Category Archives: 2022

Testifying

A quick personal testimony to you. 

This is a special year for me; I can tell it already. 
It’s the year to think before I start and when I start to finish – projects I mean. 
To choose projects wisely. Are they worthy of completion? Do you have the means to complete them?
These are questions I am asking myself. 
There’s a Biblical foundation for this. Really.  Luke 14:28-30

I hesitate to call it a project but for purposes here I am. 
Reading a prescribed Chapter of Scripture daily. 
It’s revolutionizing my understanding and my love for GOD’s Word!
The people on the pages live, walk, breathe and teach me! 

It’s a marvelous journey. 

If you are reading this from a desktop, laptop to your right is a sidebar (yes that’s what WordPress calls it).
Presently it reads this way:

January 16-22, 2022
Weekly Planner Reading
Sunday/ Mark 5.
Monday/ Mark 6.
Tuesday/ Mark 7.
Wednesday/ Mark 8.
Thursday/ Mark 9.
Friday/ Mark 10.
Saturday/ Mark 11.

This is my third week using this system in my 2022 planner.
Now, using a planner is new to me because I am a limited planner and scheduling?  Are you kidding?
Many days will be blank BUT the chapters listed at the top oh I am sold on them! 


You see today I am reading Mark 6. And because I read Matthew 3 and Matthew 4 last week when I read verse 12 today a light bulb appeared!

Scripture reading.
My testimony to you today is other than praying there isn’t a better thing you can do for yourself all day than reading Scripture! 

Mark 6:12.   Matthew 3:2    Matthew 4:17 
Check it out for yourself.

And you know if you don’t have such a planner for prescribed chapter reading – you can use the sidebar information and read along with me if you like. 
I’d be pleased and honored to have you along with me this year. 

Just Keep It Up!

Mark 5

A well familiar verse with Christians, right? 
I hope I can adequately show you in Mark 5 how well it is demonstrated. 
Mark 5 says of the woman:

27 
She had heard about Yeshua, so she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his robe; 
28 for she said, “If I touch even his clothes, I will be healed.”
29 Instantly the hemorrhaging stopped, and she felt in her body that she had been healed from the disease.  source

Do you see the progression? 

She HEARD about Yeshua and she BELIEVED what she heard. That’s FAITH.
But that was not enough for her — it should not be for us either.
She ACTED on what she heard; she acted on her faith. That’s TRUST. 
She got out of the house (which I have been told was forbidden for her to do – she was considered unclean).
She got out of the house anyway and went looking for JESUS because she heard He was nearby. 
When we hear JESUS nearby, we need to seek Him out immediately! 

Jarius was the same. Look with me.
22 There came to him a synagogue official, Ya’ir [Jarius] by name, who fell at his feet
23 and pleaded desperately with him, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please! Come and lay your hands on her, so that she will get well and live!”  source 
The man had heard, the man believed and because of his belief, he came looking for JESUS. 
And The LORD rewarded him!
If you go to Verse 35 you will see the word is brought to Jarius that his daughter is dead and he is ‘counseled’ to stop bothering JESUS with it — she’s dead. 
What does JESUS say to Jarius?
36 Ignoring what they had said, Yeshua told the synagogue official, “Don’t be afraid, just keep trusting.” source 

Just keep on TRUSTING!
And he did! 
If you read more you will find the unbelievers were not allowed to see JESUS raise the daughter from the dead. 
Their unbelief caused them to be shut out of the room.
I don’t want that ever! Do you? 

Father, there is a lot I have left unwritten; more parallels I see and could draw but I think I shall not for now. I am asking You, Holy Spirit, to bring Your Word alive for my Readers. Turn the LIGHT of understanding on brightly for them  –  it will mean so much more and give them so much more delight if You point out those parallels – those I see and those I have missed. Thank You for Your WORD – alive, nourishing, and beautiful to us! 

And, Father, I don’t know the requests, the cries, or the needs of my Readers here but You do and so I bring them before Your Throne of Grace and I ask You in the Merits of Your Son, our LORD JESUS to attend each and every one. Amen and amen.

Strokes on a Word Canvas

I wish I could write something funny. 
Something that would make you smile or even laugh out loud. 
I don’t do that much — wish I could.

I mean there are funny and wonderful things left in this world. Like when our great-grand comes to visit. 
The sound of his little feet either coming or going on the floor of the hall. I smile just thinking about it. 
Or his absolute delight to give a dog biscuit to Sara who eagerly receives every touch of loving he gives her. 
The moments we spend watching birds and squirrels from the window seat – it’s one of his favorite places here. 

Friends who call just because they care.
Silly jokes made funny simply because he said it. 
Sunrises. 
Sunsets.
Bright moon nights.
A chicken sandwich and french fries eaten side by side sitting cross-legged in the back of the SUV, watching people watch us as they drive through a local parking lot.
Now that’s funny!

If you’ve never done it. I hope you will give it a try.
A burger and fries will work just as well as chicken. :)

Sowing seeds in the garden box, waiting for sprouts. 
Music and snuggles on the couch.

Family. People. Creation’s beauty.
These are the things we have left. 
And most days they help us smile in spite of what is. 

Don’t be One of Them

Matthew 4

So much! Where do I even begin and just think I see only a tiny portion of what is there! 

Over and over in this chapter, I see an enlightening glimpse of the love JESUS has for us. 
Just think of it! The GOD of the Universe, The Creator of it all HUMBLED Himself becoming a MAN to die on an execution stake!  See Philippians 2:8.

Why? 
Because that was the ONLY way to SAVE us from our sins, hell, death, and the grave. 

This gets me!

Verses 3 – 10

The SCUMBAG of the Universe shows up. (And scumbag is way beyond non-descriptive of his evilness.)

 The Tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, order these stones to become bread.” source 

The GOD of the Universe lowered Himself, allowed Himself to take on a human body with its limitations, moreover even to hear the voice of and even interact with that vile scumbag, even to be in his loathsome presence and put up with the proud arrogance of this personification of evil. 
WHY?
Why would He do that?
Only one reason!
It had to be done in order to save wretched people like you and me! 

O the love of GOD for us!!!

And as you read the chapter, please take note of verse 17. JESUS proclaimed the same message as did John. 

17 From that time on, Yeshua began proclaiming, “Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!”  source 

What does this mean the Kingdom of Heaven is near? 

My simple understanding of it today is when any human hears Holy Spirit speaking; when He confirms to a human – you are undone, you are a sinner in need of the Savior. Turn FROM your sins and TURN TO ME.

When a person knows that they know, and they don’t even know how they know, they just know they know. And what do they know? They know they need to be forgiven and JESUS is the only One who can forgive them, THEN The Kingdom of Heaven has come near them in that moment. 
They do not need to let that Holy Opportunity pass them by! 

Don’t be one of them!

We have the GOD-given Right to LIVE RIGHT in this WRONG world.