Category: God

Categories
Faith family God good Hope Jesus joy Life retirement

The Joy of the Lord is Your STRENGTH – Tuesdays are for Thinking #3

My Sugar Boogas!!

Peach says:

Some thoughts. We lost my Dad on 1 January of this year. It hits me in sharp moments, out of the blue. Like a sneak attack. 💔

There’s been lots of joy this year as well. Batman’s first year of retirement! 🥰❤️🎉🎉👏🏻👏🏻 First full year of SEVEN grandchildren!! 😍🤗 And more good and more hard, and unexpected things besides.

You know, life is like that. It’s not all one thing, right? It’s not just one emotion. it’s processes and pain, and joy and excitement, hope and forgiveness.

I’ve seen in those I love, and experienced myself, grief like I never expected. I’ve seen and experienced wonderful moments of love, and joy, faith and hope right in the middle of it all. Thank God for the WONDER and the GOOD right in the middle of it all, even in the pain.

God is SO faithful, and I do not say that lightly. He really, truly is. The good thing about being in your 50s and having been walking with Jesus for almost 29 years is you learn a lot, hopefully! (though I had a L-O-N-G way to go, and STILL do have a long way to go! 😂😂). But, you do, you learn that nothing but Jesus is permanent. Everything else is learning and moving and loving and living and dying and beginning, and ending and enduring and outlasting, and forgiving and making new ways, it’s a LOT of moving pieces. And the Lord is with us through it all. Making us able. Helping us do the right thing. To have His heart. To believe in and hope for the best, once more again. To be flexible. To give, because it’s right. To surrender. To take that first step or maybe make that first move. To get up and go again. To savor the good today, and shake off the dust from the bad yesterday. And if today is bad, you can shake it off, too, and tomorrow, walk in the new. Jesus has already gone ahead of You, and He has provision for you there! And He’s right here with you in the now, to help you in the going.

We don’t wait to be happy, (and yes, I agree, happiness and joy are different, but that’s for another post!) we choose the happy on the way and in the process, or else we will never be happy. Sometimes we forget this, and that’s ok, as long as we stick with Jesus and have a few Godly, Jesus loving people around us, to just remind us by how they live, that we get to choose. Happy is possible. On the way.

And all of that is to say today I thought about Nehemiah 8:10 “…the Joy of the Lord is your Strength”, and Y’all it’s no joke. I wanted to boil it down for you, but of course I couldn’t quite get there. (It’s SO BIG, Y’all!! 🤗) Trust me, this IS the short version! 😂 But, the full verse 10 is this —> “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: NEITHER BE YE SORRY; for the JOY of the Lord IS YOUR STRENGTH.”

Really you need verses 9-11 to really appreciate it…but His joy, is our STRENGTH…joy is that everlasting, enduring quality we are able to have through our confidence in Him, His character, His presence, His love for us, in spite of temporary conditions, (and everything on this side of Heaven is temporary).

The love of a father and son is a joy to behold!

He makes us able to choose joy, and that will give us great strength, like a fortress for us, that makes us untouchable, where it really counts, in our spirit.

To ‘be not sorry’, was the priests urging the people not to grieve so much that they wore grooves into their face, they had grieved, and that was good and necessary, but don’t stay there. Choose to celebrate, to eat the best, drink the sweet, send good things to those who weren’t established and therefore didn’t have the same wherewithal, because ‘this day is holy to the Lord.’

And so the people did. Because they understood they were God’s people and He loved them, and He had a Good way for them to live. And now that they knew this, (they had just learned how badly they had broken God’s laws their entire lives) they would now be learning how to live a NEW way, (well, new to them), walking with Him. And that was something to celebrate! Not grieve for the wrong they had done, so much so that they couldn’t enjoy the newness of life WITH Him.

We sometimes have to grieve, then we let it go. Then we celebrate. The life that’s still here. That’s new every day. All the time. A gift. And share. Share with those that aren’t established in this good news. The JOY of the Lord is your STRENGTH.

I think I’d like us to talk about the difference between happiness and joy in a future exploration! Percolating!

We really appreciate y’all coming by to visit! We always hope to have something entertaining, thought provoking, or uplifting for you here!

Peace and love, Y’all! Peace and love!

Peach

Categories
Encouragement Faith fishing God good grace nature rest

The River

I could never get enough of this river!

Peach says:

Recently we went a few days getaway up in northwest Georgia. The cabin had all the things we needed to enjoy a few quiet days, on the river, feeding the numerous and friendly deer, and fishing!

I, personally, left the fishing to Batman and our youngest son who came with us! All I wanted to do was take a few pictures to try to capture some memories and read my book!

It was very restful and peaceful and refreshing! There were all sort of geese along with the fish here and there. And the deer, well, EVERYWHERE!

The river was the star of the show for me. I couldn’t stop looking at it. It was in the back yard, there was all kinds of seating and it was just beautiful. The whole time of our visit it was consistent in the way it flowed and gurgled and splashed its way over the rocks. Sparkling and inviting in all of its activities!

I spent vacation looking for messages from the Lord in our time of much needed rest and recreation! For me, I came away with two things. The biggest message was the river itself, steady, flowing, lush and sparkling, ever onward without fail or ebbing, just constant. It made me think of the Goodness of God, always in front of us, so much that it’s more than we can grab hold of, more than we can really comprehend, the overflowing, never ending, always available Goodness of God! Always available to us, to jump in and get all we can, be immersed in, splash around, we can’t contain it, but it is always there for us!

He’s taught me about His goodness in a similar fashion years before.

The world is a wild place these days. A hurting and confused place. It needs the Goodness of God. It needs us, each of us, as the Church to be immersed in His goodness so much that we overflow with the love, the peace, the joy, the patience, the provision that He makes available to us, so we leave a trail of His goodness wherever we go.

He made us agents of His grace and mercy, His Kingdom way of living. It doesn’t mean we don’t fail, flail and fall, but it means He is able to work in us to bring His way of living to bear wherever we go.

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” — 1 John 3:8b

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 5:19-21

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” — John 10:10

Listen! Steady on she flows! The overflowing GRACE of God for us!

Listen to that, Y’all! ‘Have and ENJOY life, and have it in ABUNDANCE, to the full, til it OVERFLOWS!!’, flowing like that river, Y’all! Flowing, flowing, flowing! Steady, steady, steady, over the rocks, around the dips and valleys…matter of fact a low place just means MORE WATER!! (Aka more GRACE!!) Nothing stops it! His goodness is coming to bear in our lives! Destroying the works of the enemy!! Healing our sin problem, delivering us from the curse, sin, death and the grave! Giving us a new heart! Sending us forth as containers of His GOODNESS.

I want to add that as beautiful as His plan is, we spend an inordinate amount of time down on ourselves, down on our many ways we fall short. I’m learning though, that His grace just comes in stronger, filling in that low spot in us, in our relationships, and in our counterproductive little habits and our idiosyncrasies that trip us up. In our weakness, we need to be claiming and expecting His strength to come in, His Grace is made perfect in our weakness.

“But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!” — 2 Corinthians 12:9.

He is able to, Y’all! — “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” —2 Corinthians 9:8

We are imperfect, and that’s no surprise to Him! Just keep floating in that grace River, Y’all! That’s where you will find me!!

Every Sunday and Monday, I start the week thankful for the previous week and blessings and mercies of the Lord in our family, in our lives. It is good for me to remember and look for His hand upon our lives, with gratitude. Then I ask with great expectation for His Spirit to move upon us again, in an Ephesians 3:20 — “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]”

Let Your River (of your goodness and grace) flow, Lord, flow right over me!! Flow over my family! Let it flow right over every person and their loved ones who read this, Lord! We look to You and your goodness!!

Oh, taste and see, the Lord, He is good!! Psalm 34:8.

Happy Monday, Y’all!

Peach

Huck and Tom!

Categories
80’s Faith God Hope impossible Music possible

🎶 Just Some Fun Trips Down Musical Memory Lane 🎶

Peach says:

Because the world can’t make enough British Murder Mysteries (of the sort we both like) we from time to time watch our ‘Rob Squad Reaction’ Channel, and take a Bee-Bop down memory lane.

Then every once in awhile, we go on an all out Rock and Roll binge of (mostly) 80s rock.

And as a completely sold out, Biblically rooted Jesus loving girl, I know we are not to be ‘stuck’ in the past. But, can I just ask if we can we just have the 80s back? I mean, the movies, the music, the vibes, everything was so hopeful! *Sigh*

I know the dissatisfaction we are all feeling is serving a good purpose. To cause us to search for The Only Real One, in a world of decidedly UNREAL.

But, I digress! I’m going to just leave some links to fun videos. Nothing new, all oldies AND goodies!

Eddie Rabbit – ‘I Love a Rainy Night’

Joan Jett ‘I Love Rock and Roll’

Stevie Wonder ‘Signed, Sealed and Delivered’

Pretenders ‘Brass in Pocket’

Def Leopard ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’

Batman use to play this real loud as the boys and I waved him good bye on his way to work at night. We had a saying that he was going to ‘catch the bad guys and keep the peace’ ♥️
‘St Elmo’s Fire’ – John Parr
Iconic of that time. Sad (to me) story, my Baby Sis wanted to watch this movie with me, she really thought we would enjoy it. It has a young star (Demi Moore) from the epic (at the time) General Hospital, who later married Bruce Willis! Sadly, I never made that moment happen. So, I’ve never watched the movie. It just makes me sad for an invitation I never followed up on. Cats in the Cradle and all that. Don’t worry! She didn’t hold it against me! 🌸💞

While those times were simpler by far, and I can’t see, or hear a video from back then, or watch a movie from the 80s, without feeling the tug of the sheer, wide open, hopefulness and the ‘sky was the limit’ that that age was saturated in, I do know the times we are in, here and now, are an absolute privilege to be in.

As the story the Lord is telling, of the age we are in, begins to draw to a climax, there is a growing awareness we live in significant times and there is so much to be done! It can feel overwhelming and quite daunting really. But, if we take heart, and draw strength and wisdom from the One Who Made Us, each day, one day at a time, there is grace, so much grace to do more than we imagine!

With God, all things are possible, and the sky isn’t even the limit! Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him! (Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, and 2 Corinthians 2:9)

Peace, hope and love, Y’all!

Peach

Categories
Easter Faith forgiveness God grace Hope Jesus Love

Day 3 He is Risen

Matthew 28: 1 – 6

1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Categories
bible Faith forgiveness God grace Hope Uncategorized

Day 1 of 3

Matthew 27:62 – 66

62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

Categories
Faith Father God grace Jesus Word

Covenant

“But WITH THEE WILL I ESTABLISH MY COVENANT; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.” — Genesis 6:18

Peach says:

Do you remember the great financial crisis of 2008? It was a humdinger. There are those who say something even more substantial is approaching. But, that’s not my wheelhouse.

If you recall, a large factor was the housing bubble collapsing. But, it wasn’t that people weren’t buying homes. People were getting mortgages and then a great number couldn’t or wouldn’t pay. So much so, that the banks were short on funds. Investment firms were short on funds. This made a great cascade effect.

Individuals, banks, investment firms, pension funds, cities, businesses — many, many, many could no longer keep their word. Because too many had promised too freely for too long and things went sideways.

As I listened to the news back then (which I often did then, but no longer do), I was reminded that our society no longer understands giving and keeping your word, and have no comprehension whatsoever of covenant at all. It’s not a thing discussed or talked about, or (with great exception) modeled.

It got me started thinking, how can we raise up a people who know they have a covenant making and keeping God, who has made a pledge to them, if they are willing to be in relationship with Him, UNLESS they learn this term, unless their mind becomes aware of the sacred significance of giving your word? And keeping it.

“Now THEREFORE, OUR GOD, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, WHO KEEPEST COVENANT and MERCY, LET NOT ALL THE TROUBLE SEEM LITTLE BEFORE THEE, THAT HATH COME UPON US, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

Howbeit THOU ART JUST IN ALL THAT IS BROUGHT UPON US; for THOU HAVE DONE RIGHT, but WE HAVE DONE WICKEDLY:

NEITHER HAVE OUR KINGS, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, KEPT THY LAW, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

For THEY HAVE NOT SERVED THEE IN THEIR KINGDOM, and IN THY GREAT GOODNESS THAT THOU GAVEST THEM, and IN THE LARGE AND FAT LAND WHICH YOU GAVEST before them, NEITHER TURNED THEY FROM THEIR WICKED WORKS.

BEHOLD, WE ARE SERVANTS THIS DAY and FOR THE LAND that THOU GAVEST UNTO OUR FATHERS to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, BEHOLD, WE ARE SERVANTS IN IT:

And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us BECAUSE OF OUR SINS: also THEY HAVE DOMINION OVER OUR BODIES, AND over OUR CATTLE AT THEIR PLEASURE, AND WE ARE IN GREAT DISTRESS.

And BECAUSE OF ALL THIS WE MAKE A SURE COVENANT, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

Nehemiah 9:32-38.

Here a remnant of the Jewish people have gathered to rebuild their city, rebuild the wall, come back to the covenant their God had cut with them through Abraham and reiterated through Moses and through David. They judged Him faithful and righteous and pled mercy that they may live in freedom and in righteous covenant with Him as intended, once again.

Covenant: a formal, solemn, and binding agreement: a written agreement or promise under seal, between two or more parties, under seal, especially for the performance of some action. A pledge: to make a covenant by promise.

In the Biblical times a pledge would be marked by blood, or by salt, quite frequently.

The Bible mentions covenant 280 times.

“Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart… In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. HE THAT SWEARETH TO HIS OWN HURT, AND CHANGETH NOT….He that doeth these things SHALL NEVER BE MOVED.— Psalm 15:1-2,4,5b

We are made in the image of God. He is a sacred promise/pledge maker and keeper. Jesus taught the wisdom of counting the costs before undertaking an endeavor. Don’t do things lightly. Be aware. Be all in. Trust Him for your weaknesses in order to see it through.

“But THOU SHALT REMEMBER THE LORD THY GOD: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH HIS COVENANT WHICH HE SWARE UNTO THY FATHERS, as it is this day.” — Deuteronomy 8:18

Batman is super affirming of me and those he is close to. Not quick to criticize. It has always been that way for us in our relationship. So, on the rare occasions he speaks a criticism, a correction, it really carries weight and gets my full attention.

In the early days of our marriage he pointed out that I could be quick to speak good things I wanted to do, but maybe not so quick to follow through. Those were not his words, but the essence of it. But, it was about 32 years ago, and I still remember where we were. I, right there in that moment, mentally took stock and KNEW he was speaking the truth. And I also KNEW, that I wanted to permanently do better. From that point on, I have made a focused effort to take stock, make a mental and/or heart assessment before making my commitment.

Yes, if we will be teachable, keep a listening heart, God will speak to us through our loved ones, especially our spouses.

It has served me well, though the failures, the misses hurt, I press on. Thank God for grace and for renewal and for training us, bit, by bit!

“If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.” —

Hebrews 8 (especially verses 6-12) is a chapter that I strongly urge you to read, as it explains how the first covenant was for a time and season, but was always intended to be replaced by a new and even better covenant. That’s how the Lord works, everything improves, ‘(the path of the just is as the shining sun, shining more and more unto the perfect day.’ Proverbs 4.)

An excerpt from Hebrews 8: “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” Hebrews 8:6-7

He’s a covenant keeping God! He’s our Father and He has made us for a purpose and has good plans for us. He has indeed counted the cost. He’s all in, in His good plans and purposes for us. We are made in His image, and I just stopped by to say we will not be as fulfilled as we long to be until we discover the joy of functioning as made. To be people of our word, who are careful to swear to our own hurt. Be all in. Pray. Seek (ask Him) daily for His wisdom. Then go fulfill those words. He grows us in our vision, our patience, our faith, our endurance, our generosity, our persistence, our heart…He does a work in us as we partner with Him to be a people of our word, because He is a God of His word. He is trustworthy, we are His children, His sons and daughters, and He helps us fulfill our word.

If we want our society, or even our own lives to be better, we must do the work, BY FAITH, THROUGH GRACE, to be and do better.

I think being a people of our word is a great place to start.

“NOW THE GOD OF PEACE, THAT BROUGHT AGAIN FROM THE DEAD OUR LORD JESUS, THAT GREAT SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP, THROUGH THE BLOOD OF EVERLASTING COVENANT, MAKE YOU PERFECT (complete) IN EVERY GOOD WORK TO DO HIS WILL, WORKING IN YOU THAT WHICH IS WELLPLEASING IN HIS SIGHT, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” — Hebrews 13:20-21

Thank you so much for coming along in this ramble of ponderings with me! Sometimes we just need to talk it out to process, right?

Love and faith, Y’all! Love and faith!!💛