Growing Deeper

I have been reading a book lately that has really upset my applecart of theology. And I am so glad! I have always believed that my prior thoughts about God have been pretty accurate, but now I believe that I was off in a number of ways, Thank God! The Old Testament is quite violent and harsh. And I felt that this God of the Old Testament doesn't seem like the Jesus I know in the New Testament. But to my surprise, I have found that the loving God of the Old Testament is exactly like Jesus. Even thought God was at times quite severe, His motive was love, because God is LOVE. My understanding of Him had a lot to do with my memories of my finite earthly father. I have heard that our experiences with our fathers have deep influences on our views about God. My life like so many, had a lot of twists and turns through my formative years. I was adopted at 2 years old along with my twin sister. My parents already had 7 other children. The story I was told, when I started asking questions abo...

 The internet has brought us many very useful tools to help us out and enhance our lives.  Many of us google just about any issue or problem we encounter for information. This googling ranges  anywhere from "what does poison ivy look like "to "what other movie have I seen that actor in?"  Another app I go to quite frequently is Pinterest. It is full of all kinds of things to look up. And in my account I can choose to save many categories, for example, I can find ideas anywhere from keto recipes to how to heal a chicken of a" splayed foot." I have spent much time (I won't relay how much)  looking on Pinterest for recipes, and other things. There are so much interesting subjects out there that because of my access through the wonder of the internet I can find just about anything.  Recently I discovered a new word that captured my interest.  The word is "Influencer."  I found that there are actual people that are called influencers. This may not...

 Today is a new day. Our world is turning on its axis as it has for centuries. The sun is up in the east and people are getting ready for work. It is a very busy world!  I am starting another day. A day full of ideas and a list of things I feel need to be done.  " It's just another day" as the song goes.  It could seem that way because I have had so many days in my 68 years of life that I tend to see a repeating trend of days and weeks and years. I could become numb to its value. Having another day is a blessing. But in reality, this is a day I will never get back. And to be sure, I do not know how many days I have left. My brother's birthday would have been November 15th. But he passed away from a heart attack two years ago. So, he has no more birthdays. He would have been 62 this year.  I have lost a number of family members. My Dad and Mom are no longer here, my two brothers are not here. I have been widowed twice in my life. Needless to say, I am familiar wi...

When I was first saved, Gods Word was so new to me. I had never read it before. It came alive in my heart as I read the gospel of John. I was intrigued by Jesus and his response to people and their needs. I ate it up. I was a new creature according to his Word. I believed God and became like a child when it came to my faith.     This is a miracle in itself. I was not always so trusting. But to be honest, I had come to the end of myself. I was a  very bitter young woman of whom life had thrown one too many curves.   I was desperate, lonely, forsaken and very angry.   God knew all this. He was always there, patiently  waiting for me to see my need for Him. Its sad that I had to come to that place to actually look up, and see  that I couldn't live this life on my own.     I had made so many mistakes and bad decisions. I only had myself to blame.  Even though I didn't know it, God had always had a plan for my life. His word tells us that. ...

 I love seeing the beautiful gardens all around in the summer. The  peonies are out now, gracing many yards. I have worked in my yard and planted flowers many times. The yard looks pretty good, but nothing like  a few people I know that have incredibly beautiful yards. They have annuals, and perrienials lining their  walkways, butterfly bushes, and all kinds of wild flowers, some even have set areas of beauty on their patios.   I, on the other hand, have had  some pretty flowers, but more weeds than I can count.  Poison ivy comes up  faithfully every year, and... weeds that show up all over the place. I have a yearly stint at Urgent Care  to get some predisone, once again,to bring my bout with poison ivy to a halt.   I do not have a green thumb. I sure wish I did. But its just not part of my DNA. Its not natural for me to even remember to water my plants.  Lord help the flowers in my front yard that I do not see unless I am driving ...

These days there are alot things that get people riled.    The biggest upset these past few months for many, is the outcome of the election.   First of all, I want to be clear, I am not taking sides on this. I have come to the place where we have a new president, period.     My main concern with any issue is truth, and sadly on the issue of this election, I can't really say for sure who to believe. I don't watch the news anymore. Its so driven by what ever side that station is loyal to, and their opinion, and where they get their  information is beyond me.     I want to focus on The Mark. When I see that word, I automatically think of  "The MARK of the Beast"    But this isn't even what I am talking about.     What I AM alluding to is, another mark.        It is the Mark of the Christian.    What is that? Well, Jesus told his followers this: "By  THIS all men shall know that you are ...

 There is a picture in my mind, as I read a story in the news about a person jumping in a lake off a boat to save someone who is drowning... I have heard that when a person is drowning, and someone is trying to help them, they struggle profusely, fighting the person who is actually trying to SAVE their life. It is a natural response in the victim, because they are in the middle of sinking and trying to stay afloat.  I thought about this and then I also thought about how many times I have, in a different ways struggled with God while He is trying to lift me "out of the deep waters" of myself. I sometimes feel like I am drowning in situations that I am trying to stay afloat in.    The first time that I was drowning was 42 years ago.  I was barely hanging on, barely breathing, taking on lots of "water" due to a deep ocean of self preservation, that actually wasn't working at all!   God jumped into my life and all He asked me to do was, relax, and Trust Him, to...