Bible Study and Maundy Thursday

good morning from my neck of the woods.          it's sunshiny right now and it's kinda deceptive too, because it's a little chilly.        hahaha           it was 36 degrees this morning when I got up.         but it will warm up one of these days and I will then be moaning about that.         hahahaha         yup, I know me all too well.          I'll bet some of y'all do the same thing too.          hahahaha           well, I don't know what I'll get into today, there's a lot I need to do, but not a lot I wanna do.            so we'll see if need or  wanna  wins  today.        one  things for sure, if I don't get it done, it will still be there tomorrow.         well, it will.       don't do like I do, do as I say,  if it needs to be done, just do it.         I hope everyone has a beautiful day today.         in the mean time, I gotta get busy.     

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I have always wondered what Maundy Thursday actually meant.          I started looking to find out.         in the past, when I've asked people that should have known, (just like I should have known before now) I never got an answer that even remotely felt right.         so let's see what we can come up with.

Thursday was the day that Jesus celebrated His final Passover with His disciples.         it was at this Passover meal that Jesus washed the disciples feet.          if you've ever had your feet washed by another person in commemorating what Jesus done for His disciples, it's very humbling.         and we have to realize that Jesus humbled Himself to do this, by becoming a servant to His disciples.       Jesus then commanded His disciples to do the same for each other.        so, where does Manudy come in and what does it mean?            to love Jesus means to serve others.

Christ's "mandate" is commemorated on Maundy Thursday---"maundy" being a shortened form of mandatum (Latin), which means "command."         It was on the Thursday of Christ's final week before being crucified and resurrected that He said this commandment to His disciples.         Jesus and his disciples had just shared what was known as the Last Supper and he was washing their feet when he stated:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34).

Jesus raised the bar by setting a new standard of love.           love people even if they don't love you.      love people even if they have nothing to give you.         love people by doing something for them that most people would not dream of doing.        love people.        love all people.        love people.        love people by being a servant to them.         if you want to be a great leader, be a great servant.        Jesus was the example of being a great servant.          I don't have the power to forgive and cleanse like Jesus does, but through His love for me, I can love you.         Jesus gave us the greatest gift of all time, eternal salvation.         I wouldn't have known that gift, if people before me had not loved people enough to share love with them, Jesus' love.          Jesus loved sacrificially.           He gave His life for me, you and everyone who choose to accept His gift of salvation.         while you and I can't give someone salvation, we can certainly share about the One who can.         that's love.        meet people right where they are, at greatest point of their need.         love them.       

Jesus knew what lay ahead for Him.           after breaking the bread with the disciples, one went to to betray Christ and the others went to the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus prayed to His Father.        He knew what lay ahead.        but Jesus never forgot to love.           He wanted this cup of death to pass from Him, but He also know this was His destiny.          shortly after His prayer to His Father, He was betrayed by one of His disciples and then arrested, unjustly.   

So, this probably wasn't the best description of Maundy Thursday, but maybe you can put together some more info to go along with this start and see that Maundy Thursday is actually a command from Jesus to love each another as He has loved us.        let's think about the love that Jesus had and has even now for us.         no greater love has this world known, than the  love of Jesus Christ.

while we think about the foot washing ceremony and the breaking of bread, let's keep the main thing in focus.         sometimes we can get lost and carried away with rituals.        keep the meaning of the action first and foremost in our minds.        be very aware of what we do and why we do it.        and while doing so, love others as Christ has loved us.

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giggle for the day:

Q - What do you call an alligator who solves mysteries?

A - An invest-igator!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

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picking up with Amos Chapter 2,            we see more of God's judgement.           but we also see that His judgement is meant to bring His people back to Him.          it's not meant for destruction, but it's meant for restoring His people back to righteousness.         when we abandon God's commands and engage in sinful behavior, we can expect discipline from God.         how can we be people who brings change for the good in our community or church?        we can NOT be swayed by cultural or societal practices that go against the word of God.          we have to stand firm on God's word.         keep a heart of gratitude that remembers all the blessing from God and also remembers where we were before God intervened in our lives.          pray for strength to turn away from sin.         pray for wisdom and courage to live a life based on the standards in God's word.

Chapter 3,          since we are chosen by God we have a responsibility to live our lives based on His word.        God is, always has been and always will be committed to His justice and righteousness.       as God's own people we have an accountability that comes with responsibility and there are consequences when we don't live up those responsibilities.           are we living in a way that honors the calling that God has over our lives?           make sure that our lives are aligned with God in all we do.          continue to seek after the heart of God.    

Chapter 4,            there are consequences to every choice we make, good or bad and we have to be ready to repent when necessary.         lay aside the rituals and seek real transformation.          are there areas in our lives where we have become desensitized to the seriousness of sin, if so, repent.         is God using areas in our lives to draw us back to Him?         probably so.          God has control over all creation so we can trust His plans for our lives.        work on developing a heart that is ready to meet with Him and seek forgiveness from God when we've strayed.          

Chapter 5,             God's mercy continues to shine through and He calls for a sincere repentance.         lay aside the rituals and lifeless traditions and seek God.          God's call is for repentance and righteousness.            God is tired of empty rituals, He wants genuine worship.         is my worship a genuine reflection of my love for God?         I need to make it a daily practice to study Gods' word, pray and strive to do God's will in my life.           ask God to help us worship Him in spirit and truth and ask for a renewed heart that seeks Him daily.         

next time we pick up with Chapter 6.

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I guess we will wrap it up and get on into our day.         I hope and pray that we will all have a great day and keep God first place in our day.            seek to do His will in all we do.        focus on the coming Sunday.          Resurrection Sunday!!!!!!         praise God for what He has done for us!!          blessings of truth and strength be ours.

hugs and love, patty 

Bible Study and "There's More"

good morning loved ones of God.         I pray that we had a great day yesterday and a wonderful night of rest and that we're all ready to face this day with great expectation.         let's make it a good day and see how we can worship and praise God in the midst of living our lives.        tell someone today that There's More!!          and then share some more with them.          share hope and love with people who need it and be an encourager to those around you.        I'm hoping I can get some seed starts up-potted in some solo cups this afternoon.        don't know if it that will happen, but hopefully it will.        then maybe in a week or so I can get some of my plants permanently in their forever homes.         I need to get some sourdough bread started sometime today.       anyway, we'll see what I get done today.       

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this is something I wrote back in 2017 and thought I would share it again.

"There's More".    What is the first thought that you have when you hear those 2 words?     I forget where I heard those words in conjunction with I am gonna share today.    A lot of times, I will hear something that stirs me and when that happens, I have to get away so I can let God show me what He wants me to see instead of someone else's view.     So, when I heard, "There's More", I turned the television off and met with God.

So, let me share with you what God has shared with me, in His word.    One thing is this, makes no difference how the situation looks, "There's More".     Makes no difference what the diagnosis is, "There's More".    Makes no difference where you are in life, "There's More".     You know what, sometimes the "There's More"  is suffering.     Sometimes, the "There's More" is coming with the diagnosis.     Sometimes, the place you are in life is not good and "There's More".     The not so good stuff is there for each one of us, and it seems like when it starts raining, "There's More".

When it seems like the "There's More" is always nothing but painful and hurtful, just remember, you are not in this alone.    If you know Christ as your Savior, you are not alone, "There's More".     He is the Author and Finisher of "There's More"!     Look at all the lives in the Bible that He changed for the good.    And the "There's More" that He gives is good.    He says, "Yes this situation looks difficult, but "There's More"!     He says, "Yes, that diagnosis may be terminal, but "There's More"!     He says, "Yes, the place you are at right now is not good, but "There's More"!    

Romans 8:37 speaks of us being more than conquerors.

Psalm 68:35 speaks of God being more awesome than His holy places.

Psalm 71:14 speaks of David saying he hopes continually and will praise You (God) more and more.

Matthew 6:25 Jesus speaks of life being more than food and the body being more than clothing.

Acts 20:35 Paul quotes Jesus as saying "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Hebrews 10:17 says "their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more".

James 4:6 says "but He gives more grace".

1 Peter 1:7 says that our genuine faith is more precious than gold that perishes.

2 Peter 1:10 says to be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. (call and election is referring to one's own salvation experience)

Revelation 21:4 says there will be no more death, nor sorrow, no crying and no more pain.

Revelation 22:3 says there shall be no more curse.

I think at the end of all these "There's More's", I can say, "But wait, There's More"!!!    I think the "more" that most of are waiting for is the "more" that is an eternity in the presence of our Lord, Savior and Messiah, Jesus Christ.    From all the descriptions of what heaven is gonna be like, I dare say that someone will be showing us through the streets of gold and saying, "but wait, There's More!"    At every turn, there will be "more".     It seems like every time we turn the news on, there's more and more garbage, pain and evil.   That's what the news media wants to report and they have plenty to report.     Some day and some day soon, that will change!     Jesus is coming and "There's More"!!!  I do look forward to "There's More", how about you?

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giggle for the day:

Q - What kind of socks do grizzlies wear?

A -  None, they have bear feet!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

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picking up at Hosea Chapter 13,           we see there is severe consequences for walking away from God for the fleeting pleasures of the day.         that's what Israel had done and that's what we do today.      even thru judgement, God wants us to return to Him.          it's so easy to get focused on the wrong things and stray from God.         it's detrimental to us and many churches have done the exact thing and many churches have fallen away and they don't even know it.       rituals and fake worship.       do you see it, do you recognize it?         what has taken God's place in your life?        focus on the ways that God has provided for you in difficult times.         let this give you a heart of gratitude and continue to remember.           ultimate power is God's.         don't place your trust in human leadership, trust God above all.       ask God for more faith to trust Him more.         let's  keep seeking after the heart of God in all we do.     

Chapter 14,         God is always ready to forgive and restore!!!!         Praise Him for that!!!        we are reminded in this chapter that the ways of the Lord are right and just and the righteous will walk in His ways.        are you walking in His ways?          am I?        serious questions for sure.       God offers restoration, we just have to repent.         God offers us unconditional love, we just have to receive it and let it transform our lives.      lets ask God to heal the brokenness in our lives and restore our relationship with Him.      prayer, study and worship can deepen our relationship with God.        let's do this, so we can be where we need to be.         encourage others by sharing what God has done for us.         Thank You Father God for loving us and providing a way for us to be in right relationship with You!!!!

Joel Chapter 1,            Joel shares a scene of devastation that reminds us that God hears our cries, even in the face of doom.        God is our only source of salvation and restoration.        this chapter encourages us to seek the mercy and grace of God.        sometimes our judgement will come in the form or a plague of devastating locusts which requires repentance.         I'm reminded of the scripture, 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."       (God was calling His people, not the pagan world, but His people to humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways.     that's who God is calling today, His people.    why would the world want to turn to Christ when our lives, Christians, our lives look just as terrible and sometimes worse than the pagans lives do.)     again, we see "seeking God's face", are we seeking after God with our whole being?         if so, God will heal us and our land.        pray for a heart of humility and repentance.       seek God's mercy and forgiveness, healing and restoration.        those will only happen thru repentance.      

Chapter 2,         this chapter shows that God truly is in charge.        we see judgement, repentance, restoration and blessing.         God is in charge!!!        He is merciful and faithful!!!        He is quick to forgive!!!        sincere repentance leads to full restoration.         hold on to the promises of restoration and blessing knowing that God can heal our brokenness!!!         have you let Him into your brokenness yet?   we can be assured that nothing in our lives will ever shock God, so, don't hesitate to share your brokenness with the One that can restore you!!!       pray for the Holy Spirit in your life.       He's there, we just have to ask for God's help, to help us recognize the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Chapter 3,           we can't have God's love without having His justice and judgement.        Christ died on the cross for me and that's where my justification comes in at.        with His sacrifice and me accepting the gift of salvation, I've been made just as if I'd never sinned.        that's God's love!!!!        God will deliver and restore anyone who will seeks after Him and will trust Him.        God will bring justice to all nations, we need to always remember that.        our hope is in God's promise of restoring and blessing His people.      pray for a heart that desires to seek and serve God in all our ways.        

Amos Chapter 1,            God does not overlook and ignore sin, He is impartial in judgement.       we need to live righteous lives because God's mercy is with those who live righteously and do good.       it makes no difference who we are, nation or individual, God's impartial judgement will happen.        God is no respecter of persons or nations.        we, as believers are called to live just and righteous lives right where we live, standing up against wrong doing and oppression.        God is in control.         ask God for strength and faith to trust His plan even in the face of danger.        sin is serious and we need to live lives that reflect God's mercy and grace.

next time we pick up at Amos Chapter 2.      

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I guess this is where we'll call it a wrap.          I hope you have a magnificent day today and that we all will continue to seek after the heart of God in all we do.         we can certainly see the importance of doing so.         I don't know what all is on our agenda today, but we'll see what the day brings.       if it's something fun, I'll certainly tell y'all about it.        

but wait, "There's More"!!!!!       this is Resurrection Sunday week, starting with Palm Sunday, last Sunday.         one thing that I think about during this time is Palm Sunday, the people was laying the palm branches down and shouting "Hosannah" which means "save now".       I wonder how many of those same people were in the crowd later  on  in  the  week, shouting "crucify  Him"?          that's  something that's always resonated with me.         I also wonder if I had lived during that time, would I have been a Christ follower?          would I have been one of the women at the foot of the cross, weeping over my Lord and Savior, or would I have been one of the nameless faces in the crowd shouting "crucify Him!!"?           I'll never know, but I do know I love my Lord and Savior and it makes me cry just to think about this scenario and wondering where I would have stood.    

lots  to think about as we await Resurrection Sunday.         this certainly gives us a lot think about.      and as we study the bible, we see everything that we have studied to this point is bringing us to Resurrection Sunday.         salvation and restoration and healing brokenness if for anyone who wants to receive it.         a free gift from our Lord and Savior who paid the ultimate price for us.       blessings of mercy and healing be ours.

hugs and love, patty 

Bible Study and Sunday's Coming

good morning from my neck of the woods.          it's sunny and we're supposed to have some warming temps, yay!!!!          but I think we're also in for some more rainy weather.        I guess someone may need it, but there's still a lot of flooding in and around my area.         we got out and got our walk in this morning and that was good.          it always feels good to get that done.       I hope I can get outside in a bit and get some of my plant starts set out for the sun and breeze on them.        maybe in a few days I can start getting some of them planted in their forever homes and then get some seeds in some of containers too.        we'll see.         it all depends on the weather.    

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This is something I wrote back in 2021.        thought I would share it again. 

This is Easter week and weekend.     It is the weekend celebrated by Christ Followers as the weekend that we gained access to the Father thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.    If we could go back and look at the scene, there is no doubt that we would shed many tears.    To think that my Savior took all the punishment that I should have taken for my sins is more that I can hardly bare.    The truth is, there is nothing that I can do about my sin without what took place on what we call Easter weekend.    I would have been doomed to a devils hell with no hope for anything else.    Jesus is my HOPE!!!!    He is your hope also.

Without hope, life is not worth much.    You can see hope as a tangible asset.    Have you ever noticed it when people watching?    Or when coming in contact with others?     If not, I would make a suggestion to you to start watching.    It has been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul.    I think that is a pretty accurate statement.     If you see someone who has sparkles in their eyes, I believe they have hope abundance.   If you see someone and looking at their eyes is like looking at a flat wall, they have no hope.     If you have ever noticed it, just once, you'll never forget it.

Many years ago I worked with a beautiful young lady who was full of life and bubbly and so friendly.    All of a sudden she was missing from work for a couple of weeks and when she came back to work, she was lifeless, dead inside, quiet, and wouldn't talk.    Rumors started around about what had happened.    I know the rumors was true, but I didn't partake in the rumormill.    When the talk started, I left.    I didn't want this sweet young lady to think I was talking about her.    The talk and rumors kept on for months and someone asked me why I walked off when anyone started talking about her, suggesting I was too good to talk about her.    I just told this person that while y'all talked about her, I prayed for her.  When the rumor mill started about someone, I started praying for them.    Gradually, this young lady started talking to me when I was around, she started smiling again and her eyes got bright and sparkly again.     That is the HOPE that God gives us.    Her life changed drastically, but God was with her and He kept her thru this difficult time.     She also knew I was praying for her.     

If God has put someone in your life that prays for you daily, you are blessed.    If God has put you in someone's life to pray for them daily, you too, are so very blessed.    To pray for and to be prayed for, are two of the sweetest and most awesome things we can ever do or have done for us.     I am blessed to have some ladies in my life that I know, pray for me daily, and for that I am so thankful!!!     I pray for them daily also, and am very blessed to be able to lift them in prayer.   Sometimes, even on a good day, we can lose hope, or lose sight of hope.    But when we know we have sisters in Christ who are lifting us up, regularly, God hears those prayers.     

Our hope is in Christ, and Christ alone.     Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.     Our salvation is in Christ, and Christ alone.     Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.     

All we have to do is receive the gift of salvation.     Are you a good receiver?      A lot of people are not.  I used to be a bad receiver.    Many years ago, at church, a lady wanted to bless me.     I had done some embroidery work for her for a set price.     I took it to her and she was extremely thrilled.    She happily paid me for what I had done and I happily received my pay.     On Sunday, at church, when we got seated, she turned around and handed me a greeting card.     I opened the card and there was money, the same amount that she had already given me.     I asked her what it was for.     She said it was a blessing from her to me.     I said, "oh, I can't take this!!"     A lovely gentleman was setting behind me.     He had no idea what this was all about.      He leaned forward and tapped me on the shoulder.     I turned around and he kindly and gently whispered to me and told me that she was following as the Lord had directed her and I needed to be a good receiver when someone wanted to bless me.     If we are bad receivers, we can keep someone from receiving a blessing.     It is awesome to be able to bless someone, but the receivers have to be good receivers.    I received her blessing and have never forgotten the lesson that she and the gentleman behind me taught me that day.    Be a good giver and a good receiver.   

So, as I think about Easter weekend, knowing that Sunday is coming!!!, I want to be a good receiver of all the blessings that God, thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ, has in store for me.    That is the ONLY part that you and I play in our salvation, believing, repenting and receiving.     We don't work for it to earn it, it's a free gift,     Being open vessels, ready to receive all that God has in store for us.    Like empty buckets, ready for the blessings to rain down and fill us up.     Once we get filled up, every little nook and cranny, filled with God's blessings, then the blessings start to overflow from us and spill out onto others around us.     When that happens, we are then blessing others from our abundance.     The phrase, "you can't give what you don't have", rings true in this circumstance.     When we know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, then our buckets are full to overflowing.    

About this free gift, salvation, it is free to us.    However, freedom isn't free.      Any freedom comes with a high cost.     The freedom that we have here in the Untied States, came at a high cost, going back before we were even what is called The United States of America.     People has fought and died for our freedom.     There is always death associated with freedom.     In order for people to have freedom, one has to decide that it's worth putting their life on the line for.     And lots have given all for us to have the freedom that we love and take for granted now.     But for us, we can squander our freedom and lose sight of the value of freedom and let it slip right from our grasp, like it's actually happening today, even as I type.    We are losing our freedom.     It may even be too late to do anything about it.     We'll have to see how it plays out.    

One thing about the freedom in Christ that we have, this freedom will NEVER be taken from us!!!!     I don't know about you, but that makes me want to shout from the roof tops that no matter what is taken from me, they can't take my freedom in Christ!!!!      Why?     The work of Christ was finished on the cross more than 2000 years ago.      That sealed the best deal that you or I will have in this life time or 1000 more just like it.     I am covered by the blood of Jesus and all God sees when He looks at me is His Son!!!      My sins are covered.     I'm sealed by the blood of the Lamb.     I'm saved, eternally.      All I done was receive it.     My life was changed upon receiving is.      The old is gone and the new remains.     All because of Christ my Redeemer.     I seen a t-shirt that says, "plot twist, HE LIVES!!"   I love that so much!!!!!     

Today is Tuesday, but Sunday's coming!!!!!!     Today is one of the days that hope was lost, but with the "plot twist", WOW, Sunday is coming!!!!!!    Are you ready?????     

I hope and pray that as you go thru this day, you can see God very visible and active in your day.     Just know that every step you take is ordered by Him.     Yes, we have the free will to veer from the path He is laying out in front of us.    But with the help of the Holy Ghost, we will stay on path and walk the ordered steps of our Father.    I hope when you close your eyes in sweet rest tonight, that you will say before you drift off, "HE LIVES!!"     He lives, that is our HOPE.    That is what Resurrection Sunday is all about.    "HE LIVES!!!!"      No other sweeter words!!!!          

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giggle for the day:

Q - What do you get when you cross a snail with a porcupine?

A - A slowpoke!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

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picking up with Hosea Chapter 8,          one thing that need to be said is that every book in the bible points directly to Jesus Christ and the need for salvation, restoration, mercy, grace, love, changed lives by walking away from the sin that was leading us straight to hell.         God provided a way for us to be in right relationship with Him thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ.         some believe it, some don't.       it truly doesn't make any difference if people don't believe it, it's true and they will find out someday that every word of the bible is God's word and it's true.        human wisdom leads to destruction and moral decay.       if you don't believe it, just look around you, watch the news, see what's happening in your local government, see what's happening in state and federal government.        lots of humans think they know better than God.         some even think they are above God.        human wisdom fails every time, but with all the evil wickedness, God still offers repentance and hope amidst the gloom.         when you worship  God,  is  it  from  the heart or is it just the common rituals of the day, found in our local churches?       we need to focus on aligning ourselves with God's word and not human wisdom.

Chapter 9,          continuing to hang out in sin will result in dire consequences.           even in the midst of judgement, God offers the opportunity of repentance, transformation and renewal.          we can see the results of unfaithfulness and that's a spiritual famine taking over Israel.         it sounds all too familiar to the day we are living in.         joy comes from the things God!!!         if you think joy comes from worldly pleasures, you have been deceived.         don't turn a deaf ear to the word of God as being outdated, it's very relevant to the day we are living in.         pray for the ability to know that what you hear from spiritual leaders is from the word of God.         read your bible and know what you're hearing is true or false.        don't blindly trust a church leader to spoon feed you, if you do, you'll end up eating his words, and not God's.           pray for the Holy Spirit to help you be attentive to what you hear and read and to know it's of God or it's not of God.

Chapter 10,           unfaithfulness always has consequences, but God offers hope, justice, righteousness and mercy.         have your material blessings led you away from God and do you have idolatry alters in your life that need to be torn down?          some tough questions.           don't trust your own conscience to be truthful to you, trust the word of God.         our conscience can get seared by the evil and wickedness of this world and we won't recognize God in the midst of struggles.         pray for the Holy Spirit to be an ever present figure in your daily life.            this would be a good time to remind us to keep seeking after the heart of God, like David did.         when we are seeking after the heart of God, we will find Him and we will grow in our walk with Him daily.

Chapter 11,           no matter how much we rebel, God's compassion is read to cover us with His mercy, love and patience.         God's love for us is so strong that He will let us walk away from Him, just like a loving parent.         and He will be there to give full restoration when we come back to Him.        there may be some discipline and judgement before we make the decision to come back to Him, but He will be there to welcome us back.         think about how much God loves you!!!!         think about all He has done for you.        when I think about myself, I am overwhelmed by the grace, love, mercy, restoration and changed life that He alone is responsible for.         I just went back to Him, He scooped my up, cleaned me up and has been taking care of me ever since.         do I have bad days?         absolutely, but I know He is with me.        God's mercy is far greater than our failures!!!!!          Praise Him!!!!!!!

Chapter 12,           God's mercy and patience is enduring.           He doesn't stop waiting for us.        He's ready to forgive and restore.          we just have to want Him.        we have a responsibility to Him to stay faithful, act right and wait for His redemption.          do you live a life of honesty and integrity?         a couple of hard questions.          integrity has been defined as doing the right even when no one is around to see what you do.         we know that even if human eyes don't see us, God always sees us.        we can always recall all of God's past faithfulness to know that He will be faithful in the future.       we need to pray for God to us the courage to live lives filled with integrity in all circumstances.          if we learn from the faithfulness of God in the past, we can trust Him in the uncertainty of the future.

next time we'll pick up with Chapter 13.

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well, I guess we'll call it a wrap today and see what we have on our agenda.         I hope and pray that we all have a great day.         let us remember to be seeking after the heart of God in all that we do.        we can see this thru the bible up to this very day.        I'm sure we'll continue to see it as we proceed with our study.         blessings of God's mercy and patience be ours today.

hugs and love, patty 

Bible Study and The Little Donkeys

good morning faithful followers of God.        I hope and pray that we all have a great day today.        I don't have any plans for the day, yet.        I may get my bread machine out and make some brioche rolls, dough balls, for the freezer.         I need to keep those made up and when we use them as buns for hamburgers, as we do frequently, we really plow the brioche buns.      I may end up having to go to the dr with my knee.         I rolled over in bed and tweaked it pretty bad, so we'll have to see how it feels later on.        if it's not one thing is another.        but hey, I got up, so that's a blessing and I'll treat it as such and pray for God to lay His healing hand on my knee.        I know He can heal it.        I also know that I may end up having to go to the dr.       so, we'll see.        either way, God gets the glory, even right now, I praise Him for what He is doing and will do.        so, thank You God, for all your many blessings on me over the course of my lifetime.          You've been so faithful, I haven't, but You've always loved me in spite of me.        Thank You!!!!!!

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this is a little story I wrote a few years ago and remembered it, so I thought I would share it again as we go into this particular time and season of the year.       I've shared it a time or two.     this is all just my "imaginings", and I know some of it is factual and some may not be factual.       it's not meant to be anything other than a story to maybe read to your children and then look up the scriptures that co-inside with the different parts of the story.    

The Little Donkeys, I can just imagine

The donkey is a lowly little critter.     It's been called a little stubborn and ornery, among other things.    It's a small little beast of burden.    It has been known to be a pack animal, carrying big heavy loads.   Oh, it's not uncommon to drive around in the countryside and see a donkey in the field, among some of the other more favorable animals.   I've heard it said that a donkey will keep predators away from other animals and that's why you see them on farms sometimes.  Who determines what an animals duty in life will be?  Who assigned their particular roles?

Donkeys have been used as work animals for more than 5000 years and there are more than 40 million donkeys in the world today.    Working donkeys were associated with those living at or below poverty level.   In some cultures they were also associated with wealth.    They continue to fill important roles in many places around the world today.   Donkeys live and thrive in climates and places around the world that a horse can't survive in.    They were used in early days as a means of mobility for cultural survival, being pack animals.     Man and donkeys have worked together side by side for many many years.   Donkeys adapt to the land and the job they are to do.  They are surefooted and can climb and work in just about any terrain.    Donkeys have been known for their stubbornness and this can be associated with their strong sense of preservation and a weaker connection to human beings because people have always chosen horses over donkeys.   But still, there are things a horse can't do that a donkey can do.   Studies have shown donkeys to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful and eager to learn.  

They are mentioned all throughout the Bible.   There are several stories in the Bible in which a donkey plays a key role.    One of them is in regards to Balaam's donkey.    It is of importance to note, I guess, the cross shape on the back and shoulders of donkeys in black hair.   Some see that as the symbol of Christ riding on a donkey.    There are lots of sayings and insults attributed to the donkey.  I'll let you search for those.   They are also associated with politics, but that's another story altogether.

The lowly donkey.    A stubborn little thing.    It's sure footed and can carry most anything you place on it.    If you scare it, it will stand there and stare you down.    Curiosity is one reason they are called stubborn.   Because they are not afraid of much.    At one time, most everyone had a donkey.   If you traveled, you had a donkey to carry your belongings.    Even today, in parts of the world, a lot of travel is still done with donkeys. 

I can just imagine the donkey that Mary rode on when she was great with child and she and Joseph was going to be counted in the census.   I can just imagine that lowly little creature realized that he was carrying God's Son on his back when Mary was riding the lowly little donkey.    I can just imagine here a little bit too, because we don't know what the donkey thought or knew.   But them being perceptive animals, I can just imagine that the donkey knew he was carrying Precious Cargo.   I can just imagine that he, this donkey, was a little more sure footed than usual.   Since Jesus and John knew each other in their mothers wombs, I can just imagine that Jesus communicated with the donkey while still in His mother's womb.   Far fetched thought I know, it actually is far fetched.   But I can just imagine that if He had wanted to communicate with the little donkey, that He certainly could have.   And just because there is no record of it, doesn't mean He didn't.

I can just imagine that this donkey stepped a little differently after his task of carrying Mary to Bethlehem.    I have always imagined it just like this, that the donkey carried Jesus to His birthplace, by carrying His mother, Mary to Bethlehem.    I can just imagine this.    The King of Kings and Lord and Lords came riding in to His kingdom on a lowly donkey.    When we think of kings and lords we usually associate them with royalty and military.   Neither of those words describe our Lord and Savior.   Oh, to me, those words don't even do Him justice, but the world has never seen Him as anything but someone who is a disturbance to them and their sin.    But, He is my King and my Lord and far greater than anything this world will ever know as king and lord.    And I can just imagine that Jesus meant a lot to the little donkey that carried Him in to Bethlehem to be born.    I would love to know how he communicated with his donkey friends about the task that he had been chosen to do.   I can just imagine that he told his story as humbly as a little donkey could, while trying to keep his pride from getting the best of him.   But, in all honesty, he could be very proud of the task that he had done.    After all, no one else would ever have such an honor as his.

No one, except the little donkey chosen to carry Jesus to His death.   I can just imagine this little donkey probably didn't have any choice over the task at hand either, any more than the one that carried Him to His birth.   But, I can just imagine, that he done his job just as noble as the first little donkey did.   Jesus may have told this little donkey what was going to happen.  I can just imagine that it is possible that this little donkey was a relative to the one that carried Him to His birth, but, I don't know.   When we are just imagining, I guess anything is possible.   Can you just imagine the importance of the task at hand?    This little donkey would be fulfilling prophecy in the Old Testament.   I can just imagine that with each step up the palm branch laden road that this little donkey felt a little more heart pain with each step.   Oh, I don't know if donkeys have broken hearts or not, but I can just imagine if Jesus communicated with him in any way about the mission that this little donkey had been called to do, that he took this task seriously. 

 What would this little donkey say to you or me if he could talk and tell us about his experience?  Do you think he would tell us that it was an honor to carry such a person on his back?   Oh, I can just imagine he would.   I can just imagine he would tell us about all the obstacles along the way that he avoided just to keep our Savior safe while on his back.    I can just imagine he would tell us just how broken hearted Jesus really was at what was happening and going to happen shortly.    This was the mission of Jesus and He knew that, but can you just imagine being in His shoes and knowing what was ahead of you in the all too near future.   I can just imagine that the mere act of sitting on the donkey allowed the donkey to feel some of the impending danger and doom that lay ahead for our Savior.   I can also just imagine that for one split second that little donkey wished he was a very large fast stallion, so he could wisk our Savior away to safety.   I can also just imagine that is probably why a small slow donkey was chosen.  So the will of God could be carried out so perfectly, with our Savior being our perfect sacrifice for our sin.   This little donkey fulfilled his calling in life by being the transportation that our Lord and Savior rode to the cross on.    He done what he was destined to do.  They both did.    The first donkey carried our Savior to Bethlehem to His birth and the second donkey carried our Savior to His death on the cross.  

I know that none of my imaginings about these two little donkeys is factual other than the fact that they did what they did.   They were the chosen transportation for our Lord and Savior.    But, you know what, this is some of the things that I have just imagined over the years when I think about those little donkeys.   I have a deep love in my heart for these two little creatures that were chosen for their purpose.   I hope that if you have never thought of them like this, that maybe, just maybe, you will now.

And we know the next time our Lord and Savior rides on the back of an animal it will be a strong and mighty beast, a white horse, created for it's mission and purpose.  To bring the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to claim His own!!!   Praise His mighty and holy name!!!!    Three creatures created for the sole purpose of carrying our Lord and Savior.   One to His birth, one to His death and one to His triumphant return!!   I can only imagine this is the only factual statement in this whole scenario.   This has not been to mislead anyone, it's just where my mind goes when I think of the little donkeys in our Savior's  story.   I don't know that my thoughts are true, but I don't know they aren't either.  I just know that I have new found respect for the little donkeys, I can just imagine you do too.  

written by: pjg 03-17-19

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giggle for the day:

Q - How does a cucumber become a pickle?

A - It goes through a jarring experience.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

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picking up with Hosea Chapter 4,             this chapter shows us that there are consequences when we turn away from God, individually and as a society or nation.        we should have a desire to know more about God and to love Him more.         Israel lacked faith, knowledge of God, love, and keeping God's law.          they were rotting, decaying morally.         study God's word and keep seeking after the heart of Him daily.         sin is destructive in our lives and in our communities.        pray for leaders that we know who do uphold biblical truth.         get rid of any idols!!!!        make a commitment to being faithful to God alone.          pray for a hunger for the word of God and a deeper understanding of Him.        

Chapter 5,          there are severe consequences for turning away from God.        but even in the midst of judgement, there is hope for repentance and restoration.        our spiritual leaders; preachers and teachers,  are supposed to guide our communities in truth and righteousness.         if there is sin in our lives, we need to embrace the need for repentance and run towards it as fast as we can.         make  it a point to seek the presence of God in our lives daily.         seek a deeper relationship with Him through  reading His word and praying.     

Chapter 6,          we need to realize that God wants His people to return to Him with true devotion and love for Him.         look at our lives and see if there is any way that we are falling short of our love, trust and devotion for Him.         if we are falling short, we need to repent and return to God.        we need love and knowledge of God more than we need fake rituals and fake sacrifices.        do you serve God because you love Him and you want to know more about Him, or do you pretend to serve Him out of obligation?          our top priority should be to draw strength and guidance from God on a daily basis.       pray for God's healing in your brokenness.           may we continue to seek after the heart of God daily in all we do.

Chapter 7,          sometimes we need to stop and really look at ourselves.         if we seen ourselves the way God sees us, it would necessitate a need for repentance and reformation.         we can't see who we really are and keep doing the same old same old, expecting a different outcome.         God's number one goal is for redemption of His people.         we need to confess our sin and beg for God's forgiveness.       when we are grounded in the word of God, we can tell the difference between truth and lies.        pray for the strength to trust God's plan and His purposes.             may we have a longing in our hearts for spiritual renewal.

next time we'll pick up at Chapter 8.

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I hope and pray that we all have a great day today and that we will keep seeking after the heart of God in all we do.         blessings of repentance and restoration be ours today.         it truly is a blessing from God to be able to repent and be welcomed back into His family with Him remembering our sin  no more.

hugs and love, patty

Bible Study and Cheese Burger Taco Bowls for Lunch Saturday

good Sunday morning!!!!!!           I hope and pray that where ever we all are that we happy that God woke us up this morning and has given us a new day to be in right relationship with Him.         let's make the most of this day and glorify Him with every breath we take.         you know what, it was 28 degrees saturday morning!!!!          it was a whoppingly hot 32 degrees this morning!!!       I'm ready for some warmer nights and mornings.        once it gets here though, I may not want it at all.         I'm just ready to get some things planted and out of the sprout house.          right now, they are easier to handle in the solo cups in trays I can carry.         once I get everything up-potted, it won't be easy at all to carry from outside to the garage.         my back isn't up to that and neither is my husbands.        so, I'll give it another few days and then we'll see what the long range forecast for my area is supposed to be.          I've got 11 more tomatoes in the hydroponic unit inside that's ready yo be put in solo cups, but I may wait a few more days.         although I would love to get more peppers started, they'll have to wait for a few more minutes, or days.         I hope y'all are enjoying your gardens, or if you're like me, just looking forward to it.         at any rate, plant something.       my saying is this, "something is better than nothing".          and something homegrown, is awesome!!!!     

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let's do a quick "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".            I wanted something different for our lunch  yesterday so I put my thinking cap on and this is what I came up with.         I do this about once a month, simply because it's too good.          I could do it every day, but the thousand island dressing could pose a problem since that's where most of the calories come from.          and we're not fond of low cal dressings.        they have too much bad stuff in them, much more than just the regular dressings have.      so we opt for about once a month.

I pop the tortilla shells in the air fryer between 2 tortilla bowl makers so they will hold their shape.          I get all my lettuce ready.         I cook my ground beef and get it seasoned  real good and have my grated cheese, onions and pickles ready and then I build these bowls.          I love to get the bowls really crispy and then they are easy to break apart with a fork.        

I'll put the lettuce in the bowls first, then put the onions and pickles.          next will be the seasoned beef or turkey meat and then the grated cheese and last but not least is the thousand island dressing.          I also put several cherry tomatoes in the bottom of my bowl.          good night, this is soooooo good!!!      we really do enjoy it, probably just a little too much.          that's probably about 3, maybe 4 tablespoons of thousand island dressing.           you can make these and put whatever you want in them and whatever dressing you desire.          no matter how you fix these, they will be delicious.          taco bell used to have a taco salad.           then someone on the internet, I think it was, made their version of a big mac taco salad bowl.          remember the mickie d's commercial back in the day, "2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame bun"?          if you remembered that commercial, you probably sang it while you read it.         hahaha         ok, so, this all that in a tortilla taco shell bowl, minus the sesame seed bun.       hahaha        better than the burger any day!!!        hahaha        well, we think so anyway.       that was saturday's lunch.  

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giggle for the day:

Q - What did the bunny say to the carrot?

A - It’s been nice gnawing you!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

that waskily wabbit!!!!    hahahahaha

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picking up with Daniel Chapter 10,           make no mistake, spiritual warfare is very real.          our main struggle comes from the unseen forces of evil around us.          look up Ephesians 6:12.         that tells it all.          we have to be persistent in prayer and studying the word and trusting that our prayers are heard by God.          we have to trust God that when we pray, He hears those prayers instantly, and God's timing is always perfect.         sometimes we forget that God is in charge of everything.          Daniel wanted to understand what was happening, he sought God for that understanding, so should we.        are you dealing with any spiritual battles?          if so, go back to Ephesians 6 and read about God's spiritual armor for us.         put that on.        pray for God's strength and encouragement in times of weakness and discouragement.

Chapter 11,         we are living in turbulent times just like Daniel.         we have to realize that God is in control of everything and regardless of the chaos, God's plans will prevail.          hang on to your faith even in times of chaos and struggle.         we can have peace knowing that God wins!!!!!          as we see the world leaders  we must pray for discernment for us to see those who are aligning themselves with the purposes of God.           are there any godly world leaders?        we need to be praying that God will put some in place.           hold on to your faith regardless of anything.         just know that the battle we are in is with the unseen force of evil.         pray that we will not be spiritually deceived.       

Chapter 12,            we just have to remember that God's protection and promises are constant in our lives.          no matter what comes our way, let us seek God's wisdom and understanding as we walk out this journey.          tribulation in this life is coming and we have to strengthen our faith and continue our steadfast walk with God.         we have a message to share that has eternal consequences, may we ask God for boldness in the face of tribulation to be faithful to the call He has given us.         even in the face of tribulation, we have to know that God has a plan and His plan will come to pass and if we are His, we will share in the eternal future of all believers.         let us pray for strength in hard times, courage to share the gospel, wisdom to live a life that honors God, and ask for a heart that trusts God, even when the future looks dismal.    

Hosea Chapter 1,          we find in this book that redemption and transformation is at the heart of God's desire for us.         this chapter represents the relationship that God had with Israel.        this book shows us just how much God loves His people and how patient He is with us.         this is God's plan for redemption and restoration.         praise Him!!!!         Hosea was called to remain faithful to Gomer, we are also called to be faithful in our relationships.            do we have areas of unfaithfulness in our lives, if so, we need look to God for forgiveness and realize that He is always working toward our ultimate good.        I'll remind us again that we need to always be seeking after the heart of God in all that we do. 

Chapter 2,         this chapter gives us a picture of the relationship between God and Israel.         Israel had been so unfaithful to God, adulterous in most ways, but God still loved them and wanted them back in right relationship with Him.         God's punishment is not to destroy Israel or us, but it's for correction and restoration.          we live in a society that want's nothing to do with correction and it shows.         but that's God's ultimate desire.        no matter how far we have sinned, God wants us back.         that's the true love story in this book.        God loves Israel.        God loves us today and this is still His love story for us.         if you love God, spend time with Him daily in prayer and reading His word.     

Chapter 3,          God  is always  willing  to redeem  us,  no matter how far we have gone away from Him.         this chapter show us that He has patience with us, and we see the hope for redemption  and a restored relationship with Him.        God loves us even when we are unfaithful to Him.        Hosea redeemed Gomer, just like Christ has redeemed us.          we need to live in freedom and gratitude of what Christ has done for us.          continue to seek a deeper relationship with God, knowing that's what He desires for us.

next time we'll pick up with Hosea Chapter 4.

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I hope and pray that we all have a great day today.      remember to keep God first in all we do and keep seeking after His heart in all we do.         blessings of strength and courage be ours.

hugs and love, patty

Bible Study and nothing new

good morning lovely friends.         I hope we all had a wonderful night of blessed refreshing rest and that we are all ready to face this day with confidence.          confidence in God, not in ourselves.         we went to see my Momma yesterday and visited with her for a little while.          it's always good to visit her and I can rest easy after having seen her with my own eyes.         other than that, nothing spectacular happened.           well, God blessed us with safety to and from, so that was a huge blessing.         any time you're on the road, you risk life and limb just because everyone is in a hurry and most people have a cell phone in one hand, cup of coffee in the other hand and driving with one knee and one elbow.      that's no joke, sadly.          but God kept us safe once again, and for that, we are grateful.        still lots of farm land under what looks to be small oceans of water.        it's a sad situation.        I just pray that God's will be done in all this.         after all, we know that He is in charge and in control of everything and He knows what's happening.         we was kinda wore out when we got home.          I fixed us a bite to eat and then we rested  for  a bit  and  got out and went  to the dollar tree,  and goodness gracious, it was full!!!!       I  couldn't  get outta  there fast enough.        hahaha          it  was just too people-y for me.         it's kinda small for a dollar tree anyway and when the parking lot is full, you know it will be elbow to elbow in there.          I went in for some whole milk, but they didn't have it.        I wanted to make some yogurt, but I do have 2% milk and it works well, but I prefer whole, full fat milk.         I need to just get some of my whey cubes from the freezer and make yogurt anyway.         I guess I'll do that before the evening is over.          I use the whey as the innoculant for my milk to make yogurt.          then when I make greek yogurt by straining it, I can freeze the whey and have more innoculant for more batches.         anyway, that's what we done yesterday.           and I did get the yogurt going on friday night and in a few hours this morning, saturday morning, I'll set the pot of yogurt in the fridge too cool off.  before bed time saturday night, I'll take it back out and start the strain process and let it strain over night tonight.         and then sunday morning, I'll have yogurt to eat and whey to freeze.          yay!!!

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giggle for the day:

Q - Why did the tomato blush?

A - Because it saw the salad dressing!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

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today we pick up with Daniel Chapter 5,           do we have pride and disrespect for God?        humility, respect and purposeful intentions is the way to avoid judgement from God and the downfall that comes with God's judgement.          worldly power and glory is nothing compared to the sovereignty of God.       if you are a Christian, you belong to God and you are a holy vessel and we are to honor God in all that we do.         when we are facing uncertain times and days in our lives, we need to pray and study God's word instead of trying to rely on our own understanding.          God is control of all things and all nations and we must trust that God has a plan and it will work out to His glory.

Chapter 6,          this chapter has it all.        political conspiracy, unwavering faith, divine intervention, and ultimate justice, to name a few.           make no mistake, God is in control and Daniel knew He was and he stayed the course, not wavering even a little bit.         he kept his heart focused on God.         he gave God his undivided attention.           Daniels courage and faith is on point and we would do well to emulate him with God's help.        just like Daniel, we are called to stay the course even in perilous times, especially in perilous times.        God is our  protector.         He will protect us in the lions den.     it makes no difference what our den of lions is, God will protect us if we trust Him.          character and integrity should be a reflection of our faith.         our faith can have a huge impact on those around us if we let God have the reins of our lives.

Chapter 7,          you know what, we're gonna have problems, trials and hard times in this life.      despite our worldly problems, God justice and promise of an everlasting eternity with Him is certain.           as we read scripture, we can see that we will face opposition and more than likely be persecuted, but have to know that God has a plan of salvation for us and that's thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ.         we'll face problems and hard times and could even face death and be killed because of our beliefs, but God has an eternal plan and if we know Jesus, we'll have eternal salvation.       this is a temporary life and we must be sharing that which is eternal with those around us.   

Chapter 8,          again and again, over and over we are told that God is in control.         we have to remember that, no matter how chaotic it is around us.          let us find peace amidst the turmoil by focusing of the triumph of God in all things.         God holds our future in His hands, regardless of how it looks with human eyes, God is in control.         we have to stay the course by remaining ever vigilant in our faith knowing that problems and opposition will come.         we must always look for wisdom and understanding from God.        Daniel couldn't have understood any of this without the wisdom and understanding from God and that was because Daniel had an unshakable faith.          do we?

Chapter 9,          thru it all, God continues to offer hope and restoration to His people.         Daniel keeps praying for God's mercy and forgiveness for the people in captivity.         are you captive to the sin in your life?             God still offers mercy and forgiveness for anyone who repents of their sin.           we need to know that prayer can bring about divine intervention and understanding of the word of God.      we need to focus on having a right relationship with God and making sure we are living our lives in His will.            keep focused on the fact that God is charge of history and His plans will be fulfilled at the right time.          if we know Christ, we are a part of His plans.    praise God!!!

next time we pick up at Chapter 10.

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well, I guess this is where we'll call it a wrap and see what we can get into today.         may we continue to seek after the heart of God in all we do.         I don't know what I'll get in to today, but if it's anything fun or exciting, I'll share.          blessings of wisdom and unshakable faith be ours.  

hugs and love, patty

Bible Study and Sweet Potatoes

good morning lovely friends.           I hope and pray that we all had a great night of rest and that we all have a wonderful day today.        we're supposed to have more rain and I figure we'll get it.       some places are still dealing with flooding that we had last week.       so more rain would not be great for them.          we actually had sunshine yesterday and the day was a beauty!!          I look forward to more days like that.          I took my plant starts out of the garage and gave them a little sunshine and I think they enjoyed it.         we got our walk in this morning and I'm always happy to get that behind us.         hahaha         my back was hurting so bad this morning I didn't think I would make it but, finally got my exercises for my back done and that helped tremendously.          sometimes I can't do my back exercise because they mess my knee up.        but fortunately, I done them this morning and my back has been felling better most of the day now.      yay!!!        I hope we get to go see my Momma today.         maybe it won't be raining to bad and we'll get to go.       I don't know what else we'll get into, but if it's fun, I'll share.       

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giggle for the day:

Q - Why couldn't the sesame seed leave the kitchen?

A - Because it was on a roll.

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bada bing bada boom

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ok, let's do another "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".        this is what I done yesterday.    when my aldi has sweet potatoes, I get a bag or two.         and I usually turn them all into my now famous "dehydrated minced onion and dehydrated minced garlic sweet potatoes".         these are the absolute best sweet potatoes ever, if you like garlic and onion.         obviously I do.          I get them peeled and do a pretty good sized dice on them.          I want them to be large enough that they don't fall thru the hole in the plate in my air fryer.  

you can see that they are a pretty good size.          this is with the avocado oil and the minced onion and garlic on them.         I got them mixed up really good and put them on my baking tray and popped them in the oven for 55 minutes at 425 degrees.         sounds like a lot of time and a high heat, but it's perfect for the sweet potatoes. 

the picture below is them baked, out of the oven, then I popped them in the freezer to flash freeze.        so this picture is actually when I took the from the freezer.         I separated them out into 6 flip top sandwich bags with between 95 and 100 grams per bag.       once I got them divvied up, I put those 6 bags in a zip top freezer bag.   

I wish I would have gotten a pic of them all bagged up, but they was starting to thaw, so I popped them back in the freezer as quickly as possible.          that will be 6 meals for me.       and after supper last night, I got my husbands yellow potatoes baked in the freezer too.        we both have 6 bags and that makes 6 meals for both of us.       I love having it ready.        then I toss them in the air fryer for 15 minutes on 400 degrees and it gets a crunchy outside and soft inside and it's wonderful.        I hope you'll try these sometime.  

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picking up with the final chapter of Ezekiel 48,            just as God had a plan for the Israelites, He has a plan for our lives too.          we just have to trust Him and turn to Him daily for His help and direction in our lives.          we can't stress how important godly leadership is.         can we even begin to imagine what our world would be like if we had godly leadership in our churches and every nation across the globe?        we need to pray for our leaders, not only our immediate leaders, but leaders all across the planet.         God is in control and His will be done in every nation on the planet.        "The Lord is There" is where we as Christians want to be.         that Holy City is our city too.        Praise Him!!!          it the presence of God in our lives, daily, something we strive for?        if not, shame on us.          develop a personal relationship with Him by prayer, worship and bible study.        as I've been saying, seek after the heart of God in all things that we do.

Daniel Chapter 1,          we start studying about Daniel and his friends today.         do you stand firm in your faith?         are you a fence straddler, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings?          do you cave in and conform to worldly pressure when confronted?          a lot of people want to say that there are no absolute truths.         the word of God stands on absolute truth.         you believe it or you don't.        even if you don't believe it, it doesn't make it un-true.          are you seeking God's wisdom and guidance to make decisions that honor Him?        do you believe that God will meet your needs when you decide to follow Him faithfully?          does you integrity and commitment to God influence those around you?      these are some questions to contemplate as we study about Daniel and his friends and their commitment to God to serve Him, no matter what.

Daniel Chapter 2,         in todays times and any uncertain times in our lives, we need to remember that God is in control of all history and our personal lives.        we just have to trust His timing and the reasoning behind it.           everything God does is with purpose.          Daniel made prayer a priority, we need to make prayer a priority too.         God hears the prayers of His people.        we need to ask God for wisdom and understanding in our every day lives.         we need to stand firm in our faith, regardless of the circumstances that we find ourselves in.           Paul said that if he lived, he lived for Christ, if he died, he'd be with Christ.         that's my paraphrase.          but that should be our attitude.         we need to ask God to help us stay faithful to Him even in the most dire circumstances.           we can't do it without the Holy Spirit in us guiding us.       

Daniel Chapter 3,           do you bow down before other gods or idols?          Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego did not bow before the golden idol.          would we?        they had unyielding faith and trust in God!!!!           do we?           God's protection is present even in the most dire situations.         if our beliefs line up with the word of God, we are to stand firm in those beliefs.        God will be with us and He will make a way, He'll be with us in the furnace.          He'll either deliver us or walk with us thru the trials.          our faithfulness can be a powerful testimony for those around us to see that we trust God in all situations, even the uncomfortable ones.           God will be with us in the midst of our problems.

Daniel Chapter 4,            we see that the writing is on the wall, our days are numbered and how we live our days will determine our eternity destination.         we use what God has given us to honor Him, not ourselves.        pride comes before a fall.       God's judgement is always righteous and just.       we have to guard against pride in our lives.        God is the provider of all we have, not us.         God is over all creation including us.        

Next time we'll pick up with Daniel Chapter 5.

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I guess that will just about do it for today.       I hope we all remember to seek after the heart of God.      we can see how important that is in our lives.         we need to study Gods word, pray and worship Him with reverence and awe.         God is holy and we need to treat Him as such.         blessings of wisdom and understanding be ours in all we do.

hugs and love, patty    

Bible Study and not much else

good morning y'all.          it's supposed to be another wet couple of days.          we need to dry out but it is what it is.       we'll see what happens.       yesterday morning it was 28 degrees!!!        this morning it was 56 when I got up.        I'm ready for warm spring temps.          but my friend that lives in arizona is expected to have 100 degree temps, so I'm happy with our cooler temps.       makes ya wonder what summer will be like.       I think we'll be trying to re-learn how to garden before long.         I know that for a long time, I've not been able to have my container garden out in the the full sun all day long.        it's so hot it will cook them and the containers soak up way more heat than the ground does.       so we'll all be learning how to garden again if the temps keeps getting higher and higher.         if the govt would stop putting all that junk in air, on purpose, for the reason of destroying the planet as we know it, we'd all be better off.       but this is just one woman's opinion.   oh well, it is what it is and it's not gonna stop until God stops it.       He can and He will someday.        let that day be sooner than later.        I don't have anything exciting to share, so let's get on with this blog post.  

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giggle for the day:

Q - Why do bees have sticky hair?

A - They use honeycombs!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

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picking up Ezekiel Chapter 43,           you know, we read about the presence of God in the temple.        this is for today and tomorrow too.         God gives us the opportunity for repentance, renewal and restoration so that we can be in the presence of God.          God's glory will return and live among His people some day and we have an opportunity to be a part of that.        do I understand it all?        absolutely not, but I believe it and I trust God.        and now is a good time to remind us to be seeking after the heart of God at all times.        I pray we never get tired of that.       God is calling us to live holy lives, free from idolatry and sin,  that's how we'll get to experience the glory of God.       we can trust God for new beginnings in our lives.        ask God to give us hearts that honors Him with sincerity and reverence in all we do.

Chapter 44,           when we serve God, we must serve Him with faithfulness, holiness and purity.        when we worship God, we must take it seriously with reverence and awe of just how mighty He is.      He is to be worshiped with reverence!!        God's word distinguishes between the holy and the profane and we need to make sure we are holy in our worship of Him.         it's a privilege to come to God in worship and we should treat it as such.       if you are in a leadership role in your church or even your community, strive to lead with integrity and humility.        God's people are set apart for His purposes and integrity and humility is very important.

Chapter 45,          God's reign over this world is not just in the spiritual things but in all things; cultural and societal leadership responsibilities.         that's why it's so important to take our worship of God seriously.         now, more than ever, today, this day, we need leaders that lead with honesty and integrity being their first and foremost  responsibility.         sadly, we don't see that.        we need to see people filled with the intentions of serving God and being just and fair like God is.        let us ask God wisdom and integrity in all areas of our lives.

Chapter 46,       leadership should be characterized by service, humility and justice, not by power and oppression.           sadly, for too many years the world's leaders have led by fear and oppression and they're still leading that way.       regular worship is vital for us to stay close to God and to grow in our relationship with Him.          the holiness of God requires our reverence and respect.        pray, read scripture and worship daily in order to maintain our focus on God.         ask for strength and discipline on a daily basis for our spiritual growth in Him.

Chapter 47,          God's power transforms, heal and provides.          completely surrender to and trust the will of God in our lives.       wade out deeper and deeper till there is no room for anything but trust in Him.       God will every need we have in every season of our lives.          I can say that this is true.      now that my husband and I are in the winter season so our lives, we can both say, thus far, that God has provided!!!        ask God to allow us to be a source of life and blessing to others by reflecting the love and grace of Christ in all the we do.    

next time we'll pick up at Chapter 48.

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well, I guess this is where we'll call it a wrap.           it's supposed to be wet again, we'll see what happens.         I don't know what we'll do, but if we get into any fun stuff, I'll share it with y'all.       I wish I had more exciting stuff to share, but when you lead dull lives like my husband and I, there isn't really much to share.          hahahaha         ah, just being honest.         we have become home bodies and it's difficult to get us out of the house anymore.       there's no place like home.       anyway, blessings of healing and transformation be ours today and every day.

hugs and love, patty