"Win in us" > new > "always ready" > reply 58, page 4

[comfy]

"Win in Us"

"My strength is made perfect in weakness." (in 2 Corinthians 12:9) Lord, Your peace is stronger than any evil that can be in my thinking and stinking and paranoia and lusts and depression and crybabying about not having my own little heaven on earth.

Ones next door are smoking out back, and the smell comes up to my window, blowing in with the air that was fresh. The bike guy showed me my tire is rubbing; I had an accident, he says; but it was not rubbing when I brought it in to have my tire changed.

Well . . .   instead of trying to control people   I can see what You want to do, and be satisfied because I am doing what You, God, want to do with me   And You may not want to deal with any problem or person who is trouble for me; You may have something else to do. My attention belongs with You in Your peace . . .

"swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (in James 1:19)

"I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" (in Philippians 3:8)

The bike is a thing of this world.

And how about how I have been wrong? How about what You expect of me, never mind what this world's people may be supposedly expected to do for me > how about what You want with me? Controlling wrong people can get me decoyed from You.

So . . . where does our attention belong? First to be pleasing to God. Jesus says, "'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'" (John 14:27) You, Lord Jesus, give us Your peace > "My peace," You say. So, this is Your own peace that You experience and enjoy on Heaven's throne . . . Heaven's own peace that is in Your Holy Spirit. So, in Your peace we can feel what You are feeling, and have this deeper-than-words personal communication with You our Groom, by feeling what You are feeling.

[Bitter Sweet]

The paranoia is normal, it's good that you are in control of it by writing about it. I never let mine be shown out in the public world. Some people won't be able to handle it and they will end up in jail or loony bins. The paranoia will eventually end and you won't have to worry about that coming back. But it will still come and go in some spurts after you pass through the main process. But it will eventually end all together.

You are doing good.

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I understand that paranoia can be cursing people with my suspicion . . . first criticizing them . . . instead of first caring about other people. And cursing them with my suspicion is not blessing them like Jesus does say, "Bless those who curse you," in Matthew 5:44.

While I lived with my mother, I knew my mother could do things to keep me from doing things she did not feel were socially acceptable to her. So, one time I could not find something, and I got pretty convinced she had taken the thing. But I kept looking for it, then actually did find it . . . right where I had left it, I was sure. So, this gave me a set-up proof that my paranoia was a lie; I understood the LORD set that up, as a sting operation to make my paranoia. Then, any time that paranoid way of being and feeling got started, I could identify it as the lying thing that had been lying to me at other times. So, even though I didn't have proof, always . . . still I knew I could not trust it; and I'd not trust it and I would pray, and then possibly find my proof!

And asking people what they mean by something can be very interesting, instead of assuming > people are different; so what each one means by the same thing can be very interesting

But what if someone really is a dirty dealer? There can be times of this. But trust God with it, do not react like paranoid negativity would have me reacting. It also helps me to relate in my imagination, in the way I would relate with a person in a real situation . . . to love the person, pray for the person, first, then do what God has me do that is creative.

[Bitter Sweet]

When you are full of the holy spirit, no lie will come from your lips or hands.

If you confront the dirty dealer, he will take you in circles because he won't want to be wrong. I pity him that goes against you. Just know that he won't be justified in the end, you have a lot of power in your hands and you won't even have to lift a finger.

[Joyfullee]

"My strength is made perfect in weakness." (in 2 Corinthians 12:9)


Well . . .  instead  I can see what You want to do, and be satisfied because I am doing what You, God, want to do with me  And You may not want to deal with any problem or person who is trouble for me; You may have something else to do. My attention belongs with You in Your peace . . .

That in particular Comfy...I've come to the realization of truth that in every and all circumstances we find ourselves in, and this includes even what is spoken to us, is that our response should be....what is it that you would have me to learn in this Lord....and that amounts to allowing God to change US into the image of Christ.

Blessings dear one 

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"'Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.'" (John 7:24)d


             There is beauty deeper



                              than what is reflected on the surface (c:

God looks at the heart, while man looks at the outward appearance.

"He compensates what we don't have."

But Abigail was very beautiful, but that is not what the Bible says got David's attention > 1 Samuel 25 What got his attention was how she helped to keep him from making a big mistake; she helped him with how he desired to be a good king and to love. A wife is a helpmate; I consider that a Christian man's helpmate is his love helper to help him love God and love all people as himself.

"We could talk about the importance of being broken in spirit, the importance of what is inside."

(c: Yes . . . "rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (1 Peter 3:4)

When Jacob went to get a wife, he loved Rachel who was more beautiful than her older sister, Leah; he did not want Leah. But Rachel and Leah's father Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah first. (Genesis 29) But Jacob objected and did not want her. Then he arranged for Laban to give him Rachel, also. But he did not love his wife Leah like he loved Rachel. "When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren." (Genesis 29:31) So - - - because Jacob did not love Leah, God did not give children to Rachel, but He did give children to Leah. God did not care if she was not very beautiful and if Laban had fooled Jacob into taking Leah as his wife. So, I see that if God wants me to marry, He expects me to love any woman, at all, who He chooses for me to marry.

So, in devotion to You, O LORD our Father and Jesus, may we love any and every person and be ready and able to love anyone whom You trust us with for marriage and other relationships that You please to bless us with, amen in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and thank You so much for Your correction and having us learn how to love with You.

[Bitter Sweet]

So, in devotion to You, O LORD our Father and Jesus, may we love any and every person and be ready and able to love anyone whom You trust us with for marriage and other relationships that You please to bless us with, amen in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and thank You so much for Your correction and having us learn how to love with You.

Be as innocent as a dove, and wise as a serpent. The Holy spirit is going to make you vulnerable and easy to take advantage of because of your innocent heart. Naive like a child, you are like a little girl with so many vultures out there ready to attack you. May God give you the power to see through these people's intentions before they can hurt you.

You are going to make a really good wife one day, you will find him. He is already waiting for you. You don't have to be in any hurry, he's not going anywhere without you.

[comfy]

It is nice, here . . . an evening cool gentle and quiet . . . (c: We had Tuesday group and a lady came to tell us how she did missionary team outreach in Haiti. They had training, but each day they needed desperately how God would do things. And I wrote down things she said, in a letter I was writing to one of my prisoner pen pals while I was listening to her. She said any person can be used by God.

And I was talking with a friend, about steroids; a steroid, I understand, is a hormone, and a hormone can do more than one thing in the body; the same steroid can effect muscle development and also the bone development, and do other things > it can multi-task. And this can be an illustration for God's love, except the steroid can be not good, of course. God's love can give us His almighty power against fear (1 John 4:18), and give us God's "knowledge and all discernment" (Philippians 1:9), and give us "rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29), and bless us in other ways, too; so God's love can multi-task.

I find that God's love gives us God's own character > 1 John 4:17, so that "as He is, so are we in this world." So, we can be all-loving like Jesus, more and more as we grow in this love. We can know Jesus by being loving like He is.

I was told, once, that a mother had a daughter who was quite difficult; then she grew up and got married and had her own daughter; then was when she wanted to talk with her mother, because in bringing up her own girl she was getting realization of all that her mother was doing and going through while bringing her up! (c: So, then she was staying in touch with her mother . . . now that they had more in common, perhaps. Like how she got to know her mother by bringing up her own girl, we can get to know Jesus by loving any and all people (c: And this love can have us in intimate sharing with our Father . . . more and more as we grow in God's love "in our hearts" (Romans 5:5).

Thank You, God our Father > please bless us with growing and developing in Your love and Your love's instinct and intuition and intimacy and enjoying with You, with us being pleasing to You in the fragrance of Jesus, "first" (Matthew 6:33), then all You add besides (c:

[comfy]

As we do more and more loving with Jesus, we will have more and more beautiful wonderful sharing with more and more precious friends who are our Jesus family people. And all these people will have problems we will bear with them and ones will die before we do; we will not be dealing with problems and deaths of just one or two lifelong friends and a few family members.

So, in Jesus we need to grow to be strong in love so we are more and more ready and able to bear and do well during all the things that our different so-loved people will be going through with us. Also, they will have relatives and friends who are not ready, when hard things happen; so, by being ready, ourselves, in God's love, we can also help others who are not at all ready or not so ready >

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:2-4).

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (in 2 Corinthians 12:9)

So . . . prayer for us all, then!!!  

Ok . . . so, thank You, God > I think of how David strengthened himself in the LORD, first, before he found out what to do about a very hard situation > 1 Samuel chapter 30 > the enemy had taken their wives and children. Their wives and children were in the hands of Gentiles; I understand that the shame of this, for those Jewish men, could have been worse for them, than their loved ones dying. They were talking about stoning David. But all their crying and talking about stoning David did not solve their problem.

David was able to do good in the situation, once he "strengthened himself in the LORD his God" (1 Samuel 30:6) and was encouraged by God, I understand, and then "inquired of the LORD" (1 Samuel 30:8) and found out with God what to do. So, we offer ourselves to You, LORD our Father, for all You please now to do with us. Amen, in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior.

I think of how we do not know how long we have on this earth; so now it is good to do the good we can do, with our families and church members and whoever we have with us . . . whoever God is trusting us to love, right now where we are.

And "be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (in Hebrews 13:5) If we try to use the future to change our lives, we might find out we do not have a future, but instead we have wasted how we could have been living and loving, now! So, with You, God, may we do all we can, now.

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Psalm 17:3 says >

"You have tested my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tried me and have found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress."

So, God tested King David, and God found "nothing"! And this was before Jesus came and died for us on the cross; and yet, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David could say that God found "nothing", even "in the night" > and nighttime can be when you do your most secret things that you do and think (c: So, if a man in the time before Jesus could be blessed by God so that God found "nothing", then surely we can be corrected and healed and cured by God so He finds nothing in us. But I know this still is not talking about me; but I can trust You, LORD, to make me better so I am pleasing to You and You find "nothing"; and pray this for others, also, instead of criticizing them (c:

And we have Psalm 17:4 >

"Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer."

So, by the word of God we are kept from the ways of violence. And God's word says, "Do all things without complaining and disputing," (Philippians 2:14) "Disputing" means arguing, and arguing is a way of violence; so by not getting into arguing, I can stay clear of violence in my emotions, my words, and even violent actions which can come with arguing.

Also, we can avoid violence by not making a decision while we are angry. And we avoid mistakes by not making decisions while we are still angry > "for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:20) "We will be kept from violence if we are Spirit-filled."

Plus, in God's word we have, "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3) So, I avoid being violent, by not trying to lord myself over others, not trying to control people and make them understand and accept what I am saying. But love any and all people, by good example. It says to be good examples to "those entrusted to you"; so, yes, God Himself is trusting us to love each and every person. So, God bless you, too, and thank You, God our Father, for however You do this with us; and we offer ourselves for this, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, amen.

[comfy]

Have you ever feared? Have you tried to predict the weather? Fear is like a weatherman who has not gone to weather school. Fear almost always predicts what won't happen. But people say fear can bring terrible things on ourselves. Often, maybe no bad thing happens, but if someone keeps fearing something, this can bring it to happen. Why figure it out? Just don't fear, simple as this!! In the Bible the Lord tells us not to fear > "'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'" (John 14:27) So, Jesus says not to fear, not to allow our heart to be troubled; plus He supplies us with His peace so we do not fear.

But we are sharing with Jesus our Groom in His own peace. So, by saying not to fear, Jesus is not trying to just make us feel guilty and like we are failures, but He wants us to share with Him in His own peace; so even though we fail so much in this, You Jesus still have this hope and desire for us.

Fear can have us thinking about awful things we think will happen or would happen or might happen. Worry is such a pathological liar! Do not trust such thinking with all its stinking! Hope for the best, instead, and the Lord Jesus must be the One who wins our victory, so we are not trying to win some thing that is not so good as You can win, Jesus (c: Thank You, God our Father: the glory is to You!!! (c:

And in a practical way God is always in control, even while we forget or do not know this. So, fear can not decide or predict anything, really. Because God does not bow down to the control of fear. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

[comfy]

Hi (c: How are you? We had the hurricane Irene, and now things are quiet. My lights were still out, on Monday, when I had an eye appointment; so I phoned the doctor's scheduling center to see if the appointment was still on. She said yes, they had electricity; but on my way I saw street lights out; so I was wondering if she was mistaken. And I was riding my bike about seven miles one way to get to that appointment. I was thinking of how I could get there, only to find out she did not know what she was talking about; and in imagining that, I already was getting mad at her, even though I did not know if there was electricity at the doctor's place.

But I prayed to not be mad and critical, even if she did turn out to be mistaken, and I understood I could appreciate being out for a bike ride on such a beautiful day and in the fresh air which not everyone can enjoy breathing. And, yes, they did have electricity and were quite ready for me. He said my eyes are fine. And I was glad I was ready to be positive and kind, instead of ready to be mad.

Plus, God is able to change people who have been wrong with us; so it is good to always be ready for however God may bless someone to become interested in being reasonable and loving; have compassion and forgiveness always ready!!! (c: It's about time to go to church. Here is some devotional sharing that I am sending to friends >

beauty of the lilies
and the daisies
wedding-light

kissing mist
upon the waters
of the harbor

filtered sunshine
sharing caring
warmly daring

glances of the
dancing waves
washing in the foam
tickling
bubbles
in my troubles

"in the presence
of my enemies"
I have this table
before me

I was helping a pastor and his family get their house ready to move in. His wife had me vacuum on top of a tall cabinet. I found a paper clip there; it was not just metal, but had a blue coating; and I did not vacuum it but saved it. Then I needed something pointed to pull dirt and leaves out of the corners of the storm window frames . . . and I remembered that clip (c: I bent it open and it worked fine. Who knows how long that paper clip had been up there? I understood that God knew I would be there, that day; and so, possibly years ago, He in His control had arranged for that clip to be there, waiting for me!

It says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

So, I can see this could mean God prepared beforehand, for me to have the clip to help me do that cleaning. But, of course, God does not want us to just do works that are good outwardly; He prepares us spiritually so we are how He wants us to be pleasing to Him while doing His good works > "rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (1 Peter 3:4)

By the way, 1 Peter 3:1-4 shows that "without a word" wives can win their disobedient husbands; their good example can be used by God to bring husbands to Him. It says, "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3) Deeper than words, our example in the sight of God can feed others so they become the same way we are in the "incorruptible beauty" of God's love which also makes us more and more all-loving  like Him > "as He is, so are we in this world." (in 1 John 4:17) So, however we really are is spreading; our cup is running over with whatever really is in our cup, to make others the same way . . . including our children!!! God bless you, too (c:

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We had a good time in our Wednesday group, September 6, 2011. We had a song, "There Is Power In the Blood". And I shared about how the New Testament is in the blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:25); so - - whatever you read in the New Testament - - - the power of God will do what He means by this with you. And we are all equal; it does not matter if you have seminary or can talk well or know a lot or are a famous minister or how well you can sing or if you are officially recognized to be serving in the church > we are all equal > anyone can read what the New Testament says and have how God does what He knows it means with us, and this will be better than any person can tell us and explain to us.

And we pointed out how when Isaac died, Esau and Jacob were with him >

"So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." (Genesis 35:29)

Jacob had taken advantage of Esau (Genesis 25:29-34) and had tricked Isaac their father into giving him Esau's blessing (Genesis 27) and so Esau wanted to kill his brother Jacob (Genesis 27:41-46). But God honored Isaac, by having things work out so Esau and Jacob were reconciled by the time Isaac died, and were with Isaac at his death, and in a loving relationship (Genesis 33:1-4); God in His power worked it out so they would be together. This is not what often happens with children who have problems with each other > when their parents are dying, often enough they are not getting along with each other. And sharing in loving relationships is more valuable than having a house or job come our way; to have our relating be right in love: this is more valuable. And what happened with Jacob and Esau can help to show how the power in the blood of Jesus can bring people from evil to doing good, including relating in love - - - not just forgiving and letting people off the hook so they can go on living only their own lives, but "with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love," (Ephesians 4:2)

But it looks to me like Jacob had discriminated against Leah because of what she looked like (Genesis 29:16-18, 30); and even though Leah was his wife, Jacob did not love her (Genesis 29:30-32). So, God made sure Rachel did not have children, because "Leah was unloved" (Genesis 29:30-32). And, later, Jacob had favoritism for his son Joseph, as we have now seen in Genesis chapter 37 . . . verse 3. So, Jacob had a problem of not loving like he should and needed to. And, with this, his older sons got hateful against Joseph and they sold him into slavery and were actually able to fool their own father into believing Joseph had been torn apart and devoured by a wild animal (in Genesis 37 > verses 18-36). And, even while Jacob was mourning "many days" (Genesis 37:34) for Joseph, those brothers let Jacob suffer like that and even tried "to comfort him" (Genesis 37:35), but while letting him still think Joseph was dead!! So, this is what they could do to their own father because of their jealousy.

But in a love family we are glad when one of us gets what we ourselves may not get. Because I love my brothers and sisters at least as much as myself, I am glad for them getting what is good, as though it is me getting all those good things. I can enjoy deeply how others are married and have children, and have careers and houses, even though I am single and have not had children and have not developed in a career. Because it says we are "members of one another", in Romans  12:5 and Ephesians 4:25. "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.'" (1 Corinthians 12:26)

So, God had things work out for how Jacob and Esau were relating; He did not just save Jacob from Esau killing him. Ok, then (c: > if God has things work out for Joseph, after his brothers sold him into slavery, do you suppose this will include that God will have Joseph and his brothers do better in how they are relating? Or, when we have problems with people, does God only have things go better in our own lives?

"'He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.'" (John 12:25)

Have forgiveness always ready; always be ready for how the power of the blood of Jesus is able to change any impossible person to become interested in being reasonable and communicating and sharing in love. Jesus did this with Paul (Acts chapter nine), even while Paul was persecuting the church, able to be "breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" (in Acts 9:1).

We talked about how there is power in forgiveness. If we don't forgive, we can confess to God how we need You, LORD, to make us better so we are forgiving the way we need to. If we forgive, this frees us from however someone has hurt us, betrayed us. In Luke chapter 23 we see how Jesus on the cross prayed, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (in Luke 23:34) And shortly after this prayer by Jesus, we read that then was when that criminal next to Jesus asked Jesus to remember Him. So, I can see that that man got saved, right then, after Jesus prayed out that forgiveness. And that prayer did not just get the man forgiven, but God's love in that forgiveness changed the man so he saw who Jesus is > Matthew 27:44 says, "Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing." So, both those criminals had been bad-mouthing Jesus, at first, I consider, but then that prayer of forgiveness by Jesus got that man changed, right there on the cross, so he realized who Jesus is!! (c:

And then he even stood up for Jesus (Luke 23:39-41), and he trusted in Christ (Luke 23:42). And Jesus says, "whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven." (in Matthew 10:32) So, he confessed Jesus, by standing up for Him and trusting in Him, and then Jesus guaranteed him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise." (in Luke 23:43)

Halleluiah!!! Thank You, our Father, for this; the glory is to You. Thank You for sharing so much with us all . . . not only with certain specially called and chosen ones, but all of us.

So, this is the power in the blood of Jesus, in His New Testament in His blood > the power of love and all that God's love does in us.

It says,

"'So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
  It shall not return to me void,
  But it shall accomplish what I please,
  And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'"
                                      (Isaiah 55:11)

So, I see that God's word is unconditionally guaranteed to "accomplish" all that God pleases . . . not only what we can understand His word to mean, but all that God Himself in His love means by His word. So, every thing you read in the New Testament . . . God guarantees to do this with you, all that He knows it means. And this is better than I or anyone can tell you and explain; so be encouraged to trust God openly for all He means by any commandment, description, promise, guarantee, correction, teaching, encouragement, and prayer that you read with Him. And His word does say He uses us to help each other do this; so please stay with us and grow more with us together . . . as "members of one another" (c:

The glory is to You, LORD our Father of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and Groom!!! (c:

So, now we are planning to go on to read and share and pray about how Joseph did after he was sold into slavery in Egypt. We mainly plan to share about Genesis chapters 39-41.

Good to see you (c: God bless you, too (c: bill

[comfy]

Hi (c: We read Psalm 52. In Psalm 52, it talks to the boastful person and asks why the boastful person boasts of evil, and it says God will bring the evil person down to ruin. The person whose tongue plots evil will be brought down by God. The righteous will laugh at the evil person

"who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness."
                              (in Psalm 52:7)

Ah-hah! So, the wicked person is not like Joseph who used his power to help others and not only himself (Genesis chapters 37-50, with maybe special attention to Genesis 39:1-41:49). Joseph even helped his brothers who sold him into slavery (Genesis 50:15-21).

"But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;



I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever."
                                       (Psalm 52:8)

If an olive tree is flourishing, it is growing very well and healthy because of being in the right conditions and environment!!! If we are with God the way we need to be and where He wants, we grow and develop very well.

And if an olive tree is big and full of leaves and nice olives, this tree needed to grow to be a big and healthy tree with lots of good olives. So, growing is necessary, in order to be great.

"Your gentleness has made me great" (in Psalm 18:35). So - - God is so mighty and powerful, but so gentle with His children. Being rough and tough and controlling can break a child and make a child weak. Abuse and control can teach a child to become a bully; and a bully is especially weak - - not strong enough to relate in love with people.

A great big elephant is so powerful and big and heavy, yet so tenderly caring and absolutely gentle with her baby elephant. Or else, she could squish her baby or knock the baby hard and hurt her little baby elephant (c: But because she is so gentle and caring, then the baby can grow and become a big and strong elephant so great. But it needed to start small and grow while being gently cared for. And it needed to learn gentleness so it does not squash and hurt and kill other little elephants.

And in a video, we have seen how the great big bull elephant would fight a newer small male, in a way not to hurt it but to let it know who is in charge and who gets the lady elephants! lolololol Even in discipline of younger competition, the bigger elephants can be easy on younger guys.

But an elephant with big tusks could easily run a tusk into another elephant and kill it; one time my uncle's lady friend was riding an elephant in India, and another elephant killed her elephant and it fell under her and she broke her leg and died, right there.

Why be usual? But make sure that what you do is worth dying to do > "'He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.'" (John 12:25)

So, with God in His gentleness we become great > "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter  5:3) We become great by not being controlling, not dominating and steering for what we want, but submitting to You, O God our Father, and "submitting to one another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:21) "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (in James 1:19). Gentle gentle gentle so we can be sensitive to God, instead of trying to manage and control others for what we want, or me trying to make others understand me and listen to me (c: lolol

Actually, God is deeper than me; He understands me better than I may want! (c: So, things are going according to all He really knows; so . . . "It's what you make it, how you take it . . . just don't you fake it!" (c: Look at how much Joseph was able to do for himself but also for others, because he stayed with God . . . while so many have at the most gotten only their names mentioned in the Bible. Joseph used and took good advantage of whatever happened (Genesis 37-50). And he did it while being gentle, I can see, and honest doing good for anyone.

[comfy]

We were just doing prayer and the Bible, and we read Psalm 55.

Thank You! In Psalm 55:18, we have >

"He has redeemed my soul in peace
   from the battle that was against me,"

"redeemed" > I think "redeemed", here, can mean rescuing our soul from how we have been in a mess because of being attacked, but also bringing our soul to how we can be in God's love. God does not only get us through hard things, but also He gets us into His love so beautifully wonderful and sweet and caring and in us caressing us deeply with His soul-soothing rest and affection > "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) So, we are redeemed . . . brought into this unbelievably wonderful Heavenly-beautiful love life of sharing and caring > we are rescued "from the battle" "in peace".

So, after we have been in battle and after God brings us out, He has us in peace. This is not how many soldiers are, after they have been in their battles. They can come out and be in hospitals and on drugs because of "post-traumatic stress syndrome", meaning mental and emotional pain with bad memories attacking and taking them back through fear and terror and confusion of the battle. After I have watched just nature videos of animals hunting and fighting, their violent activities can come back to my mind, later, and take over my attention! So, I don't have to go through some major war thing, before I can have violent things coming back to take over my mind. But God is able to win the battle in our imaginations and emotions and bring us to His peace, and have us forgiving, instead of holding grudges and suffering and wishing to punish people and trying to control people > we can trust God to take care of things better >

"But I will trust in You." (in Psalm 55:23)

God can win the war and keep the peace, unlike how America went into Iraq and beat Saddam's forces, but had quite a hard time "winning the peace". And still, of course, there is the corruption deeper, that can make sure that always they can't have peace there . . . as long as their hearts are wrong. But we need to not just criticize and blame, but pray with hope for people who need You, LORD.

"God will hear, and afflict them,
Even He who abides from of old.     Selah"
             (in Psalm 55:19)

God will hear our humble and trusting prayer, and He will make trouble for the evil ones so they cannot succeed. And God is the One "who abides from of old." God has been since all past eternity; He has not been worn out or beaten or destroyed by evil > all the evil that ever has been has not tired God out or worn God out or hurt Him, but He "abides", meaning He lasts and keeps on living and loving, in spite of all evil. His love has not been changed or stopped or broken; so we need this love to be our love "in our hearts" (Romans 5:5, 1 John 4:17-18), so we do not fail or fall apart but keep hoping and caring for anyone and everyone! (c: And have love and forgiveness and caring communication ready for any person, at all, in case God changes any stubborn impossible person to become interested in being sensitive and sharing.

"Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."
                                   (Psalm 55:22)

So, God will share with us how He is able to stand and keep on, in spite of any evil > "in the presence of my enemies", we have in Psalm 23:5, we can have all that You, LORD our Father, please to share with us, of Your own table before us!!! In the presence of any enemies, at all, in God's love (Romans 5:5) we have all God has for us. So, God does not just get us through hard things because we trust Him, but He also blesses us to be in His love and joy and peace in sharing with Him, in His love's deeper-than-words personal communication with His guiding "continually" (Isaiah 58:11), and this with one another who are submissive for this. So, please, O LORD our Heavenly Father, may we be with You in Your own power almighty of Your peace in us, sharing in Your own grace which does all this that You mean in us > "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness," Jesus says in 2 Corinthians 12:9. So, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son and our Lord and Savior, we ask this and offer ourselves to You, amen and thank You!!! kissing You with thanksgiving joy and appreciation and adoration.

[comfy]

Earlier, in the evening, I went out for a walk and exercised near the boatyard of our harbor where there are small recreational craft. And the railings of the handicap access ramp are metal and they were wet from the humid air. It was cool and gentle in the night lights. Then I walked to the art center where people were finishing their rehearsal, in time to meet one of our pastors and walk with him to our house. I had gotten there just in time to see him, not knowing he would be there. "The Heavenly Secretary arranges for us to keep our appointments," I said. He laughed.

Then I came back to my apartment and did some clothes and hung them in the shower and took a rest, at about eleven o'clock and woke up at about two and put the clothes out. There is a soft mist in the street lights. And it is gently cool with fresh air smelling so nice, one of my favorite smells at one of my favorite times, in the night stillness and the mist that I can see through the street's hollow of light. I think of how I feel rested and smelling the nice air with the mist . . . one of the nicest of times. I could eat what I want, now, do whatever I want, maybe, but there are people who may not have even a moment to feel good, but are suffering in hunger and because of cancer, and because they do not know God, and ones may be deeply suffering while being treated badly by cruel people, and the cruel people don't have a clue how love is; and I'm not doing much for needy people, and I'm not doing a lot of ministering to hurting people; yet, I can stop and stand in the middle of this street and enjoy perfect pleasure of quiet rest and think of God . . . "What do You want?" LORD. "This is Your time . . . to do whatever You want with me. How do You want me to be . . . deeper . . . yes, deeper than words."

God is not just for getting us through the hard things and solving our problems, but God is for when we  have the best and nicest of time; our nicest of time is for what He wants and not only for what we would like to do.

In the midst of the night, I think of my favorite poem . . .

Beauty of the lilies
and the daisies
wedding-light

Kissing mist
upon the waters
of the harbor

Filtered sunshine
sharing caring
warmly daring . . .

Except, now I am in the night when the mist isn't filtering sunshine (c: lol

All right, so how are you? In the quiet with God, it is not boring or lonely. And He can guide me in His peace, to do whatsoever He really desires . . . dreams. May His dreams come true! (c: I was saying to the pastor, how at times I have written something, about how I was going through a strange thing and was in the middle of what I could not handle, "And then I woke up!" (c: It was just a dream; in my case, I  might have quiet nightmares, I guess you could call them. But, like this, in real life we can be caught in quicksand situations, can't get anywhere, but we can just wake up to God and trust Him, then simply see what He has us doing in His peace > "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

Even if I messed up so I got in the trouble, I can get right with God and wake up from the impossible thing, and God can have me leave it behind or He can have me taking good advantage, even of something I did that was wrong. We can take good advantage of any problem.

If you steer your little sailboat
straight against the wind . . .
it will blow you dead in the water!
And the waves will flip you
up and down and all around,
while the wind is rattling your sails.
And this is "why" your
r - i - g - g - i - n - g
is getting all rattled.
But if we obey the flow
of the sweet and gentle breeze,
this will ease us to safe harbor,
plus the waves of this life's problems
will help to push us there (c:

So . . . enjoy resting and riding in His guiding >

"'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.'"
. . . . . . . . . .(Matthew 11:29)

So, have a good time with Jesus; He will have us loving all people; He will not just be taking care of us! God bless you, too! (c: bill

[comfy]

Yesterday, our church did the nursing home ministry. I walked there and the ladies had their amplifier there and musical instruments and they were still getting ready. They even had a giant bass that one woman was plucking while they sang songs. And we had a senior man helping people find the song pages, and another elderly man was singing and he spoke for a moment and said Jesus wants us to stay close to Him, all the time.

Then the wife of one of our elders talked about how we need to be encouragers > "but exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13) So, we always need to be encouraging each other.

She told us about how a pilot over Vietnam was shot down, but his parachute opened and floated him safely down. Then, years later, a guy came up to him in a restaurant and told him he was the one who packed that parachute! He was so glad that he had done his job right even though the pilot did not know who he was. So, like this, we need to do everything right, even what is in secret; because God can use whatever you do to do good to others.

You may be in a nursing home and think people don't know you and so you are not important; you might want to just stay alone. But in the Bible it says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) So, Jesus came here and went through things that we go through, here, so that now Jesus can feel for us and help us with how He got through things of this life.

So, like this, even if you are in a nursing home, you can feel for others who are where you are, and you can love them and reach to them and help them with how God is blessing you to handle hard things. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:2-4)

Jesus was in Heaven, itself, and He had all that He had in Heaven. Think how it was for Jesus to leave Heaven and come to this earth where things are the way they are, here. But Jesus cared about us and was interested in us; even though He is so more than we are, Jesus is not conceited but actually loves us and wants us.  So, because of our appreciation of Jesus loving us like this, we should be willing to leave our own little selfish heavens in order to reach to others and love any and all people. We can be in any situations or any place, right now, and God can still use us however He pleases.

We may do things that people don't know about, but Jesus is coming back and He knows! (c:

So, we give You, God, the glory for this, in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, amen.

[comfy]

Today, we read Leviticus chapter 6. Verse 15 says, about the grain offering, "'"He shall take from it his handful of the fine flour of the grain offering, with its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the grain offering, and shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma, as a memorial to the LORD."'" So, the sacrifice included frankincense which could make it smell nice. This can show that God wants our sacrifices to be sweet, and not the way people can make sacrifices and be grudging and complaining and stressed out and burnt out. Jesus says, "'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:29)  

"'"The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of meeting."'" (Leviticus 6:26) So, the priest offering the sin offering could eat it; the priests were fed from the sacrifices. This shows how we in the priesthood of Jesus are being fed while making any sacrifice that is truly for God. If we make sacrifices in His love, we are fed His love (c: While Jesus was being sacrificed on the cross for our sins, He was feeding on love!

And Paul has said how Jesus says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (in 2 Corinthians 12:9) And then he says, "I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (in 2 Corinthians 12:10) I notice how he says that when he goes through things "for Christ's sake", he has "pleasure".

So, while we make sacrifices truly for God, we have "pleasure" and we are sweet, because we are feeding on the grace of God's love which shares Heavenly pleasure of His peace with us and makes us sweetly pleasing to God. This is what I consider God means when He says, "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2)

And we have, "For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." (2 Corinthians 2:15)

By the way, this was written to Corinthians who had been so worldly and unspiritual; so Paul knew that even they could understand this. So, this is basic to being a Christian and how we are and live in God's love > "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

So, we offer ourselves to You for this, our Heavenly Father, and trust You to make us how You please, sweet-smelling in Jesus while we do Your love's sacrificing!!! (c: Amen, in the name of our Lord and Savior and Groom Jesus (c: God bless you, too (c: bill

[comfy]

Yes, during our trip to the tip of Cape Cod, the food was nice, the gelato tasty, but then it was over. It was fun but now it is done. God may have us enjoy things (1 Timothy 6:17), but being in His love is better and lasts after the enjoyments do not last. So, please do what You really do want, LORD our Father! And may we be humble so we succeed to obey You with You in Your peace > "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15). Thank You so much that we understand that only You can satisfy; and we need, really, not only to be gratified, ourselves, but be pleasing You. So, may we join You truly, be given to You fully > "And not only as we hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God." (2 Corinthians 8:5)

And with each other, this is, since You want us to be family with each other while sharing this love (Romans 5:5) with You; so please have us truly loving one another how You desire, and discover this more as we grow. Please may we be healed and healthy and cured of any viral and other medical difficulty and discomfort, and please comfort us deeply about our careers and needs and problems with people . . . however we have been trouble makers for each other and distracting each other from You! But You have us love each other, even so . . . like You keep caring for us all > bless us to be with You loving us so we are feeling for You!! (c: Thank You for loving us and caring for us and not losing love for us, not giving up on us, but You will succeed.

In the Philippines,



the weather was busy!

But afterward, people could still be sneezing, spreading their diseases. So, all that wind came and their cold viruses were not blown away. And all that rain did not wash away their pain. And, like this, God can bless and bless and bless, but still our spiritual viruses and sin-sicknesses and pain can remain; because we need how You change us in our hearts and character, or we still will give in to sin and suffering. Even in Heaven itself Satan in sin was not satisfied. So, it does not matter how we may set up our little heavens that we may want > it won't make us satisfied if we do not have the attitude of gratitude and the miracle of You having us obeying You and pleased because we do > "Serve the LORD with gladness" (in Psalm 100:2). Now may we have You, LORD, and how You beautify us and make us pleasing to You and submitting to You and sharing with You and loving and enjoying You, even enjoying like You enjoy, in Your Holy Spirit of Heaven's beauty and loving so more than only beauty and pleasure. Personal sharing. Pure loving not using for only pleasure. Not using but truly loving.

So, we need to not be sneakily possessing people and things for ourselves, without even knowing we are being possessive. But truly share with You and trust You with ourselves and our lives and every person You are trusting us to love and care for. Only You can make us so we do not fool ourselves.

And words alone are not enough, but Your light is showing . . . all that the words mean (c: It is like how we can have the words for a beautiful butterfly and flowers >



But without light we cannot know what the words mean!! God's words come with the light of His love so we know what His words mean . . . His love meaning.

"The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple."
                       (Psalm 130:119)

And in Jesus we have the sweet smell > "For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." (2 Corinthians 2:15)

And the sweet nectar . . . to feed on the nectar of God's love.

But not only to make us feel good, but to fly free in Your fresh air of Your love, each day to be free, first, so we are sharing with You and all the others, above this world's things. Not possessing but caressing tenderly with You in Your affection of Your love floating us and nectar energizing us to keep going, not just at times making us feel good, but making us stay sweet in all things, even, like how Jesus in His sacrifice on Calvary was "a sweet-smelling aroma." (in Ephesians 5:2) May we be sweet in our sacrificing, not burning out and frustrated and irritable (c:

So, may we be resting.

"Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass."
                                         (Psalms 37:7)

Do not compare ourselves with what ones who are selfish are doing. Because if we seek what selfish people can do, we can also become selfish! "'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.'" (Matthew 6:33)

Please bless us to be healed and strong and caring and considerate the way You want. And please bless us to be honest and sensitive and sharing and relating. And please bless us to discover how Your loving is. And please bless us to become a people of Your loving in Jesus. And thank You for how You are making us Your family "members of one another" (Romans 12:5, Ephesians 4:25) all together "in one body" (in Colossians 3:15). So, we trust ourselves and each other to You; may we truly and deeply honor You, in how we love each other and pray for one another and appreciate Your way of caring for our special companions better than our possessing ever can, and obey how You please to share with us Your love and guiding instinct which guides You Yourself > "And this I pray, that Your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment." (Philippians 1:9) "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:14) So, may we have the senses of Your love, more and more as we grow.

So we offer all of us to You, LORD our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Your Son and our Lord and Savior and soon-coming Groom; thank You so very much, and may we be ever more appreciative and obedient in thanks, amen!!! (c:

[comfy]

We were just sharing in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 > Paul says,

"Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children." (2 Corinthians 12:14) So, Paul most of all wanted the Corinthians, themselves, not just what they had. And this can show how Jesus first of all wants us, and not only our money and sacrificing and service, but first in our calling is how Jesus wants us for loving. And we can see this through Mark 3:14 which says, "Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach," > here we see He chose the twelve apostles "that they might be with Him" > so, the calling of the apostles was not only for preaching and doing mighty wonders, but first it says, "that they might be with Him".

So, I can see Jesus first was calling the apostles so He could have them with Him for sharing love with Him. And so, I offer > any true calling of God is first so we can be with God in His love > "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

And I consider that a marriage of God is first for being with each other, not mainly about things we want. We can learn how to love with each other. Marriage can be a research laboratory for making breakthrough discoveries in how to love and share and depend on one another, how God leads, rather than protecting each one's own independence and space (c:  Paul says, "I do not seek yours, but you"; like this, in God's calling of marriage, we seek a spouse first for loving, not only to use someone for what we want; but also, in ministry we seek to have family loving with our Father and the people we minister to!!

Paul goes more into this, in Ephesians 4:1-3 > "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."  "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

So, all God's callings are first love callings!!! (c:> "Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14) So, God bless you, too, and thank You God our Father in the name of Jesus Your Son and our Groom, for how You are doing all this with us, amen!!!

[comfy]

About the end times, Jesus says, "'And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.'" (Matthew 24:6) So, Jesus knows these things will happen and He says not to be troubled. I think this would mean not to be surprised; God knows and so He is not surprised; so why should we be?

And Jesus goes on to say, "'For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.'" (Matthew 24:7) So, I understand Jesus says not to be troubled about these things, either.

He even says, "'All these are the beginning of sorrows.'" (Matthew 24:8) So, if the horrible things we are seeing are "the beginning", does Jesus mean this is nothing compared to what is yet to come? Is He actually saying, "You ain't seen nothing, yet"? I can see this could be what this means; and so now we need to get stronger in Jesus so the much worse stuff won't have power to hurt us and make us keep on suffering in trouble in us. It says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21) So, we need to not allow evil to decide how we are.

And Jesus says, "'And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.'" (Matthew 24:12) So, we need to prepare now so we are strong in God's love, so that the different kinds of evil will not have power to make us cold so we are not loving any and all people during hard times.

But "sorrows", here, is said to mean birth pangs. And a birth pang may be painful, but it is part of a process that brings the very good result of having a baby!! So, I can see, now, how God can mean that the awful things of this world are in perfect control in His process of bringing what He is creating.

And so, Jesus says "'Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.'" (Luke 21:28)

So . . . instead of just looking around and criticizing people and looking down on them, I need to look ^ up ^ !!! Look up to Jesus on the cross and His example of compassion, and have compassion with hope in prayer for any and all people, instead of criticizing against them Thank You for my love helper who keeps encouraging me to have compassion for any and all people.

And instead of me trying to show off how I am t.h.e. expert . . . look up to Jesus on the throne, who is so unconceited that He cared about us and was interested in us enough to leave Heaven, itself, and come here to reach us and rescue us and share with us personally in family caring and sharing love.

So, look up > look to God. All the glory is to you, O God our Father. Thank You in the name of Jesus Your Son, amen, for all that You are doing with us!!!

And please share here with us, about how you in your meditation and devotion have been blessed about what Jesus means by looking up God bless you, too bill  

[comfy]

Today, we went to the food giving place. I was bagging apples, and I went to get another case. I came back and found that there were cans of food blocking where I was going to set up for more bagging. Why, I asked the guy, did someone put cans in my way where I was going to work? I was being a little critical. He pointed out how I had brought the case to the wrong freezer top! Oh, yes . . . there was my stuff, ready to go, one freezer back! So, there I was so ready to be criticizing whoever had set things in my way. I said I'm sorry, and he seemed to be very good about it. And I'm noticing how not only was I mistaken, but I feel I was in a mean criticizing way. So, I need for You, God, to change me so I am not getting irritable while supposedly serving and helping. I can still do this . . . not being loving. So, he was good about it, though, very nice and pleasant!! Good! Thank You, God, for however You blessed him to be good and helpful with me (c:

And I'm noticing how when I am mistaken about someone else doing something wrong, often enough not only am I mistaken about the facts, but deeper I can be irritable and nasty and even mean. So, I see how that wrong spirit of negative reacting can have me thinking lies about what is going on, and have me being negative against other people . . . conceited, I would say, looking for a chance to be better than someone else and look down on someone. So, when I'm getting the wrong way against people, very likely I am also not seeing how things really are.

Well, Satan "is a liar and the father of it," Jesus does say in John 8:44. So, if I get nasty and ornery and negative in a wrong spirit against people, in this Satanic spirit I also can be lying to myself about what is going on. This would go for relationships > while I am in a wrong spirit of arguing and complaining and holding a grudge and criticizing against people instead of caring for people and having hope for them . . . my wrong spirit can have me also lying to myself about what is really true. So, now . . . more and more . . . as I get the wrong way, I can also see that I can't trust what I am thinking while I am stinking.

So, yes I do need to always have compassion ready to go, with forgiveness ready to go, and sensitivity, and cheerfully being creative if something is not . . . "perfect" (c:

This can't be just me doing my own self-discipline thing, or self-control just so I don't make a fool of myself with other people. But only God can change me so I am really loving . . . natural to react in love.

Yes, "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

[comfy]

I had been using the refrigerator, and usually it goes on after I have been opening the door. But, this time, I heard what sounded like a gentle quiet clicking and at times I'd hear what sounded like a drop of water inside the refrigerator wall and then a hissing with each "drop". So, I got concerned that the refrigerator had broken . . . a new one . . . and the refrigeration fluid could be leaking and hissing when it hit a live wire . . . except how could there be exposed wiring in a well-designed refrigerator? So, I was not sure. I called the lady in charge of my apartment, in case she would need to know their refrigerator was in trouble.

Well, it seemed sure to be a clear-cut physical problem, but I still prayed and trusted God about it, for whatever He might do or know.

Then my friend said it could be an automatic defrost thing, and John said this was what it was (c: Well . . . simple as that. And in the morning the temperatures were right in the freezer and refrigeration area. So, I was concerned about the lady coming in too early for a false alarm. But I figured we needed to get that straight, in our understanding, and make sure she had the warranty stuff done. So, that worked out; she had a meeting, anyway (c:

In fact the design is for the refrigerator to automatically defrost, plus it makes the melted ice evaporate in a tray without you having to empty the tray! So, it is fully automatic.

And I thought of how I had been thinking up the worst case scenario, while in fact the refrigerator was doing better than I knew it could!

And it is so often like this with God: We can be thinking and stinking about something being so wrong, right while You, O LORD, have things going better than we would be able to think!!!

"casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

[comfy]

Today, we were reading in Galatians > we talked about how the Christians in Galatia were being fooled into going after a wrong gospel of trusting in doing religious works as their way to salvation, I understand. Galatia was an area with a number of towns and cities, I think . . . not only one town or church. And the Christians in that whole area were going the wrong way. So, may be they had unity, but this could mean they all could be wrong together . . . for a whole region of towns and cities. And Paul was amazed they had gotten this way (Galatians 1:6-7).

Then Paul told them how Peter had "played the hypocrite" (Galatians 2:11-21) against non-Jewish Christians, by getting away from them because he was afraid of what certain Jewish background guys would think when they came to Antioch. And because of Peter's bad example, "even Barnabas" went along with the hypocrisy. So, while Paul was criticizing the Galatians, he also was pointing out to them, perhaps, how even a high-up Christian leader like Peter could need correction. Paul might have been showing the Galatians that they were not the only ones who could need correction, but  that even high-up church leaders could be wrong and need to be dealt with. Plus, he was showing, I would say, how they were not excused to go along with a leader while he is wrong. "Test all things; hold fast what is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Something I see is how that whole area of Galatia was able to go the wrong way together . . . possibly because they did have connection together as Christians so they could be unified but together going the wrong way. And Barnabas was connected with Peter; so this could make him able to give in and sin along with Peter. So, we need to be careful about having unity > "just because you agree with each other, this does not necessarily mean you are in agreement with the Holy Spirit."

You might look at what Jesus says to each of the seven churches who got letters - - in Revelation chapters two and three. I notice how in a number of these letters, Jesus points out something that is wrong with a whole church. But how could a whole church all be wrong in the same way? Well, I consider that they were in fact unified, since they were Christians with a deep spiritual connection; and so they all could become the wrong way together . . . or all be right together! For example, maybe those Ephesians all became workaholic servers (Revelation 2:1-7), together just-run-run-running to serve - - like Martha did (Luke 10:38-42) . . . leaving Jesus, instead of being like Mary who "sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word." (in Luke 10:39) They could get caught up in the actions . . . maybe acting with their outward works.

And Paul in Galatians goes on to say that works of the law of Moses can not make us right with God. Outward religious works and rules can not make us right "in the sight of God" (Galatians 3:11). So, a point can be that works of serving and sacrificing can be empty, outward, busying and dizzying, but not in God's love making us pleasing to Him and enjoying sharing with one another. I have seen how I can get into pushing to get work done, but I can in my ambition be pushing people away from sharing with me; and I can get irritable if ones do things that get in the way of what I am doing, then I can get irritable instead of enjoying and appreciating having these people to love. So, now we need to be submissive to You, O LORD our Father Almighty, so we are with You in Your Holy Spirit and in "the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of " You (in 1 Peter 3:4) and not only showing and telling.

There are trees that can start to change their colors as winter is coming closer.



The colors can be very beautiful, but the leaves die and drop off the trees. But after the older leaves are gone, there is room for new leaves to grow and the growing tree can have more leaves than before! We are like these trees > there are things that will fail and fall, at times, so we can grow more and then have more and better than all we have left behind (c:

Storms can help to clear and rake away those dead leaves. And tribulation can help to clear away what no longer belongs in our lives. Even people may need to be removed, however necessary, so God can bring in ones He wants us to go on with, as we grow more in His loving (c: - - - so we can love more people and relate more maturely with ones close to us, not just having one or a few possessive and isolated relationships. But it is good that ones can stay with us and grow with us, not needing to be taken out of the way. If we grow as Christians, we will have more and more people in beautiful and intimate sharing, and these all will be very special to us. But, then, ones will die before we do, and these ones will have troubles and pains that we will share and bear with them; so we will need to become truly deep and strong in love so we can do well while all these dearly loved ones have problems and die before we do. Jesus will not have us with just some one special person to love (Matthew 5:46), but our Jesus family is g-r-o-w-i-n-g . . . like the tree that can hold more and more leaves and sweet and juicy and nutritious fruit!!!

So, works alone are not enough; God wants us to grow in His love with intimate and special sharing with more and more of our Jesus family, "with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love," (Ephesians 4:2) "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:8-9)

[lovie dovie]

   I have read your devotions in Galatians. I can say Paul warned the people about false doctrines and to be able to see what are false doctrines; so we need to be familiar with the content of the Bible and check the gospel that is being taught on us.
   I think problems arrived when Peter got his focus on what people might say, rather than sticking to what he thinks is right; so Peter got wrong because he become a people pleaser rather than a God pleaser. You are right that, when we do charity or service, we need to be conscious to please God rather than please people.

[comfy]

Well, it's good to see you. Do you have someone impossible who keeps giving you the boot, though you care for that person and want him or her to become our Christian brother or sister? We have people in our own families who can reject us and hurt us. Well . . . Jesus had a family, yes, and He had his own against Him; but He could just go elsewhere. But now someone can send you nasty texts, all day long. And, of course, in our minds someone can keep coming at us . . . even while they may not even be thinking about us! > those "impossible" people. But if ones are after us and hard against us, that is such a waste of their time . . . and all that time and effort when someone could be doing better. It's like how I can go outside a building and pick up a whole bunch of cigarette butts. And someone might say, oh you're wasting your time; they will be back to leave more dirty nasty butts. However, it will take a while for all those people to smoke all those butts. And they are paying a very dear price, losing themselves in order to mess with me with a few nasty cigarette butts. It's not worth it. They could do what is so much better. Like this, the ones who may even get the better of us are missing out on so much and throwing themselves away. But we can help them; with God, we are able.

And instead of confessing and guarateeing that no one can understand you, believe that people can understand you, be positive with your confession, as ones say (c: Pray for people and help people to understand you (c: Give us a chance. And if people are putting all that nasty stuff out at you, it is coming from a cup running over with what is in them; they need living water in there, instead (John 4:7-10, John 7:37-39). You have been there, more or less, where that impossible person has been, since you could be miserable and troubled while in sin. So, you can feel for how they are. "He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness." (Hebrews 5:2) We can feel for the wrong people. And have compassion about how they need the living water of Jesus.

Even if you weren't as raging and violently unreasonable etc. as someone you know, you've been there with less so you can imagine someone with much more . . . like how if you have bumped your shin you can feel for someone with a broken leg. And Satan can't dump his stuff in you, now, like he used to be able to; so maybe he's taking it to other people and they're trying to send it to you; don't let them! (c: So, do not accept it, and we offer ourselves to You, LORD our Father, in order that we flow more with Your living water against that nasty filth raging and ragging; may we be cups running over with Your living and loving waters, so they can be reached, d-e-e-p-l-y, as is possible with You.

And it does not matter how long the past has been, but how strong we are now. Thank You. With love may we be cherishing each other and treasuring how You have blessed; and thank You so much for ones who are married with families; may we love them as ourselves by being glad for them, however much You have order in their lives. And if ones do not understand and do not feel for us, still we need to be Your way. And I confess however I have failed, but not confessing that this has to continue. "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16) So, we need one another; God is committed to making us succeed with each other. You, O LORD, keep hope for us; may we not give up on anyone, including ourselves. So, yes, we need to grow more. Living waters . . .

There is all Your living water, everywhere . . .



but someone can be a bottle of his or her own poison,
in one's own plastic bubble, a shut-in from Your surrounding loving water.

So . . . let us be open in Your living waters . . . sweetly refreshing waters . . . with all the others "in one body" > "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15) (c:

"And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; 
though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved."
(2 Corinthians 12:15)

I think of this, "Do what that hardened impossible person needs to do." There is all that he or she needs to do, and with God this is possible; so, then, you can do this, yourself, for you and so you can pray and show this to that person . . . feeding your example, "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

Also, there are people who say to confess what is positive. Thank God for however we do understand you, instead of just saying no one does (c: As well as God blesses us, we do understand, but we are not perfect. (c: Ok, so now I'm getting uplifted . . . gently and quietly with sweet humble joy. So . . . good to see you (c: God our Father Almighty, we offer ourselves to You for one another and for salvation for the ones so hard to deal with. "Be ready to forgive much, because they will love much." (Luke 7:36-50) In the name of Your Son Jesus, glory is to You. amen. bill

[comfy]

In the wild, there is the bird called the common cuckoo; a mother cuckoo can lay her egg in a warbler's nest so the cuckoo egg will hatch and then the mother and father warblers will warm the egg and feed the baby cuckoo. The warblers actually do take care of the baby cuckoo, but this is not exactly an act of adoption, as you can see here in this video >

www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Cuckoo#p007qwbv

But there are people who are not only willing but desiring to adopt a person who is not their own child. They even can feel that if they adopt a child, they will love the adopted child as much as their own children. So, they do not want their natural children and adopted child to compete with each other. They do not want their adopted child to be cuckoo!

And our Heavenly Father has adopted us. While we lived in sin, we had Satan as our father. And Satan is dead . . . love-dead; so we qualified for adoption. And Jesus came in the flesh to rescue us "from the power of Satan to God" (in Acts 26:18), and not just to rescue us but to make us God's own adopted children. And here is what Jesus has prayed for us > "'And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.'" (John 17:22-23) So, Jesus Himself the Son of our Heavenly Father, has prayed that our Father loves us as He has loved His own Son Jesus!!! Wow!!!

So, this is how sharing Jesus wants to be with us. Jesus is so pleasing to our Father and so more deserving of our Father's love, than we are; and yet, Jesus is not conceited about how He is so superior to us > Jesus actually expects our Father to love us as He has loved Jesus. And Jesus has claimed this in prayer, guaranteeing this.

And our Apostle Paul says, "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15) So, the Holy Spirit in us is lovingly adoptive. And Paul also shares, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) So, in us we do have God Himself sharing His own love with us.

And this love in the Holy Spirit "of adoption" makes us also lovingly adoptive.

After all, John does say, "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17) So, I can see that this adoptive love in us makes us also so we, too, are unconceited and so we are not favoritistic only for certain family and friends, but with God we fully love any and all people and we adopt any person who trusts in Jesus > "Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God." (Romans 15:7) So, God expects this, and we can expect God's love "in our hearts" to make us lovingly adoptive like He is.

And Paul says to the Thessalonians, "But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children." (1 Thessalonians 2:6) So, our Apostle Paul lovingly cherished the Thessalonian Christians like he was their nursing mother. So, Paul is not conceited, trying to make himself more than women, I can see from this; also, Paul was a Jew, and Jews could have a way of looking down on people who were Gentiles like the Thessalonians were; yet, Paul in God's love was in "the Spirit of adoption" making him no longer how he used to be as a cultural and religious Jew.

So, this is basic, of what happens while we are living in God's love (c: God shares His very own with us, so we also are lovingly adoptive because of His Spirit's love in our new nature. So, thank You, God our Father, for how You do this with us, more and more as we truly grow in Your Son Jesus (Galatians 4:19), and being transformed into the image of Your Son (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

We are expected to be loving with each other, "just as Christ also received us" (Romans 15:7). And John says, "as He is, so are we in this world." (in 1 John 4:17) So, I can see that God's love "in our hearts" (Romans 5:5) not only has us feeling loved by our Father in His warmth of affection cherishing us, but also His love in our nature has us becoming more and more lovingly adopting with any and all people . . . meaning we are ready for any person to become our very own brothers and sisters in Jesus, and we so love all people, equally, not being favoritistic of family and friends: we lovingly adopt others as our very own, so that then we can have the fulfillment of loving them as our own children and brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers.

But we have people in our own families who do not respond to our caring and talking and praying for them. And, of course, there are ones who can seem like they aren't getting all that we desire to give to them, while others can obviously reject us and go against us. But we can love ones who are not in our family and our church. We can adopt them with our love, like how our Father adopted us from Satan, to be His own children. In His love adopting, we become lovingly adopting of ones who are not our own children and brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers. Jesus is the Son of God, but our Father has adopted us to be His very own, and this love of His in us makes us more and more like He is.

So, while our "loved ones" may be rejecting us, we are lovingly adopting others as our very own.

And so we have the fulfillment of loving intimately and beautifully and tenderly and wonderfully, with Jesus our Groom . . . as, of course, we grow in this.

So, I can see, then, how while we are still possessive of only family and friends, we can stay weak so we deeply suffer emotionally because of not being in the strength of God's love. We can take it on ourselves to judge who is good enough for us and worth our attention, and this picky and choosy loving can have us in less than God's all-loving love, therefore weak enough to still give in to arguing, being hurt, suffering emotionally in the weakness witch lurks in loving only certain people who we judge to be good enough for us or worthwhile enough for us to love. So, it is even practical to do the loving that Jesus wants!! "'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:29)

This is so greatly wonderful, how You, God, love us, and also want us to become loving like You are. "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:1-2) So, this is not what we can get ourselves to do. We need to trust You and rest in how Your love makes us natural with You and how You have us loving . . . to discover this always better than we can try to do (c: We glorify You and ask this of You, in the name of Your Son Jesus, amen!!! God bless you, too (c: bill

[comfy]

"You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary."

This is Psalm 68:9.

I understand this means that while the Jews were with Moses in the wilderness, God refreshed them with rain. They were God's people; so God's people are His inheritance. And we in Jesus are the people of God. So, we are God's inheritance. He now refreshes us with the living and loving waters of His love. Consider Psalm 65:9-10 > The water of His love softens our hearts so His words can grow in us all that He desires > so we are submissive to Him, being warmly melted together with God and one another.

An inheritance can be what is passed on to you from someone who has died. It is what you have coming to you. And we are God's inheritance . . . except, of course, God can not die; but we are what God has coming to Him, from all this universe and all that He has been doing in this universe. From all that God has made and done here, He wants to keep us as His treasure for all eternity. He is not interested only in saving trees or bugs or dogs and cats and gold to keep for all eternity.

But God wants to have people who are beautiful and sweet and humble and honest and personal with Him . . . intimate, close to Him, trusting Him, sharing everything with Him > He wants us to be like Jesus.

Our Father is so pleased with Jesus, that He wants to have more who are like His Son Jesus (Romans 8:29). So, this is basic to why we are saved . . . so we become like how Jesus is so we are close to God like Jesus is and pleasing to our Father the way Jesus is so pleasing to our Heavenly Father. We are commanded to be loving like Jesus > "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2) So, even while Jesus was suffering on the cross, he was fragrant to God . . . sweet-smelling . . . sweetly pleasing our Father, loving Him so dearly and tenderly and obediently, sweetly and tenderly desiring to obey our Father, no matter what was happening. So, this is commanded. God expects this. God commands this of us, because God knows this is a realistic expectation (c:

So, we see how we humans have been expecting so little of each other!!!! If we love God, this is what we need to first be expecting of one another (c:

Not guilt-tripping ourselves about how we have been failures to do this! Because guilt-tripping and criticizing ourselves is not becoming fragrant and sweet-smelling to God and deeply and dearly intimate with Him like His Son Jesus is.

And there is more . . . naturally . . . since we are dealing here with all that is possible with God (c: > Jesus has claimed, in prayer > John 17:22-23 > "'And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.'" So, Jesus in His own prayer according to His own faith has claimed that our Father in Heaven loves us even as He has loved His own Son Jesus.

And Jesus has claimed in His prayer that we have such unity, even as our Father and Jesus are one . . . unity of us all . . . perfect unity of His family caring and sharing love so we are one with each other, also. If we are so intimate with our Father and with Jesus, this makes us also connected and intimate with all the other Christians who are intimate with God. And this can come with not complaining and arguing > "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." (Philippians 2:14-16) God's love has us stop our complaining and arguing, and not only stopping what is degrading against real love, but His love also has us becoming "blameless and harmless" and even "without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" > not only in some future life, but now . . . here in this evil world's "crooked and perverse generation". So expect what God commands and He therefore knows is realistic to expect (c:

Um . . . yes, we are not perfect, yet; so we are not perfectly like this, now; but we grow and develop in this with God and His love making us more and more how Jesus is and how Jesus in us has us relating with our Father > "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you," (Galatians 4:19) > we are children still growing. And this is what God's love in us does, nothing less possible; and we have, that our Apostle Paul has written > "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) So, in us now we have God's own love to make us pleasing to our Father and intimate with Him and also this close to and one with each other. So, this is the deep-deep that we need, not just to be changing our ways of behavior and mind-controlling our emotions and stopping ourselves from doing bad things; but we need what is right and good, instead, that comes with God's love curing us so we are so-sharing with Him.

So, God our Father, we need how You make us like this with You in Your love. So, please do all that this means to You, by means of Your almighty power of Your grace. Amen, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord of all.

[comfy]

"In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be put to shame.
Deliver me in Your righteousness,
        and cause me to escape;
Incline Your ear to me, and save me.
Be my strong refuge,
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress."
                              (Psalm 71:1-3)

It says he puts his trust in the LORD. If I trust in the LORD - - - how many things should I trust myself to do on my own? It does say, "The LORD will guide you continually," in Isaiah 58:11. Why take "time out" from God? If you appreciate someone, are you going to want to do things away from that person? Even if you could do things on your own, you "might" want that person sticking his or her nose in your business so you can have that person in companionship with you (c: It's like how if a girl has her boyfriend over for dinner, they might want to wash dishes together. I'm concerned that, at a homeless breakfast thing, I can push just to get the dishes done, instead of being more personal and sharing with whoever the lady is, who is helping (c: It says Jesus chose the twelve apostles "that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach," in Mark 3:14. So, Jesus wanted His guys to "be with Him"; He did not only want to use them!! So, trusting in the LORD, I consider, can mean we seek Him to guide and deliver us, but our main reason for asking for our Father's help can be that we want Him to be with us, in personal sharing with Him. And yes . . . this gets better as we grow in God's love.

In this Psalm, he prays, "Deliver me in Your righteousness". So, he is asking for God to deliver him in God's righteousness; he does not accept how he in his own righteousness can help himself. He is not looking for what the righteousness of society and human laws and causes can do . . . or what can come because of handling of money in a practical way. But he wants how God in His righteousness will deliver him. But this means he must become able to do things along with God and how God's righteousness will have God doing things. He will need great correction (Hebrews 12:7-11), so he can submit to God and do things the right way that God is doing things in order to deliver him. So, much is required, in order for us to be delivered in God's righteous way!!! (c:

"But God will work with us the way we are; this is included in His righteousness: He is not self-righteously looking for excuses to just look down on us and criticize us; but He communicates and corrects and helps us do better."

"And this is how we are to do things with people > realize each one is a 'work in progress', but do things right."

"And be compassionate."

And it is so beautifully wonderful to have God while He is delivering us from and through problems > in His presence, we are in love caring tender and sweet and so personal. But while we are being impersonal and unloving with anyone, this keeps us away from God and how He would care for us in His love which would have us kindly and warmly loving and caring for any and all people . . . like He is with us, in us, as our Example > "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) So, right in us, we have God being our Example of how to be in love!!! (c:

Also, this Psalm asks God to be his "refuge" . . . his place of safety . . . where he can "resort continually". I think of how a resort is not just a hiding place under some log, with some bugs (c: While we are resorting with God as our refuge, we are on vacation! And I notice how it does say "continually" . . . on vacation? (c: lololol Jesus does say, "'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:29)

Because God Himself is more luxurious than any vacation resort in this world. He is more beautifully wonderful, than all that this world considers to be so great and beautiful and pleasure . . . He is more luxurious than any woman or pet or whatever. And He is personal . . . in love, sharing, being family and home with us in His love. And this is for "continually" being with Him, not just when we know or think we are in trouble (c: And we are not alone in just our own troubles, but we are with all the others who are resting because of trusting and obeying Him and personally sharing with Him "in one body" (Colossians 3:15) in His peace.

But . . . I understand this means I need to obey how God has me loving in His right way . . . in His righteousness >

"'And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.'" (Mark 11:29)

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

So, forgiving is "tenderhearted", in His love. Righteousness has to do with how real loving is, then, I consider (c: God bless you, too (c:

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

[comfy]

In Leviticus 19:2, it says, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." So, this is in the Old Testament. And I now understand that God wants us to be holy the way He is holy . . . the way He makes us holy. And this is in His love; His love makes us holy in how we are loving. I understand God's love "in our hearts" (Romans 5:5) first makes us beautiful the way He is, so we are pleasing to Him in "the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (in 1 Peter 3:4) So, we love God by being beautiful to Him while we do what He wants us to do.

And then we have > "'"You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD."'" (Leviticus 19:18) So, this is the place where the Old Testament has the "love your neighbor as yourself" command! (c: And this is right along with the command not to seek revenge and not to hold grudges. So, loving your neighbor as yourself is connected to forgiveness, here, I consider. I see that loving our neighbor as ourselves does mean to care about our neighbor being forgiven, as much as we want our own selves to be forgiven.

And Jesus left Heaven itself in order to come here to reach us and on the cross to seek for us to be forgiven. So, Jesus is not conceited, if He is so great as He is but He was willing to come here to love us and bless us like this. So, being holy includes being loving like Jesus who is so humble . . . unconceited . . . that He loves anyone and everyone and left Heaven in order to come here to personally share with us and suffer and die like He did for us.

Then we can see commands about how to live, and Leviticus chapter 20 tells us a number of sins that God considers to be death penalty crimes, including giving children to Molech, cursing your mother or father, adultery, men lying with men as with women, and other things. I see these commands are meant to keep people from walking in the ways of this world.

Also, because God gives such detailed instructions about how to live, and how to do religious things, this to me shows that God is interested in being involved with us humans. He does take personal interest in everything we do. And He commands religious practices that are to continue on this earth; so this means He is committed to staying involved with people here. This includes, I'd say, how . . . if God wants us to do physical things with Him . . . what is physical and with God can last in this physical world, showing that God does desire to keep on being involved with us in this physical world, "and in detail of what He wants." Because He is interested in us and everything we do.

Leviticus 22:15-16, I understand, says not to dishonor "the holy offerings . . . for I the LORD sanctify them." So, God is the One who makes the animal sacrifices holy. I see that a lamb might just be with a bunch of other sheep, and maybe dirty from the dust, and maybe smelly because of stepping or lying in sheep manure. But if that lamb is brought to be sacrificed, God can make that lamb holy. And when Moses went to see why that burning bush did not get burned up, God told Moses to take his sandals off of his feet because the ground Moses was standing on was "holy" (Exodus 3:1-5). So, God can make a lamb holy, or God if He wants can make dirt holy!

This can show us that whatever God wants us to do is holy . . . special to God. Anywhere we are obeying God, we are in a holy place with Him; the dirt where we are with God is holy! (c: So, right now, whatever God has you doing is holy to Him, even if it may not seem important or what you have the education and ability and interest to be doing. You might be in a nursing home, and air there can be holy to God. And Jesus says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (in Acts 20:35) So, you giving others attention can mean more to God, than for you to have people visiting you. Even while others do not give you what you need, it can mean more to God for you to give what you can to others.

And sharing can be better, because sharing has us personally involved with people, so we can learn how to relate in love (c:

And Leviticus 22:17-25 shows how an animal for sacrifice must not have anything wrong with it. I see how ones might decide to take their sick and dying and injured animals and use them for sacrifices, and save their healthy animals for themselves, so they don't lose their best animals. Maybe this can also be like how ones can donate their worst clothes to the poor, etc., in order to keep what they like best for themselves. And, of course, ones will send their money, but not share the honey of God's love with the people they claim they are helping. But Jesus didn't send money!! (c: lol In Psalm 81:16 we have, "with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you." But while we are not interested in being God's honey to any and all people, we do not have real honey for our own family relating and friendships and romantic companions, like we could. So, this is "why", "maybe", we suffer emotionally in our relating, etc., and feel we are missing out on love. God's love has us caring for everyone (Matthew 5:46) So, when we try to have the best only for ourselves and certain favorites . . . uh-uh . . . this does not work, I am considering in prayer, myself . . . how about you? What are you finding and how do you feel about this?

And we can have a way of using our not-so-good time for praying . . . praying more or only when we are in trouble. But, like how God expects the healthy animals to be used for sacrifices, I see that our nicest of time needs to be for God. When we are feeling so good and the day is so nice . . . this is not for what we want to do, but this is time for God. And, actually, God wants us all the time!!! So, God bless us . . . however You please, LORD our Father, to have us understanding and appreciating this and doing whatever You really feel and believe is good. Glory to You in the highest, and thank You so much, in the name of Jesus Your Son and our Lord and Savior and Groom, amen (c:

[comfy]

We did Ephesians 4:25-5:2. Ephesians 4:25 says, "Therefore, putting away lying, 'Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,' for we are members of one another." We who are Christians "members" of each other; we are the body of Jesus, and in Colossians 3:15 it says we "were called in one body" (see Colossians 3:15). And this is in the Holy Spirit; so our level of organization in Jesus Christ's body is at the level of God Himself, not just the  physical level of organization that is in a physical human body. So we need to submit to God, at all times, for how He has us living. And He has made us members of each other; so like how He has members of a human body being so important to other body members, God makes us essential to each other . . . that we flow with His love blood who is the Holy Spirit flowing through us to one another. And the Holy Spirit is forming into Jesus in each of us. So, this is how essential we are to each other in the Holy Spirit > "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you," (Galatians 4:19)

God has made us so we need to trust and depend on each other. But this works well only in God's love; so we need to grow in love so we have good sense for how to trust each person; and in the almighty strength of God's love we do not get hurt while intimately depending on each other > "And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?" (1 Peter 3:13) So, if I get hurt, I first need to deal with how I need to get God's correction and curing in His love so I am in His love's almighty power to protect me. And His love has His wisdom so we do not trust foolishly; He guides us according to all He knows so we do not get tricked, too (c: while we obey how He guides us "continually" (Isaiah 58:11).

And it says, "nor give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27) So, can you name three ways that you can help the devil to make himself at home with you? I mean three ways you need to stop letting Satan get the better of you.

In my case, I can let Satan make himself at home with me, by how I allow myself to be paranoidly cursing people with my suspicion, criticizing other people, looking down on people . . . instead of loving and caring about any and all people and having hope in prayer for all God is able to do with any person, at all. If a person is a problem for me, I need to have hope in prayer for that person, the same way I have hope in prayer for all God is able to do with me.

Arguing can help keep us weak so Satan can bring us down more. Complaining can help to keep us weak in what is not God's love. It clearly does say, "Do all things without complaining and disputing," (Philippians 2:14) So, complaining is anti-love. It can help to keep us from becoming strong in God's love. And then in the weakness of complaining we can suffer emotionally in many different ways because of how complaining helps to maintain our weakness.

I notice how people can even complain against how God blesses us with rain, actually calling His blessing of rain "bad weather". If you call God's blessing bad, isn't this saying God is "bad"? The deep and evil spirit of this blasphemy can help to break us down, more and more, including so we don't have joy in the LORD while He is blessing us with rain. But people actually get displeased and grumpy and feeling lousy, when it rains. So, because they are willing to complain and feel lousy about a good thing like rain, they have doomed themselves to have lousy time for the rest of their lives whenever it rains - - - unless they get wise to this. And, of course, feeling lousy can help keep us down so we can suffer in depression. So, by sowing complaining against rain, we can reap depression. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:6-7) We are reaping emotionally what we have been sowing. We need to give our attention to God, instead; and in giving God attention we get His attention (c: "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

So, complaining against rain is just one example of how being negative can help Satan to make himself at home in us and our lives . . . making us so we are not enjoying God and so our attention is away from loving any and all people. This is just one example of how a negative thing can help to break us down and then keep us weak; and in negative stuff, we are weak enough to give in to personality problems and fail in our relationships.

Also, we have "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31) So, bitterness and anger and malice are some more things that also can help to give Satan a place in us. Instead, we need to love the way the Bible says to love > "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32) We can see how personality problems destroy people from being deeply "tenderhearted"; so these are not just medical troubles, but deeper > destroying people from being tenderly caring in their hearts, for one another. Personality troubles can keep us from "forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." So, unforgiveness is another thing that can sting us and help make the devil at home with us!

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children." As we imitate our Father by being loving like He is, this gets us closer to God. "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:1-2) So, Jesus on the cross was sweet-smelling to God. He was not only concerned about that suffering and being hated by people, but Jesus was interested in being sweetly pleasing to our Father while He was suffering and being shamed and dying like that. And while Jesus was on the cross, He was not worried about where He was, but mostly He cared about obeying our Heavenly Father. So, it doesn't matter where we are, if we are with God > instead of being concerned about where we are, be interested in being sweetly pleasing . . . sweet-smelling to our Father, and sweetly kind to people. Whatever we are going through, first be concerned about obeying God and being sweetly pleasing to Him.

Wherever we are, God is trusting us to love the people who are with us. So, we are being trusted (c: So . . . You, LORD our Father, are able to have us sharing with You sweetly and intimately, and You can feel how we really are > You can smell us!!! (c: So, may we be beautifully pleasing to You, the way You make us, sharing with us how beautifully wonderful You are in Your love in us > "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) So, please do this with us. Amen in the name of Your Son Jesus (c: Good to see you, God bless you, too (c: bill

[comfy]

We have read Psalm 73:1-12 > he talks about how the wicked are rich, doing as they please, not having trouble . . . while God's people are poor and in trouble and God's name is blasphemed and the wicked are bad-mouthing God and His people. And so, he was feeling it is useless to keep himself pure for God, if this is all that was going to happen (Psalm 73:13-15).

But then he spent time in the sanctuary of God (Psalm 73:16-20), and then was when he was encouraged and realized the end of the wicked would come, "in a moment". We see how wrong people can be rich and famous, looking as though they are doing as they jolly well please, but then we hear of how they have divorces, there are suicides, and ones die of drug overdoses, etc. Because they are not obeying how God would take care of them.

And I think of how Paul had his "thorn in the flesh" that was bothering him so much (2 Corinthians 12:7-15). But then he had a little talk with Jesus and Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (in 2 Corinthians 12:9)

The Psalm writer goes on, then, to say >

"Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You."
           (Psalm 73:21-22)

So, after communicating with God in His sanctuary, he was able to see how foolish he was being (c: And >

"Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory."
                    (Psalm 73:23-24)

We have God's counsel to take care of us. It is not wise to seek what this world's people are counseled to seek . . . and then get caught in a trap.

"Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth
    that I desire besides You."
                 (Psalm 73:25)

So, we have God Himself, who is so more than everything else.

"My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever."
              (Psalm 73:26)

So, God's strength of grace is enough.

"For indeed, those who are
       far from You shall perish;
  You have destroyed all those who
       desert You for harlotry."
                  (Psalm 73:27)

People act like they are doing so great while they go against God, but they will be destroyed.

"But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works."
                            (Psalm 73:28)

So, it may look like the wicked are doing as they jolly well please, even while bad-mouthing God. But then their end comes quickly, like they go into a trap. It may be like how a wild mouse can run wherever it pleases, leaving its poo and pee around, but then it starts eating the tasty cheese in that trap. And we have God who is better than all that the wrong people are seeking. He is so beautifully wonderful and kind and pleasant and caring and personal. When we give Him our attention, we get his attention !!! (c:

"And all else cannot give us what He gives us." So, wherever we are, we already have You, LORD our Father; whatever we do . . . if we do what You have us doing, we have You taking care of us . . . while we obey how You take care of us, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) And He shares with us >

"He would have fed them also
    with the finest of wheat;
And with honey from the rock
     I would have satisfied you."
                   (Psalm 81:16)

So . . . with God we have His very own honey satisfying us !!! (c: So, we pray, satisfied > "giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," (Ephesians 5:20)

God bless you, too (c: bill

[comfy]

The best time is for You.

The cross is not just the suffering and trouble, but loving any and all people, and being pleasing to our Father, like how Jesus on the cross was "a sweet-smelling aroma." (in Ephesians 5:2) We can bear burdens for and even suffer for people who do not deserve to have us suffering while helping them. We did not deserve to have Jesus so suffer to bear our sins; so this is how we love, more and more . . . gladly, even > "Serve the LORD with gladness," we have in Psalm 100:2.

So, it says, "giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," (Ephesians 5:20) So, while we may be suffering in loving, we can give God thanks. And be sweet about it . . . sweet-smelling to God.

It's like how you can pound sugar with a hammer, and every bit of the powder is sweet, no matter how big or how small the powder bits are (c: And, big or small, famous or not famous, every Jesus person is sweet! (c:

And you can drown that sugar in milk, and it makes the milk sweet (c: Mash the sugar and milk with flour and put it through the heat of an oven and then is when it makes the whole cake sweet (c:

So, we need to grow in this sweetness. We are a "work in progress", as ones have said. But God is conforming us to the image of Jesus . . . not an image of looking the same, but how we become in His love. His love has His sweetness and fragrance making Jesus and us "sweet-smelling". This is included in the cross that Jesus has us carrying.

Also, "I believe that the cross God has given us is a customized cross" - - - custom designed for each one of us . . . the right weight for each one, the things we go through so we have opportunity to love and reach and help people . . . any and all people. Jesus died for all people; so His cross for us is all-loving, not only some thing that is hard mostly for our own selves. But we bear for others, caring for and loving others as ourselves; so we bear and care for others as for our own selves (c:

So, the glory is to You, O LORD our Father! (c: We offer ourselves to You, for how You are able to share with us.

[lovie dovie]

"Trust in the LORD
     with all your heart,
And lean not on
    your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths."
                                                   (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Prayer...
  However things are going on in us and around us - - though we fail to understand Your will Lord, help us just to keep on walking until we are led into Your presence. May we enjoy our journey with all the humps and bumps, knowing that, all along, You are with us in every journey of our life. Thank You for giving us the courage to face life's trials and removing in us the spirit of fear. Your perfect love for us cast away our fear. Thank You, Lord, that You are always there when no one seems to listen to our cry, our hurts. To God be the glory

[comfy]

Thank you, Lovie Dovie!

"How love has us know"

While things are impossible, God chooses what to do.

You have the honor of doing whatsoever You please about any problem we may have.

Jesus was on the cross. It  was impossible. And what did Jesus choose to do? Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (in Luke 23:34) And then was when that criminal next to Jesus stood up for Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus comes in His kingdom > next verses - - Luke 23:35-43. And Jesus guaranteed he would be with Jesus in paradise. So, while people were hating, God was loving and saving.

In our hearts, do what nasty and Satanic people need to do. I know I myself can be wrong, at times . . . maybe not while someone else is obviously wrong, but I can have my own times. So, I need to also do what mean and nasty and venomous people need to do. And then this can spread to them, to make them the same way. In the Twenty-third Psalm, it says, "My cup runs over." (in Psalm 23:5) Our cups run over with whatever is really in our cups, to make others the same way . . . no matter how we hide how we really are > the spirit of this can be spreading.

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment." (Philippians 1:9) In God's love, we have God sharing what He knows with us . . . however we have grown for this. And what He has us know is how love has us knowing . . . instead of how bitterness and unforgiveness and pride and self-righteous judging and frustration and disappointment would have us knowing things. You may have seen how a person of love can know the same thing as what a nasty person knows, and the loving person is so different about knowing that same thing about someone. And we have "all discernment" about what God has us know; I understand that "discernment" can include good judgment about what to do about whatever God has us knowing about someone. There is creative instinct in God's love . . . the creative instinct which guides God Himself and He shares this with us. Halleluiah, the glory is to You!!!

I was talking with one of my love examples who helps me. She said if she does something wrong, she later goes back and apologizes. And then she does not want to do that wrong thing again because she knows she will have to apologize, again. It is easier not to do it. I said if I give in to arguing, it can be easiest to right away say I am wrong, and not even try to get into blaming the other person for our having an argument. She kind of sputtered some sounds but did not actually say anything. She usually has no problem saying something about what I say. What did God want me to see? I then thought of how blaming myself, alone, can be a way of not sharing with the other person, but instead just being concerned about myself being right and accountable. Instead, the "Our Father" says "forgive us our trespasses"; it does not say just "forgive me". I see that our Father would rather that I share with another person, saying "we need to do better; we got into this argument, and we can do better," or something like this and be unified to do better, instead of me just showing myself to be super-honest and the one who is right by confessing only to show that I am right. Self-righteous honesty . . . yes, this can be me.

So, I need how only You, O LORD, can change me to love t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r with others. May we be with one another in prayer, even while we do not see each other. Thank You!!! (c: In the name of Jesus Your Son we offer ourselves and all to You. Amen.