~Combing my Blogs~

I am combining two of my blogs...you can now find writings in http://popcorn-chocolate.blogspot.com/

They will be a mix of the inspirational writings and my new adventure in life...I have been writing in Popcorn & Chocolate since last December and not able to keep up here. So please add that blog to your browser if you want. Thank you!


This is the latest entry:

~Changes~

I am sitting here sipping my Super Irish Breakfast Tea...my go-to caffeine! 

I have decided to combine my Crazy Peace blog (inspirational writing) with this blog since I am here to write most of the time giving this blog my energy. So, this blog will be a combination of MEMEMEMEME (grins) my adventure and inspirational writings as Father and I communicate and He tells me what He wants me to write. 

I simply love my friends! I love watching them grow and learn in Jesus. You know those people you grow up and you wonder how they turned out? Some fully encourage me as I have seen awesome Jesus changes in their lives. I have lived so many places and made so many friends that well, I do get confused as to who lived where and who knows whom. I keep thinking that some friends of mine on Facebook know other friends of mine...not so...(laughs a little).

I have lived no more than 5 years at some places while growing up. When I married, I lived for 5 years in one town...then 4 in another as I worked for the university my husband attended...then 5 1/2 in southern Indiana as my husband was a youth pastor there...then we moved back to Michigan and have been in the same community for about 18 years. My boys grew up here. They have a home town. I don't. I never regretted my many moves. I looked forward to them as I didn't have to deal with people knowing me at certain phases of life. My move when I was very young, never left a trail. A move in elementary school I didn't mind. Junior high years weren't always grand...as is the case for most of us. I was called goodie two shoes which...yes I guess I was (no regrets there). I moved my first year of high school and was the new girl in town. I made good friends there. My senior year of high school I moved to Pennsylvania. Some have asked me if that was difficult for me...no...it really wasn't. I had no roots anywhere so moving was part of life...no I can't relate to military kids but I did move enough to not "stick" anywhere. I made friends in Pennsylvania too.
I've always been the friendly, smiley girl. College was a time of meeting new people from all sorts of places. In growing up, the friends I made in the various towns mostly all grew up there and together...I had no togetherness. College was a time of meeting new people with such varied backgrounds...and I met my best friend forever...my husband.

I say ALL of this to tell you that in each adventure of my life, people from ALL of the places I have lived are still a part of my life and they pray for me and encourage me. Father has reasons for EVERYthing. He sees my past, He sees my now, and He sees my future. Those places I lived all had people who would continue on in my adventures with me. Some have known me when I was an infant and they knew my parents well so they they feel a closeness to me because of my parents. Some knew that goodie two shoes and are still friends with me (grins). Some knew that friendly girl who enjoyed being alone, reading, writing, and listening to her music. The wonderfully amazing thing is that, as I have said, some of those people are still in my life. Father had reasons for me to live in all of those places. Some knew me as the adult who worked alongside my husband with teens...some know me now working alongside him with a variety of people. 

I thank Father nearly daily for all of the people He has placed in my life! I get teary thinking of His loving care for me and that He knew those people...you friends...would still be in my life...and that you would all be such a blessing to me!

I guess this post is pretty much MEMEMEME oriented...not much change here yet (grins). I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your friendship and I wanted to let you know a little more about me.

I do know this. A friend, who was actually one who hung out more with my sisters in a teen choir, sent me a fantastic video clip on prayer today. Prayer is our weapon. It reminded me that I am a Warrior Princess...and Father has me in His hands. When I am down on my knees (mentally or physically) is when I am stronger in praying to Him. This warrior princess is His child. 

As, I said above...this blog will be varied in topics...MEMEMEME or inspirational. Whatever God wants to flow from my brain to my fingertips to the keyboard...and of course adventure updates (smiles)

Blessings to you all!

~Symphony...I Lift My Hands, Louie Giglio~

I wanted to share this with you! PLEASE take the 50 or so minutes to watch, listen, and worship. God is truly an amazing and creative God...and ALL of creation worships Him! 

Symphony...I Lift My Hands, Louie Giglio

~Crave~

Sitting here sipping tea with you...I have been thinking through things I would like to share with you...

Crave...it's a powerful word with a powerful meaning...to have an intense desire for....and intense...strong or extreme...so, to Crave is a powerful act.

I think we use many of our words too loosely or without much intent. We use the word "love" weakly, "I love vanilla ice cream"...."I love horse back riding"...is a minor example.

To Crave...to TRULY Crave...it is that deep, down, strong desire like no other in your innermost being. That is an act I have been experiencing over the past few weeks regarding the Three...Father God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. From every part of me I have been craving more of the Three. So, here I sit, hoping that what is written here will inspire you to Crave...Crave like you have never craved before.

Oh, if I had sprinklings of "Crave dust" I would toss it over you so that it would land and absorb into your being. No one can force cravings. I will hope to help you see the need for the craving for the Three.

Ah, your walk with Jesus is good you say? You talk to Him and not just talking to Him about your "wish list" but you really talk with Him and listen? That's fantastic and I commend you for that! You read His word? Wonderful! 

I want to challenge you to make even more time for Him...The more time you spend with someone you love the more you want to spend with them. In this case it is a wonderful cycle. I find that the more time I read His Word, the more I want to read His Word and the more time I spend communicating with Him...the more I want to communicate with Him...and the more I am quiet with Him...the more I want to be quiet with Him.

I am able to meet with Him in the morning and often times I can meet with Him at length. I find myself not wanting to leave His presence. When I have to leave to get on with my daily life of housework, errands, paperwork...etc....I don't want to. I want to stay right with Him. Oh, I  know He is with me in all that I do all day long and I talk with Him on and off all day long...but it is different...there are distractions. My Craving is to be Still with Him...to learn from Him...to have the Holy Spirit quietly in me, guiding me, counseling me...I don't want to budge from where I am so that I can take all of Him in. Oh, I know that is not reality...life is out there...I have to go live and show people how they can know Him and how wonderful He is to have in your heart. But I truly crave Him as absorbing the sunshine as I sit on a beach...basking in the Sonlight.

So, the craving...how can it become part of who you are? Make time to be with Him. Read His Word. The more you read His Word the more you know and understand who He is. Study His Word. Focus! The Holy Spirit will speak to you...listen. When the Holy Spirit speaks to you, take it all in. You can also talk to the Holy Spirit. Jesus left Him with us to be our counselor. Jesus talks of this in John 15: 28 and 16:7-15 The Holy Spirit is Love and Truth. 

Jesus prayed for believers in John 17.

20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”

Read those verses. Read them again slowly. Read them out loud. Read them out loud again. Hear what you are reading. 

I hope that you Crave...that you Crave all Three...that you strongly desire to know more, listen more, communicate more...Read that passage from John 17 again...out loud...listen to the words you speak. 

As you make more time for Jesus...you will crave more time! 

~Gentle Boldness~

Sipping my tea here again...how have you been? It's been a while since we have been here together. I had no intentions of being away for so long. Please forgive me. I have missed our time here!

I  have been having some wonderful Inspirational times with Father. I have learned something in the past couple of months...I have learned that I need to be still more. I had been doing so for a long time and then some "life" interrupted. Oh, I continued with my Inspirational times but they were more of me talking to Father, reading scriptures, and devotionals...but not being still and listening...not making that time.

The other day I made that time...and oh I am so glad I did...and will continue! I was home alone so I thought I would have my Inspirational time and listen to some praise/worship music on YouTube. I spent time in our Inspirational time (Father and I) then flipped YouTube on. That's not what was needed. Off went the music. The "noise". I needed to spend more time with Father...still and quiet time. I am so thankful for that time.

This is what Father impressed upon my heart....the words Gentle Boldness. I am that personality that has a difficult time speaking properly. Oh, writing is totally different. Writing is my oxygen! Writing is my way of expression! When I speak, my brain jumbles and words don't come out as I hope or they are not a tone I like. So, Gentle Boldness!

Let me explain...I was led to many scripture passages on being gentle. I have this neat application in my phone for note taking...so I posted the verses in that application under, "Gentle Living". Gentle Boldness is a lifestyle. 

In Philippians 4:5 (CSV) we read, "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near." How do we live being gracious? True graciousness demands that you have time for others. So listen. Be attentive to what others say. Respond without interruption. Can you imagine Jesus and a fisherman talking. The fisherman begins to tell Jesus about his huge catch of that day and Jesus interrupts and says, "Huge catch you say, let ME tell you about how I made the net break the catch was so huge!" Imagine the man sighing and knowing that he was not important enough to be heard. Jesus always made the time to truly listen. A gracious person does not dwell on themselves. A gracious person gives...time and ears.

Another verse is in Proverbs 16:24 (CSV), "Pleasant words are a honeycomb; sweet to the taste and health to the body." How do your words "taste"? Trust me, I know it isn't always easy to use "sweet" tones and "sweet" words. I believe it is even more difficult to use such language in the home because, well, "they know me at home and I can be myself". Who is the self you really want to be? Do you really want to have "tones" and "bitter words"? I don't. So, how do we go about speaking more gently, a bit sweeter? Well, a study on the life of Jesus in the gospels and how He treated people would be one way to learn. After all He is the Master. He is the true Life model. I also suggest talking to the Holy Spirit about having the right words, the right tones, the right attitude in dealing with all people. Trust me again on this as I know all too well how some people can simply get under your skin and it can be hard to keep gentle words and tones. But you  know what? You can do ALL things through Jesus who gives you strength. Talk to the Holy Spirit as you have your time reading the bible and praying. Ask Him for guidance and gentleness. Pray that if you need to speak boldly, your gentleness will be evident and the boldness well received. There have been times when I have been talking with someone and prior to each bit I say, I breathe a prayer on how to word things so that it is taken well. There may be some long pauses in your conversation if you are dealing with a situation that takes Jesus Boldness because you are taking the time to sort what you hear and you take the time to mentally pray for your words and tone.

In Ephesians 4:1b to 2 (CSV) Paul writes, "(I) urge you to live worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love." Humility is not letting people walk all over you. A humble Jesus follower is confident in who he/she is in Jesus; knowing where true strength lies...seeing the value of each person.

I didn't share all of the verses I logged in my application. I didn't want to overwhelm you. My hope is that I have inspired you to be a Gentle Bold person for Jesus. I hope that you seek out some scripture on gentleness and talk with one of the Three: Father, Jesus, or Holy Spirit about what you learn and read. Wait quietly. What needs to be changed in your mind, heart, and soul to be a truly gentle Jesus follower? Remember, gentleness is not acting as some sort of wimp. Gentleness has been defined as restraint coupled with strength and courage. I like that! We are strong (bold) because of Jesus and we are courageous because of Him and also because of Him, we can restrain ourselves.

My friend, as a Jesus follower, practice Gentle Boldness. Practice graciousness. Practice humility. Study the life of Jesus. Live as He modeled.

~Make The Appointment~

I sit here sipping my tea with you...it has been a while since we were together last...glancing out the windows I see a beautiful act of Father's creation...snow....all sorts of snowflakes coming down...it's a cozy feeling...

So much has happened since I last sipped tea here with you...I didn't mean to neglect you...I just got carried away in a variety of this and that's and I was also sorting things in my head...

I want to inspire you to set aside alone time with our Father. That is so important! Today I simply want to talk with you about time alone with Him.

I believe I have told you that every morning I collect up my things for my Inspirational time and make sure I have a cup of tea beside me. I have a place in my home that is set up for my Inspirational time. I have a comfy chair and a stand for holding my belongings in a quiet area of our home. I have sort of a mess of things that I deal with rather sloppily laid across my lap. I have my cell phone for the bible applications and highlighting (saving bible verses), I have a devotional book, I have my bible, and I have my journal.

I realize we all have our own ways of having time with Father and whatever works for you, do it!!! What I do goes with  my scattered mind...the flitty mind. First I set quietly with Father asking Him to show me what I need to learn form Him today. Secondly I read from the devotional book and go over any scripture there. I may pause to talk with Father during this time. I note the verses that "hit" me and save them in the phone and I turn to my bible with the paper pages, read the verse and mark up the page with thoughts that "hit" me, underline words, and write the date by it. After the devotional book, I pick up my cell phone to go to the bible application. I pretty much do the same thing with that as I do the book. As I go along through each of these devotionals, I will take a pause and write in my journal whatever comes to mind. When I am done with the devotionals, I sit quietly with Father asking Him to tell me what He wants me to remember from our time together. I stay quiet for a while. I talk to Him on and off. I listen. For some, sitting still and being quiet is difficult. Learn to do it! Discipline yourself! Sitting still with Father before and after our reading and learning time together is a MUST for me. In quietness I tune in to Him. I may or may not hear from Him but I am tuning in to our time together. Focus. When we conclude our "chair time", I praise Him and thank Him for all He has done and is doing for me or for others (I name them to Him in thankfulness). I talk with Him as a daughter would talk to her loving Father because HE is the perfect Father...the One Who has compassion...justice...love...peace...truth...When I am ready to get out of my chair, I finish up my journal by writing what I call Inspirational words for the day...something like....Trust! Hope! Life! Truth!

We can't all make the time in the morning to sit alone at length with Father. What I propose to you is this...each day set a specific time that is for you and Father alone. It is your "appointment" and appointments need to be kept. Start with the length of time that you know you will be able to give Father. Maybe you will find that is the only amount of time you can give or maybe you will discover that you can add more time to your appointment. Do what works!

When I think of what Father has done for me...created me for one...sent His only Son as a sacrifice for my sins...helped me through many health issues...and so much more...how can I NOT want to give of my time to be with Him? How could I go about my day giving time to family, work, church, social events, even cleaning...and  more....and let Him slip off to the side. How SELF-ish!

Father has given everything of Himself to me! Can I really and truly be so selfish as to maybe give Him a quick "hello" in the  morning or a "hit the pillow prayer"? Father is relational! He wants to be in your life! Give Him time!

As we go about our day, we can always carry on a conversation with Father. Just talk with Him as you would a good friend. I believe I have said earlier in my times here with you that I talk with all Three...Father my creator, Jesus my friend who teaches,is Truth, and is along side me as I go through life's issues, and the Holy Spirit who guides and comforts and fills me with Peace and Joy when I ask. All Three are worthy of our praise and thankfulness. They are always there and so easy to talk with. 

I hope that you are excited to have your time with Father (well really all Three). I hope that you understand the importance it is to your spiritual well-being. Believe me, your soul will sing! I hope that you will be giving of your time...as much as you can give Father. He loves you! He wants to sit quietly with you, teach you, listen to you, and comfort you! 

Make the appointment...Keep it! 

~AWEsome Day~

Sipping tea here with you on this sunny New Year's Day...I want to share with you something that I am not sure will ever occur again...and something I will remember for my lifetime...

I am dealing with getting some testing done for some spots on my lungs...2 spots...I have never smoked in my life so that came as a surprise to me. When I first learned of the spots, I honestly felt like I was going to pass out...shock I guess.

Anyhow, time went on for a few more days. I kept praying my prayers that the spots would not be cancer. I am just feeling like a "normal" person from having had breast cancer and chemo (finished March 2016). 

I was prayed over in our church on a Sunday. The following Saturday, I was doing laundry, changing loads from the dryer to a basket and the washer to the dryer as my mind suddenly felt fearful of the possibility of those spots being cancerous. I said to God and to myself, "I can't let those demons of fear and doubt grab hold of me!" Right then and there I prayed to Jesus to get rid of those two! I felt the release. Then as I stood there talking to Jesus, I felt this sense of being prayed for. "I don't know who is praying for me or if just one person is praying for me," I told Jesus,"but thank You for putting me on someone's heart and mind to pray for." Then I began to pray for God's Crazy Peace...that peace that you cannot understand until you experience it...that peace that Paul talks about in Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I immediately felt that peace in my heart, soul, and mind. I thanked Jesus for it. I stood with my hands lifted in praise to Jesus thanking Him for His peace...for a while...right there in my laundry room with a basket of clean clothes on the floor at my feet and the dryer spinning.

Something AWEsome occurred...I felt angels. I felt the "hush" of their wings. I picked up the laundry basket to take for folding. I could almost see the angels...well...I could see or sense four or five of them. They hovered over and around me. I heard their wings touching each other...they were that close to each other to surround me. Even as I write this to you I get the shivers that I felt at first when they were so near to me.

These angels were angels of peace. I could feel their peace! I heard it in their wings! I  have never experienced anything like this before. All day long they were with me...hovering over and surrounding me. 

God had not only given me His Crazy Peace inside my own soul, heart, and mind, but He sent His angels of peace to comfort me...to surround me. During the entire day I never once even thought of the issues in my lungs. I went about the day feeling the presence of the awesome peace angels. I felt this amazing serenity. I would thank Jesus for them being with me...for Him sending them to attend me on this day...on and off I thanked Him during the day.

I knew they were with me all day...I felt...faintly saw...and heard their brushing wings at times. It was so AWEsome! 

As evening came, I felt them leaving. I smiled inside my soul. I knew they had come for me to do what they as that type of angel were to do...hush all around me...hushing my mind and soul...that feeling of them hovering and surrounding me is one I will always remember...it was so comforting.

That night as my head was on my pillow, I thanked Jesus for sending them to me...I lifted my hands in praise to Him (my husband had his back to me but he would have been fine with my arms sticking up in the air). Tears rolled down my cheeks as I thanked Jesus not only for His Crazy Peace...but for His compassion for me in sending those peace angels.

When I sit alone in silence,remembering, I can still faintly see them and faintly hear the brush of their wings. It truly was an AWEsome experience! 

I am so thankful for my Best Friend and how He takes care of my needs. I debated on sharing this with you but then I thought...why not? It may bring encouragement to someone. I hope it does! 

My faith, trust, and hope is in Jesus. I hope yours is also!

~Too Long Gone~

Wow! I recently realized how long it has been since I have sipped tea here with you! I have been learning a lot, growing, and resting in Father God. I will be back and sharing here soon. I have missed writing! and I have missed you!

~New Christmas; New Body~

Sipping tea as I look out the window and see the scattered snow flakes falling...the sky is gray...wanting to share with you for a few minutes...

It's the Christmas season...a mixed emotion time for many. Of course we know the "reason for the season"....Jesus Christ our Lord, Immanuel , "God with us"...is celebrated as having been sent to mankind through the Holy Spirit by way of the virgin Mary. 

There is much reason to be grateful this time of year and as I said, it is also a time of a variety of emotions. I will be honest here with you, as always. Christmas is a mixed emotional time for me. In the month of December, God received two very important ladies in my life. On December 1, 1974, my mom was escorted to heaven by her angel and December 10, 2011 my sister was given her new and healthy body.

For me, this season is a time of joy and sorrow. I remember Christmas songs playing in the background as Mom made and decorated Christmas cookies. I remember entering my sister's house daily for four days as God was preparing her for her new body. I remember music in the background of her home each day. Her home had more of a presence of angels every time I entered. 

As my sister was telling us (my other sister and me) that she wanted her new body, the two of us would each take turns hugging her and telling her things in her ears. Sometimes I would sing to her. One time I told her how lucky she was that she would be celebrating Christmas in heaven with our parents (Dad passed September 28, 1998). She would grin as she knew she would be with them.

A new body. My sister was given a new body. Jesus came to earth as an infant and had a human body. God with us was human. His new body was not perfect. Jesus allowed Himself to leave his glorious heavenly home filled with angels singing, prophets swapping stories, the "cloud of witnesses" mentioned in Hebrews all praising Jesus and worshiping Him...and so  many more gathered to sing and tell of His praises. He left all of that to take on a body that could and would be beaten...a body that would be bruised and have nails pierce it. 

I have no doubt that the angels surrounded Him when He arrived in that cave/stall. The angels told the shepherds of His arrival...an entire host of them (an army of angels). Can you  imagine that night as you care for your sheep...suddenly the skies are lit up with an army of angels. Imagine the brightness! Imagine the singing! Imagine the angel announcing to them about the birth of "God with us"! They surely felt the angels. Can you just imagine an army of angels totally taking over the skies? 

I got a bit excited just then thinking of how it felt each time I went to my sister's home and could feel the hush of angels...the shepherds felt the excitement and bustle of angels as they sang in celebratory voices of Jesus now in a new form; a baby.

We have so much to celebrate! We get caught up in singing a variety of Christmas songs. Do we really listen as we sing the words or are they so familiar that they just sort of roll off our tongue and stumble through our teeth? Have we heard the story of the birth of Jesus so often that it is simply something to be repeated like reciting a childhood story?

My hope is that you take the time to truly realize what "God with us" has done. I can't imagine leaving the splendors of heaven...taking on some perishable body to come here to be accepted by some and rejected by so many...to ultimately give life as a sacrifice on the cross.

Think about it...Jesus, our Saviour, lived among the people. They saw a difference in Him...not just because He did miracles but there was a difference in His attitude, His reactions, His mixing with the down and out and with those who others wanted nothing to do with. Just think about Jesus. Flip through the gospels sometime (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Study His way with people! 

I want to encourage you to REALLY think about our love gift from God this season. Really focus on His life. Focus on: His Kingship, Servanthood, Him being Immanuel (God with us), His compassion, and His friendship you can experience. 

I get excited and the inside of my head dances because the more I learn about Jesus and obey Him; desiring to learn and grow in Him, the more my soul rejoices and sings. There is this deep indwelling of His Holy Spirit (that He left with us when He returned to heaven) that flows through me. Sometimes it's as if everything about me is dancing inside, other times it is more hushed and calm, but He is always there! 

Because Jesus came, I have a Joy and a Peace that cannot be explained. When He is part of your life, His Spirit is in you. I wish I could explain it better. 

My desire for you, my friend,is that you experience this Christmas season with renewed thinking! Realize the promise! Realize that because of Christmas and  the birth of Jesus we have Easter and His resurrection...our Eternal Hope!

We will all be able to sing with the army of angels in our new bodies one day! Thank you, Jesus, for coming to earth and taking on a body that would be crucified on a cross. Because of Jesus and His powerful name, sacrifice, and rising again, we have power through the Holy Spirit! Amen!

~Three is Me~

Sipping tea as usual with you...I like to take my time with my tea...and I sip it at any temperature...there is so much on my heart and mind...we in the United States of America have just enjoyed ThanksGiving day...we have much to be thankful for...we are blessed...My heart, soul, and mind is in this...what I call a la-la state...simply mellow...sure my mind is ever going...always filled with a song and a variety of scenes as if plays or movies are always going through my mind....and my heart...it is mellow although it is going through a time of remembrance during this season...and my soul...oh my soul...it is also mellow...a sweet calm.

The reason for the calm? I have a short answer; prayer and the Holy Spirit. In all of my life, I have always talked with our Father Creator and Jesus. As a young girl I knew I could talk to Them/Him any time I wanted. I knew I could talk out loud or in my own mind. That was always such a comfort to me.

Later I learned of the Holy Spirit. I learned I could talk to Him also. We have talked about communicating with the Three. So, I won't back-track.

Spirit living is the focus here! Trust me it can be extremely exciting! Nothing heebie-jeebie. It is Jesus-y! In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 & 24 we read that we have a spirit, soul, and body. I know I always talk about my heart, mind, and soul but that is because my brain thinks in that way. I think of my heart as my emotional me, my mind as the thinking me, and my soul as more like my psyche. Those are my "human" definitions of the make up of self. The Bible tells us we are, spirit, soul and body. Our spirit is not the Holy Spirit. Those who follow Jesus can have the Holy Spirit inside but "He" is not "me". The spirit comes from the Greek word, pneuma, meaning breath or wind.The soul is the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans. The body is, well, our body. The physical you. So, 1 Thessalonians spells it out for us, we have spirit, soul, and body. These "three" are so very wonderful and unique as part of each person. We need to properly care for each of the three. We can read about caring for our body. We understand that pretty easily. Eat less; move more! (grins) Well, you can research things for caring for your body as today I want to talk about our spirit and soul care.

 In Jude verse 20 and 21, he tells us to build ourselves up in the most holy faith, praying in the Spirit, keep ourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.

Let's break that down. Yes, I know it is already pretty brief...but let's break it down. 

#1 Build yourself up in the most holy faith. How do we do that? Well, Jude goes on to tell us in his following words....

#2 Pray in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is your moving and guiding power.  He is the one who motivates you to pray. We pray according to His direction.

#3 Keep yourself in the love of God. This happens by continuing to pray. Pray on all occasions. Pray about anything on your heart. Give praise. Give thanks. Petition. Cry out to Father. Prayer is our oxygen with our heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Without prayer, our relationship would suffocate. Breathing is essential; Prayer is our breath of life!

#4 Wait expectantly for our Savior. 

The body is easy to sort and define. We can touch it, move it, see it. The spirit and the soul are unseen. All three are mentioned in the scriptures. All three are "me". All three need care. All three are unique. The body "houses" the spirit and soul. The soul is the "psyche". The spirit is designed to be in charge of your body and soul. The spirit is the inner person. The real you when you accepted Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit reveals truth to your spirit and guides you in the will of God. How wonderfully amazing when there is communication between your spirit and the Holy Spirit! The breath of life!

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (ESV)

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

~I am a Stone~

Sitting here sipping my tea...now cold as it has been setting out...still tasty...I drink tea in any temperature...I am so excited about sharing with you today...You have been with me through much of my listening and obeying God times...

Always learning...always growing...always sharing...that is what we are to do as Jesus followers...I am just so inspired! I have my Inspirational times with the Three every morning. Sometimes they are only about 30 minutes long...other times they have been as much as two and a half hours...it all depends on what all the Three and I are sharing. I read, I journal, I listen, They take turns talking to me, I talk with Them...I cherish our Inspirational time.

I have also included praying to the Holy Spirit in our Inspirational time now. I pray to Him to give me the words that I need to say to whomever...I pray to Him to flow through me to help me show compassion...I pray to Him to comfort me...I pray to Him to guide me...I pray to Him...for a variety of things....

The other day He and I were communing and I was praying that I would have the words to say that He would want me to say to people in general, to my husband, to my son...I had to run some errands in town and was in a grocery store. I was selecting items from a freezer bed when across from me there was a lady who seemed to be in need. I asked her if she was looking for something in particular. She told me what she was looking for and asked if I knew it the store had it. We conversed briefly. She then turned the corner to be nearly cart to cart with me and somehow we struck up a conversation.

She and I talked as if we had known each other for years. We began sharing our variety of health stories. We shared stories about our doctors...our travels for health reasons...and at one point I looked at her and said..."Well, I have Jesus..." and I began to tell her how I dealt with  my health issues over the past years. As soon as I said, "Well, I have Jesus," her face lit up and her eyes sparkled. She had Jesus too! We both shared more excitedly. When we concluded our conversation we hugged and went about our business. I believe we talked by that freezer bed for nearly 30 minutes. The peculiar thing to me was those words that so easily flowed from my mouth, "Well, I have Jesus..." I knew those words popped right out with the help of the Holy Spirit. As they came out it was almost as if I wasn't speaking them. The power of words caused her to shine and sparkle. The power of the Holy Spirit gave me the courage to share Him and Jesus through my words.

Obeying, listening, trusting, sharing...it is who we are (or who we should be) when we follow Jesus. He has been doing some pretty terrific things in my life. For instance, He has told me to go through the book of Ephesians in the Bible. I am not to merely read it and be done...I am to pick it apart...really focus on the verses...the key things...

I believe the things I am learning were easy for the  Ephesians to comprehend. For me, I am reading them with new eyes. I am reading them with eyes that dissect. I want to share with you some things that I have picked up in reading Ephesians so far.

First I want to say, I have fun keeping a journal. I think as I write. When I read some verses from Ephesians 2 today, I worked them out as if working out a math equation and I don't like math. I dissected the verses....and I don't care for science. Maybe what I did was parse them out as in the old fashioned way of handling some grammatical situations. At any rate...I "spelled them out" for me to grasp and I want to share it with you.

I was reading Ephesians 2 today so I will share with you my "take" on Ephesians 2.

In verse 5 it simply states that we are saved by grace. Verse 6 tells me that I am seated with Christ in the heavens...there is a place JUST for me! I am not saved because of anything I have DONE (works) but only because of God's grace (v. 9). In verse 10 I learned WHO I AM in Jesus...I am His workmanship whom He created to do good works FOR Him. I am not saved because of my good works; but because I am a Jesus follower I am to do good works FOR Him!

Reading further to verse 13 I learn that I have been brought near Jesus because of His blood. In verse 18, I  know that everyone has access to the Father in one Spirit. Oh! The Holy Spirit pops up here!

Okay now here is where I begin to dissect. The first bit of chapter 2 was pretty easy to grasp. The next verses...verses 20 to 22, I pick apart...

Jesus is the Cornerstone of the temple.
The apostles and prophets are main stones of the temple.
The saints (believers) are stones of the temple.
In Jesus, the whole building grows into the temple in the Lord.
God's dwelling of the Holy Spirit is why we are all being built together (put together).

Again:
God's Holy Spirit dwells in the temple made of prophets, apostles, and saints (believers) and Jesus is the Cornerstone...where we all begin!
The temple is to be cared for and maintained...added to with more believers (saints). The Church is the whole! The Holy Spirit is in and among the Church!

Do you understand what I am saying? Saints (believers), the prophets and apostles, and Jesus being the very base for us, the Cornerstone are ALL the Church! Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, so He is IN the Church.The Holy Spirit, as I have stated before, gives the saints (believers) more power than what raised Jesus from the dead!

My friend, WE, the Church, the body of believers (saints) have or can have that awesome Holy Spirit Power. My goodness, I asked Him to help me with words to say...how much more can He do than simply give me words! 

The Church has Jesus as the Cornerstone! If we have a body of praying believers who truly rely on the Three and know and claim that Holy Spirit power...how much can be done in the name of Jesus! We need to be that Jesus Church! We believers have that common ground just as I knew the lady in the grocery store knew Jesus because as soon as I said, "Well, I have Jesus..." she shined Jesus more. We, the Church, needs to obey, listen, trust, and share Jesus! My friend, we have the Holy Spirit to guide, counsel, give words, give us power...and so much more...live it! 

We are each a stone of the Church of Jesus. Each believer is important and is equipped and being more equipped with the ways that God wants to use them in His church. Obey, Listen, and Share!

~The Three; The One~

Sitting here again...sipping my tea...surrounded by windows full of gray skies...my mind...oh my mind wants to explode telling you things that it has been taking in lately...but explosions are not always so good...so I will choose to let bits of my mind out little by little...

The explosion could be an issue if it all bursts out to much and too fast...it would just smatter around and not be any good...it may also hit you in areas that you are not ready to take it yet...I say yet...

You see, and some of you know this of me, I have Jesus and Father, with the Holy Spirit inside me. Yes, the trilogy...not a biblical word, I know this. I love knowing all three of them...I know I am not supposed to choose a favorite...but because of the type of person I am, I do have a favorite...be assured that I know the importance of all three for me...but my favorite...if you asked...is the Holy Spirit. 

There is SO much I could write here about the Holy Spirit. I won't overwhelm you (grins) Jesus was excited for us to have the Holy Spirit. In John 16:7 He tells His disciples, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go I will send Him to you." Jesus was here in body. He was among the disciples and the people walking and talking with them...teaching...doing miracles...living as a man. Jesus knew that we could know his teachings...we could remember things he taught...but that He could not possibly be IN us. He knew that when He left, He could and would leave His Spirit...that Being who could be inside us, teaching us, guiding us, comforting us...His Spirit could always be a part of us as long as we had a relationship with Jesus because together they were One (and yes with the Father). So, Jesus wanted to leave in order for us to have some of Him (Spirit) with us always! He knew that was the only way. How exciting and giving!

I get all excited knowing that the Holy Spirit is inside me. I learn more about Him daily. I know that I need to lean into Him always. I need to pray to Him before dealing with any issue or people in order to give godly words or advice. I know that I need to be talking with Him as I go about my day. Of course I can talk to Jesus. He is my friend and Savior. I can also talk to Father. He is my creator. But when I talk to the Holy Spirit, it is different as He resides in me. He courses through my mind, body, and soul. He knows just what I need and when. He will give me the guidance. He will give me the comfort in difficult times. He will give me words to say that are far better than any I could come up with. He will keep me in tune with Father and Jesus. 

As I said, I get all excited in the Holy Spirit! I get all excited in prayer! I have dancing of the Spirit inside my head! My soul sings Him! My heart rejoices in Him!

I want to encourage you to study up on the Holy Spirit. Look up scriptures about Him! He is a unique person not simply a power or influence as He may be grieved (Eph. 4:30), He may be quenched, (1 Thes. 5:19) and He may be resisted (Acts 7:51). He is the author of the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16) as it is God breathed. He convicts and regenerates (John 16:8-11, John 3:1-16, Acts 2:38). He is our comforter (John 14:16-17, Eph. 2:14, Phil. 4:7). The Holy Spirit empowers us to live in Christ's righteousness (Rom.8:26, Phil 4:10-13) and He helps us to read the Bible and pray (John 4:25, 16:12-15, Rom.8:28). There are so many attributes of the Holy Spirit! Seek more.

As I said, I did not want to overwhelm you with the dancing going on inside my being (of the Holy Spirit). I think it is so fabulous that Jesus was so thrilled to give us the Holy Spirit when He left earth. He so wanted us to be a part with Him and that is how it was to be done! 

All Three are One! All Three can be prayed to. Most of us are not as familiar with praying to the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to write out a prayer to Him. I was going to do it here for you but I know that when you learn more about Him on your own...reading scriptures about Him...you will want to put prayers to Him in your own words! Your words will penetrate your heart and soul. I also want to encourage you to turn to Him, as He is in you if you follow Jesus, when you need guidance...comfort...words to speak to someone... 

I thank Jesus for leaving us His Spirit the part of Him that is possible to be in us! 

~Task-y~

Sipping tea here on this brisk, gray morning...During my Inspirational time this morning...I was telling Father that I had so many things running through my mind that I needed to do...I told Him I know that is part of who He created me to be...a lady with multiple things coursing through her mind at all times...and these things were a variety of tasks...tasks that actually sound fun to begin and accomplish...but tasks that are in no order and being in no order...nothing...not one of them...gets completed or sometimes not even started.

I told Father, "You know that who you created me to be is also a list maker. It just feels good to make a list". I also told Him, that I may write things down and look the list over and then feel overwhelmed and do nothing. THAT is part of who He created me to be too. I accept that. I like the lady He created me to be. 

As I sat writing in my journal about needing to do these tasks, I told Him..."I know, I know, I  just need to begin somewhere." He agreed. Of course He would. I never consider it a task to have time with my Father. Those are moments I look forward to. 

Even as I write, the "list" of tasks run through my mind. It isn't even a "time thing" with me. It is just a thing. I don't consider myself a procrastinator, I am simply an "oh this is a good idea to do" lady who then finds other things to do. I don't know if you can relate to this or not, but I have all of these "neat" things to do in my mind, it's just the reality of needing to begin and complete one at a time.

Are there things that God is calling you to do? I know that the more I make the time to be with Him, the more I hear from Him. At times I sit quietly "talking" with Him mentally. I love it when He fills my mind. The task thinking stops (grins) and I focus on Him. Do you take time to focus?...to focus on what He desires of you? 

No task should ever take His place. He should be the Ultimate "Task". When we study His Word, He reveals things to us. He reveals His desires for us. When we communicate with Him, He lets us know the desires of His heart for us and they become the desires of our heart.

I want to encourage you to make the time in your day to be with Father. Listen! Learn! Communicate! The "tasks" he desires of you, will not be beyond your capability. How do I know this? I know this because Father gives us all that we need to accomplish all that He desires of us. He may stretch us...and He usually does....but He will be there to assist and give the strength, courage, knowledge...all that we need. Believe that He will ask of you things that you never dreamed you would do. He wants your obedience! He wants you to grow in Him! He wants you to show His character here in human form!

When we take on the task that Father desires for us to do, we become closer to Him! Sometimes the task may not be a very "popular" thing to do. Do it anyway! Obey! Each time you obey Him, you will feel a renewal within your soul and you will feel (and be) closer to Him. 

If you are like me, you have multiple tasks floating around inside your head to take on. When you listen to God, you will know what He desires for you to take on. It may not be anything that is going through your mind at the time. It may be something new! Something Challenging! Something that will "show off" your God-given gifts! 

As it says in Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". The desires of your heart will be in tune with His heart as you get to know Him more intimately on a day to day personal basis. Your heart will become one with His. THAT is how and why He will give you desires of your heart. THAT is how and why you will be able to do all that he asks of you to do.

Take it a step at a time...day by day...Jesus is always there to assist you in what He wants you to accomplish. You will be amazed at the joy and peace you will have when you fulfill what He asks of you as you go about your daily life. 

I do know that His main "task" for us all is as He says in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

This I know, Jesus' desire is for us to put into practice Matthew 28:19-20. In order for us to do so, He will guide you as to how He wants you to be doing this for Him. You may face rejection. You will be strengthened. He will give you all that you need to be  as His "hands and feet". Take time to learn from Him. Obey Him. DO what He desires of you! Your desires will collide and be the desires of both your hearts. Each time you do something He wants of you, it will make it easier for the next time. You will have trusted Him to help you with one "task" of His...and then you will be ready for the next knowing how He was there with you to do His will.

Listen! Obey! Do!

~Sing Your Heart & Soul~

Sipping tea here...listening to songs of praise to Father and His Son...

Sometimes a song is what we need...Sometimes we need to sing a praise or prayer song to our Lord...Sometimes we need to get caught up with Him in a song...

This song, "Yours Will Be", is one of my favorites and I want to share it with you...there is a sort of "silly" part of singing la-la's but I get caught up in the words...I close my eyes...raise my hands...envision all of it...I sing my heart and soul out...

The words touch  my heart and soul...I soak in the words...The only name that matters to me!...and The friendship and affection I need...He truly is the only true friendship that matters! 

Yours will be the only name that matters to me
The only one whose favor I seek
The only name that matters to me

Yours will be
The friendship and affection I need
To feel my Father smiling on me
The only name that matters to me

I Hope that you will listen and soak in the words to this song at least twice (especially if it is new to you). I hope that you will sing out with your heart and soul and truly be "with" Jesus as you sing. 

When I wake up in the land of glory, with the saints I will tell my story, There will be one name that I proclaim! Imagine it! David, Moses, Joseph, Esther, Rahab, Paul, Watchman Nee, Brother Andrew, so many who truly had a relationship with Father...envision friends and relatives you plan to see when you wake up in the land of glory! How amazing!

~The Dream~

Sipping my Irish Breakfast tea...I had a dream last night that I didn't want to leave...I was with my dad...

Some background information on me and my dad...we would take long road trips together while listening to music or a sermon and talk only when something hit us just right about the song or sermon or some topic hit our mind...we sometimes would discuss the sermon as it was being spoken and/or sometimes after...we would watch sporting events together in our family room while we each had our own large bowl of popcorn...we would "hang out" at the church where he was the pastor, he in his office, me either in the secretary's office as she was gone or "performing" on the stage in the sanctuary where I had songs set up and would sing along pretending I was in concert (dad was near so we were together)...when Dad and I were together...we rarely spoke...but we were together and that presence thing was what mattered most to me....As dad was on his last days in his hospital bed we had many quiet moments; some with conversation. During one particular conversation I looked at Dad and said, "you know, Dad, we never really talked a lot." He turned and looked at me and said, "no, only about what was important." THAT was our relationship! We had a togetherness but didn't need a lot of words...just about the meaningful things. 

Dad and I approached this little greenish house that was surrounded by cedars and beautiful pine trees. The yard was that grassy-sandy yard. The front door was a metal screen door with window panels and there was a heavier inner wood door. We stepped inside. I could smell a sort of woodsy smell from our surroundings. 

Dad and I walked through the rooms. None of them really stand out. We didn't talk. We walked and observed. Every room was a hue of green. I felt him beside me so I knew he was there. We came to the last room to view. It was the living room. There were built in book shelves. There was no furniture in the room. There were no books on the book shelves. Everything in the house was tidy and clean. The empty book shelves bothered me as I like to read and checking out people's books sort of tells something about the person living in the house. We stood side by side and I said to my dad, not turning his way but continuing to stare at the emptiness in the house and on the book shelves, "everything is empty. There is nothing here." He replied, "they were ready to go!" His words stood still inside my head. "They were ready to go!" We stood looking at the emptiness, neither of us saying a word. I could smell the closed up woodsy smell of the house and feel the coolness of the atmosphere. Dad spoke meaningfully yet simply as he did another time to me when he was on his hospital bed. He looked up at the ceiling and said, "people need to learn to think about nothing." I asked, "how do you do that?" He turned to me and said, "you just do!" So, whoever lived in this now empty house was "ready to go!" So simple! Few words needed. Dad and I stood beside each other until I awakened.

So simple! That house was empty, clean, fragrant, with a pleasant atmosphere. Whoever lived there was ready to go! They had given all! 

How do you see that house? What do you make of it being empty? What does my dad's statement, "they were ready to go" mean to you? 

I don't know where the belongings of this house were. It doesn't matter. The owner had cleared everything out and was ready to go! 

The house was empty. Empty of all but what needed to be there. The foundation was there. The various rooms were there. The aroma, that woodsy smell, was there. Does your mind, heart, and soul have space for Jesus? Does your mind have the space for learning scriptures? Does your heart have the space for more compassion? Does your soul have space for the Holy Spirit? Do you need to clear out your "house" to be ready to go? 

That house had a comfy~cozy feeling...a feeling of familiarity. The one who was ready to go did leave something behind. What was left behind was the knowing! Knowing that we need to de-clutter ourselves and create the vacancy to be filled with learning more of what Father wants. The bookshelves were empty. The reading (learning) had been done. There was nothing to dust. There was no furniture. What had been needed...gone! 

"They were ready to go!"