Good Monday morning!!!! Did that sound all chipper and upbeat? Well, I tried. Look at the second word, that answers it all. Yes it's Monday!!! And I am really trying to type this in as chipper and upbeat manner as I can and I do hope it comes across as such. I have learned that one of the best things I can say about Monday's is this. "Praise God I lived to see another Monday"! Monday's make me feel like a weary soldier climbing another mountain, getting ready for another long battle. And you know what, if you love and serve the Lord, that is exactly what we are doing. Every day is one more day that we are in the battle of our lives. Trying to stay alert and aware of the snares and traps that the enemy sets for us. Scripture says the enemy is like a roaring lion. I believe it!!! But, scripture also says that the enemy is like a wolf in sheep's clothing. I believe it!! When we see the roaring lions, we know to beware. But, when we see the wolves in sheep's clothing, most of the time we don't think about the possible danger we could be in, till it's too late. So, even tho it's Monday, and even tho we are pushing into an uphill battle, let us not grow weary in our minds. Let us stay alert and on point and seriously question everything. Especially the things that give us just a bit of a twinge that maybe, just maybe, something is not quite right. More than likely, that is the Holy Spirit warning you to steer clear. Just some food thought as we go into this week. so let's start the week off right. yes and amen!!!
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just some words of encouragement for the days in which we live. don't settle for anyone calling you average or standard. I even got a new dr when the one that I was going to insisted on saying that I was average. I got up and told him that I have never been average one day in my life and that if he insisted treating me as if I was, I would get a new dr, so I did. I want a dr to think above average and look outside the box. brush your shoulders off, of any standard or average thoughts. You were created by an exceptional and awesome God and nothing He does is ever standardized or average!!! I'm not telling to think more of yourself than you should. this isn't about ego. it's about realizing that God didn't use a cookie cutter when making us. we are all created in His image, but we all different. and when thinking about drs, I want my dr to think outside the box and look at me as an individual, not just the same old cookie from the same old cookie cutter.
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Thought for the day:
"Lovest thou Me more than these?" John 21:15
What are the "these" in this scripture? It could have been the other disciples. I have heard that comment made a lot. It could have been Peter's fishing business. After all, he was a fisherman by trade. It could have been the distractions of daily life.
This is my thoughts on the subject, and only that. I don't think it was the disciples. That would have put a lot of friction between the very men Peter would be grieving with after the departure of Christ. Jesus wants us to be able to rely on our brothers and sisters in Him, so I just don't think that was what this "these" was about.
I do believe that the word "these" had to do with Peter being a fisherman or his "business", and the "distractions of daily life". Think about it. Everyone needs to work at something. Most of the time, our job comes before everything and then the distractions (some distractions are just everyday happenings and some distractions are planted by the enemy) that the enemy puts in our lives, take second place pushing Jesus farther down the ladder of importance.
They say our checkbooks or credit card statements tell where our heart really is in this life. They tell what we give priority to on a daily basis. Our outward lives should also tell where our heart really is in this life.
After this particular conversation that took place between Jesus and Peter, Peter lived out the rest of his life in a way that showed he really did love Jesus more than his job and more than any of the distractions that the enemy threw at his feet. Peter finished strong. Proving once again, "it's not how you start, but how you finish", that matters to Christ.
As we go about our day today, let's put Christ first place in everything we do.
When Jesus asks us "Lovest thou Me more than these?" You can say, "Yes Lord, I love You more than anything else I could possibly do today." May we be a blessing to those we come in contact with today and may they see Jesus in everything we do. It is a blessed day to have the breath of life!!!!
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Just wanted to share one of my projects that I worked on last week. I made dinner rolls. They are very similar to the sis schubert rolls. Next time I may add another tablespoon of sugar in the mix. I forgot to take pictures until I already had the dough out of the machine. I wish I would have remembered to take a pic when it was still in the pan, it was a glorious sight. Anyway, I got the dough shaped into rolls and ready to rise before baking and I finally remembered!! They are beautiful. Next time I will bake them for only 14 minutes. They are not as dark in person as they show up on the pic. But they are so so gorgeous. I will also share my recipe. These recipes that I have been making are about 10 years old and I had lost them, but I kept digging till I found them. This is a keeper recipe for sure. The next time I make these, I will put them on a larger baking sheet or just put on 6 at a time and bake in 2 batches so they will spread out a little and not be so high. hahaha They are delicious!!! On the recipe at the bottom, there is 2 lines scrubbed out. It's just about making a wash to brush on the rolls before you bake them. Personally, I would rather have the egg in the bread instead of on the bread. hahaha. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy the pics. these rolls are so good, that they have replaced our breakfast biscuits and I haven't bought a hun or roll of any kind in years. they're that good. this is a bread machine recipe, but if you're familiar with making bread from scratch, then you can certainly make this recipe.
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Last Saturday morning I woke up early with my right wrist killing me. I knew it wasn't carpal tunnel syndrome. I know what that feels like all too well. I just knew I didn't have time to be slowed down with something, but what do I know. hahaha I went about as usual and done what needed to be done and also done some crafting. I was making another bunch of my beads. By Tuesday morning I was finally ready to go to the dr. I had gotten to where I couldn't even pick up anything or move my fingers. I had put a wrist splint on Saturday evening, since that is an extended part of me anyway. hahaha So, got the appt to see the dr and found out it's "tendonitis" in my wrist. On top of RA, OA, carpal tunnel issues, this has been a pretty miserable situation. But, with everything in life, God has a plan. And maybe, just maybe, I do have time to be slowed down with this. After all, if I didn't, I wouldn't be writing about it now. Just like when the power goes out, that's when we want to heat up a cup of coffee or do something easy that still requires electricity. Well, I want to do something, anything, but it all requires my right wrist. hahaha But I must say, if you've not ever had tendonitis in your wrist, pray that you don't ever have it. Wednesday night was the darkest, longest night I have experienced in a long long time. So prayer is what I had been doing and it is what I knew to do, and that is what I done!! All night, till about 4:30 am Thursday morning, when I finally fell asleep for a few minutes. That was the turning point. It is slowly getting better, by the grace of God. I am thankful for slight movement today that is less painful than it was yesterday. In all things, God has a plan. I pray that He keeps me on track for His plan, however He has to do it. I am thankful for the creative side that God has given me, but when it's time to "be still", His plan is what I need to go by. So right now I'm feeling pretty thankful that God is in charge of everything!!! Even my tendonitis and in His time, this too shall pass. In everything, praise God and give thanks! Be blessed and be thankful today!
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Do you believe in "divine appointments" or coincidences? I guess the way you think about that question will determine your answer. I realized many years ago, for myself, there are no coincidences. The more I learned about God the Father, God in the form of Holy Spirit, and God the Son, there is truly only divine appointments. We never know where or when, but if we are open to the obedience of the calling that God has placed over our lives, there will be divine appointments. Of this, I'm sure. Only God will know what your divine appointments will look like for you. We just need to be ready in season and out of season, in other words, at all times. The enemy tries to steal our attention away from God. He does a pretty good job too. You can be going down the road praising God and look up and see the price of gas, there goes the praise and worship fest. Right? Sadly, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Every day, on the part of this planet that God has placed us, we have the choice to be a stepping stone or a stumbling block. It is our choice. About the enemy stealing our attention from God, he also uses the issues going on in this country right now. We all know that is true. Pray earnestly for all these divisive problems in our country! Pray for our leaders in every level of our government, from the local city governments to the highest in the land, which is in Washington DC. Pray expecting God to do something!!! Pray continually. But, about the divine appointments, do not let issues taking place across this land harden our hearts so much that we lose compassion for those that are in desperate situations. People we know are hurting. We may even be hurting ourselves. But for me, my heart was shut off to that. Until this morning. God showed me something through someone I don't even know, on face book, no less. Thru a family in a desperate situation clear across this country. God, through the Holy Spirit, encouraged me to reach out to this family through the only way that I could, prayer. I have been praying for this family as the Lord leads. Even the enemy said my attempt was nothing to them. But, this morning, I found out that my feeble attempt has meant the world to them! And yes that humbled me!!! While I was very humbled to find out just how much it has meant to them, I was actually blown away, when the Holy Spirit revealed to me that it was actually for MY benefit!!! To break away the hardness that had settled in and around my heart. Do you know that you too, may have some hardness around you heart, in the same way I did? If you do, allow yourself to be obedient to the call of God over your life and that hardness will be chipped away, one heartfelt and earnest prayer at a time. Obedience to God helps others, but it also helps us. Try it. You won't be disappointed.
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I hope and pray that something here today spoke to you in a real way. just know that we have a Helper in every day life if we choose to live our lives as God desires for us. God does not, can not and will look upon willful sin. He is a Holy God. that's why sin is so detrimental to us. it separates us from Him. we are living in a time when everything that God has said in His word has been called lies. God does not lie!!! the enemy has told lies and the enemies willing servants believe those lies and society has to accept those lies. so many of those lies have been brought in to our churches and they are not even churches any more, just hedonistic sorority parties. when we can kill babies and call it "women's health", that is about as evil and wicked as it gets. when we have women marrying women and men marrying men and living willful sinful lives, we need to remember what happened at sodom and gomorrah. that is evil and wicked at the core. and people believe it's ok. even so called Christians. it's not ok. it evil and wicked. we need to do better. I am calling it what it is. it's sin. nothing more, nothing less and nothing else. our children are being indoctrinated in the school system with all these filthy, evil and wicked lies. may God help our children. my prayer is that God will stop this filth in it's tracks by whatever means necessary.
what you believe matters!!! it matters desperately. to the point that your eternity depends on it. if you believe the devils lies, you will have an eternity to regret those lies. it's hard to hold your ground, it truly is. people turn their backs on you, they persist in telling you that you are wrong, they will make fun of you, they laugh at you, they call you names. none of that matters, all that matters is that you are a child of God and that you trust Him and His word and that you have put your faith and trust in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. that is what matters. that's all that matters.
you are loved and your matter and what you believe matters. be blessed on this lovely day!!! hugs, love and may the love the Lord Jesus Christ be yours today, patty
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