Saturday Silly – May 29, 2021

Well, I have an update on my recovery from that attack. They said the stress caused me to develop Shingles, in my eye, and on the inside of my head, -Yes, you can get Internal Shingles. Sure, why not me, Lord? LOL

Anyway, I also had to see an ophthalmologist to make sure it cleared up, didn’t damage my eye. Everything is fine, I’m happy to report. One more day on the drops and I should be good to go. That trip to the eye doctor was an adventure. They dilate your eyes for the exam, and afterward, you’re almost blind in the sunlight, and things are blurry. I had a heck of a time finding the bus stop! I wasn’t sure I’d gone the right direction; and, of course, the bus stop sign was about 13 feet off the ground, on that pole. I saw some writing on what I thought might something having to do with the bus. I couldn’t read it with my shades on, and when I took them off, it almost vanished. I got as close to the thing as I could and tried to make out the letters. That poor man! He almost shouted, “Hey, watch it lady! Back up, and get your nose out of my shirt, will ya?!” I said, “Oh, I’m so sorry; I was trying to read the bus stop sign, but I can’t see very well right now. Is this where the bus stop is?” He kind of grunted, “Yes; the bus will be here in three minutes.” I was going to tell him his shirt smelled nice, but I thought better of it.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

A Great Meditation Piece

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 26. Psalm 26 is actually a prayer of King David’s. I think it’s a great piece to meditate on.

Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Test me, O LORD, and try me; examine my heart and mind. For Your loving devotion is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites. I hate the mob of evildoers, and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence that I may go about Your altar, O LORD, to raise my voice in thanksgiving and declare all Your wonderful works. *This is about getting your heart right before the LORD/Lord. Confess if you have something to confess, ask for His forgiveness and help, and then your praise and thanksgiving won’t be hindered and robbed of its power. O LORD, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides. Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed, in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. *Don’t let me fall into their hands, or be taken in by their schemes.* But I will walk with integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me. My feet stand on level ground; in the congregations I will bless the LORD. I’ve italicized the points I meditate on; their my checklist when I’m doing self inventory. One thing I found is that, even when it’s been a week or stumbling and/or I find myself more than a little apathetic, God’s love has not changed, and He’s always ready, willing, and more than able to reveal, refresh, and restore me-body, mind, heart, and soul.

Proverbs 26 is an entire listing of some dos and don’ts for the child of God. It’s also a good meditation piece; maybe even one that one can take some notes on from time to time, in regard to personal happenings.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Glory In Everything & Every Way

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that the glory of the Lord is the beauty of His Character. It is this, reflected to our surroundings, that gives everything a dazzling beauty. It brings glory to everything, in every way.

Some time ago, the Lord put into my heart to share my experiences and thoughts from this little devotional (God Calling) in a blog. With that, He led me to a scripture. (Matthew 10:8) “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” That’s why I have this blog; that’s why I post to it daily-and will, until He says it’s a wrap. I can’t even begin to tell you how much this blog has helped my growth as a Child of God! I can’t believe the difference between where I used to be in my faith, and where I am now. I still have some struggles, but all in all, I’m more and more into the Lord, and striving to be more and more like the Lord, than I am like the world.

There was another time, as I found myself in that spiritual desert, that He led me to this scripture: “I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.” The closer I got to Him, the more flowed in, and through me. I began to write poetry, songs, stories…I got my creative spirit back, and began to design and to create recipes…I gloried more and more in everything I found to do, and in every way imaginable. My little conversations with some of the birds around town bring me such joy! They are just one way in which the beauty, love, and joy of the Lord are revealed to me. It’s a joy to wake up each day-even now, on the sidewalk. I hope this song will lift you and keep you soaring all day long. Thank you, Steven Curtis Chapman.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Break Through The Bars

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, speaks to us of the imprisoned God. Praise, we’re told again, brings God on the scene. Praise opens the doors to the throne room of God, giving us a glimpse of who He is, who we are in Him, and all that He has put inside of us. I hope you’ll read the message for yourselves at twolisteners.org -this is one we all need from time to time.

When I read the message, this scripture comes to mind: “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.” (Hosea 10:12) We often don’t reach our full potential in things because we’ve imprisoned the son of God within us. I’m not talking about Jesus; I’m talking about you and me. Although, we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. We’re created in God’s image and after His likeness. That means we can be awesome when we’re working with God, instead of against Him. (Psalm 139: 13) tells us: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” God knows each and every one of us, our strengths, weaknesses, gifts, favorite things, things we don’t like, etc. He knows us intimately; even better than we know ourselves.

Here’s where that fallow ground comes in. Quite often we are, from birth, guided and led, coaxed and cajoled, and yes, often coerced into becoming people we really don’t want to be. We end up becoming people pleasers, suffering from anxieties, harboring resentments , and living bitter and unfulfilled lives. We spend most of our lives trying to become someone else’s version of awesome. When we sow righteousness for ourselves, we’re sowing God’s thoughts about us, and His Word to us into our hearts. We reap His steadfast love within us. We grow in His love for us, and we learn to love ourselves like He does. The Word of God, and His love will even break up all that fallow ground (hard, unplowed), if and when you can’t do it yourself. Breaking it up involves tearing down the strongholds and wrong attitudes and thoughts that we’ve been fed. Then, God can come in and rain righeousness on us.

Here’s a short list of some bars that surround us and keep us locked away from our full potential: “You’re never going to amount to anything.” “You can’t do anything right.” “Your brother’s/sister’s the smart one.” “I don’t know why I bother; nobody cares anyway.” “It’s too late in my life.” “I’m too old, young, shy, stupid, fill in the blank.” Are you getting the picture? These all come back to that fallow ground; to the lies we’ve allowed to be covered over, and allowed our potential to be packed down under.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Preparing The Soil

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, bids us to spend more time preparing the soil. Jeremiah 4:3 tells us to break up our fallow ground and don’t sow among thorns.

There are two things that come to mind when I read this scripture. First, fallow ground is unplowed. That means the seed won’t get into the soil because the ground is unpenetrable. If the seed doesn’t get into the soil, it doesn’t get the nourishment required for it to take root and grow. It will just lie on the surface of the ground and be blown away by the wind, or scorched by the sun. It’s important to create the right environment; one that will promote growth and success. This works in every aspect of life; breaking generational curses included. Secondly, we’re told not to sow among thorns. Those thorns represent nay-sayers, or unbelievers, those that keep pulling us back into destructive ways and things, etc. This, also, is very important when we’re breaking generational curses off, and/or breaking bonds of addictions and dysfunctions.

When we spend time preparing the soil, we’re sure to reap the blessings we were ordained to reap.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Preparing the Soil

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that the ground must be readied before God can drop seed blessings into it. I’m reminded of the parable Jesus told about the sower and the seed, and the different kinds of soil.

Prayer and praise does much to prepare the soil, or one’s heart. That’s true whether it’s our own heart or someone else’s we’re trying to open to the Lord. Then, I think about Abraham, too. And before him, Noah. These two men believed, and walked in obedience to their calling. How many know that whenever God tells you to do something, that’s a calling? Steadfastness, diligence, and discipline in faith and obedience to whatever God calls us to do, even in our daily living, also prepare the soil for blessing. That soil can be a heart, a place, an upcoming event, etc.

It all happens in the Spirit/spirit. When I think about that, I think about Jericho. How many times did God have them march around that city…before the final time, and that shout? Soil preparation is kind of a wind up or warm up for the actual game, in some ways. The blessings come in the form of readiness, growth, maturity, confidence, fitness, or ability, peace, and joy, or excitement. If you can’t get excited over what God’s called you to do, you better make sure it was Him who called you. God not only gives us the desires of our hearts, He gives us the heart to desire good things. Anytime God calls you to do something, you know it’s got to be a good thing. You can’t help but get excited about it.

Finally, I think about tilling and weeding, and plowing a garden. That readies the soil for the seeds. I remember finding all kinds of things as we worked the ground. People have found arrowheads, awesomely shaped rocks, old coins, wonderful little treasures. One of the greatest treasures you can find in preparing the soil, or your heart, for God’s blessing, is yourself. You might discover some wonderful things you never knew were in you.

Here’s a great song for today’s post: Again, Third Day is the group to thank for this awesome song.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

For Giving You Power Through It All

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that forgiveness is not an option. We are bid to forget all that lies behind us, and to fill our world with love and laughter.

I had to change my definition of forgiveness some time ago. I had to expand my understanding of forgiveness. That’s when I learned about the power, peace, and possibilities found in forgiveness. How can you lead someone out of a forest you’ve never been in yourself?

First of all, to forget the past is to be doomed to repeat it. However, the parts of it we need to forget are those very ones that held us bound to the ground, in pain, and immobilized by fear, guilt, shame, etc. That’s what forgiveness helps us to do. We are empowered by forgiveness, so that we are able to break the hold those things have on us; to let them go. That’s really all that forgiveness is; it’s letting go of the things that hurt and the ones who hurt us. Not necessarily in the sense of letting go of those who hurt us; but letting that “debt” go. Just as God forgave us through Christ Jesus, we can, through Him, forgive those who hurt us.

In order to do that, we need to change our definition of forgiveness, expanding it to it’s full meaning. You see, God uses all those things we go through for giving us power in regard to them, and in spite of them. We are blessed to be a blessing. When we are able to let go of the hurts, and of those who hurt us, we are empowered to be a blessing through them.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu