported it to the rest, who did not believe them either.
- Mk 16:14 Jesus Appeared to the Eleven
  - Mk 16¹⁴Later, He appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw Him after He had been resurrected.
- Mk 16:15 Great Commission
  - Mk 16¹⁵Then He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
- Mk 16:16-18 The Christian Life Evidenced
  - Mk 16¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
    - John 3¹⁶For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
    - John 3¹⁸“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
  - ¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages;
  - ¹⁸they will pick up snakes;^[b] if they should drink anything deadly, it will never harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.”
- Mk 16:19 Jesus Ascends
  - Mk 16¹⁹Then after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
- Mk 16:20 The Apostles’ Ministry Walk
  - Mk 16²⁰And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the accompanying signs.

More discussion about these stories in Mindfully Meditating in Matthew Chapter 28.

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

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Mark 16:16
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

Mk 16¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
WHOEVER believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Whoever BELIEVES and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

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

Songs for Meditation

The Easter Song – Keith Green

Then Came the Morning – Sandi Patty and Larnelle Harris

Was It a Morning Like This? – Sandi Patty

This is the Kingdom – Elevation Worship

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

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

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

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

What are you going to do with Jesus Resurrected?
1. Answers in Genesis discusses infallible proofs.
2. Crossway discusses this from various other scholars.
3. ReasonstoBelieve discusses a dozen proofs.

Choose to Believe!

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

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:

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

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.

M. Christine Wildman

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

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.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

The Cavern

On March 8th, some things happened that really shook me, in the middle of my shook life. It was like a straw that threatened to break this camel’s back. But with the prayers of friends, and the voices from a mental health group I am part of, I got through it.

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

Here’s my poem, The Cavern

They say don’t move.
They say we’re going to turn out the lights
They say everything will be alright
Just don’t move.

Darkness hits.
Darkness that surrounds and envelopes your flesh
Darkness that can be felt
Just don’t move.

This is a cavern.
This is a cave.
This is a place so deep and down
Just don’t move.

No one is near,
or that is my fear.
Or am I afraid I might spin out and fall
Where was that edge after all?

Cold seeping in
It envelopes my skin
The screams I screamed in the night
Are pushed down within.

The lights will come back
The day will arise
But right now, I can’t trust my eyes
Just don’t move.

Where is that rail?
Where is that edge?
Did I place myself in the center of
This death defying ledge?

I hear someone
“Turn on the light’
We have seen what we came for,
Now just stop this fright.”

But the tour guide is gone
He’s left us alone
We realize that we are now on our own.

Where is that switch?
Where can it be?
And do I risk death to move, try to see?

Someone starts to cry
Someone else says “I’m cold”
We reach out to touch each other, to give us some hope.

Where is the light?
Where is the guide?
Why is this tour turning into a fright?

What did I do?
What did I say
That made the tour guide leave us that day?

“I have the rail” says someone in dark,
I think this is where we can get a spark.”
“I’m right behind you, I’ll hold you on land”
“We’ll do this together, and move hand by hand.”

Single file
We walked slowly along
Then someone broke into a song

But it’s dark!
It’s so damp and cold.
Being afraid to move is getting very old.

We know we are here
Together as one
The song lifted up, and
Marching on, one by one.

“I feel wires behind the rail”
The excitement caused a rustle,
“Maybe we will get out of this jail!
And some began to tussle

“The thing we need to remember,
Is we are in this all together.
Calm down, and steady on.”
While the one continued song.

It’s so dark
It’s so damp,
You can’t see your hand,
not even where you should stand.

The guide let us down.
In the cavern alone
Deep down in the ground
No idea if we’ll be found.

The tension is rising,
The hope to despair
With each adding moment
Doubts that we’ll be spared.

“Wait! I think I’ve got it,”
Says the one in the front,
And with that we hear a click,
And the light is on

The guide stood there
Looking proud as could be
“You took on the challenge
From your fears you are free.”

I stood in amazement
Full of anger, and dread
What was he saying,
Did he get in my head.

I didn’t ask for a challenge
I just paid for a tour
What is this freedom he speaks of
Terror du jour?

But wait, all those people.
Where are they, I said.
“You were the one walking
This valley of death.”

I was alone the whole time,
So who did I hear?
Did the dark point out parts of me t
That i didn’t know near?

What is this valley,
This cavern of death?
Where I could hear every heart beat
And taste every breath.

“Your heart that is wounded,
Your thoughts of the end.
You are stronger together
And over darkness you’ve won.”

“I’ll guide you and teach you,
But I’ll test you to see
If you have been listening
And following me.”

“I know where you are healed,
I know where you are strong.
You were never near the edge
You were in front of me all along.”

“I sent you those voices
To encourage your walk
And I timed the tests specifically,
So alone you won’t walk.”

“Now rest, my little one
Enjoy the sun
I’m always with you,
Even when I seem gone.”

“The cavern is your heart
With the wounds oh so deep,
But I have built a path
That will, with time, set you free.”

It was me that walked bravely
It was me that held strong
It was me that spoke encouragement
And from my mouth was the song.

I have written about suicide, but here’s my thoughts on what’s the big deal.

If you have come to this page because you are contemplating suicide, please dial 988 or 1-800-273-TALK or visit the National Suicide Prevention LifeLine. Some other Suicide Hotlines are on this page.

~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

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.

M. Christine Wildman

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Mindfully Meditating on Matthew chapter 18 or MMM18

Mindfully Meditating in Matthew chapter Eighteen

Mindfully Meditating on Matthew Catalogue , the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 49, Feb 18)

Passage Matthew Chapter Eighteen

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

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

This chapter, though, I will use the New Living Translation for clearing up some of the translations.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Matthew 18
- Mt 18:1-6 Who is the Greatest in Heaven?
  - a little child
    - ³Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁴So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
  - Don’t cause one to suffer – to fall into sin
    - ⁶But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
- Mt 18:7-9 the sorrows of temptation
  - ⁷“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.
    - cut off hand, gouge out eye
  - God holds children dear
    - ¹⁰“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.^[c]
- Mt 18:11- 14 The 99 vs the 1 – promise for wayward children
  - Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?
  - rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!
  - ¹⁴In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.
- Mt 18:15-17 Conflict Negotiation for the church
  - one-to-one
    - ¹⁵“If another believer^[d] sins against you,^[e] go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.
  - bring one or two
    - ¹⁶But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.
  - whole church
    - ¹⁷If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church.
  - If no change –
    - Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
    - make every attempt possible, but do not poison the body.
- Mt 18:18- 20 in light of church matters – PRAYER POWER
  - ¹⁸“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid^[f] on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit^[g] on earth will be permitted in heaven.
  - ¹⁹“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. ²⁰For where two or three gather together as my followers,^[h] I am there among them.”
- Mt 18:21 – 22 How often to forgive
  - ²²“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!^[j]
- Mt 18: 23-35 Forgive to be forgiven Parable
  - ³⁵“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters^[m] from your heart.”

Mindful Meditating

choose a verse,
set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
example: Matt 18:3
repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

³Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
UNLESS you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven
unless YOU turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven
unless you TURN from your sins and become like little children, you will never get int the Kingdom of Heaven.

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

Lost Sheep coloring pages by ColoringHome.

Unforgiving Servant Coloring page

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

What qualities do children have that we, as adults, could grow back into?
1. Your answer
Why is the 99 and 1 verse about wayward children? does it just pertain to God’s children?
1. Your Answer
Read the Parable of the ruler and the servants – and think of something you’ve been forgiven of, and someone you are in need of forgiving. Could God put the consequences of sin back on us like this parable suggests? What color are the words of this parable in your Bible?

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

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

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.

M. Christine Wildman

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

2023 First 100 days – day 3 Reading Wisdom and Praise

2021 First 100 days – day 3, January 3

(first 100 days – day 3)

Image by James Chan from Pixabay

Psalm 3, 33, 63, 93, 123 Proverb 3

Psalm 3 – Cry for deliverance
- Ps 3:1 Lord, how my foes increase!
  There are many who attack me.
  2 Many say about me,
  “There is no help for him in God.”Selah
  3 But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head.
  4 I cry aloud to the Lord,
  and He answers me from His holy mountain.Selah
Psalm 33 – a Song of Creation
- Psalm 33: 6 The heavens were made by the word of the Lord,
  and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth.
  ⁷He gathers the waters of the sea into a heap;^[a]
  He puts the depths into storehouses.
  ⁸Let the whole earth tremble before the Lord;
  let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
  ⁹For He spoke, and it came into being;
  He commanded, and it came into existence.
Psalm 63 – One of my favorites – I’ll write more later.
Psalm 93 and Psalm 123 echo each other
- Ps 93 – the glory of the Lord
  - The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty;
    The Lord is robed, enveloped in strength.
    The world is firmly established;
    it cannot be shaken.
Psalm 123 – the glory of the Lord
- - I lift my eyes to You,
    the One enthroned in heaven.
the Prayer for today,
- Psalm 63:1-4
  - God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You.
    
    I thirst for You;
    my body faints for You
    in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
    ²So I gaze on You in the sanctuary
    to see Your strength and Your glory.
    
    ³My lips will glorify You
    because Your faithful love is better than life.
    ⁴So I will praise You as long as I live;
    at Your name, I will lift up my hands

Proverbs 3 begins with author crying out “My son, don’t forget my teaching”. It goes on to talk about wisdomm, and how to set oneself up for a happy life, a secure life. Here’s a bit that is familiar:

Proverbs 3: 5-7 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.[b] 7 Don’t consider yourself to be wise; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

I said I’d write more about Psalms 63. It is one of my favorite Psalms. It gave and gives me great comfort in times of struggle, with those with whom I interact.

Ps 63: 1

God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You.
I thirst for You;
my body faints for You
in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.

Do you hear the despair in the heart?

It reminds me of:

Psalm 42: 1 KJV

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Then it swells into a song of praise:

Psalm 63:2-5

So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory. 3 My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life. 4 So I will praise You as long as I live; at Your name, I will lift up my hands. 5 You satisfy me as with rich food;[a] my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.

There is then, a confession of belief: Psalm 63:6-8

When I think of You as I lie on my bed, I meditate on You during the night watches 7 because You are my helper; I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings. 8 I follow close to You; Your right hand holds on to me.

I prefer the NIV version of verse 7

7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 63:9-11 is a profession of deliverance from these things that are disrupting, destroying, and causing despair. Ps 63:11(NIV)

11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Do you hear the release of the struggle? At least a momentary reprieve in the midst of the pain? Do you feel the strength being breathed into the soul that they have a deliverer on their side? Someone has their back. In times when I have felt that there is no way out of the intense despair that I am feeling, Psalm 63 is a life line for me.

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

This webpage has been a place where I have shared my history with suicide, depression, and such. Today, one of my lifelines is part of reading wisdom and praise. Reading the Word of God daily is a lifeline for me. If you are struggling, I hope that you can find your psalm or proverb that can be your lifeline or lifelineS.

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.

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

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.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Advent 2015 – Day 10, Rising Sun

Advent day 10

Light the 10th Candle on the log.

There is a saying, “it’s always darkest before the dawn.”
That saying never made much sense to me. Sitting on the beach, watching the sun rise, the darkness flees to the degree the light is coming.

Pre-Sunrise Beach at Ft Lauderdale.

Sunrise Beach at Ft Lauderdale

The one thing I noticed while watching the sunrise in the various resort towns is that prior to the sun rising, there is an almost agreed upon hush. Those that are out at this time, even the workers around the pools and restaurants, speak in hushed tones until the sun rises. There is almost an air of the sacred in those moments.

I know that there are those that worship the sun, and therefore, to them, it is sacred.
For me, it illustrates the light of Christ shining into my darkness.

Isaiah 60:1-3 speaks of the promise of light to those who seek him.

1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Actually, it’s speaking of Zion, and when the Lord will return.
Is 9:2, prior to the great Christmas passage, says this:

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Jesus said

“I am the Light of the World; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

In the believing Jews’ world, Jesus definitely changed things from dark to light. For those that did not believe, their worlds changed as well, because now they had to answer to this new development.
In my world,

in 1969, Jesus came into my life, and turned my heart from one of seeking my own will to one of seeking to please Him.
In 1973, I met an evangelist that explained more fully what had happened when I asked Jesus to come live and rule in my heart.
In 1975, I was introduced to a fellowship that believed in following Jesus, and learning by reading their Bibles.
In 1977, I learned that the Holy Spirit was still alive and well and powerful on planet earth.

And year after year after year, I continued to grow in knowledge of the Word of God, understanding of His love for me, and in how to control my appetites.

Prov 4:18

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Growing in Christ is growing brighter and brighter, more and more like Jesus.
When Moses saw God, his face shown with a great light.
Which reminds me of an explanation given by a musician from the 70’s Jesus movement, Barry MaGuire.

There is no light IN us.
God is the Sun, and we are the moon, we just reflect HIS light.

This explanation helps me to remember that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, from the father of lights, in whom is no shadow or turning.(James 1:17)
Just like I cannot take credit for my own salvation, being saved by grace through faith, and that not of my own, it is the gift of God (Eph 2:1-9), I cannot take credit for any good gift, shining light or godliness in my life. I am merely reflecting the light that God shines into my life.

I’ve had my share of depression and despair – darkness that surrounds my heart and my mind. I am not naive enough to say that the light of Christ causes all those dark shadows to flee, because, they haven’t. Oh how I wish they would! And yet, I daily have to choose to enter into His presence for the light unto my path for that day. I daily have to choose not to embrace the depression that would have me dwell in the dark past, or upon wounds long gone. Yes, there are chemical imbalances within me that God could heal if He chose to. And Yes, I have yelled at him for not choosing to do so. And yes, I have to repent for yelling at my King!

Another saying:

The soul would have no rainbow
if the eye no tear.

Those that have suffered depression, and despair are more appreciative of joy and hope, because they know the lack thereof.
I see it as my calling to share my stories of darkness in order to find others in darkness, and then, help them to find joy and hope. Not always do they find Jesus, but Jesus is my joy, hope and light.

A Sunrise or Day-Spring is the symbol for this day.

A Rising Sun

Dear Lord, please help me to remember your light will rise upon my darkness when it threatens to take over my heart and mind. Please help me to share your hope with those that suffer in the darkness. For me, that darkness is depression and suicide and pain. None of these things are the promised gifts of the cross, and yet, I know that you have never ignored me when I yield to your plan for my life. When I seek you, I have always found you. I may not agree with your plans, but I have always found them to be the best, in my limited hindsight. Please continue to use me, and deliver me from the enemy, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

note – I am fully aware that most would consider this symbol of Christ to mean delivering a person out of the darkness of sin and into the light of the Kingdom of Christ. Obviously, that happened to me in 1969. There are many resources for such symbolism. This is my story, my calling, and my heart cry – to set free the captives of such darkness as depression and mental illness, and if anyone cares to join me in that journey – welcome!

Song for today is the verses 1-3 of O Come O Come Emmanuel

Advent Day 9

More Advent Devotions

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Advent Day 2

Advent day 2 (Monday following 1st Sunday of Advent)

Advent Day two invitation

Advent is the season of waiting.

Everyone has a Christmas countdown,(here’s a very cute one from Redbird)

But for me, ours is the end of the year countdown with reminders of the past year, looking forward to the next year and remembering how Christ has helped me through the year.

In church history, advent is about waiting for the light in the darkness…Jesus Christ is that light.

We have done an advent log that had up to 28 candles,

Advent Log in progress

Advent Log, made from 2×4

Advent Log completed

2×4 Advent Log decorated

and we lit one candle an evening. It was always fun when we could read by the light of the candles. But in the beginning, it was dark.

The lights on the tree, I prefer pure white, remind me out that light that comes into my life in my darkest moments, and gave me hope. That light is Jesus, the light of the world.

John 8:12 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This year(2015) started out very dark, suicide last Christmas, marriage in crisis, Jim’s cancer, and my pain issues. But one thing brought us through those dark times, the light of Christ that shines in the darkness and gives us hope.

2018 started out with new darkness – I was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer with the prognosis of losing a whole kidney. I wrote about that in March and I wrote about how God was with me in a series of posts titled Surgery Scuttlebutt.

Day two is the day to turn on the lights, and light candle #2. It’s amazing how much more light 2 candles are than one. There’s a sermon right there!

Advent Day 2

To remember about the Light – we have candle ornaments – because, we need to remember that We also are lights –

Matt 5:14 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.

laser cut candle

bead kit candle – white

bead kit candle wreath

bead kit candle – large

Lord Jesus, please help me to remember that your light is available in any darkness I face. Father God, You have delivered me out of the kingdom of Darkness into the kingdom of your dear Son. I have only to open my eyes to see your light.

Lord, help me to remember that I am a light – that the light of your love can shine through me if I choose to let it. Help me to not get so bowed over by the darkness that tries to destroy me that I forget there are others in darkness that need to see a light of hope.

Thank you, for your light in my life. and help me to share This little light of mine –
https://youtu.be/QCN893hzueQ

More Advent Devotions

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!

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Surgery Scuttlebutt, part six – surgery and recovery

I’m home! It’s been over two weeks since I’ve shared anything…and I wanted to share the update! Surgery was July 17th. I was in the hospital for 7 days.

If you don’t know what scuttlebutt is, please check out

Intro, part one, part two, part three and part four

If you want a great book to help you prepare for, and recover with, please check out Healing and Hope by Christine Carter. Tell her Christi sent you!

I finally got to Chapter 7. Adjust your lens.

The day before surgery, Jim took me to a very unique hotel, the Tudor Arms in Cleveland, Ohio…just down the road from the Cleveland Clinic.

I wanted to have a restful evening with my husband, and that is exactly what we did.

The outside of the hotel is beautiful.

The history of the hotel is amazing.

The entry was intriguing!

We loved the room.

We had a great supper,

And then we went exploring.
In the rooms that were for banquets and balls, there were details that were amazing, but when you stepped back, you could see the whole picture! Go to the website and look at the beautiful weddings!

The next day would be my surgery. This whole surgery scuttlebutt series has been how I could be focused upon the minutia of the issue, but instead, I have been encouraged to widen my focus to see the larger picture, and in that larger picture, I have seen the hand of God.

When I widen my focus, then, when I narrow down into the details, I can see God’s hand, even in the little things.
I was unaware of doing this, until I read chapter 7 – Adjust your lens.

Christine had been encouraging me to be intentional in my healing…via the book.

We must be intentional with our thoughts and expand our vision to include the full scenery we are leaving out.

Here are a few of the things that happened while in the hospital:

Our daughter Faith was able to be at the hospital with me because of a scheduling boon with her mother-in-law, making it possible to have the children babysat. She braided my hair after the surgery. Big Picture? LOVE!
A dear friend came to visit – and one night, it was so perfect because Jim was exhausted and he felt free to go to the hotel, since our friend Suzanne was there with me! The Big Picture? God will provide for our needs!
Jim’s cancer treatment got messed up and he had to have some medicine shipped, and it arrived the day after my surgery. Jim and I had forgotten my CPAP for recovery in the hospital. The day of the surgery, our daughter Faith had been asked to bring it, but she forgot. We were able to not make this detail a bit thing. God took these details, and the big picture was that Jim drove back home for the CPAP, was able to pick up his medicine and continue his treatment while staying at the hotel near the hospital! The Big Picture? God had it under control, with all of our frailties in mind, and the possibility that Jim would not have driven home for the medicine except that he needed to pick up the CPAP!
My first roommate was apparently a very angry person. I barely remember. Jim remembers her well. He was trying to figure out how he was going to get me transferred so that I was not with her yelling angry presence. She decided to get up, pack, and leave AMA – he says she walked out of the room, yelling, someone get here and take this IV out of my arm…I’m going home! Big Picture? I know that I felt bad for her, and was praying in my drugged state, but God had already made sure that I would have a peaceful room…the woman made her own choice to leave.
I had two other roommates during the 7 days, and as they were preparing to leave, they came over to my bedside and sat down and visited with me. I was drugged, so I have no idea why they became so friendly. the Big Picture? When you pray that you will be Christ like, sharing Christ’s love no matter what, people are drawn to you. Jim says that my character was gracious, compassionate and apologetic for bothering the nurses, even drugged.

From Help and Hope:

I finally discovered that if you can broaden your view – expanding the moments when your vision seems stuck – a massive shift in perspective happens.

When I think about my view, I think about this little house that God has provided us.
Out my bedroom window

Out the bay window….

On the swing and from the swing!

There are parks, and places that I can go to immerse myself in beauty. (these were taken on our 38th anniversary, less than one mile from our home!)

There are many other beautiful views…
My grandchildren, who love to come and say hi.
My friends on the internet that check on me daily, from all over the world.
I just have to look outside of myself – see the big picture, and then, I can drill down the focus and see the beauty of a butterfly, a vine ripe tomato plucked by my grandson, or a marigold that he brings me to cheer me up.

Looking at the big picture reminds me that

Even though there is pain…there is no infection.
Even though there is pain, there is no cancer.
Even though there is limited mobility, THERE IS MOBILITY!

The choice is to be grateful, to acknowledge my blessings, and then, my heart is content!

Isn’t that like looking at the stars and seeing HIS handiwork….

Psalm 19:1 King James Version (KJV)
19 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

and after reading the whole of Psalm 19, I drill down to MY response:

Psalm 19:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Part of adjusting my lens also deals with my mental illnesses – depression, PTSD, and anxiety. When I am in a ‘normal’ state, I feel – MUCH.
But I have been drugged…to help me not feel the pain.
I appreciate the “not feeling” pain, as much as the meds were able to help, but this also effects my emotional state, which is tied to the mental illnesses.

One of the concerns for this journey has been the chemical upset that the various medications will cause to my mental health. Even if one didn’t have mental illnesses, the normal mental person would have struggles with depression and being homebound and such. Therefore, we took measures to insure that I would not succumb to the enemy of my mind.

Just the other day, I read a blog by a dear lady that is also struggling with mental illnesses, and writes about her struggle. She opened my eyes to one of the things that I was experiencing…numbness. What is normal for us is to FEEL – BIG. Take that away, and we don’t feel alive. This can bring in some other issues, for me, such as cutting and bingeing…just to feel. These are some of my enemies.

Katie wrote Wait in the Middle, that so clearly explains this strange situation that effects those of us with emotional issues. I encourage you to go read this!

Back to the book, Help and Hope …I prepared.
I saw the big picture – I have illnesses that need medication.
I saw the big problem – without addressing it, I could relapse into suicidal depression.
I made small, detailed plans – meds were laid out for three weeks, photos of joy were put into photo albums, music to encourage was downloaded, a cd player was set up in my bedroom, and my medical providers were aware of the situation.

Have I had thoughts? not of suicide, Praise God – but I’ve started to have a pity party or two…and by being prepared, I was able to stop that party!
Have I gotten down? yes – and I started counting my blessings, because they were all around me…so the enemy couldn’t lie!
Have I had pain? Yes, and I was able to quote verse as things were being taken care of…to mentally handle the pain.

No matter where you find yourself in this journey, there are those that are willing to help!
In Surgery Scuttlebutt, part two, I talked about how I was afraid I’d be alone…and I have not been!

I hope that you have found something in my story to help you in yours. I have one more blog to share with you the various other things that I have learned…please stay tuned!

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Lent Week Five – upper room talks, and then the Garden (TBD 2024)

What is LENT? (a link to all of the LENT devotions)
Wikipedia has a very complete explanation for many of the Christian denominations that observe LENT.
Short and simple, it’s making oneself prepared through humility to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the Christian equivalent to Passover for the Jews.
We’ve created a facebook group to follow and discuss, please join us! – 40 days of Lent!

Lent Week Five – Upper Room Talks, and then the Garden

TBD – by Lent 2024
23 – (3/20) Spirit of Truth – John 16:5-16
24 – (3/21) Sorrow to joy – John 16:17-33 smiley face sad face flipper
?? – Upper Room – Advice – to Simon, to all Lk 31-38; John 16, maybe John 16:1-4
25 – (3/22) Jesus’ prayer for Himself – John 17:1-5
26 – (3/23) Jesus’ prayer for disciples John 17:6-19
27 – (3/24) Jesus’ prayer for believers John 17:20-26
28 – (3/25) Gethsemane – Lk 22:39-46; Mt 26:36 – John 18:1

(3-26) 4th SUNDAY WORSHIP – REMEMBER THE RESURRECTION “it is finished” guest post

Lenten Cross Instructions
Our Lenten cross in progress.

I want these to be family activities, therefore, I’m going to list a few free coloring page websites here:

~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

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.

M. Christine Wildman

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

Lent 2018 Week Three (updated for 2023)

What is LENT? (a link to all of the LENT devotions)
Wikipedia has a very complete explanation for many of the christian denominations that observe LENT.
Short and simple, it’s making oneself prepared through humility to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the Christian equivalent to Passover for the Jews.
We’ve created a Face book group to follow and discuss, please join us! – 40 days of Lent!

11 – (3/6) Upper Room – Lord’s Supper – REMEMBER – Mt 26:17-30; Luke 22:14-20 small cup and plate
12 – (3/7) Upper Room – Lord’s Supper – NEW COVENANT – Mt 26:17-30; Luke 22:14-20 small cup and plate
13 – (3/8) Upper Room – Lord’s Supper – cup and body – Mt 26:17-30; Luke 22:14-20 small cup and plate
14 – (3/9)Upper Room -Jesus washes the disciples feet – John 13:2-17; great is least – Luke 22:24-30 terry cloth
15 – (3/10)Upper Room – Declaration of Judas’ betrayal John 13:21-30, Luke 22 ; 21-23 knife;
16 – (3/11) Upper Room – Peter’s confession of Loyalty Mt 26:31-33, John 13:36-38
(3/12) Third Sunday of Lent SUNDAY WORSHIP – REMEMBER THE RESURRECTION – “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?”

Lenten Cross Instructions
Our Lenten cross in progress.

I want these to be family activities, therefore, I’m going to list a few free coloring page websites here:

~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

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.

M. Christine Wildman

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

2018 Lent Day Nine – Judas’ betrayal – 3-3-2023

Lent Devotions
Lent Week Two
We have created a facebook group to follow and discuss, please join! – 40 days of Lent!

Lent Day Nine
Are you a Judas?

MUSIC –
Hymns Mash Up by anthem Lights

Scripture:

Luke 22 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Plot to Kill Jesus
22 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was drawing near. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death, because they were afraid of the people.

3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve. 4 He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police how he could hand Him over to them. 5 They were glad and agreed to give him silver.[a] 6 So he accepted the offer and started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him to them when the crowd was not present.

Matthew 26:14-16 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 Then one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him. 16 And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

Mark 14:10-11

Devotion
This comes after the woman anointing Jesus.

Mark 14:4-5 (HCSB)
4 But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this fragrant oil been wasted? 5 For this oil might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her.

Matthew 26:8-9(HCSB)
8 When the disciples saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.”

Matthew 26:14(HSCB) Then one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests

John calls out Judas:

John 12:4-6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray Him), said, 5 “Why wasn’t this fragrant oil sold for 300 denarii[a] and given to the poor?” 6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.

Here’s an interesting picture of Judas.
He’s known to be a thief…and he’s put in charge of the money bag.
Was Jesus surprised? NO!

John 6:70-71 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
70 Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is the Devil!” 71 He was referring to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son,[a][b] one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray Him.

Satan entered Judas…how does that happen?
In studying Romans, I’ve watched a teaching by Tommy Nelson, Romans, the letter that changed the world. In Romans 3, he points out the progression of the clean man to devolve into the degenerate man.

Romans 3 HCSB
The Whole World Guilty before God(PROGRESSION OF DEGENERATION – note and emphasis mine)
9 What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin,

(ESTATE OF MAN)
10 as it is written:
There is no one righteous, not even one.
(EXTENT OF SIN-MIND, WILL AND HEART)
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
(EFFECT OF SIN – WHOLE BODY IS CURSED)
12 All have turned away;(FEET)
all alike have become useless.
There is no one who does what is good,(HANDS)
not even one.
(EXPRESSION OF SIN)
13 Their throat is an open grave;
they deceive with their tongues.
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.
14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17 and the path of peace they have not known.
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Another part of this goes with Romans 1 – another progression into degeneration:
Romans 1:18-32

The keys in both are these:

Romans 1:21 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.

Romans 3:18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.[a]

I don’t believe that Judas was aware of the progression going on in his heart…but Jesus was.

Adam and Eve – did Eve realize that her heart had gone from fully relying on God…to listening to the enemy? Genesis 3
Cain – God gave him the opportunity Genesis 4
Samson – didn’t even realise that the Spirit of God had left him….Judges 13
Ananias was asked by Peter -what has gotten into you? Acts 5

Jesus KNEW that we would be tempted…JESUS KNOWS that we have a tendency to fall backwards if we are not specifically choosing to move forwards.
We just completed a series preached by Pastor Jimmy Knott on Spiritual Growth.
Pastor Jimmy’s Ministry Page
I wish I could make available to you the booklet he and his wife created for figuring out why we are stuck in our walks, what we need to do to get unstuck, and how to MOVE FORWARD in our Spiritual Walk with Jesus.
He explained that we grow on a spiritual continuum – from

Exploring Christ(Seeking) to
Growing in Christ(Little Children) to
Close to Christ(Young Adults) and onto
Christ Centered (Spiritual Fathers and Mothers).

Yes, we move forward, slip back, move between areas…but the movement must be forward, or, we actually we are slipping backward.
Bill Owens – We know that, when it comes to technology and the economy, if you’re not constantly moving forward, then – without a doubt – you’re moving backwards.

Gorbachev – “If you don’t move forward, sooner or later you begin to move backward.”

The progression in Romans 1 & 3 would confirm these quotes.

Jesus pled with the disciples at Gethsemane to Watch and Pray that they not fall into temptation! Matthew 26:41
Jesus told Peter that Satan had a target on his back! Luke 22:321
Paul wrote much about being aware of the enemy’s schemes.

I think the point I take from today’s study is that we have to be watching out to whom we are listening. We’ve looked at making sure we hear God’s voice, and making sure we respond with a yes. Judas had Jesus RIGHT THERE WITH HIM and somehow he got lost in the money.
There’s two more parts to Judas’s story – the betrayal, and then, his total despair ending in suicide. From a trusted disciple, sent out with power to heal, and whose feet were washed by Jesus, to the betrayer of the Lord of Light and Life, to a victim of his own suicide. A sad progression.

Listening to the enemy is death.
It’s what happened to Adam and Eve, they began to die, and an animal had to be slain on their behalf.
It’s what happened to Cain and Abel – Abel dead, and Cain sent away.
It’s what happened to Ananias and Saphira – both struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit.

Even worse, it’s what happened to Samson – not even knowing the Spirit had left him – and his life was destroyed. I do not ever want to be so blind that I don’t even notice that the Spirit of God is no longer with me!

Proverbs 4:18-19 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;
they don’t know what makes them stumble.

Jesus begs us to believe in The Light – as I wrote in Lent day Eight.
Jesus doesn’t want us to stumble, and fall, and die.

Prayer and Worship
Come Thou Fount – by Chris Rice

~~~~~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

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.

M. Christine Wildman

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.

The Wildberry Patch

Be Engrafted into the VINE to produce Eternal Fruit

Tag Archives: Light

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