LISTEN MORE!

 LISTEN MORE......

.......but discriminate when necessary!

Often many reels that come through on one's phone can be a waste of time. Instagram can lead one down rabbit trails. 

Look to God's Word to verify

Identify truth through Scripture

Summarize revelations

Take away fewest so as not to overwhelm

Embrace relevant parts

Nurture others with pertinent truths 

Some on-line pastor's spout self-serving messages.

Not this one. Consider words by each pastor to know his source. 

Listen closely and decide.

Pay attention to TRUTH! Truly Listen to Truth!

ALL PATHS!

A picture can be worth a thousand words---thus this post.

A great "Saturday Short" for one who has been camped in Psalm 25.

I would give credit for this photo but I have no idea where or when I found it. Obviously it was during a warmer time!

TTT---SO IMPORTANT!

TTT........Trust the Truth!

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when your rise. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

AMEN!

"When our children are ignorant of the past, they will have no hope for the future. (Warren Wiersbe, p.391)

TRUTH TRUMPS!

Festivals reign in the summer months in America. Music. Wine. Cherry blossom. Mystic. Beale Street.

Our word is filled with cultural ideology and belief. People certainly think differently---often wanting to state ideas and opinions as truth.  

This year a festival of IDEAS is being held in Aspen, CO this very week.

I am not opposed to ideas, beliefs or opinions. 

I certainly have plenty. But.......one needs to be careful that opinions don't blur the truth.

And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

Sanctify them by thy truth; thy word is truth. (John 17:17)

The Lord is near to those who call upon him; to all who call upon him in truth. (Psalm 145:18)

Truth Trumps!

SERMON ON A SIGN!

Sermon on a Sign.......more than just words in passing!

Heart Grabbing! Pithy with a punch!

A sermon message in a few choice words.....backed up by Scripture & found by Aubrey and Gayle on a road in MS.

Rather train yourself for righteousness (1 Timothy 4:7b)

Resist the devil. (James 4:7)

....what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Thanks Goodman Oaks Church of Christ for boldly sharing God's truth on your church sign!

WORD PLAY!

Word Play or Play on Words.

Wordsmiths love words. That's a given. Many are also given to playing with words. 

Bananagrams. Boggle. Crosswords, Scrabble. Whirly Word. Words with Friends. (Alphabetized for your convenience)

And oh yea, these days...WORDLE.

Pandemic/ COVID words could qualify for their own dictionary---social-distancing, super spreader and mask-up stand out to me.

Words I saw or heard this past week---Blursday. Flightmare. Staycation.  Stagflation, a period of sluggish economic growth with high inflation....need I say more.

Words so new that auto correct puts a line of red dots under them.

What about the latest craze..........cultural creations. These words come and go based on the "Hot Mess" circumstances in the world.

Trending Now? Too many to recount and most misunderstood by me. Sentient, however is a word used by a google tech man that caused him to lose his job. AI, artificial intelligence, is able to feel, hear, see, smell or taste.

Only God's Word allows me to perceive (sentient) truth as I, by His Spirit, can "taste and see" that the Lord is good: blessed is the man  who trusts in Him. (Psalm 34:8) 

Allow God's Words to play in your mind by the guidance of the Holy Spirit---they will become the joy and delight of your heart. (Jeremiah 15:16)

FAREWELL TO A FRIEND.....

Farewell.....for now. Too many tears to type at the moment....but I will return when I can fully honor her!! 

I feel as If I have lost a part of myself. 

Tuesday Truths. 24 hours since I heard the news. A roller coaster of emotions. A "walking in fog" of sorts. "Sadness and joy all mixed together" as one of her sons recounted. 

May I not forget truth and become overwhelmed by my sorrow. Sorrow is not the only reality there is. 

God's word in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us that there is a time and a season for everything. Grief is one of those seasons. This time yesterday I began such a season when I learned of Ann's passing.

"A time to keep silent." (Ecclesiastes 3:7) I knew my inner spring would come from solitude. Time with the Lord and in His word. Time to drink it in. 

Joy is hidden in sorrow. (Henri Nouwen, my Bible marginalia) I need to remember truth and not be overwhelmed by my own sorrow. May my sadness be fertile ground for truth of God's ever presence. His strength. His consolation. 

May I not lose sight of the joy of the Lord because I have lost her. God Himself used Ann so many times in my own life to see His goodness. (Psalm 27:13) Today may the LORD loose my sackcloth and clothe me with gladness. Turn my mourning into dancing once again. (Psalm 30:11, paraphrased) 

There is a time to dance. (Ecclesiastes 3:4) This is such a time. 

Lord, I ask You to be my choreographer once again as this unique dance of loss has me stumbling. (Psalm 37:24) I know you hold me because you now hold Ann. She has been a friend who has loved me well at all times. So....I must sing your praise (even if off key) and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever (Psalm 30:12).........for my deep and abiding friendship with Ann.

Annabelle, Mamaw, Mommabelle, Mrs. Martin. 

Ann----my mentor, my Proffitt's shopping guide for funeral attire, my grandson's school supporter, my water aerobics pal, my scrabble hero, my New Year's Eve game winner, my favorite cook, my tea brewer, my sidekick, my travel chum and my dear, dear dog-loving friend for 20+ years!

Thx Ethel, an angel of a caregiver, for this pic!

Oct. 2,  I was with Ann as she had her lunch. (It would be the last "real" conversation I had with her as COVID complications sent her to the hospital in the wee hours the next morning.) 

As she ate her dessert, her fave part of any meal, I told her it was "her" Dotsy behind the mask and when I pulled it back for her peek, she said, "No it's not! It's an angel." I'll take that. 

We all need to be angels for each other. She certainly has been there for me.

A fond farewell to Ann today. Farewell filled with sweet memories knowing she is with the LORD!

TRUTH: A NEW YORK TIMES LIST

Sharing papers is a Longreen tradition---at least with my north and south neighbors. It's the way I have the Sunday "NYTimes Book Review" to peruse. It's worth the wait.

Today as I settled with my morning cuppa and the "Times," I discovered a "kid's section." Who knew! ("Tongue in cheek" Editors' note: This section is not to be read  by Grown-ups.") 

Apart from games, maps, hat making, instructions, recipes and writing contests the entire back page listed 19 "The truth is kids....."

Examples: ....kids don't let differences divide them; .....kids bring people together; kids appreciate a good story; .....kids can handle the truth.

As one who appreciates even numbers, I would have added----Kids must know truth in order to handle the truth accurately as #20! (2 Timothy 2:15)

The sum of God's Word is truth. (Psalm 119:160) It all adds up and would be a worthy addition to the NYTimes truth list.

CHOOSE: GOD'S WORD

All. 

Three little letters. An adjective indicating the entire quantity. The all of the all.

Then God spoke all these words. (Exodus 20:1) 

That sentence,"Then God spoke all these words," preceded the 10 Commandments. (Exodus 20: 2-17)--- a foundation for us---both as a spiritual basis for our lives as well as moral and ethical basis for our conduct.

A paraphrase of the first commandment sums up the basis for all the commandments to me...... 

above all else, love God alone.

Whether one's Bible is large or small, the words therein are all God's word.

Open it to find that all of them are the basis for all truth!

I choose all of God's word for the foundation of my faith.

CHOOSE: SHARING GOD'S TRUTH

One is never to old to share truth from God's Word. I know because I have watched Miss Jean do it for the last 2 years and she is 20 years older than I. But.....what an inspiration she is to so many of us!

How special it is to share truth with young people through God's word, skits, sign language, crafts, games, music, art, science and puppets........

.....and even trading cards!

• God made you. (Psalm 139:14)
• God is for you. (Romans 8:31)
• God is always with you. (Joshua 1:9)
• God will always love you. (Psalm 89:2)
• God made you for a reason. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Choosing to share God's truth was important, meaningful and altogether FUN.

CHOOSE: TRUTH AGAIN AND AGAIN.

Choose truth again, is a merger of Monday's 4/17/17 "Choose: Truth" entry and "Choose: Not to Choose "  3/28/17 entry. An important revisit because all folks need to be able to distinguish---between GOD'S TRUTH & HOGWASH.

It's only a "little" sin----one that doesn't really count.  (Hogwash)

(1 John 3:4) Sin is sin, regardless of a man's perceived "size." God grades sin by the cross, not on a sliding scale or a curve. (Romans 3:23)

No one will ever know. (Hogwash)
Our sins are not hidden from God. (Psalm 69:5)

Going to church will make me a Christian. (Hogwash)
It might help you hear truth that leads one to salvation but church attendance does not guarantee an entrance into heaven. (June 14:6)

I can do it MYSELF! (Hogwash)
Sounds like a two -year-old, doesn't it? Self-reliance is a dead end street. Humankind needs God and each other. Others whom they can trust. (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)

God helps those who help themselves is in the Bible. (Hogwash)
No it's not.
God is our very present help---we can depend on Him. (Psalm 46:1)

If one prays hard enough and often enough God will give them whatever they want. (Hogwash)
God is not an ATM machine or a cure-all. He will more likely give what we need rather than what we think we want. That's NOT a  prayer based on a relationship aligned with the Lord's will. (1 John 5:14)

Money is the root of all evil---Baloney! (aka Hogwash)
It's the love of money and greed that is the sin problem! (1 Timothy 6:10)

Only good & perfect people will go to heaven. (Hogwash)
God's standard is not perfection for humans. One could never be good enough apart from the blood of Jesus.(Romans10:9-10)
CHOOSE TRUTH, not Hogwash.....it's an important choice!

SaveSave

TEA-lightfully clear----or NOT!

TEA-lightfully clear----Certainly that blog entry was NOT clear.

I can see clearly now---thanks to some help from blog readers with younger eyes. Clean NOT clear is what they read.
How right they were----Tea-Rightfully "clean" is what was written on the bottle of "refreshing shampoo from tea tree essence."

But God.....showed me a whole new idea for TEA-lightfully clean! 
Seeing truth in God's word is predicated by a clean heart. It's the only way to clearly see the truth from His word. And it's God who gives that clean heart. (Psalm 51:10) which renews a right spirit allowing clarity of seeing and hearing from Him.

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7)
TEA-lightfully clean heart leads to TEA-lightfully clear truth. 
Clean and clear---a spiritual duo.  

T.R.U.T.H.

These days there are many definitions for the word truth. People tend to hide truth or bend truth to suit their own needs. (Think more opinion than truth or possibly void of real truth) Most Urban Dictionary definitions of truth were profane, including lewd words for bodily functions or vodka injections, except for one contributor, Matt-the-Jesus-Follower. Truth stares us in the face but we look away, terrified to make eye contact with something that judges our actions and lives.

Vines' Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words offered the Greek, αλήθεια, using truth objectively as a noun. A noun which signifies the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of matter. What you see on the outside is a true reflection of it's basis.

The truth of God is the reality of who He is---whose existence is a verity.

So.....as I prepare to teach truth, I need to simplify and just go back to Him, the One who is Truth, to supply the understanding I need. (John 14:6)
As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth. (Daniel 9:13)

T.R.U.T.H. My simple definition,
a pithy acronym that suits me.

T eaches

R ighteous
U nderstanding
T hrough

H im 

FORAGERS

Foodies search far and wide for the "best food." Brooklyn offers a plethora of restaurants, diners, food trucks, open air cafes and even grocery stores for said foodies. We found such a grocery store in DUMBO, (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) near Brooklyn Bridge Park, Foragers.

With the BEST house roast beef on ciabatta for Pop Pop and a baked bialy for Lucy, we had a bench picnic at the park before going to ride Jane's carousel.

With Josh and Megan as our guides, we have been foragers, searching all of Brooklyn for unique food. Seek and ye shall find---especially with a good guide. Fresh oysters with mignonette, blue crab rolls, lobster potato salad and the BEST EVER crabcakes served with pickled corn and arugula. YUM! All of that was just at one place, Brooklyn Crab, in the Red Hook area.

Believers are also foragers when they seek truth and are willing to search the entire word of God---wide and deep. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

One "kids" himself when he says he wants to "find" truth and yet does not bother to study the whole word of God. Not just picking and choosing out of context, making God's word say what one wants it to say. A pretense. Pretending he/she wants to be led to truth but not bothering to truly seek that guidance.

Spiritual fodder. Fodder for the soul. Feeding truth to one's innermost being. (John 17:17)

DOORWAYS

9/27/11 "Keep evil at bay TODAY," was a thought bantered around at H2H last week. Sounds easy enough but when it comes to making right choices in a fallen world, not always so easy---especially those kudzu thoughts. They start with just a simple crack in the doorway to your mind. Soon they take over. So what's one to do?

Erect a wall of faith. Brick by brick. Cemented with God's word. Similar to Isaiah 28:13 when Isaiah built his hearer's knowledge of God's truth "precept upon precept, line upon line" in order that they might not have to fall backwards, be broken or snared. Which is sadly what happened when they didn't build on simple truths. Their wall of faith crumbled. Where was the cornerstone of their faith? (Isaiah 28:16) Eventually the cornerstone of their faith was rejected. (Psalm 118:22) Theirs was not a stable edifice. They opened the door to deceit and closed their ears to righteousness.

An open doorway to an unrighteous mind can start with just a toehold of complaint, bitterness, resentment or anger.

Simple two point answer of what one is to do: build a wall of faith through the study of God's word; don't open the doorway to your mind to impure thoughts. Stop them at the threshold. If it opens slam the door loud and clear with the truth of Scripture.