Category Archives: The Loft

The Loft – Best Practical Tips

The topic this week at The Loft (Graphic by Kerry Messer)  (Click HERE and you will be directed to The Loft.) the-loftis Best Practical Tips. And, of course, as good Christian Girls we should offer some wondrous spiritual insight, right? We could hope! Yet I have learned holy advice does not always have to be without humor.

She’s 84. She’s in my Sunday School class. She’s beautiful. She’s funny. She is a saint for sure! And when asked by some younger woman, looking back what would she do differently; she replied, “I’d put more lotion on my neck.” 

I love it, I love it, I love it! 

How do I get holy out of that? A couple of ways, I think. 

One. I have recently learned that taking care of this temple in which the Holy Spirit of GOD resides is a holy matter. It really does matter to ABBA what we eat, how much we exercise, how much we sleep, and much more. These things are a huge contributor to our physical, emotional and even our spiritual well-being. And as long as we are still breathing earth’s oxygen, it’s not too late to start making better choices about food, exercise, sleep, etc. Individual as we are GOD has a plan for each of us, even when we are 84 years young.  Maintaining the temple, particularly physically, is not complicated; it’s just hard. For most of us – for sure there are some exceptions – it’s eat less, move more.

But back to necks and lotion and my second reason.

Two. Necks turn our heads, do they not? Necks can be stiff, unbending, and that is not a desirable state is it? 

2 Chronicles 36:13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel.
Psalm 75:5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
Jeremiah 17:23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.  via BibleGateway – Quick search: stiff neck.

More lotion on my neck. Oh yeah! That is holy advice for sure. The lotion (shall we say oil) of The Word of GOD applied by His HOLY SPIRIT to our necks will mightily improve our ‘looks’; will make our necks pliable, bendable to the Will of our Father. Oh yeah! that’s some practical, holy advice if I ever heard any! 

:)

Day 266 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie

Pot Luck

the-loft

At The Loft.   (Graphic by Kerry Messer
Some delicious writing and pictures are being served. Please click the pic for a taste and perhaps a feast for your soul.

As Leah wrote, pot luck here in the south can be described this way: When my home girls get together for a pot luck meal, no one asks, ‘what do you want me to bring’. Everyone knows it is true pot luck…bring whatever lights your fire. If we have all desserts and no veggies, well, what a tragedy!!

What is lighting my fire today? Hmm. 

Well … no that one might not be tasty?  Lets see, nah! for that one I might be lacking some ingredients. And this one — well, that one is not perfected for public consumption yet. Excuse my discussion with myself. :)

I might have such a conversation with me as I consider a Pot Luck dish to prepare. Perhaps I should have such a conversation before I serve up a piece of mind too. :)

So what is in the pantry of my soul? 

Psalm 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. via Ps 119:11 ESV;CJB – I have stored up your word in my heart, – Bible Gateway.

Oh I hope I have stored away enough to pull out a morsel at a moment’s notice to serve up an edifying dish for a sister or brother. 

4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” via Luke 4:3-5 NASB;CJB – And the devil said to Him, “If You – Bible Gateway.
29 Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it. via Ephesians 4:28-30 AMP;CJB – Let the thief steal no more, but rather – Bible Gateway.

 And don’t be afraid to try something new, when that wild idea comes to mind, line it up with Scripture and if it fits — go for it!  Works with cooking too. pesto chicken and applesSautéed these apples along with the chicken in a little grape-seed oil, added a little cinnamon and a hint of Stevia for sweetness to the apples, topped the chicken with my best batch of pesto yet — it was yummy! 

And that’s my Pot Luck serving at The Loft and here at The White Stone.

Happy feasting!!

Day 252 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie

Fighter Verses

Our visit to The Loftthe-loft (just click the pic to the right to be directed there) this week is for Fighter Verses. The Bible is full of them but there was a time when one verse held the key to my sanity and enabled me to trust God – without this verse I would have surely sat down hard.

Graphic by Kerry Messer

 Psalm 145:17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. via Ps 145:17-18 NASB;CJB – The LORD is righteous in all His ways – Bible Gateway.

It enabled me to trust Him through disappointments, unfair treatment, the abandonment of ones loved, slim finances, and sickness,  — just to name a few.

Remembering He is always right and He is always kind will get you through it all.  I recently heard it phrased this way: God is always good and I am always loved.

That works too. Always.   :)

Day 246 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie