Psalm 91 ~ he will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."



  Prayer is always heard, God has an open door policy

I have loved this photo since seeing it many years ago. Can't you smell the old Church, wax, and polish. Old Churches built with thick walls stay cool in all climates. A refuge, a quiet place of peace. To carry in prayers and leave with peace. The Bread of the Presence, glowing like a heart light.

The aroma of old Church. The Temple smelled of toasting flat bread.

Picture souls as lights, filling the House of Father God.

Peaceful rest. We are in His good and capable Hands. The Heart of Father God. Knowing as we pray, we can say, please pray with me Jesus. And the Great Heart of the Narnia Lion will go with us.


Abba Father God,

Please Jesus pray with us. We approach the gates of Heaven, stroll to the shining water, follow to the Trees of Life, continue on to Your Throne Abba surrounded by Light. And put yourselves next to You, lifting up the ones we love, our cares and theirs. The people we pray for all the time. Our Communities, Churches, State, Nation, and the people circling our planet who pray knowing His Love.

We give Thanks for this day, the Blessings provided. We will see all of this with our Spiritual eyes and Live here with our Loved Ones to the Glory of God our Abba. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

1 Kings 7:13-22 ~ Boaz

1 Kings 7:13-22

13 And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.


15 He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same.e 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 There were lattices of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, a lattice for the one capital and a lattice for the other capital. 18 Likewise he made pomegranates in two rows around the one latticework to cover the capital that was on the top of the pillar, and he did the same with the other capital. 19 Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 20 The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the latticework. There were two hundred pomegranates in two rows all around, and so with the other capital.

21He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north
and called its name Boaz. 22 And on the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished.

 Bethlehem

Pools Solomon built in Bethlehem

Ask God to bring in business, commerce, education, and entertainment to the community that would honor Him and bless the people.



Hometowns.  David had so much time as child to consider all the Works of God told to David and National Joy in being the People of God. David was sentimental, he was crowned with his old donkey who had endured so much with him. Solomon surely carried the oral stories of David with him, Solomon was also crowned in the mighty Nation riding his donkey, just like his father. And then Solomon did something unusual (more unusual than being crowned from riding a donkey?)

Solomon hired a foreigner to do build the Temple. Moses did not. Certainly not.

Why would Solomon want a foreigner? And then go so far as to Biblically record this man - a foreigner?

Hiram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.

Hiram was not the only one who was foreign. Boaz was indeed a pillar of Bethlehem. A man extremely godly. A Pillar.


Enter the intriguing reasons why Solomon would want the Pillar to be named Boaz for his great, great grandfather. No songs were sung about Jesse, who was content to let Samuel call the sons anointed future, minus David. Now Boaz, this was entirely different. What would a mighty king bring to a semi-desert? 3 giant pools of water. Not just a donkey, a way a shepherd boy would never be concerned for the flock to be watered.

Solomon could do to help the people of the present and the shepherd boy his father had been.






 



The events were this Way:

Naomi says she is bitter. Mara. The events of life are always going to be mixed.
Naomi, the joyous grandmother, says she is in a bitter providence of God. However saying God is in charge, an important ingredient in the framework for finding Love, Joy, Peace. Solomon said the Hand of Blessing is the Hand of Woe. Solomon has listened well to the Living Parables in his own life.

What did Jesus do with mixed blessings?
What did Jesus do with this - He says we will always have Trouble in Life.

John's Gospel is orderly to John. The flow of events and their importance. John places the 3rd Chapter, very early, saying Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council and he came to Jesus at night. This is indeed a mixed blessing. Jesus dealt with this as authority, because Jesus is God. Jesus spoke saying, "Are you a teacher of Israel?" Jesus told Nicodemus, "Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God."

One of the purposes of life is to discover the Living Parables in our lives. The understanding of what our parents, grandparents and DNA - probably part of the Book of Life - tells in us.

I'd say the Purpose of Life is this:

Father God sets us on our voyage much like the way we send our children to College. Father God waits with Certain Knowledge and joy HE will run to us in our decision to come Home - to Father God. We owe God some optimism!

Jesus says if we believe what we pray for,
we should have some optimism.


Optimism:
WHAT WILL WE EXPECT from The Lord.
The Providence of the Lord is real.
Straighten up all our paths. Speak the Truth. Give Mercy.

And ask yourselves and tell Father God, what you plan to do with Happiness and the mercies He renews these mornings every day - with Gratitude.

Father God,
I thank You, we live where we may worship as we please. I thank You the soldiers who have fought for us to have freedoms are honored with the Cross Your Innocent Son gave.

Glory to Jesus, who gave me life. In Jesus we are chosen, special, precious. I thank my Father God for the innumerable blessings HE willingly and freely gives. I thank Father God

I thank Father God for the innumerable blessings of having Viral Labyrinth for two years and then recovering, making me realize the joy of a firm foundation in Jesus. We take our health for granted and do not know all the ways He protects us.

I thank God for every opportunity He has given graciously. I thank God I am privileged to live near family. I thank Father God every morning I look out my window and see the variations of sky and light shining on the landscape. I thank Father God, I live in a rather Eden of a place.

I thank God I woke up to see the Light of mankind He has placed here. 

I thank You Father GOD for the new reports of people across this land who witness saving help or sheer Grace - Thank God and Jesus with enthusiasm. I thank God for the news that reports the goodness in mankind.

I thank you

Thank You, Jesus, and help all of us who pray to live in more optimism expecting You to help. Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Psalm 32 ~ shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 32

A Maskil^{[Probably a musical or liturgical term]}  of David.

  Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up^{[my vitality was changed]} as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Saying "I'm very sorry." A very important component to forgiveness is the apology from the heart.

There is a huge blessing in forgiveness. Of course, there is peace in forgiveness. The blessing is also in - Believing. Believing that our lives have meaning to the LORD. We actually matter to Him.

Abraham is a believer. Not a saint without sin. Only Jesus is without sin. God was still talking about Abraham's faith three millenniums later.

Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:3
What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."











Last Night I had the first time I've ever had euphoric insomnia. For about 3 hours. Pneumonia has forgiven my mother - mostly.

On July 26th, my mother sold her rental property she bought with my father in the late 1970s and fell the floor of her den, not to return home really until today.

Why was I so euphoric? Hospice tried to gather my mother 3 times. She has been a fuss pot to the son, daughter, and 11 year boyfriend in recent years. She had begun to save records like her boss did. And as Hospice decided to lean in and take her along for the big hurray, Edward suddenly wept. And we were counseled for 30 minutes this was just us being fussy. We said. No. And the guilt arrived as Mother went suddenly stone cold deaf from the vast, plentiful and harsh treatments for the Pneumonia that would not end. And her reasoning departed. We decided we were really completely stupid people. The hearing aid did not even work. We had ruined Mother's good chance at a pleasant death. And we Mourned. Then we got a call from Deacon Dwight who said if it felt wrong, then we did correctly. And suddenly we all did agree it felt too easy, too inconsiderate, too cold, too calculated. She needed the opportunity to Fight and Fight Hard.

Mother's birthday came. At age 83, so very, very many of her same age first cousins showered her with their prayers, calls, cards and continued support. Her circle of close, dear friends has amazingly only been reduced (by the ones we Loved) by two dear, dear ones. No one goes to rehabilitation if they are old - it's scary - and for Mother - they did and did.

Euphoria? Well on Mother's Birthday, my brother wrote her between his very expensive plane rides, "Congratulations, you are alive. You are astonishing. You are a complete pain in the ass, but what amazing fortitude you have. When I grow up, I want to have all the audacity, tenacious, and overcoming qualities you have. You Lived !!!" I had the supreme, memorable, and complete joy to watch her, stone cold deaf, read my brother's text. Texas weather changes. Quickly. And she glanced over at me to see my joy and sincere appreciation of genuine love. Sunshine did reign.


Mother has become ... a collector. And we all began to not stay close to her - collections. And we did find a Person God Himself has blessed us with to come and live with Mother. For years, I have cajoled, showed beautiful house pictures of similar collections about the joys of simpler collections. And been blunt and had words. To no avail. I then got to say to Mother with my family, now you have to get the house looking like the magazine of earlier years for someone to find the house lovely. I was told no. And Edward and I damn near gleefully CLEANED HOUSE. MY Sister-in-law turned that Kitchen into Jaw Dropping Wow. We were renegades of box collections with fervor.

And Today, I was awake at 3,4,5 a.m. Telling Jesus of the Joy of Bringing Mother Home from July. And we got up at dawn and took an avalanche of Amazon door shoe containers to make collections go on the back of doors. And Mother? She told me in third person she was going home in the wheelchair. I told her the Rehab had decided since the oxygen tubing was not needed the wheelchair would stay in Rehab. And my mother stood up and her small frame suddenly realized she was a Giant.

Mother waved to her new friends as she left. Chortling. We got to the steep hill of her neighborhood and I said, "Fast, fast, put your arms up in a V!!!" She and I put our arms up in a V. "Anne is Going Home. Victory over Pneumonia. see Victory over Adversity. Onward and UPWARD in JESUS." And as the car went up the hill both women said, arms in the air! "THANK YOU JESUS!!!"


My flip flops went flat. Really. Edward went back and forth and so did our lovely new Person. And what did Unsinkable Molly say to all the changes? "You probably need to just go ahead and empty out the drawers for our new and lovely Person. I don't, om, need all that. Anyway." And then, and then. "Anne Laurel, can we go look at all the changes, again. That is just amazing. Look how good that looks. That is just amazing." So we did that at least a dozen times.

And we had visitors and laughter and much Joy. About 8:30 p.m. Mother asked for pajama help. And we asked her is this one of the best days of your life? And Mother stopped, looked around her new bedroom and dressing area and she said, "This really is." And we found her favorite pink robe in all the world.

Mother said, you know I don't get around so easily. And I said in a month this will be old hat. Mother said, not in a month, in a week, you watch.




Father God,

I thank You for length of days. When we all hang on to some civility with genuine discussions and love - eventually - with Your Good Blessings. With the habit You have of finding ways for the Holy Spirit to triumph - many, many memories are made.

We Bless Your Name Jesus. And Sing this house is Back to the 1980's Aggggaaaain.

Father God, You have given the blessing of life, of love and renewal. Thank You, Thank You, Jesus.

John 21. Jesus is going to show up. Thank God.

Father God with Joy, we lift our concerns to You. We get to lift those we Love to You. We are privileged to pray for our communities, our Churches, our State, Our NATION, and know with Joy that 2/3rd's of the World is going to pray in the Name of God's Only Son Jesus and ask Him to care for their cares. Thank You, Father God of how Good You Are. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

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JESUS

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Mark 9:33-37 ~ The Greatest +

Mark 9:33-35

33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 

35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 




Grousing. Jesus knew about grousing.
There is a whole lot of grousing in the world.

And where did Jesus say, "Feel free, sit down, tell me your judgments?" Jesus believed in seeing the GOOD.

And today, I am not going to discuss the Presidential Debate. There is too much to sift through.

Let's look at something Good. Let's do that.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Jesus said be salt. Salt adds to flavor to what is good. Salt preserves freshness. Salt is sprinkled lightly for goodness.

Today's news is about the passing of Arnold Palmer. A man unfailingly encouraging and gentlemanly in his ways. Not your typical celebrity. This man put together a hospital where a child was born almost the time the ribbon was cut. 200,000 children have arrived at this hospital. Known for Arnold's Army as well.

Who is in charge of this earth? God Himself. The earth and the fullness thereof belong to God. When you turned to the sports news, you could always look forward to Arnold Palmer. People felt glad in Arnold. Because? He told Wake Forest's Graduating Class in 2005, "You can always make a difference."

This is a fruit of the Spirit. What if we look for the Fruit of the Spirit instead of looking to find a flaws as a national past time.

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up

The man encouraged a sport of sunshine, nature, confidence and effort. We never shook our heads over Arnold Palmer. Instead many people decided, with diligence this was doable. I say - Arnold Palmers for everyone !!!

The Greatest Century???

The quote below is a disambiguation of St Francis of Assisi. Francis chose never to be ordained a priest. I'm sure Jesus would say, "Close enough to the gist of the 14th Century language." And something else was a very positive aspect of the 1400's. People believed God was in charge. All circumstances were looked to see what God was doing - a very usual manner of conversation. Julian of Norwich was alive and was known to say, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."

Jesus would call this Luke 14 ~ The Parable of the Great Banquet 


Romans 14:18
For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

1 Peter 2:12
Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.






Genuine care, refreshes a weary place - where God wants to save all in Jesus Christ. God who sees all of us as we truly are - His response? Desire to save us all.

I guarantee you, this photo is not going away anytime soon. What  is so  very earnest - this - this comes from the process of traveling the same road. A Prodigal experience. A Homecoming.

Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope

A very young film enthusiast asked me why so many classic films have Christian structure. A very good reason. Jesus is our Pillar, our foundation. Wonderful Jesus.

Romans 5:2
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

Grab all the Joy you can find and hold on.

John 15   A Jesus Quote:

10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I loved you.

People who encourage each other. Have Joy. The same principal as smiling when you want to smile. Happier people bounce. Finding the Joy of the Lord is my strength. Jesus tells us the first two fruits of the Spirit are Love and Joy. Holding on to Jesus will uplift all who seek Him. Today.



Our Father God, of Love,

Gratitude does not come from having all sunshine in life. Gratitude comes from the diligence and earnestness of Jesus and His hope, faith and Love.

Ezekiel offered us some of the most profound blessings seeing the willingness of God to turn to the Lord. 34.

Our God. Our Father, Our Wonderful Jesus - He Will make His Children and the places surrounding His hill a blessing. He will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.

Our Very Own God. Our Father will make a covenant of peace with us and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that we, the Children of God by His Will, may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

Our very joy and strength from Our Lord Jesus is to yield fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and we will be secure on our land.

We will know in our soul, to have this Love, Peace and Joy dwelling in the hearth of our soul for Jesus is the LORD.

Our cares sometimes bend us. And lifting them up to Jesus, we find He will sustain us past any transitory care. Jesus is our Home and destination. Each day finding care and then the mercy of His Love. We discover the Joy of lifting those we love to His Willing and Loving hold. Feeling secure in placing them with Jesus. With Abba. To pray in expectation for our communities, Churches, States and Nation. Knowing around the world the many, many faithful saying with Love - Jesus is Lord. Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †