So Powerful Are They…

That King David prayed to God, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” ( Psalms 19:14) Jesus tells us,in (Luke 6:45), “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

I heard someone say recently, “I don’t know how someone can live on the street, homeless and with nothing, and praise the LORD/Lord like that.” I do! He’s the God on the mountain, and in the valley! Be it the valley of lush green pastures and trees, or the valley of the shadow of death, He’s God there! Be it the mountain of victory and rejoicing, or the mountain that needs to be removed to the sea, He’s God there! This takes us back to recounting God’s goodness and the victories that He’s brought us to. When we fill our hearts up with the scriptures that tell us of God’s goodness, and with testimonies of His awesome love toward us, what He’s done for us, in us, and with us, we will overflow in our spirits, with that love and with His Presence in our lives, our words, our thoughts and attitudes. This helps us to stay conscious and mindful of positive/pure speech vs negative/sinful speech, and attitudes.

Proverbs 19:1 tells us it’s better to be a poor/humble man with integrity than a man of crooked speech, for that one is a fool. That causes me to think of making the paths of the LORD/Lord straight. Proverbs 19:18 is a powerful revelation about the importance of discipline: “Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.” This is not only true in regard to parenting your children, but also when we’re trying to recover our lives from generational curses. Those curses cause dysfunctional relationships, attitudes and mindsets, coping methods, and ways of living. The entire Proverb is filled with admonitions and wisdom about living with integrity; and we can see that attitudes/mindsets are where it all starts. Knowing who, and whose, you are helps you to get the right mindset and attitudes. I love worshipping with Paul Wilbur! Here’s one that fits this message well.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

He’s In The Darkness

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 18. They reinforce the messages from the last two days. Psalm 18 begins with King David stirring himself up in the spirit. It’s important to do that whenever we’re troubled, weary, doubtful, and in fear. When we do this, we’re recounting our victories, rather than rehearsing our failures. You’re also arraying yourself for battle, and rehearsing your next victory! Psalm 18:3 tells us that when we call on the LORD/Lord, we are saved. Right then, God’s got you!

You’ve heard that saying, “It’s always darkest before the dawn.” Well, guess what; God’s in that darkness. Verse 11 tells us that. “He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,thick clouds dark with water.” What did Jesus say about rivers of living water? God’s bringing them to you; hang on! Verse 12 speaks of hailstones and coals of fire. Hailstones beat down your enemy’s siegeworks. (Platforms or towers an army built around and above the city walls of a city under siege. This allowed the besieging army to shoot arrows and throw missiles of war down into the city.)*The Holman Bible Dictionary Coals of fire are mentioned in (Isaiah 6:6-7)”Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” God will remove that fear, doubt, guilt, shame, etc., and purify your speech. This is because God’s Word is His Sword, and yours. Now, you can wield that sword victoriously. An example of sinful speech vs purified speech would be: I’m too stupid, dumb, I can’t understand, etc. Purified speech would be: I can learn. The power of life and death is in the tongue; right? (Proverbs 18:21) (Proverbs 18:20) tells us that our words affect our health, energy, peace, power, etc.

Here’s another powerful revelation when you’re in recovery: (Psalm 18:19) 1. God always gives us plenty of room to maneuver -I see so many people tip-toeing, in effect, through life when they’re in recovery. No, no, no; you won the victory on Calvary, my friend. You are, in Christ Jesus, seated at the right hand of your Heavenly Father! You are a king, or queen, in the earth; with the same authority over that stuff that Jesus has. “Take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Those generational curses are of the world; not of God. “Take heart” is another way of saying “be bold!” Hold your head up! 2. God equips us for the battle. This is where that purified speech comes in, where the Name above all Names comes in, and where “I am,” and “It is written,” come in. Remember Jesus in the wilderness with Satan? That brings me to verse 18, which tell us to expect the enemy to come at us when we’re at our weakest, and it’s most inconvenient for us. Jesus had just finished fasting 40 days when Satan showed up to play his games.

Here are a couple of other points to ponder from Proverbs 18: Verse 1- Don’t isolate yourself. Verse 9 – Especially in recovery, it’s crucial that you stick to routine. Do it daily! Verse 24 -Don’t get your life so crowded that there’s no room for God.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Ah, Yes, That Cry

Remember that cry I mentioned yesterday? Yes, it’s crucial to recovery that we hear that cry. But, it’s not only the cry we must hear. Psalms 28:2 tells us, “Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help…” That voice is so important to helping us. The cry always remains the same; it’s a plea for help. The voice will be different, depending on the situation. I thought of some “voices” that you might recognize. 1. Anger/I want to eat everything in sight. I clean the heck out of the house too. 2. Fear/I procrastinate and put things off. 3. Stress overload/ I have to drag myself out of bed in the morning; stop making the bed, and/or get off my routine altogether. 4. Frustration/I get snide and sarcastic, lose my focus, spill, get stuff out of sequence (shoe before sock, etc.)

When we learn to recognize the voices crying out, we become able to hear the cry, even the faintest one, much better, much sooner, much more clearly. This give us the edge, as we’re able to nip it in the bud by realigning ourselves with God’s Word, His way, and getting back on track. When I did this study, I thought of Elijah hiding in the cave, and God coming to his aid. (1 Kings 19:9) Tomorrow we’ll pick up with Psalms 18.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

It Comes From His Presence

Psalms and Proverbs 17 bring today’s message to us. When dealing with generational curses, and trying to overcome anything, the first thing we need to do is hear the cry. (Psalm 17:1 -2) “Hear a just cause, O ,Lord, attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit. From your Presence let my vindication come. Let your eyes behold what is right.” Now I’m going to skip to Proverbs 17:20 – A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity. This is a powerful revelation about protecting your loved one’s heart, your child’s heart, and your heart. When we do this, we empower our hearts to be bold and truthful; even when we’ve done wrong. In this verse, a crooked heart is a wounded heart, gnarled or twisted by bad experiences. This crooked heart may be filled with fear, doubt, anger, resentment, etc. This heart cannot come boldly to the throne of grace (that’s you and God), and ends up on a downward spiral getting deeper and deeper into trouble. Proverbs 17:22 tells us “a joyful heart is a good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” That’s a slow death.

(Psalm 17:7) “Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.” (Psalm 17:15) “As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” These two verses go together so well! Because God is so loving and so gentle and patient with us. His correction brings joy because we are instructed; taught the right ways, the right things. This empowers us to walk, stronger and stronger, in the divine nature He’s instilled in us. All this, and the vindication of the generational curses and their fallout, come from seeking and being in God’s Presence daily.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Stirred, Not Shaken

Praise God with me! He woke me up right on time last night. Someone deliberately set my sleep-roll on fire. I smelled what I thought was someone smoking drugs, and woke up. When I checked to see who it was, I discovered the bottom of my sleep roll was in flames. I quickly put them out with buttermilk and water. LOL! I grabbed the buttermilk by mistake. Anyway, once the flames were out, I gathered the rest of my wits together. I cut the burnt parts off the tarp, and blankets, put my sleep roll back together, and curled up to snooze until this morning. I did call 911, the dispatcher-Stewart, forwarded me to Metro, I got their answering machine, and it just kept repeating the menu. I’ll just take everything in to them tomorrow. But, Praise God, I am unharmed, and here with today’s message.

It comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 16. The very first verse is this: “Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.” Amen! Verses 4-11 speak to us about idolatry. It’s easy to get caught up unwittingly in idolatry, and not even realize it. We work two, sometimes three jobs, sacrificing our marriages and families…we sacrifice our freedom to credit card debt because we just have to have the latest, greatest, etc. This is where God’s standards and boundaries come in to protect us. They empower us to check ourselves against His Word, and to stay on the right path. They make our lives pleasant. God counsels us and instructs us. That tells me I can go to God, not just to learn His Word and Ways, but to unload my burdens; my concerns, my fears, my heart. Verse 8 tells us that when we keep the LORD in sight, He is at our right hand, and we will not be shaken. But, He does stir us to action…and to praise…to elevation. Finally, the last verse, and one of my favorite affirmations: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever more.” This was one I was assigned to recite in Bible Camp as a young girl. Thank you, Jesus!

Proverbs 16:1-2 tells us that our hearts belong to us; but they must be lined and linked up with God’s heart (His will, word, and ways) in order to produce effective, life-giving and sustaining peace and power. The Lord weighs our hearts and spirits, and He is faithful to let us know what’s lacking. Not only that, but He helps us to overcome the lack. The rest of the proverb speaks to us of wisdom in living rightly before the LORD; walking humbly with Him, etc. Interestingly, this proverb is one that touches on how a King carries himself, and conducts his life. Wisdom of heart is spoken of. That tells me there’s more to God than logic and head knowledge. Wisdom of heart elevates our attitudes, thoughts, speech, and actions. Verses 25-30 give us a picture of an evildoer. Verses 32 and 33 tell us that it’s better to be an overcomer than an over-thrower.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Saturday Silly-February 20, 2021

Well, look what the wind blew back in! LOL! Sorry about the latest lapse; someone up to their devilish and childish havoc wreaking again.

Speaking of the wind…and childish, and havoc…I ride the bus daily. I’ve heard a lot of complaints from a variety of people, about the rudeness and unprofessional attitudes, and incompetence of some of the drivers, and the security guards. I, myself, have complained to supervisors, as well. Yesterday, I was on the bus, and the security guard got off at the bus stop to talk to the the two men sitting there. Neither one of them got on the bus; they were just sitting on the bench. This security guard seemed to be giving them the third degree, and a hard time, about it. I thought, “I wonder if it has occurred to him that someone may have hired those two men to hold that bench down. I mean, it has been pretty windy lately.” So good to be back at it.

PS -Thank you to all the drivers and guards who do their jobs professionally, and courteously. You are appreciated!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Ah, That Tongue Thing Again

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 15. Psalms 15:1 Asks the question: Who shall be welcomed and able to dwell with God, in His presence; and who will be able to walk in the power of the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Holy Spirit? We have a whole list that begins in verse 2, and ends in verse 5.

“The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.” (NIV) *Most other versions do not include the word poor in that statement about lending money without interest. Also, that word despise means to avoid, in this sense. God hates the sin; but He loves the sinner. However, we can fall into some dire straits by hangin’ out with the wrong crowd; and by letting the wrong people into our inner circle…*living proof, I am.

When we move on to Proverbs 15, we find all kinds of revelation and admonition about keeping our hearts pure and our speech edifying, and honorable (Eph. 4:29) “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Verse 15:19 addresses sloth. Sloth is laziness. When we get lazy-in doing, in learning, and in being perfected in love, we’re in dangerous territory. Sloth/laziness will immobilize you, imprison you, and incapacitate you. All three of those are interchangeable in order.

I hope this song by MercyMe blesses you today. We don’t have to fall to the circumstances; we can, in Jesus’ Name, overcome them all.

Love you from Cafe du Mondicu

Ooh, The Picture’s Clearer

Today’s message comes from Psalms and Proverbs 14. Both give us a clearer picture, yet, of evil, and evil doers. We’re also shown how easily we can backslide and get lost. We are reminded that the LORD is our refuge. He has restored our fortunes through Christ Jesus. Jesus redeemed us, and everything that belongs to us, when He died on Calvary for us.

Interestingly, Proverbs 14:9 tells us that fools have no conscience, or shame. Proverbs 14:19 is a three-fold revelation. “The evil bow down before the good; the wicked at the gates of the righteous.” First, this confirms our dominion over them/victory over them in Jesus’ Name. Secondly, they do this in mockery-so be on your guard. Thirdly, they cannot stand in the Presence of God, nor can they prevail against us. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) This makes me think of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man sure changed his tune when faced with the truth, didn’t he?

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Only You Know The Answer

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 13. In this one, King David is asking some questions. Psalms 13:1 asks the question: “How long, O, LORD? Will you forget me forever? (Isaiah 49:16) God tells us: “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. *When you think about your soul being a city, this applies; God’s speaking of Zion. The next question is “How long will you hide your face from me? God says, “How long will you keep your eyes closed and your back turned to me?” (Ezekiel 12:22) Now we’re getting into that pity party…”How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” God’s answer: “How long do you want to?” (John 5:6) And, here comes the finger-pointing, blame game, excuses, excuses…”How long will my enemy be exalted over me?” God’s answer: “How long will you bow to him?” He’s been condemned (John 16:11), and He can, and will be driven out (John 12:31) You know the answer to that one, because you have, in Jesus’ Name, authority over him. The above answers are all TRUTH.

Now, King David prays, “Consider and answer me, O LORD, my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, ‘”I have prevailed over him.”‘ We know the answer to that one too, don’t we? Yes! Read (Luke 6:46-49) and (Isaiah 61) This is the WAY.

Oh, wait! What’s the last verse in this Psalm? “But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” That’s right; it’s a done deal! Sing to the LORD a new song. We don’t sing dirges, we sing Praises! And, Hallelujah! This is LIFE!
Proverbs 13:4 tells us that the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. So seek God and delve into His Word. Proverbs 13:9 tells us that the wicked will lose their light and be left in darkness. So, don’t fret yourself over them. Seek God and praise Him because you know who wins in the end. Proverbs 13:17 tells us the faithful messenger brings healing. Is God’s Word a faithful messenger? Finally, Proverbs 13:24 tell us that the rod of reproof is crucial. God’s rod of reproof, corrects us, showing us our error, and how to do it right. We are disciplined, or discipled to seek God and learn from Him, the truth, the way, and the life.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

New Year…New Poetry

I had just thought about how nice it was to have the warm Spring weather break, and thought how I’d love it to stay. I looked up at the sky, and there were the clouds, streaked with light pink, and stretched out as if they were making their exit…perhaps to let me have my way…LOL They inspired this little poem. They also made me think of a message from God Calling, that tells us that Jesus is Lord of the moments…this was one of mine.

Clouds at Play on a January Day…

The clouds are playing tricks again; they do it every year…They convince us that they’re moving on, but end up staying here.

My Dear, you cannot fool me anymore; I know that Spring is nowhere near the door just yet; so, just forget it darlings.

But, I do appreciate your trying to cheer me with those soft pink hues; ah, yes, I do. You know how much I cherish them. And, oh, my fluffy, floating loves, I also cherish you.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu