Thursday, April 25, 2024

How precious is our hearing

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FYI: Tinnitus (pronounced tih-NITE-us or TIN-uh-tus) is the perception of sound that does not have an external source, so other people cannot hear it. Tinnitus is commonly described as a ringing sound, but some people hear other types of sounds, such as roaring or buzzing.

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Friday, April 19, 2024

Learn the Antidote


"The antidote to indoctrination 


is to tell the truth, 


expose people to the lies that 


would deceive them, 


show them how to refute this lies, 


and prepare them with 


the thinking skills necessary 


to continue resisting falsehoods."



-Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing Worldviews, by Jeff Myers & David A. Noebel, pg. 9

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Thursday, April 18, 2024

For this reason...

 ~internet image

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Woman was created from 

    the rib of man.

Not from his head was she

    created to be above him.

Not from his feet

    to be trampled upon.

She was created from his side

    to be equal to him.

From under his arm

    to be protected by him.

From close to his heart

    to be loved by him.

~author unknown

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Genesis 2:15-25

..."Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.


The Lord God commanded the man, saying, 

“From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;

but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil 

you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it 

you will surely die.”


Then the Lord God said, 

“It is not good for the man to be alone; 

I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 


Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 


The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.


So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.


The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.


The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones,


And flesh of my flesh;


She shall be called Woman,


Because she was taken out of Man.”


For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.


And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."

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Sunday, April 14, 2024

Who is John Galt?

~Ayn Rand 

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Proverbs 4


"Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father,
and give attention that you may gain understanding,


For I give you sound teaching;
Do not abandon my instruction.


When I was a son to my father,
tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,

 

Then he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;


Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.


“Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.


“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.


“Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.


“She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”


Hear, my son, and accept my sayings
and the years of your life will be many.


I have directed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.

 

When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you will not stumble.


Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life.


Do not enter the path of the wicked
and do not proceed in the way of evil men.

 

Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.

 

For they cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.


For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.

 

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.


The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they stumble.

 

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.

 

Do not let them depart from your sight;
Keep them in the midst of your heart.

 

For they are life to those who find them
and health to all their body.

 

Watch over your heart with all diligence,
for from it flow the springs of life.


Put away from you a deceitful mouth
and put devious speech far from you.

 

Let your eyes look directly ahead
and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.

 

Watch the path of your feet
and all your ways will be established.


Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil."

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Saturday, April 13, 2024

A Reason to Mentor Others


~Otters on Yellowstone FB 

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Colossians 1


"...We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,  since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.


For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.


For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.


He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.


For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.


He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.


He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.


For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.


And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.


Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.


Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.


We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.


For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."

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Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Time to Look in the Mirror

 2 Timothy 2


"...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 

Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.

The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.

Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.

For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

It is a trustworthy statement:

-For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;

-If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;

-If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.

Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”

Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will."
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This will be my next project!

 ~just kidding

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Sunday, April 7, 2024

According to His Great Mercy

~ Yellowstone FB

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1 Peter 1:3-9

..."Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 


In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls."...

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Friday, April 5, 2024

God's Creation!

~Yellowstone FB

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It hasn't been that long....since my senior term paper on Bald Eagles...well...just 50 years ago.  


Even so, Bald Eagles are still my most fascinating birds.


The term paper is long gone, but God's creation continues to evoke wonder and majesty in His world for me.


Glory to the One and Only!

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Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Jesus, Friend of a Wounded Heart

~Yellowstone FB 
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Lie and say that things are fine
And hide that empty longing that you feel
Don't ever show it, 
just keep your heart concealed

Why are the days so lonely?
I wonder where, where can a heart go free
And who will dry the tears that no one's seen?
There must be someone to share your silent dreams

Caught like a leaf in the wind
Lookin' for a friend, where can you turn?
Whisper the words of a prayer 
and you'll find Him there
Arms open wide, love in His eyes

Jesus, He meets you where you are
Jesus, He heals your secret scars
All the love you're longing for
Is Jesus, the friend of a wounded heart

Joy comes like the morning
And hope deepens as you grow
And peace, beyond the reaches of your soul
Comes blowing through you, 
for love has made you whole

Once like a leaf in the wind
Looking for a friend, where could you turn?
You spoke the words of a prayer 
and you found Him there
Arms open wide, love in His eyes

Jesus, He meets you where you are
Jesus, He heals your secret scars
All the love you're longing for
Is Jesus, the friend of a wounded heart

He meets you where you are
Jesus, He heals your secret scars
All the love you're longing for, 
all the love that you need
Is Jesus, the friend of a wounded heart

~Wayne Watson
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Romans 8:31-39

..."What then shall we say to these things? 

If God is for us, who is against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, 
but delivered Him over for us all, 
how will He not also with Him 
freely give us all things?

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? 

God is the one who justifies; 
who is the one who condemns? 

Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, 
rather who was raised, 
who is at the right hand of God, 
who also intercedes for us.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? 

Will tribulation, 
or distress, 
or persecution, 
or famine, 
or nakedness, 
or peril, 
or sword?

Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death 
all day long;
We were considered as sheep 
to be slaughtered.”

But in all these things 
we overwhelmingly conquer 
through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, 
nor life, 
nor angels, 
nor principalities, 
nor things present, 
nor things to come, 
nor powers,
nor height, 
nor depth, 
nor any other created thing, 
will be able to separate us 
from the love of God, 
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
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Glory to God! 
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Monday, April 1, 2024

God's Creation up Close and Precious

~internet photo 


We all need a smile...

God's creation is awesome!  :o)

2 Corinthians 5:17

..."Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."...
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Trust in Jesus as your Savior.  :o)
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