Tag Archives: Prepare

2016 end of year thoughts

I am thankful to the Lord Jesus Christ for bringing me through this year.


The beginning of the year was not as bad as the beginning of 2015.

I spent from the end of March to the beginning of June in Youngstown, Ohio, to help our daughter with the birth of her third son.

 

I stayed in an apartment – and that enabled me to watch the other two boys.

with the help of my co-gramma, Kate Gibson, I planned and executed two parties – a Baby Shower, and a third birthday!
My BFF Susan Stephens came to help with the Shower:

Theodore Montgomery Gibson was born April 6, three days after the shower!

Oliver’s third Birthday was a success – with many cousins from around Ohio!

 

 

Sad part – my cat Purrl got outside on a wet, rainy day, and was killed.

Much of the time in Ohio was spent with the Gibson family, enjoying the boys, and of course, our daughter.
I missed the birthday party for Aubrey Jo, because i was sick. I did get to buy some dance outfits for her! And she did come to Oliver’s birthday, as did Brayden and Wyatt!

ADD FAMILY PHOTO

Sad Part – just as everyone was coming for Mother’s day, Gabriel started having ear issues, and was having difficulty standing up. We took him to a veternary ER. Within days, he could no longer hear – which seemed to be from the medicine.

Mother’s day – almost the whole family was together. Rachel flew in, Stephen came up with his son, Brayden, and we had a great time. It’s been a long time since i’ve had this much of a wonderful Mother’s day!

sad part – Meranda’s grandmother was on the last leg of her trip into eternity, therefore Meranda and Aubrey and Wyatt spent her last mother’s day with her. a week later, gramma was gone.

Gabriel was having difficuties understanding commands – which meant that he was in a questionable position as my service dog.

We came home, and Jim had planned a west coast trip in connection with RedHat Summit in San Francisco. We did a lighthouse tour from San Fran up to Seattle.
We could not take Gabriel – and we found an amazing lady to board him!
The really awesome gift was getting to see our daughter Anna in San Francisco!

  • In August, we found out that Jim’s PSA was rising rediculously fast – the cancer was back.
  • In September, we talked to the surgeon. And, I realized that Gabriel needed to be retired, and that I needed to travel with Jim to aide in the stress reduction of his travel. Therefore, I gave Gabriel up.
  • In October, we had a biopsy done. Gleason score of 7
  • In November, we were on a waiting list for the set up to repeat the HIFU procedure.Set up just before Thanksgiving.
  • In December, we had several procedures to handle Jim’s situation.
  • The end of the year – we traveled to Seattle to spend Christmas time with our daughter, Anna, and to relax for the end of the year.

My word for this year was Prepare – and I wrote several blogs about that word.
Moving to Ohio for three months really brought home the need for preparation.
Hearing that the cancer was back, and more aggressive – that really screamed the need to be prepared for anything.

i have been leaning on Psalm 23 these last few months. Things have been happening so fast, that I have not finished my devotions on Psalm 23!

That and the focus upon the trials of the original Christmas story. I have added painting to my trips with Jim in order to reduce my stress.

I sewed little bags for the ornaments – breaking out my sewing machine for the first time in years! actually, since the movers lost mine when they brought us down from Ohio to Texas in 2010!

Money has been tight, because the medical procedure is NOT covered by insurance, and we are still paying off the loan for the last procedure (Feb 2015). God has shown himself our shepherd – we shall not want! Jim’s job provided enough travel that most of our visit to Anna for Christmas is paid for by points! And, the things that we do here have been gifts from Anna! It’s been amazing to just rest, and let Anna take control! She has such good taste!

I have no idea what 2017 has in store.
A new president – which may enter in the events to allow Jesus Christ to return, and usher in the new Kingdom! If not – we still know that this world is not our home, we are just passing through.

Because of all the uncertainty, my focus for next year, that I don’t seem to get away from, is to number my days.

Psalm 90:12
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

I know I am supposed to finish the devotions on Psalm 23, I know I’m supposed to start up the Itty Bitty Bible Study again, and I know that I’m supposed to be painting.

I will be by Jim’s side as he fights this enemy.

I will try to live my life with Matthew 5, 6, & 7; 1 corinthians 13, and Galatians 5 as my examples.
I will try to remember to put on my armor – Ephesians 6, and to trust that the battle is the Lords – Psalm 91.

More than anything, this year, I want to live in the grace and mercy of the Father – so that the negative self doubt and self talk no longer keep me a spiritual invalid. I want to embody:
Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me

~~~~~

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

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

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

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

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

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

2016 Word of the year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – My(part 3)

Part 1
Part 2

To Review:

Step One – He paved the way long before we were born;

Romans 5:7-9
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Step Two – Recognize we are separated from God by our actions

Romans 3:10-12
10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”

Step Three – We have to believe.

That is the first part of our part of the price. To believe.

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

Which brings me to Step Four – RECEIVE!

Faith through Grace. IT’S A GIFT!
A GIFT
The other person in a deal can GIFT the item to you. That is the other way a deal can be made!

What is our responsibility in the event of being offered a gift? RECEIVE!

And now, on with Part Three. Picking up with Step four.

Step Four – Receive the Gift!
The only way to own a gift is to receive that gift from the original owner.
To say yes to the dealer, that is giving you a gift – the ability to pay for the vehicle you wanted, without you having to do anything, really.

Why wouldn’t someone want to receive a gift?
They may not believe that they deserve the gift,
In the area of salvation, that is correct. As I’ve discussed, we are all sinners, no one is worthy. That is why Jesus came to die on the cross on our behalf.

What is this gift? Payment for Sin

Romans 6:23
The wages of sin is death.

Because of sin, we are separated from God. In any relationship, a separation can determine the priority of that relationship.
What is the ATTITUDE? This shows the importance of the relationship.
Adam and Eve were so embarrassed about their sin that they hid from God.
God was so invested in that relationship He came looking for them.
Was He surprised that they ate of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil? Of course not! He wanted to show them how important it is to follow his rules to live and his paradise. He also wanted to show them that he had their back. He had a plan.

First the plan had to do with sacrificing animals to pay the price for their sin with one animal per person. This was the promised that He gave to not only Adam and Eve, but also to Lucifer. Genesis 3:15

He will send a deliverer who will be bruised in his heel(death) but will crush the head of the serpent(ressurection). That is how much God wants to have a relationship with you and me.

The sacrifices started out one-for-one for Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:21-24
One for Cain and one for Able. Genesis 4:3-7
Noah sacrificed for his family. Genesis 8:20-22
Then there were sacrifices for houses ( Exodus 12) and then for tribes and then for nations.
The ultimate sacrifice was One Man for the World!

Jesus paid the Price

John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The issue is blood of goats and Rams was not satisfying the debt but rather delaying the consequence of sin which is death. The sacrifices the Old Testament did not pay the debt they only delayed it until the time that the perfect sacrifice, the perfect lamb could be given. There was no one that could walk perfectly enough to pay the price for themselves much less pay the price for all of creation, until Jesus!

The rest of Romans 6:23 –

For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 Peter 1:18-19
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.

Hebrews 9:11-12
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He entered the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands (that is, not of this creation).
12 He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.

The item (US) is so desired by God that He chose to pay the price for us, or in more detailed terms, he wiped the Slate clean.

2 Corthinans 5:17-19
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them.

The story of Cain and Abel(Genesis 4) explain to us how there are heart issues behind our sacrifices.
Attitude.
One’s offering was received, one’s was not. And Cain did not take heed, and went on to commit the first recorded murder.

Just because we pay a sacrifice it doesn’t mean that it’s received. Anything that we have to give was given to us in the first place!

1 cor 13….if I speak in tongues…and have not love…it is nothing.

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

But there are going to be those that stand at the gate and say Lord Lord did we not prophesy in your name did we not heal in your name did we not raise the dead and your name? And he is going to say depart from me you evildoers, for I never knew you. To me that implies that evil doers can cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the Dead. That means that they are evil teachers prophesied that do not know the Lord Jesus!

Matthew 7:22-23
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’

There’s the parable of the 10 Virgins – five did not prepare. Matthew 25

There are all the people that were the religious leaders of the day – they were condemned for hypocrisy by Christ. Matthew 23

It is said many times when we stand in the Kingdom we’re going to be very surprised you got it and who didn’t. That kind of brings to mind the thing about the pharisee and the tax collector before the altar. The tax collector, a despised man, is on his knees saying “Lord have mercy on me a sinner.” The pharisee is standing up, which in and of itself says a lot about his attitude’ and saying “Lord I’ve done this and I’ve done that and I’ve done the other.” ( Luke 19:9-14)

Where do I fall in the room between these two? Does this mean rich men can’t get to heaven? Oh, thank heavens, NO! It means it’s harder for a rich man to enter in than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. (Matthew 19:23-24)
It also means that God is interested in our hearts.

We are like the person not making our relationship a priority. The whole point of making relationship priority is you have to actually know that is a priority! You have to know that you want that relationship! You have to know the value of that relationship! When we are lost in sin and we didn’t have any desire for Jesus Christ, He chose to state how valuable is the relationship to him. He gave his life for us because he wanted to spend eternal life with us.

Romans 5:9
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The value of this gift is not dependent upon OUR goodness, but solely upon the perfection of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

The fact that God the Father chose to allow His own son to die on the cross IN OUR PLACE, is what imparts worth and value to us.

If we say NO?
Walking away from a gift?
I think just about everyone can say that there was one person in their life that “got away”.
Was it because you didn’t say that you love them?
Was it because you didn’t recognize you needed them in your life?
Was it because you were just too of your full of yourself at that time? Whatever the reason there are so many people that had a person that they gave up on, and that person left them.

The point is, to actually OWN a gift, you have to say YES, and receive that gift.
And the beauty of the Love of God is that, we can say no.
Unlike Sheep.
Though, like sheep, if we say no, our lives will end in eternal death. and we do not have the protections that are provided to the sheep by having a shepherd looking over them. But that comes in more detail in my discussion about Jesus being my shepherd.

So, we can’t pay, but there is a price.
We are told to COUNT THE COST in several parables.
Luke 14:28-30 and Luke 14:31-33
Matthew 8:18-22
Matthew 19

Payment Plan

So what’s the payment plan?
That is walking out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
That is walking a life where we are persecuted for Christ sake, we sacrifice the lusts of the flesh for the growth of the spirit.
That is choosing live as much like Christ as we possibly can.
That is coming to him when we fail, because he rose again from the dead his blood continues to be effective as the price to pay for her since.
There is no longer any need for sacrificing lambs and goats and Rams and Bulls. There’s not even any reason to sacrifice doves and pigeons.

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

1 Cor 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Yes, there is a payment plan – and that means there is someone to whom we make payment.
The gift of God is eternal life, Peace, Joy, and love, unconditional love. I do not understand why anyone would say no.

Part four and step five of MY and the word Shepherd are combined.
That will come next!

MY Advent Devotions

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

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

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

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

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

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

2016 – Word of the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 MY(part2)

lord-is-my-shepherd_t_nv

I started this series in October.

Then the world fell apart! Well, just The United States going crazy over an election.

In the midst of all the noise, I was reminded what my government thought of me in 2009, 2012, and now again in 2016.

In the midst of this, I was hit with not being prepared for the path placed before me, being Cancer in my husband. Even this plan has changed, and become up in the air!

ps23tattoo

Today, I saw a sweet young lady’s tattoo that had a lamb on it, with the words “The Lord is my Shepherd” above it. Interesting way for God to remind me that I need to get back to the work HE has placed before me!

Psalm 23.
I’ve been looking at the meaning of the first words of the first verse.

The.
Lord.
Is.
MY…and I ended with the first part of my understanding of MY.

Here’s a gift for the families, or for folks that want to color, as they meditate upon Psalm 23.

ps23colorPsalm 23 Coloring Pages

Here’s part two.

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

When we want to own something, we go and purchase it.
By paying the cost we free that item from its previous owner, and make it our own.

Sometimes, that is done with the trade.
Our son Stephen has a gift for finding things people want who have things that he wants in order to trade with them and both parties are happy.

There is also the concept of bartering.
Our two daughters-in-love have a system of bartering for clothes and hair care. Some parents barter babysitting. “I’ll watch your kids this week and you watch my kids next week”. Both parties benefit.

The thing is, both parties need to want something from the other. Both parties have to agree upon the value of that item or service or relationship. If the price of one person’s belonging is higher than the other can pay, the owner has the ability to make or break the deal by adjusting, or making provision for the deal, or not. The person in the lesser position is at the mercy of the person with the more coveted belonging.

In the case of salvation I have to want to be set free from my old life and be given a new life in Jesus Christ. That wouldn’t make any difference if God did not want a relationship with me.

In the situation with Jesus, I don’t have enough to buy my salvation. I am so far in the hole that I cannot get myself out in order to purchase my salvation. The rules in the Old Testament prove that we cannot earn our way into heaven. The price for salvation is so immeasurably High that only the owner of that gift can meet the price.

At the time of Adam and Eve, God chose to provide the sacrifice. It was the first time that a life was given for a life. The first blood sacrifice. It was the first death in the garden. That is a serious message about separation from God, and that is the evidence of the cost for sin.

Romans 6:23a

The wages of sin is death.

Habbakuk 1:13

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.

When we have sin in our lives we have enslaved ourselves to sin. Ever notice how easy it is to say yes to sin after you say yes once?
Ever notice how difficult it is to say no once you’ve said yes?
Ever try to only take one bite of a decadent dessert, and not finish it once it is sitting in front of you? I have! on all accounts!

There is an awesome chapter about sin, and slavery to it.

Romans 6

When Adam and Eve sinned, they separated themselves from their relationship with God who would walk in the garden with them normally.

Genesis 3:

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Adam and Eve had never felt the need to hide from God before. Their disobedience (sin) separated them from a pure and free relationship with their creator.

The fact that God created a sacrifice for them or perform the sacrifice for them, shows how great was his desire to be in relationship with his creation. God paid the price on their behalf. Actually, He made the first sacrifice by creating them skins to cover their nakedness.

Genesis 3:21

21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

And Adam and Eve suffered the consequences of their choices.

Genesis 3:23-24

23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side[e] of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Adam and Eve were separated from the intimate relationship they had previously enjoyed with God.

~~~~~~~~~

Step One – He paved the way long before we were born;

Romans 5:7-9

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Step Two – Recognize we are separated from God by our actions

Romans 3:10-12

10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”

Step Three – We have to believe.

That is the first part of our part of the price. To believe.

Acts 16:30-31

30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

It’s in the contract:

Mark 16:16

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

Here’s the contract:

John 3:16-19

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Acts 2:37-39

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Acts 16:30-31

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

John 3:36;

Unfortunately we don’t even have that much that we can give towards this purchase!

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Back to my analogy:

“The thing is, both parties need to want something from the other. Both parties have to agree upon the value of that item or service or relationship. If the price of one person’s belonging is higher than the other can pay, the owner has the ability to make or break the deal by adjusting, or making provision for the deal, or not. The person in the lesser position is at the mercy of the person with the more coveted belonging”.

We can’t even come up the down payment to believe that we are sinners and we need a savior.
We can’t even muster up the down payment of wanting to have a relationship with God.
God in His grace and mercy saw our poor, wretched selves, and not only did he pay the price with Jesus Christ on the cross, he gave us the ability to say “I want you in my life”.

The point of being able to trade with someone is that both of you have to want the trade. Both of you have to have something that the other one wants. Even if that something is a $20,000 car, and your other person is the car salesman. If you don’t have $20,000 in your account, you can’t buy that car. Sometimes, when the car dealer wants to sell the car to you bad enough, they will actually set up a loan in order for you to be able to pay in parts. It’s not your money that is paying for the car, because you didn’t have any. It is the car dealers money and they are asking you to pay it in steps.

We don’t have enough in our account to pay or earn or by our salvation. The Creator God wanted a relationship with us so badly, it had such value to him, that he chose to pay off our debt. That is salvation.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

He paid a debt He did not owe!

Faith through Grace. IT’S A GIFT!

Which brings me to Step Four – RECEIVE!

GIFT
The other person in a deal can GIFT the item to you. That is the other way a deal can be made!

What is our responsibility in the event of being offered a gift? RECEIVE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That will be Part 3 of Psalm 23 – MY

I’ll discuss receiving the gift, not receiving the gift, and the payment plan!
What does this have to do with my one word, prepare?
This is the beginning, the preparation work, the foundation stone for everything else in my life. I hope you will join me!

Team Wildman

Team Wildman

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

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

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!

Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

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

2016 Word for the year – prepare – reviewing

I started this journey of a Word for the year in January.

I was given these four things:

And the first four things I’m to focus upon are

  • Faith
  • Foundations
  • Finances
  • Food

I started out meditating upon the foundations of my faith.

I meditated upon numbering our days – to realize the importance of every moment.

Then, as the foundation of family, founded in our faith – I meditated upon our marriage.

As February turned to March, we needed to focus upon our family by moving me to Ohio for three months to help our daughter and son-in-law out with their new baby, due early April.

Again, I spent Resurrection Sunday with Faith’s family, but my meditations turned to preparing for Christ’s Return.

There was much preparation to do for a temporary move to Ohio.
There was much preparation to do for several parties that I assisted with.
There was much preparation to do in readying the family for the newest child.
And, there were many memories made.

While there, I did work on the food aspects of preparation.
I did focus upon my faith, and how to implement that in my life and how to share that with our grandchildren.
Finances? well, that was sort of a fly by the seat of our pants type of thing.
It was not cheap to stay in a furnished apartment.
I did not follow a budget for the shower, birthday party, gifts or activities. I was given carte blanch.

Now, as we look to pay for another procedure for Jim, as well as pay off the costs of the visit to Ohio, we are also looking to focus on the finances.
I am again focusing upon the food issues.
We are leaning on the foundations of our faith.
And we are blessed that we have a family that loves us, and that we can spend time with.

The rest of this year, I will complete my meditations upon Psalm 23 – preparing to be with my shepherd, and his preparing for me.
I will complete my focus upon the foundations of my faith.
I have things in which to focus upon our family – friends, both near and far.

I just wanted to do a review, and see where I am for this year.

I was not prepared for all the things that happened this year – but God was.
I am probably not prepared for the things that will happen to me from this point on – but God is.

I’m often surprised by the topics of conversation that come up, but, I thank God that I have prepared before hand by hiding HIS word in my heart…and that HE prepared the things that come up before hand, and HE brings them to me when I am ready. Or in order to make me ready for the next event.

The foundation stone for preparing for whatever comes my way is having a living relationship with Jesus Christ.

Thank you for joining me this year…

Team Wildman

Team Wildman

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

Obed’s House Ministries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another sad, but important part of this preparation.

Treatment Preparation!

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

Now, the travel part!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

stone mountain, georgia

stone mountain, georgia

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

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

I hope you are enjoying this journey!

Team Wildman

Team Wildman

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

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

Obed’s House Ministries

2016 Word for the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – MY

Psalm 23 – The Lord is MY Shepherd

I have written several posts about my meditations upon Psalm 23.

Now – I am personalizing it.
MY
Dictionary.com definition of MY

pronoun
1.
(a form of the possessive case of I used as an attributive adjective):
My soup is cold.

Mirriam Webster

Full definition of MY
1: of or relating to me or myself especially as possessor, agent, object of an action, or familiar person

Possessive case. Belong to ME.

This is the crux of Christianity – in relationship to Jesus Christ.
The LORD(Jesus) is MY shepherd. Savior. Lord. King.

  • It’s not enough to say that Jesus is Lord.
  • It’s not enough to say that you believe IN God or Jesus.
  • It’s not enough to say you go to church, take communion, try to live right, give to the poor – and all that stuff in 1 Corinthians 13

One must take the actions of making Jesus Christ THEIR OWN personal Lord and savior – and making the Words of God their OWN guide for life – and making their lives line up with the teachings.

That includes grace, mercy and forgiveness, by faith which is a gift, and that not of our own, but from God! Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:1-2
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3 All of us also lived among them at one time,gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

I talked about gifts from God in my Arting post!

The first step to making Jesus MY Lord and shepherd has already been done. More about the first step later.

Now we are at the second step:

Recognize that we are sinners – that our lives have separated us from the Creator God!
And yet, there is even a bit more, that goes even before –

Romans 3:10-12 English Standard Version (ESV)
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

Here are the Scriptures from The Biblegateway – Romans 3:10-12; Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 531-3

No one is immune! It does go back to Genesis 3, but we’ll just mention that here.

Here is some thoughts I’ve shared before about If you think you are are good enough.

This is the clear path that led me to know, at age 9, and many times over, that

  • I am not good enough to enter into the Kingdom of God.
  • I am not good enough to dwell in the house of the Lord.
  • I am not clean enough to enter into the holy place of God most high.
  • I have no way to make the Lord MY shepherd!

Let’s talk about sheep.
Do the sheep go out and say “I need a shepherd!” and go hire one?
No – the shepherd seeks the sheep, purchases them, and then cares for them.
Without the shepherd seeking the sheep, they would get into so much trouble, as anyone that has ever worked with sheep can tell you!
In fact, there is nothing that the sheep can do in order to get connected with a shepherd. The shepherd seeks the sheep, and purchases them.

But, do the the sheep even know they need a shepherd?
Do they know the cost of not being cared for by a shepherd?

Romans 6:23a

23 For the wages of sin is death,

This is echoed in Proverbs 11:19; Matthew 25:46 and Romans 1:32

The finality of this is written about in Revelation 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and the One who sat on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.
And there were open books, and one of them was the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.
13 The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

A sheep, without a shepherd, eats poison, goes places it ought not go, and gets into situations that are dangerous. A sheep, without a shepherd gets lost and cannot find it’s way home. The worst case is that a sheep that is without a shepherd is prey to the wolves and other predators that want to Use it. They want to steal, kill and destroy it.

Back to Genesis 3. When Adam and Eve sinned against the one and only rule that God had given them – they were made to leave the Garden of Eden. They were sent away from paradise, where they had walked with God.

This is the cost of sin.
Separation from our Creator God, that created us, to walk in the garden with us!

So how do I make the Lord MY Shepherd? Belonging to me?

I am my beloved’s and he is mine.

I am My beloved's

I am My beloved’s

That is part 2, of Psalm 23 – MY!

Team Wildman

Team Wildman

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

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

Obed’s House Ministries

2016 – Arting at Stone Mountain Georgia(prepare)


Before we left for Atlanta and Stone Mountain, I was preparing my art materials in order to take them with us. One of my tools is a camera. The preparation was so that I could utilize one of the gifts that God has placed within me.

This is the meditation that came about as I thought about painting as worship. It also includes a meditation after I lost my camera.

~Christi

Psalm 139:14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Ephesians 2:10 I was created in Christ for good works which God prepared beforehand that ib should walk in them. 

He gives everyone gifts. Got Questions has written an answer to how does God give spiritual gifts.

1 Peter 4:10 We are expected to use the gifts that we have been given!

Romans 11:29 The gifts and calling of God are without repentance

Matthew 5:14-17New International Version (NIV)

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

I have been told that I have a gift when it comes to art.
I have not been so sure, until folks that do art are doing things that amaze me, and tell me that my work, without training, is amazing.
I have denied what I have – and therefore, I have not used it for any type of worship consistently.

Don’t bury your gift/ talents !!!

Matthew 25:14-30
Luke 19:11-27

The parable of the talents is very scary when you look at the one that buried his talent…sent into outer darkness.
In Lukes version, they were brought and killed.
That’s a high price for hiding your talent! 

Like forgive as we are forgiven…if you don’t forgive,  God will not forgive you.

Matthew 6:14-15(Right after the Lord’s Prayer!)
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Forgiveness is a gift. From God. Therefore, we should give forgiveness!
Ephesians 4:32
Colossians 3:13

Mercy is how we are given forgiveness.
Deuteronomy 4:31
For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

A commentary about God’s Mercy is very enlightening.

Grace is how we receive the gift of faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9New International Version (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

  • To not give forgiveness when it’s been freely given is to say that I have more right to be wounded than God!
  • To not be merciful when I’ve been given so much mercy is to cheapen that gift.
  • To not give grace through forgiveness is to hide that gift of God under a bushel.

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men,  that they may see your good works (for which we are created) and glorify your father in heaven. 

This is how we turn our gifts back to God as worship.

So, on October 6, 2016, I chose to walk out to a pavilion, carrying my painting supplies, in order to worship God in the nature, and to paint as worship to Him!

Update; three days later –
That day, I took photos in order to paint after leaving the area. Once we arrived in Ohio from Atlanta, I searched for that camera, and it is no where to be found.

I fell prey to the enemy telling me that I was not worthy to be an artist for Christ. And, he’s right. I am not worthy.

I wrote this on Facebook:

I was so excited about painting at Stone Mountain.
I was so excited about my first plein air painting.
I was content to finish it with the photograph on my camera.
I was looking forward to painting Stone Mountain from the photos I was able to take as we left the park.
I am devastated to realize that the camera is missing – and unless it shows up in Jim Wildman’s computer bag(no reason for it to be there}, it is gone. Last known place is the rental car we turned in at Atlanta.
Even worse? I have no idea what other photos are on the camera,
And, today, I will not be able to take photos of our grandson playing football.
I’m feeling very stupid, careless, and a hundred other negative feelings about myself. The camera is part of my ‘job’ tools. If Jim Wildman were to lose his laptop, a composer lose his sheet music in progress, or a dancer lose her shoes – it would be similar in devastation.

I’m so sad. and the worst part is that I wanted photos of the grandkids.

I am not worthy – except that I have embraced Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and IN HIM, I am counted as worthy to bear the name of Christ – as in Christian. IN HIM, I am counted as worthy to be a standard bearer, an ambassador for him. The enemy always forgets that part when attacking me! or any of us!

It always seems to be that once I commit to doing something for the Lord, something happens to undermine it. The other interesting part of this is that I felt that I needed to defend my discouragement by pointing out the issues like not being able to photograph our grandson. That was important, but, I have hidden my talents for so many years that I was really thrilled to pull them out and try to let them shine. I had a phone to take photos of our grandson. And they turned out pretty well! In my own lack of worth, I felt that I was not even good enough consider the loss of my camera for the art’s sake as important.

Was God surprised about the camera? Of course not.
Can we replace the camera? Yes – though we’d rather not spend that money right now.
Does God forgive me my carelessness? Of course.
Do I? That is a different story! Probably a different post!
Did God stop loving me or call me an unprofitable servant? Of course NOT!
Do I? call myself an unprofitable servant? It’s been known to happen.

There is something about learning to see myself with Jesus’s eyes.
This song is for me and my friend Shirley –

The upside is that Jim will be stopping by home, and coming back with our other camera, and we will be back in Atlanta before I return home. We will drive back to Stone Mountain, and by God’s grace and mercy, snap a few more photos so that I can share the glory of God!
No matter how dismal the situation seems, if my heart is focused upon serving the Lord Jesus, He will make all things work together for the good!

Romans 8:28-30

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

Preparation?

  • First – know that you are called and have a calling! that means preparing with a relationship with the Creator God through His son, Jesus Christ.
  • Second – have the tools ready, available, and portable to go when and where you are called. Prepare with packing and packaging!
  • Third – Remember that our enemy is a roaring lion, prowling about looking for whom he can destroy. Prepare for the battles!
  • Fourth, and this may be the most important – prepare my heart by hiding God’s word within!

I hope you enjoyed this little insight into my life. Once I have the new photos of Stone Mountain, I will post those here, and maybe even the finished painting!

Me and My Love

Me and My Love

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

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

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

2016 word for the year – Prepare – Restore the foundations

Note ~ I started this blog January 25, 2016.
I’ve edited the blog on October 4, 2016

If you were preparing for a hurricane, what would you do?
Up North, and out west, being prepared for a tornado is a full time thing…having things set aside because they can happen without warning.

  • water
  • candles and matches
  • canned food that can be eaten without electricity
    blankets

It is so important that the government has pages for tornado kit plans and hurricane preparedness plans.

For the Christian, there are foundational truths that need to be in place, in order for us to face storms.

I have written about what foundations are.

In this blog, I am going to be meditating on one of these core foundational principles and putting together a storm or battle preparedness plan.

Heb 6:1-2

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of

  • repentance from dead works,
  • and of faith toward God,
  • Of the doctrine of baptisms,
  • and of laying on of hands,
  • and of resurrection of the dead,
  • and of eternal judgment.

In my mind, this is basic salvation 101.

  1. Recognize you are a sinner – and repent of your sins.
  2. Declaring your faith in God, and salvation through the cross of Jesus.
  3. professing your faith by being obedient in baptism
  4. The laying on of hands to impart the Holy Spirit
  5. That death no longer has a sting, that we will be resurrected from the dead
  6. and that then, each person will stand before the judgement seat of God, judged for their lives.

All About God has a great example of this with the Roman Road.

There are many ways to apply the principles of salvation, but, in the Christian faith, there is only ONE corner stone –

1 Corinthians 3:10- 15
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise master builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.
11For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
13his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.
14If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward.
15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as one being snatched from the fire.

Ephesians 2:19-22New King James Version (NKJV)

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

1 Peter 2:4-8New International Version (NIV)

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] 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.”[b]
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”[c]

For additional verses, 11 Bible Verses about Cornerstone

The first step to salvation is to know that there is no other path except through Jesus Christ.
When you are preparing for a hurricane, you need to know who to call, and who is in charge of the rescue operation.
When you are preparing for spiritual battles, you need to know you are in the right Army, and Who your general is.

I hope that you enjoy my thoughts, and that they bless you.

Me and My Love

Me and My Love

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

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

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

2016 word for the year – Prepare – for anything!

Note~
this post was originally written March 24, 2016
update October 4, 2016

Ah, March in Florida – blooming, mild temperatures, sunny days – and planning to go to Ohio for A NEW GRANDBABY TO BE BORN!

MeetingFaith

Faith and all three boys

Faith and all three boys

King James says my verse(Ps 90:12) this way:

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

NIV says it this way:

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

New Living says it this way:

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.

New American Standard says it this way:

So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

Each one of those has a slightly different perspective, though I do believe that they all present the truth. This is another blog! First – Preparing for Anything! Because our days are numbered!

A pregnancy has a beginning and an end.
The basic concept is 9 months, or 40 weeks(40 is a great biblical number!)
Babies don’t always adhere to these schedules! Even so, there is a time line!

Faith’s original due date was March 26, and then it was adjusted to March 29th. She and her husband wanted me here about two weeks prior to the baby coming, to get familiar with the routines, help out with the last minute efforts, and just to be here for Faith, seeing as I’m her mom.

The original date I was aiming for was March 15th.
Then Jim had a weight lifting competition on March 20th – and I wanted to attend – and, hey, Faith goes late with her babies, so, no problem. Two weeks before, two to four weeks after – no problem.

PROBLEM! Where to stay!
Last time, I stayed in our RV trailer right outside their rental house. It was like camping in a beautiful park, with the benefit of a daughter’s family right next door!
NO campgrounds open in Ohio in March that would be close enough, or even safe enough to meet Jim’s and Steven’s criteria. No one’s home had enough space for us to park the RV.

Hotel? $$$$ but we knew that the Residence Inn had long term capabilities.

So started the search for commercial temporary housing.
This process went back and forth for over a month – including if I was going to be able to go(health issues), could we afford for me to go(money issues), was I going to have surgery?
At one point, we were going to wait until Faith called and said she was in labor, and then I would fly up, and Jim would follow in the Tahoe. I would stay in the hotel for two weeks – starting when she called.

Then Jim’s schedule – Oh yes – March begins the new year for his company, travel travel travel to meet new clients, hand off old clients, get to know new partners. He was being gone 4 days out of the week! We were having difficulty talking out all the things we needed to talk out about how to get me to Ohio.

PROBLEM! How to get there?
Should I fly? Should I drive?
If I flew, I would be doing it alone, and probably driving myself to the airport! I would be lugging my own luggage, managing the service dog, all under the stress of knowing my daughter was giving birth! Thank God for Southwest Airlines! They have always been wonderful, but I was not liking this prospect – it was causing MUCH anxiety!
If I drove, again I would be doing it alone, and taking the dog AND all my stuff, so probably packing the car by myself. And how many stops? How long would it take? And, again, ANXIETY!

PROBLEM! What to pack?
Florida was just blooming for spring – 60s were becoming scarce, it was even hitting the 80’s!

Daisies from Faith

Daisies from Faith

Ohio was going back and forth between snow and thaw. Oh yes, I remember the February teasers! Yet, I did not have a lot of warm clothes! Do I pack for two, maybe three seasons? This totally depended upon how long I was going to be there.

Of course, there was always the money problem looming.

A rental became the best option, and we were in the process of signing the papers, when we actually read the description of the ONE I would be staying in. Wall A/C? How old was this place? And the area was barely in the safety zone my police officer son-in-law was comfortable in. AGAIN – where would I be staying???
When would I be going?
What would I be taking?

Oh yes – would my health allow me to go at all?
Three months with no therapist?
Would my Psychiatrist be ok with me being gone for three months?
My glasses were in need of repair/replacement, but that takes time.
My chiropractor was just starting to get my back and hips working.
I had found a massage therapist that was beginning to get my muscles working from the fibromyalgia.
And then there was my marriage. Still horribly in flux from the conference in January, and I was going to leave for three months? With Jim traveling so much? How were we going to communicate?
What do we do with the cat?

So many things to prepare – so many what if’s.

Psalm 55:22New International Version (NIV)

22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.

1 peter 5:7 NIV gets even more personal!

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Anxiety? Who has anxiety? um, ME!

The full passage gives some insight into how to cast anxiety upon the LORD:

1 Peter 5:5b-11

5b All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Mathew 23:11
The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Luke 18:14
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Jesus spoke on a mountain, and his sermon, the beattitudes(attitudes upon how to be!) gives amazing depth of wisdom for our lives.
He knew the Psalms – He is a Jew!
and Peter learned this principle from Him.

Mathew 6:31 KJV
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

The NIV says it this way:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

WORRY! This is the opposite of faith, trust, confidence.
1 Peter 5 says that God gives grace to the humble!

James takes it further, that he draws near to the humble.

James 4:6-10
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”[c]
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

What am I doing? I am worrying about trip.
I am not resting in the Lord.
In my thoughts on Psalm 23, I talk about things that I put between My Lord and myself.
This hearkens back to one of the Giants in my life – fear!

The LORD has taught me over the years, to give up my fears of the world and focus upon Him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom!

I am not alone! The Psalmist felt this way – and this is the perfect prayer and confession for attacking fear and unbelief!

Psalm 20[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.[b]
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!

Matthew 6:33-34
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This leads me to a confession: I Believe!

I
I believe
I believe God
I believe God is
I believe God is big
I believe God is big enough
I believe God is big enough to use
Me!

YES – I am to be prepared for anything – no matter what life, or the enemy throws at me.
NO – I’m not supposed to be worrying, anxious or lacking faith.

My God has provided for me, in His mercy He pours out His grace, and He has given me the gift of faith.
To trust in my own abilities (or to NOT trust in His ability to use me) is pride. And I need to humble myself – and HE will enable me!

Me and My Love

Me and My Love

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

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

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

Psalm 23

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!

LORD – Who?

THE – or part 2

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.

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

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

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

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

Naomi’s Heart Ministries