Righteousness by Faith part 10: Relationship

Hope you all are having a great day! May God bless you in a special way today! :O) 

CH 16 Kept by the Word- LESSONS ON FAITH – Audiobook 📚📕🎧

Freebie Friday

So my favorite little thrift store is putting out much less- sometimes NONE at all - like hardly ever putting free stuff out now.. That is the reason why I have not had as many freebie posts lately. It was really fun to go through the boxes of stuff- most of it was junk or things I would not use but it was so fun to look - I miss it. 

This weeks post is a little surprise that I got when I went to help with our church's food pantry.  Our Director had some plants for us to choose from~ When I got there - there was cantaloupe, water melon or sweet banana pepper plant. I chose the Sweet Banana Pepper plant! I was so excited to get it - I had been a bit tempted to get one when I was buying some pepper plants - but with plants being $4.48 now -I had passed on buying one. So this was a real blessing to me!!! 

The pink heart says: "Thank you for helping our ministry grow!"

What a blessing - to have the ability to bless others to to show God's love in a tangible way. And what 

a blessing to have a plant that I had wanted! :O) 

My Best Deal

 This great toy was found last week! When I saw it - I almost didn't even open it up - because I was afraid that I would not be able to get it closed. Glad I opened it up. It is an awesome toy! So much creativity will be had by the grandchildren with this great toy! When I looked it up - I saw it as high as $75 -several places lower. 

I think we got a great deal for $8/00!! 

Click here to check it out on Amazon - many photos of what can be done with this great toy! 

Hi! What's Up?

 Good News! I have a something to share about on my Freebie Friday posts this week- hoping I get it posted sometime before then. I also have a Best Deal of the week and hoping to get it posted as well. I also have several ideas of posts I want to write about - things I have found to be important and great reminders for us all. 

Today I will be taking care of our youngest grandson- who is 3 months old today. He is taking a nap and will be waking up to eat soon but I wanted to take this time to get on here and say Hi. And let you all know I have not forgotten about my blog I have just been very busy - with life, our garden, tornado clean up, etc. But I will do my best to get these posts typed up soon. 

I hope you all are doing well. Take care and know that God loves you!! :O) 

Righteousness by Faith part 9: Assurance

Happy Sabbath! :O) 

CH 15 Ministers Of God- LESSONS ON FAITH – Audiobook

The Ultimate Use of a Tree

Before I ever started this blog - I was really not into writing but I heard something on the radio that happened on Earth Day and I really felt like I needed to write something about my feelings on the subject. So I wrote what is below and I posted it on Facebook. The next year - on Earth day my friend, Susan, posted this as her status on Facebook :"while celebrating Earth day, don't forget to celebrate the creator, not just the creation." So very true, couldn't have said it better myself.

This is something I like to share every Earth Day - just as a reminder

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Last year on Earth Day I heard on the radio how there was a group of people that went out to some forest and cried and yelled for the trees that have been cut down- they even said "I love you" to the trees.

As I thought about this, I realized that what was truly sad was that these people did not realize that in the Bible it is clear that God created the world and all that is in it for us. There are several examples that I can think of right of hand where trees were used in the Bible. Trees were used to build the Ark. Trees were used to build some of the furniture in the Tabernacle(then overlaid in gold.) And we must not forget trees were also used for the cross that our Jesus was crucified on.

I think we have lost our focus when we cry out publicly for the things in which God created, instead of for our Creator. Our focus has truly been lost because the ultimate gift was in the death of Jesus upon that wooden cross. And because of His death we have the gift of salvation. Will we accept it?

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"His Cross and Mine" series #8

  "His Cross and Mine" 

by 

Meade MacGuire 

"Above all philosophy, all science, and all other learning of this world, Paul exalted the knowledge of Christ crucified as the one supreme and indispensable truth." 

2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 

1 Corinthians 2:2

Righteousness by Faith part 8: The Cross

May God bless you in a special way! :O) 

CH 14 A Dead Formalism-2 - LESSONS OF FAITH – Audiobook

What Do We Do?

 As I was looking up Bible verses on compassion - google has a question that caught my attention: 

"What is compassion according to the Bible?" 

"To have compassion means to empathize with someone who is suffering and to feel compelled to reduce the suffering. It's a fuller, truer definition than feelings alone, and it's a very Biblical understanding."  

Not only to feel sorry for them but to want to help them not suffer as much. 

So while I was going through some of the google question suggestions another one caught my eye: 

What is the opposite of compassion? 

Sometimes in order to get a fully understanding of a word it is good to dig a little deeper. 

Opposite of "Compassion" 

• Indifference 
• Heartlessness 

Similar words: 

• sympathy 
• empathy
• understanding
• care
• concern
• brotherly love

"Be kind and compassionate to one another., forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." 

Ephesians 4:32 

"Finally, all of you, be like minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 

1 Peter 3:8

There it is again and again- God calling us to be compassionate to one another! 

What do we do when others are suffering -

 do we look the other way?

 do we do what we can to help them? 

do we try to brighten their day? 

do we ignore them and get on with our own lives? 

"His Cross and Mine" series #7

  "His Cross and Mine" 

by 

Meade MacGuire 

"If those who today are teaching the word of God, would uplift the cross of Christ higher and still higher, their ministry would be far more successful. If sinners can be led to give one earnest look at the cross, if they can obtain a full view of the crucified Saviour, they will realize the depth of God's compassion and the sinfulness of sin. 

'Christ's death proves God great love for man. It is our pledge of salvation. To remove the cross from the Christian would be like blotting the sun from the sky. The cross bring us near to God, reconciling us to Him. With the relenting compassion of a Father's love, Jehovah looks upon the suffering that His Son endured in order to save the race from eternal death, and accepts us in the Beloved. 

'Without the cross, man could have no union with the Father. On it depends our every hope. From it shines the light of the Saviour's love; and when at the foot of the cross the sinner looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling in faith at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain.' " 

(including a quote from Acts of the Apostles as well - last half ) 

Could This Be The Word Of The Year?

One day as I was working on cleaning up my garden area - I realized that this tornado had really been traumatic for me. Being woken up to the scary noises and the power going out and trying to figure out what was going on, caused me to start shaking and it lasted for about 20 minutes. My husband got a big flashlight and he was trying to see what damage he could see.

We turned on the ham radio to the weather net and listened to the reports of things going on and at first what I thought was that there was another tornado headed our direction - and that added to my fear. 

There has been a lot of clean up. Yes- It could have been so much worse, but that does NOT diminish the facts that it is still a traumatic experience. Something so powerful can in seconds, without warning rip through and cause so much damage and you are powerless.

I now know that I will be someone who can sympathize with those who likewise go through a tornado. I have been sad for them in the past, of course, but once you have been through it - you can truly have compassion.

So will "Compassion" be my word for the year? I don't know but I do believe it will at least be the word for the month! 

Are We Following His Instructions?

 The tornado that went through our property at 10:58 Sunday night has provoked alot of thoughts and feelings and I feel like I need to share. Maybe this is a message you need to hear. I don't know. I just know that I have been prompted to share. I am guessing it'll be over several different posts because there has been so many things on my mind. 

The tornado ripped through my garden- the space I have been working on for the last several years to make it a little bit of paradise here on earth. We don't travel much - I much prefer to stay home. And decided instead of spending money on trips away from home home why not spend that money on my own property to make it a place to enjoy. That way I can have mini vacations when I walk around my garden and work there or just to enjoy it. And when the fence panels rip through your hard work and damage things, damaging and killing plants along the way, it is traumatic. And when I look out there or go out there- many times I am overwhelmed with emotions. 

One of my clothes line's posts had the tee part busted off- by flying fence panels. So this week while pulling things out of the wash machine- I was reminded - No you can't go hang that up. And it made me sad. Especially since I found 2 nice towels, a hand towel and a wash cloth at the thrift store for a pretty good deal- SO I had extra towels that I would have loved to have hung up to dry, but no.... : ( 

There have been many emotional moments over last week. I try not to dwell on the sadness. I try to start praising God that there wasn't more damage done. Praising God can change your attitude and it has really helped because I am experiencing less and less sad moments. 

All of this has reminded me of a verse in the Bible: 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

What really stands out to me and the main reason I chose the NIV to share is ~ 
"the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort" and then the part "SO that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 

God has compassion for us and calls us to be compassionate with others who are suffering. Are you following His instructions? Just something for us to think about today. 

 "God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters/" 

John Henry Jowett 

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Righteousness by Faith part 7: Forgiveness

Praying that this short video will bless you- well worth your time to watch! :O) 

CH 13 A Dead Formalism-1 - LESSONS ON FAITH – Audiobook

"His Cross and Mine" series #6

  "His Cross and Mine" 

by 

Meade MacGuire 

"The Song._ And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Rev. 5:9 

The theme of this song should stir the heart of every child of Adam. It is the theme which along can express the joy and gratitude of the redeemed; the theme which thrills the myriads of unfallen angels; the song which rejoices the heart of the Omnipotent One, the song of praise to the Lamb who poured out His life to atone for the sins of a perishing world." 

It Shook Me Up - BIG TIME

 So at about 11pm last night I was woke up to a tornado going through. We lost about 200 ft or more of our wooden fence - poor chickens - they have to stay in their pen till we can get some chicken wire fencing up for them and another section on the other side of the yard fixed. 

We did not have power for like 6 hours - so of course we had a hard time sleeping - we were up for a couple of hours with all the stress. My husband was able to see some of the damage - but did not realize the whole extent of damage till this morning when the sun came out. 

Lots of damage to my garden area - fence panels were actually lifted and taken 50 feet or so - over a metal fence that divided chicken yard from garden - and then damaged my cattle panels that were up on tee posts - 5 of the 6 cattle panels are down - a couple of tee posts are actually bent! 

A metal shed was flipped onto its back and moved away from where it had been. 

Our front yard looks like a shingles cemetary. 

A large branch from tree in front yard was down - over our driveway. 

I will try to share some photos as I can. Right now we are trying to get things take care of so that the chickens can have a bit more freedom. 

I will also need to update you all on my ER visit a week ago or so and the follow ups needed for that. For now just know I will try to get on here and up date when I can. 

Righteousness by Faith part 6: Repentance

Wow! It's already April. :O) 

CH 12 Sinful Flesh- LESSONS ON FAITH – Audiobook 📚🎧