Hopefully the dog didn't eat your Christmas. We had a green Sharpie and arrived home to find the Puppies thinking candy cane. No damage!!! Thank Jesus. Thank Jesus. Thank Jesus.
Sometimes Christmas looks like Peru, like the Mountains of Peru photoed above. Something just very unexpected.
Revelation 21:19
The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.
The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald.
Revelation 4:3
The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian.
And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.
The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald.
Revelation 4:3
The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian.
And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.
Red and Green, we are told are God's favorite colors.
So some Christmases start out like this...
And then do the Chinese thing and look like This:
And things go very Chinese... like these mountains.
God is Interesting. He is Yesterday, Today and, Thank God, Tomorrow. Father God has a Talent...
Romans 8:28
For God interweaves all things to work together for good.
Isaiah 66:9
I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born.
Philippians 1:6
He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
Deuteronomy 7:9
He is a faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations.
Psalm 27:13
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
I seriously remember a day, 2011, I was about to cry for the Changes and Seasonality Life brings to all of our lives in different times. And I was about to check out at Sam's. The Clerk reached over the counter, patted my arm, and she spoke so very compassionately and said - as if she was filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus, "Do not cry. God has given you everything you need for this day. He has built your life to find what He blesses you with today. Truly examine today and see God has blessed you!"
This woman has changed my Life. I'm pretty well assured, twice and back, she was speaking as the voice of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can change your emotional temperature permanently.
Today, my family was running what is known to us all as the dog path, well worn, worn out, same ol thing disagreement, complete with the potholes of a dog path - and I just felt - Pray. Shut your mouth and Pray. And they got out of the car and I said I will be in a moment. The doors all closed and KSBJ was playing and the announcer said, "Remember to Thank God. Sure it's not easy - life is difficult. Remember to Thank God for all the blessings - bringing you to the Blessed place to even have the complaint."
Same Jesus.
God is working tirelessly Jesus tells us. And Jesus is working too. How are They Working? To "Interweave" All Things for God for those who Love the Lord and Work according to His Purpose.
If our Father interweaves, why shouldn't we learn to have a different godly opinion? Why not take what is dark in all our lives and push it like a needlepoint - up and back to the surface? And ask, why Thank God? And find a reason. A new opportunity every day. Give us the Day. A new opportunity to see God's Mercies Renew.
Since Genesis 2, Father God gave us fulfillment in our lives. We were told to work the Garden of Eden. Revelations tells us Heaven consists of "Nations" and when the Nations fall into disagreement, God will solve the problems with His Word. We are learning this in our lives - to recognize the Good and Amazing Gifts of God we will all see the Wonders of God daily.
The colors in the fingers, the variations of the light - look like the mountains.
The Lord God Almighty tells us to renew our minds. Our days have seasons that run together - yet God is Building. We want to assist God to work our lives to become Living Stones. Helping each other to Climb Up.
We are going from earth's worn and tired - to the Kingdom, Power and Glory of God our Father.
God is going to give us glimpses. We have to look through the darkened mirror and find what God is bringing us.
It's so easy to complain. We are encouraged to be critical thinkers to drag ourselves to improvement. We are encouraged to be cynically funny.
Philippians 4:8
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, 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.
Homer Simpson's neighbor has never been our goal. "Ned" Flanders - the Simpson family's extremely religious next "diddly-door." For a really good purpose, reason and fear - we want to have our good reason when we approach God and the Light of Jesus in all of mankind. God calls this 'wisdom'.
The Peace of God is work. A hard won fight of reality. The Disciples stood with Jesus a few times thinking, "And here we die." The first to announce this was Thomas. Thomas knew Lazarus raised was going to cause decisions to be made -and he looked at the other Disciples and said, "Hey man, they are coming after us and they are going to kill Jesus and I sign up to die with Him." Thomas is pretty smart.
Fight the Good Fight. A real peace is hard won. And well worth the controversy. Pope Francis was asked how he dealt with all the death surrounding his nation in the 1970s. It was a bloodbath. Pope Francis replied we must all be ourselves. And he works to be Living Stones to lift one another up to God and Heaven. This is the real version of Philippians 4:8.
What we work to find is how to needlepoint with what is depressing and not as wonderful as our Father would hope for our lives. We find what brings us up to the Light of Christ - what brings us to Jesus. We learn with practice to do the real life given and find what is good and noble and lifts our hearts. The Road to Emmaus. Is Philippians 4:8. When our hearts warm and we Love well - we have found what brings us into God's Good Creation He calls Good yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Fight the Good Fight. Walk the Road to Emmaus where your heart finds warmth. And in the Strength of Love we will be warm.
Abba,
You are the God of Love. God of encouragement. You give us Jesus who teaches us, "Do not let your hearts be troubled."
May the Lord God Almighty Bless and Keep You.
May our God of Love make His face to Shine upon You.
May our eyes be enlightened with the Light of Jesus Christ to see He is Gracious to us.
May our God of Encouragement lift His Countenance
and Smile upon you.
To Give you peace. His very own Peace of Steadfast God and God of Love.
To surround and enfold and warm you in the Name of Jesus.
To Bless You. Amen and Amen and Amen.
And we lift up Elliott and his Stem Cell Transplant. To be the Success of Jesus in Heaven and on earth. His Glory is His Love to us.
We lift up Wayne who waited patiently in the Hospital all week to have his pacemaker put back in his chest. We pray all his medications are settled down patiently and Wayne has No Bleeding from the operation. Bless their family for their long trips to the hospital in Christmas and Christmas Traffic.
For Dan and Edward's group. They stand in a line - silently in the woods - austere as monks - in this perfect line - mimicking each other throwing Discs. Blissfully unaware. With this much Humor, God Himself must roll on the Floor of gold Heaven trying not to laugh too loudly. The event is legendary in the Disc Golf community. God Bless Dan and his good heart this week. God bless them all healing and causing hilarity.
God is in His Heaven and He has made all things rightly interweave in the world. Amen in Jesus. Amen. Walk in faith. Amen.
Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †