Rules

One rule at our house, though not always followed, is to never go shopping for groceries when feeling hungry, too many impulse purchases will be made, and the final total at the cash register will be considerably higher. After a recent pity party that I attended, put on by my own feelings of doom during a memory lapse of Who is in charge of my daily bread this and every day, I discovered a new rule. Never make plans for the future on a gloomy day, Jesus has already told us to live one day at a time anyway because there will be enough to worry about this day with out compounding things by bringing in tomorrow. Perseverance to overcome adversity, this can be on a small daily scale as the Lord, our Good Shepherd directs us through life and strengthens our abilities to handle what comes. We can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us to the point of victory over death. This world has been turning for a long time and will continue on as The Creator directs. The clouds of falling rain can be seen as wonderful blessings of future harvests and great bounty, terrible floods and life changing defeats, or as inconvenient puddle makers. Which ever we choose, the day will end, birds will sing and greet another sun rise, this is the day the Lord has made. Thank you Lord for all your great gifts, please may this be a good day today, in Christ name we pray Amen!

How are we seen

How are we seen by others, should we care? I have always resented being judged by my peers, according to their observations and their standards. Jesus said we should be known by our love,(Joh 13), in the book of Psalms it refers to people who are not respected at the city gates,{Ps 69), probably the pulse monitor of the city. Maybe we should judge ourselves and our relationship with God by how we would look at ourselves from the perspective of others. The store clerk, the waitress, the other driver or pedestrian. Please Dear Lord be with us today, thank you for all your great gifts, may this be a good day today. In Christ Name We pray! Amen

Dear Lord Please

Dear Lord please be with us today, give us strength when we are weak, foresight and wisdom when we need it, and the backbone to speak out for the good of all. In Christ name we pray, amen!

Puzzle Pieces

On reading one of my morning devotionals, " Upper Room," I was led to begin thinking of my Christian understanding as if it were a big jigsaw puzzle.

I think that this is one of the most interesting analogies and easiest ways to present Christ's philosophy. Maybe I will be able to understand better myself how to witness of my own life with God as my Guide. It will be like every time I am led to a better understanding of what the Holy Scriptures are saying to me, will be like finding a new piece to the puzzle of seeking God's Kingdom, and the excitement of putting yet another part of my own personal relationship with God and Christ and the Holy Spirit on a stronger footing, and yet locking another piece of the mystery into place.

Abraham was, according to the Old Testament as I understand it, the beginning of God's relationship with who was to become the Jewish peoples, and the lineage to Jesus Christ. They were given values to live by, and if these values were followed they led to prosperity and happiness for all concerned. They were not complicated values to understand, common sense was all that was needed to comprehend them. The people seemed to have built-in flaws in their mental make-up that made it difficult for them to live inside of the boundaries set up by these values. These people were primitive in their life style as far as we can tell, but maybe not too different from some tribes living in the near east today, and not too differant from peoples of the world today so far as the temptations that they had to face. They lived a hard life as Bedouins, dressing in coarsely made garments made from material as gathered from their own environment or traded for, and cooking and preparing meals as best they could with the inconvenience of moving from pasture land to pasture land as they followed their herds of animals. They lived in portable shelters and carried every thing that they owned by hand or on beasts of burden. Later on they lived under the domination of the Egyptians and probably were trained in many skills through many generations of slavery.

Cultures that now have great control over the way people live today have roots going back to this period of time.

During a discussion the other day someone remarked how a thread of some thought or virtue ran through the scriptures as you looked at them on the whole. It came to me as a puzzle piece, just this morning, that there are many threads running through the scriptures, thus making a fabric with which we can clothe ourselves.

I think that cultures are changing generation by generation, we were traveling through Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday period and since I grew up during the forties and fifties, I was amazed at the change of attitude during just my lifetime.

Being more optimistic than some, I think that I can see a pattern of man becoming a more compassionate animal as history can witness to. When the Kingdom of God grows as the leavening causes bread to rise and become a large loaf, or as a tiny seed can become a large tree, it happens according to God's timing which may be hard for us to find the rhythm to. When cultures no longer measure a person by a prejudgment( prejudice) based on skin color, or any other diversity from the dominant popular version of the day, God's Kingdom will be closer to a reality.

I saw a similarity in a person from a distance the other day that reminded me of a man that I used to work with. As I thought about this man I remembered how unhappy he seemed to be. He was constantly at odds with things either going on at home or at work. To me it seemed like he had “Demons” from the past always at his throat no matter which way he turned. His reputation in our workplace was of one to be avoided, he carried a flashing caution light over his head in everybody's mind. The more I thought of this man and his demons from his past the more I realized that all people have their demons, but most people can keep them from dominating their personality quite so much. I think that these demons may be working for God as He shapes his creation. I think that every selfish act or cruel gesture that we perform without seeking forgiveness from the Lord or the person offended will give birth to one of these demons who in turn will haunt us during vulnerable times of thought. These demons are named “Guilt”, and perhaps are tools that God uses to keep his flock from destruction.

It does seem that while “ Good “ is sought by many, the route may be seen from different perspectives, also the use of balancing forces and lines of thought may be the method God uses to let mankind build his road through history. What little I know of the major religions of the world, I have the idea that they all have a theme of compassion. My search for the Kingdom may have discovered another piece of the puzzle. .

Science has always been fascinating to me, when I was in elementary school I would always get excited and give my full attention to the teacher when we got out our science books. I was also actively attending weekday bible school from my elementary school every Wednesday afternoon. I am now seventy years plus and I still actively search scripture and get excited about scientific programs that I can see on television. The more wonderful the world and universe become as their mysteries are discovered the stronger my belief becomes in my creator.

To me the scriptures found in the Holy Bible are a source of the history of my connection with my Lord and the ever lasting wisdom that has been passed down through the eons of time. They are a source of poetic wisdom and truth, a divine guide to prosperity and peace of mind. While there is knowledge also woven into the scriptures, knowledge is a constantly changing commodity as it is revealed to man by the creator.

A favorite quote from Madeline L'Engle is “Truth is eternal, knowledge is changeable. It is disastrous to confuse them.”.

I worry that as education becomes more wide spread in the world, that the Christian Faith will be kept from spreading because rather than the Truth that Jesus came to reveal, the legendary myths will be embraced by the fundamentalist movement, and they will insist that these literal teachings are required beliefs to be a Christian. There is a large value in these mythological biblical stories, just as there is value in the parables that Jesus used to teach with, but they are there for instruction not historical fact.

Time in Motion

Time is a vehicle, always moving on
Not one that we can drive or even control, or guide,
But we do have choices in how to spend it.
Others can steal it from us by controlling our thoughts
Causing us to waste our time with worry
Or sinful thoughts of hate, revenge, or jealousy and envy.
Time will spent in productive unselfish endeavors is a blessing
To others as well as ourselves.
We have to listen for guidance from the Lord
As to how to spend this valuable commodity,

Time is there to be owned
We can use it to paint memories with
Or we can ignore it's passing
If we let it pass, it's gone forever
But better that, than to paint ugly memories
A little time spent wisely,
Can reap rewards for a lifetime
Time spent sowing seeds of compassion
Will bring a time of beauty and peace
Pray for patience and understanding,
Seek the wisdom of God, and the peace
Beyond comprehension will be yours

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

What about time that is spent
On fixing something that won't work
or is broken
On something that is unnecessary
Like a hobby, fishing, or reading
On something that is generous
On something that is educational

What about time searching for truth
And seeking the Kingdom of God
Time spent in meditation, contemplation,
And pondering over The Holy Scripture's message
In todays' world

One such message from the teaching of Jesus
Is that to worry about tomorrow
Is a waste of time

Mt 6:34 KJV, Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

A feeling of satisfaction goes with the use of a period of time, be it small or large, doing something productive and positive. This is another example of The Spirit of God at work in our psyche.

Understandings

An “Understanding” is a time when a “light bulb” comes on as the Lord and I communicate during the course of events on a normal day

Order, everything is in order, everything. Mankind may not recognize some of the design, but it is there. There has to be a purpose for this order, a need that has to be fulfilled. Mankind should not pretend to understand or comprehend all things about this order of creation or dismiss the fact or truth of the knowledge that is unveiled according to the Divine schedule of our Lord and Creator.

It is so gratifying to come to an “Understanding” that seems to be from the Holy Spirit. Now I am sure that some would debate this, but it is only important to "Me" if I feel the presence of God as I go about my life.

This one particular time happened as I was picking strawberries in my little raised bed improvised in an old tractor tire. I was so proud of myself because it seemed like my idea had worked. Some time ago, maybe two years, I had cut the side walls off two old tractor tires that a farmer friend had given me because they were of no use to him anymore. I had filled them with soil and was gardening in them as raised beds.

When even my wife admitted that it was working, my imagination was in high gear.

I imagined ten old tractor tires and a pay to pick sign out by the road, maybe even fifty old tractor tires.

Then my thoughts went to how can I keep the birds from getting my precious strawberries, I thought of the words that they hadn't planted these berries why should they be in on the harvest. Then I thought of this Scripture!

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? Lu 12:24


Then I remembered how I had come to an understanding on another day after watching birds go about their appointed task of defending their territories, finding mates, food, nesting, and so on. This was another time of understanding of how God's creation has such wonderful order, and how we all have a purpose to fulfill.
Who am I to deny the opportunity for these birds to be fed by God. They probably also feed on insects and weed seed at the same time anyway, so we are kind of sharecroppers.

Work is the pathway to peace of mind, all living things are created with certain abilities to perform tasks for the continuation of creation. If our minds and bodies are occupied in a productive pursuit of some kind, whether it be an actual product, or the completion of a project of spirit and thought, the ending result should be satisfaction or peace of mind.

Many of us may never find this path to peace of mind and satisfaction, but we should be in constant prayer to be led by The Lord God to our predestined position in the work force of God The Father Almighty.

One has only to watch the natural train of events in nature as the seasons display the orderly march of events as all of life moves toward reproduction and completion. The birds of the field as they search diligently for mate, food, and prepare to reproduce, the insects and creatures with fur and fin on much the same mission., flowers of the field, spots of moss, and over powering trees, nary a one without a purpose dictated by the creator.

What joy and happiness awaits the man or woman who realizes and recognizes their potential and ability to do the work assigned. If only we could grow to the point of finding our reward need not be wealth nor power, but peace of mind in knowing that we have helped our Creator.

One thing that may well prevent us from finding this occupation or alloted space of employment, may be competition. Not that there won't be any room left for us, but that we won't feel that we can compete well enough to have any success. Competition has been the brake applied to many attempts toward a life of satisfactory achievement. It is not our competitors who apply the brake but we ourselves because we cannot bring ourselves to the point of risk. It would be better that we do the best we can with the abilities that God has given us than to let the work go undone.

Patience

Patience is not the easiest virtue to attain or master, maybe even the most difficult. To make our psyche wait for something, even if it be from Our Heavenly Father, is a frustrating challenge. If we are in search of the peace and joy of the relationship with the Holy Spirit then we must learn to wait for our life to unfold as He would have it.

Mt 6:8 ( for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.)

This is where the rubber meets the road in our journey and life time relationship with our creator. Patience and faith must be part of our game strategy as we live out our share of the time that we are allotted on this earth. I believe that my life has gone according to a Divine plan, not a plan that rewarded me as a deserving servant of God, rather a plan that could turn sour if there was not a resonance with a general direction that was true to an instilled knowledge.

Waiting for our life to unfold I don't think is supposed to be a time of idleness, rather a time of seeking and being aware of opportunities to serve in what ever capacities become available. We must take ownership of our life and live according to the direction that we feel drawn by the Lord. This would obviously be an unselfish direction in which we would be making our world in tune with our belief and the Truth as unveiled to us by the Holy Spirit.

Ga 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Lu 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

This verse has always bothered me, seeming to be a harsh thing for my Jesus to be saying, but it gets even more bothersome if we try to take the tiller from the Lord and steer our own course.

Mt 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Lu 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

We must continue on once we have put our hand on the plow. Growing old is especially a time when impatience can be a stumbling block. We must persevere as best we can, remembering that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.

Ec. 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Perseverance might be a better title for this article because that is the discipline necessary to be patient. To me it is obvious that I will never be fit for the Kingdom of God no matter what I attempt to do, I can only accept the wonderful gifts of God, and live one day at a time trying to serve as best I can with the understanding which will come if I patiently persevere along the path of my journey.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast

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

I do want to say that I also love the statement in the Book of James about Faith and Works being together

Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Life is good!