November 6

Did you know that Jesus cleaned the temple twice? For some reason, in my mind, I combined the occurrences. So, when I read the heading that said, “this is the second cleansing of the temple,” it sparked my curiosity. The first time he drove everyone out with whips, it’s only written about in John 2. I’m sure the officials weren’t happy about it the first time, but when he did it again, he started cutting into their profits, so they began to look for a way to get rid of him. The problem was that the people loved him and he spoke with such authority, that they were afraid of him and of what the people would do. 

I’ve mentioned this before, but I believe we are seeing a cleansing taking place, similar to separating the sheep from the goats. If this political season has done nothing else, it has exposed the goats and money changers. The money changers are those who are only there to profit from the people of faith and the goats are those who identify as a Christian but do not have salvation. May God give us the wisdom to figure out a way to help them take the blinders off without being so angry with them. I would hate for them to be cursed like the fig tree and wither away; they already know about Jesus, but haven’t committed their lives to him; if they don’t change and bare fruit, the way of the fig tree will be their demise. We need to pray fervently for these people. After all, they will be the hardest to convince because they believe they are already saved. Pray for the Holy Spirit to penetrate their hearts.

And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left... “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:33 and 41

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. Mark 11:15

November 5

I’m on fire today and plan to offend you! If your preacher did not teach their followers the appropriate candidate to vote for, the one that follows biblical principles, then they are guilty of a disservice to our Savior. The separation of church and state is not in our constitution, it’s a line in a letter from Thomas Jefferson, and in its context, it refers to the government keeping out of the business of religion, not the other way around. 

I saw a screenshot that made me angry; it said, “Pastors - please don’t try to convince people implicitly or explicitly that your preferred candidate is God’s candidate... ” What good is a preacher if he doesn’t help Christ-followers put their faith into action? What good is a preacher if he doesn’t help Christ-followers see the difference between a good candidate and an evil candidate? The suitable candidate is the one who is for Jesus, not against him! 

If your preacher happens to prefer the corrupt candidate, you need to leave that church; that preacher is like the flourishing fig tree that Jesus cursed! If your preacher was too afraid to point you in the right direction because of the fear of losing parishioners and their tithe, then he needs a new job; a preacher should offend and offend often! Jesus wasn’t afraid to offend! Now, here we are, fighting for our nation, because of unsaved “Christians.” I can understand why the unsaved follow and vote for evil, but not those who claim Christ; they are liars. Remember Jesus cleaning the temple? He’s doing it again!

And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. Mark 11:13-14

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Mark 11:20-21

November 4

Blind Bartimaeus had his eyes opened by Jesus. Here we are 2000 years later begging for him to open the eyes of half our nation. I can’t believe how many people voted for a person with obvious health issues with a heart for revenge against the unborn over a person who has been forgiven of his sins and is our brother in Christ. What is wrong with our nation! The powers of darkness have almost overtaken it. However, it looks like a win for the light, but who knows how long we will have to fight for the revelation. 

Remember Elisha’s helper? We need to be him today. God opened his eyes so he could see the army of light surrounding them, yet Elisha had the enemy blinded. Elisha led them into Samaria before the king of Israel, and then opened their eyes! The king wanted to kill them, but Elisha wouldn’t let him. He had the king feed them and let them go. I feel that those who believe in the truth are Elisha’s helper, and our blind countrymen are the Syrian army. We must lead them to our King Jesus to open their eyes and then feed them. It’s only then that we will be truly free because it seems that with every election, we lose a little bit more of our freedom. We must bring our nation back to God and defeat the enemy of darkness for the good of our country and the sake of Jesus. If you need some encouragement, read 2 Kings 6:8-23. Don’t be afraid; those who are with us are more than those against us!

He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:16-17

November 3

I’m not sure what today will bring, but there is one thing you can be sure of, there is a division between good and evil. On one side, you have the minions of the enemy, and on the other side are those who stand on biblical principles. The Christians have been praying harder than ever, and you can bet that if today's vote goes to the party of death, they will destroy our country, and the end is near. The Father hears our cries, but if he is ready to bring about the end of the end times, nothing will stop him, not even our prayers. The only people who will fare well in this will be the Christ-followers; all others will face tormenting for rejecting Jesus. Don’t think we will be unscathed, by no means, but what can mere man do to us? Every disciple of Jesus was tortured or killed because of him, but they never wavered in their faith; they knew him and saw him in the flesh, and saw things we can only imagine. If the time comes and you are genuinely devoted to him, he will give you the strength to endure. However, those who’ve rejected him will face eternal torture in the pit of hell. Consider it an honor if you are mistreated because of Jesus; it’s a type of baptism, and if we hold on until the end, we will reign with him. Stand firm my friends! Whether we win this race or lose it, we are already a winner because we have Jesus. 

I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. Luke 12:50-52

November 2

Walking on the beach yesterday gave me some clarity and a little foresight into the coming days. You might think this is silly, but I hear God’s voice in odd ways; he knows that I will use what he gives me to glorify him, so he speaks to me in ways I understand. 

The first thing I found on the beach was a cone shell; they are not rare when you consider the vast ocean, but I don’t find them often, and I found several. I’m sure there were so many shells on the beach because of the hurricane that just passed our shores and stirred up the bottom, then revealed them with the low tide. With every hurricane, there are predictions, and if you live in a state that is subject to them, you will understand the cone of uncertainty. We are now living within that cone, and the hurricane is Jesus. He is certain, and the fate of those who don’t know him is inevitable and will be devastating.

There was another thing I found that is quite unusual, and it’s called an operculum. It is the door of a sea snail, probably from a whelk or a conch; it seals off the shell and protects them from predators. I found more of those than I’ve ever found at one time. The message is that the door of opportunity is closing, and the enemy will be left outside clamoring to get in. 

I know that if you are following my post, you are likely saved, but there are too many who aren’t, and their time to accept God’s free gift is slowly dwindling, and they will be left behind and tormented by the enemy during the tribulation. It’s time to gather everyone you know who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus and do your best to convince them that he is their only way into the kingdom of Heaven. If you love them and don’t want them to suffer, tell them about Jesus. We are in the cone of uncertainty, and the operculum is closing to protect everyone on the inside; predators will eat those on the outside; those on the outside are the unsaved.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17

November 1

 

The money given to Judas to betray Jesus was used to buy the potter’s field, a graveyard to bury the poor and unknown. Every person that rejects Jesus is poor and unknown and is as guilty as Judas; they will go to the grave in sorrow for rejecting the son of the Almighty. Their sins are exposed, and God cannot look at them; he is too pure to gaze upon their wretchedness. Don’t get too smug; our sins are too disgusting for God to look at also, but Jesus covered them with his blood, which cleanses us of all unrighteousness. What is the difference between Judas and us? We’ve accepted God’s mercy and forgiveness and do not wallow in the sorrow of our sin. Judas was so distraught that he couldn’t live with what he had done and hung himself. If he had sought forgiveness from Jesus and accepted it, we might see him in Heaven, but he wallowed in self-pity before ending his life, never accepting God’s mercy, or believing in Jesus’s forgiveness. He concluded that his sin was more significant than could be forgiven and threw himself at the mercy of the devil rather than face God. Do we know where Judas is? We can only guess; that’s information that only God knows. Don’t worry; you know where you will spend eternity because you have given your life over to Jesus, have turned away from sin, you don’t wallow in self-pity, and have accepted God’s forgiveness.

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. Matthew 27:3-5

October 31

I’m sure you’ve heard the story about Jesus healing the blind man by using spit; it’s short but packed full of information. Here’s the scripture:

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” Mark 8:22-26

The lesson to be learned from these scriptures can be summed up by the following observations.

1. The faithful prayer of friends can bring healing to the lost soul.

2. Jesus is the one who leads us away from the unbelievers; in this case, Bethsaida had rejected Jesus.

3. It’s a gradual process to have your eyes opened; you may not see clearly in the beginning. This man only saw trees.

4. When you realize that you do not see clearly, he will touch you again for clarification. Make sure you tell Jesus when you don’t understand his Word.

5. Once you’ve rejected Jesus, you may never see the good he had intended for you; again, look at Bethsaida.

I wrote the portion you just read yesterday without including a physical element. It’s mostly about scripture, and have found that people prefer a personal story, that’s why I didn’t publish it. 

Later in the day, I had a friend call me, who has been fighting cancer and is in stage 4 with very little hope for a cure. Hundreds of people have been praying for him. He has never given up hope. He began taking an experimental medication as a last-ditch effort to combat this horrible disease, and it’s working! His numbers went from nearly 400, which is no hope at all, down to almost 0, increasing his lifespan by nearly a decade. God has heard the prayers of his friends, and he is in the process of healing. The people that looked like trees are becoming clearer, and his life is being restored. When someone asks you to pray for them, don’t just say you will and walk away, pray for them. The LORD hears the prayers of the faithful, so pray earnestly.

October 30

There is darkness swirling around this time of year; I sometimes forget about it, like this year! My writing becomes labored, and frankly, kind of bad. The influence of evil forces, relishing the people who worship them, brings them out to clutter the airwaves, and jumble my perception. This year is probably worse than ever because of this election. If you’ve let your guard down, it’s time to armor up. One good thing is that it’s only a few days out of the year; after tomorrow, they will go back into hiding, only to come out when they sense you are about to sin or when evil people are dancing in the streets flaunting their disdain for Jesus. 

The reason I know this is true is that 30 years ago, I was preparing to give birth about this time. My life reads like a parable; probably yours too; I just happen to notice mine, that’s why I know this is true. After Halloween, the airwaves cleared, and on November 4th, I gave birth to a precious little boy who stole my heart. First, there is darkness, then a bright light that brings joy. The world we live in is dark, but Jesus came to give us hope for everlasting light and life. Don’t be discouraged; our time on this earth may be finite, but eternity and living in the light, is forever. Relish your time of living in the light of Jesus in the here and now and know that we are privileged and that there is more to come.

As a side note: Don’t become too overzealous and condemn people because of Halloween, but we as Christ-followers should not participate.

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”" John 8:12

October 29

A few days ago, I decided to pour some bird feed into a plate and place it on my patio table. My dogs go crazy over the squirrels, so I thought it would be fun to attract them into my yard and give them a reason to bark. The fun thing is that the cardinals love to eat off the table too; I’ve seen a few enjoying the free buffet rather than the feeder. The problem is that it’s messy! I don’t mind the mess. I’ve also noticed that the squirrels have come to the table because they've opened the sunflower seeds, though I haven’t seen them eating. 

Ministry works this same way. Ministry can be messy, but if we don’t put the food out in different areas, it won’t be diverse enough to attract the masses. I just keep putting food on the table of social media, and in other areas of my life, like many of you do. I don’t always see the squirrels eating the food, but I know that they’ve been to the table when I notice their posts and their lives changing; I didn’t even know they were eating! 

Jesus did the miracle of feeding the thousands twice. One time was during Passover, and the next time was just an ordinary day. He gave them bread. He called himself the bread of life and told us his body was the bread and that we should eat from him. He put the food out for all of us; we need to eat it!

And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Mark 8:8

October 28

Preparing to build new duplexes has been a grueling process. It has taken nearly two years just to get the paperwork right so we could break ground. We broke ground and are finally ready to call for the first inspection, only to find out that the permits have not been input into the computers as required. I prepared the notice of commencement just like they instructed, but they only picked up on one permit, and there are six. This pandemic has made communication nearly impossible, and just like any governmental organization, the left-hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. The bureaucracy has made it almost impossible for an ordinary person to maneuver through, and it’s even more now that they are trying to go paperless. The main problem is they haven’t changed the rules to fit the new requirements. The new way should be easier and less subjective, but they are still trying to live by the old rules when the new should make it more straightforward and precise.

This process is similar to the Old Testament law with all the bureaucracy that added fence laws to “protect” the people when all it did was confuse them and make it impossible for them to be clean and free from sin. Then Jesus comes along, explaining what God meant by the law, wiping out all the garbage religion had added. Unfortunately, religion still adds junk that doesn’t belong by calling it a tradition. Just because it’s called tradition doesn’t mean it’s biblical. Assess the religious rules you are following and compare it to the New Testament to make sure you are following God’s Word, rather than denominational requirements.

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

October 27

One of the things I find most delightful in my walk with Jesus is hearing the voice of God. Though I’ve never heard it audibly, God has given me the ability to discern between his voice and my thoughts. He speaks to us all the time, though most people don’t realize it; as soon as your ears open, it registers that you’ve heard him all along.

Hearing his voice didn’t happen overnight; it took me doing a couple of Bible studies before it finally kicked in. The first one was Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby; it is an extensive study with a lot of homework, but it was well worth the work I put into it. The second is Discerning the Voice of God by Pricilla Shirer, it’s not as long, and it has accompanying audio teaching. I began journaling during these studies and finally got the courage to post some of what I was hearing. 

This morning, as I was reading and diligently combing through the scriptures in an orderly fashion, I came upon one of the miracles of Jesus. He had healed a deaf man who had a speech impediment; he first opened his ears so he could hear, then he loosed his tongue. Doesn’t that sound familiar? I genuinely believe this is what he does for us; once you begin hearing him, you have no trouble bringing the truth about Jesus to others. I’m not saying you have to do those two studies to hear him as I did, but it helped me seek him more diligently and has kept me in his Word more consistently. However, you need to know that the scriptures are his voice, and he will refer you back to them in every situation; so if you don’t become a habitual student of the scriptures, you may never hear his voice clearly. 

And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Mark 7:34-35

Here’s a question for the thinkers; why did Jesus sigh?

October 26

We have all seen things happen that can only be attributed to God; miracles or revelations that made an impact on our lives. However, when it comes to believing, we sometimes falter when he tells us to have faith and trust him with our everyday lives. Why? Our hearts are hardened.

One time we were having the electric company help us make our home energy efficient, and because I’m at home most of the time and seldom exposed to others, I decided that my home was my ministry, and that anyone who entered would hear about Jesus. The man who came had left, and I had forgotten to tell him about Jesus, so I prayed. I heard a knock at the door and there he was, he had forgotten to do one thing. That was one prayer answered. When he went back to his truck I asked God to tell me something about him, and I heard God say that he had a sister who was sick. So, when he came back in, I asked him about his sister; he was floored that I knew she was sick, so I told him how I knew, and his faith in God was strengthened. Two prayers answered. Side note: if you ask God for opportunities to share a word about him, he will answer that prayer quickly. Most of the time we don’t ask because of fear.

When I read about the disciples and their lack of belief, I wonder why? It’s because we as humans easily forget the things God has done in our lives or the lives of others. Today, ask God to give you a tender heart, a heart that remembers all the things he has done; it will make it much easier to share him with others if you remember.

Jesus had just fed the 5,000 with the help of the disciples, and this happened next:

but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:49-52

October 25

Don’t you love to eat? Eating is probably my favorite thing to do. Every time there is a celebration, there is food, yummy, delectable morsels that satisfy our taste buds and give us life and strength. If you think about it, our lives revolve around food.

You must eat to keep up your strength. In Genesis, upon creating Adam and Eve, he gave them food to eat. In Mark, Jesus raised a little girl from the dead and told her parents to give her something to eat. When Jesus was raised from the dead, he made himself breakfast; he ate and fed his disciples. Eating proves an appetite and that there is life within you. 

When you accepted Jesus as your Savior and followed that by baptism, it was symbolic of being raised from the dead, and you were given a new life. Do you have a healthy appetite for God’s Word? You should be feasting on the scriptures to prove you are alive and to help you remain strong and spiritually healthy.

Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. Mark 5:41-43

October 24

I, like many of you, have been fretting over this election, so much so that it has become an obsession, and like any obsession, it’s unhealthy. It’s just getting worse as each day passes, especially after reading that a record number of young people have voted, which automatically leads me to believe that they will turn the vote away from pro-life. I was praying this morning, knowing that God is hearing from his elect who are petitioning him repeatedly concerning the turmoil we are in and what we expect to face. As usual, I turned to the scriptures for comfort. I’m in the book of Mark, combing through the parables, but it’s time to move to the next chapter, but I didn’t feel ready, so I backtracked and decided to read the last section of Mark 4, and like usual, Jesus is there asking me and all of us “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” I broke down in tears because here is his answer to our storm. 

I don’t like being in the middle of a storm; it robs me of my tranquility and puts me into the fight or flight mentality. Here I am searching the globe to try and find a place to go to get away from these reprobates who are wreaking havoc on our society, and there is no such place anymore; we're living in the last frontier, and here is Jesus, speaking words to calm the storm, “Peace! Be still!” I know I’m not alone in this; I read your posts. Today is Saturday, the Sabbath; let's use this day to rest our weary minds and focus on Jesus. Then tomorrow, we will be ready to praise and worship him on his day, the LORD’s day. He is our peace in the middle of the storm; there’s no need to worry, he’s in the boat with us!

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 4:39-40

October 23

What talents and gifts do you have that are from the LORD that are sitting unused? He has given us all a measure, but if we don’t use them to benefit his kingdom for his glory, he will take them away. However, when you put them to use, he will give you more. Jesus explains this in the parable of the lamp; you need to let your light shine for all to see, and not hide it under a basket. What if it’s your talent or gift that is necessary to shed light for all to see the evil that is hidden in the darkness? Use it or lose it! 

And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Mark 4:21-25

October 22

I don’t think I’m the only one feeling stress right now, but even with only 12 days left until the election, I don’t think it will go away any time soon. As one of my friends puts it, “so we pray!” Lately, I’ve been praying more than ever. I’m ready for all of this to be over and have some normalcy restored. 

When you are praying, pray for our fellow Christians in Lagos, Nigeria, they are facing times of trouble and need for us to come together as their brothers and sisters in Christ and bring our petitions before God on their behalf. Many young, peaceful protesters were killed by government soldiers and left to die in the streets, while the soldiers blocked the ambulances from going in to help. This atrocity was uncalled for and procured by their corrupt government.

Will we as Americans face this same thing if a corrupt regime takes office? You can count on it. So we pray. The world has gone mad, so we pray. Pray for peace in your heart that only Jesus can give. Praying for someone else will help bring healing to us. In this world, you will have trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

October 21

There are days that I have a lightbulb moment while reading the scriptures, and something obvious is highlighted and explains the situation of today. It’s a sad commentary, and maybe the separation of the goats and the sheep in modern Christianity. Many “Christians” have eyes to see and ears to hear, but they can’t perceive it; I believe these are Christians in name only. Hate is not a trait of a Christian, so if you feel hatred toward anyone, you either need to ask forgiveness or seek salvation. 

There are Christians, in name only, who hate President Trump. I didn’t care for the Obama administration, but I never hated him. I know and love many people who call themselves Christian, that detest and have a severe hatred toward our President; their eyes and ears are closed, their hearts are hardened, and they need our prayer. These are the people who hear an amusing story and laugh at it, but do not understand its meaning, like in the parable of the sower who dropped seeds on rocky ground, and the seed sprang up quickly but had no depth. These are the people that the devil has hoodwinked, and they will be voting for the slaughter of innocent children who are locked in a womb. Hatred and murder are not a fruit of the Spirit.

If these people are successful and vote to install a product of the devil into the Whitehouse, where will we go if their socialistic administration has its way? There is no new land to which we can escape. Surrender everything you have to God today; it’s our only hope for freedom, both physically and mentally.

And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” Mark 4:11-12

October 20

We’re back at home. I’m happy to be out of the cold weather; this Florida blood can’t take those lower temperatures. We did most everything we wanted to do while in the mountains, and have no regrets for the things we didn’t do, but I can’t say that in general; there are things that I didn’t do when I was younger that I regret and I tend to beat myself up over them. 

One recent regret is not insisting that my mother stay the night at my house after the long drive back. It was still early, and her drive home is just an hour away, so I never thought about it again. On her way home, she got into a fender-bender. It wasn’t her fault, but if I had insisted she stay, her car would still be intact. I’ve been beating myself up over it since last night.

There are some things I have to remember; she wasn’t hurt, but she’s probably sore from the jolt, and nothing that either of us did was the cause of this; it was just an unfortunate accident. 

I know a lot of people torture themselves over the things of the past, but God has removed them from his view through your covering of Jesus. Try to let those things go; God can’t see them, and what other people think about you doesn’t matter. Let it go, and live the best life you can from this day forward without looking back in regret.

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Isaiah 43:18

October 19

It’s incredible the difference a little bit of time can make. We were at the cabin in Georgia ten days ago to do some work. It was raining then and slightly cool, and the leaves had hardly begun to change. Two weeks later, the leaves have changed color, are beginning to fall, the weather has cleared, and is much cooler. The difference is dramatic, and it shows how time transforms things. If you are going through a difficult situation today, wait; as the days pass, you will see it change, and hopefully, it will be for the better. However, remember whether your days are good or bad, God is in your midst; rely on him to get you through when it’s bad, but don’t forget to give him praise, and worship him through the shift in your season.

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25-28

October 17

Because of a cold front coming in, we had a mostly overcast day while “leaf looking” in the mountains. We could see the colors, but because of the lack of light, they were somewhat muted. As the day wore on, the clouds broke, and the sun came from behind the clouds and lit up the trees so we could see the spectacular reds and yellows. Though we had some good color in the foothills, we decided to travel to a small town called Highlands; I like Highlands because it is meticulously manicured, and I like things clean and neat. My friends have a home there, so we decided to drive up and look at it. They didn’t tell me that the road was steep and had a few hairpin turns before getting to it. I had to get out of the car once we got there to settle down a bit before the drive into town. They have a breathtaking view of the mountains! When we got into the higher elevations, the colors took on a dramatic change and were vivid; the cooler temperatures must have brought on the color a little earlier than the lower elevations. Though the road was winding and steep, we saw the most striking beauty on that short detour before heading home. My analogy of this day is the closer you get to God, the more beautiful the scenery, but I’m not referring to your physical elevation; I’m comparing it to our growing love for the Lord, the closer you get to him, the more beautiful he becomes, and the life we live upon this earth has a real purpose. 

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. Psalms 27:4-5