Forgiveness in 1st Grade Terms

While teaching my 1st grade the Lord’s Prayer this past Thursday, I said something about forgiveness that surprised me.

‘You know you have forgiven, let go of the offense, when you see the person, not the wrong they committed.’

I think this is wisdom, and explains why Jesus was always concerned with blindness. The way to see the Kingdom of Heaven at hand is to see His creation (in its original intent) first, not the problems, offenses or inconveniences.

The log in my eye is the offense I have held on to. I must see past that to see rightly and share His truth rightly.

Lord, open my eyes. Forgive me for seeing through glasses of offense and inconvenience. Help me see.

The Law of Thine Pencils

There are days, as a 1st grade teacher, that I come home and wax poetic.
Today was one of them. You’re welcome.

“The Law of Thine Pencils”

And then I spake, saying, ”First thing in the morning shalt thou take out thine Holy Pencils. Thou shalt countest three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out.

Once the number three, being the third pencil, be reached, then thou shalt sharpen them straight away and place thine arse on thy chair.

Should thine first pencil snap, thou shalt remain seated, with thy mouth closed and use thine second holy pencil.

Should thine second pencil be eschewed, thou shalt remain seated, with thy mouth closed and use thine third holy pencil.

Should thine third pencil scratch, thou shalt remain seated, with thy mouth closed and lift thy hand on high with thy lips tightly shut.

If I see thine hand lifted on high and I call upon thy name thou shalt then open thy mouth and beseech me in order to use the sanctified sharpener for one pencil. With mine ‘yea, thou mayest’, Thee and thee alone will stand and go hence.

None other of the 1st congregation may lift their buttocks from their chairs nor make a noise nor start the collection of pencils for sharpening.

Such a noise shall be heard in all the land shouldest thou stand without my ‘yea.’ Lest I pelt Mine Holy Hand Grenade of Primary School towards thee, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.’

Inspired by my 1st Graders and Monty Python.

Written by Me. 2023.

Da Di da dum

“Sweet Peas” Tara’s newest song.
Song and lyrics: https://migrantbirdsmusic.com/track/3552392/sweet-peas

I have been feeling like I’m in long a season of winter. Maybe even since 2020. When I put this new song on, I suddenly heard it as the story of my journey and what I need to be doing instead of grieving the old garden and previous Springs.

I have been so obsessed with my place in God’s plan that I lost my joy. But, I am in a waiting season in order to pull weeds and trim the vines that have grown in my life. To scrape deep into the soil of my heart and turn it to get it prepared for the casting of God’s seeds into me.

Instead of ‘the questioning’, I need to while away the time with seeing the moment to moment beauty God has, even in the gray. Preparing the garden of MY heart.

When the time is right, His garden will bloom, and I will be able to ‘see’ again.

Meanwhile, I shall do the ‘menial’ prep and echo this tune: Da dee di dum da dee di da dum dee di da dum dee di dum
Da dee di da dum dee di da dee di da dum dee di dum

O Ye Hypocrite

How can you condemn the football player who takes a knee during the National Anthem and then speak of starting a civil war because your demagogue demigod is called on the carpet for stealing national secrets?

Do you actually believe what you say when you recite these words:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the UNITED States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands ONE nation under GOD INDIVISIBLE with liberty and justice for all.

So shut up about honoring God and the flag of the United States and unfurl the flag you truly believe in.

Love IS the Wonder

Whoever said that a straightened hand was more dramatic than a healed heart anyway? – “Blessed Child” by Ted Dekker

Psalms 105:2 NIV
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonders. (pala)

Psalm 106:7 KJV
Our fathers understood not thy wonders (pala) in Egypt; They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; But provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

What are His wonders?
– Checed (lovingkindness no matter what!)
– Mercy
– Grace
– Salvation
– Sonship

We are:
– Reconciled
– Seated
– Righteous
– Sanctified
– Redeemed
– Complete
– Light
– Glorified

Our sins are:
– Forgotten
– Judged by the Blood
– Payed for by Christ taking our place.

This is the simplicity of the Cross and the power in it!

There is no other message I preach.

Revisiting 2017

Once again, I must let go of my OWN support beams to see clearly and bring light in darkness. What support beams are you clinging to in order to bring about judgement? Tear down the scaffolding YOU have built. Let go, so you can see through the eyes of Your Father once again and be the Isaiah 61 person you were meant to be.

Nothing But A Mist

Week 24 Seeing is Believing

This year I have learned that if my ‘vision’ is clear my earthly experience will be full of light, but if it is not clear I will see darkness. Viewed through the wrong lens, I will see brambles instead of blackberries, offense instead of grace, fear instead of love. And I will even defend my belief that I am indeed seeing properly.

I know this is Truth, yet why don’t I see clearly?

I am still seeing through the wrong eye, distorted by beams of offense and grievance. In Luke 6:41 the Greek word for plank, log or beam is dokos. Dokos does not mean any old piece of wood and it does not mean log. It means a supporting timber. If I judge anything when I am not perceiving through light, I will judge wrongly because I support my judgment without the light of…

View original post 183 more words

Well Played, Dog

Beauregard loves to play Frisbee, he enjoys chasing after and catching it in his mouth. But there’s one problem, while he does retrieve it, it is hard for him to let go of it even though he’s having fun catching it. So I finally got him to drop the frisbee, but the problem has been he won’t leave it. As soon as I reach for it he grabs it back. When I turn my back to stop playing he finally gives up and lets me have it. He absolutely enjoys chasing after it and catching it, so I’m confused as to why he won’t drop it and leave it.

After an early play session, where he repeated the same pattern over and over, I returned to my morning devotion time.
During prayer I felt the Lord saying, “Cast all your cares on Me, My yoke is easy, My burden is light. Can you let go, so I can do what is necessary? Can you let go? Often you “drop” but don’t “leave it.” If you “leave it” then we can enjoy doing life together.

Oh the things I learn by having a dog.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Choose Life

Pro-life and pro-choice camps, they seem mutually exclusive, except if you listen carefully they can be pro-life and pro-choice at the same time.

Pro-life means ‘for life.’ Pro-choice means ‘for choice.’
I know pro-choice people that would rather call pro-life people anti-abortionists, and pro-lifers would say the opposition are pro-death.

Oh what’s in a name? Everything.

I am pro-life; most of my friends are pro-life. I am thankful my mother made a split second decision not to abort me. If only I knew that before I made my own decision. And many of my friends have chosen to adopt and foster those children that could have been aborted. Those same people also feed the poor, accept refugees and believe in education for all. I see that as pro-life.

But if “pro” life means “for” life, why are some pro-lifers out there complaining about wearing masks and closing businesses during COVID season? What I hear is “It steps on my rights.” What they mean is “My choice – my body.” Why are they ok with using violence (whether physically or rhetorically) to install a supposed Pro-Life candidate? See 1Jn 3:15, Mt 5:21-22; 43-45, James 3:9 .

The pro-choice camp it’s famous for saying “My choice – My body.” Yet most of my pro-choice friends are sacrificing their own comfort by wearing masks to help protect those around them as well as themselves. (Yes, I have many pro-choice friends who are Believers.)

As Christians we are called to Life. That should mean womb to tomb. Your rights and comfort don’t matter when you’re trying to save a life. I am thankful Jesus gave up His rights for me. See Phil 2:1-8

Instead of complaining that particular communities are fatherless. Be a father to the fatherless, feed the poor, clothe the naked, free the captives, welcome the stranger, help them on their way, wear a mask/follow COVID guidelines. Who cares what it costs you? This is a trust in ‘God’s Love’ issue. See Deu 10:18 & 27:19, Is 58:6-9, Ja 1:27.

If “Choose Life” were our guiding principle, all lives would be treated as precious, babies in the womb to the elderly, to every race and religious affiliation, to male or female or ?, to the foreigner who wishes to take part of our economy. Why are we still fighting flesh and blood? Remember who the real enemy is.

LOVE conquers a multitude…

You represent his Name for the sake of others, that they would see their Father in heaven loves them to Life. And THEN your Light will shine. See Is 58:9b-10.

Proverbs 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the Lord ’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭17:8. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
‬ ‭

Puppy Dog Revelations

Everyone loves a well-behaved dog. My dog is not that (yet.) Sometimes he is. He is safer when he’s well-behaved, which creates a wonderful bond between us. But when he is off-leash, he runs. He runs fast and far. I become anxious because of the danger when he runs on his own as he does not understand a car can hit him, or a wild animal in the woods may get him. We are all happier and safer when he is on-leash.

First Chronicles 27 – 28 says, if you seek the Lord, He will be found by you; BUT if you forsake him, He will reject you forever.

The word ‘forsake’ has the connotation of going off-leash, doing my own thing, not consulting Him.

Thankfully, every time I seek Him once more, running back to Him, submitting to Him, I am accepted again. I love that this is not once and done. At some point, I will learn, and even now, am learning, to stay in the place that brings peace between us. Instead of seeing submission to Him as a repressive leash, I can see that I am connected to the Vine. And in that Vine is Life.

Read at Your Own Peril

The Public ‘Prayers’ of the Facebook Faithful, in a nutshell:

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, but lean on social media and conspiracy theories for your understanding.

Not Your will but mine be done.

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble others through shame, rhetoric and threats, and pray and seek My face and turn others from their wicked liberal ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive the world’s sin and will heal their land.

Vengeance is mine. Period.

My rights, my body (concerning masks)

The Word of the Lord:

Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. -Proverbs 10:18

He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.- Job 2:10

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to TEST you, as though something strange were happening to you. But REJOICE inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted BECAUSE of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should NOT be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or EVEN as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to BEGIN with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? -1 Peter 4:12‭-‬17

God changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.- Daniel 2:21

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name …and will deceive many. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the Love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. – Matthew 24:4‭-‬5‭, ‬11‭-‬13

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. – Proverbs 10:12

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. – Revelation 2:4

And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son?
It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and EVERYONE undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. – Hebrews 12:5‭-‬8

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the church. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. – Revelation 2:7