Are you lost or are you a Hypocrite????

Good morning Y'all!!!     It's been a while again, but I've been busy here lately.    Trying to stay busy is more like it, and I have been succeeding in that endeavor.     I think of my blog often, but feel I don't have much to share anymore.      Mostly I have started using it to write my feelings down for me and then I share it with y'all.     It seems my heart is full of mixed emotions and aches and longs to see our fellow beings, being a little more caring and compassionate.     More on that in a minute.

I hope and pray that wherever Y'all are that you are enjoying this beautiful day.  It is an amazing day to be alive.      This is a unique day in the life of this world.      Up to this particular day in history, there has never been another day quite like this one.      And tomorrow will be uniquely different from today.     So, while it is today, enjoy this day.     

The sun is shining in my neck of the woods, but it's still a wee bit chilly.      I don't remember how much I have said on here about my little greenhouse sitting on my deck, but it got way down below freezing this past weekend and a couple nights early in the week and it took out my pot of tomatoes and my pot of peppers which had blooms.      I would have had tiny peppers by now, but they are gone.      All I had to do was take them to the garage, but I really didn't think it would get cold enough to hurt them.     Was I ever wrong!!!!!      Well, I know that I can grow them, so I will start them early next year and get my starts ready to transplant as soon as the weather permits.      I have some fresno and shishito pepper seeds that I really to hope to be able to grow.      I love them both and will try to have both of them.   

I have been baking lots of bread this year.      Dehydrating lots of veggies and fruit also.      If you haven't done any dehydrating, I would encourage you to try it.     It is a wonderful way to preserve food, even for long term storage.     I have just started my hand in fermented foods.     I am loving that too.   I make kombucha on a weekly basis.    I also make my own yogurt.     I make fire cider every 3 or 4 months.      I also make elderberry syrup, which is so good to have on hand this time of year.    So, all of this keeps me busy and I am loving it.     I would encourage y'all to try any or all of these methods of food preservation or making some of your own foods, and also some of your own medicines.     You would be surprised how simple and easy some of it really is.  As I type this, I have lemons, mango, papaya, and pineapple in the dehydrator right now.      The lemons are good to put in hot teas.    I also use them in the making of my fire cider.     There is a lot to learn and a lot to do.     I look forward to adding more skill and knowledge to my skill sets.     Learning is a good thing no matter what age you are.      I am also trying to eat better and lose a little weight.     Story of my life.    So, there's that.    hahaha      We'll see how it goes.

There is something that has been on my mind as of late.     Look back at the title of this post.     Are you lost or are you a hypocrite???      Strange question I guess.      But it's one that needs to be addressed and I figured it was as good a time as any to pose my question here and then deal with it.     I know I'm not lost.    I got that settled over 40 years ago.     Jesus died on the cross for me, He rose again in 3 days, and He sits by the Father even now, continually covering me with love, mercy and grace.      I feel like I need to keep reminding myself that I belong to Him and NO ONE can change that fact, because this world is in a mess.     It is!!!!!    And we can't deny that anymore.      I'm not gonna quote scripture here today.     I just want to get something that I know for sure out there.      And this is it:   Jesus loved and loves the lost or as scripture puts it, "sinners", but He hated and hates hypocrites.     

So, who are the lost, or "sinners"?      They are those people who have not trusted in Christ as their Savior and Lord.     They have not accepted Him into their hearts and lives yet.    They maybe don't even know they need Him.     They are not necessarily "bad" people, just people without the influence of Jesus in their lives.     These are the people that Jesus has always loved.     Praise God for that!!!!!      Jesus dined with the "sinners" in the Bible.      Jesus loves them!!!   Again I say, Praise God for that, because He loves me!!!!       How can I say that?????      I can say that because I have accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.     That doesn't make me perfect.      It makes me a saved sinner.     As long as I'm in this bag of bones and flesh, I will still sin.     I know that, because I know me.      But with each sin, Jesus loves me thru it while I find my way back to the foot of the Cross.      You see, as long as I'm in this earth suit, I still have the ability to sin, even though I wish I didn't, but I do.     I struggle with my sin on a daily basis.     I struggle thru each day, realizing that I've let my Savior down again and again.    It truly breaks my heart, that I keep sinning.     But I'm so thankful and appreciative that Jesus keeps forgiving and covering  me with His love and mercy and grace each day.   And each day is another opportunity to praise Him and ask Him again, to help me be better today than I was yesterday.      If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you know all about my struggle.

Who are the hypocrites???      In short order, hypocrites are church people with a holier than thou attitude.      That my friend is who a hypocrite is.      Just so you know, Jesus despised the hypocrites of His day.     They were the church people of His day and they were jealous of Him to the point that they actually killed Him.    If you don't believe me, get your Bible out and look it up.    It's all there.     The hypocrites were always trying to trick Him or catch Him in a lie and always tried to use Old Testament Laws against Him.     They didn't get it.      They accused Him of all kinds of things.      It's all there, look it up.     Jesus despised the hypocrites.     The hypocrites put more faith in their own words and works than they did in Jesus and who He claimed to be.     Although these people had a form of being religious, they didn't know God.     Their people had long abandoned the word of God and believed that it was more important to wash their hands than to wash their hearts.     Everything that a church person done, was to be seen by everyone and they would make fun of people.     

There was one account where a lady put every thing she had in the coffers, and it didn't even make a sound when it hit the other money already given.   The hypocrites would put in their money so it would jingle and jangle till it landed and then gloat over how much they gave.     Understand, I am paraphrasing and making it simple to understand, but that's what happened.    Jesus told those people that the lady that gave everything gave more than the hypocrites.    She gave all she had which was a few cents, they gave a little of what they should have given and thought they had given much.   Jesus said the lady gave way more than they did, because she gave all and they gave just a pitiful little bit.

Basically, she gave her whole life.     She trusted Jesus with everything she had.      The hypocrites are wolves in sheeps clothing.     They want you to think they are everything and a piece of cake, where as they are actually imposters.     They live make-believe lives.      As the saying goes, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time.     We can NEVER fool God either.    

How does that fit todays world????     Easy.     If you claim to have Christ in your life, you will not be perfect, but you WILL have some compassion in your heart for others.     You just will.     If you don't have compassion for others, then very doubtful if you have Jesus in your heart.     People don't want to hear that.     They want to go to church, hear a sermon that doesn't apply to them, make fun of their neighbors,  make fun of any situation that would put them in the hot seat for their attitude towards others, plot and scheme of ways to get rid of people that will call them on their hypocrisy and make everyone else out to be the bad guys.     Does any of that sound familiar????     It does to me!!!!      The hypocrites of Jesus's day are the same today.     The church is full of hypocrites!!!      Why?     Because the church is made up of imperfect people.     But there also a lot of imposters that have been allowed to sneak in and gain a foothold.     Those are "wolves in sheep's clothing".     Those are the ones setting snares and traps  and literally tearing the kingdom of God down right before our very eyes.     It's painful to say it, but it's true.

Again, how does this apply to today???     If you have a facebook account or any other account with the various platforms on the internet, you can see people spewing forth all kinds of filth.     Participating in all kinds of filthy acts, immoral and disgusting acts.     There are people making fun of covid 19!!!  Calling it a hoax and every time someone says something about it, what they will say is that it has a 96 to 98 percent survival rate.      That my friend, is a statement right from the pits of hell being made by hypocrites in the church who are wolves in sheep's clothing!!!!!      If you don't have compassion for others, this is how you might feel.      

Another difference between "sinners" and hypocrites is this: most sinners have compassion for others, they just haven't found Jesus yet.    Hypocrites have no compassion for anyone.    Oh, they may act like they do, but in reality, if it doesn't benefit them, they won't have anything to do with it.  

If you want proof of what I'm saying, just watch your face book feed and see who says what.    If you pay close attention, you'll see a lot and it's pretty disgusting. especially when it comes from people that profess to be a christian but obviously having no form of godliness in their lives.     This is to call them out!!!     I have shared a couple of things recently on my face book page about it and you would be surprised at who DOES NOT acknowledge it.    I always have 3 or 4 long distant friends that will acknowledge it, but not the people in my life that I know personally or any of my own family.     So, what does that say?      I know people will look at this and think this is being hypocritical.    Maybe it is.    I just pray that if it is, God shows it to me, and I will do an addendum to this post and share what He will show me.     What I do know is this, I struggle every day when I see people that claim to be Christ followers, sharing what would be considered hurtful, hateful, critical posts on their face book pages.    I don't understand how a true Christian would be inclined to say something like "it only has a 2-4% death rate"!!!!!     It may be easy to say if you haven't lost someone to it.     Praise God, I haven't yet, but I have friends who have, and my heart bleeds a little bit every time I see this.    Because I know my friends will see others saying the same thing and it could not hurt any worse than a dagger to the heart.  People with true compassion and the love of Christ in their lives, could not be party to such heinous and hurtful and hateful words.  

There it is, in a nutshell!    Are you lost or are you a Hypocrite?     Only you can truly answer that, but let me remind us, that our actions show a whole lot more than we may think.     People are always watching.     You either make a good impression or a bad impression.     Remember that.     God loves us all, but He certainly doesn't love the way we act sometimes.     If you have compassion in your heart, please show it.     The world needs to see it.     The world needs to see godly people loving others.

Please forgive any typos in this, I just typed as the words came, and I did very little correction.  

I pray that you have a blessed day and that you will tell someone today that Jesus loves them.     I know He loves us and I love y'all.   hugs, mercy and grace be yours today, patty

Wet Rainy Sunday, But the Son still Shines!!!

Good Morning Beautiful Y'all!!!!!     It's looking like fall y'all.     hahahaha    It's cool wet damp sprizzly rainy morning here.     But, like the title of this post says, "The Son still Shines!!!!"     Isn't those shouting words to y'all's ears?        They sure are to mine.       We've had some pretty days and a couple of frosts within the last week and a half or so and the last frost being Friday night into Saturday morning.       Lots of trees are loaded with beautiful colors.      It is funny, one afternoon last week we got out and rode around close to home and was noticing the beautiful colors.     The next day, we had a dr appt to go to and the colors weren't there like they had been.     Then it finally hit us, there had been some heavy winds the night before and blew all the beautiful leaves down.     That's what happens.      We laughed at our forgetting for a minute or two about the winds the evening before.     Oh it wasn't a huge wind, but enough that it blew all the colored leaves down.

I planted a couple of fresno pepper seeds and a couple of yellow beefsteak tomatoes back in August and I have those in my greenhouse.      I'm just praying that they don't freeze before I get some peppers and green tomatoes at least.      I would love to get about a dozen or so green tomatoes so I can air fry them and put them in the freezer to have some with a meal every now and again.      The fresno peppers are hot, really hot, but they are oh so delicious.      There is a hint of sweet with the heat.    I also have a pot of ginger and a pot of garlic in there along with 3 trays of lettuce.       I sure hope I get to harvest a little bit from all of it before it gets too cold for it it all dies.

I have a reason for making a post today.      This is where I let off steam and not worry about what other people think or may say.     Since no one leaves any comments anymore, I don't have to worry about that.      You wanna know what I need to let steam off about?      

Well here goes:    I am so sick of every sermon that I hear or see, being turned into a covid 19 fest!!!!!    If you are a man or woman of God, preach the BIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!       Anyone with half sense and a second grade education knows that a "pandemic" doesn't end in 2 weeks!!!!       So called preachers are now standing in the pulpit and all their sermons are about is how our lives have been disrupted by this pandemic and we just need to get back to living.      Well, dead people aren't doing much living.      I know that if that person had a relationship with Christ, they ARE living the dream that we all have, and that is to be in the presence of our Savior.      

If the preachers are concerned about one thing, it needs to be saving souls, not about trying to stir up riots by talking about how this all a scam, a hoax, something not to fear, and blah blah blah!!!!!      If this is as good as it gets with the preaching I've been seeing here lately, then I just have to say that the pulpits are filled with wolves in sheeps clothing!!!!!       A lot of these preachers are sold out to BIG business and they want to keep the big donations coming in and they feel that's the way to keep the big bucks rolling in while the country is dealing with a pandemic.     I support the work of God, but I don't support the work of BIG churches who have forgotten the mission of the church and this is to lead the lost to Christ.      If you stand up in church and do everything you can to get your congregation to be as selfish as they possibly can and toss the masks and start spreading covid 19 madly and wildly, then you deserve to have the doors of your church nailed shut.     Notice I said, "your church", because obviously, it's not God's church!!!!!        

God gave each of us mind and free will.      What we are seeing is selfish free will taking place.        We are not seeing the love of God happening when people are being encouraged to throw out the masks and do what ever you want to do.     That is NOT Godly behavior!!!!!       That is worldly behavior!!!!!     I can't understand what has gotten into them.      Even the preachers stand behind their pulpits and beat their chests like a bunch of screaming apes!!!!      I don't get it.      I'm so over them and their NON GODLY messages they are spewing forth.   

I am a Christian.      I am a Christ Follower.       I am a follower of The Way.      That's it.      That's all.    Nothing else.      Call me sheep!!!!!      I am ok with that.    In fact, I'm more than OK with that term.    Because what I'm hearing coming from the pulpits is NOT Christ followers messages from the Bible.    They are disruptive, divisive, and derogatory to the Christ that I follow.       I know there are many that will disagree with what I'm saying, and that's ok.      Well, if you're ok with it, then I'm ok with it.     I have tried to share Jesus on my blog and will keep on doing so.     Just be aware that most of what is spewed forth from the pulpits is not of Jesus.     Just to be blunt, it is of the devil.     Disruption and confusion come the devil.

Just know that God loves us all.   He wants and expects us to use our brains for the of ourselves and others around us.     If we say we love our neighbors, then act like it and do it.    That's what Christians do!!!!!       For so long we have heard dribble coming from the pulpit and we haven't heard the Word of God!!!!!    It's time for us all to pick up our own Bibles and quit being spoon fed this worthless watered down useless mess coming from the pulpit.      It's time to stand up and tell them to sit down and shut until they actually have a message from God's Word and not the latest polling numbers.     

That's about as good as I can tell you.      Use your brain and love your neighbor enough to do what it takes to keep from making people sick, or not.      It's up to the individual, but our decisions tell loud and clear where out heart is.    Don't forget that.

I want to tell us all to remember that God loves us.      While I'm sure that God loves us, I'm also sure that He is waiting to see if we will start acting like we love Him.      If we do, then wearing a mask and trying to keep the spread of a pandemic will not be an issue for us.     If we love Him, we will do what it takes to help keep others healthy, when it depends on us to do so.      

Off my soap box now.      Have a blessed day and do remember that God does love us.     Even in the stench and rot of sin, He loves us.      He always has our best interests at heart and is waiting for us to run to Him for help.      He loves us!!!!!!     Be blessed and have a great rest of the day.    hugs and love, patty

Questions, again from March

Good afternoon Y'all!!!     I pray that this finds each of y'all happy and healthy as we are breezing on thru this year.      Wow, September just flew by and here we are almost the middle of October.    This year will be over before we know it.     I will be kinda ready for it to be over with, but certainly praying for a better 2021.     We'll have to wait and see what the year brings.     I just pray that God will have mercy on this planet and rid the world of this disease.      

Just a preface on what you are about to read.    This first appeared on my facebook page on the morning of October 13th, 2020.     Just in case someone reads it somewhere other than my facebook page or my blog, I want you to know that I am/was the author of this piece.    I know that it has been shared and I don't mind that, I just wish for others to know that it is my writing and not someone else.   Now, on with it.

Back on March 20th, 2020, when I was having time with the Lord, He impressed upon me a series of questions.     3 questions, as a matter of fact.      I wrote those questions down and have tried to be real with myself and answer those questions at least 3 times since the world changed.      Here are the 3 questions:

Thoughts for the day   March 20th, 2020

1. What will be your greatest lesson learned from this ordeal? 

2. What will be your greatest sacrifice through this ordeal? 

3. What will be your biggest blessing on the other side of this ordeal?

Those have been some powerful questions for me and really hard to answer at times.     These questions run thru my mind almost constantly.      I haven't been able to get them out of my mind.     He put those questions there for me for a reason.      As I struggle to answer them as honestly as I possibly can, I must say that it is hard!!!

For #1, I have to say that learning peoples true nature has been the hardest for me to deal with.     There have been many wolves in sheep's clothing exposed.      The expression "fake it till you make it" doesn't work with entering the kingdom of God.

For #2, I've always said that in all honesty, I know nothing of sacrifice.     I grew up in a time of abundance and luxury, face it, most of us did.       No, I've never had the best of anything, but that's not sacrifice, that's being petty.  

I've never had to go off to war for my country knowing that I may come home in a body bag like millions have.     That's sacrifice!!!       I've never got up and put on a uniform and walked out the door knowing that there's people on the streets that I'm charged to protect that value my life less than that of a sick stray dog.       That's sacrifice!!!       I've never walked into the hospital knowing that today may be the day that I walk out with the disease that will kill me like it has so many other drs and nurses, but it's my job and I have to do it.      That's sacrifice!!!       I've never gotten behind the wheel of a big truck hauling food and meds to other places across the country and wondering if today is the day that someone kills me because they are evil people with evil intentions doing evil things.     That's sacrifice!!!  

I could go on and on, but I won't.  Most people I know are just like me, they haven't sacrificed much for this country.     And for those that have, "thank you for your sacrifice" you have my utmost respect!!  

So I guess the greatest sacrifice that has been asked of me up to this point in my life has been to wear mask to help protect other people.      I haven't made excuses, I haven't beat my chest like a war drum screaming about my rights, I haven't been disrupting the lives of others, I haven't been claiming it's all a hoax.      I have been trying to do as the Lord has asked of me, to live as peaceably as I can with others, when it depends on me.       When I'm out, I wear my mask.      I haven't done a whole lot of shaming others for not wearing their masks.     I certainly could have done a whole lot more than I have, but I haven't.  

Those that have been complying with being asked to wear a mask have been called sheep.     And that my friend, is one of the highest compliments that could ever be said about me.      Jesus knows His followers and His followers know Him.     What about the wolves in sheep's clothing?  Well.......................what about them???

For #3, my biggest blessing thru this and on the other side has been and will continue to be my constant.        That has been knowing that God has been in control, God is in control, and God will continue to be in control.        For that, I can wake up each day, knowing that no matter what my day brings, God has ushered it in for me and has allowed me to be a part of His creation for another day.    I am of the mindset that God IS our only way thru this life.      He will make a way in a barren desert.    He will make a way thru the raging river.      He will provide shelter when mountains are falling down around us.      The "I Am" will provide and make a way!!

God IS, All IS Well!!!!

be blessed and have great rest of the day!!  hugs and love y'all!

I hope, as the afternoon fades into evening, that you and your loved ones are safe and secure in the knowledge that God will make a way.     He is the way maker!!!     He is pain breaker!!!!      He is the Great Physician.      He is the plumbline.      He is the truth!!!!     He is our everything!!    He is worth to be praised.      I pray that you have a blessed evening with a wonderful night of refreshing sleep and healing rest.     God is good and He loves us.    I love y'all too!!   be blessed, love and hugs, patty

What Happened to August?????

Good evening Y'all!!!    Can anyone tell me exactly where August went???    I know I didn't sleep thru it, because I don't sleep that well.    It just vanished, I haven't a clue where it went to.    I know some of y'all probably feel the same way.     We just have to keep praying that God will make everything right again.   I know He can.     I also know it's up to us to do our part.   What is our part?????    Putting Him first place in all the places we have kicked Him from!!!!   With number one being each and every individual heart.    We need to get back worshiping and praising Him on high!!!!    We need to get back to right living and we can only live right when He is number One in our lives.    It starts on an individual, personal basis.     My prayer is that the last third of this year is better than the first two thirds have been.    But.........can you imagine what this year would have been like without God at all???    I can't even wrap my brain around that thought.     But there are still plenty of people on this globe who go thru year after year without God in their lives.     

That is such a scary thought.    It makes my heart hurt for them.     To think that so many are sold out to the devil.     Some even know they are sold out to the devil and they don't care.     Some just don't know, but there others that do know, but don't care.     Such a tragedy.    If you don't believe me, watch the news sometimes, if you can stomach it.    That will prove what I just said.

What most people are missing is Jesus.     You can't legislate Him.     You can't mandate Him.     You can write Him into a new law.     You can't really take Him out of everything either.     Because where a Christian is, there He is.    So, whoever you are reading this, just know that there is HOPE and His name is Jesus.    

I have been busy with my deck garden and it's just about wrapped up for the season.   I still do have a ton of peppers coming in and I'm happy about that.    A few cucumber and fingerling eggplants, couple of bean plants and a small tomato.     That's about all that's left.   It's been a pretty good year for my deck garden.    My little greenhouse that I got back in January, the cover on it is shedding plastic.   It wasn't a good plastic.   It didn't stand up to the heat and uv of the sun.    My husband is going to get some greenhouse rated plastic and recover it.    Hopefully I can use it thru the winter or at least till it gets too cold to use it.    I don't  know, we'll have to wait and see.

It's been a trying last few months.    If you know people who are alone, reach out to them.     It's a difficult time.     We have a wonderful friend whose wife passed late last year between Thanksgiving and Christmas and this has been really difficult on him.     I can't imagine.    I pray for all the hurting and lonely.    I pray for all the sick, for all the families who have lost loved ones and for all the people in the hospitals alone, by themselves, and have no family that can check in on them due to covid restrictions.   I have also prayed for my husband and I, that we stay healthy and don't end up having to go to the hospital.     I pray for God to keep us safe and healthy and help us to lean in to Him just a little closer when we feel weak or afraid.

Just don't hesitate to reach out to someone you know is hurting.     They will surely appreciate it.    Thank God everyday for your health and for the blessings He bestows upon you.     Always remember that He loves you and that He is in control of absolutely everything.   He knows what's happening.    He knows and He will take care of us.    To live is to serve Christ and to die is to be with Christ.     Paul said that in his writings.   Not necessarily in the words I used, but the train of thought is the same.    Either way, Paul looked at it as a win win situation.    I think we can too.    Most of us would say that we want more days on planet earth with our loved ones.    I know I do.   But I also know that every day I live brings me one day closer to being with Jesus.     If you know Him as your savior, then that is true for you too.   I just want to be found serving Him.     Whether it's thru my blog, online in some other way, or out in the community serving Him, I just want to be found serving Him.   I hope you do too.    

Always remember that God loves you so much He provided a free and clear way for you to be in right relationship with Him.     Jesus is that free and clear way!!!   And Jesus is the ONLY way!!!!    Do not be deceived into thinking there is some other way to God, there isn't.   I hope if you haven't accepted Christ as your savior that you will do just that before you close your eyes in sleep tonight.    What a magnificent gift waiting for you!!!!     I guess I'm gonna hop off here and fix a bite for supper.   I pray you all have a blessed evening and that you rest in sweet peace tonight and that tomorrow is the day God made just for you.    Be blessed and hugs and love, patty

July 20th, We are a part of the problem or a part of the solution. Which are you?

Good morning Y'all!!!!      Here we are July 20th, 2020, and I say, "Where has 2020 gone?"      "What has happened to our beloved world?"       It really saddens me this morning as I sit here contemplating the events of this year, up to this point in time.

Back on March 20th, I shared a quick little post, and I have reshared it a time or two since then in some other posts.     Guess what, I'm sharing it again.      If you read my blog, I want these questions to be at the forefront of your mind.   

This is it:  

Thoughts for the day   March 20th, 2020

1. What will be your greatest lesson learned from this ordeal?
2. What will be your greatest sacrifice through this ordeal?
3. What will be your biggest blessing on the other side of this ordeal?

These are just 3 things to think about in the days ahead.    Think about these and come back here some time and share with me what your answer to these are.

In the days ahead, remember that God wants to be in right relationship with us and the only possible way for that to happen is for us to know His Son, Jesus Christ.     Think about that too. Now is the time. This is the day of salvation, there may be no other day and no other chance.    Today is the day we have. Remember God loves you and I do too. hugs, love, and blessings, patty

Exactly 4 months later, 1/3 of the year, and I'm still asking myself these questions.         What's funny, is just about every day the answer to those questions change a little.        One thing I know for sure, God is still in control and nothing, absolutely NOTHING happens without His knowledge.    There is much comfort in knowing this.

The enemy is rampant!!!    he is on the warpath of destruction because he knows his days are numbered and are swiftly slipping thru his grasp.    Friends, we haven't seen anything yet!!!    But........our hope is in the Lord!!    He hasn't failed us yet and He won't ever fail us!!!    That is something we can count on!!

But I want to look at the questions and answer those for myself and be able to see my response.    And my answers will be all inclusive of ALL the events that has happened since March 20th.      And it will be referring to the disease, rioting, murdering and what ever else I didn't just mention.    I just won't be calling it by name, but it will be all inclusive.

1. What will be your greatest lesson learned from this ordeal?

Well, it's sad to say, but I think my greatest lesson from this ordeal is that people that I have known all my life and friends alike have really disappointed me in their re-action to all this.    One of the saddest things is that the true nature of humanity has shown in a lot of people.    Sin has a way of showing up. Again, it just emphasizes the fact that we should ONLY look to Jesus for anything!!    When we look to and expect a certain behavior from others, we will be let down. Jesus never disappoints.

2. What will be your greatest sacrifice through this ordeal?

Let me preface my answer by saying that not many of us really know much about sacrifice.        The generation of the Great Depression and the World War 2 generations knew a lot about sacrifice and lots of generations before them.    The generations since have lived in abundance and haven't had to sacrifice much at all for anything, and that even goes for myself.        I don't know what sacrifice is all about myself.        I was reared by a father that worked to provide for his family and a momma that took care of the home front.    I was reared by parents who was not afraid to discipline their children.

With all that in mind, to this point, my greatest sacrifice has been not getting to see my Momma as much as I want to.    We have stayed away to try to prevent the spread of disease.    We have actually seen her 4 or 5 times over the last couple months, but with the disease kicking back up, we have slacked off again. I know it has been hard on her!!!        She loves her children and she loves seeing us and since February, she hasn't had access to her children, grand children and great grand children like she wants to have.

With all that said, if everyone, EVERYONE, would put a mask on, she could see her family. Nuff said on that.

3. What will be your biggest blessing on the other side of this ordeal?

My biggest blessing has been the same all along.    That God is in control and that He goes before me setting my path for me to trod.    He calms my heart, He brings peace when there is no external peace. He has given me clarity when the world is all about confusion.    He helps me see things the way He sees it thru His gift of discernment.       He collects my tears as He wipes them from my face.    He is my fortress, my stronghold.    Growing nearer to my Heavenly Father is a great thing.


The answers to 1. and 2. may change again and again, but I feel rest assured that the answers to 3. will remain the same.    We've seen some pretty dark days in the recent past and those days are not done.    We have seen the exercise of sin throughout the land.    We have seen perversion at it's worst and it's just getting started.    We've seen people acting out of their greatest perversions and we haven't seen anything yet.

Yes, I know there are a lot of people out there that thinks this whole thing is a hoax.    There are also a lot of people out there that think believing in Jesus Christ is a hoax.    But if I live my life believing in Jesus Christ as I do and at the end of my days, it was hoax, then nothing lost.       I was kind to people and know that I tried to have a good heart that was respectful to everyone.       If on the other hand, I live my life thinking He is a hoax, and He turns out to be the real deal, then I just sent myself to hell.

How can I relate this to wearing a mask?    Well, let me preface this by saying that for all the health care workers having to wear these respirator masks for 8 to 12 and even more hours in a day, then God bless you all and I do pray for your protection and for your families protection.        Be careful of the info floating around on the internet, a lot of it is to get you to let your guard down and get sick and possibly die. It's not for your benefit!!

But for those of us who just want to get groceries, get out of the house and get a fast food fix, or go into the bank or the drug store, or just do some fun shopping, we can do some of things that can potentially expose others to the virus, by not wearing a mask, and you are living as if this is a hoax.      What if your behavior, and your behavior alone, killed your Momma, killed your children, killed your grand children?????    We don't have to wear a mask long enough to cause some of the problems that people are claiming.    Yeah, you may asthma, but if it was something you REALLY wanted to do and if it's something to keep YOU safe, that's a different story!!    We are hearing a LOT of excuses!!!!    That's all it is, excuses backed by the enemy himself.       Poor souls don't even know they are being used.    What we are seeing is ugly, sin stained hearts coming to the surface.    They can be hidden only so long.        You can talk about Jesus all day long on face book, but your actions speak louder than words.    You can go to church every sunday of the world and still be as lost as the needle in the haystack.        Like they say, standing in a garage doesn't make you a car either.        It boils down to sin.

There are a lot of people who want to say that those who do wear a mask are sheep.    Well, my friends, look in scripture and see what the word of God says about sheep.    Call me sheep any day, I will count it as one of the highest compliments anyone could ever gave me!!!!!!     The Shepherd knows His sheep!!!!        So, baa baa baa!!!    Yes, I'm a sheep and proud of it.

As for all the recent events being foreshadowing of things to come, like I said earlier, God knows what's happening.    I don't think He needs any of us fighting against what the back of the BOOK says is going to happen.    It will happen in His time and He tells us "to be ready for it!!!        He doesn't tell us to be out in the streets beating our chests like some kind of war drums and shaking a fist, like it really means anything anyway.    And burning our cities and other people livelihoods and creating confusion.       We already discussed where confusion fits in and it's of the enemy.    But what it does tell us is to live our lives as peaceably as we can, when it depends on us.    Standing out, shaking my fists, calling names, and cursing is not what God has called me to do.    If that's His calling on your life, then I suggest you ask Him for more discernment.    I suggest you channel whatever is causing your behavior to more constructive things.    Mow a neighbors yard, shop for groceries for an elderly friend, tend to a neighbors garden, go plant a small garden for a neighbor and help take care of it for them.       Do something constructive.    Tell someone they look beautiful.       Make someones day by opening a door. Do all these good things for others while wearing a mask.

The simple fact of the matter is this, if you claim to be a a Christ Follower, then your life should show it.      His kingdom was never about ruling planet earth.    His kingdom was all about living in the lives of those us who love Him and being with Him in His true domain.     Remember, in the Garden, when Peter pulled a sword and cut Malcus' ear off?     Jesus told Peter to put away the sword.      And........He healed that ear of Malcus!!!!!      I'll just imagine that Malcus remembered that the rest of his days!!! Truth be known, he may have even bragged about it a little.      He had a testimony, whether he knew it or not.

Thing of it is, we all have a testimony.    We don't look at lives, most of the time, as testimony, but if we love Jesus, then we are a walking testimony to the goodness of God in our lives.    The only reason Jesus hasn't already come back is because God is waiting for that one more soul to come to know Him. Just one more, just one more, just one more......................... You see, our God is a God of many opportunities, but those opportunities will be coming to an end some day.    I have no idea how soon it will be, but it will happen.    I just pray that just one more, and just one more, and just one more will keep on coming to know Him as Lord and Savior.

My testimony is that Jesus saved such a wretched sinner as I, knowing that I don't, didn't and will ever deserve it on my own.     The thing of it is, it's not based on how wretched I am, it's based on how wonderful, amazing, awesome and loving and trustworthy He is!!!       My Savior is the epitome of sacrifice!!!!!       He died in my place, all those years ago.     What is so sweet, is the fact that if I had been the only one to ever need His sacrifice, He would have done it just for me.      That is my testimony, He sacrificed Himself just for me.      He done the same thing for you!!!        It's only when we make it real for us that it becomes our testimony.      So, call me "sheep" and I will take that as an ultimate compliment.     I know my Shepherds voice and He knows mine.    Can you say the same?       I hope so.

So, this is my 4 month summary of the questions I asked myself back on March 20th, 2020.       Some of the answers may change over the next 4 months, I don't know.      But I will try to remember to revisit the questions again and see what has changed.     Until then, be the change that you want to see in the world.     One person can make a difference in your own world.      I pray that I am making a difference in my world.     I certainly try to.

That's all I have for now.    Blessings on you and those you love.      Do what you can to help others and protect others.    Be a light in an otherwise dark world.    Love those around you.     Show kindness to all people.    Let your heart, your beautiful heart that loves Jesus, be what others see in you.    Remember that God loves you and I do too.    Have a wonderful rest of the day and thank God for it. hugs, love and blessings, patty