Oh Honey, I'd Never Say THAT!

"Without faith it is impossible to please God... When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers."   --- Hebrews 11:6, Proverbs 21:15

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So I'm still reading folks' (wild, unsettling) comments after videos or Twitter/Gab posts and now I realize why. Blog fodder. So much blog fodder.  シ

And when Christians (especially) write, "Those scoundrels in leadership will never be punished! They always get away with their crimes," well, I shake my head.

Never would I speak those words! Why would I place more faith in injustice rather than godly justice? Why would I insist upon believing God won't carry out verses like this one?

"For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense..."   --- Isaiah 61:8

Yet Christians keep asking, " Why do poor leaders keep getting elected? Why does exposure of evil arrive so slowly?"

Months ago two Christian men (with shocked faces) spoke in a video the day following a godly legislative change. "I cannot believe I saw this day in my lifetime!," one said. "Right? I mean, I prayed for years, but never thought this day would actually arrive."

I gasped. My jaw dropped. Seriously? You guys (and probably millions of others) prayed, but never believed God would answer your prayers?

Man, no wonder "the wheels of justice grind slowly." Why are we shocked at slow justice if we're praying minus the believing part?

Anyway.

How about if we start speaking as though we believe God will answer our prayers? How about if we live with a heart-filled excitement that God will make all things new, that He'll bring justice where and when it's due?

How about if, in the meantime, we abide in the joy of anticipation?

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words."   ---Proverbs 18:21

"Fear is a wasted effort, prayer is a productive effort." ---Dr. Bruce L. Hartman

"Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."   --- Psalm 141:3

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This week I created a list of the teachers/ministers/prophets I listen to regularly and came up with 16. Probably I could add another 3 I watch occasionally.

Is it difficult finding those who minister to my heart? Not at all! God easily brings to me via Youtube those who are repeating what the Holy Spirit tells me around the house while I clean, cook and live my life. They're all in agreement about most things and with what I'm hearing God say and He uses them to help keep me encouraged, growing, joyful and at peace.

Keeping my last post in mind, never let fear of hearing deeper insight of a Bible verse keep you from seeking those godly people God wants to place in your life! 

Without change there is no growth. Without growth, there is no change.

Without growth and change, there is only stagnation and boredom.

Did you know that Youtube lately added a ton of free movies? Here are a few places to begin looking: Bjg Tjme Faith Movies, Holy Critic, Indie Rights Movies For Free and Chicken Soup For The Soul TV.

"Be it unto you even as you have believed... and truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them."   --- Matthew 9:29

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

Well, Hush My Mouth

"Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble."   --- Proverbs 21:23

(And personally? I believe it's time to return to a reverential fear of speaking against God's ministers.)

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So a friend told me they'd read that an evangelist said ________.

I replied, "Really? I listen to that person sometimes and he usually doesn't say weird things like that. Did you hear him speak those words? Or did someone else say he said them?"

My friend replied, "Well, I guess I read it in an article about him."

Hmm.

Days later I found the evangelist's personal blog post about the afore-not-mentioned topic and good grief! What he'd actually stated was the opposite of what he was quoted as saying.

Probably we all have pet peeves and Honey? Here's one of mine: It makes me bonkers when people do not check out the original source, themselves. 

When they believe everything their trusted pastor/friend/spouse/teacher/neighbor/Aunt Gertrude tells them, even if the words sound 'off'. Even when God nudges them, saying, "Hey, you blasted through the conviction I sent to seek the original source."

Gossip: casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.

Uh-oh. And the real tragedy? When we believe gossip and then refuse to listen to a minister whose teachings may have changed our lives.

How careful we must be with our words! Mindful of our heart and its responses. 

How necessary to grow-up in Jesus, to obey Him, to mature so we stop making unintentional (but anointing-affecting) mistakes. Errors like these can, like a ship's rudder, guide our lives to choppy seas where wild waves thrash us around--

--when we could have sailed peacefully along in calm, smooth waters, instead.

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless."   --- James 1:26

  "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]."   --- Proverbs 18:21

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Is this a perfect craft idea for spreading around Easter, or what? --

Okay, this short video was too cool--and helpful. Self defense for anyone, including out-of-shape me!

Ooooooo.... another new-to-me kindred spirit decorator!  She showed us how she decorated for Springtime and that reminds me--yesterday on Spring's first day? I spied my first robin of the season. Wow.

Sometimes here in Buffalo our first day of Spring resembles this--

--but not this year! No, yesterday was gloriously sunny and after wiping down the front porch, I sat outside in the warm morning sunshine reading and celebrating. Oh, how grateful I was--and still am.

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If we desire to minister more meaningfully to others, God must be able to trust us with our words.

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God ..."   --- Ephesians 4:29,30

Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

Why This is a Most Beautiful Birthday

"Oh give thanks for He is good; His mercy endures forever."   ... Psalm 107:1

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First, we survived covid. 

Then last week, nearly all my hearing returned. (Scary stuff before that: the infection happened in my only 'good ear'. Then God used this no-nonsense guy to show me how to fix what could've become permanent. Yikes!)

After all that? I entered into a deeper level of gratitude than ever before and wow. May I never leave this serene, incredible place. Ever.

This morning Tom gave me a dvd I'd wanted for years (this one, which inspired my favorite drama, Early Edition) so 6:30 a.m. found me on the red couch watching it while snacking upon the dark chocolate, organic mint ice cream and cranberry seltzer water from Naomi.

Friends at Facebook are leaving me sweet messages. Our purple crocuses are blooming, my daylilies are poking their stems from the ground.

Yesterday I did extra housework so today I could do only what I wish and on this birthday the sun is shining. These 36 degrees felt warm, even, while I walked down to the Salvation Army drop-off and the little free library around the corner.

Update: In the afternoon I sat upon our sunny concrete steps reading If These Walls Could Talk (mentioned below). Oh, my heart's celebration!

During a Buffalo, NY winter? It barely gets better than all that.

I highly (highly!) recommend these limitless layers, hills of gratitude. From here, all appears brighter, sweeter and of deeper significance.

May I never step away, but rather, venture even deeper still into this happy land where tiny things appear huge and glorious.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."   ... 1 Thessalinans 5:18

Do we consistently thank God for giving us Life?  Are we asking Him to help us make this gift of life an incredible one?

"Gratitude makes everything we have more than enough." ---  Susan L. Taylor

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Places you may enjoy visiting:

Best Cozy Cottage Decorating Home Tour

Tolkein: The Father of Fantasy Documentary

Glue Guns and Roses

I own two beautiful I'll-never-give-these-away books of essays about memories of home. You can now read both at Open Library:

House Beautiful Thoughts of Home

If These Walls Could Talk

(If anyone can recommend similar books of essays, please let me know, ok?)

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

Groceries. Can We Afford Them?

"Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter."   --- Proverbs 6:6-8

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Now, don't bail out till the end of this, ok?  ツ

Call me insane (you might), but I'm enjoying this challenge of buying high-priced food. It's like playing a game and celebrating when I win.

No, really.

These past three 'covid years' I've spent less than $55 per week on groceries delivered from Aldi. I prefer giving money (tips) to kind delivery folks rather than my gas tank and oh the dollars I save by not roaming aisles picking up tempting-but-not-on-my-list items.

That $55 includes items for my prepper pantry, the occasional salad or hoighty-toighty eggs (I call them) for Naomi or her organic coffee, daily snacks for our delivery folks and $15-ish of foods Tom chooses.

To that let's add $40 monthly on groceries from Target or Walmart deliveries, bringing the total to $260. (I'm not counting cat food here.)

And yes, we do order-out once weekly (unless it's snowing) for our Saturdates and often Naomi makes lunch for us (her $) on Sundays, plus, we don't eat evening meals, but rather, a snack. But there you go.

Two-hundred sixty dollars for groceries per month (actual grocery costs minus tips and small delivery fee) while stocking a 6-month+ supply of prepper pantry foods.

(Wanted to add: if I had to cut way back on this budget, I could. It actually feels rather extravagant some weeks.)

Pretty much what I paid pre-covid years and yet am I bragging? No. Rather, I'm encouraging you that high prices barely matter. Our creativity, curiosity and hard work are way more important.

We can complain or we can search for cheapo, healthy meals from not only cookbooks, but videos like Youtube's '$5 or less meal plans' ones. (Links below.)

And we can--

 

--experiment by using just half the meat recipes call for.

--make our own chicken or beef stock. Snacks. Soup. Coffee. And taco/chili seasoning mixes.

--use our regular cooking oil to grease baking pans rather than buy the expensive spray bottle type.

--make our own scented room sprays, fabric refreshers and liquid hand soap.

--and so much more.

Are we diligently searching for new ideas/recipes online or elsewhere? Or are we throwing up our hands and sighing, "It's impossible to live cheaply during inflationary years."?

Life consists of seasons and I believe this inflationary time will calm down. That's encouraging, but so is knowing that God will always provide if we-- 

use wisdom

give to others

stay open to learning

remain determined

live in the joy of gratitude

and seek Him with all our hearts.

What a challenge! But with God all things are possible--and during inflationary days-- all things can still be a joy, as well.

Here's a prayer I like to pray: "Lord, please ignite my creativity! Restore unto me the joy of ________." (Gee, I've filled in that blank with lots of stuff).

God helps us stay victorious by sending us help: the Bible, people, videos, blog posts, books, magazines. It's a scary thing actually to ignore this help, to think, "That was a nice thing to read/watch," then move on and forget what now became our responsibility to live-out.

Take nothing for granted, consider nothing a coincidence, ok?

Some seasons are more about survival. What can we give up in order to keep the things we truly need? Will we remember that someday we can make different choices, but for now we still have the ability to remain happy in our current challenges?

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$5 Dinners (Julia Pacheco. Love her! She's such an example of the happiness you'll find while doing what you were created to.)

Eat For $3 a Day Per Person (See Mindy Mom. Another joyful, accepting-the-challenges blessing in my life.)

Frugal Fit Mom is also a delight.

Tons more videos like those exist online. How many others can you find?

Last week I discovered another wonderful vintage teen book: True to You by Viola Rowe. Devoured it at Open Library. Perhaps it resonated with me because it involved changing schools (you may recall I attended 3 high schools!).

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. *** "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

Was It Possible to Enjoy These Past Three Years?

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."   --- Psalm 118:24

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So can you recall when the whole 'flatten the curve', social distancing and working from home stuff began? I can. My birthday week, 2020.

Since another birthday is rushing my way (oh goody?), that 3rd anniversary of the world's tipping sideways is also. So as a sort of homework-that-encourages-me assignment, I began a Good Things Since March 2020 list.

Wow! The list ran longer than I'd supposed. 

Anyone else desiring bits of encouragement? Go for it. Create your own list of delights, provision and successes and may you find, as I did, that the positive far outweighs the negative. Perhaps you'll discover your ability to stay joyful increased even when Life threw garbage. 

Of course, some Christians--no matter where we are in History--huff and puff, "God never intended us to enjoy this life. We're just meant to plod through this veil of tears as best we can, anticipating Heaven where then we'll experience consistent joy."

(Yes, there are people like that. I've known some. Oh dear.)

Yet to them I would insist--

 " ... be joyful and do good as long as you live; also eat and drink and take pleasure in all your toil—this is God's gift to man...  You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy...  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly ... A joyful heart is good medicine ... the joy of the Lord is your strength... and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

Ecclesiastes 3:12, 13, Psalm 16:11, Proverbs 17:22, John 10:10, Nehemiah 8:10, Luke 1:47

Oh, the challenges of these past three years! 

But also, oh, the opportunities to not fear, but accept the challenges with a can-do-in-Christ spirit. 

To recognize when (and how) to fight and when to stand still in faith. 

To learn ways to feed ourselves cheaply even when grocery prices zoom upward.

To still believe for (and recognize) divine protection and godly favor. 

To remain patient, knowing God will not only care for us, but that He has wonderful surprises yet to manifest.

To simply enjoy God--

---and to seek to voice gratitude way more than complaints.

These past 3 years for me? They caused me to finally grow up in some areas where I'd dawdled too long with toes at the water's edge rather than just diving in and giving-in to what God desired. Planned.

Much good has happened and I hope you'll make your own Good Things Since March 2020 list today. May it encourage you that the goodness of God is always present even during times it's not obviously so.

When we purposely keep our eyes open for what God's fingers have touched in our world, we'll be blown away by the incredible.

These past three years? They were our chance to know God better. To draw from Him what we'd only before imagined: strength, friendship, comfort, trust, calmness, godly confidence, peace and much indescribable joy in believing.

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Did I already give you this hawk video? (How anyone can look at birds, people and nature and not believe in God, I'll never understand.)

Looking to find a second income? Youtube has zillions of ideas. Here's one.

If you're into crafting and have some extra jars, be sure to check-out this video.

Resilience. God is incredible at making us resilient.

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15