GOD IS GOOD!

How does one know our God, the LORD, is Good?

Think: Taste and See! 

Taste every morsel of His word.

Fret not. (Dots) (Hebrew charah - burning or out of sorts over something you cannot change - 

Psalm 37:1, 7-8) 

Magnify the LORD. (Psalm 34:3)

Delight yourself in the LORD, (Psalm 37:4, 23)

God is Good!

There is but one good; That is God. (C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce)

GOSPELICIOUS---ANOTHER TASTE

Gospelicious 

Taste and See the Lord is good!

How does one heightened their taste buds for the gospel message?

Opening her/his Bible might be first step! One word. One verse. One chapter. Whet your appetite for truth. 

For example, entering a candy shop for the first time, one might be overwhelmed at all the choices and appreciate the opportunity to have a taste before deciding what to choose.

For me, I started today in Psalm 34:1. I was "all in" with the very first verse.

It's important to bless the LORD at all times. The whole number of nouns.  Circumstances. (New job or laid off)  Events. (Births to funerals) Healthy or sick. Weary or energized. 

At least each truth has merit for understanding the Christian life.

(v. 4) The LORD delivers from all my fear.

A meager beginning---think small taste---but I already see that God is good! (v.8) 

A delicious taste of truth! Gospelicious!

FAITHFUL FRIENDS!

When life has been bumpy and one needs to trust His leading, trust can provide the answer! Sunday was such a time for me! A deliverance from fear of all the "what ifs" in life. A boost of new life provided by Him, through them.....Larry and Marge! We headed down Highland Rd. past Lick-Skillet thru curvy, steep mountain roads bringing tasty treats to share....but received much more! 

From the familiar tingle of patio wind chimes of the patio to the gamiliar gospel music as we walked thru the front door.

It felt like going home! Home to family, though not through physical blood, but true relationship through the blood of Christ for many years. It was Psalm 34 in action. God reunited hubby and me with a godly couple whom He has given long life. (very soon to be 97 for him & 95 for her) (Psalm 34:11-12, Proverbs 3:1-3 )

God's goodness to them has been obvious and they have passed it on. Praise to the LORD has continued as their souls boast in Him. (Psalm 34:1)

They have magnified the LORD and exalted His name together for as long as we have known them. (Psalm 34:3)

Through the years, they have given godly wisdom that has blessed us beyond measure.

Their door is always open whether in the mountains or in Florida.

Even as we left with hugs and teary-eyes they gave us their typical bell ringing send-off reminding us to return. Unable to upload that video yet.

A full long life of wisdom shared that afternoon, reminded me to turn to the Lord as my refuge and enjoy a worry-free life! I smiled all the way back down that curvy mountainous road to reality with renewed faith!

WISDOM WALKS! WOW!

As one ages, walking is good medicine, whether one feels like it or not!

Walking can be a path to life with Him. Leaving one's mental checklist behind and focusing on His Presence! 

Last week as Hubby and I walked in much stillness we saw the path anew. Blue skies emphasized the first of the mountain laurel blooms hanging over the creek!

The path itself  was filled with bunches of butterflies.

Blue-spotted purples, a hubby ID.  Tiger Swallowtails. One Monarch that would never land. Even they, seeking moisture and sweet nectar, seemed to dance as if they too could "taste and see" that God's provision is good!

TASTY JOY!

Tasty Joy! 

That's what Day 3 in 12 'days til Christmas brought me via "my" Molly! 

Yes....I know it's Day 6 but I'm way behind & still trying to catch up.

Regardless, it was great way to begin my day......Bible open on my lap and Ghirardelli in my unbandaged left hand.......a "CHOCOLATE DAY" ---so I can eat it!

YUMMY JOY! 

THANKFUL THURSDAY!

WOW! What an auspicious beginning to may day!!

So concerned (not worried, that sounds like SIN).....but this morning I questioned if I had chosen to lead devotionals at 2 assisted living places without undeniable leading from the Lord.

But God..."showed up" as I was adding honey to my toast.

Certainly I have use this honey often, maybe with sleepy 1/2 closed eyes because I had never seen the verse underneath the WILDFLOWER label.

God graciously opened my eyes today, right when it was needed, as an answer to my heart's prayer. I had eyes to see! Scripture! 

My teaching was on meditative prayer---that I might allow them to understand the importance of using God's Word to make prayer sweet to the soul and healthy for the body in accordance with God's will and purpose for our lives as we wait expectantly for His answer.

I think I got my answer! I am thankful as I was the one blessed beyond measure this Thursday! 

TASTE OF WINTER!

Taste and See.

Taste and see that God is good..." in springtime and harvest, COLD and heat, summer and winter...."(Genesis 8:28) 

age 3

age 4

For everything there is a season. Some are able to enjoy the fun of winter more than others.

From New Yorkers in Massachusetts & Texans in Colorado to North Carolina--- fun on the faces of "kids, ages 40 & 50ish to 3, make me smile! 

I needed that today---a taste of family fun!

SOUL FOOD

Soul Food. Not served just on Sundays in sanctuaries.  In some countries such service is against the law.

Soul food is also served throughout the week. 

On delivery trucks, think18 wheelers......

Like Travis' verse, John 3:16 & Bible pic on Wilson truck he drives

On products. On billboards. A way of conveying the product advertised with shared Biblical values of the consumer.

But..........Soul food served that way is done at a risk. Risk of being offensive to those of differing beliefs.

Bible verses used in NASB, NIV, and NKJV have been copyrighted since 1985 and long passages of scripture may constitute infringement. 

Serving Soul food is more than peddling religious beliefs; it's a courageous act!

True soul food is worth more than the economic "bottom line." It's trying to witness and communicate reverence to God.

"Clean up" on aisle 9 is familiar but a sack of potato chips, on said aisle, with a Bible verse on it can also get our attention if we have eyes to see. That my friends, is a gospelicious idea. 

Check it out just above the bar code!

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,"Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

Taste and see that God is good even in your neighborhood Kroger......right on aisle 9. 

Pick it up and read it. Soul food for ingesting right at eye level.

Soul Food that satisfies.....

Try it....you'll like it!

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)

CHOOSE RANSACKING

I default to ransacking pretty often....but it's not often a joyful choice. It's usually necessary to "find" lost or misplaced items and requires much "hunting" which leaves a ransacked type trail.

This morning I ransacked my pantry in pursuit of some Werther's Caramel Chews.

No where to be found----I had to settle for the "original" hard candies for my sweet tooth.

Persistance paid as ransacking continued after blogging.
Note two twisty caramel chews between book and Werther's bag.

But God....through John Piper's meditation book on Savoring the Supremacy of God in All Your Life, (#55) I saw that ransacking the Bible for truth does indeed bring joy. Plus, it was such a follow-up for yesterdays "Meditating Monday" blog entry. Piper's points sound like meditation to me. (my THOTS below.)

1. Pray and Read. Read the Word. What a privilege. What an obligation. What a potential for seeing God. (p. 166)
2. Pray and Study. Must pray or we'll not see in the Word, the one thing esp. THE Book, needful---'the glory of God in the Face of Christ.' (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6) On knees and in books, a great combo. (p.167)
3. Pray and Ransack. Ransacking is the way to seek God in the Bible. Think Dotsy and her caramel search. (p.167)
4. Pray and think. (2 Timothy 2:7) Consider what I say for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. (KJV) Reflect on... (NIV) Think about...( NLT) Think over (ESV) Mark well...(WNT) Combine the eye-opening work of the Spirit with the mind-informing work of the Word. (Psalm 119:18) (p, 168)

I should choose ransacking to satisfy my sweet soul rather than  my sweet tooth.

BLOGGLE

5/28/09 Blog + Boggle = BLOGGLE A game we always take to the beach each summer is Boggle------it’s a game where you try to take the jumble of letters and create words before the sand runs out in the hour glass (3 minute glass) Tonight’s blog is similar to that. You, reader, have to try to take the jumble of words here and try to make coherent thoughts out of them. This is a peek at my random thoughts as I have continued to think on subjects/ideas jogged by earlier blogs. Good luck.

Journal Jottings---relevant to breath --- Liking holding breath when big boys fell on me at the Kiwanis Pool one summer and I struggled to untangle from their weight and BREATHE--- felt desperate to break the surface of that water and gulp the air----or at the Duncan’s home where I learned to swim with other girls in my brownie troop and we tried to see who could hold their breath the longest.---- ---no other thought but wanting to win but..... SO needing that air---felt that way the night my mouth was sewn together and my nose was stopped up---am I that desperate for Him, yearning to be filled and quenched by Him, my living water? Filled with the fullness of Christ.

THOTS--- Breathe on me O breath of God---how do I know that phrase----hymn, maybe? 

Journal Jottings---relevant to “self” entry Love is conscious acts of self-giving, self-sharing, self-sacrificing and self-abandonment. Opposite =selfishness (source unknown, but taken from old Sunday School class notes) Affirms my earlier thought. 

THOTS---Do I hunger and thirst after rightousness? 

Journal Jottings ---relevant to a “real meal deal” blog My notes from John Piper’s, Taste and See, entry #65 “Faith feeds on the Word of God.” No steady diet of God’s Word----you get weaker and weaker---(like Grandaddy’s heart when it isn’t pumping that life giving blood w/ oxygen through his body) If your walk is getting weaker, check what you’re feeding on. Compare it (eating God’s word) to way you eat---one gulp of juice in the am while reading paper and packing lunches at same time won’t last very long. If such an eating habit continues, you won’t last very long---neither will your faith---you’ll starve it. What does starving faith look like---not much like faith/hard to recognize it (DAL) hard to trust, worship and rejoice in the hard times and lots easier to embrace sin, sometimes even “justifying it.” A starved faith walk is more of a stumble. God’s Word fosters faith. God’s Word is within us so that “your (my) trust may be in the Lord.” (Proverbs 22:18-19) If one really want to feed his/her faith night and day, he/she needs to meditate on the Word of God. We need something of substance (meat of truth) to bite into---that’s the nature of faith. “Faith exists by what it trusts. It has no life but what it gets from the truth it believes.” 

THOTS---Meditation and memorization helps feed our faith hourly, day by day. God’s Word is the best nutrition for a healthy faith walk. “Put faith food in the pantry of your mind”…and walk in faith.