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Shepherd

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What would it be to be sheep with no shepherd?

16 Then he said, “I saw all Isra’el scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd; . . . [source]

Today, I gathered with a few friends and we took a closer look at Psalm 23. David penned: The LORD is my shepherd. We noted he said MY shepherd. David the shepherd had a Shepherd. [source]

David must have had an unmistakable understanding of what it meant to be a sheep and a shepherd. All he had to do was observe his very own sheep to identify with them. Their propensity to wander; their timidity of quick-moving water; their desperate need for a safe pasture to feed on; their many enemies, those without and those seeking to get inside their heads. And then to equate his own love and tender care of his sheep as their shepherd to The Shepherd Who loved and cared for him. The LORD is MY Shepherd he said. He understood! (I highly recommend the book A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller.)

In Keller’s book he parallels sheep and people sheep in fears, head strong temperaments, mortal enemies, parasites, wanderlust, feeding requirements; the whole gamut of what it means to be sheep and Shepherd.

As you now read Psalm 23 read it with two avenues in mine. The Sheep who follow The Shepherd and the soul who doesn’t.
ABBA, show each of us clearly The Shepherd Who loves the sheep and we the sheep who desperately need the Shepherd. HOLY SPIRIT, seriously for each one that reads Psalm 23, I ask You to vividly reveal The Shepherd Who loves the sheep and the ways of we the sheep that make it so necessary for us to have The Shepherd, shepherd us. Amen and amen. 

Psalm 23 (CJB)

 (0) A psalm of David: (1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.

2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

 See you Next Time ~ ~ ~ The LORD willing and the Church don’t rise, Kathie 

Below are two links to the podcasts we watched today. Each is nearly 30 minutes.

Part 1 of 2

Part 2 of 2

Christian Living, You Tubes

LIGHT

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Early in the morning I will celebrate the Light. 

Lyrics to a song. Good counsel. 

Early in the morning, I will awaken and celebrate the LIGHT. 
Celebrate that again I have awaken. Awaken to the light, awaken to the LIGHT Who made the light. Awaken to the LIGHT Who brought me from Darkness to celebrate in the light with the LIGHT.

And if you know this is more than a play on words, and you got this LIGHT that made light, that’s good. Very good! :)

Early in the morning or late in the evening, I will celebrate the LIGHT.
I like this. :)

12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”  [source]

Until Next Time, LORD willing and the Church don’t rise ~ ~ ~Kathie
The Loft

Strong Women – The LOFT

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Mentors.

Graphic by Kerry Messer  
The Loft: A weekly Hangout and Link Up for Christian bloggersThis week’s subject at the LOFT. Mentors mentoring. It’s a holy calling. Perhaps mentoring looks a little different than it did a few decades ago.  Perhaps we are modeling different skills than we once did. But I am hoping the values are the same.

3 Likewise, tell the older women to behave the way people leading a holy life should. They shouldn’t be slanderers or slaves to excessive drinking. They should teach what is good, 4 thus training the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to take good care of their homes and submit to their husbands. In this way, God’s message will not be brought into disgrace.  [source]

My Little Girl’s Face Book cover pic is a reflection of her mentoring, the mentoring she has received and the mentoring she gives. In a Biblical frame, which is the frame she intends, it is excellent. It reads this way: Strong women. May we know them. May we raise them. May we be them.
(She captured it from All Inspired Boutique) 

Perhaps you have guessed, Little Girl has a flavoring of feminism.  It’s bolder than mine. Were it not so that her strong woman covering is rooted in Scripture, I’d worry; but Little Girl has learned to own her weaknesses and to take them to the ONE in Whom there is no weakness. I hope she learned that from me. :)

Many women of her generation are not keepers at home; all the more reason for us to mentor them to be keepers of their homes. To help them be strong women active in their homes, even if someone else runs the vacuum and scrubs the toilet, strong godly women purpose themselves to keep their homes clean of filth. They need us older women to model how. I hope I have and I hope we all keeping doing so. Here’s how.

Ephesians 5  (KJV)

5 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

The giving of thanks.

So simple. To know strong godly women, raise strong godly women and be strong godly women we just need a thankful heart given voice with thankful words, helping hands and steady feet – this is the best filth chaser I know!

Lets mentor!

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie