Shall You Shine Or Whine?

 

"If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small."   --- Proverbs 24:10

(Could there be a more convicting verse for these wild days? Hmm?) ッ

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Yikes! Some friends have disappeared from social media. Poof!

I don't even mean they've unfriended or unfollowed me. No, they still exist there by name, but like a shell. Their pages feel like ghost towns and they, the real them, are gone. 

It's creepy. I mean now's our time to shine! 

To warn, to help, to clear-up confusion. 

To share God's Word, to offer what we've been given. 

To shine as bright lights so even the blind will see.

To present peace and strength to the weary rather then, uhm, be the weary ones, ourselves.

Er hem.

God knew these crazy-dark days were coming. He did! So He spent years not just warning, but preparing us.

Oh, that we'd recall--

His surprising provision

His heart-comfort

His divine protection 

His instructions via teachers

His sweetness on bad days

His calming voice

His joy-turned-strength

His gifts of needed boldness

His reminders of words to speak

His truth that set us free

His always-there love

And so much more.

And oh, that we'd shine like the beacons He created us to be for such a hairy time as this.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."   --- Matthew 5:14, 15

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Nah, this Erma Bombeck quote isn't convicting or anything...   ツ

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Still unsure whether you should stock-up on food? For a new uh-oh! reason to prep you can watch this video or read this article. 

This information has suddenly popped up everywhere and makes me extra-grateful that I've prepared ahead of time and can remain calm. 

(But this info.---yikes! "Control the food supply and you'll control the people.")

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"You become DANGEROUS to the enemy when you are FULLY AWAKE to God.: ---Lisa Bevere

 "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

Fight With Joy, Ok?

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope... Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer...And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”   ---Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 12:12, Nehemiah 8:10

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Yikes! This morning I listened to a favorite 'freedom fighter' and well, she was kinda 'losing it'. Our Country's foolishness (not to mention sin) threatens to push her over into a persistent anger, frustration.

Oh dear.

I reached out my finger tips to her forehead on the screen and prayed that she'd receive what God longed to give her: the peace of obedience and an assurance of faith that if she does her part, God will do His. And that her part is enough. God expects no more than that from us.

I love freedom fighters. 

While folks sleep nearby, they watch out the window and see approaching armies, invisible to others. They try to awaken those in the dark room's beds, but when they can't? They don their armor, climb down the stairs, then step outside to fight and protect the sleeping.

Afterward, weary, they step back inside to slumberers who roll over and ask, "Did you sleep well?" to which they reply simply, "Not really," then they lie down and rest while the others go out into the day, the battlefield cleared for now, clueless.

Yet for the fighters I would say:

Never forget the joy of the Lord is your strength. Not anger. Not frustration. Not fear of, "But what if--?"

Consistent faith in a good, loving God will bring hope.

And hope brings anticipation.

With anticipation there's assurance that God's side wins.

And that all shall be well--in time.

And one last thing:

Those who expose evil rather than live beside it peaceably? They shall be blessed, now, and in the world to come. 

But they must remember this: for all battle moments spent, spend an equal (or more-than) time sitting with God receiving His compassion from a job well done--

---and allow Him to touch, to heal, every wound so you can return to the battle again with obedience's joy and the memory of the soothing touch from such a glorious, loving Father.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up....Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...and be thankful. "   ---Galations 6:9, Colossians 3:15

Or as Sean Feucht said it--

This moment right here is a summation of my 36th year of life.

In Cal Anderson Park (formerly CHOP) singing songs to Jesus while people behind me lob curses/obscenities at me/my family while satanist roam throughout the crowd and antifa trashes our gear.

Pressing through all that craziness though, God brings us an unexpected gift in the form of a Muslim dude (or at least he’s wearing Muslim garb) who spontaneously dances with outrageous joy and song next to me on the last song.

All I can do in response is laugh uncontrollably.

My life is yours Jesus. You’re the Good Shepherd. I’ll do whatever you want me to do and go wherever you want me to go.

I’m sure it will all be insanely wild, spontaneous, full of resistance and yet full of unexpected joy.

My 37th year is yours starting today.

Love and thanks to those rolling with us in this season. Love to all the haters too.

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On Thursday, Naomi brought us jars of Oui yogurt. Have you seen their adorable jars?

I placed a tealight inside one on our kitchen windowsill. Made my heart extra happy.

Tom and I watched the quirkiest movie yesterday! We saw it via Hulu and it's called, Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Highly recommended. (It had less than 5 'naughty words', and was otherwise fine, fun and thought-provoking. Not a chick-flick: Tom liked it even more than I did.) ツ

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold, is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
Thomas Jefferson

How is God asking you to bring His light into the world at this time?

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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

Super-Sized Gratitude = Praise

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

    --and forget not all his benefits...
3 
5 (He) who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."  ---From Psalm 104

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Shh, but usually I avoid the 'there's only one way to think' folks. Life's too short and God's too incredible to sit beside them in stuffy boxes for 70 or 80 years. 

Go insisting there's only one way to praise God (in a church amongst others) and well, you and I probably aren't besties.

No, lately I'm choosing a Praise Lifestyle. How? By the adventure of super-sizing my gratitude.

Like when my ancient Nancy Drew books arrived this week--

--I thanked God for:

Those who gave me birthday money to purchase these. 

The Internet. The zillions of books there.

Ebay and its sellers.

The Nancy Drew author(s).

Old books, old art, old language. 

The mylar upstairs to protect the covers (rather than removing them while reading only to promptly lose them as I used to. Er hem.).

Bookshelves galore in my tiny house.

The 40 years God led me, like on a treasure hunt, to old books in (often) dusty, dark places.

And that, because of Him, my own library is the best one in all of New York state(!) (No really, for me it is. I checked online.) ジ

Books. Family. Friends. My home, garden, wardrobe. 'My' cafe 'round the corner. Music. My adorable closet bedroom. Train adventures. The years at Autumn Cottage. The time we had a farm. This blog. My prepper stockpile. Days with gorgeous weather. The river down the street. Sitting on our front porch, speaking with neighbors who pass by. Grocery delivery. Surprise cards in the mail. Divine protection. Birthdays, normal days, Saturdays with Tom and lunch delivery, movies and closing the curtains upon the outside world.

On and on until infinity, real praise shoves-out complaints and worries about a world gone out-of-control. And praise rejuvenates, thank-goodness.

In a constant atmosphere of praise, nothing can stop God's blessings. Keep praising Him for all He does and is--no matter what's happening--and the future will always appear bright because He is our light.

...let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise---the fruit of lips that openly profess his name...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow..." ---Hebrews 13:15, Matthew 6:34

Are we contemplating more about the bad which might happen or the good which already has?

Let us be busy with good things. 

Busy with gratitude. 

Busy, but with a mind at rest. 

God-covered.

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I've watched many documentaries about The Waltons (many!), but this one is a new favorite. Lots of gratitude spoken about within this hour.

 "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."   ---Psalm 34:1

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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