BENEFITS OF BELONGING!

Fellowship aka Christian community is the bond of believers! 

It is belonging. Daily. Weekly. Spontaneously. A time to reconnect and rekindle because of "whose" we are.

Believers have taken off the old self, aka corrupt and deceitful life (Ephesians 4:22) and put on the new self which is true righteousness and holiness which is a bond of belonging.(Ephesians 4:24)

According to Taylor Park, those who "take off the old but don't clothe themselves in the new are like a naked Pharisee." Think hypocrite!

True believers who have put on the new self have that incredibly deep bond of fellowship! His love which binds everything together...(Colossians 3:14)

Coming together informally, zooming or in face to face worship is always a celebration because it is done "In His Name!" 

Fellowship is belonging in Christ.....therefore do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

MEMORIAL DAY 2023

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

            Unity without required uniformity

LAND OF THE FREE!!

            So in need of God's Presence

ONE NATION UNDER GOD!!!

            My umbrella of protection---no where else I had rather be

FRIDAY FOCUS!

Simplicity of song heard this Friday morning was an "open invitation," of sorts to turn my eyes upon Jesus..... to FOCUS FULLY on HIM!

Just click and listen. .....for only a minute and a half to begin your focus.

Be still.....(Psalm 46:10

Fix your eyes upon Jesus........through song, meditation and prayer.

Look to Him.......in quietness and trust.(Isaiah 30:15)

Gaze on God. Glance at all else.

REFOCUS

Consider....opening His Word. (Hebrew 12:3)

Examine..focus on the fact that God is present & speaks to us as we read His Word. (Psalm 119:105)

Inspect...words you hear/read on line...Beware of false prophets

Seek...Him first. (Matthew 6:33)

Thank God in everything! (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Focus on Him......not self!  A great Friday Focus!!

MUST BE

MUST BEs of LIFE.

Lester Holt or Nora MacDonald said it on the Nightly News. Jane Pauley, all dressed up, reported it on CBS Sunday Morning. So, it "must be" true! 

NOT! 

So NOT!! NOT So!!! Whatever phrase you use.

Where then does one find things in life that must be true in his/her own life?

Here's my list gained from recent Luke 14:25-35 sermon at Allen Bible Church.

1. My relationship with Jesus must be unrivaled as I prioritize my affections.
2. I count the cost of being His. Others must be able to see my unquestionable decision.
3. I must be undistracted in my orientation and direction as I grow in my faith.

I gain truth from the Bible. Truths, often emphasized by godly pastors. Priorities of truth that "must be" evident in Christ followers worldwide.

Think disciple---a learner who embodies what he learns from the truth in God's Word. (Buddy Liles quote)

Discipleship. Must be the "WAY" to go for me, How about You?

BOOKMARKED!

Friend and prayer warrior Carolyn W. has an entire book of quotes. Quotes also reside in her head....probably because she shares them with family/others daily.

I, not so much, I have them scribbled in marginalia in various Bibles or journals.... some barely decipherable as my hands age, others literally bookmarked as they are more current.

• DON'T LET WHAT YOU HAVE (stuff).....HAVE YOU! (Buddy L.)
• ALL THAT YOU ARE AND ALL THAT YOU HAVE IS A GIFT FROM HIM! (Buddy)
• OWN HIS OWNERSHIP OF YOU. (Cole H.)
• GOD ALLOWS WHAT HE HATES TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT HE LOVES. (Joni Eareckson Tada)

Bookmarked---whether in your head, on a page, or in a book, do your best to keep up with "life impacting, quote worthy info."

N.A.P.

I am always up for a nap....or down for....the quick snatch of sleep time.

But this morningI found a better N.A.P.! It was on my laptop screen and I cannot remember the source. Imagine that!!

How blessed it is to be able to give others a Non Anxious Presence in the middle of the storms of their life, your life or both.

Today, may all "busy, hurrying and scurrying" folks heed and N.A.P. knowing God is with; Our Sovereign Lord is in control.

EARS TO HEAR!

Ever had a friend who speaks in italics. Voice inflections control the snippets of thoughts that are important to her. Think "PITHY" in all caps! YOU THINK!.... is what she would say! 

UH, HELLO! REALLY?! That is so-o-o you! IMAGINE THAT! Oops that sounds like me! Pull-eese, I feel like I'm getting surrounded by hyperbole.....then I realize I'm the one doing the talking.

There in lies the problem. Too much talking---NOT enough listening! For me, it's also too much interrupting....way too often! 

Fearfully, it's as if I don't blurt it out right then, I'll forget it. Maybe God wants me to forget it as a way of learning to be patient, to be considerate and to be silent.

Give ear to what God says. Put down your iPhone and truly listen to Him and others. 

Have ears to hear and then respond with words from the heart. 

Addendum--Snippets from Lester Holt's 5/20 Commencement Address at Villanova weere shown on tonight. (NBC's Nightly News) Holt's words were validating to me as he too emphasized,"sometime a little less talking might serve us better...searching for the truth, asking smart questions....listening is short-tripped....listening is more than hearing words;...it's the meaning, the perspective, and the experience of others. Learn to listen with your mouth closed...All that said, we do need your voice. We need your voice to speak for knowledge....we need your voice to speak for justice and truth...civility...and know that not everything requires an instant immediate response. Take a chance; Learn to pause; be silent...... 

FORGIVENESS = CONTENTMENT!

Father forgive my "whine" within. Even when I don't voice it, I know it's there. May it not be!

Today is "Thankful Thursday," a great time to "trash the whine" and give thanks.....in everything! (I Thessalonians 5:18)

May my life manifest the Spirit of God within. 

Contentment ..........Christ in me the hope of glory is seen as I live in the light of His forgiveness!

Thank God I'm Forgiven!.....................

                    not just on Thursday, but everyday!

WORD to SWORD

Word to sword....what makes the difference? Just one letter.

Not an orthographic neighbor which substitutes one letter but the addition of a letter known as affix.....a letter placed at the beginning (pre-fix) or ending (suffix) of a root word to modify the meaning.

Many wordsmith's are crossword, worldle or other word game gurus as words, anything linguistic,  are "their thing." 

Often an additional one letter can change the meaning entirely. 

Think, cab to scab

On the other hand, one letter emphasizing the word by giving it a name.

God's "word" becomes "sword" of the spirit. (Ephesians 6:17)

This past week as I was continuing my meditation on the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6, I saw the word evil in a new light---or more like darkness.

Evil has a name. Add a d. Evil's name is devil. 

Be watchful. The devil is an adversary. The devil prowls. The devil seeks to devour. Resist him. He is not good.(1 Peter 5:8-9)

Who is GOOD? Drop an O to know.

GOD is good. He will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you through His Word. (1 Peter 5:10)

Against the evil wiles of the devil,....

use God's Word as your Sword of defense! 

LORD'S PRAYER #3

Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

(Matthew 6:10, New Heart English Bible)

Stacy Tyson has been giving such insight through his series on the Lord's Prayer. (thebesttimes.com e-version, May 2023, p.21) "God's kingdom is where truth defines reality and the lie has been rejected." Ponder that for awhile. 

Part of the kingdom coming shows a connection of Hallowing His name and His will to be done. The first coming of Jesus brought that kingdom but we still pray this prayer today for God's continued reign in the hearts of His children. His kingdom to come, His will to be done begins with each one of us. Tyson refers to that as "first taking root in us."

Stacy also shares a quote from Dallas Willard that sums up the link between "kingdom come and will be done," as God's effective will where what he prefers is actually what happens."

"In short, when we pray these lines, we are asking that all things be arranged and in line with the with the good and wise purposes of Father God. (Ibid, p.21)

Prayer warrior, JoLynn, ends most all of her prayers of petition with "if it be your will, O Lord" or "according to your good and perfect will."

That's "Thy will be done" in a nutshell.

ETERNAL HOPE!

My HOPE is built on nothing else....is singing in my mind as I type this. A little off-key because it's my voice but the words still resonate truth. Scriptural truth of the  security of one's salvation because of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as his substitutionary atonement for us.

Nothing less....than Jesus blood and righteousness.  

At a recent funeral, I remember Pastor Rob Mullins pithy with a punch comment......

Salvation is not a "hope so" but a "know so" for believers!

Maybe we need to "hope out loud" so others hear of the One who is our eternal hope!

FAITH-FAMILY-FRENDS!!!

Faith. Family. Friends.

What do those three words have in common? 

The funeral of David Reid Manley, an amazing man with a soft heart and a servant's spirit, who would have appreciated Elvis singing "Precious Lord!"

A true celebration of a life-well lived by a PawPaw who loved the Lord first and allowed that love to overflow in service to family and others! 

Many of those who loved him filled the sanctuary. Fellow wood workers, deer hunters, jokesters and furniture movers. Most all of us were clad in Memphis blue to honor David's passion, as a Highland Hundred Tiger Booster. Even his Ole Miss chum.

Pastor Rob Mullins (Crossroads Baptist Church) offered comforting reminders from God's Word to those in attendance.

Remember--   

• God's Presence---Do not fear, I am with you...(Isaiah 41:10)
• God's Promises---For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. 
• God's Peace---We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)
• God's People---I am confident I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13) His wife Nina & the family have seen that goodness from texts, emails, cards and of course, casseroles from the Baptists. (Rob Mullins)

Mr. Manley had such a generous, servant's heart. I know that first hand. I received one of his hand-carved comfort crosses to take with me to Texas for all my cancer surgeries in 2009. What a treasure for me!

David Manley was a John 13:35 man--- all knew he was a disciple of the Lord because he had love for others without ever expecting or needing a thank you.

Certainly faith, family and friends are proof of a life worthy of celebration!

THE LORD'S PRAYER #2

Our Father which art in heaven.....HALLOWED BE THY NAME! That must be the KJV because those word's came to mind as I recited the Lord's Prayer. NET, which Stacy Tyson quotes, translates "Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored."(NET) Holy. (NLV) Sanctified (TLV)P. D. Tripp says this second part of Jesus' model prayer frames everything that prayer is about.....as it reveals how precious the hallowed grace of Jesus is. (New Morning Mercies, May 5)

Tyson also states "be honored" more literally translates in modern terms as, "Let your name be sanctified." (The Best Times, March 2023)

Sanctified? 

Holy and unique. God worthy of reverential respect and awe as there is none like Him. (Psalm 86:8-9)

These days our prayers to our revered, glorified, worthy of praise Lord are the only Hope for the sanctity of our nation and the world.

REFUGE!

Another community is reeling from a mass shooting. This one is close to home---son Buddy's church home....3.4 miles away.

But God.... in His love and mercy has been their rock and strength. 

during this unexpected tragedy. I can only imagine how many would have been even more dismayed had they not seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)

As friend Anne B. shared from her Every Moment Holy Volume II, p. 15, on widespread suffering.....for all to continue to love more generously and spread God's mercy.

Now labor in and through us, O Lord, 

extending and multiplying 

the many expressions of your mercy. 

(Every Moment Holy, p. 15)

An expression of God's refuge right here, right now. 

THE LORD'S PRAYER!

This prayer, from Matthew 6:9-13 is traditionally known as "The Lord's Prayer." Stacy Tyson, Director of Truth Seekers Fellowship, also sees  "The Disciples" Prayer" as an appropriate title. Tyson looks at the pronoun "Our" as a reminder that believers are not alone. We as members of the household of faith are apart of the family of God.

Not only that, but Jesus invites us to address the One True God as Father. An invitation into relationship with Him. Our Heavenly Father.

Paul David Tripp also sees this opening line of Jesus's model prayer as as glorious and encouraging way to begin our prayers (New Morning Mercies, May 4) 

A beautiful prayer beginning for a child of God---to address the Lord as the One who is our Father.

ADDITIONAL ALLITERATIVE AFTERTHOUGHTS

 FROM 

TO 

= not woe is me.......

                    .....but WOW IS HE!

Do you wallow in your own woe of "poor me" pity......

            or bask in the WOW of His goodness and grace! 

Woe or WOW----it's an alliterative choice!

ALLITERATIVE MEDITATION!

OOPS--didn't finish my alliterative meditation in a timely manner to post this entry. Pretend it's still Monday. Nothing new to me---I'm often mixed up on what day it is!

Ad agencies use alliterations to sell products. PayPal. Best Buy. Bed Bath and Beyond.

English prof once told me that alliteration is a "fake literary form" and should not be included in any true work of literature.

Oh well---alliteration resonates with me when I try to recall many Biblical truths. Alliteration helps A.D.D.

Self-serving or Savior-serving? That's today's alliterative question after rereading yesterday's journal jottings. 

It's had me thinking all day. All are called to serve. (Galatians 5:13) Not all serve in the same way or place. But service is a by-product of loving others. Then, why do I, who love others, seem to be serving less and less, but feeling wearier & wearer? 

Some well-meaning folks are telling me I just need a "me" day. Frankly, my dear ones, I don't think so. I think I need a "Thee Day.

"More of Thee and less of me." 

Not alliterative but comparative as the appropriate answer.

"Lean on Lord Jesus"  is the alliterative answer!