I think my favorite ways to exercise is hiking and swimming. Two ways I plan on getting back into this spring and summer.
My children are coming on an extended weekend get away to celebrate 36 years of marriage with us.
We are planning on getting some hiking done in southern Nevada. There are a few easy hiking trails that I am comfortable taking. After my knee surgery. It’s time to jump back in and enjoy some dessert beauty.
I’m super excited not only to get away on a weekend end roar trip, and some easy hiking but to have some great family time in the process.
One book I could and do read over and over again is the Holy Bible.
When I first opened the Bible seven years ago I was completely overwhelmed. “How does anyone even understand this stuff?” Were my thoughts. But as I began trying my perspective and intent changed. I prayed and asked God to help me. My pastor suggested I do the Bible opening tactic. I got my Bible, closed my eyes, and opened the Bible. It opened to Psalm 34 when I read, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in Spirit.” The 17-18th verses. It spoke to me.
As I continued to read I began to notice patterns and recurring themes like redemption, and sacrifice that weaved through the text. With each passage, small details began to jump out at me that connected to things I seemed to be struggling with or going through. And offered comfort and clarity.
Each day I read the Bible no matter how many times. I feel as though God is speaking to me through my reading.
Double fisted Faith is used to describe unwavering faith that clings to God’s promises, even in difficult times, with both hands. It signifies a belief that is both active and steadfast trusting in God’s power and promises, regardless of circumstances.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had it when king Nebuchadnezzar told them to bow before his golden image. Because they wouldn’t worship his golden image Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a den of lions. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego told them to bow king, “We have no need to answer you in this matter” (Daniel 3:16). They didn’t need to defend themselves before the king. The God who they served would save them, and He would rescue them from the king’s power.
But even if He didn’t, they wanted to make it clear that would never serve other gods or worship a golden statue. (Daniel 3:16-18). God is God and that’s enough. And that’s enough.
We need to be in a place where we believe God will save us, even if He doesn’t. God is God, and that is enough.
If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?
I would be a quiet reserved person who enjoys my peaceful life, that avoids danger an every turn. Yet I have a hidden streak of courage. I have a fierce desire for to go new places and see new things. My silence isn’t shyness, it becomes a mask for my reckless and courageous soul.
It can be hard to hope in God at times. We live in an evil uncertain world.
Who doesn’t face personal uncertainty? People lose their jobs or retire every day. Our homes need maintenance -where is the money going to come from? And if you have children or grandchildren, you always carry them in your heart. So how do we not struggle with fear of the future?
How do we find hope in God?
We have an enemy (Satan) who wants to rob us of hope, but God assures us in His Word we have a bright future.
God gives us incredible promises to give us hope for the future, both in this life and especially the next.
Hope in God because He has Good Plans For You
“For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future” – Jeremiah 29:11
God has specific wonderful plans for each of his children. He has a plan for you, and it is a plan for good. Plans for your joy. Plans for a future and a hope.
And no one can thwart those plans. They are according to His purpose, and nothing in heaven or earth to stop God‘s purpose. I don’t know how or when God will work out His
We can hope in God because He has promised that He will do good for us in the future. Hoping God, because unlike our plans, His good plans cannot be stopped.
We serve the God of hope, and our hope is not in this life alone. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we also have hope of eternal life. God‘s plans are for today, tomorrow, and eternal life.
Hope in God because you will see His goodness.
“I am still confident of this, I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord” -Psalm 27:13-14
God promises believers that we will see His goodness in this life. We can certainly see his goodness in heaven, but we will see it here as well.
God answer his prayers and meets our needs. We will experience his joy, and see Him work in others.
Don’t give up. Keep hoping and waiting for the Lord‘s perfect timing. Be strong and take courage in your heart. You won’t be disappointed. The Holy Spirit will fill you with joy and peace as you trust God to show His goodness to you.
Hope In The Lord because He Will Fulfill His Purpose For You.
“The Lord will fulfill that which concerns me, your loving kindness, Lord, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands” -Psalm 138:8
It’s difficult sometime when we think we might be missing God’s will for our life. But God promises that He has a purpose for each of our lives and He will fulfill it. In this we can have great hope.
Hope in Godbecause He will complete what He started.
“For your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now, being confident this very h that He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Yeshua the Messiah” -Philippians 1:6
God finishes what He starts. When God saved you, He began an incredibly good work in you to transform you into the likeness of Jesus.
Everything you go through, good and bad, is controlled by His sovereign hand to conform you to Jesus. He won’t fail. There won’t be any “unfinished” believer in heaven. God works in each of our lives every day. If God has started a good, powerful working you, then He certainly will bring it to completion.
Hope in Jesus because He will establish your plans.
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” -Proverbs 16:3
Maybe you don’t know where you’re going in life. But if you seek the Lord, you can have hope He will establish your plans as He has promised. There are many times in our lives we cannot personally bring our own plans to pass. But God is the one who will bring your plans to pass.
Hope in God because He will lead you.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you” Psalm 32:8
God Himself, is the One who controls all things. He is a God of infinite wisdom, and will personally counsel you with His eye upon you if you allow Him to. Who could hope for more than that.
We have pets for companionship. But the ones we have depend on a lot of personal facries.
There are no best or worst pet. Dogs are usually for people who want loyalty, interaction, or a buddy to get them outside.
Cats are more independent, and more low maintenance and are good if you prefer a quieter vibe. They are very chill and won’t demand our schedule to bend for them.
No matter what animal you prefer it’s all about which animal we match with.
If you are like me, you tend to overthink everything. I dwell on things, wanting to know the possible outcome.
I have this neighbor who insists on parking in front of my mailbox. He had a freight truck there for 2 weeks. The mailman brought my mail to the door my mailbox was not accessible. He would not be delivering my mail, any longer. I over thought a few day. Reluctant to.talk to my neighbor because he is a hot head and gets violent at the tip of a hat. I ended up calling to police, I had thought and over thought about every possible outcome. Ready to have to talk with him with the officer there. The encounter was peaceful, and the vehicle moved for now.
I learned a few strategies to help me break free from overthinking over the years but, a failed to follow my strategies. So I thought I would write them down to help me remember.
Practice Mindfulness:
Engaging in activities that bring you to the present moment like deep breathing, or paying attention to your surroundings.
Be Mindful of Your Thoughts:
Acknowledge when you’re overthinking and try to observe your thoughts without judgment.
Challenge Your Thoughts:
Question whether your thoughts are valid and helpful to your negative or anxious thoughts.
Rescheduled Overthinking:
Set aside specific times for reflection and rumination then move on with your day.
Focus on solutions and action:
Focus on Solutions:
Instead of dwelling on problems, actively seek solutions and take steps to address them.
Embrace imperfection:
Recognize that perfection is unattainable and focus on progress rather than outcomes.
Let Go of Control
Acknowledge that you cannot control every situation and focus on what within your influence.
Assume Good Intent:
Try to interpret situations and people‘s actions with a positive perspective rather than assuming the worst.
It’s important to engage in activities that shift your your focus, such as exercise hobbies, or spending time with loved ones.
Change the Channel:
When you notice yourself getting stuck in a overthinking loop, consciously, if your to something else.
Remember, most situations are not as dire as they seem. Try to see the bigger picture.
Some people do jobs for free or little to no money because of the intangible perks -the blessings that got deeper than cash.
I would choose something to do with animals just for the pure joy of seeing a happy, thriving animal. Or maybe teach someone how to cope with life’s defeats or depression. Knowing I helped someone is a blessing, but God also likes to bless those who do something good in His eyes.
“Now you know what is restraining him, to the end, and he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until He is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of His mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming” -2 Thessalonians 2:6-8
If Satan has been waiting to introduce the antichrist to the world, what is stopping him from allowing this evil leader to step onto the platform of the world stage right now? Why is it taking so long for the devil to finally bring this man to public attention?
The apostle Paul answered this question when he wrote 2 Thessalonians 6-8. The one who now restrained will be taken away, and then all the wicked will be revealed.
The apostle Paul only spent a few months with the Thessalonian Church, we can therefore see from this passage of scripture, the importance he attached to their ability to understand and time events.
If Paul used this part of his brief to the Thessalonian church to teach them about the events that will occur in the last days, doesn’t this tell us about our understanding on the subject It should be a high priority?
We just can’t shut our eyes to the truth of scripture. If Paul considered this so important that he would introduce it to a group of believers, how much more do seasoned believers need to grasp what the Bible teaches about the last days.
Paul told the Thessalonian believers that are force with holds the anti-garage from being revealed. The grease does not specifically say the identify id of the restraining force, but it seems to suggest that Paul is referring to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.
Think of it, what if the power of the Spirit of God was suddenly withdrawn and removed from the Earth? It will only be a brief matter of time before Satan consummated his dream of world domination. The Holy Spirit is a great restrainer, and He is holding back this evil from coming to pass in the world today.
It is clear that this is an evil so horrendous that it must be held down, held back, or suppressed let it be loose to release a wide range of wicked effects. The supernatural force that Paul refers to is stalling, delaying, and postponing the evil that is craving to be fully released and set into operation.
In 2 Peter 3:9, Paul says that God is,
“ the Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
God is holding back to ultimate day of evil to give unbeliever more time to come to Him in repentance. But a day is soon coming when the greatest restrainer will “be taken out of the way it” (2 Thessalonians 2:7)
When this day comes, the hindering Power that has continuously delayed, the worldwide domination of evil and lawlessness will be removed. It will be as though He suddenly lifted out in the middle of everything. At that moment, the evil forces that have been long been suppressed will suddenly be freed, and their wicked plans, purposes, and desires will be abruptly energized. When a supernatural hindering force is removed, these events will quickly come to pass with no hesitation, for the restrainer will be out of the picture.
Once the Restrainer is gone, the antichrist will be revealed. When the Holy Spirit restraining power has been withdrawn, there will no longer be any force president to holdback the evil forces. Therefore, this evil leader who has been concealed and hidden from public view, will suddenly appear in a moment, it will seem as if a stage curtain is being pulled out of the way so that he can make his grand appearance to the world.
Possession of material things is temporary, a person’s character and relationship with God are what truly matters. Jesus values a person’s inner self and spiritual state over material wealth.
The idea that Jesus carries more about “who you are” and “what you own” emphasizes the importance of character, integrity, and spiritual growth.
God put us on earth for his purposes. To live a life of faith, strive for spiritual perfection, and to serve Him rather than accumulating material possessions.
It is not it should not be interpreted as an endorsement for laziness and disregard for responsible, stewardship of resources.
In the Bible there’s a parable of the rich young ruler: Jesus, talent of wealthy man to give away his possessions and follow Him, suggesting that material wealth can be a hindrance to spiritual growth.
In the sermon on the mount: Jesus just thought about storing treasures up in heaven rather than earth, emphasizing the importance of focusing on spiritual values.
What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?
I have no desire to watch the Olympics. I feel like it’s a drain on tax payer money with the 2025 Olympics coming to America a budget has already been set for $6.9 billion for the entire budget.
People are struggling right now to pay bills and buy groceries. I may be the only one to say this but average everyday people should be put first to some above average people we are extra well at a sport.
Think of a mythical creature, a vampire who wants blood from helpless victims. Once they get a few ounces of blood from their victims neck, they are usually content.
A vampire Christian is someone who just wants a little bit of the blood of Jesus. Just enough to get them into heaven. They don’t want a blood transfusion of the character of Jesus, and they show little to no desire for a complete life transformation of abiding in Jesus Christ.
“The whole purpose for which we exist is to be taken into the life of God. Wrong ideas about what that life is will make it harder” -C.S. Lewis
Churches are filled with undisciplined Christians. Jesus call us all to count the cost of following Him (Luke 14:27-29), still many think following God means to check off the box when asked about religion on a registration form. Some may believe, “If I think the right thrusts or have the right doctrine, I’m good right?
Everyone wants a Savior to forgive their sins. But, no one wants to submit to the Lord. But here’s the thing, if you can’t accept Jesus as your Lord, then you can’t make Him your Savior either.
Salvation that emphasizes forgiveness of sins over a lifelong journey to oneness with God is not the full picture of salvation.
Jesus calls us to abide with Him, to repent (John 15, Matthew 4:17), to follow Him (Matthew 4:19), to obey His commands, to learn from Him, to deny ourselves (Matthew 7:24, 11:28-30, John 14:15), to love God and love others (Matthew 22, 37-40, Luke 14:12-14). to make disciples and so much more. This does not give room for vampire Christianity.
The Bible says if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10, 9). We are saved by grace, not our works. But this is not the complete picture of the gospel of Jesus.
We can’t just decide to enjoy Jesus’s costly forgiveness and then have nothing to do with Him.
Being a disciple of Jesus brings transformation of thought, feeling, and character.
“The only way to transformation is through transfusion.” -Gary Moon
We have to accept all of Jesus’s blood to have a Holy Spirit transformation.
From Pity to Praise 