October 7

 Good morning! This morning I have sleep on my mind, not because I want to sleep but because I am not at peace to sleep. I have God's chosen people on my heart. I woke thinking of how they were living their lives on a little sliver of land that they were given first by the Lord and then later politically by the Nations in control of the area. 

     The Jews have lived and died and fought for their land and they have been attacked on every side by so many enemies that want to take their little sliver of land! It is amazing that such a small country stays as a focus of so many of its enemies. It's as if the enemy of the Lord chooses to give no area for the Lord's chosen people to live in peace. It is a much bigger battle than you or I will be able to fathom, it is a spiritual battle. 

     On October 7, 2023, the people were living their lives not as you and I do, they have had missiles dropped on them for years but they have lived with it. This day they had actual terrorist invade their land and start shooting and murdering their citizens. People were shot in their homes, children killed in front of their parents, the elderly murdered where they sat, and women taken from their families and violently violated before dying at the hands of the terrorists. The acts of the terrorists is beyond our comprehension. 

     Now the world has been twisted into thinking that the people of Israel should not try to protect itself? How ludicrous is that!? The victims of the attacks are supposed to accept that this is life if they are Jewish? The Jews now are facing attacks around the world simply because they are Jewish, this is unbelievable. I never would have thought that there would be such bias and bigotry displayed in the US where our ancestors were involved in the war this attitude was displayed in under the leadership of the Nazi regime. 

     Please pray for the peace of the Jewish people and Nation. Support God's chosen people or find yourself on the wrong side of the battle. The Lord will not abandon His people. They are the apple of His eye.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. Zechariah/2:8

 Good Morning!

This morning I was comparing 2 things in my world I have been watching people working with dough for baking. They do look pretty easy, but they do take a little time, and parts of the processes do take different amounts of time. I realized that it is a lot like how the Lord develops us! 

     Of course, each person's processes take different amounts of time as we are developed into who we are called to be. Are we biscuits, rolls, croissants, or tortillas? Some people seem to easily walk through their kneading and rising, while others have to be "worked" quite a while to come out right!

     When we try to compare ourselves or our lives to others, we need to realize that we have different callings and we cannot be developed the same way as a different person, unless we are willing to not grow into the person the Lord has called us to be!

     I do have a scripture thought to go with this. When the Lord brought His people out of Egypt He had led them by a path they were not spiritually mature enough to handle yet. He believed if they saw battle it would cause them fear and they would return to Egypt.

Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea, and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.  Exodus 13:17-18 NASB

     So, when you feel overworked or under-rested, remember it is part of the process! If we submit to the Lord's timing we will come out right! Don't try to choose your own baking time or the oven temperature. He knows what He is doing, trust in Him!

 

The Bucket List

People like to create a Bucket List of things they want to do in their lifetime. I have done that before too. I wanted to see all 50 states and also go to all of the National Parks. But as hindrances arrive in life I have started to question if a Bucket List is really important? I am coming to believe that it is not. In the end, what does it matter if you have been to a physical location or not. You might take pictures, buy a T-shirt and that's about it. What does that contribute to the world or your life? 

     Those are just the things that I wanted to do, I'm sure everyone has their own desires. Some of them may seem unreasonable to me, but maybe seeing all of the National Parks would be unreasonable to others.

     What is coming into focus for me is that all of this is temporary. Yes, I've known that for a long time, but if we really understand this is temporary then why even make a Bucket List? We are actually aiming for Heaven! What could be more exciting than that!? So my Bucket List has transmogrified to focusing on the Eternal side of life! What a great adventure awaits us! Way better than anything on Earth that we can put on a "List"!

I have been realizing lately that a person can be changed by their circumstances. I'm not saying they can't be changed back to their original self, but they can be deeply affected by their situation.

     I have gone through quarantine with the rest of the world when we went through the covid scare, but I still pretty much live under quarantine. There was a diagnosis that I received that required a drastic treatment. Evidently, my treatment has compromised my immunity system and I will be under treatment for an unknown amount of time. I pray always for the Lord to let me know when this treatment can be stopped.

     So far this treatment is ongoing and has been for over 3 years. I'm not able to be around groups of people. The last time I tried it, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. In our world that really limits a person's activities! With my diagnosis one of the biggest enemies is pneumonia and I've already been through it twice so I'm not excited to encounter it again!

     Anyway, with the medication I take I'm not really able to drive very far and my balance and energy levels are way off. I know this isn't permanent, because the Lord's word in Matthew 16:18 tells me that His believers, that's me for one, should not be affected. I'm not saying go and ingest something just to test it, I'm saying that because I'm required to do this, I'm protected.

     The point of this is that this week I was able to drive across town to have my blood work done. After taking care of that I thought I should go somewhere just for fun. However everywhere I considered I realized would be out of my abilities. If I went to a store I would probably buy something and not be able to carry it, if I went to the library I would find a book or two and not be able to carry it either. I used to be able to do those things easily, but now my world has changed and those are no longer options. I'm not really complaining because I have mostly adjusted to my new world and I truly appreciate the blessings in it. I was just surprised at the change I noticed in myself. 

     I think what I'm saying is to enjoy each stage of your life and appreciate your abilities! You may find yourself a different person with new challenges that you never expected, at least I have, but the Lord is with you always and His mercy is new every day! Thank You, Lord, for Your Mercy and Grace!

Nurses

I recently spent some "quality" time with several nurses at our local hospital. I talked with them about their recent experiences during covid. They are horror stories and I really can't imagine how our nurses have endured. I'm sharing this to help you recognize the heroes in our midst. 

     The nurses shared how they had patients with no underlying issues that they fully expected to recover with no problem but then they didn't. They would be otherwise healthy people but then in a day or so they shockingly passed away. They did not have enough rooms for the people flooding the hospitals and had people laying in the emergency room, for days, waiting for a room. The people were not allowed to have anyone with them because of quarantine. The hospitals were searching for other hospitals with rooms for these patients. They were sending them from right here in Oklahoma as far as New Mexico and St Louis! These were people from their own small communities. Some of them they had gone to school with and some were family friends. 

     The nurses were facing "war" like conditions with little time off and little rest, they were understaffed and working heroically to try to care for the people! After working full shifts and being on constant call they could be called back in to work more hours with no "down time", can you imagine the emotional toll much less the physical toll this would take on these brave people!?

Pray for our nurses, many could not handle anymore and left this field and many are still emotionally shocked and raw from the trauma they endured. Our nurses are a treasure and need our support and prayers.

Disciple or Acquaintance

 I have been considering lately that some people don't really know the Lord on a personal level. That should be a concern to all of us. We need to develop disciples of the Lord, not just acquaintances. 

     Just think, the Lord called Abraham "friend", isn't that more the relationship you would like to have with God the Father? If yes, then what are you doing to develop it?

and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. James 2:23