Psalm 30:5 ~ Joy

 

Psalm 30:5

For His anger is but for a moment, 

His favor is for life

 
Weeping 

may endure for a night, 

but 

Joy comes in the morning.

I was thinking about relationships, friendships, and the course of friendship.

 

In my life, having had times and seasons I led the parade and the party, the dinner club and the divine Bible Studies, leading to insight and fellowship, the youth ministry with pancakes, poker and pool swims.  And times of grieving and isolation.  Weeping and worry.

I volunteered for almost 4 years at Pro Life, and there the county psychologists met with their supervision. 

As we went into the coffee part of the building and meeting room, you could hear snippets of client situations the supervision knew well and good. Coaching on the psychologist's take and the supervisor who was well informed. It was cheery to hear how well the supervisor knew the clients of the discussion and the total driven care of well-being and healing. 

And Not as cheery was working side by side with the budding psychologists who went into their new career 'because.' These educated and newly employed, walked daily on the water of  "How-did-you-get-into-this-situation,- I'd-never. -I-plan-much-better-this! And-is-tedious-listening-to-your-trauma.-However,-I - la tea doe - will-offer-you-direction-you-almost-probably-won't-take."  

Psychologists deal with sorrow and repentance regularly. 

And so do Churches.  And Church calendars.  The difficulty we have today,  the goalposts of righteousness move from the end zone to the 50-yard line with arrogance and regularity. So much virtue regulation. And irregularities. And if we often hammer on repentance, it only sounds like construction hammers you distinctly tire of.

I strongly feel the craziness, crazies, of today, the bizarre language and double-speak meaning is from Parasitism. 

Relationships can become a car crash. Symbiotic. Trying to exist in close quarters when one person wants the entire space. Symbiotic is the involving interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association.

Parasitism - a symbiotic relationship where one organism (parasite) lives on or inside another ( host), benefiting by deriving nutrients at the host's expense, often causing harm or death.

The idea of plague is, really is, Parasitism. 

Then. Hyperparasitism. Hyperparasitism occurs when a parasite is itself parasitized by another species. Instead of a simple two-level system (Parasite  Host), this creates a multi-trophic chain where a parasite feeds on another parasite, which in turn is feeding on a host. ..... ehem... "Horton Hears a Who."  Or Plague results because 

all the systems become a huge domino effect. 

When the nation has 2 friends. When everyone wants a home and marriage, but the birthrate falls. Rent and mortgage are the same cost. But you don't have a down payment. When your parents had as many college degrees as they wanted for what a car 'used to' cost. When Congress takes a vacation, walks out, screaming about problems from decades of discussion and no solution. And jams the airports, the hungry go hungry and tell us about what is FAIR.  As if, "Care" is the deal. 

When you call for a repair , and they tell you, they can't fix it, just get a new one. And you hear the trash is filled with washing machines.  But you owe half the cost of a new one to hear the diagnosis. You get a new refrigerator, and the person in the box store laughs, cars did cost this much, but now your refrigerator is going to run for 3 years. 

And this is... worldwide. Systems are falling into disorder. And the result is... Plague. Serfs equal slavery, equal no cleansing, equal no hope, equal Black Plague. 

When Churches advocate for Sin. Hell, yes, we are in the midst of Hyperparasitism.

Now, The Good News

God is God of Love

God of Encouragement

Help

Helper

Comfort

Comforter.

Romans 15:4

For whatever was written in former days 

was written for our instruction, 

that through endurance 

and 

through the encouragement of the Scriptures 

we might have 

Hope.

I sat in the middle of Completely Beautiful, Heavenly Church

led by the Rector of Good Faith.

Love Jesus, He Loves You as the Father does.

It was Lent. 2022. And the woman behind me almost cried when she heard it was Lent.  As the Church calendar called for repentance, she cried out in deep, real, emotion and said, "Haven't we had enough of constant sin speak?"  The woman behind us had all my total heart.  We had heard of every sin and every shame, shame, shame of the crazies.  We were in a Nation of suffering. And I was reminded that after World War II ended, many churches became empty because they did not cry out to the Living God for the miseries endured. It was just the Church calendar as usual.

Jesus calls us to, "FEED HIS SHEEP."

 

Jesus, The Christ of God. Who gave His Holy and Perfect Blood for us in a horrible and remorse filled Death, 

said He is, 

"I Am the Gate for the Sheep. 

Come in, I have pasture for you."

Now, let's look past the horrendous years we have endured. 

Not just the plague, the years when we know we all had begun to spin our wheels for all the upsets of dreams that fall into disagreement and dust. 

People began to routinely say to themselves, Look at the villains on, in, rolling around looking vastly tasty, —our entertainment. They are cool. They care for themselves and get money for nothing and chicks for free.  I have pain. I need substances. And we have the true substance rate of falling down in 1 of 3 people. 

And 2 friends.  

With the truth being, relationships vastly change every 5 years because change happens.  No more toddler parents. Now, child, at school, parents. No more single friends. Many weddings.  Then divorces. This job works. No more grandparents. Parents are no more. 

Faith. I did believe it. But the chips have fallen on the ground. Look at Bob, Sue, Mary suffering. And then Cad does so well. I think I believed. But this time, I am swinging all out for the home run. Me, finally. Me. Me. That felt good. That Jesus stuff is like wax on and wax off.  I'm James Bond. Om sorta. 

The problem with this, GIVING IT ALL AWAY  ---- it --- eats away at God giving a solution. 

To admire the earth as God's Good Creation. 

And believe earth can be the place His Will is done on earth, as in His Great Heaven.  

Why believe that?! You never really deserved His Blessing, might as well be James Bond! And reality will laugh,  aka reality bites,  and you are Austin Powers. Putz. 

It digs a hole, you fall in. And you gave the Greatness a God a fat kick. It thinks you are a hysterical ninny.  It really has a love of Karma. 

ANOTHER FINE THING to mention.

Repentance isn't the same prayer given routinely and the same time to say, Sorry.  

The song sounds like the horrendous song sung in the movie, "Friend Zone."

By the wonky pop star Samantha. "Forgiveness, is more than saying sorry. To forgive is divine. So let's have a glass of wine. And have make-up hmmm hmmm hmmm to the end of time, time, time, time, timmmmmmeee! Time."

Repentance is to say,

we know we are not all the time, God's best angel.  

We know we could be more diligent. Less us. More Jesus. 

We know we would like to please the Lord, but we do not.  And yet, we value, love, respect, admire, long for, the Goodness of The Lord God Almighty. 

And His Beloved Son to just help us to be with those who want to go there, with and when the saints go marching in. Where Jesus Reigns in Love, Joy and Righteousness. The Lord Dwelling and making His Life with ours with Hope and Abundant with Love.

Renew us, please, Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ's Love and Name for Lent to renew us in Your Love. Amen.

Luke 18: 1, 9-14

 Jesus told them a parable to the effect that they ought 

always to pray 

and not lose heart.

9 Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 

10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 

11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 

13 But the tax collector, 

standing far off, 

would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, 

but beat his breast, saying, 

‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, 

rather than the other. 

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, 

but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Abba, Father!

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

And we will finish well, 

in Jesus Christ. 

Help us seek and find 

and bring,

to become,

 more Heaven

to this earth.

Thank You

for

our first grandbaby

Arriving this summer,

All Your Love

Blessings upon

this little one.

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Thank You, Father.

Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes, The Lord Fulfills His Purpose

Thank You, Jesus The Lord

† 

Romans 15:4 ~ The encouragement of the Scriptures we might have Hope

40 Days of

Renewal

Gratitude

Love

 

Romans 15:4

For whatever was written in former days 

was written for our instruction, 

that through endurance 

and 

through the encouragement of the Scriptures 

we might have 

Hope.

Yesterday, we were discussing the photo of the man with faith asking for a Photoshop of Jesus next to his hospital bed. He received many photos in abundance of what that would look like.  And one placed Jesus in his place in the exact same hospital bed, holding the same book. A very interesting idea about healing, faith, hope, endurance and the work of being a Light of Jesus to the world.  And Thy Will Be Done.

And today, I'd like to talk about distinctly grabbing the fringe of His Robe and the humility of the fictional Shula.  This could be compared and contrasted to Numbers 12, the humility of Moses and God's decision who should be healed, affirmed and disciplined. 

According to "The Pew Report" in the last decade a very great majority of Christians know personally God has placed answered prayer and a miracle.  Something only God has done. In His Mercy and abundant, steadfast Love.  The brilliance of a miracle.  And in this brilliance we are also directed, during the Gospel recalling of the Transfiguration, to patience, as Jesus tells His disciples long-term prayer is important.  

Our Anglican Priest in Emporium, Pennsylvania, and his wife were restoring a farmhouse after purchasing a ruin by fire.  And they decided to put hay for the horses in one of the partially restored rooms for the winter.  Margaret walked in to see the hay and the room collapsed to the basement. Margaret was home from Church and fell with her high heels on. Moving so fast with the total disaster, Margaret landed on her feet, and the high heels of the shoes entered her feet, crushing all the bones in the heels of both feet.  After surgeries and bolts and plates, she was told she would probably have great and terrible pain in every step but be more fortunate than some without feet and legs.  Margaret was instructed to always wear SAS shoes for damaged feet. Never wear anything else.  And she wrote saying she went from being active on her feet at all times, to riding in the car and seeing old lady feet and shoes.  Margaret was about 50 years old, and the doctors told her, This is it. 

Over the next 10 years, Margaret and Father Bill adapted to footbaths Bill would help her with. Changing out SAS shoes during the day. But Margaret was going to teach Choir, make wedding dresses, garden, do 100 Church activities, build a new cast iron stove from 1850. Be a National Flower Show Judge in Philadelphia. Have a second Choir. Margaret's favorite prayer and saying was, "God Loves you."

One day we had a phone call. Margaret said she did not know when this happened. Maybe over the last year?  But it had been a while since Margaret had thought about her feet. And in your 60s you just adapt. GOD HAD TOTALLY HEALED MARGARET. COMPLETELY. AND she had several new pairs of shoes and high heels to prove this. JESUS THE LORD IS GREAT!

We say

with all our hearts,

My mother had a very admired friend named Pat, and they had decades of friendship from Bible Study at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas.  Pat was a psychiatrist. Who drove a van with medical books in this van. Why? Pat would pray and drive along, thinking about her patients. And at the next stoplight, I would think of something in a book, a client case, or a medical study. And jump out of the driver's seat and grab the medical book to put in the passenger seat, connecting a book to a current patient.

Pat lived on Lover's Lane near the Church and always decorated her many front steps with seasonal flowers and decorations.  Many people called Pat, the lady with the stairs on Lovers Lane. Pat always said she did this because it reminded her of the Temple in the Jerusalem having ascending stair worship and celebrations.

Pat had a problem in her medical history. In their later lives, her 2 aunts,  some great-aunts, her mother all went completely blind because their eyes had such thin, tiny blood vessels to the eyes. Pat felt that what she did was benefit people in the sad circumstances life has and gently put the hope of the Lord would help them prevail. Now, Pat had clients who were definitely not interested in Jesus Christ, but Pat was.  And Pat could be very Episcopalian about life and love and all of the jumble life can offer.  But Pat and Jesus knew Pat was doing her best in a human way. 

And Pat went to very well known eye doctor because of her eye history. One day Pat realized the traffic lights were looking a little fuzzy and Pat thought this was odd.  And she scheduled an appointment a week away. And by the time Pat got to the doctor's office, there was fear.  Pat's longtime ophthalmologist studied Pat for a long time. And he told her, Pat.  You have two cataracts.  And Pat was overjoyed because they just operate.  And Pat, your blood vessels are in failure due to the strain of decades and cataracts.  Pat requested an operation. Her eye doctor refused, saying it would not work and cause immediate and permanent blindness. He would give her a phone number, and she would go there and learn Braille.

Pat went home in shock and said she had a long evening praying and having a conversation with Jesus. And Pat decided she had a conclusion. 

Pat had come to Jesus, the Lord Christ, Savior of the world. 

And she quoted Him about trying to do the commandments, doing the work of healing, and mentioning she was really a healer. And Jesus had seen her ask so many times about the miracle of healing. And Pat knew the Scripture of hanging on to Jesus' fringe. And always pray with Hope. So they had an accord. Pat was sure. Because healers have to rely on faith. For healing. Because that's what Pat did for a living, she was a healer. So their accord was Jesus would heal her, and Pat would get on a plane and go everywhere real healing and miracles had happened within the Christian community and every Church healing service at her Church. Then Jesus the Healer would heal her eyes. And Pat would continue to heal with the help of Jesus. 

So. Pat did as she said. 

She went with Father Francis McNutt and his wife, Dr. Judith McNutt, and went to all their healing speaking conferences. She went everywhere where real healing had been known to happen.

And 5 years went forth. 

Pat's longtime ophthalmologist was extremely angry with Pat who had been so reckless as to not even have one lesson in Braille.  And he chewed her out as physician to physician.  Pat said she suddenly did not like her eye appointments. And her doctor knew her, "God Theory" and Pat had been gifted five years, so get to the Braille immediately. The doctor informed her God was gracious to her, but she should get on with the acceptance of blindness. 

One day, Pat woke up and could hardly see. 

She got an emergency appointment, and the doctor got on the phone and said, Get here, now.  She drove there and realized she probably shouldn't have driven herself.  Pat received the worst chewing out from the doctor ever. It had begun and would be finished soon.

Pat drove home.  And cried for a week.  

And put cool compresses on her eyes and spoke with Jesus. And said she would ask Jesus in 2 weeks of cool compresses. And she was Jesus' own forever. God's Child is what she really was.  And she would try to continue her work.

Now, another sad part of the story was Pat's van had become old.  

But Pat knew where all the books were kept, and she kept fixing the van. It was her companion. But in the last year, her van was stolen. With her college, medical, and prized books. Gone.  During the 2 weeks, Pat explained to Jesus she wondered if He was trying to tell her something with the van being stolen.  To say, See, you didn't really need those books you know so well. 

And in 2 weeks, Pat woke up and could see. Perfectly. 

No trumpet sounded.  Pat was in her late 60s. She smiled and looked at all her plants. Had coffee and waited for 9 a.m. Smiling. Thanking Jesus. Not crying. Smiling.  And looked at her phone and dialed her decades-old ophthalmologist. Yes, he would make time this morning; come NOW.  And Pat drove her new car, paid for by insurance. Smiling. 

Pat didn't say much. She heard him chewing her out about Braille and blindness. The years he had told her and told her.  And he stopped.  And he said he had to get some equipment. And he did. And he went and got his assistant.  And he told her he was going to make an appointment with another specialist.  Because there had been a change.

Pat told us she popped out from behind the examining stainless-steel magnifiers and said, 

"A change like fewer cataracts?"

Yes...  And she darted back behind the magnifiers.  Yes.... Out popped Pat, "A Change like normal blood vessels to the eyes, totally normal?".... Yes....

And her doctor started to say he was sending her to an associate to confirm.  Pat kindly said that wasn't necessary.  Her doctor and assistant began asking her if she had changed anything in her life she could think of would contribute to her eyesight.

Pat asked if they thought she needed cataract surgery? No. Not at all. No signs of cataract whatsoever. Pat said she was going home now.  And she stood up. But wait... Pat said, I have really heard you about Braille. I really did. But you didn't actually hear me say I was going to pray and be healed.

And you can believe, this doctor continued to be her doctor. Did bring an associate to the office to speak with her, and they all concluded God had healed Pat.

Pat got a call almost 3 years after the theft of her van.  A dentist in the area had a van in the parking lot that irritated him, it was so dirty. When he had an annoyed morning, the dentist's office reported the van as abandoned. The insurance wasn't as joyous. She now owed the advanced money for her car.  Pat said she loved her books being back and being able to read them, that it was all under the umbrella of God's Miracles and Miraculous Works. 

Abba, Father!

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

And we will finish well, 

in Jesus Christ. 

Help us seek and find 

and bring,

to become,

 more Heaven

to this earth.

Thank You

for

our first grandbaby

Arriving this summer,

All Your Love

Blessings upon

this little one.

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Thank You, Father.

Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes, The Lord Fulfills His Purpose

Thank You, Jesus The Lord

†