October 15

As I slowly make my way into 2 Timothy, I couldn’t help but jump ahead a couple of chapters; don’t worry, I’ll go back. There is no reason for me to comment or give examples or explanations; these verses speak for themselves except where Paul mentions Jannes and Jambres. These men were Pharaoh’s magicians replicating Moses's miracles when the Israelites were trying to get out of Egypt. Please read this and realize that we are in the last days, but remember, it’s the last days for evil, not us.

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. 2 Timothy 3:1-9

October 14

I ran across a story in a chicken group on Facebook that I found interesting, and I thought I would share it. 

From Jennifer Amy to BYC (BackYardChickens) “I woke up to the dreaded feathers everywhere across the lawn this morning. Then I saw something unbelievable along the side of the road. Unfortunately for the fox he didn’t make a clean getaway! The chicken is minus some feathers, but doing well. The turn of events!”

I recognized the story right away. We are that chicken! That clever fox, the devil, has gotten into the hen house and plans to eat us for dinner! Unfortunately for him, we know the ending to this story. He may manage to injure many and pluck a few feathers, but he won’t get away with it! Soon, I expect we will see him dead on the side of the road with the evidence in his mouth, just like that fox. Don’t forget about the chicken in this story; it is doing well and will grow new feathers, maybe even better than the ones she lost!

This is good news for those suffering. May God protect you, snatch you from the mouth of the devil, and avenge you for your pain!

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple. I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalms 30:1-5

October 13

Shortly after a new study reported in the Jerusalem Post that aspirin helps reduce the severity of COVID-19, the media told people to stop taking it! What do you think about that? It made me angry at the audacity of those news outlets conspiring to kill people. Look it up for yourselves, but you have to use a different platform other than Google; they are co-conspirators in this crime against humanity. Aspirin is cheap! However, it will cut into the profits of the pharmaceutical companies who are pushing for you to get their gene therapy, so they must put all their efforts into either debunking the study or find a new reason for you to stop taking this cheap and safe medication. We are living in a tyrannical world! 

October 6

Dr. Jonathan Chow, one of the study's researchers, said, "As we learned about the connection between blood clots and COVID-19, we knew that aspirin — used to prevent stroke and heart attack — could be important for COVID-19 patients. Our research found an association between low-dose aspirin and decreased severity of COVID-19 and death." https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/aspirin-lowers-risk-of-covid-new-findings-support-preliminary-israeli-trial-681127

October 12

(CNN)The US Preventive Services Task Force is considering making several changes to its guidance on taking a daily aspirin to prevent heart disease and stroke... "The latest evidence is clear: starting a daily aspirin regimen in people who are 60 or older to prevent a first heart attack or stroke is not recommended," Task Force member Dr. Chien-Wen Tseng said in a statement. https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/12/health/daily-aspirin-heart-disease-stroke-draft-recommendation-wellness/index.html

I’m not posting this information to make you fearful, but to make you aware of what the devil is doing so you can pray against him, and so you know the truth about world events. I found this interesting and believe it has everything to do with what we are experiencing right now:

Strong's Concordance

apokalupsis: an uncovering

Original Word: ἀποκάλυψις, εως, ἡ

Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine

Transliteration: apokalupsis

Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ok-al'-oop-sis)

Definition: an uncovering

Usage: an unveiling, uncovering, revealing, revelation.

We shouldn’t be afraid of the word apocalypse. It is an unveiling of the truth. We need to know the truth about current events so we can watch as the LORD defeats our enemy! The more you know, the better you will be prepared for the events that are in the making. We are living in an exciting time! I thank God that he trusted me enough to allow me to live through such a time as this.

October 12

My dogs go crazy when someone knocks on the door. If they hear the doorbell or even one on television, insanity begins. When the ice maker drops ice, they think someone is at the door. The way I solve the barking is to open it; they either greet someone, or they can see that no one is there. The trouble is that they don’t learn the difference between the actual doorbell or knock and the fake ones.

Humans aren’t much different. You would think we would learn the difference between what is the truth and what is a lie by looking back on history, but we’ve been fooled so many times by sinister beings that now, we don’t know what is true, even of our history. Time is short. Don’t allow your life to be ruined by believing the latest scandal that takes money out of your pocket or the taxpayer's pockets. More scare tactics are coming, and new illnesses conjured up to put you into a frenzy. Don’t run to the door every time you hear a knock or a doorbell. Please don’t be foolish like my dogs. 

I wanted to get this WARNING out, hopefully, ahead of the censorship: You do not need RiVax, which contains Ricin, for the new “illness,” Marburg. RiVax will kill you. Please do not take it!

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. Luke 12:4

If you need someone to fear, fear God:

But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Luke 12:4-5

October 11

Richard and I spend most of our weekends by the water, but because of red tide, which is algae bloom that kills fish and fills the air with spores, we’ve stayed away for most of the summer. It causes both of us to sneeze and cough. We did go a few times to check on things, but we tried to stay inside, but it’s nearly impossible when you have dogs trained to go potty in the grass. We tried it again this weekend, and thankfully, we were able to breathe freely and enjoy being near the water. After months of looking at the beach from afar, I got to sink my toes in the sand and take a walk to enjoy the waves and the shorebirds. It felt fantastic. 

One day, it will be nice to enjoy everything God created without the interruption of this sinful world and bask in the atmosphere of what was once the Garden of Eden. I’m ready for God to remove the angel guarding the entrance and let us make our way back into the garden of paradise uninterrupted. Note; he doesn’t say that it’s gone, only inaccessible to us. We still live in a depraved world, but one day, he will remove the evil and hopefully allow his faithful followers to enter the garden and dwell there. It may only be a thought, but a girl can dream, can’t she? 

therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:23-24

October 10

Once God decided to create you and give you breath, your blood came to life; life is in our blood. We need all or most of the components of our body to continue living the life he gave us, so why then do we continue to contaminate our bodies with things he never intended for us to inject or consume?

Fear puts us in an awkward position. We are all going to die, and nothing we do will extend or decrease our life span; it’s up to God how long we will live, but it’s up to us to maintain our bodies in good condition. Identify what you consume; if you don’t understand the ingredients, consider it carefully, so you keep a fully functioning body throughout the lifespan God created you to live.

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 1 Timothy 6:6-8

October 9

This past week, I received two different packages that were crushed. One box was dirty and looked like someone dragged it through the mud. The post office delivered one, and FedEx delivered the other, so it’s not one particular company being careless. There could have been sinister actors within those companies because one package was from MyPillow, which a vocal Christian man owns. The other was Cinchona bark, which is used to make tonic water, an herbal remedy that helps with certain illnesses. It might be a coincidence, or the enemy is sending me a message; I think it’s the latter because he knows I look for symbolism in repeated situations.

A box is symbolic of the heart and righteousness, so getting a crushed and dirty box, might mean he’s trying to break me or tempt me to sin, but there’s more! The content inside was in pristine condition, as if nothing had happened to the exterior, not one speck of dirt. He might be able to crush you on the outside, but he can never take what’s holding you together on the inside! I’m telling you this, so you know that the enemy is real, and he knows how to communicate with us if we are paying attention. God also uses circumstances to speak to us, but in this day and age where the enemy’s time is short, you might see him attack or discourage you. Sleep in your armor because you never know when he may choose to weaponize against you or send you an ominous message. Heads-up! This war is real.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

October 8

It’s getting close to the time of year where we can sit outside and enjoy an open fire in the fire pit. We had our pavers installed back in May, but the blocks for the surround for the fire pit were on backorder. So yesterday, we picked them up and tried our hand at creating a wall. Now we wait for a crisp, cool day to light a fire, but for right now, it’s still too hot!

In the Bible, fire is used as a means to purify, to melt down gold and silver to remove the dross. 

John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Luke 3:16

The words Jesus spoke cut to the heart and burned like sulfur to purify us from the evil that creeps in unannounced. The problem we have is not heeding the warnings from him, ignoring his words by going about our world as if he never existed. Because we have accepted him as our Savior, we will pursue a different path and melt away the impurities, thus becoming refined and pure.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11

October 7

I’m trying to stick to the program and get through Timothy, but I seem to get sidetracked and drawn to other books in the Bible. Paul wrote to Timothy to teach him how to lead his church and give him the requirements for enrolling others as leaders. My new goal is to write at least one paragraph for each chapter of the New Testament, but Timothy is challenging me. However, today, I’m in chapter 6, and there it is! The most misquoted verse in the Bible! 

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 1 Timothy 6:10

The love of money is not the root of ALL evil, but ALL KINDS OF EVIL! I would say the love of power ranks up there with the love of money. Then, some people have hate in their hearts, and that alone makes them evil. My lesson today: stop misquoting this verse, and stop anyone who does. Evil can come from many other sources, but money is only one of them.

October 6

Was anyone else hoping Facebook wouldn’t come back up after the blackout? All hopes were dashed when it came back online. What do you think was going on? Was it self-imposed so they could clean up their records because their whistleblower was testifying before congress? The conspiracy theories are running amok, though some sounded plausible. I think it was a “warning shot across the bow” or the “shot heard around the world” because the outage affected people from everywhere. I never realized how much it disturbed my peace until it was gone; I felt so relieved knowing it was out. I stopped checking my phone and lived a normal life for a few hours. Is it time for all of us to lay it down and move on with a healthy, normal life unencumbered by the tentacles of social media? It’s been a good run, reaching beyond our walls to bring the message of hope through Jesus, but now that the message has spread throughout the world, maybe it’s time to live our lives in reality, and give up the gossip and move on to bigger and better things. It’s just a thought. What do you think?

Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 1 Timothy 5:13

October 5

I grew up in the country and have been around animals all my life, but never have I ever been attacked by a chicken! However, we never had roosters at my childhood home, but we did raise some to eat one time. My father-in-law has chickens and hasn’t been feeling well, so feeding them fell on my husband, and then to me whenever he’s too busy to go there. Yesterday, while feeding them, I got spurred and scratched up by one of two roosters! Imagine attacking the person feeding you, but it happens all the time with humans to one another. That rooster is lucky to be alive; he got smacked in the head a couple of times with the bucket I was carrying and almost became dinner! There is an answer to spiritual warfare; use your prayer and rebuke to give the devil and his cronies a good smack in the head, and the next time you enter their territory, they will remember that you will bring down trouble if they bother you. However, don’t overdo it with your words, a simple “the Lord rebuke you” will be sufficient. I don’t imagine I will ever be attacked by that rooster again; he knows who’s boss and will remember the headache I gave him.

But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” Jude 1:9

October 4

Yesterday, I talked about what you consume and how everything created by God is good. I, like many, have a sugar craving. I know it causes inflammation in my system and that I should avoid it. However, we had a family gathering for my father-in-law’s birthday, and there was cake and sweets, and I couldn’t resist. I slept late and ultimately had trouble coming up with a story this morning. I have better mental clarity when I eat only low carb, high protein foods; I know my system because the Holy Spirit gave me insight into the best choices that help me sustain my health. Most likely I will be fasting today. 

When I fast, my whole system becomes clean, and it helps restore my mental awareness. Fasting is healthy and creates autophagy which is good for ridding your body of the bad cells, so I’m sure that’s why the Bible recommends it. Fasting resets your system so you can start fresh again. If you are having issues with mental clarity, try fasting and make it a point to eliminate sugar and see how your mind and body react; I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6

October 3

When I was at a recent event, someone mentioned that an individual close to them asserted that the Bible says we shouldn’t eat red meat because it still has blood in it. I’m sure they got their information from the passage in Leviticus where God says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” Even the Israelites still ate beef. I’ve gone through issues with eating certain things, but in the end, I realized that if God made it, we shouldn’t call it unclean. However, if we are convicted that we shouldn’t eat something, it could be the Holy Spirit telling us to refrain. I have an allergic reaction to shellfish, so I know I can’t eat it. Specific warnings may only pertain to us that are not necessarily for the general public. We must be careful with our understanding of God’s word and rightly divide the word of truth. 

If you needed another reason to pray before your meal, besides Jesus telling us to, Paul makes a good case in the following verses. I’ve also included the whole passage because it pertains to what we see in society today, and Paul, through the Holy Spirit, said it better than I ever could.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:1-5

October 2

My dogs get up early for me to take them out, but who am I kidding? Coco only gets up early because she likes to eat! A few things made me realize that it would be a good day; I’m overlooking the beach and the intercostal, it’s always great to wake up on the beach, and the moon had a smile on its face! The air is cool, well, for Florida standards, it’s cool, and the coffee smells extra good today. Now, I’m waiting for the sun to make its appearance so I can snap a picture of it for you to see. 

This weekend is full of activity for me, and when I get a moment of pure joy, I take it all in, praise God for his goodness and mercy, and for giving me a glimpse of what heaven will be like when all the cares of the world are aligned as he wants them. 

Though the world is in chaos, mine seems okay right now, and I’m thankful the God created me for such a time as this. I may not always tread carefully on subjects of today, but God always brings me back to that which he commissioned me; to help Christians release all their cares and become truly free as God had intended when Jesus came to walk with us. Embrace your days; there’s always hope when you have Jesus. 

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:4-5

October 1

The ground is dry again from the lack of rain, and my landscape is suffering. Late yesterday afternoon, I decided to do some watering. Richard had recently moved the hose to another spigot, but I needed it at a different one. As I tried to move it, I realized that he had tightened it more than I could loosen, so I went in and got a pair of pliers. Well, that didn’t work either. Instead, I accidentally broke the whole thing off, and water began shooting out of the wall! Fortunately, he knows how to fix everything, and he came to save the day.

There are times we can’t hear from the LORD, and our communication feels like it’s drying up, and all we want is for God to turn the spigot back on so his Spirit flows again. You can’t force him to turn his communication back on because it wasn’t him that stopped communicating; it is our hearing loss that cuts it off. You have the tools to turn it back on. I equate breaking off the spigot to the occasional “being slain in the Spirit,” as you see in Pentecostal churches; it’s not wrong, but I prefer a nice even flow of the Holy Spirit throughout my day like the shower setting on my spray nozzle. Devote yourself to prayer and the reading of your Bible; those are your tools. When you commit to doing that, the lines of communication will open back up!

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 1 Timothy 4:13

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 44:3

September 30

One of the privileges of being a grandparent is getting to spend time with our grandchildren. Yesterday, while my daughter took my other grandson to the doctor, I spent time with Ethan, our youngest grandson. He is full of life and energy. He thinks he’s grown up and won’t let me hold him like a baby. He’s also astute for an 18-month-old and knows how to play his mom; as she and his brother walked out the door, he started making a ruckus, but as soon as she got about two steps past the door, he turned it off. It was so funny; I thought to myself, “that little toot knows exactly what he’s doing.” What a mess! He’s also a very rough and tumble boy, no weird pronouns for this kid; he's all boy, make no mistake about it! 

I was trying to get a picture of us together when he climbed up on the couch to sit with me, but after I snapped a couple, he had had enough and tackled me. He’s a handful, but no more than any of our other grandsons; his Pawpaw is a handful too, so I attribute his rambunctiousness to him.

Though we may feel we are living in a time of uncertainty, it’s our time, and God gave it to us because we are a special bunch; do your best to live it, don’t hide from it, embrace it! Make the best of your moments, and God will bless your effort.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Psalms 127:3-5

September 29

We are finally getting a little break from the heat and humidity, so I decided to get out my fall decor. The house I moved from in May was a little bit bigger than the one I’m in now, but most of the extra space was in the bedrooms and closets. I do miss the storage space! When I decorated for fall, I had plenty; however, in the new house, I have more living area, and the decor seems thin.

So, I ventured out to Hobby Lobby and browsed through the holiday decorations. To my surprise, the fall decor was sparse, but I still found a few key pieces to add to my collection. After getting the fall stuff, I decided to look at the Christmas decor because now that I saw how quickly they ran out of fall, I decided that I needed to get a jump on Christmas. They have some Christmas, but had not yet gotten it all displayed, so that was a bit disappointing. I have plenty of Christmas decor, but can you really have too much? 

There is a point to this story; we must keep living. Even though there is a lot of nonsense going on in the world that is causing fear and anxiety, remember, we are not part of the world. We have a Father who loves us and has promised us the restoration of our soul, to feed us as the enemy watches, and to pour in our cup more than we can drink of his Holy Spirit. He is protecting us, and we should not fear. He has mercy on us, and his comforter dwells within us. Do not fret over what you hear in the back channels; take a break, do some decorating, and enjoy the new season.

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23:1-6

September 28

These are my notes from September 28, 2015

Be flexible, so you don't get bent out of shape. 

A big change is coming to the world you live in. 

During this time of change, you must be flexible. The situation may require it.

Why is our president (Obama) aligning himself with communist dictators? Most recently, over the past few weeks, Cuban leader Castro, China's dictator Zedong a few days ago, and Russia's Putin sometime this week. What is he doing now? Why are we just letting this happen? 

To the followers of Christ: We must do whatever possible to bring our country back into the goodness of the Lord and turn it from the evil path that is on. The Lord is not going to continue to bless our nation if we keep pushing Him out. 

Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation, before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you. Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger. Zephaniah‬ ‭2:1-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

September 27

After a refreshing weekend, it’s nice to feel rejuvenated to take on another week. Today is the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. According to scripture, there were fewer sacrifices offered for that particular day. Today is a day of joy and celebration. 

“With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3. 

Jesus is our water source. Draw from him when you are thirsty; he is the living water that gives us total satisfaction. By drawing from him, living water will bubble over and flow from you. Drink from his well, and never be thirsty again. 

Celebrate this last day of the feast with joy in your heart and thankfulness for the eternal life he has given us. 

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38

September 26

The truth is that if the people of this world don’t have Jesus, it doesn’t matter what’s going on politically. Nothing can protect them from what’s coming. Our time on earth is limited and waning. If we are enslaved by rulers and brought into submission by tyrants, those of us who are saved still have Jesus; no matter what they do to us, they cannot take him away, but the unsaved have nothing. Klaus Schwab said, “You’ll own nothing, and you’ll be happy about it.” The material things of this world are only temporary; they don’t belong to us anyway; God owns everything. He is the one who has allowed evil to exist, and he will be the one to remove them; hopefully, it’s soon. Who will survive if he doesn’t? 

Until we get a reprieve from Jesus, do your best to be informed. Carefully investigate the contents of your food and medications. Make sure that it is safe and includes nutritious ingredients that are helpful and not harmful. Become an advocate for yourself and refrain from depending on others to tell you what is safe to consume. If you knew what was in some of the things we allow into our bodies, you would start a farm and grow your own food and medication! Until that happens, stay informed and do your best to help the unsaved come to know Jesus.

Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. Isaiah 3:10-11