1 Corinthians Chapter 6

Are you ready to be reprimanded?   
         Well read 1 Corinthians Chapter 6.

This is one harsh chapter, Paul is really annoyed with the Corinthian Christians, and keep that in mind.  Paul's letter is written to the church at Corinth.  Those people who are born again believers.  He is not writing to those people outside of the church.

The list of sins is very long and includes many different sins.  If we sin in any way, we have no right to point our fingers at another who is sinning.

Do you recall reading the encounter that Jesus had with the woman who was caught in adultery?  Well to refresh you a bit, there were those that wanted to stone her.  But Jesus said what?  He said that whoever was without sin, should cast the first stone.  Well...now we have a problem, Jesus was the only one there without sin.  This was what Christ was trying to get across to  them.  If you have any sin in you or in your life, and only you know what these sins may be, because let's face it we commonly keep things secret.  We may not want to, but we, I am pretty sure do.  Why, just this morning at 4:50 AM as I was sitting here listening to David Guzik's Commentary on 1 Corinthians Chapter 6, I had three pieces of chocolate with my morning coffee, does this mean I am being glutenous?  Yes, I was not being responsible as far as my body and my health is concerned, chocolate is not a good breakfast....but it sure tasted good...but I was sinning against my body...do you see?  It is easy to sin!  It doesn't have to be adultery, it doesn't have to be deceit...there are so many sins.

In verse 19 of Chapter 6, we are told that our bodies are not our own!  Now I want you to think about this...if you borrow something from a friend, say their car, or maybe a suit or a dress... when you are finished using this item and you are going to return it to your friend, if you borrowed their car, you will probably make sure that it is clean and shinny, if you borrowed a piece of clothing, you will probably wash and dry it, or dry clean it, before returning it, or at least that is what I would do.
Well our bodies are not our own, we are borrowing them from God, so don't you think we should take good care of them...let us not commit sins against God's property...let us not commit sins period...what might you have to work on.

A Study of 1 Corinthians, Chapters 5 and 6

Isn't today an amazing day.  A wonderful day that is a gift to us from our Daddy in heaven.  So don't just lounge about, do something that marks the amazing beauty of this day.  What ever it may be, give God the glory that is due him.

Alright, now to the point, I have recently been asked by someone very dear to me, to read over ! Corinthians Chapters 5 and 6...are any of you out there familiar with the contents of these two chapters? Well perhaps the best thing would be to read them in their entirety.  So let's go do that first thing....
1 Corinthians Chapter 5  and after you have read this one, then read this one...1 Corinthians Chapter 6, Okay I can not make it any easier than that now can I.  I am also going to be using an amazing site that has helped me to understand what I read in the Bible in view of my relationship with the Trinity, and that would be Enduring Word (1 Corin. 5) and Enduring Word (1 Corin. 6)

We are now good to go!   So Go Dog Gog...I am not really calling you all dogs, I just have a bunch of grandchildren!

1 Corinthians Chapter 5

Do you have children as I do?  Are those children born again? Well let me tell you right now, this isn't a "fun" study.  It is in fact a very sad study for me.  Paul tells us in this chapter that if there is someone in the church, and understand that by in the church, Paul's referring to those people who are born again.  Those people who have accepted Christ as there personal Savior.  If these people are living there lives in such away that is not acceptable by Christ, we, the rest of the body of Christ are to turn away from them.  Now I know that there are those of you out there that are going to say, we aren't to judge each other....well...according to Paul this is in fact true...in a sense...we are to judge only those who profess to be fellow believers and are living openly in sin and this is to be done as a response to there behavior and as a form of correction.  Let me ask you...If you believe in me, and have accepted what I did for you on the cross, to be your accepted sacrifice, why would you live in such a way that can bring harm to you...I as your Father have not told you to live in such a way that will harm you, I have asked you to live in this way for your happiness and for your health. 

Any good parent will tell his child to behave in a safe way rather than in a harmful way...God designed us to have one mate...I blew that, and I am sad to say that there are some of my children who are also walking that same path....My one child says to me, but mom I don't want to get divorced and remarried and divorced...and on and on...what this child doesn't understand is this, by living with one person and breaking up, and living with another person, and breaking up, and living with another....the only difference, only difference is a legal piece of paper...in my mind.  When you have had sex with someone you are committing yourself to that relationship, without the blessing of God (SO HOW CAN IT ULTIMATELY BE GOOD?) as in a marriage ceremony, and without the benefit of a legal ceremony of the government as in a civil ceremony.  Okay so you have saved a little bit of money, you didn't have to pay a pastor...you get to set up housekeeping and live a life of what, cant be joy, God's not in it!   Proverbs 28: 20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.  So living in a sinful manner you will be punished, how will you be punished, hmmm, could be HPV, that's pretty common these days, and frequently comes from having sex with multiple people, there are all kinds of sexually transmitted disease, but here's the biggest one, how about separation from the Father....Or separation from fellow Christians.  That is the prescribed punishment, right out of the Bible.  Okay parents, Christian parents of believing children, this is what is prescribed straight out of the Bible....I know.....this is harsh....help me Father....is this what I am supposed to do?   I will keep studying...and we still have to get thru 1 Corinthians Chapter 6.  But for today we have gotten thru the crux of Chapter 5, and frankly, it is very cut and dried.. I have read and reread this chapter, I have read the commentary on chapter 5 from Enduring Word...and it is pretty clear....So read and study...and please give me some feedback...if you cant tell...I really do not want turn my back on some fellow believers who aren't walking in the prescribed manner...

Our Walk with God and Do Others see Jesus in You? 10~29~2013

This past weekend I had the opportunity to do something I have never done before...I worked with a caterer.  Now don't get me wrong I have worked in the food service industry prior to this weekend...as in restaurants...but I had never worked with a catering company. There is really very little difference.  You just work in different locations.  And yes you really do work and work hard.  Someone needs to come up with some fine china that is not HEAVY!
That would be awesome!  Of course it would still need to look the same and feel the same, just lighter!.

Well I have spilled the beans to my husband as to why I worked, so I guess I can tell the world.  

Last year for Christmas Tim got a Le Pan Tablet for me, and I have just loved having that convenience.  I don't have to be sitting at my desk in our home office to use the computer.  I can even take it outside while I am gardening...it's great!  You might ask why do I take it gardening with me...music...I just love to listen to Southern Gospel Radio.  And sing to Jesus. And pray for people, for all sorts of reasons.

Anyway...back to why I wanted to work for this caterer...I want to purchase a tablet for my husband...but since he is so much better at deciding which one is better for him than am I, I told him.  And of course he said no you don't need to do that.  No I don't need to do that, I want to do that.  Is it a birthday present, No. Is it an early Christmas present, No. It is an, I want to do this for you present!  And the price of an electronic tablet isn't in the budget.  So I worked. By this time next week, Tim may have his new tablet.

So now you know why I worked...but more important than even that, is I wonder, if while I was working, did the people that I was around see Jesus in me?  I wonder.  I was kind, and caring, and yes that is part of doing that kind of job, at least if you want to do it again.  But if you have Christ living within you, doesn't that mean that you go the extra mile.
Let me ask you, as long as you are being as kind and caring as you can be, does it really matter if "PEOPLE" see Christ in you?  Yes it does matter!  Have you ever heard the phrase, "You may be the only Bible some people ever read!"  So let Jesus shine!

I want to tell you a little bit about the experience I had working with a catering company. First of all the people I worked with were very kind and thoughtful.  The owner is a fine young man and the chef, wow, his food was awesome.  

But what I would like to talk about is the people that were at the wedding reception.

Do you remember back in older times when you entered a town you had to stop by the Sheriff's office and drop off your guns...some towns did like just anybody waling around with pistols tied on their hips, especially when you mix that and alcohol...so some towns required that men, mostly men, dropped off their guns at the sheriff's office.  I think people should also do that with their phones!  The whole evening, as I worked, I was so perplexed by the number of individuals who where either texting, or surfing the web, or doing I don't know what with their "smart" phones, while they were involved in conversations with other people sitting around the same table at this reception.  I thought that a wedding receptions was to show the bride and groom how special they are!  After-all, these two wonderful young people have just made a Godly covenant, let's honor them and honor that!  Put your phones away!

You might say I want to take pictures...you don't really need to, the parents of the bride probably hired a photographer, that's his job.  So again, put your phones away.  Let's be kind and loving and show the honor that is due to the people that we are honoring.  And don't tell me that you can do two or three things at once...you probably can...but, you will do all two or three, half way, rather than each one done completely or properly.

Can you tell...I really don't like having a conversation with someone as they are texting or surfing the web?  If I am going to take the time to speak with you, I would really appreciate it if you would give me your undivided attention.  Anymore, this will probably, be considered a great kindness.  Let me ask you this...if you were sitting and having a conversation with Jesus, would you also be using your phone, you know, surfing the web, texting, or what-ever?  If your answer to that is NO, of course not, then why, would you do this to anyone else.  I know we are not all Jesus, but how do you know who is, and who isn't?  Shouldn't we treat everyone as if they are Jesus?

Let's think about this...and try to not only think about this, but maybe you are one of those people who needs to make some changes in their actions.  Try today, to give your undivided attention to the people with whom you are in contact.  It doesn't matter if they notice, Jesus will notice, and after-all...God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and/or Jesus are all that really matter!

Let others see Jesus in you!

Inspirational Writings...10~26~2013

I am sure that we are all aware of all the inspirational writings that are out there...If you are on Face Book I am sure that you are aware....However....this morning I came across the best one yet...take a look....

Isn't this the truth?  And if you say to me, "I always ask God for what is His will for me..." I will doubt you.  We as human beings rarely "always" do anything!
This morning as I was thinking about getting up and out of bed for the second time, and I was thinking about various things...and in all honesty I was thinking to myself, "I need to talk to the Lord before I get up and out...and as I was laying in bed all snug and warm...I started to think about this statement.  "I need to talk to the Lord."
We need to get around to the point were we say..."I need to talk to you Lord..."  Do you see the difference in these two statements? The first statement speaks of God as if He isn't there at just this moment.  The second speaks to God as if He is sitting on the foot of my bed...or better yet holding me as I slowly wake up...

Rabbit Trail Time:
When I was a little girl, back in or around 1965, I think I was about 10 years old, I had to have a T and A removal...for those of you who don't know what I am talking about, it is the removal of tonsils and adenoids.  Now I didn't really need mine out, I didn't get sick hardly at all, I did have difficulties with allergies, but that was really about it...however, my sister, got sick all the time,  so they must have had a two for one going on at the hospital and my parents went for it...I got to get my T and A out along with my sister.  No big deal until we got home. Then the earaches occurred.  I can remember my Dad sitting on my bed so that I could have my aching ear on his warm leg, and that was about the only thing that helped.
Now I ask you, was it really the warmth of his leg on my little ear, or was it the comfort of knowing Daddy was right there if I needed him.  Probably a little of both!

Isn't Daddy God like that?  I am here my girl...just waiting for you to speak to me of all your needs and thoughts and cares...I know you are, and I am so thankful for that.  How comforting is this? Jesus talks to us, are you  listening.  And this is what is playing on the radio station I am listening too as I am writing to you:

Isn't God just so amazing?  Do you know Gods voice when He speaks to you?  If you don't perhaps you should learn it.  Wouldn't hurt would it...

Well it is time for me to start getting ready for my day, which is going to be a bit different, today, with Gods help I will be serving as a server at a catered event, I believe it's a wedding reception...I will let you know all about it either tomorrow or Monday...so stay tuned!

And Blessing to you all!  Just abide in the Lord and the blessing are there for us all, but we must play by His rules, not ours!

~Advice~ 10/24/13

Do you ever feel you need some advice?

     I do.....

          Where do you go to receive your advice?

               I go to the women that I know can give me Godly advice!

Please understand, I do not need to tell them all the details, and I don't.  But when you say to a group of Godly women that you could use some help on a particular issue that you are dealing with, you can be assured that you will receive good and Godly advice!

Let's see....last evening I received Romans 8:1-5

Romans 8:1-5

King James Version (KJV)

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

and

Philippians 4:6-8

King James Version (KJV)

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

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

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Some pretty good and Godly advice, wouldn't you say?

Then we went on to discuss the two thieves that were crucified with Christ...Do you, or have you, ever really thought about them? I hadn't!

Luke 23:32-43

King James Version (KJV)

32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, This Is The King Of The Jews.

39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

You all know, I am sure, how very easy it is to get all tangled up in the events of the day!  I do, and then you read something like this....and you think about what our Lord had to endure for us. Do you ever feel unworthy?

I do!

Jesus did nothing to deserve what He received...but He took what WE deserved...Now there may be a few of you out there that are thinking, I wouldn't deserve that...guess again honey.  We have all sinned and fall way short of the glory of our God. 

You see in God's eyes, sin is sin is sin!

God doesn't have:

       BIG SINS

    &

    little sins

To God, sin is sin!  There isn't a big sin or a little sin, we seem to measure the size of sin...well let's see, she committed adultery, that's a big sin, oh and she had an abortion, that's murder,  that's a huge sin, oh and little Johnny took that piece of candy from the 5 and 10, the other day...Don't you see when God looks at this list, He just see's SIN...He doesn't see big, little or huge...He just sees sin.

We are all guilty of sinning.

Let's go back up to Luke 23: 39, the one thief is giving Jesus some baloney, saying okay your God save yourself and us to boot!

And the other thief says,  hold up there,(verses 40 & 41) we deserve what we are getting, but He has done nothing wrong! He then says to Jesus...Remember me when you get to your Kingdom...by his asking Jesus to remember him when He get's to His kingdom, this thief is saying, I know you are a King, cause you can't have a kingdom without being a king! And look on at verse 43...What does Jesus say...

Jesus says to the thief, today you will be with me...this thief realized that this Man was indeed, the King of the Jews.  And because of this realization, he was born again, simply because he believed!

Do you believe?

Oh, I pray you do!

Once again I have to give praises and accolades to those who deserve it, we have an amazing bunch of women in our Wednesday night class and of course our teacher...Mrs. Virginia Hicks, she really is a great teacher, and is capable of showing us lots of information that is in the Bible that we would frankly miss if we didn't have someone to guide us...So a big Thank you to Virginia.

Well it is that time of day.  I must get ready for work!  So you all have a wonderful and blessed day...and find someone else to bless as well!

Do We Embrace the Seasons of our Lives? 10~19~2013

This past Saturday I went to church for a women's meeting.  And first of all I just want to let all you women out there, that missed this, well that is ashame for you, it was a very worthwhile meeting.

The speakers were wonderful!   And the music...one of the women played and sang a song I haven't heard for years.  The song is titled, "Only Hope," and my youngest child actually played and sang this song with her very dear friend Kelly, when Tim and I married.

Take a listen as you read on this is an amazing song.  Jesus is our "Only Hope!"  Wouldn't you agree?

Well this song started the meeting for me on an extremely positive note, especially after having spent the previous day, with the man of my dreams, as we wondered around the Dulles Expo Center, and enjoyed looking at all sorts of artwork, and amazing artwork, by wonderful artist and wonderful and creative sewing ideas...ohhh...there is such creativity out there!  And then on our way home we stumbled upon an amazing antique shop or I shop say "Shoppes," because it seemed like there were a few together,  maybe some consignment type arrangements, I am not sure, but it was wonderful... I will be posting some pictures of this in a few days, still working on them.

But back to the meeting...this meeting was titled, "Embrace the Seasons of Your Life."  Great title, because there are so many seasons that we are all in!  And the purpose of the meeting was, to inform us of two ministries, that do amazing things. And for some of us as we proceed thru these different seasons, some of us need a little help as we go thru these seasons.

The first The Courage House, is a FAITH based addiction center...you cant fight addictions with-out Christ, and the people that operate the Courage House know this all to well.  There are so many people out there that have tried to operate many different things without Christ...I wonder....how is that working for you?  I bet not very well, although it could be going okay, but just imagine how much better it could be if you put Christ in control?  Hmm...Something to think about!

The other group is called Freedom Path Ministries.  This is operated by Jesus and Mrs. Peggy Freed, her husband and family as well as extended family, and by this I am referring to some of the women who have worked thru being a part of Freedom House, that now help to keep it going.

These are two very worthwhile organizations that you might want to consider partnering with on a regular basis.

So all of the speakers spoke about "Season of our Lives" in some way or another, Peggy Freed told us about the way that her life was working and how Freedom House was conceived and how it operates, the one thing I need to say about Freedom House is that it is certainly wonderful that their are people who listen to and for God's voice and do as He instructs...

Another of the speakers was Harvest Chapel's own Mrs.Virginia Hicks, this amazing women, is one that I can call my best friend, and more importantly is in charge, along with Jesus, of course, of Ladies Ministry at Harvest Chapel.  Many of the people that were there probably hadn't heard Virginia speak before and tell her testimony, this is so worthwhile to hear, to meet this women and hear of the trials that she has been thru...
So worthwhile to hear...and so uplifting...

Another speaker was Mrs. Irene Rivera...Irene spoke to us of a particular woman in the Bible, a woman who isn't given a name, but you probably know her, she was the woman with the issue of blood, for twelve years.  First of all, I do not wish to be gross, but women, let's face it, this would be horrible!  First of all, how in the world did she survive all those years with this problem...there was only one way...this whole situation was created for and by God for His Glory.

Psalm 139:1-7

King James Version (KJV)

139 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

God does all for His Honor and His Glory!  Following is the retelling of this woman's plight...

Mark 5:25-34

King James Version (KJV)

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Please remember, back then a woman was considered unclean, you couldn't go near to her, you couldn't touch her, you couldn't sit where she sat, unless the area was first washed and decontaminated...can we even begin to realize the misery and loneliness this poor women must have had to deal with?  Well this woman had faith that if, just if, she could touch the hem of Jesus' garment, she would be made whole...Do you have this kind of faith?  
If not, how can you and I have this kind of faith? Get and stay close to our Lord and Savior!
How would people have know she was "unclean?"  Did she wear special clothes or a cloak that signified this?  Yes apparently so.  I didn't know this, but apparently this was the case.
She was in the crowd and people may have made a bit of a clear way for her, but we know what it is like to be in a crowd, you aren't really thinking about the people or persons around you except for what your goal is... and this woman had a goal to touch the HEM of Jesus' cloak, she was convinced, this would cure her.
And as we read in the Bible verses above, Jesus knew, and He spoke to her, in love and in kindness, probably the first kind and/or loving words she had heard in a long, long time! Irene you did a wonderful job teaching these Bible verses to us. 

Isn't this the way that we are to treat each other?  

         With Love and Kindness....Then do it, and not just around Christmas time, do it all the time!

We had one more speaker and that was Mrs. Jessica Slenker, this fine woman is the daughter of Mrs. Peggy Freed.  She gave us her testimony and taught us about what it is like to be a wife and mother and teacher in this day and age...things are certainly different now, compared to the way they were when my babies were little.  Times change, but the love we have for our families is timeless.

Any of you out there who knew of this and missed out, you really missed out.  And if any would like to contribute to Freedom Path Ministries or to the Courage House this can be done quite easily by mailing a check to Harvest Chapel at 6947 York Road, Abbottstown, PA 17301 and just note in the corner of your check that this is for these organizations or you can give on line at: www.harvestchapelpa.com, and again just note that you would like these funds to go to the group of your choice.

Blessings to all of you this fine fall day!

Love of our Children, Part IV 10~15~13

Good Morning, or perhaps it will be Good Day by the time you read this...whatever time it may be I pray there are nuggets of blessings to be found in the following words!

Yesterday we touched on the fact that Hannah and Elkanah, finally were able to have the child that dear Hannah had been so long, longing for.  And Hannah named this child Samuel, in a past chapter of my life I had a child and he was also named Samuel, and he was named this name because his father and I were actually speaking into our little Samuel's life.  I didn't realize this back then, but in looking back I can see that that is actually exactly what we did.  And the proof of this matter is that when Samuel was in his second year of life, he announced that he wanted to be a missionary...and of course this was applauded and feed into.

Is Samuel a missionary now in his 23rd year of life, well he is very close to being a missionary...every step he and his lovely wife take, is being taken with that direction in mind.

I believe that this poem was taken from the original writing by Dorothy Law Nolte, and it is important to give her, her due.  I have always liked and agreed with this writing.  And I feel it is terribly important that we speak good and positive things over our children. 

If you catch yourself speaking negative words over your child, you are actually speaking into his or her future...I am not saying we are fortune tellers, but children will grow into what is spoken over them again and again...so make sure that they hear positive rather than negative.  Besides that your life will be much more pleasant if your child is a happy and positive child rather than an unhappy, moody, and negative child...this can make life very unpleasant and quite contentious.   

Some of you who know me on a personal level, know that I have been married more than once, and please do not think that I am proud of this fact, frankly I am not at all happy that this occurred in my life, I had always dreamed that I would have married and had lots of children, and been happily married forever to the same man...did not happen the way that I had dreamed it would happen. But I believe that I am finally married to the man that Daddy God would have me to be married to, and yes we have a bunch of children, we have a blended family of Tim and I and a total of six children.  I sometimes say jokingly that it is probably a good thing that Tim and I didn't meet the first time around, because we might have had a dozen children, instead of just six.
Now Tim and I were not solely responsible for rearing all of these children, there were other parents involved and because of this I can see different parenting skills in each of these children, is this all good or all bad, neither, they are for the most part, very good parents, are there things that I would like to see done differently, absolutely.

There is always room for improvement.  

And when I make a statement like this, that also applies to me and to Tim, we try to be encourage-rs of our children and of our grandchildren, but when you see your family only on an occasional basis, this can be difficult to have stick.  Sometimes these words only stick, when the child or grandchild hears them frequently.

Do I wish I saw more of my grandchildren and children, yes I do. And I do believe that they are aware of this.  Will things change, probably not.  They are very busy families, and perhaps too busy, but that is there choice to make, and this is as it is supposed to be.

Tim and I can only look at our past and that is unfortunately or fortunately, depending on which side of the fence you are on, our history.  I remember spending just about every Sunday afternoon with my grandparents, sometimes at their home and sometimes at my parent's home.  And this is pretty much what Tim remembers as well.  Those were such fun times, and sometimes things change for a reason and sometimes they just change.

So my advice to the new families that are out there, if there is an opportunity to spend time with your family, do so, you may be surprised at the good that comes out of it.

Soon we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and hopefully all will be here and we will have a new Family Portrait!  But for now I sincerely pray that you have a blessed day, and that you will find someone to bless.

We are Speaking of Love Part III Hannah and Peninnah

Do you have any Peninnahs' in your life?

Let's look at the facts that are presented to us in 1 Samuel Chapter 1 Hannah had some difficulties with Peninnah.....first of all let's look at what the problem may be for Hannah.  Just imagine that we still lived in the time period when men had more than one wife, that would be a real problem for my Timmy...and the problem would be me....I know I wouldn't share my Timmy very well!

He's mine, I will share him with God and the children and the grandchildren...but that is it...no other women! So Hannah had to deal with this other women, who had children, the one thing that Hannah longed for...but God had closed up Hannah's womb...but remember, what God closes, he can also open...Oh, Thank you Jesus!   

So for years Hannah, Peninnah and her wee ones along with Elkanah went to Shiloh to the temple to worship and bring offerings to the Lord...and year after year...Hannah was pestered by Peninnah.  Could you imagine, she not only had to share her husband, but she had to share with a woman who had children! That would be a lot for any woman to deal with!

When they were at Shiloh they would take a meal together. And that meal was from the Peace offering, no one eat anything from the Sin Offering, but meals were taken from the Peace Offering, and when these portions were given by Elkanah as the head of his household, he gave portions to Peninnah and her children, but to Hannah he gave a "goodly" portion.  Some versions say that Hannah received a double portion.  And this was because Elkanah truly loved Hannah.  Well you would think that this would make Hannah happy, but remember what Hannah is dealing with.  I myself have borne three children, so for me to understand what Hannah was going thru, I can't honestly say that I can understand this.  I am only aware of the joy I experienced each and every time I was pregnant and I know I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on this blessing.  So the closest I could come to this is that Hannah must have been so terribly sad that it probably made her physically ill. 

Every year when they would go to Shiloh, to make there offerings, Hannah would pray and ask the Lord for the petitions of her heart. And every year went by, and no pregnancy...until finally  Hannah was so distraught and she cried out not only to the Lord, but to the Lord of the Mighty Armies, and she did this because of what she had to deal with in Peninnah,  Hannah needed protection, remember her home was not a sanctuary.  Hannah had no escape from her sadness  even though she had this amazing love of Elkinah, that probably added to the situation (Peninnah probably didn't care much for the fact that Elkanah loved Hannah so much). So Hannah prayed the Lord of the Mighty Armies, and she vowed that if God would give to her a child that she would return the child to him for a full life of service to God.  And we all know the story, but do you understand the love that this woman had, not only for her God, but for her husband and child...This is really hard to comprehend.  Such a great love. 

So since we are talking about Love, we need to understand this great emotion.  When we are young, I don't believe that there is to much of an understanding of the "selfless" quality that needs to be part and parcel with love.  In order to love completely we need to take ourselves out of the equation, and this is very difficult to do for most people.  Love comes from giving of ourselves, if we say we love someone, but do not give of ourselves in such a way that it cost us something, then our love is not of any great value.  

Let me give you an example, if I say I love, and I come across someone who is in need of some kind of physical labor to help them and I do not do anything to help...do I really love?  But if I do take the time necessary to help this person and give of my time and energy, does this then show that I love.  Yes it does, but remember, do not do these things for show, because then you are doing what you are doing for glory sake and not for loves sake.

Love does not seek glory, true love is humble.

Well I suppose this writing is for the people I sometimes come into contact and for the love I have for my husband and children. Something to consider, Hannah didn't have to deal with Peninnah, and God didn't deal with Peninnah, no one had to.  Because God ultimately opened Hannah's womb and allowed her to have a child. So if you have any Peninnah's in your life, God knows what he is doing and you need not worry about it...our job is to be the hands and feet of God, we are to Love, and to Love in the purest sense of the word...what that looks like, I am still working on...but for right now I will continue as best I can to love and to be love for those people with whom I am in contact, or who are a part of my life.

So blessings to all of you and have a wonderful day and look for ways to bless others.

What is Love Part II 10~13~13

Part II

With whom do you have contact on a regular basis, the girl or young man at the grocery store? Or how about the persons at McDonald's drive thru?  Is there someone who rents a room from you?  Or here in Pennsylvania we pump our own gas, but I know there are sisters states that pump your gas for you…these people (I am referring to that group of people who sometimes struggle to find a job, any job, male or female, young or old) sometimes could use a kind word, or in the very least not an unpleasant remark.  Or how about giving them a tip!  Wow, what a novel idea! 

In a little bit I need to go into the feed store and get some goat feed for my two boys, and I frequently bump into people I know in there.  Not always but sometimes…and there is the proprietor, who we don’t really think to much about, but the owners of business’s; we don’t know their financial concerns or their heart concerns, sometimes a kind word goes a long way…

Well time has gone on this morning and I hope that you can think about not only what you say but the way that you say things; it is not difficult to say something nice.  Sometimes it is simply saying a phrase in a different tune…or tone.  

On this past Friday I had the privilege of spending a short bit of time with a young man, who is out here from California, and I asked him what the purpose of his stay here is, in Pennsylvania.  He very quickly answered me; you could tell that this was something that he had already considered for some time.  He said,”I want to learn how to become love.”  Now I must tell you, I do not have any clear idea of the age of this young man, early 20’s I would say, he is well on his way to becoming exactly what he is striving for…

SHARING, isn't this love?

If you look at First John Chapter 5: 1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. If you read this verse in parts, the writer, John wants us to understand that Jesus is all about love, and that we have to believe that Jesus Christ is born (begotten) of God, and since we Love Jesus and we also love God, and since we love God, then we are begotten of God as well.  Now how absolutely cool is this!

AND

When Jesus laid down His life for us on the cross, we now have the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit…Let me ask you this…Do you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you?  Have you been baptized by the Holy Ghost?  Once you have been baptized, stay open to the leading of the Spirit, and allow for refilling of the Holy Spirit…these can be, and for me are, times of revelation…and I look forward to these moments, they can be so inspiring…Well I want to spend some time reading, before I get ready for church, so I will be back tomorrow and we will continue speaking about love.

God bless you all....

Is anybody out there? 10~11~13 and what is Love to you?

Do you ever consider?

Consider what?

Consider the way that people treat each other?

Consider the love that people say they have for each other….

Lately I have been pondering this…

If any of you have been reading my thoughts for any amount of time you will realize that I profess to be a Christian.  So with that in mind I am writing today about my persona of Love and what it means to me to love another. 

1.  My husband.                      

2.  The people that I have frequent contact                                                           A.  My children.                                                                                                       B.  The people that my children profess to love, primarily their spouses.           C.  But for some, their significant others.                                                             D. The children of my children…and lastly…                                          
3. The way that I so frequently see others that I may not know, treat the ones that they “love.”

Can you tell anything from this picture?  Yup this is a snowman…a snowman that I made for Christmas decorations! (In front of a picture Ruthee took!)

This is an interesting time of year to talk about the way that people treat each other, because, people seem to treat each other differently at this time of year verse…say July.   

                  

Wouldn't you agree?

Now I know it’s technically not Christmas time just yet…but there are some things happening around me that have me thinking along these lines.

It is truly amazing to me the way that God created us!  We have the ability to think about so many different things pretty much all at the same time…this may not be a good thing, because really, are we giving each item the time and attention that each one deserves?

First of all please realize that I am speaking of the people in our lives and not of God, God comes ahead of all of these people, no matter who they are…even you Honey!

Okay so you start your day with a few words with God…and many more words with God as the day goes on.  I talk to God pretty much all day…not out loud, but in my mind, we have these long conversations sometimes, and I really enjoy them.  Luckily my particular job allows for this kind of communication with my Father…Oh I am so blessed!

Many of you may not know that I work for a company that employees a fair number of Amish men.  So for me to say that there are only a few of us out there that pack their husbands lunch is only somewhat true.  I am pretty sure that most of these wives pack their husband’s lunches.  Well that aside, I pack my husband’s lunch…every morning…and I make his breakfast…sort of…by this I mean that, before I go to bed in the evening I take a bowl and put in 1/3 cup of oatmeal, and not the quick oats, a heaping ½ teaspoon of cinnamon,  mix that around a little, and then in a smaller bowl I place a heaping tablespoon of Chia seeds and a heaping tablespoon of ground flax seeds and two tiny little measures of powdered kelp.  That little bowl sets on top of the cinnamon and the oats…I cover this with a lunch plate and put a little pitcher on top of that with the correct amount of water in it and Timmy does the rest in the morning…all these ingredients help to keep my Timmy healthy.  I do this the night before so that I can stay in bed until 4:30…at which point my husband wakes me with a kiss and I then once my peepers are open, and I have had a word with God, I can then pack his lunch.  I am sure that there are plenty of women out there that are thinking…”Are you nuts?”  No I am not, I just love my husband and this is one of the ways that I can show him!  I know that there are different ways to love and one of the ways that I choose to love is by showing my husband by setting up his breakfast and by packing his lunch…Ladies, these are not difficult things to do…maybe more of us need to be doing more things like this for our husbands…think upon this.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You don’t love me with yourself, you love me with your wallet!”  I do not do well with that kind of relationship…at one time in my life I thought I was doing well with that kind of relationship, but after eight years, I discovered that I really wasn't doing so well.  So luckily I hadn't married him and I ended it…anyway all this to say I discovered something that I think I already knew about myself, I needed someone in my life that could give to me of themselves and not give to me, only, out of their wallet.  How hard is it for someone to put their hand in their wallet and buy something for someone verses taking the time to say vacuum the carpets, or better yet to wash the carpets, or wash the dishes, or empty the dish washer…these are just some of the things that my husband does on an occasional basis for me.  And I am glad that it is on an occasional basis, because when he does do it, it is very much appreciated and not expected, it is a surprise, and a pleasant surprise.  This doesn't mean he never spends $$ on me…he does…and when he does, this is also appreciated. 

I think the one very important thing about my relationship with my husband is that we do not take each other for granted.  We have not become commonplace to each other and I do not think that will happen.  We both like to play too much for that to happen! 

I also wouldn't want Tim to do these special things to often because he has enough to do with taking care of the outside…you know cutting the grass…trimming bushes and trees…weed whacking…and cutting fire wood, although I do occasionally help with the wood, (I can’t say all the time, but a fair amount of the time) and we have a pretty good system with that…he cuts and I load the truck…works quite well. 

Our relationship is very good and works very well for us…well we haven’t been together a lifetime, but I (we) do very firmly believe that God put us together…you know if your relationship is not put together by God it may not be the best you can or could have.  And please don’t misinterpret this I am speaking to the ones out there who are not yet married…talk to God and let Him pick your spouse, believe me he knows a whole bunch better than we do when it comes to this.

Well I do believe this is going to be a few parts…and it is also a good thing that I have just started my weekend so that I will be able to take the time I want to, to address these different segments.  So for now I bid you fair well and I pray that you all stay safe and mostly dry, and Talk to God, He does know what’s best!

Our Walk with God and Zacchaeus 10~10~13

Zacchaeus' sycamore fig in Jericho (From Wikipedia)

Last evening at church we spoke about Zacchaeus.  And this information is really quite slim.  There really isn't a whole lot of information about Zacchaeus in the Bible, so I thought I would see what I can find on my own.  So first of all let me introduce you to who the Bible says Zacchaeus is:

Luke 19:1-11

King James Version (KJV)

19 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

One of the really great things about Jesus is the fact that He knew He was needed for the sinners.  And while the publicans and the muckity mucks didn't particularly care for this Jesus knew who needed Him most!

Luke 5: 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

We shall now get back to Zacchaeus.  Do you know this man was part of the one group of people who really wasn't very well liked?  He was a tax collector.  And the way that tax collectors made there income back then was to collect money from the public to turn over to the government, however, if the government wanted 5%, they might collect 10% and the difference was their earnings.  Not really that ethical!  But in all fairness, I suppose they did have to earn their income in some way, but perhaps they might have taken a bit less....who am I to say?  
As we read thru what I reprinted from the Bible you can see in verse 8 that Zacchaeus was so pleased to be recognized by Jesus that he said he would make four-fold restitution to any that he had wrongly taken from.  He knew he had been living the wrong way and taking money that wasn't his to take. And what did Jesus then say to Zacchaeus, He said, "This day has salvation come to this house!"  Can you imagine how happy Zacchaeus would have been?  
Did you know that in some churches the story of Zacchaeus is read at the onset of Lent? And this is done because it is felt that Jesus' actions with Zacchaeus and the way that Zacchaeus responds to Jesus is actually a great representation of God calling us (The Bride) to humility,   Now just to make sure that you all know what humility means we are going to have a brief lesson on just that...first of all, can you imagine...Jesus is coming, Jesus is coming,  you are so excited, Jesus is coming!  But you are a person who is not terribly tall, so to make yourself taller, you go and get a pair of stilts!  NO, you climb a tree! 
Okay now what...you are sitting in your tree and Jesus finally comes along and He calls you by name! Gulp!  Jesus was (and is) great man, and it was know that He did (and does) great things!  And He is calling you by your name!  Now, I do not know about you, but this would be humbling to me.
Humble, humbling...having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance., of low social, administrative, or political rank., This is what comes up if you just goggle this word.

¹hum·ble

 adjective \ˈhəm-bəl also chiefly Southern ˈəm-\

: not proud : not thinking of yourself as better than other people

: given or said in a way that shows you do not think you are better than other people

: showing that you do not think of yourself as better than other people

And this is what Merriam Webster says...

Do you now understand, that if Jesus would walk up to you and call you by name, would you feel humble?  I certainly would!

So for today I shall say Adieu and I pray that you all have a bless-ed and a blessed day, and that you find yourselves behaving in a humble fashion.  Never, Never, Never think yourself better than another!