".......Lord, I believe.......

, help my unbelief." Mark 9:24

Good morning my beautiful friends.     I pray that each of you are having a most lovely day so far.            we sure are.      it's a little milder than it has been as of late, but it's warming too quickly today. when I get out to check on my garden, it will be scalding hot and the humidity is ridiculous.          hahaha      but it is what it is and we have deal with it.

speaking of dealing with things, what are you dealing with this morning?              there is any number of things that we all can be and a lot of us are dealing with.        for instance, I have a friend who is dealing with back trouble and the unknown that this brings.               I'm praying for God to make a way and heal this situation.               I have another friend who is dealing with a job loss and I pray for God to open doors that only He can open.             I have another friend who is dealing with pancreatic cancer and we're praying for God to heal this friend.         I have another friend who is dealing with her husband having found that his cancer has spread throughout his body.           we are praying for God to intervene in a big way in this situation.

Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

if you'll go to the bible and do a bit of reading you'll see that this father had asked the disciples to heal his son of the demon that was in him.           they couldn't heal this son.      then he wanted Jesus to heal his son. he told Jesus that he knew He could heal his son.       Jesus told the father that if he could believe, all things are possible. the man knew that if anyone could heal his son, it would be Jesus. sometimes, it's only when we are desperate for something that we can't make happen on our own, do we turn to Jesus.           this father knew where to turn and he did.      verse 24 is what the man cried out to Jesus. "Lord I believe, help my unbelief!"

you know what, that is an awesome instance of a very short prayer.           "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!"     this is spark of belief, something that Jesus will help us with too and help that spark of belief to grow into a big flame of belief that shares with others how they had a little belief and it grew to enough belief to save the fathers son.

any one of the aforementioned situations is enough to bring us all down to our knees.         but when we're on our knees, we're in a position of humility and that right there is where Jesus will meet us.         I don't know how many times Jesus has met me on my knees and intervened into my messes and situations and worked them out for me.

we have a tendency to think that God won't help me, or that He doesn't care about me, or that this isn't a big enough situation to ask Him for healing.        sometimes we even think that He doesn't care about our loved ones.            but He does. sometimes our prayers aren't answered in the way we want them to be answered.       but they are always answered and God will always do what is right.     at no time has He not ever done the right thing.           we just don't have His mind and we don't see the big picture.    we only see the piece of the picture that we are in, in that moment.          God sees all of His grand design and the way He works out our problems are always to give Him glory. we may get angry with the end result, we may be angry with what's happening, we may even blame God for not "fixing" the situation.           but God is always right in what he does.

Genesis 18:25............Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

go to the above scripture and read this account of Sodom and Gomorrah.        Abraham was questioning whether God would destroy the righteous with the unrighteous in Sodom and Gomorrah.      in the end, what ever God decides to do, is always right.        we will still question Him at times, and you know what, He's ok with us questioning            He is.           He knows out thoughts and ideas about everything.             He's not going to be upset with us when we question things.              especially if we are truly trying to find out more about Him.            I question God sometimes and then I feel bad that I did.           when you have a history of His faithfulness in and over your life, you really don't have to question Him.

some days I find myself saying "Lord help my unbelief!!!"        He always does. if you know Him as Lord and Savior of your life, then you too, can say "Lord, help my unbelief!!!", and He will help you.

I don't know who needs to see this, other than myself, but I pray that everyone who reads this will be able to glean some comfort from this.          it's just something that has been on my heart for a while and I needed to get it down in the form of journaling and this is it.              I pray this will help just one person in whatever you're dealing with. you don't have to go it alone.          you have a friend in Jesus.     you may not get the answers you want, but God will always give the best answers for each situation.       your loved one may leave their earth suit body, but if they know Jesus and if you know Jesus, then you'll see them in heaven some day.       with a new pain free body and all will be made right.           that is something to look forward to.              that is the Christians hope.            our hope is in the Lord and in Him alone.

blessings as we move on into our day today.              just know that God loves you all and so do I.     may you be comforted by the Lord who loves you more than you could possibly know.

hugs and love, patty

"Hope" in Christ is the Word for 2024!!!!!

good morning y'all.         I hope and pray that your day is going well.          we had an early morning appointment and I'm just now getting around to my blog today.      I don't know what we'll do this afternoon, but I really do need to get some bread made.        but we'll see if that happens.       I hope it does.        if I make bread, I'll still be dreaming of gardening.          I'm hoping to get my seeds arranged and ready to plant when it's seed starting time.          what are you gonna be doing this afternoon?        I hope you do something fun and worthwhile.

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yesterdays blog post was anything but desireable.         but it was thought provoking for me to get it down and read it and then reread it.          how do we combat the evil that is running rampant on our planet?          HOPE in Christ!!!!!          our Hope in Christ is our only defense to what's going on.

"Christ, The Solid Rock"

1 My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.


Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.


2 When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain]


3 His oath, his covenant, his blood,
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]


4 When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found:
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain]

sing this song.       let this be the song for 2024.         it will be my theme song for this year.          I hope it will be your theme song too.          if we're not standing on Christ, we're standing on shaky ground.    let's make sure we're standing on the solid Rock, Jesus Christ!!!!

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let's do a quick little "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".            I like to keep a good quick ferment going in the fridge.        get you a good clean sterile jar.         cut up an onion, red or any other kind of onion.        cut into thin slices and separate the slices.        take a jar just big enough to get the onions in it.          you don't have to use a large jar, unless you want to make a lot of fermented onions.         use a cup of apple cider vinegar and a cup of water, with a cup of pickling/canning salt added and then any spices that you may wish.         put in a clove of crushed garlic if you desire.         let this set out on the counter for at least 3 or 4 hours and then put in the fridge.          the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it will get.        this is really good to put on just about anything.          so if you want to try an easy ferment, this one is for you.        it's easy and delicious.         give it a try.

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I think I'll wrap it up here today.        I pray you all have a great day.        keep your Hope in Christ!!!    there are unsettling times ahead for us, but we can still stand strong on solid ground, when we're standing on Jesus Christ!!!         may the blessings of be God be upon us all who are standing on Christ and living our lives based on our Hope in Christ.        may peace, joy and grace be upon us all.          husg, patty

Plot twist....................HE LIVES!!!!!!!!

Good morning to you who are called by His name!!     How are y'all doing this morning?     It looks to be a gorgeous sunny day and I'm LOVING it so far.     I have every intention of loving the whole day that the Lord has made just for my enjoyment.     I hope y'all enjoy the day that He has made for your enjoyment also.     With ever bit of sunshine, the earth just gets a bit warmer and more ready to start providing the kind of nourishing warmth for the little seeds to sprout and start growing wonderful produce.    You can see where my mind is at.    My little deck garden.     We've had some really cold nights and we've had to take everything to the garage under a tarp with a light in it to keep my babies warm.   It works.    hahaha

This is Easter 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 rumormill 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, that 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 Saturday, 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, 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 as you close you 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!!!!     

God bless you all Dear Ones of Christ.   I hope and pray that you can celebrate the fact that He Lives and that is where your hope comes from.    Sometime before the day is over get your Bible out are read Luke's account of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior.     When you read, read it with the understanding that it was all done for YOU!!!!!   God loves you and so do I.    hugs, love, blessings and Resurrection excitement be yours, 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