Romans 12 ~ Let Love be Genuine

Having a more genuine and fruitful Christmas

Father God, lead us to be the people with whom You dwell in Joy! Let our Light so shine for You that You indeed are Highly Pleased. Help us to be the people that You would shout for Joy over. We Love and adore You Lord Father God! Blessings of Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen!



Romans 12

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

What kind of check list do we need for a meaningful Christmas? A Fruitful Christmas of Celebrating a Savior, Jesus the Lord, Who Chose to Come To Our Lives?

Let Love be Genuine.

Mercies of God. Putting God first. His framework is created to bless us.

Spiritual Worship. Plan on Church teaching you about overcoming the ruts we all fall into. Renewal in finding what is good, acceptable and perfect in God's eyes. We are so very blessed Jesus will fill our gaps. Jesus our Savior fulfills the Law for us. When we stick closely to law - we find ourselves squeezing and therefore finding the need to eliminate and rid ourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

Gifted Grace! When we are reminded God fulfills us we find we are humble. Not contrite, not subservient, now weirdly bent in false lack of appreciation, but blessed as forgiven and on an upward path of God. Rick Warren made an Awesome Point that we live in thanksgiving. Not for the horrid things life can present and traipse about as good - but we are in Gratitude that God is going to Help Us. In Gratitude - in Expectation -  there is a point to developing ourselves as a harbor for the Holy Spirit to want to dwell within us.

One Body in Christ, the "I Get Too" of going to Church to hear genuine Christianity of being individuals praising God with such genuineness to find what is dry and crumbling within us soar to rebirth and renewal. As the Advent Candle is lighted, we find our own Christ Light rejoicing.

Not the smile of a worldly Christmas - real cheerfulness. Holding fast to what is good - seeking the good. We are serving God when we seek His pleasure and seek to see the gifts He places exactly in our lives.

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Rejoice in hope, be patient in troubles. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Pray constantly. Contribute. Seek to give hospitality. Bless people - all of them. Don't be haughty. Leave things you cannot accomplish to a very able God. Cast our cares upon Him - because - He Cares So Much For Us. Have Joy.

John 8:32
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free

1 Peter 3:10-12
For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Which is interesting because the largest blessing in the Word of God asks God's face to shine upon us twice in the blessing!

Philippians 4:8-9
Practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Proverbs 11:3
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.


Isaiah 33
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
16 he will dwell on the heights;
his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;
his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

17 Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty;
they will see a land that stretches afar.


Romans 4:1-25
3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

Father God, we desire to love life and see good days. Help our speech be good, seeking and pursuing peace. Please have Your eyes and Your face Shine upon us. Be with us as we practice these things. Guide us to be upright. Walk righteously with You. Speak uprightly. We want to dwell in Your heights and have You be our Fortress. Your goodness, mercy and Love are beauty. We look to You in Faith be counted as Righteous.

Father God, as we have faith and look to please You, please build our lives to have the reflection of Your pleasure. Let Your face shine upon our lives. In Jesus. God bless us we ask. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves † 

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John 16:33 ~ Overcome

Love the dove in the photo. Sign of peace.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


Psalm 25      
Of David.

1 In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.

2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.

4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their descendants will inherit the land.
14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish.
18 Look on my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!

20 Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord, is in you.

22 Deliver Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!


John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world

What if we could build this board game for all decades of life?

There used to be a board game that was teaching the pitfalls of life. I promise you one of the photos was before John Belushi's fame, but the date at the door looked exactly like John Belushi at his rumpled tux worst. My cousin Anne Cable said they should have used young Jack Nicholson with a grin and the caption, "May I date your daughter(s)?" The game did have a door that you could shut!

Thank God He does over look our sins. Particularly the sins of youth.

Psalm 25:7
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!

We should recapture the Board Game Biblically.
What will you pray for???

In our childhood, we need bullies. We get to bring home discussions to our dinner tables of kindness, humor and avoidance. Overcoming worries. Turning the other cheek sometimes means, move away from the bull.

We need princesses to learn about that. We need teachers who teach the need to PRAY the school year will end. We need our siblings to practice overcoming rudeness. We need the opportunity to learn fun in conversations and mercy.

We need homes calling us into parents' arms. We need Churches reinforcing the good values and stories of God that truly fill the Light of God within us. Wow! We had great Church at HopePointe reading a poem about filling what is dry and dust to become strong and filled with God. We had the best Christmas music. We had a message of being filled with God's Love to know His Hope.

We need married couples proclaiming durability in families.

We need time to see... stars and discuss aspirations. We need gratitude not to look down upon those not as fortunate. We need works of charity regardless our circumstances.

We need to Begin seeing through the negative to Claim the Positive. We get to. Each day try again. Building our lives to please Jesus. Help people to be their best to please God and please themselves. This is the best framework for the opportunity for happiness.

We truly need to understand the decade of life and know what happens during this time period.

Ahhh the golden teenage years. Mine were the best of times, the worst of times.

When our brains reach hormonal identity seeking.
Our abilities sometimes outstrip those of our parents.
When we, in our infinite wisdom, look to our piers to raise us. Buhwaaaa.
These years set a balance beam of us to carry us into adulthood. We are usually a little ungrateful to realize that we are comforted and cosseted by provision of goods and love by our parents.

Flesh has allure for the first time and we are so jaded not to realize, this is a time of great innocence still. Statistics say the majority of teens are abstinent. A statistic largely overlooked. Rejoice!

This is time of the Lie. Kids lie routinely about their experiences and are believed. We need an alert system to the kids listening to the other kids in middle school, junior high school and in the the beginning of high school.

Our kids have much greater freedoms, American parents are getting tired. Schools have a hard time finding volunteers.

We need to step to the plate and say - these are your most Fertile Years. For Pregnancy.
Wait - your Self-Esteem will rejoice to wait.
Don't even think sex - it's a skill. And bad sex is Very Memorable.
Don't put yourself in the position of guilt for life.


Twenties - have risks, rewards and opportunities
Outts school
Back of the line in employment, refrigerator art is not going to get you the praise. Where the heck is that window instead of the cube?
Not like Home
College Friends move all over the planet
Ambitions and abilities separate friends
Life realizes there is a pull to Patterns and Choices
Marriages cause separations of friends - who are you really seeing

The doors and the opportunities are open if we take them
Adventure to do what you have always wanted to do
This is your time now. Your house - your authority. Form who you are. What is righteous goodness feeding and encouraging a meaningful life to you?
Friends form in adult lives for life.
Families form to support each other - encouragement is required.
A great time to realize still sexual responsibility. Love making builds a family and creates boundaries of protection. Other - hurts.

Church is good in these generations.
A filled soul is - Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

A starved soul is - immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

We get to do the Work of Jesus. In all generations. We get to. Think about what decade you are in. Look at the opportunities and the opportunities for a solution. We are building a life to for our soul wrapped bodies to meet - the greatest Love of the universe - Father God who invites us through Jesus Christ - to tell Him what choices we have made to be the people we are.


When the song of the angels is stilled .
When the star in the sky is gone.
When the kinds and princes are home.
When the shepherds are back with their flock.
The work of Christ(mas) begins:

The find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

Alleluia! Unto us a child is born.
~Author Unknown


Pray together, God loves us to pray together. When two or more are gathered in prayer, God is in their midst! Matthew 18:20

Rick Warren said this praying together and being honest is the path to the genuine love God tells us of. God never said sit up straight. He said let Love be genuine.

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.


Oh Father God, help us to encourage others to know how much You love us.

Help our house - a word for family - and our soul - to be built up so well that this is a haven to see - like Christmas lights are. We give You our ideas, lives, each cell in our bodies to know and dwell there. Help our souls be a haven for You and Your delight.

Father God, I'm still so enamored with the true documentary of the wife and brother-in-law that changed hospitals and got lawyers to put Vitamin C in her husband to save him from dying of flu. We hope always to inspire love in each other and acts of love and mercy. Let us be this Light of Jesus.

Forgive us when we are wrong. Guide us Good Shepherd to be in Your plan and path. And let us always place our Love and Hope in You. Bless the prayer requests we have and have been asked to pray for.

Keep us as Your own forever. And not least, we pray for our nation and the people of our nation to let Your Light shine forth bravely. In Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves † 

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James 4:1-10 ~ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

James 4:1-10

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 

6 But he gives more grace.

 Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Daniel 9:15-19

15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.

 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name.

For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!

3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions' sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.

There is a funny thing about easy street and the wide highway. We crave that easier life. And so did the people from the time of the return from the Exodus. It's just that - Jesus calls this the wide highway to pick the easy path of the world. He says gentiles lord over one another. We've come a long way from the Jewish diaspora. The problem is - we even understand this - the ones with having the attitude of "I'm All That" even understand - that's not as pleasing today - as James Bond used to be.

One thing to be said about the narrow road. The weepers at your funeral will be the ones - who traveled - in heart and in deed - the narrow road with you.

We have so many attitudes and poses today - the posers have few places to sit.

And perhaps it isn't that there are too few poses - but too many predictable ones.

The warmest place to be is this:

Romans 12:18
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.


How will we ever sort through all of the layers, levels, implications, kindnesses, need for more information - even down to the ticker going by as we watch the news?

Forgiveness. We work out our own salvation, giving kindness and help when asked. Casting our cares upon HIM, who tenderly cares for us.
And we comfort those with the comfort we have received.

God provides. He provides when we are full. He provides when we are empty. He helps us when we need to sort. He helps us when all seems well and suddenly isn't. And He helps us when restorations calls.

2 Corinthians 6:17
16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17"Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. 18"And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.


Humility? Believers are the sons and daughters of the Lord God Father Almighty. That's. Astonishing.

And God forgives us to make this adoption in Jesus.


Father God, keep us centered on You. Let Your arms hold us to You. Help us to be bold and yet warm. Help us to not speak as to help others find their voice. Help those with a voice find more Love. Help us wisely consider our ways and remain with You as the One we rely upon. Help us to guide the loved ones You've given us. And let our talents rise to meet the needs as this occurs. Guide and bless our families, friends, neighbors, Churches and this nation. In Jesus we pray. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves † 

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2 Corinthians 9:6-15 ~You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.        

12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints
but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.

15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!



So Muscular Christianity. On two nights of insomnia. Family disagreements. Being hung up on. Being untruthed to - om - that. Kids who do what they want. (Ok and hug and laugh.) Surrounded by happy people. And being told what to do.

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Ok.

1 Peter 2:1
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.


Years, like almost thirty years ago, we were asked to lead Marriage Encounters. Sometimes youth is smart. I told Edward I'm not sure I'm entitled to lead. Just as you stand up to say you have this sterling attitude and marriage - I told Edward - you realize you are faking your attitude to make everyone else happy. When you were getting along ok before you raised your hand to be perfect.

Like being in a brave place, writing a post, and waking up for the second day at 4 A.M. And having ... attitudes. Oh, boot straps.

Father God, give me one person at a time to be working out harmony with because I'm older and I multitask - how. Hormones? Insomnia? Lack of appreciation for moi? I was asked not to be confused and to make a straight path and be nicer. May I weep now? Could we do one thing at a time? Grumpier is easier.

Father God help the people who sow sparingly because they are not so welcomed to sow. Well, isn't that the truth. And what a relief to know that if you get 9 million likes on a FB prayer, God doesn't say - Thanks for Voting.

God is God. And He sees the people who only have two pennies to sow with. I remember in salad days I suddenly had two coffee drip pots. And I was told about a woman who lost everything she owned in a fire - so - being blessed, we gave our second coffee dripper. That next week. No coffee dripper. So what did I learn? Giving has a cost. And eventually you get another coffee dripper because things lighten up.

We gave a car that was going pretty well because we were able to give. And Later. Then our kids had one car between them, a hand me down we gave. When they were 17. And the second child - well that's a story, but when he needed a car for three years - the first son gave the car he had to earn - to the second child. We got a call from a family member who said - do you feel bitter yet about giving that car away years ago? Om. Em. No. Well. Om. Now I do.

And what did GOD do? All our lives I will have the memory of going to the insurance company to transfer the address of one son to the next. Cal earned a 96 SC Lexus red two door. And the young 20 something insurance man said, "He is giving the use of this sweet car to his brother? Man, I wouldn't do that for my brother and I like him. Love him."

My son did that for my other son. Ask me if I'm thrilled with the love my boys have. Ask me if I see love in my family. Thank you, Jesus Christ.




That's the sad part about not being grateful. And having the law. If you don't tell what Really Bothers You. You are left not remembering what REALLY MOVES YOUR HEART TO LOVE. Seeing a family member being treated so roughly and seeing the grace pour from the heart that doesn't have malice. Not even envy. Finding deep and abiding admiration. Being able to say to God - see that heart - that's a Fine Heart towards God.

Remember with me, the Holy Spirit is fire. Remember.
When we see the embers - a Wind.

Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things

John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

John 6:29
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

What the Wind of God can do for the Spirit...


1 Thessalonians 5

12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

25 Brothers, pray for us!!!

26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.


Hello Father God, please be more perfect for me. Because. I'm not. So Today. I pray thanks and help. In Jesus Christ, we know we really need to run on the Grace of God. We do indeed need to hold fast to what is good. To encourage others, to really take time to be fun. To plan to be the good part of someone's day.

If I have a regret in life, I wish I'd worked harder at being fun. Everyday. And hope to have the opportunity to mend that. Help me to remember each day to ask the people you have given me to be fun for them.

Help me to remember that I'm not God and can't win or please all people. And know You are God and Your Will goes forth to Your Glory and that's an Excellent thing. Amen in the name of the One Who is Good - Jesus Christ the Lord.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves † 

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Luke 21:12-19 ~ gain your lives

Luke 21:12-19

12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 

13 This will be a time for you to bear testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 

16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; 17 you will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Psalm 126
A song of ascents.

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.

Deuteronomy 28:14
Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

Psalms 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him.

I noticed when my sons got to be in college, the same thing I noticed as a newly-wed, people seem to have another time period of discovery when they have raised their children. When our children are little - if you are like me and had children fairly young - we wonder when our full fledged life begins. Children require a lot of attention - and suddenly - they are fairly self efficient.

If I have one regret for the child years - I'd spend one hour a day being fun with my children. The rest of my parenting, I'm ok with.

Having come through scrapes and turmoil - even currently. I'd have to say - wait for the changes - life is always doing that.

Regardless of the changes, I was told once by an Episcopal Priest - God provides a blessing every day. Even when finances are in crisis and families are far apart. And life started carrying on. With blessings to Praise God for. And still I worried - endlessly. For instance, we needed to pay a bill and a check arrived the same day. And so I worried about next year... go figure.

The nice thing about worrying - even you eventually get bored with worrying. And all that worrying makes you observant and then you get, with prayer, a little wiser.

How? Eventually I remembered that as a child - I did have a grateful heart. And I started remembering what solutions work for me - well. And if I found a book that helped, I would remember the advice. A lot of advice was pure junk. Because - we have to figure out our own path with God's help and prayer.

So I will tell you what I have learned for myself and if that blesses you - I'm pleased.


1!  Life is going to give you something new today. 
Be prepared to pray. Be a little excited by the day. Expect a rich response of prayer. Sometime. Maybe years down the road. Some optimism - not the fake kind. Be genuine. Your best fake self might overwhelm you. Trust God that He is making you sufficient.

Pray.




2. Some people you cannot please.
 After some time - a lot of time - set up boundaries with Psalm 23. It's an easy boundary.

Psalm 23
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

If you let the be depressed noises and people -  who say you will never win, the ideas that crowd 'you', a Child of God, out. All you will be is overwhelmed. Set boundaries - God says He will be your fortress. And out of the boundaries where you love yourself as much as others - you need this - without this, you will be overwhelmed - be polite and give enough goodness and Trust in God's Mercy - to feel alright about your words.

In imperfect situations, perfect solutions may occur - but doing Your Best as God gives you talent - will give you peace.





3. Find people to admire.

I see a lady at my Church who rarely gets a lot of applause - the things that bring her riches in her eyes and joy to her life - her unrelenting joy in Jesus. Thank you, Cindy.

The lady who goes down to help her mom - who has always gently, gently said improve improve improve - still goes. And helps her siblings. You know who you are!

A lady with a Pastoral husband - finds new projects and says you never confess the sins of someone else - it's a waste of time. She has a huge grateful heart.

A man who takes his vacation to bless his Church. Thank you.

For Judy. Who is so gracious to all she meets. She makes new beginnings from her kindness. I'm so grateful God says families live in Heaven together.

The librarian who loves children and gives the amazing wisdom she finds. She gets to be a blessing.

The ladies who sat to weep and mourn the passing of a lady who was ready to go to Jesus. You Love. And you continue to give.

The lady who seems to be so busy and yet puts a dab hand at bringing people forth. Mary.

The lady who truly cares and gets bound up in other's lives. She should realize that she has so many riches to give in her unrelenting humor. Teri.

My friend who is willing to speak her heart even if she cries. And we mend our fences. To great joy. Dee. A woman blessed going forward.

And Sharon who Loves. And we prayed for her children to live close by - and they are. We pray for even more proximity.

And I remember Randy - who had great physical pain. Greeted people with love and told me doing so caused him to forget his pain. Raised four children from early years. Loved. Gave when that was available for him to do so. Blessed so many people - that he caused people to want to bless him back. And is still missed today. Julie.

For Aunt Clarice. Opinionated and kind. Lover of small children. The dream I had she was Yelling. Heaven is All Real! I'm Standing Before the Gates And You Must Know This. All of This! It's Better Than Any Lottery! And waking to find that she had passed on to her Lord and Savior during the night. Her kitchen table solved a lot of life.


Believing Christians hang in there - and seeing the fruit of love flower and bloom and be tasty again.





4. Trust your intuition. 
My new friend gave me good advice - if the horse is going to bolt - don't think you should ride the horse. Stop. Fast.


5. God says that all things work together for Good for Those Who Love the Lord. 
I saw that happen recently from something from 1976. Wait for the silver lining. Expect positive things.


6. Be Yourself.

I find that when I need to leave a situation, I'm able to get away. And I might have just recently learned that's smarter than the average bear. Remember when we can appreciate ourselves honestly and know we have limitations - well - that's right. The New Testament says live a quiet life. Because all works of God go way past our own lives.

Be as kind as you can be. Tell the truth. Don't expect every situation to be a winner. When you read biographies - most people have years of their lives with conflict or uncertainty. Life actually exists for us to decide what choices we will make. A lot of our innate personalities arrive at birth and are most evident in late childhood. Our self esteem is going to need to remember our best self there and grow from there. For me when I please God, I love resting in HIM. And when I don't and I tried, I know He is not going to be angry with me.

Keep Communicating.


7. Oh the places you will go - until the sails jam.
We can get in rabbit holes. Sometimes things happen because we need to learn emotional lessons from them. God says shame that is on going - is not from Him. People don't really believe change is possible - God does. When you get in a jam, sometimes we tell ourselves we have become wise to the world. God says a child's belief gets them into Heaven. There is not a lot of jade in His Heaven. 

Step back, forgive,
take a deep breathe and renew the sense of wonder in life. Love. Remember again the way God has made you as a Person and find those solutions He gives you to renew your real essence - your soul.

When sorting all this out - pray. Write your thoughts down. Find positive inspiration in people.



8. Our friend Allen said Edward's nickname is River. Edward is good about waiting patiently to see the good in people. There is a lot of wisdom there. And make your own life. He learned that from his dad, Buddy. We are grateful to the extreme for Buddy.


9. Keeping the Score, Discernment, and Judgment

Payback cuts your forgiveness down

Discern that isn't a situation that is going to work and move on with grace and kindness

Judgment is spoken out loud where you share your opinion with someone else. And God says - were you honest, merciful, just and was that needed for safety. Encouragement. Wisdom. Always bare in mind - knowledge is limited.

10. Love. 
Pray. Expect God. Be yourself. Be honest. Be kind. Love yourself.


Father God, Give us the day. For time with those we love. Vacation and change of pace.

Thank You for blessings, talents and expectations. When we remember to pray for good things - we will see them in patience. Thank You for a Day to Be Thankful.  Thank You for those we Love. Bless all we know with Your Blessings. Bless our Nation, Dear Father God.

All the advice we would ever think upon should say  - Trust God.  In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves † 

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