Saturday Silly – August 6, 2022

August is American Indian Heritage month. A Shout out to all my Native American Brothers and Sisters. August is also the month of my mom’s birthday; August 31st.

Some of my favorite memories of my mom, and my dad, are of our travels across the country. Dad was in the Army, so we got miles of education. My dad’s latest assignment was Korea, and we wouldn’t be accompanying him. Naturally, Mom was a little rattled. She was looking at being alone in unfamiliar territory (Montana) and in civilian population.

As we crossed the border of South Dakota we began to see some of the Native Americans who live there. My mother, who had seen all these westerns (my dad loved all the western shows), was suddenly very nervous and apprehensive. My dad asked her what the matter was, and she said, “I’m just afraid they’ll ride up on their horses and steal one of the girls.” My dad, (his strong suit was NOT good timing) trying to be funny and lighten the moment, replied, “Oh, honey, they drive pickups now.” He started to chuckle…yeah, he started to… It still makes me laugh!

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It’s A Ministry

Psalm 147:3 (ESV)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

When I read this verse I think about ministry. (2 Cor. 5:18-20) tells us that we have a ministry of reconciliation. This means we are to minister to one another. We heal hearts and bind up wounds. When we do this, it is to reconcile that person to God.

What does it mean to be reconciled to God? This scripture comes to mind: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matt. 22:37) The second scripture is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:38) The whole conversation Jesus was having runs from (Matt. 22:35-40)

When we think about this, we realize that we need to stop the devil in his tracks by disarming fear, doubt, guilt, shame, etc. We do that by speaking truth and life into the situation. “It looks like the milk got spilled.” “It’s okay, accidents happen.” are such statements. They let the person know that he/she is not a heinous criminal because of spilt milk; that accidents do happen-they’re part of life. They are also how we learn what not to do. The next thing we do is to reconcile the situation, or make sure it lines up with how things are supposed to be. Milk does not belong all over the floor. So, we need to clean the mess up, and set things aright. This reconciles the way it should be, or is expected to be, with the way it is-and vice versa. In accounting that term reconcile is used when one set of financial books is compared to another, and the information is proofed, and /or corrected so that both reflect the same totals.

When we think in terms of ministry, we begin to seek ways in which we can encourage and show appreciation to one another. We begin to strive to correct through instruction rather than punishment. This is true discipline. The rod spoken of in the Bible is used to measure distance and/or height, depth, and width. One definition of sin is “to miss the mark.” It is also a shepherd’s staff used to guide the sheep away from danger. It acts as a boundary and sometimes a goad. This lets the sheep know they need to get away from the edge, or turn back, etc. Unfortunately, sometimes a goad is needed with a stubborn sheep. – A little more of a nudge to encourage compliance. That would equate with, “You’re grounded for the rest of the week,” or, “I’m sorry, but you’re not going out to play until your bed is made.”

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How To Parent Like God Does

Today’s post subject is Psalm 146 (ESV). I’m concentrating on verses 3-9.

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The very first thing that comes at us is that word “princes.” Notice that a prince is a son of man. We are children of God; princes and princesses in Heaven, but kings and queens here in the earth. (John 1:12) Next, we get into some of God’s ways. He is forever faithful. God could be so angry over something we did, yet still grieve for us, for our loss, and still be ready to help us overcome that and come back into right standing with Him. We need to do that with our children. This is what makes them bold to come running to us when they mess up; to tell us the truth, and to desire that right standing. God executes justice for the oppressed. Do you know that sin is oppressive? It makes you feel yucky and ashamed, afraid to ask for help-especially when you’re a little child. God doesn’t impute wickedness to us, though; He sees what we can be, and guides us to that through His love and loving correction and admonition. He nourishes, not only our bodies, but our souls, with encouragement, comfort, acknowledgment (“well done”), instruction, and guidance. The way of the wicked, God brings to ruin. I can tell you from personal experience that God will knock it down and knock it down until you get that it’s not the way to do it. Actually, we do reap what we sow, and that wicked stuff will always come to ruin.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Pass On The Good Stuff

Psalm 145 (ESV), the subject of today’s post, is too long to post in its entirety. I’m concentrating on a few verses, beginning with verses 4-9.

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Think in terms of you and your siblings or friends discussing your parents and how your home life is. Think in terms of what things your children may be learning from you. They’ll remember these; good or bad. The LORD/Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He is good to all (He doesn’t play favorites) and his mercy is over all that he has made. Psalm 103 makes reference to His remembering our frame; that we are weak and fragile. We need to do the same with our children. If your parents didn’t, and you’re wounded, you need to go back and get the baby. Let God help you parent that child the way He does it.

Verses 13-17 – Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]
The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.

I love verse 13 because it tells us that when we pass those good things on to our children, they will endure, or be remembered throughout the generations. (Proverbs 22:6) Faithfulness in our words means we tell the truth, but preserve dignity. Kindness in our works, especially in regard to discipline, means we aim to instruct and correct the same way; preserving dignity. We encourage, and comfort, build up, and uphold their character. That is what it means to be righteous in our ways and kind in our works. Yes, you can do it just like God does.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Yes, For The Palace

Psalm 144 (ESV) is the subject of today’s post. It is a praise and prayer of King David’s. The whole psalm is awesome and inspires me every time I read it. It makes a great prayer. The psalm is too long to post in its entirety, so I’m concentrating on just a few verses.

Verses 1-2 –Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples*(or subdues my people) under me. This is a powerful revelation about the power of prayer. He trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. When we pray, we are doing spiritual warfare. Remember that our adversary is constantly at work, and that in this world we have tribulation. The whole of creation groans under the weight of it. But Jesus instructed us in prayer and faith.

Let’s move on to verse 12 – May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;… Is there any doubt left in your mind that you are a king or a queen in the earth?! Proverbs speaks about foolish sons. We want to raise sons who are fit to rule a kingdom. May they, in their youth, be like our Lord, Jesus; mature and bold in God’s Word and ways. And, ladies, please notice that the corner pillars hold the palace up. They also keep the walls in alignment. “No, dears, we don’t do that stuff.” “Junior, what did your father say?” Those kinds of things are what we’re designed for. I remember my dad saying, “Hey, put a lid on it”, when we got too rowdy. Sometimes we can go a little too far; right? Yeah, and it takes both mom and dad to keep us in line. Scriptural references: (Proverbs 10:1) (Proverbs 14:1) (Proverbs 25:24) (Proverbs 25:5) (Proverbs 31)

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He’s For You; Not Against You!

Psalm 143 (ESV)

Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.

The first four verses of this psalm give us a powerful revelation. First, God will enter into judgment with you. Not against you, but for you. Secondly, know that the enemy will pursue your soul until he has crushed your life to the ground. I’ve been there more times than I care to remember. Still, it’s not over till it’s over; remember that! He’s not God of the dead; he’s God of the living. And, as long as there’s breath left in your body, it’s not over!

Verse 8 – “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. This is such a powerful revelation regarding how our days should start; and how we should deal with our children. First thing in the morning, Mom, Dad, let me know who and whose I am, and how much you love me.

Verse 12 – “And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant.” See what your love can do?!

I hope you read the whole psalm for yourselves.

Someone questioned whether or not God will enter into judgment with us. If you’re a child of God, you’ve been redeemed from that judgment; although you will give account for yourself before the Lord Jesus. He’s the one who paid the price to redeem our souls from eternal death. God will always be for us and against the evil one(s) who would destroy us. Here are some scriptural references: John 3:16-18, John 5:22-27, John 12:31, John 16:11, Genesis 3:15 -Genesis 3:15 is where God first entered into judgment for us against Satan.

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He Will Never Fail You

Psalm 142 (ESV)

With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.
I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.

When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!
In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.

I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me!
Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.

King David wrote this while he was in a cave. Verse three anchors me right away. No matter what’s going on, no matter where you are, God knows. He also knows how you deal with things. Sometimes he’ll catch you before you’re knee-deep in a blood red rage. Those persecutors will whisper all kinds of lies into your ears…”He’s cheating, there’s something going on here, etc.” Stuff like that comes sneaking in sometimes. That prison is that train of thought, those doubts, fears, and the confusion and chaos that come with them. Thank God for those brothers and sisters who will be put in your path by the LORD/Lord to help you.

God does deal bountifully with us-all the time. This is also true when we’re trying to overcome old habits, old beliefs, and old attitudes. Trying to turn things around and make a better life brings some struggles with it. Old habits die hard, old beliefs try to sneak back in unnoticed, and old attitudes pop up when we’re tired and frustrated. God is always right there, ready, willing, and more than able to be the refuge we need, the teacher we need, and the strength we need. There have been times in my struggles that I could almost see Jesus laughing with me at my silliness. Ha! To think I thought I’d never get over that thing! Ha! To think I believed I’d never learn that! Hang in there! God is with you; and, God is for you!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Saturday Silly – July 30, 2022

Ah…it’s National Bison Month. I’ve spent most of the morning checking out videos and pictures. All of them were enlightening, and I recommend to anyone planning on visiting one of our national parks, where the “buffalo” roam, please watch some of them before you visit. The Bison are beautiful, as all of God’s creation is, but they are not something you want to mess with. And, you’ll be in their backyard. Respect them, please.

Okay, so, I found this video to share with you. You all know I’m a captionista, and I couldn’t resist with this one either. One thought came to my mind when I got to the end of this video. I could just hear that bison saying, “And, next time, bring the Fritos!” LOL Well, they go great with buffalo chicken.

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Something To Think About

Psalm 141:1-4 (ESV)

O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!
Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!

“I will never get this stuff!” “I’m not smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough, etc.” The list goes on and on, doesn’t it? Self talk is just as important as how we talk to others. The things we tell ourselves are just as powerful as the things we tell others. We need to incline our hearts to life, to peace, to the ways and things that promote and sustain life and peace. There’s that word iniquity again. Have you ever heard somebody making fun of “those Jesus freaks,” or laughing over something they did (something not nice at all) to someone? That’s their attitude toward their sin. They think it, and they are funny. That’s iniquity. We certainly do not need to eat those little morsels, do we? It’s another wake up call regarding whom and what we allow into our inner circles.

Verses 8-10

But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless! *(or do not pour out my life) Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers!
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.

His way is always the way you need to go. He preserves our lives and helps us see and steer clear of those traps. Last, but not least, they always will fall into their own nets. In Christ, we can, and will pass by safely. (Proverbs 26:6-7)

Do you know you can dig your own pit? You can set yourself up to fall or fail. This happens when we compromise and take short cuts we shouldn’t. It happens when we ignore those gut feelings, or the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and trust that person anyway. How many times have you fallen in? I lost count some time in my thirties. I can laugh about it now, but it was a tough landing then-every time. All this stuff can be avoided if we stick close to the LORD/Lord, and “go by the Book.”

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Watch Your Step

Psalm 140:1-5 (ESV)

Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men,
who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.
They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet. The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread a net;*(or they have spread cords as a net) beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah -This is a cue to us to guard our hearts and our steps. We are to avoid these people, because, as (1John 4:20) says: “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (Proverbs 4:16)

Verse 7 –O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle. That’s the mind of Christ; the helmet of salvation. (Eph. 6:17) (1 Cor. 2:16)

Verses 9-11 tell us exactly what will happen to those people. That’s a good reason not to fall in with them. It’s also a good reason to ask God to help us not be that kind of person. (Eph. 4:29) (1 Thessalonians 5:11) (Romans 12:0) -Can you see these people in your family? The troublemaker, the instigator, the whiner, the fixer; these may not necessarily be evil, but they’re not conducive to peace and real growth. There’s a difference between empowerment and enablement.

Verses 12-13 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and will execute justice for the needy. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall dwell in your presence. -Righteousness and uprightness are a state of being of your heart and soul. We are children of God; we do not cower or crawl. We walk uprightly and boldly, because we know who and whose we are. When you know that, you know what’s expected of you, and what you are to expect of others. If they don’t have the same standards, you might want to be very careful; perhaps, avoiding them altogether. The cause of the afflicted and needy is freedom and peace in this life. Freedom from fear, confusion, hatred, violence, etc. This is why we do periodic checks and inventories on our lives, and our hearts. That’s that sin and iniquity checklist.

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