Love is in the Air: Love the Ones you know

1 Thessalonians 4:9-11

..."Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. 

But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need."...

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The LORD hears the call of all of His children

From Battlefields & Blessings, Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II

Written by Larkin Spivey

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Sisters in Jesus...fear has always "run rampant" no matter what time in history; past, present, or future. 

If you haven't been fearful, you are not paying attention.

"These are the times which try men's souls"

We can rest in the knowledge that the LORD watches over His own. We can be fearful; we can feel fearful, but we can always run to the LORD who is our Strong Tower. This is where we find rest among our troubles, our fears. With the LORD we can still live vibrantly among our struggles. 

As children of God we belong to the King of Kings, His Son, Jesus! No matter what comes, we will be safe in Him even if He takes us home! 

Find comfort in His strength and your fears can be handled by Him.

Proverbs 18:10

..."The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

The righteous runs into it and is safe."...

Romans 8:12-18

..."So then, brethren, we are under obligation, 

not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—

for if you are living according to the flesh, 

you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting 

to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, 

these are sons of God.

For you have not received a spirit of slavery

leading to fear again, but you have received a 

spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 

“Abba! Father!”

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that 

we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, 

if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also 

be glorified with Him.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present

time are not worthy to be compared with the glory 

that is to be revealed to us."...

Matthew 10:26-31

..."do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed 

that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be 

known.

What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; 

and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim 

upon the housetops.

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to 

kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy 

both soul and body in hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? 

And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart 

from your Father.

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

So do not fear; you are more valuable than many 

sparrows."...

Deuteronomy 31:6

..."Be strong and courageous, 

do not be afraid or tremble at them, 

for the Lord your God is the one who 

goes with you. 

He will not fail you or forsake you.”

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More than just you

 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

..."Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.

For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. 

But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?

And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. 

A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."...

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A Reliable Substitute

ROSE is ROSE

Moms are special to us 
even if they are someone else's mother.

Praise the LORD for Titus 2 women!

Keep fervent in your love for one another

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1Peter 4:7-11

"The end of all things is near; 

therefore, be of sound judgment 

and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

Above all, 

keep fervent in your love for one another, 

because love covers a multitude of sins.

Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

As each one has received a special gift, 

employ it in serving one another

 as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Whoever speaks, is to do so as 

one who is speaking the utterances of God; 

whoever serves is to do so as one 

who is serving by the strength which God supplies; 

so that in all things God 

may be glorified through Jesus Christ, 

to whom belongs the glory and dominion 

forever and ever. Amen.

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A sinner rejoicing in His abounding grace!

"Lord Jesus, I sin.  Grant that I may never cease grieving because of it, never be content with myself, never think I have reached a point of perfection. Kill in me all that is displeasing to You, all that is contrary to the spirit of love and holiness!  And though we ever mourn for our sin, grant that we would also always rejoice in Your abounding grace!"

HEC, PCA

Momma Bears know what is needed

ROSE is ROSE

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Pasquale has just announced he can put himself to bed from now on, 

but is just now rethinking this decision.

Meanwhile, Mom knows to touch base.

Be a Momma Bear.

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Friendly Advice

Heheeheee....

Actually, friendly advice from a godly friend is worth more than gold.  There is a preciousness in real friendships where safety dwells. Sisters in Christ have a love that is deeper than blood. The bond is Jesus's blood. We have a higher calling where mercy and grace is on our sleeves, it is in our hearts. We think of the other as dear, a treasure, and we care deeply for each other. Their agonies are our agonies, and their joys are our joys! They are on our minds and prayers for them are always on our lips. The privilege to know and pray for them and for those they love is beyond words.

Thank you for my sisters in Christ!  Glory to God!

So Thankful

A Different December

It has been a different December for me.  I have decorated the house with much less decor than normal -which includes no tree.  We have two kittens who wreak enough havoc without a Christmas tree and other ge-gaws to jump on, grab at, climb up, and knock off.  

Another difference this year is having my Christmas cookies already baked and delivered as of today. This is usually accomplished mid-December.

Even though things have been different there was still all the nostalgia and remembrance of all the years before from way back when I was a child to last year's memories.  

I am sentimental. I can't help it. This is me. 

I have such fond memories of my grandparents when we would drive all the way to Wisconsin to enjoy Thanksgiving or Christmas with them or when they would sometimes come to Ohio to visit us.  

I remember each home, including ours, all wonderfully decorated, and the excitement of Christmas day coming.  I remember the special baking days, the special foods, all the women dressed nicely and using fancy aprons. The air was filled with Christmas music, Christmas concerts, Christmas plays, and then the special shopping days downtown with my mother, shopping in Wisconsin with my grandparents, or going with my father to the Tire store to get yearly free Christmas record.

My first year of marriage my mother allowed me to choose a handful Christmas records out of their own collection so I could begin my new traditions as my Beloved and I became a family of our own.  I still marvel at how wise she was by giving me the opportunity to leave and cleave.

So many of these joys tied us together as family. Eventually we had children of our own and continued some of the family traditions which were in place and also began new ones.

All of these memories are in my mind and come to fruition as I bake, decorate, and enjoy this precious season.

As this season commences I can't stop "here" where Jesus came into the world as a baby.  The story was in motion then and it still is.  He was to grow up among us. He came at the right time for a purpose, and then His fruition was to be our sacrifice for our owns sins.  No animal could completely free us from our sins.

Jesus' story continues as we live each day for Him until He comes again for His final victory!  Even after His victory His story will always continue as we live in glory with Him!  

The world is fallen and we continue to groan, even the creation groans.  We can't rush it, we can't save it, but we can live for Him in our own sphere of influence.  We can glorify God in our own spot by living for Him.

May you be blessed each day as you live for the LORD in His strength and His comfort as we wait in anticipation for our Savior's triumphant return!

Romans 8:18-28
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 

For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 

For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, 

with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Glory to God!

For the LORD's child: we are all His rare gems!

1 John 3:1-3
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."


1 John 5:1-4
"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Agonies which haunt you: Grieving #8

As we all know, life in general is more difficult when we do not feel good and when we have chronic pain.  Everything we do, we see, we think about seems so very much worse.  It is just difficult. During these times it is difficult to capture our thoughts for the LORD and think on things above when we physically hurt.

Meanwhile, our traumas, our agonies, our sadnesses, our grieving...all of these haunt us in our physical weaknesses.  

We do not feel good, and so we seek the LORD.  We are blessed!  

But then it is "the next day" and life is still painful in the many ways it can be painful, and we are "needled" by our agonies.  

It may seem we can't get away from the thought of them, the pain of them.  Everywhere we turn we are reminded of our life's agonies. These agonizing trials and troubles haunt us.  Grief may become unbearable.  We may become so overwhelmed in our grief that we forget to trust in the LORD and call on Him.

*Do not give up, precious sisters in Christ!* 

The LORD hears your cries!  He knows your sadness, He knows your physical pains.

He has not forgotten you.  You may feel like He forgets you, but this is not in His character.  He never leaves you alone, He always hear your cries, and He will not turn away from you. 

When you trust Jesus as your LORD and Savior, you are safe in Him.

Hebrews 13:5-6
"Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, 
being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 

“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 

so that we confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.

What will man do to me?”


Psalm 118:5-9
"From my distress I called upon the Lord;

The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.

The Lord is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me?

The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in princes."

Sisters, when you become overwhelmed in your physical pain, overwhelmed in your grief, overwhelmed in anything in your life - REMEMBER the LORD.

The LORD God Almighty is your ROCK, He gives you a "large place" where you are safe in Him.  It is in Him in which you can and will be revived when you rest in Him.

Psalm 6:6-9
"I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.

My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.

Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,

For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication,

The Lord receives my prayer."

Psalm 71:17-23
O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.

For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?

You who have shown me many troubles and distresses
Will revive me again,
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

May You increase my greatness
And turn to comfort me.

I will also praise You with a harp,
Even Your truth, O my God;
To You I will sing praises with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my soul, which You have redeemed."

Colossians 3:1-4

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, 
keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, 
seated at the right hand of God. 

Set your mind on the things above, 
not on the things that are on earth. 
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, 
then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

May we give God the glory in our joys and in our sorrows!

Praise be to God!

#6 Grieving: A living death

This world is not my home.   Every day seems to make this truth even more true.  My home is with the LORD.  We who trust Him with our lives, those of us who have Jesus as our Savior, we find our safety in Him right now, this very moment.  We live here in this fallen world, but we are safe in Him no matter what happens here.

Psalm 12

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be,

For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

They speak falsehood to one another;

With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.

May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,

The tongue that speaks great things;

Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;

Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”

“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,

Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.”

The words of the Lord are pure words;

As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.

You, O Lord, will keep them;

You will preserve him from this generation forever.

The wicked strut about on every side

When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

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We find His peace among the chaos of our lives.  We find our safety in Him even when everything is falling around us.  He gives us a sense of calm in the tumult of traumas.

The world continues to disappoint us.  This fallen world continues to hurt us.  The only thing which helps us is our relationship with the LORD God Almighty.

Psalm 118

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting…

…Oh let those who fear the Lord say,

“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

From my distress I called upon the Lord;

The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.

The Lord is for me; I will not fear;

What can man do to me?

The Lord is for me among those who help me;

Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

Than to trust in man…

…you pushed me violently so that I was falling,

But the Lord helped me.

The Lord is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation.

The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;

The right hand of the Lord does valiantly…

…I will not die, but live,

And tell of the works of the Lord…

…This is the gate of the Lord;

The righteous will enter through it.

I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me,

And You have become my salvation…

…O Lord, do save, we beseech You;

O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;

We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

The Lord is God, and He has given us light…

…You are my God, I extol You.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

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The LORD ultimately protects us, but in His ultimate wisdom He allows the evil of the world to affect us, to touch us personally.  As we deal with the horrors, the traumas we come to Him more and more as we learn to draw closer to Him among our trials.  The sadnesses cause us pain, but we learn of Him as each day wears on.

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We have been told that our own agony is a "living death".  The solution is no where in sight,  the grieving drags on with no ending date.  The pain is only added on and on as the time continually marches forward.  There is no solution, there is no ending so we have nothing to hang on to or to let go.  Our only hope is our Great God.  The LORD is the best place to be.  His love never fails us.

Psalm 136:23-26

Who remembered us in our low estate,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

And has rescued us from our adversaries,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

Who gives food to all flesh,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the God of heaven,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

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You may feel like your life is something like I have described.  You may feel like you have nothing to hold on to.  Your situations may feel like a "living death", something you can never get away from, with no closing, and no ending.

Psalm 62

My soul waits in silence for God only;

From Him is my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken…

…My soul, wait in silence for God only,

For my hope is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

On God my salvation and my glory rest;

The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, O people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us…

…Once God has spoken;

Twice I have heard this:

That power belongs to God;

And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord,

For You recompense a man according to his work. 

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It is a numbing.  Time just goes by and you forget where you are in the time. Yes, you live, but the days fly.   A decade flies by and you wonder how it all happened.

I know that I have truly lived this "more-than-a-decade", but the blur of time is something I can not grasp.  I know it all happened.  I know I lived each day to its fullest for the LORD, and I know I more than survived, all because of the LORD.  He has been my strength, my comfort.  He has been my boldness, and I think, He has allowed me to more than survive by allowing me not to hold on to every fleeting moment.  

The facts of not realizing that the time is flying by can upset me, because it just doesn't seem right, but I must let it all go.  Perhaps the LORD has been allowing me to let go of this "blurring" and not hold on to the fleeting of time so that I will more than survive this "living death",  instead of "holding on" and grieving way too much, and ultimately becoming bitter.  I have seen BITTERNESS and it is abhorrent, it is gross.  If bitterness has overcome you in your agonies - run to the LORD! and have Him be your Helper to flee from bitterness!

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Precious sister, if you feel numb, allow the LORD to hold you.  He is allowing the pain into our lives.  We must trust that His reasons are to draw us closer to Himself, to make us more into His image.  The numbness, although we feel afraid of it, may be a blessing He has bestowed on us to protect us from the full brunt of our agony.  He surely would not be allowing our pain unless it was for a good which we will someday know when we are with Him in glory. 

Psalm 63

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips will praise You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

When I remember You on my bed,

I meditate on You in the night watches,

For You have been my help,

And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.

My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me.

But those who seek my life to destroy it,

Will go into the depths of the earth.

They will be delivered over to the power of the sword;

They will be a prey for foxes.

But the king will rejoice in God;

Everyone who swears by Him will glory,

For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

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Yes, we would love to "fast forward our pain" just like on a DVD (see Charlie Brown below), but our Great God is working in us in ways we would marvel at if we only knew. 

Let's marvel anyways.

  

I have found that I do not have to know the answers.  

I am satisfied to KNOW the LORD and that it is He who is in charge.  He is holding  me so tightly, so safely. When you are His child He holds you this way also.

Let us embrace our God as we allow Him to work in our lives, knowing all of our hope in Him is a treasure worth all our sufferings. 

The glory belongs to Him alone!

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1 Peter 2:9-12

you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, 

so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, 

but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

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Good Grief!

I never noticed these "choice" comics when Mr. Schultz was publishing them.  I suppose I was but a child, and had not lived long enough to recognize mean, controlling people. 

This comic, though, is a perfect "word picture" that can be used to explain manipulation, control, and mental abuse in a very simple way.  

Here we have Lucy relishing in the keeping of certain kinds of bugs "in their place" (where SHE believes they should be kept), but in real life each of us could easily be controlled, mentally abused, and manipulated by another person or persons for what ever their reasons by the same behavior, albeit more subtle.

Whoever we happen to be, we are all fragile human beings who need to draw closer to the LORD God in His Word, so that we know Him more and more, so that we trust Him with all of our being, and so that we will be able to have that "Uh Oh" feeling when something isn't quite right.

*So sisters in Christ let's gird up our loins, and let's get busy learning His truth!

Ephesians 6:10-18
..."Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 

Put on the full armor of God, 
so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 
but against the rulers, against the powers, 
against the world forces of this darkness, 
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, 
so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, 
and having done everything, to stand firm. 

Stand firm therefore, 
having girded your loins with truth, 
and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 
in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 
And take the helmet of salvation, 
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.


With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, 
and with this in view, 
be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints"...


  

The LORD hears our cries

Psalm 40

"...I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, 
out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, 
a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, 
nor to those who lapse into falsehood..."

Psalm 94

"...He who planted the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see?
He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke,
Even He who teaches man knowledge?
The Lord knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath..."

Psalm 27

"...I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord."

Psalm 118

"...This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
O Lord, do save, we beseech You;
O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord..."

**Precious sisters in the LORD do not despair!  I know you suffer and I understand long standing agonies.  

Life seems too much and maybe it is too much, but do not despair! the LORD is with you!

He sees you, He knows you.  

Continue to run to Him for you will find safety and comfort in Him.  He will guide you and help you.  

Your circumstances may never change, but the LORD will be your strength!

Continually give your suffering to Him and it just may be that in the land of the living you may yet see His hand's work, but if not ~ He is still working and you will see His beautiful handwork in glory.

Meanwhile, let us give Him the glory due to His marvelous name right now while we have life!

Praise to the LORD God Almighty!