Beauty in your life- change your thoughts for a positive outlook
What TV shows did you watch as a kid?
As a child I remember a few, but I spent most my time outside avoiding my mother. A few come to mind though. “Gilligan’s Island,” “Schoolhouse Rock,” “and “The wizard of Oz.” And “Bewitched” comes to mind.
Every year during Passover, my father and I would watch “The Ten Commandments.”
What’s your favorite time of day?
My favorite time of day is between 2-4 AM. It is known as the spiritual visitation hours.
While there is no scientific evidence of this. It’s a time when I connect with God more deeply than any other time.
It is known to many as a time when the veil between the spirit world and our world are the thinnest.
It is the quietest time of the night when I believe I can hear the Holy Spirit most.
I spend this time in worshiping God and praying.
Israel plays a significant, complex role in the end times.
The Bible tells us of a future for Israel involving a return to their land, a period of tribulation, and ultimately the recognition of Jesus as their Messiah.
Here are a few beliefs and Bible Scriptures:
Many believe that the modern of Israel’s existence fulfills biblical prophecies about the Jewish people returning to their ancestral land.
Deuteronomy 30,3, Isaiah 43:6 and Ezekiel 36:24 show us some examples that predict Jesus’s return.
The Bible also speaks of a time of great tribulation which can be linked to Israel and Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 30:7 refers to a “time of Jacob’s trouble.” There are prophecies that describe a 7 year covenant between the Antichrist and Israel, followed by a breaking of the covenant of later persecution.
Ezekiel 38 and 39 gives details of a future invasion of Israel.
The Bible tells about the recognition of Jesus in Israel. Zachariah 12:10 is interpreted as a prophecy of Israel, ultimately recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.
There are some teachers that say this will happen only after a period of suffering and repentance.
Israel has a role in God’s Kingdom
Isaiah 2:2 and Zephaniah 3:20 speak of Jerusalem as a place of gathering for all nations and the center of God’s reign. Jesus is prophesied to reign from Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
These are just a few scriptures that speak about the role of Israel in the end times. There are many more.
It’s important to know that the Bible presents an eternal unconditional covenant with God and Israel.
The Bible clearly tells us to give no place to the devil in our lives.
“And don’t give place to the devil” –Ephesians 4:27
We are to have nothing to do with the devil because we are at war with him.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” -Ephesians 6:12
We can be strong in God and in the power of His might if we will let Him work.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” -Ephesians 6:10
There is no need for us to come up short or fail God in anything He has called us to do, and we won’t if we refuse to give place to the devil.
The devil only seeks to find a way to get his foot in the door of our lives. He has no good intentions towards anyone, he doesn’t even love the people who follow him.
“The thief (the devil) only comes to steal, kill, and destroy” John 10:10
The devil comes to us with the worst, but Jesus came to give us heaven’s best.
“I come that they may have life, and have it abundantly” John 10:10
Jesus never said one good thing about the devil. He told the Jewish people that Satan (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning.
“…He was a murderer from, the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own, for he is a liar, and the father of lies” John 8:44
Most people agree that there is nothing good about the devil, so why is he able to take advantage of them? They may think that just a small space is no big deal, but if you give the devil even one tiny piece of your life, he will seize the opportunity to move in and take control.
Jesus came to defeat the devil for all of us, so the devil is a defeated foe if we do what the Lord tells us to do and take the place He has called us to. Every one of us has a special place in the body of Christ. We can’t all be eyes, feet, or hands, but we have our place, and every place in the body of Jesus is important.
1 Corinthians 12:13-18 tells us,
“For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is Messiah (Jesus). For in one Spirit we are all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free, and were all given to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member but many. If the foot would say, because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body, it is not therefore not part of the body. If the ear would say, because I’m not part of the eye, I’m not part of the body. But if the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?”
God set the members every one of them in the body, as He desired.
God has given each of us a place, and we must stand in that place.
The devil wants to shake each of us as hard as he can to get us out of the body of Christ and separate us from the vine. Sadly we can look around and see the devil is doing a pretty good job attacking God’s people. But we must never let him succeed in destroying us. Luke 22:31 tells Simon
“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail you.”
When the devil shakes us, let the chaff fall off, and then abide in the vibe stronger than ever.
John 15:4-5 tells us,
“Remain in Me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither you, unless you remain in Me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in Me and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Persecutions will make us stronger when we continue to do what the Lord tells us to do.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you” -Matthew 5:10-12
Jesus let His many persecutions make Him stronger, and so should we. Jesus took on the image of man, but He became strong by using the things He had brought from heaven, and all those things belong to us. The Bible teaches that we can reach out to God and get anything we need at any time if our hearts are pure and clean before Him.
I hang on to this every day. Just thinking we are strong in the Lord isn’t enough. Peter told Jesus he would never betray Him. In Matthew 26:33 Peter said, “even if all will be made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Peter didn’t know himself. After Jesus was arrested, all it took for Peter to deny Jesus as a young lady identifying him as one who had been with Jesus.
Peter later wept bitterly over what he had done and repented. Matthew 26:75 says, Peter remembered the words Jesus, said to him. That Peter would betray Him 3 times. Peter finally realized how weak he was. God had to knock off Peter’s hard outer shell of self before He could use what was underneath.
The devil cannot rob us of anything when we are strong in the Lord. A thief has to first bind the strong head of the house before he can steal the treasures inside, and it is the same way with the devil, but he can’t bind us unless we give place to him.
“No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man and then he will spoil his house” -Mark 3:27
However, some people are so weak that the devil has easy access to them. There is no strong man he needs to bind first, so he can steal anything he pleases.
We can resist the devil by being steadfast in faith. 1 Peter 5:9 says,
“Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.”
“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord” -Psalm 112:7
When we are steadfast, the devil can’t do anything to us, but he never gives up. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us we need to,
“Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
The devil is watching and waiting for us to give him a place in our lives, so we must learn to use Jesus’ blood on him and he will flee.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” -James 4:7
Don’t go after him to find out why he is running, just know that Jesus had sent him on his way.
Through Jesus’s blood shred on the cross, He has given us power to trample the devil underfoot. So, we never have to let the devil take advantage of us.
What’s your favorite recipe?
I have quite a few favorite recipes. It usually depends what I’m craving at the time.
It’s been kinda cool weather in my neck of the woods. So, my recent favorite is a comfort meal. Last night I made “Frito Pie.
I add sour cream salsa, and olives to the top of mine. But you can add what ever sounds good to you.
Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.
I am excited about what I am about to receive -a household goblin.
Yes, that’s right. I did a thing:
I’m about to pay money and they will give me this. A constant commentary, of opinionated shatter that will take over my house for sure. full of warm cuddles, a few acrobatic jumps I’m sure.
I don’t get him until next week, but I’m super excited.
If you want things to be different in your life, the number one thing you need you need to change is not your job, circumstances, relationships, or income. It’s you that needs to change.
You must first change your attitude. Our attitude in life is can be determined by the collection of our dominant thoughts in our minds.
Philippians 2 centers on themes of humility, unity, and sets us an example of Jesus’ selfless sacrifice. This is the right attitude to strive for to get the right attitude in life.
In the 1990s there was themed items like necklaces or bracelets or shirts that had “WWJD” – What Would Jesus Do. The help people remember to make better choices.
That’s the kind of thing we can use every day to have the right attitude in life. The great news is we can read the Bible for the wisdom to live a good life, by having the right attitude before God.
It’s important to understand the right attitude will never manifest around us until we establish it within us.
Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us, “that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” No one else can bring change in your life, you determine your attitude and the kind of day you will have.
There’s a quote that is attributed to Albert Einstein that says, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
A right attitude is having the perspective that reflects the teachings and examples of Jesus. This requires a combination of faith, humility, and positivity, when we face challenges.
There are specific ways God answers prayer. I think knowing and understanding a few things is clear.
More often than not when we ask for wisdom God gives us problems to solve. If we ask for courage we get dangers to overcome. Asking for love God gives us troubled people to help. Over the years this is how God has answered my prayers.
Romans 5-3-5 tells to rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that in our sufferings it will produce endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope doesn’t put us to shame.
God cares about our character and His purpose is to shape us from one degree of glory to the next. Challenging events and difficult relationships may be part of this shaping in our lives.
While God may send every challenge and difficulty, we usually do this on our own. But God can definitely use them for good.
Every challenge or difficulty I encounter I see that I have brought them on myself. My life can be described in one sentence… “Well, that didn’t go as planned.” But God always has a way of making it turn out for good in the end.
When our perspective changes we begin to see difficulties, problems, dangers, and troubles as opportunities to become strong, wise, courageous, and loving.
Instead of having the perspective of I asked for wisdom and I received problems. I asked for courage and received danger or asking for love. A simple change in perspective can change from I asked for wisdom to handle my problems, and God gave me wisdom because He loves me.
In a broken world, problems will occur, danger will lurk, but God gives us wisdom and courage when we ask.
How would you design the city of the future?
My city would be named “Shalom” it would mirror the Kingdom of God on earth.
It would be a city where justice and mercy kiss. Where people walk around humbled by as they are see and feel the presence of God. To enter you must have a solid foundation where God is your Rock. It’s what this city would be founded on.
In the would be a center there would be a peaceful garden with a river flowing through with a waterfall. And a lot of green trees.
There would be a large place to worship God 24/7.
There would be community farms with willful people always caring for it. Along with Agricultural learning centers.
All businesses will be mom and pop based, no conglomerate stores.
The schools would be a place of learning Basic Math, English, Science, History. Shop, Home Economics and Moral Philosophy class would be required.
The welcoming gates into the city would be mercy, Truth – God’s truth, Justice and Peace.
It would be a city of love, peace, and joy. A place where people could come to find peace and happiness and escape the chaos of the world without being alone. A place of serenity and hope.
Where did your name come from?
My legal name is Kathrine is Greek name that was popularized by Saint Catherine of Alexandria who was a martyr.
Kathrine seems more elegant with a rich history generally associated with positive qualities.
My father liked the name and wanted to have a different spelling. I’m pretty sure that’s how it came to.
I’ve been thinking about something I heard a few years ago and how it fits with what is happening in the world today, called Bread and Circuses. I thought I would share and you can decide for yourself.
In ancient Rome, there was the concept of something called “bread and circuses” It was coined by a poet named Juvenal. It referred to the strategy of appeasing the population by providing free grain (bread) and grand entertainment like circuses, gladiator games, and chariot races. The idea was that as long as people were fed and entertained they would be less likely to question authority or become politically active.
In the late Roman Empire, political leaders provided free grain and lavish entertainment to keep people content.
The idea was never about generosity, it was political. It diverted attention from corruption, inequality, and loss of freedoms.
Junvenal said, “The people longed eagerly for just two things bread and circuses.”
The purpose of this was to distract the masses from political engagement. To keep the population pacified and dependent. And to control public opinion and reduce unrest.
Political analysts use this analogy when governments prioritize distractions over solving issues.
In Ancient Rome, the push toward synthetic or controlled food might represent a shift in power, where people become reliant on tightly regulated systems.
The bottom line is that what’s going on in America isn’t just conspiracy talk, but a real historical analogy that’s been used by philosophers, political scientists, and historians.
Free food and distractions equal political control.
Strong men eat meat, not lab-grown meat or vegan diets.
Meat reduction and control.
Governments and NGOs worldwide are encouraging lower meat consumption, citing environmental, ethical, and health concerns.
Industrial livestock farming is a major source of greenhouse gases, deforestation, and water consumption.
Solutions are being pushed to include plant-based alternatives, insect protein, and lab-grown growth meat.
All of these factors lead me to believe there is something cynical going on.
But, these are just my thoughts on the subject. As I have watched what has taken place since covid it seems pretty cut and dry to me.
From Pity to Praise