Monthly Archives: November 2021

2021, Pictures, Thanksgiving 2021

A Hint of Red

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The smell of rain and a hint of red is bringing on my thanks.

Peace
Contentment
Without a doubt, gifts to be treasured.
Yet by no amount of striving do we earn them, GOD bestows them, that we may gladly receive.

Such is this day, Today.

The morning was graced with fellowship sweet — two younger sisters of faith, our Bibles open, paper and pens and so there we were each poised to learn. 
Our lunch was waiting on the counter warm since with them it had arrived – meat and potatoes, I added soft wheat bread on the side. 
Yum and yummy, all satisfied; every dish washed to air dry — oh no it can’t be that time – not necessary adieus so soon.

Two lawn chairs he did place under the back stoop roof
for a little smell of rain and a hint of red.

 

 

 

2021, Salvation, Thanksgiving 2021

Whatcha Say?

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For what am I giving thanks today? 
November 18 is my re-birth birthday!

It’s been decades! But I remember it well; down to the date, the place, and the hour. 
The labor was long and painful but JESUS won and HE saved me from hell and birthed me into His Kingdom and has been transforming me since.
That too has been long and painful — for both of us. 
I know He finds no pleasure in my struggles, my refusals, and all things that hinder my transformation from darkness to His Image. (see Romans 8:28-30 and More HERE.) 
I know He hurts when I hurt and I know He loves me ALWAYS. 
I also know He is ALWAYS good; that He NEVER has a dark side. 
And it is these facts very much in evidence that keep me safe and yes sound. 

There is a Gospel on the market; being sold at a cheap price — It’s not the real thing.
I hope none of you have bought into it. 

The cheap Gospel gives the impression that we are doing GOD a favor by saying the sinner’s prayer and letting Him into our hearts. 
It’s promoted as simple as A B C or 1 2 3.  Not so. 

Salvation is a Damascus Road experience.   Acts 9
Damascus Roads vary from person to person but all come at a Cross Road; a point of CRISIS. 
Read your Bible. No soul saved by GOD ALMIGHTY came to Him flippantly or nonchalantly. 
It was serious. They were desperate. They were undone. 
They knew they were of unclean lips and desperately wicked in need of forgiveness and deliverance. (See Isaiah 6:5-9 and Jeremiah 17:9)

I knew that too.  But I only came to know the HEALER of my unclean, desperately wicked soul, when HOLY SPIRIT convinced me of sin, of Righteousness and Judgment to come. (See John 16:8 and John 6:44).

It’s hard to admit to yourself and agree with GOD that you are a hell-deserving sinner.
It’s so hard without the help of HOLY SPIRIT it can’t be done. 
So when HE offers, people need to say YES. 
The offer does have an expiration day. (See Genesis 6:3 – He told us early on. And Hebrews 9:27-28).

Salvation begins with conviction and repentance. 
This present culture has a skewed understanding of sin and repentance. 
Sin is missing the mark of perfection. Perfect obedience to Thus Saith The LORD.
In other words: HOLINESS.

We are commanded by GOD to be HOLY.  (see 1 Peter 1:16)
How are you holding up? 
Without hesitation or reservation, I can tell ya, not good! 

Only JESUS lived on this planet without messing up even once. 

So now what?
Whatcha going to do with your sin, with your lack of HOLINESS? 

Deny it? Or confess it? 

You see Repentance means ‘to change your mind’.
Repentance comes when we think, we believe, we say the same about our sin as GOD says about our sin.

Do you know what GOD says about your sin?
Do you care?

Whatcha say? 

2021, Philippians, Thanksgiving 2021

STOP!

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OFF buttons. 
Yes. I am thankful for OFF buttons. 

24/7 media outlets spin and stream BUT the OFF button silences them all when we use it. 

And then I thought how many other things in my life have OFF buttons? 
With Holy Spirit’s help, even our minds have switches we can flip – much akin to an OFF button.
I say that because I think my mind never truly shuts off :) but I can redirect it into a more wholesome direction.
So can you.

So, when an avenue of thought begins to stream and the Holy One alerts us; yes, we can flip the switch. We can say STOP to that train. 
And it’s been my experience (with practice) that train stops and a new rail of thought will open. 
Yes. I am grateful. Very grateful for this holy gift of STOP. 

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. source

But let’s be real, let’s be honest here. Verse 8 is not easy to do just off the cuff without practice. 
However, we are not left without Help and Instruction. Check out HERE verses 4-7.
These verses believed and obeyed will give us real help living verse 8; real help saying STOP to those unruly and not so nice thought trains all too ready to run on our mind rails.