Monday, November 28, 2022

Forgive? YES!

     WOW! Just read an awesome devotional... This book - 


    is one of my devotionals that I go back to... Being an old comic book fan (pre LGBT propaganda days) this book caught my eye at the local discount Christian bookseller in Jackson - https://www.christianpublishersoutlet.com/ - they don't show it available on the website, but Amazon has it - https://a.co/d/fRAaBir

    Anyway - today I read about Spider-Man 3 and Venom. I don't remember a lot about the movie, but Ed, the author, has done a GREAT job making it into a story of forgiveness, and noted that it incorporates God, but not blatantly... If it's too blatant, people will reject it, but things in 'story form' ? People accept!

    This reminded me of a pocket reminder coin that I carry - I had misplaced it, but found it and now have it in my pocket as a reminder to Forgive!


    What does this mean? Here's the verse!


    So as you go about your business day to day, whether you are a Christian or not, remember to forgive! As Ed points out in the devotional, anger and hate and 'need for revenge' will take over your feelings and ultimately your life! Forgiveness is a gift you actually give YOURSELF! Ever been mad at someone or hurt about something and then find out they didn't even realize it or remember it? Who do you think the lack of forgiveness has been hurting? Yep...

    I won't say it's easy... I've had some major things <salute> that have eaten at me over the years, and I've had to ask God to help me forgive. It's not easy, and the two people specifically that I'm thinking of? They don't even know I've forgiven them. Neither have asked for my forgiveness so I've not brought it up, but it has FREED MY MIND to concentrate on doing good, on witnessing, on enjoying time with others.

    Have I forgotten? No. Do you forget when something has caused you pain? Especially if the scars are still there? No - but that doesn't mean you can't forgive. How many times? Well...




Friday, November 25, 2022

Black Friday

    

    No - we don't 'do' Black Friday at my house. We will browse for sales online (I actually placed an order for a gift yesterday while quietly enjoying some Sawdust Pie - in a pecan shell, of all things!) and I did make a McDonald's run this morning because Emmett wanted pancakes. :-) 

    I was placing the order on my phone and said "hotcakes" and he said, "no, Pop, I want PAN cakes."

    So otherwise, the day has been a long one in Indy enjoying time with Kyle, except when he was at work, and Devin and Emmett. He spent a big part of the day using his imagination in "Mimi & Pop's room" with us.

    Vanessa is not feeling so hot. Her foot is healing, but still has a ways to go. It's that time of year, and things are busy. Taking care of her mom & dad is something she and I are happy to do, but I can tell it's adding to the stress. We have a conference coming up and I'm hoping that it will be some 'quiet time' away as well as getting some excitement back about teaching...

    I have a link to share - feel free, gentle reader, to go read this man's common words said in a VERY uncommon way first, then come back for my rebuttal - LOL

    https://open.substack.com/pub/garrisonkeillor/p/an-old-man-thinking-at-the-thanksgiving?r=1owyn8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

    Back? Okay...

    I love me some live shows as well, sir, and I totally get that! I am six foot four inches with bad knees as well and there are some things you just have to work around. :-) I have very few shirts, as compared to some people, and will cycle through them for work and church. I also have very few board games, considering that's such a fun hobby of mine! As much as I enjoy playing games, I own the ones that I WANT to play the most, plus a few I've picked up because Vanessa wanted it, or I thought it would be good for 'party' time get togethers (family times). Those don't happen much though...

    I very much enjoyed your paragraph about church! I regret to say that I didn't take my Christianity as serious when I was younger, but I've committed myself to Him and am always TRYING to be on the lookout for opportunities to serve.

    And the story of leading the people in the songs! Yes! I can so much relate to that! We don't have sing a longs any more, and that's a sad thing... It's also one of the things I enjoyed most about your radio show. The ones I've listened to over and over have me remembering the songs and singing along. I love your 'parody' lyrics of "the blue black bugs" and other ones, and I still relate "Hello Love" to YOUR voice, not others I've heard sing it. I felt like you meant it when I saw you in Memphis and when I would listen on the radio.

    One last thing - I wasn't the oldest at Thanksgiving - that honor fell to my daughter-in-laws father, but Vanessa and I weren't too far behind I'm sure. :-) I did have the realization a few years ago at the funeral of an aunt that MY generation (me, my siblings, my cousins) were now the OLDEST generation on my father's side... He was one of eight kids and now they are all gone.

    So this trip is drawing to a close. I'm not at all excited about having to leave. It's been fun, but I know we have things to do at home... We have a home to finish prepping, for one thing (I have more switches and receptacles to change out - I need to build some shelves, etc.) - and the work responsibilities, as well as doctor visits (hello again getting older! Did you think I forgot you?) and taking care of the in-laws. But I have the pleasure of spending time with the family and traveling with Vanessa. I pray she can make it through this time and come out the other side with happy memories... Ya'll pray too, please!


Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Thanksgiving 2022

    I'm sitting here at my son's house - everyone is asleep except for him, playing video games, and me, typing this blog...

    I just finished helping a friend with her daughter's computer via TeamViewer - handy dandy little piece of software!

    Anyway - I was looking at the info in my contacts and saw I have a TON of 'home page' entries, including this blog. Boy was I surprised to see it's been SO very long since I put any words down...

    So what to do with this page? This post? So much going through my mind right now... So much concern for a certain lady that has a broken foot, but even more so a broken heart... I love her so much, but can't fix the internal things, no matter how much I'd like to...

    So just consider this a 'get reacquainted,' gentle reader, as I work through some thoughts and hopefully start with this again. I have so very much to be thankful for in life, and even more so in the afterlife, but I also know that this time of year is rough on some people. I pray for an extra ounce of grace for all those that are suffering, and some extra patience for those that come into contact with them.

    That's all for now - God Bless, and Happy Thanksgiving!!!



Wednesday, November 24, 2021

12 of 12 - November 2021

 Been a while since I've sat down to type anything - this will be a simple one... Trying to get back into #WordlessWednesday and #12of12...














Monday, November 15, 2021

God Makes a Way

Got this email today - one of the various devotional type emails I get... Since I've been so convicted about studying more, I stopped and read this one. WOW! Very well said! It's a great reminder that being a Christian is NOT always a rosy proposition here on earth. Our home is AFTER - we are pilgrims in this land - and this land is the land of the enemy! Satan has power over the earth, not Christians. 


Yes, God has the ultimate power over Satan, but that does't mean we won't be persecuted here. Actually it's just the opposite! We WILL be, and we should consider that a blessing!


In Matthew 5:10, Jesus himself says - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.


And then he says - 11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.


Note the key thing here - "because of righteousness" and then "because of Me." So the point is that people making fun of us for some reason of our OWN? That's not what He is talking about... He is talking about being mistreated because we choose to stand up FOR Him, or FOR his teachings, regardless of what the WORLD thinks!





Grateful That God Makes a Way

by Mary A. Kassian, from Growing Grateful


In the classic Broadway musical and film The Sound of Music, the Reverend Mother sends Maria away from the convent to work as a nanny for the Von Trapp family. Maria is unsettled at the idea of leaving the abbey and giving up on her dream of becoming a nun. The Reverend Mother reassures her with the now-famous cliché, “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.” In other words, whenever one opportunity ends, another opportunity will come along — and it will probably be a better one. Sure enough, the closing abbey door leads to the opening of the window that ushers Fräulein Maria into the arms of the dashing Captain Von Trapp.

 

Though the cliché is meant to help people stay positive in the face of disappointment, it isn’t exactly true. God doesn’t promise that when something doesn’t work out, something better is waiting for us just around the corner. His pledge is far more substantive than that. He promises to sustain us amid life’s disappointments. When all the doors and windows remain shut, He helps us make our way through the dark room, and He sustains us. Our circumstances do not always change for the better. But we can be confident that He will use them to change us for the better.

 

‘I know the plans I have for you’ — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’. — Jeremiah 29:11


Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Garden Tomb

     I was driving to work this morning when I heard the familiar, yet different, sounds of a mandolin picking out the intro to a song. 



Back when we traveled with The Heaven's Echos, this was a song we would do quite often, and I played the mandolin part. (Actually, as an aside, kind of a funny story... We did the song Peace Within and I played the mandolin on it. Then we went into the studio to record Garden Tomb and I played that intro and break over and and over and over again - then Sunday we had a singing at a church and I could NOT for the life of me play Peace Within! Every time I tried it came out as Garden Tomb! LOL) It is a beautiful song with a beautiful message! 

I'm having trouble finding that particular version in Apple Music - but here's a link to one - https://music.apple.com/us/album/garden-tomb/282484922?i=282485102

Here's the lyrics - 

When Mary saw Jesus in the Garden so soon
She thought he was the keeper who watched o're the tomb.
But she knew it was Jesus when he turned to say
Go tell my disciples I have risen today.

Chorus...
Early one morning at the breaking of dawn
Two women went out to the garden alone.
They were going to anoint Jesus with spices that day
But Jesus had risen the stone rolled away.

When they stooped over to look in the tomb
Two angels were sitting in that little room.
Why seek ye the living among the dead
For Jesus had risen the angels then said.

Chorus...
Early one morning at the breaking of dawn
Two women went out to the garden alone.
They were going to anoint Jesus with spices that day
But Jesus had risen the stone rolled away.

When Mary told Peter that Jesus was gone
He ran to the garden and John came along.
But the tomb it was empty what marvelous grace
For there lies the napkin that covered his face.

Chorus...
Early one morning at the breaking of dawn
Two women went out to the garden alone.
They were going to anoint Jesus with spices that day
But Jesus had risen the stone rolled away.


Let's take a look at this, shall we? First, it talks of the first Easter Sunday morning! The glorious day of Jesus' resurrection! The first, and most IMPORTANT fact, is that Jesus rose from the dead! He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins so that we can live forever! Don't get so into the song that this one simple fact of the Gospels is overlooked, for without the shedding of His blood and our acceptance of it, there is no hope of salvation!

So, moving onto the song. Starting with John Chapter 20 - 

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

So here we have Mary's interaction with Jesus, but she didn't know it was Him!

17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 

(the emphasis is mine, to show what's mentioned in the song)

Moving to the chorus, we turn to Mark Chapter 16 - 

1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

Now let's turn to Luke 24 - 

1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

And back to Luke 24 - 

12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

And finally back to John Chapter 20 - 

1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.


Again - a GLORIOUS story, and told VERY very well in this song! One point that I must make, though, is the napkin. What's the significance of the napkin?!?

In the tradition of the time, if you got up from a meal and were finished, you would wipe your hands & face and just toss the napkin down. BUT - and this is extremely important - if you were NOT finished and you WERE COMING BACK, you folded your napkin neatly.

So what is Jesus saying? I'm stepping away from the table, but I'm not finished here on Earth. I WILL RETURN.

Hallelujah!!!!





Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Christian Monk

     While flipping through my magazines and devotions, I opened up The Voice of the Martyrs magazine - found here - https://www.persecution.com/free-magazine/

Now, this is the first time I've read it before, but an article really caught my eye! "The Monk Who Found Jesus." 

I want to make you aware of this, so you can pray for this man. Sejun was a Buddhist Monk in Nepal and... Well... Here, you can read it. :-) I was going to link to it, but I can't find the story online, but the magazine is free so I have no problem sharing it here...

Before you read it, though, please playfully consider praying for him! He has a father and brothers that are not saved... I think we all have loved ones that are on our hearts and minds, and we have it easy! I have time to type this, while he was just trying to survive!