2 Timothy 3:1-17

Good morning friends!!!!     I pray that you are having a most lovely day so far.     Yesterday was the first day of Fall.      It's hard to believe that the year is alost over.     Let's finish this year strong.    Strong in the Lord!!!     So, as I was having my bible reading and study this morning, it hit home so hard that I had to stop right in the miiddle of it and make this post.     There's only so much that we as individuals can do, but staying in the Word of God is the BEST thing we can do in these perilous times. I hope if you're not studying the Word that you will start today.

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when stuff hits home, it really hits hard. this is the days we are living in. I was doing my bible study this morning and this is what I was reading. we are living in a time where the blind is leading the blind and a lot of people that should know the truth are still following the blind.

 if we know the truth, our lives should be showing it. we will be persecuted for Christ. make no mistake, we will. we see all kinds of evil and heinous things being done today. wicked people in all levels of government. from the highest in the land to the most local form of government, it's all filled with self serving individuals that are more interested in stuffing their pockets than they are about doing what's right for the people. and scripture says they will continue to get worse and worse.

 oh it's not just about politics, it's about everything. but most of the turmoil actually starts in the political arena. just watch. abortion is about politics, not womens health. how is having abortions healthy for women????? do some real studies on the affects on a womans body from having an abortion. I know, it would all be flawed and biased from the point of view of politician and females who want to act like animals. even animals have more feeling than these evil and wicked females. and the same it is, for every hot button issue in the country. another good one, redefining marriage. who gets to do that???? God already defined it and that settles that. what about homosexuality and gender questions? God already dealt with that at Sodom and Gommorah, so that's pretty clear how He feels about that. I could go on, but you get the picture. scripture has the answers, even in the political arenas, we just have to believe those answers.

 verses 16 and 17 is where we find hope. scripture is where we will find honest answers. you'll not find honest answers in politics. you'll not find honest answers from people not interested in the knowing or having a relationship with Christ.

 the word "reproof" simply means exposing or pointing out sin. as Christians, followers of Christ, we are to use the words of God found in scripture to help us "judge", ohhhh....yes I said that word "judge", whether something is morally right or morally wrong, whether it goes against the word of God, or whether it leads us to righteousness or whether it can correct us in our way of living.

 every decision we make as human beings is judging "for" something and "against" something. if you want a glass of water and you get a glass of tea, you made a judgement call. a simple one, but a judgement call none the less. see how easy that was to make a judgement call. if you decide you're gay, you've made a judgement call on what God has already called reprobate minds. if you kill a baby, you've made the judgement call to take the life of a human being that God values. read Jeremiah 29:11. so, every decision we make is based on judging for or against something. if you are a political leader and you do something that furthers your agenda, you made the judgement call that the people that elected you don't matter and that's what we're seeing a lot of.

 what are you living for, looking for? scripture has the answers. this chapter showed me quite a few answers for some of the things we're dealing with, in higher levels of govt and right here in the local areas too. lots going on that could be corrected with proper instruction, correction and reproof from this one chapter in the word of God. 

2 Timothy 3:1-17
1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. 10But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

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this is what I wrote and shared on a social media platform and I felt the need to put it on my blog. if you're not in the habit of reading God's word, why? it is the only place where you will find honest and truthful answers on how to live in the evil and wicked days in which we are living. if you haven't accepted Christ as your Savior, there's no time like the present. just recognize that you're a sinner and that you want better for yourself. confess and repent of your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you of those sins and to be Lord of your life. Believe in Him with all your heart and He'll clean you up one day at a time and He'll help you make better judgement calls for your life. just know that God loves you all and has wonderful plans for those of us who know Him. hugs and love to all, patty

Welcome 2022, Power and Strength

Good morning Blessed Ones of Christ.     January 3rd of 2022 has found us with some snow this morning and freezing temps.      It finally feels like winter here in my neck of the woods.       But I'm not  complaining about that at all.       Now, it feels like winter and I'm not complaining about that either.      I was actually thinking about getting some seeds started on Saturday, so I'm happy that was just a fleeting thought.      I knew winter was around the corner.      I will start some seeds around the middle to the end of January.      I can't wait to get my hands dirty again.       And see some green life starting to grow again.      I'm honestly not much of a gardener, but I do love seeing how God helps me and blesses my efforts.       So, I'm looking forward to another year of trying to grow more.       As usual, I plant and pray, and I pray for God to bless my efforts.       He is faithful!!!       I can count on that.

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The new year is here.       I quit making resolutions years ago, because no sooner than I made one, I broke it.      So I felt like I was lying to myself and to God.      So what I have been doing is letting God show me what He wants me to focus on for the year.       Sometimes I share with others what my focus word for the year is, and sometimes I don't.       It just depends on how personal it is.      As I was praying before going to sleep last night, God gave me the words.       They kept being the words that was just coming from my mouth about Him.      That's when I knew what my words for the year would be.

Power and Strength.      Those are the words that kept coming over and over last night while praying.  His power and strength, not mine.      If you want a good Bible Study, just do a quick search on "the power and strength of God".      You will find out just how awesome our God is.    

As I was praying, I kept seeing my weakness in everything.      But I also kept seeing how God goes before me.      If I put my faith and trust in Him, then He is my power and strength.       I think the last 2 years have shown me just how miserable the human race is and can be.      It has shown me that not everyone who professes Christ, really know Him.       It has shown me that we can fool some of the some of the time, but we can't fool God at all.      A lot of people have fooled a lot of us, but they haven't fooled God.       I ask God to help me keep my eyes open and stay focused on Him.       And to let Him be the filter in which I view things.       If someone says things and then acts differently to what they say, I want God to show me what I need to see.      I need to view the world around me thru the filter of God's view.       If I don't do that, I will fall victim to the wolves in sheep's clothing.      

There is no power or strength in me at all.      This is what God keeps showing me.       All power and strength comes from Him alone.        There is no other source.      There are lots of self help gurus and some even claim to be preachers that tell you, you are the bees knees, you are your own strength, you have the power to overcome, you have the power to achieve, you have to power to change your life, you have the power to achieve great things, you are special, you are in charge of your destiny.      It's all about you you you you you and nothing about God.      When we take God out of the mix of our lives, that's when we fall for the lies of the enemy.       We easily succumb to the enemy.       When we live for self, we are living in dangerous territory.        God has shown me thru the study of His word, that my life is not mine.        It's His.      I can't live this life of mine without Him at the forefront.       Life has changed a lot over the last 2 years.        People that I thought were life long friends, are no longer in my life.       But God is there.       He hasn't waivered one little bit.       Scripture tells me that there is no shadow of turning in God.       He's the same yesterday, today and forever.        He's not going anywhere.

So, while I face 2022 on what I call shaky ground, God is here.       He goes before me.        He opens my eyes to see and ears to hear.       In my powerlessness and weakness, God is my power and strength.   I can't make it one breath without Him sustaining me.       

So, as I face 2022, I pray that God will show me more of His power and strength.         I believe He will.      And I hope He allows me to share about some the ways He does this in the year ahead.       Even if He doesn't show me anything, even if He doesn't provide, even if He doesn't meet my needs, He is still great and greatly to be praised.        I will praise Him.      I will praise Him.      I will praise Him.      That is my goal for 2022.       I will praise my Redeemer.        I will lift His name high.       Lord help me in this endeavor, to allow you to be my complete power and strength.       I submit to Your power and authority over my life.       I also live with great anticipation of seeing Your Hand in all that I do.      I pray that each day reflects You in my life.        Thank You Father for what You are doing right now and for what You are going to do in the days ahead.  

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So, I just wanted to share an experiment with y'all.       My  husband had  mentioned "banana pudding".    Well, I got to thinking about that.      I knew I didn't have any bananas, or did I?   No fresh bananas, but I did have some dehydrated bananas.         Challenge on.         How do you make a banana pudding with dehydrated bananas?       I set out to find out how to do it my way.      I had a box of mini vanilla wafers, 4 vanilla pudding cups and a box of cool whip.       I got my jar of dehydrated bananas and got about 25 or 30 slices of dehydrated bananas and broke them up in bowl and poured boiling water over them and let them set for a while, then added a little more water.     I wanted them to have a little extra liquid so they would thin the pudding down some.        I popped them in the fridge to cool them down.         I then mixed the pudding cups with rehydrated bananas and then added some cool whip, next I added in the vanilla wafers. got it all mixed up and put it in the bowl, put the rest of the cool whip on top and crumbled a few of the vanilla wafers on top. let me just say this.       No, it's not a banana pudding made from scratch, but it is VERY good.      No more of the banana slices than I used, it is very banana tasting.       It's good and it won't be the last time I make this. I see more dehydrated bananas in the near future.     I'm always thinking about ways to use my dehydrated goodies and I hope y'all are always thinking about how to use your goodies too.        Sometimes we have to think outside the box.         It was better the next day, as the flavors had more time to really come out of the bananas into the rest of the mixture.        

This is a jar of my dehydrated bananas.  they are so good.

This is what my finished banana pudding looked like. 

This is a side view of the banana pudding.

If you dehydrate produce, look for more ways of incorporating your bounty into your every day life.    We need to use it.      We need to look for ways to add those lovely nutrients to food and let our bodies be the benefactor of all that goodness.        Granted, a banana pudding wasn't the best use of my dehydrated bananas, but it still was a way of using what I had.      I don't make a lot of desserts just because we don't need them.        But a little bit, every once in a while, hopefully it won't hurt too much.

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Well, that's about all I have today.        I pray that your New Year will be a wonderful time to start fresh with a new commitment in living your life with God being the determining factor in all that you say and do.       I hope and pray as the year rolls on that He shows me more and more about His power and strength in my life.       He is faithful.      I hope you seen something here that makes you think about Him a little more.       I hope you seen that there are different ways of using our dehydrated goodies and that if your aren't a dehydrator yet, maybe this sparked an interest.       If you seen something here that you liked, tell a friend.      Also tell that friend that God loves them and would love to be in a relationship with them thru the shed blood of Christ.     That is the only way to the Father, is thru the Son.      Blessings of a prosperous year in the Lord.        hugs and love to all, patty 

Oh, December, such a Precious Gift

Well, Y'all, December has happened upon us!   Blink twice and it will be forever gone.   I do pray that as we go into the Christmas Season that we will carry our Thanksgiving attitude and mindset right along with us.  We all do have so much to be thankful for, and Christmas should be at the top of that list.  Oh, I'm not speaking as much of the secular side of Christmas as I am of the Spiritual side of Christmas.   We all love to give and receive gifts.  Who doesn't?  But, what I'm really thinking of is the gift that God, The Father, has lovingly bestowed upon all who will willingly receive that gift.  That gift is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Lord and Savior of all who have called upon Him for salvation and also Lord and Savior to those who will call upon Him for salvation.

This is a devotional that I wrote three years ago.  I do hope and pray that you enjoy it and that you can find some comfort in it as we go into the Christmas Season.  For many, the holidays are sad, due to varying circumstances.  I do hope and pray that if you are one of the many, that you can take something away from this that will give you a new joy and hope for the days to come.

Happy Birthday Jesus

Happy Birthday Jesus!! This is the time of year that we celebrate Your wonderful birthday!  As I think about the celebration, I think about the changes that Your Birthday has made to the world in which I live.  I think about pain and joy and happiness and sadness and baggage and travel and many more things that I just don't have the proper words describe.

When I think of pain, I think of the pain You must have had, for You to leave the grandeur of heaven and come to earth, to be born a baby in a manger in a stable where the animals got to be a witness to the most wonderful and amazing birth the world has ever witnessed.  But that was just the beginning of the pain for You.  You could have chosen to stay in heaven, but You chose our lives over your own life.  When You was on the cross, we was on your mind.

When I think of joy and happiness, I think of the joy and happiness that only mothers truly understand.  I personally, am not a mother, but, I was born with the heart of a mother.  I can see and sense the joy and happiness that new moms feel when they are holding and snuggling with their new-born bundles of joy, the same joy and happiness that Mary had on the night You were born.

When I think of sadness, I think of the sadness that Mary must have had when she realized that Your life was so much more than that of her child.  Your life was so much bigger than Mary could have ever imagined, even when she seen Your life spilling from You at Calvary.  The pouring out of Your life is what enabled Your Light to shine from heavenly places.  Your life was and is the the Light of this world.  The Light that we call Salvation.  The world thought that if they extinguished the light in one life, Your Life, that they could put out the Light of Goodness and Hope.  Not so, all of us who have accepted You as our Lord and Savior are reflections of Your Light.

When I think of baggage, I think of all the baggage that each and every one of us came to You with.  We come to You at different ages and stages of our lives. Some of us were younger, and therefore less baggage.  Some of us were older, with more baggage.  When I look back at the baggage of my own personal life, I can see all the ways that You have cleaned me up.  You have given me a new thought process, You have given me a new word to speak, You have given me a new song in my heart, You have given me a clean heart.  You have taken away shame, bitterness, hatred, anger.  You made a new creature out of me.

When I think of travel, I am reminded that You traveled by foot, by boat, and by donkey.  I am also reminded that when You traveled, where ever You traveled, You were about Your Father's business.  You changed the lives of all who came in contact with You.  You took some men, not loved by many, and touched their lives and changed their lives in ways they could never have imagined.  You, alone, Jesus, had compassion on the women You came in contact with, and changed their lives and enabled them to have a reason to celebrate.  You went into the market places, into the homes of the most common, You went into the synagogues, You cleaned up the temple, You taught people how to live. You showed us that our life is not our own.  It is Yours, bought and paid for with Your blood.  You taught us that it is more blessed to give than to receive.  You gave us Your life, You gave us Your Light, You gave us Your Hope, and You keep giving us renewed strength from day to day to live in this world, and to reach out and offer Hope and Light to those we come in contact with while we travel the hi-ways and byways.

So, in remembering Your Birthday, Jesus, and celebrating the Joy that You have given each of us through Your birth, I say thank You, Jesus, that You chose to be born.  Thank You, that You were born for the most common.  Thank You, that You taught us how to live.  Thank You, that You made the way for us to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father.   Please help us to be about our Father's business till You come again.

So , we celebrate You, Wonderful, Prince of Peace, Bright Morning Star, Gift of God, Lily of the Valley, Son of God, Rock of Ages, Judge, Savior, Prince, Emmanuel, Rose of Sharon, Physician, Fountain, Guide, Bread of Life, Advocate.   Thank You God, that You loved us enough to give us the very Best that You had to offer on Christmas Day!!!(written by: pjg10-8-2010, edited 12-1-13)

I do pray that as we go into the Christmas Season, that we will remember, "Jesus is the reason for the Season!"   It is more blessed to give than to receive.   You may say, "I don't have much to give."   You know what, a smile, a warm hug, a hand shake, and saying, "Jesus loves you, so do I", doesn't cost a penny.   These things are priceless.   These are the things that people will remember, long after everything else has been taken back to the store to be exchanged.   These are things that will be remembered long after the landfills are filled to capacity with all the "stuff" that our money can by.   These are the things that truly make a difference in the lives of those around us.   I challenge you to make a difference in the part of the world in which you live.   One person can make a difference!  Jesus did!

Jesus loves you, so do I!  Hugs and be blessed Y'all! Patty

Bread or no bread

 "Give us today our daily bread." Matthew 6:11 (NIV)

Are you feasting at the table of the Lord and dining on His bread that He wants to give you daily, or are you scrounging around gobbling up crumbs? Don't wait for the crumbs, go to God on a regular, daily basis and get your daily bread. Do not settle for the crumbs, that is what the enemy wants God's children to do. The enemy wants us to think that a pitiful few scraps is all there is for us. That just is not so! God is the "giver" of our daily bread! God is the One who supplies our every need! Scrambling for the crumbs is not God's plan for you and me. He wants to nourish us spiritually as well as physically. You can't have a strong, healthy body on a diet of crumbs. Just the same, you can't have a strong, healthy relationship with the Lord dining on the crumbs of need and necessity. When we make a point, on a daily basis of spending quality time in the presence of God, just allowing His presence to fill us with all the nourishment He wants to give us, then, when a time of need or crisis comes our way, we will already be used to going into His presence. It is then, that we will not have to settle for crumbs.

We are not accustomed to wanting to share our crumbs either. But when we have spent time with the Lord on a daily basis, it is then that we are ready, willing and able to share our bread with others. But if we do not have any bread ourselves, then it is difficult to share with others something that you are in need of yourself. Do you want to share with others out of the abundance of your spiritual bread, or do you want to not be able to help someone because you are in starvation mode yourself. You have set your sights on crumbs, not believing that God wants to supply your daily bread, every day!!! Feast on whatever God wants to give you, daily. God has only His greatest and best desires for you. Set your heart on the desires of God, and get ready to feast on God's daily bread in your life.

What does that look like? I can't tell you what it will look like for your life, but I can tell you what it looks like for me. I have never had a physical hunger that could not immediately be met by getting food from the kitchen. This is not altogether, what this scripture means to me. What it means to me is this; whatever the enemy tries to throw at me, God is there to protect me. It may mean that someone gives me physical food, but it may also mean that someone will speak a word of God over me that I needed today. It may mean that God protected me from something. It may mean that God has or will see me through a sickness. I will receive whatever God wants to give to me. God will supply and meet all my needs and abundantly so. Oh, and by the way, the more bread that you share with others in need, the more God will give you. If you give to others as God has given to you, you will always be overflowing. You will have baskets of bread to share.(pjg-11-06-12)

I hope your enjoyed this short devotional.   I hope and pray that sometime this evening you find time to spend with the Lord. Mention by name, all the people you know that are hurting and hungry for Him. Bring those people to the throne of God. I know I have some church families that are grieving the loss of loved ones. Others hospitalized for surgeries. Friends on line are in pain and grieving. Everywhere you turn, someone is hurting. I pray for God, the Father to meet every need that we turn over to Him. I pray for each and every one of you to have a night filled with the assurance of God, the Father, that He will take care of you. Until next time, be blessed beyond measure!

hugs and good night, Patty

Above all else...

Proverbs 4:23     Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Look at that Scripture again.   "Above all else", tells me that this is of most importance.   When someone tells you "Above all else", you perk up and listen to what they are saying, because it is very important.

"Guard your heart".   Have you ever seen movies depicting warriors who had on suits of metal or wielded those big shields to protect their fronts from any attacks, diverting any blows that may come to their chests.   This is kinda the image that the writer is trying to give you.  The importance of guarding your heart, so the fiery darts and arrows from the enemy can't penetrate and injure you.

Have you ever seen anyone you would consider hard hearted?  More than likely, that person had not heeded the warning to "guard your heart".   A hard heart, or unguarded heart does not happen over night.  It happens from repeated exposure to letting ourselves be exposed to the lies of the enemy.

My heart is the seat of all things that make up who I am.  I'm not speaking of the blood-pumping organ.  I am speaking of that place in me that is God-shaped.   You and I should guard that God shaped place in us from the crude, rude, callous, hurtful, hateful things that the world has to offer.  If it is not Godly, the heart of a seeker should know; my head my be in conflict, but my heart, or the God-shaped place in me should know and should be able to discern.  Apart from God, there is no good to be found in me.  Anything good that comes from me, comes from my heart, and ultimately comes from God. I need to keep my heart pure, so nothing impure comes from it. (written by:pjg)

I hope you enjoyed this short devotional.    I have had a blessed day today and I pray that you have also.   I pray when you lay your head on your pillow tonight that you will have at least five things that you can thank God for today.   I pray that God will bless you with peaceful rest and pleasant dreams of heavenly proportions.  Thank God for who you are and Who's you are!!!  If you've accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of you life, you're "A Child of the King"!    

Good night and warm hugs to you, Patty