2/18/23

MANY


Th
is post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--MANY  
Five minutes to free write about it
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This week's prompt sent my thoughts scattering in many directions.

I thought of the many tragic events taking place in our nation and around the world, as well as the increasing evil that threatens to engulf us. I thought too about the many personal challenges and disappointments that have been wearing me down of late. 

And then I thought of the many tiny sparks of light shining through the darkness, the reminders that God is in control and at work behind the scenes. The amazing rescue of a newborn infant, still attached to her mother by her umbilical cord, from beneath the rubble of the devastating earthquake in Syria; the fires of revival ignited at Asbury University in Kentucky; to name a few.

On a personal level, even amidst the daily battles, there have been many blessings big and small, as well as many more I take for granted. 

Jigsaw puzzles help me relax and unwind. As I work on putting together the many pieces, I like to think of God as working on a giant puzzle too. 

Unlike me, however, He sees the whole picture from beginning to end. One day, when His plan has been completed, we will see that the many pieces that make no sense now will interlock perfectly, the way He intended.

Somewhere I saw this little prayer that I jotted down, but can't remember the source. I wish I did so I could give them credit. Hopefully they won't mind me sharing it anyway.

Father, even in times of darkness, Your kingdom is 
still advancing. Help us fix our eyes on what You 
are doing, and not just on the surrounding evil.

2/11/23

ACCESS

 

This post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--ACCESS
Five minutes to free write about it
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The word ACCESS makes me think, with much gratitude, of all the things technology has enabled me to access. Doors opened I never would have dreamed of.  

Livestream, for instance, has made it possible for me to attend live events being held in places all over the world, while Zoom has enabled me to participate in groups composed of friends and family gathered together despite their diverse locations. Who would have thought?

ACCESS also makes me think of what I have access to in the spiritual realm through the blood Jesus shed on the cross to redeem us of our sins. This great gift of salvation opens the door for anyone who receives it to gain access to the Father and to eternal life. 

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God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. -- John 3:17, NLT

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. -- John 14:6, NLT

so he explained it to them: "I tell you the truith, I am the gate for the sheep. ... Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. -- John 10:7, 9, NLT

Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. -- Romans 5:1-2, NLT

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. -- Ephesians 2:18, NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. -- Hebrews 10:19-22, NLT

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.-- Hebrews 4:16, NLT

2/8/23

BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK

 
Our local library is a fun place to be.  Themes change according to the seasons, and this month, in honor of Valentine's Day, one of the stacks was set up as a colorful nook where folks could pick out a book to have a blind date with.   

Each book was gift wrapped and tagged with a large heart shaped label on its front stating whether it was for an adult, young adult, or child, and what the topic was.














In the middle of the lobby sits a puzzle table where a giant puzzle is always in progress...















...and on this partcular day there were lions dancing in the children's section as costumed dancers and drummers from the Jow Ga Shaolin martial arts institute performed the traditional Chinese lunar new year lion dance. 




2/5/23

IGNORE



Th
is post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--IGNORE
Five minutes to free write about it
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I was going to ignore this week's prompt because my mind drew a blank when I saw it. However, it seems the Lord had other plans.

During my quiet time this morning my thoughts refused to be still. They kept ruminating on my feelings of exasperation at not being able to get through to someone I've been praying for who is waging a very real battle against the lies of the enemy, and who keeps ignoring the need to be persistent in her efforts. Scriptures, devotionals, testimonies, have all been ignored when they don't produce instant results. 

And then, the image of a fist with one finger pointing towards her and four pointing back at me popped into mind. Do I not also ignore signs and my better judgment, and keep repeating destructive habits over and over? And yet God does not get exasperated with me. He is patient, and longsuffering, and never gives up on me.

I have not given up on my friend either, and continue to pray for her, but have also released her into God's hands. Neither one of us will have victory over the things that bind us if we try to wage our battle in our own strength. Only the Lord can set us free, and only when we are willing to surrender to Him and trust Him to do what He has promised in His time and in His way.

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Photo by Micaela Parente on Unsplash

1/28/23

FAKE


Th
is post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--FAKE
Five minutes to free write about it
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Fake plants and flowers look so real these days I often have to go over and feel the leaves to try and determine whether they are or not. 

To add to the illusion, some flowers (like my white roses in the picture) even come in vases that appear to have water in them.

There seems to be no limit to the incredibly real looking fake things advances in technology have made possible. Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes it's not.

Items such as faux furs and imitation jewelry, for example, can be a delightful blessing to people who are unable to afford the real thing, but what a shocking nightmare they could turn out to be for those who spend a small fortune for what they think is genuine, only to discover down the road that they have been duped.

In our world today there are many intangible fakes as well, such as fake news, fake IDs, cyber hijackers who fake their way into computer systems to gain control, and con artists who phish the vulnerable by sending them fake messages or emails made to look like they're from a reputable source in order to get them to reveal personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers.

I'm basically a trusting person, and don't like having to always be on my guard, but I guess that's part of living in a fallen world and being in the midst of a spiritual battle  for control of our minds.

I am so grateful that God is in control and that He is always faithful and true. I am grateful that He can be trusted one hundred percent of the time, and that He has not left us helpless or hopeless. I am grateful for the spiritual weapons of warfare He has given us to fight with, and for the instructions and admonitions in His Book. Most of all, I am so grateful that He loved us so much that He sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, to die on the cross for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16).

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Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. -- 1 Peter 5:8, NLT

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. -- Ephesians 6:12, NLT

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. -- 2 Corinthians 10:4, ESV

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. -- John 10:10, NLT

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. -- James 4:7, ESV

These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. -- 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, NLT

For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones. Then if anyone tells you, "Look, here is the Messiah," or "There he is," don't believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. -- Matthew 21-25, NL

1/22/23

AN EVERGREEN THAT ISN'T


This is something I meant to write about in the fall when the colors were at their peak, and I came across this golden beauty that I thought was a pine tree, except that pine trees don't change colors in the fall.

Blog friend, @Mari, commented that she thought it was a larch tree. Jake's Nature Blog (which I found on Google) confirmed this to be true.

Larch trees are evergreens that change color in the fall and shed their needles (sounds like an oxymoron to me, haha). They are the only conifer trees that are deciduous. Another distinguishing feature is that they have a very thick bark that helps protect them from fire.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Did you know that you were not a mistake? 

  • Did you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and that the Lord determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live?

  • Did you know that you are a Divine, one-of-a-kind, original, created for a special purpose no one else can fulfill?

  • Did you know that you are God's treasured possession and that He loves you with an everlasting love?

  • Did you know that His love for you is so great that even if you were the only person on this earth, He still would have sent Jesus to die for you so that you could be forgiven of your sins and reconciled to Him?

  • Did you know?

    (For Scripture references click here to read The Father's Love Letter). 
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This is a copy of an old post from 2010 that I came across when I searched my blog to see if I had used the title before. Maybe it's something someone needed to hear or be reminded of today?

1/21/23

DOUBT


Th
is post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--DOUBT
Five minutes to free write about it
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This week's prompt is most timely. As is Rishie's post, Reflecting on Doubt (FMF #2), in which she wrote a simple, but beautiful poem that depicts the struggle I've been going through in a way I was unable to find the right words to express myself.

Why I have these doubts, I do not know. No matter my challenges, no matter the hurts, God has always had my back. He has always been faithful and trustworthy. The one person I could always depend on, and who has never ever let me down. So why do I doubt?

Our church starts every year with 21 days of prayer and fasting. This year the theme is "Our Father." Each week focuses on a different aspect of our relationship with our heavenly Father. This week's was on hearing God's voice. 

After listening to one of the live daily devotionals, I felt led to take the book, Experiencing God, out of my bookshelf and go through it again. It's a study I've done many times in the past and, to be honest, I really didn't want to do it again, but then, reluctantly, I obeyed.

In a nutshell, for anyone not familiar with the course, it's about how God is always at work around us and He invites us to become involved with Him in His work. But rather than tell us what He wants us to do and have us go off and do it ourselves, He wants us to have an intimate, personal relationship with Him and allow Him to mold us and shape us into instruments of His choosing so He can accomplish His work through us. Then, as we obey Him and see how He accomplishes His work through us, we come to know Him and experience Him in an even deeper and more meaningful way.

The section I was reading today said that when God is about to do something through you, He has to get you from where you are to where He is,  Flipping through an old notebook I found in the book, it was most discouraging to note that the two major things in my life that I knew could not be accomplished unless God intervened back then in 2014, were the same two issues that I'm dealing with today. 

That led to many more doubts as I pondered why nothing had changed, and what, if anything, God was preparing me for, and why He wanted me to do this study yet again. But then God's ways are not our ways, and His timing is not our time. Like it says in Psalm 90:4, to God a thousand years are as a passing day or as a few night hours would be to us. 

Finally, I'm not sure what this has to do with anything, but maybe this Scripture that's been running through my head is God trying to tell me something?  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29, BSB).'





1/14/23

RECEIVE

Th
is post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--RECEIVE
Five minutes to free write about it
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At first I drew a blank, but thoughts of all the many blessings I've received quickly flooded my mind after reading these words in one of my devotionals: Are you having a bad day? I mean, a really bad day? Are you ready for the rain to stop pouring down on your parade? Look up!

From the breathtaking sunrises I can see from my window, to miraculous provision when there seems to be no way, the gifts I receive every single day are innumerable. Not to mention the ones so often taken for granted such as being able to see, hear, walk, talk and breathe. All have been freely given, as has the greatest gift of all--the gift of salvation through the death of Jesus on the cross. 

Eugene Peterson wrote, "Christian consciousness begins in the powerful realization that what we had assumed was the truth is in fact a lie." This rings so true for me. I think of how grateful I am that God did not leave me where I was, convinced that I had all the answers and that the lie I believed in was the truth. He came to my rescue by way of an improbable journey I documented in my memoir Sincerely Wrong. I am thankful beyond words that I received this gift instead of turning it away.

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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. -- John 3:16, NIV

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. -- Revelation 3:20, ESV

12/30/22

CHRISTMAS HIGHLIGHTS 2022



A family outing to Cirque De Soleil's "A Magical Cirque Christmas" at The National Theatre in DC. 

My seat was dead center, with no one sitting in front of me. Short as I am, what an unexpected blessing that turned out to be.




A very generous early Christmas present from my daughter--an iPhone to replace my Android, so I can Facetime with my great-grands who I don't get to see very often. It also has a great camera, which I'm hoping will motivate me to get out more and start taking pictures again.

The first couple of test photos did not disappoint.
















Last year we had to cancel Christmas because my daughter, son-in-law, and a couple of grandkids came down with Covid. This year, however, we all managed to stay healthy, and by God's grace, the weather forecast turned out to be wrong. They were calling for a large snow storm, to be followed by icy rain, which would have made travel treacherous if not impossible, but we were spared, and with the exception of one very cold day, the rest were beautiful and sunny. 




This is my grand-doggie, Oliver, who likes to chew things. He was grounded to the sofa the one day he was here, but he did not protest. Just watched us wistfully as we ate and opened gifts. (There were gifts for him too.)









There are many cute pictures I would have liked to share, but I am not allowed to post pictures of my two little great-granddaughters--except for facelesss ones like the one towards the end of this post. However, here is one of my daughter who was quite surprised to find her Christmas stockng filled with money, all the way down to the toe, and a couple of an older cousin showing her younger ones how to play with their toys.




















These are my three New Jersey grandchildren who drove down (with my son and duaghter-in-law) to join us for a second celerbation the day after Christmas. I had not seen them in person since the pandemic. Well, I do see the granddaughter on a family book club Zoom every six weeks, but the boys--I hardly recognized them. They have changed so much.




Little Nico, my youngest geat-grandson, was the hit of both days. He got lots of cuddles as he was passed around from person to person. Everyone wanted a chance to hold him, including his big New Jersey cousin who was in awe that he actually did get a turn. It was the first time he had ever held a baby, he said, and I love this picture of the two of them. 














While the older kids ended the day playing games around the table, the two little great-grand girls went out to explore the woods behind my daughter's house. Soon they were back knocking on the door excited to show us what they had found. Wish I could show you the priceless looks on their faces, but I need to honor their paents' wishes, so this will have to do.










I am so grateful for my family, and that we were able to get together this year (except for the ones in Florida). Lots of happy memories were made.

And now it's time to wish you all a very Happy New Year. May the Lord bless you with the gifts of peace, joy, favor, and GOOD Health!