Gratitude Post

Where to Begin...

"God is good all the time...All the time God is good."

Praise Reports: Funeral Arrangements are set and there has been just nearly enough money collected from family members to make the payment on the services. PRAISE, PRAISE the Lord.

Deanna is doing better by her own report. She has had some very difficult days and tough decisions in the last 72 hours but it is good to visit with her and talk about the old days and laugh ourselves silly about our childhood.

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. ~ Proverbs 17:22 KJV

She is very thankful for all the prayers going up on her behalf as well as the generous support of her family. Please continue to pray for the visitation and memorial service tonight and tomorrow. Praise Him with us as well.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7

Thank you Lord for my Man.

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
~Psalms 33:20~

Our car on the other hand is still not running. But, hubs called a little while ago with what I knew would be a bloggable moment. He was almost breathless as he spoke. I would later realize this was excitement.

Hubs: Hey what are you doing...


Me: Just getting out of bed.


Hubs: Oh. I'm sorry.

Me: What are you doing?


Hubs: Just waiting on fleet to finish with my truck.


Me: What's wrong with your truck?


Hubs: Oh, the change oil light came on and it is about 2,000 miles overdue for an oil change. So they did that. Then they got to checking the lights on my truck and most of them were out so they are changing those, then they are going to change the windshield wipers and do a state inspect on it since it expires next month.

Me: [Thinking... This is so typical of my man I can hardly stand it. He lets things go until a big yellow warning light is flashing over his head!]


Hubs: So... I got to talking to the guys in fleet about the car and they said, not to quote them but it could just be this.... [part, don't remember what - something to do with the idle regulation though]...I'm looking at it in the O'Reillys catalog and it is a $40 part.


Me: Well that would be good, did they show you where it is?


Hubs: Yeah, well they tried to on my truck but it doesn't have one. They looked it up online and said it is either not working or it could be clogged. I might see if I can get in there myself and fix it.


Me: [Silent.]


I'm really never at a loss for words, but oh my goodness... He totally left me speechless. My husband never... did I say never... yes, never volunteers to fix our cars himself. He won't even change the oil. I think I might be beaming with pride over his motivation and ingenuity. I'm so shocked and excited all at the same time. I love my man.


In the meantime...we are driving my dad's truck (on it's last proverbial leg as well) but it is getting us here and there. So... Good news all around.

And if it is not the idle thingy then we have applied for a car loan and are going to get another vehicle - pretty much either way we're getting another vehicle... So please pray for favor, wisdom and necessity to rule over wants, desires and pride. It can go to our head you know.

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. ~ Psalm 116:7 (NIV)

Learning What We Live...

Please visit PastorBob's Blog and Pastor Alan's Blog great posts and lots of insight. Pastor Bob's post today about "What's the best super power" and his "140 words or less" post are excellent. Pastor Alan writes about the Kingdom of God and living there in today's post.

Okay so... now for my post. My daughter, Taylor, has a heart the size of the great state of Texas. Yesterday as I was sharing the current situation regarding the funeral plans for this week she walked out the front door and started making phone calls.

As I prepared enough food to feed a small group of hungry men... One of them being my husband... I noticed she kept going in and out.

She finally came in and said, "Mom, do you think it would be okay if I started asking my friends to give a few dollars to help them out?"

I said, "Sure, honey."

By the time she was done about three people were agreeing to give something, a family was praying about what they could do and a Pastor had agreed to take up a collection during the mid-week service tonight at their church.

As we finished preparing the meal, she helped me load the car and go deliver it along with our company to comfort the family.

Just before we left the house, I told her someday you are going to be standing in a kitchen surrounded by kids helping you prepare a meal and remember that when people died Momma cooked.

We went to my Aunt's house last night, prayed together, laughed about old times, cried over the sadness and the difficulty of the circumstances we're in and encouraged one another with our love. My cousin told me later, "Your girls are a lot like you. I mean, their very... very... warm. And that's good."

It blessed my heart to see my daughter taking on the grief of our family's circumstances and doing something about it. She loves people and wants to help them any way she can... Even if it means humbling herself to ask for help. An Amazing Thing Our God Has Done...

Love you guys.

Weighing the Word Postponed... Please Continue to Pray

With everything going on this week's Weighing the Word post is getting shuffled to next week. I just need to fast and pray today. I know that our family is undergoing an extreme period of testing right now - immediate and extended.

My cousin is having to make some tough decision regarding her finances and her husband's funeral this week. Her son is struggling with all of the Senior Year activities he is having to rearrange, cancel or make alternate plans to participate in this week. And this morning after we offered what we could to my cousin in support yesterday... The full weight of this week is upon us. We have housing payment due this coming week, my girls each have summer college tuition due by Sunday, and to top it off this morning the car is not running as it should be. This and we are just coming out of paying our taxes...

Oh, the joy of it all. (I'm really not being sarcastic... Last night I was telling my cousin we just have to trust God and His plan even when things don't look the way we think they should.... Talk about a test!) This is a test, this is only a test.

So, I'm enlisting my friends, my Sisters-in-"Arms" and my prayer warriors to go to battle for us this morning - Praying in Agreement. We are in desperate need of relief and an answer in so many ways.

Lord, we trust in You - the God who is Provision - and we surrender our own will and ideas of how this should work out to you. You alone are good and You alone have the solution to our problems to be sure. We believe that You will act, You will not delay and that Your provision will be sufficient to meet every need emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically. That's just the kind of God You are and You always take care of Your own. Thank you for always hearing and answering our prayers, Lord God. We will trust in You. We will trust in You. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.

All have arrived safely...

Hey all...

Thanks so much for your prayers. Some have been answered while some are being answered even now and still some are left to be answered in the future. You have blessed us all.

The family has arrived back home safely and now the planning, arranging and preparing for our final goodbyes begins. Please pray for God's favor and blessing during this difficult time.

I just realized this nugget of truth: "When thinks don't make sense I have to trust God more. His plan is always to bring us good for His glory. I just have to remember that God sees things that I can't and He has never, ever failed me before." Never. He is with us now. Thanks again for praying. Love You All.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

My parents have traveled with my aunt and cousins to Midland to offer comfort and assistance to our family members who lost their husband and father yesterday. This morning I was getting an update from my father when he reported the youngest child seems to be doing better than expected. I reminded him that children grieve differently than adults. He laughed.

He said, "[The boy] was out in the yard area of the mobile home park playing football with a group of his friends yesterday when I went outside to see what they were doing. [The boy] introduced me as his 'cousin-uncle' and said, 'Cousin-uncle Ted which World War did you fight in again?'"

My father will be 70 years old this year which would make him not alive for the first world war and a small child during the second. My dad got so tickled by the young man's acuity to recognize anyone that old must have fought in a WORLD WAR. He is, after all, only in the second grade.

My daughters coined the term: COUSIN-UNCLE/AUNT to refer to my cousin (the sister-in-law to the man who passed away) as we are all very close. They got confused when introducing she and her husband to their friends so they began to call them "Cousin-Uncle and Cousin-Aunt." Now many in the family use the term in reference between our siblings and children... It is quite fun.

A bright spot in otherwise dark and sad moments to be sure.

Okay... So That Response Was Unexpected

Oh YA'LL! I've been bringing in comments from my Where Have All The Bloggers Gone post and realized that it sounded like I was lonely here. I had also noticed that many of the blogs I frequent also are not entertaining as many posts.

I too make the rounds but don't always comment because of time restraint. But, I do love reading... reading... reading what you all write.

I loved the comments and appreciate the response. Especially the one that began, "Arf..."

You guys rock!

On a more serious note, our family is in a state of shock and grief right now. Yesterday morning my cousin found her young (just over 40) husband dead in their home. They have a son graduating from high school in a few weeks and a nine year old boy going into the third grade next year... So, there is much prayer needed. Please petition God on our behalf for comfort, mercy and peace for my cousin and her sons as well as our extended family. Also pray for provision, funeral arrangements and the many things that need to be done in the next few weeks. God's will be done. Thanks for praying and lifting us up. You really do rock!

Oh Where, Oh Where have all the bloggers gone...

To the tune of "Oh Where, Oh Where has my little dog gone..."

Oh Where, Oh Where have all the bloggers gone?

Oh Where, Oh Where could they be....

I miss you guys. I will spend some time making the rounds tomorrow. But, if you do stop by chime on in and let me know what you are up to! Love you guys...

Weighing the Word Wednesday: John Three

This week's Weighing the Word has taken us to the third chapter of the Gospel of John.
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Well... I thought I would do a video blog for this week's post, but I didn't quite hold my mouth right. It didn't work for me - this time! :O)

So... I read the NKJV of John three this week. I guess the few things that stood out to me this week were:

Nicodemus' boldness to come to Jesus and inquire of Him. I don't get the sense he was like the other Pharisees that came forth and questioned Him in public to trap and trick Him into somehow breaking "the Law." He was among the elite of his society and still nothing could keep him from seeking the Truth. Salvation comes to us when nothing in our lives (including but not limited to our position, our family, our material possessions, our own preconceived ideas and notions, etc.) would keep us from coming to Jesus by faith and confessing our inadequacies to Him. Confessing Him as Christ and Lord of our lives. Our faith saves us. Nicodemus knew and recognized the unique and special qualities of Christ. He sought Him out. "Rabbi, we know you are a Teacher come from God; for no one could do the miracles and signs that you do unless God is with Him." (John 3:2 my paraphrase.)

Jesus answered Nicodemus' inquiry in such a perculiar way. "I tell you the truth, a man must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God." (verse 3, my paraphrase) Did I miss something? Nicodemus inquired about Jesus' teachings and miracles but Jesus answer with regard to the Kingdom of God. HMMMM! I love Jesus, don't you.

The exchange that follows this answer speaks to the Kingdom mentality. I believe Jesus did not simply want to affirm Nicodemus' supposition that He indeed was the Messiah. I believe Jesus was saying, "Look Here Nicodemus, there is something more to this than just a deliverer. I've come to do so much more than just to give you liberty on earth - I've come to set your soul free from sin for all eternity and give you a new life." OH, and Nicodemus may have very well left even more confused than when he arrived. His questions and responses indicate that the light never really came on during the exchange.

At the end of the conversation, the scene transitions back to a comparison between Jesus and John the Baptist. John the Baptist never sought to be a Savior. The statement he makes in chapter three about the bridegroom, the bride and the bridegroom's attendant brings tears to my eyes. John the Baptist understood his position and place in the grand plan of God. He was not only content but truly overjoyed to be the one who brings forth the news of the Messiah - even, as we will see later, at great cost. His life. Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay his life down for a friend. John the Baptist exhibited the greatest love a man can for His Savior. He died that the message of Christ would go forth.

Three times we see the emphasis of chapter three. In verse 15, vers 16 and verse 36 the message is repeated: the only way to receive eternal life is to place our faith in Christ who gives freely to all who call upon His name from the abundance of His Father's love. I love this book. Not only this - but I also realized something so profound (at least it was to me). To walk in unbelief is to walk in condemnation. We can believe Christ for Salvation of our souls and still walk around in the unbelief of condemnation for our sinful state.

Please don't misunderstand. I believe we must... MUST come to a place where the weight of our guilt and sin press us to the foot of the cross where the blood of Christ covers our sin and washes us white as snow. To walk in the unbelief of condemnation is to say that Christ's suffering and death were not enough to cover my every sin. That is simply not the truth of God. Christ did not come to judge and condemn the world, He came to save the people of the world and deliver them back to His Father in love and truth. When we walk in Truth - we walk in Christ, we grow in Him and we become more and more like Him. Every stumble and every fall along the way becomes a platform upon which Christ can build a message for redemption. That is why confession is so important - why acknowledging and naming our sins before God and those trusted to hold us accountable - it is how we learn. Not that we would experience shame, condemnation and guilt over every bad deed - but that we would learn the value of grace and so be free to offer it to others when they need it from us.

I also realized that those people I've encountered who are just reluctant to give themselves over to Christ have lived long in a place where they have grown to love their own desires (flesh) and the darkness of the world we live in more than they desire to be free. They see their willful disobedience and the offerings of this world as freedom when the truth is that these things are only parasites that eventually eat us alive and destroy us from the inside out.

Secondly, I realized that many people fear coming to Christ because of their own sin. The utter wretchedness of the human condition creates a fear that causes the sinner to believe they may very well be the only person who has ever sinned beyond redemption. The lost fear their evil deeds will be exposed for all to see when they come to Jesus, that they will indeed be found guilty and condemned. Unfortunately, the message of the church for too long has been that those hurting sinners who walk through the door have no place in God's house until their lives are cleaned up and then their only value is to increase the membership. Why is the Bride still condemning its members? Christ came to save not to condemn.

Christ is Truth. The source absolute truth. Truth brings light, light brings revelation, Revelation brings Salvation and Salvation ultimately points us back to the Truth that sets us free.

Verse 33 reminds us that Jesus' testimony is always Truth. Let's live like that.

I would like to conclude by reminding you that the ending message of John 3 is that Everything, including the Holy Spirit, Salvation by faith in Christ, and every blessing that proceeds from that truth is given and provided for us through Jesus by His Father's love. He loves us so.
Don't forget to share your observations by linking us to your post.

Love to YOU! :O)

Planting seeds for change...

I'm asking for change...

Whatever you think of what's happening in Washington - your voice needs to be heard. I am proposing a letter writing/phone call campaign that tells Washington to stop the machine now! More than one letter, but a whole host of letters sent regularly, often and written from the hearts of those of us who sit in our homes every single night praying for change, hoping for our nation's recognition of God as the ultimate solution to our national crisis... and so on.

I'm asking you to write from your heart weekly, monthly or at the least regularly... I'm sending the same one each time to your congressman/woman and senators as well as the President and any other Government you feel inclined to write to... Let them know you appreciate their service, ask for what you desire to see happen and then commit to pray for them regularly and often while they serve.

If we are going to see change, we are going to have ask for it - be specific and refuse to stop asking until the change comes. Ask God first, let Him show you what to write about and do as He tells you. I know not everyone feels so called or will be called. No one in Washington is serving our interests - no one is doing what is right. They've compromised at our expense. If we want America back - we're going to have to take a stand.

Nancy Pelosi said the "TEA Parties" yesterday were not grassroots, that they were "ASTROTURF." Send your seeds for change to Washington.

300,000 people expressed outrage to the tax and spend quality of washington that has existed for at least the last two decades yesterday and it has been dismissed. It must be expressed openly, respectfully and regularly for it to become an issue that they will pay attention to - that they will hear!

Inspired

Please go HERE. Read this article and watch the included video. Then come back and finish the post... It's worth it - I promise!
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Many of you may have heard about this woman and her story on the news this week. She walked out looking a bit like a frumpier Edith Bunker... even bumbled through the intro in a very Edith sort of fashion. But then she opened her mouth and those pipes even left Simon Cowell speechless. He was blown away.
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He can pretend he knew something great was coming all he wants to, but the truth is those raised eyebrows said it all! I am all about it when that cynical, sometimes mean-spirited and hard-nosed man gets his socks knocked off and his pants taken in a notch or two. BRAVO!
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But mostly I'm writing because a few weeks ago I heard a message by Marilyn Hickey who said that when we do the exceptional God will do the extraordinary. HERE'S Proof.
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Did you read that? She is an unemployed church volunteer. She has never been married, on a date or even been kissed. She went on the show to fulfill her mother's dying wish that she do something with her life. This woman took an extraordinary step by walking out on the stage knowing people might ridicule and laugh at her. She put herself up to scrutiny in pursuit of her dream. And, today... because she made an exceptional decision - she has the chance to live her extraordinary dream. Early reports by news magazines say Simon Cowell may already be working a deal with her and she is a favorite to win "Britain's Got Talent."
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I have another friend who just signed another book contract with Summerside. She writes inspirational, historical fiction. She became a published author late in life, but offers her expertise to others by mentoring up and coming writers in her home weekly. She is a gem and a doll and her name is Lena Nelson Dooley. She is my friend, my mentor and someone who inspires me to continue to dream and trust God for the timing. I Love You, Lena.
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So what's Your Dream? (I know that is a line from a movie...My daughter just told me it's from the beginning of "Pretty Woman"... [chagrin] The man in the rainbow beret walking up Hollywood Blvd. asking "What's Your Dream? Everyone comes to Hollywood with a dream... So, What's Your Dream?")
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Well...

Weighing the Word: John Two

This week's Weighing the Word has taken us to the second chapter of the Gospel of John.
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I begin, remarkably, with the simplicity of setting and timing. Let's review. Jesus was baptized near Bethbara (Bethany) and within two days traveled to the region of Galilee. On His way there, he aquired some followers, Disciples. These men were Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and one unamed disciple of John, the baptizer. The close of John One finds us with Jesus and these five men in the town of Bethsaida. By this time, we have been three days with Jesus.
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Which brings us to the second chapter's reading. The chapter begins with timing: "On the third day." It struck me that these first verses of John take us through a succession of days in the life of Jesus. This would have taken place the "third day" after Jesus was baptized. So... This was before Jesus was taken to the desert and tempted (Matthew 4, Luke 4)?

We also find that Jesus has traveled once again to Cana. There He, His mother and the five disciples attend a wedding. In verse two, we learn Jesus went for a very obvious reason - He was invited.

1. Jesus goes where He is invited.

Jesus and his family likely knew the families who were hosting the wedding. Mary's concern for the reputation of the groom's family seems to indicate a relationship. Then the dilemma. Picture Mary leaning into her son and whispering in His ear, "They have run out of wine, my Son."

And Jesus' response, "Dear woman, what does that have to do with me? It's not quite my time to shine." In essence, His response is "Not Yet."
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But, Mary's faith in Jesus is persistent. She turns and tells the servants to do whatever He tells them to do.
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And, just like that, God changed His mind? I don't think it really comes down to that. Jesus taught that we are to honor the authority placed before us in our lives. So, how could He preach and teach "Honor your father and mother..." If He, Himself, refused to honor His own mother. I believe her persistence and faith in Him moved His heart to have compassion on her.
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2. The Miracle.
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What was significant about this miracle? Here are a few things I observed:

* The persistence of faith expressed in Mary's request of Jesus prompted Him to action even though His initial response was "Not yet."
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* The wine was not made from just any old water in any old pot. It was made, in fact, from water that was set aside and used for ceremonial cleansing. These posts held anywhere from 20-30 gallons of water each. Jesus told the servants to the fill the pots and they did - the brim. Overflowing. That is approximately 120-180 gallons of water. In the NKJV it says that water was set aside for the purification of the Jews.
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* Water in the Bible often represents many things, but in this case - the picture is clear. Water meant to be used for Cleansing was used instead for what? For celebration, for anointing? Think about this. The miracle at Cana represents precisely what Jesus had experienced just days before in the Jordan river. A baptism of repentence in the waters of the Jordan - a cleansing. And the anointing and blessing of His Father as He came out. Then others believed in Him because of what they had witnessed.
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How beautiful is that picture? That when we submit ourselves in obedience and persistence of faith, the result is purification (cleansing) through repentance and the anointing and blessing of the Father upon our lives.

A few other notes of interest from the wedding reading: The symblism of Jesus' first miracle being performed at this wedding in Cana - is not lost on me. This entire thing will culminate in the ultimate Wedding Feast when we all gather in heaven to spend eternity with our Father and Bridegroom. HMM! HMMM! HMMMM! Why did Jesus say His time had not yet come? As I said in the first paragraph, I believe the context of the Scripture indicates that this wedding took place before the Spirit led Him into the desert to be tempted for forty days. Why?
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The next verse: "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory..." (vs. 11) Jesus knew that the temptation and testing had to come before He went forth. Jesus was telling His mother that it was not yet time for His glory as God's Only Begotten Son to be revealed.
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Jesus saved the best for last... Let's hold onto that truth. He didn't throw the best out there right at the beginning - He could change the water into wine at any moment. He could have literally changed the bad wine into better wine... good wine. But, He didn't. He waited until they had exhausted all of their resources and then gave them not just what was better, but what - indeed was best.
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After the wedding, Jesus travels and spends a few days (NLT) in Capernaum, where His brothers join this traveling caravan of people. Why did His brothers join them? Well, because Passover was coming - that is why. The annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem was at hand. It was time for the family to make their trip to the holy city to observe the custom of Passover. Jesus' ministry begins and ends with Passover.

Upon arriving in Jerusalem, the family likely paid a visit to the temple to make the necessary sacrifices. Jesus' passion for His Father and the temple that bore His presence and His name overflowed as He watched the moneychangers and the vendors selling their wares right in the temple courts. The indignation and righteous anger rose up in Him and He made a whip and scourged those who would defile His Father's house. He drove out the corruption and the greed that sat before Him. His disciples even remembered the verse Psalm regarding the Messiah's zeal for God's House. But, is it lost on anyone else... Just days before He was obedient to His authority when His mother asked for a miracle. Then this day - He breaks the law of the Romans by interfering with the work of the money-changers. And still... Pilate would say three years later, "I find no fault in Him." HMMM!

I noted the following points:

1. Evidence requires little faith.

The Jews were asking for evidence of His identity at every turn. They wanted EVIDENCE to prove His authority. But, they did not realize that the requirement of evidence exhibits very little faith. Jesus was living and observing the traditional Jewish customs of His day, but He was also redefining the standard and the truth about what would come after Him. The Jews were so caught up in their own ideas of "God" that they missed Him. Legalism always blinds eyes, deafens ears, dulls hearts and confuses understanding.

2. Faith confirms evidence.

The disciples and others who witnessed the miracles and words of Jesus during those days in Jerusalem came to believe He was the one who had been promised. They put their faith in Him.
In turn, they recognized the evidence the Jewish Leaders had been looking for but unable to see. You see, I believe that verses 24-25 speak so loudly to us today:

"But Jesus did not commit (entrust, NLT) Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man."

Jesus understood that humanity is limited. We struggle with the limitations of our flesh and a fallen existence. He did not need anyone to explain to Him why the leaders wouldn't believe Him and why common, ordinary folks in the streets would. He already knew and recognized those He came into contact with everyday.

I believe this brings clarity to us as ministers of His gospel. Jesus never got caught up in what the people expected of Him. What they thought the Messiah should look like. He was discerning and focused on one thing: The will of His Father. Jesus came to do the work of His Father in the person of the Son, the Messiah. His ministry demonstrated His anointing and His authority had come from God the Father. The miracles demonstrated His power and His Love that overflowed in Him through the Holy Spirit.
Those who experienced His presence without expectation did not question Him - they simply believed. Jesus must always be glorified.

I read these translations as I met with God this week. If you have read John Two this week, please share your insights in a blog post or comment. If you share a blog post please use MR. LINKY and link us directly to your post so we can read and learn from your insights as well! Thanks for Weighing the Word with me this week. It's been a joy!

A Kingdom Agenda

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There is a disturbing document making its way around the internet. Fox News has covered it. Bloggers are writing about it. Conservative Radio is talking about it... And, I'm posting a link to it HERE.

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Please read this important document. It may have more to say about you than you would like to admit. While others may be totally willing to jump out there and boldly proclaim truth in spite of it. At the very least, we need to know what our government is publishing about its own citizens.

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So... I guess the question now becomes:

What does that have to do with a Kingdom Agenda?

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May I just say, I am so glad you asked.

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I want to examine some things I learned in a class taught by my friend and Pastor last night at Gateway Church. You can hear a version of that message HERE. (Select "Kingdom of God" audio link.)

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The subtitle is: "The Gospel Jesus Taught." I love that subtitle.

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Jesus came to bring the revelation of God's Kingdom to earth. If we are seeking and teaching anything in our lives with Him other than a revelation of the Kingdom are we missing a vital aspect of His message?

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23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him--from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

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Matthew 4:23-25 (NKJV)

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In the class, we looked at what Jesus did immediately following his water baptism and spirit baptism (the Holy Spirit descending upon Him and remaining). (Matthew 3-4, John 1)

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Jesus submitted to the "Baptism of Repentence" that John preached, He received the blessing of His Father as He came out of the water when the Holy Spirit came to rest upon Him as a dove. And, His Father in heaven identify Him as "...My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

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Then Jesus was taken to the desert where He was tempted in every way which was common to man. He had a showdown with the devil and overcame him. When Jesus returned, He began his public ministry which involved teaching in the synagogues or establishing Himself as the Jewish Messiah, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:12-17, Mark 1:15, Luke 4:43, John 3:3) bringing a revelation of the Kingdom of God to earth, and bringing healing and restoration to the people who heard His message.

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12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

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Matthew 4:12-17 (NKJV)

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When we hear the word "repent," what do we normally think of? "Stop doing bad and start doing good?" Is that the context of what Jesus was saying here?

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Why would he tell them to repent?

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The Jews of Jesus' time were looking not just for any Messiah, but a very particular Messiah. They were looking for a Messiah who would bring:

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1. Power - Overthrow the oppressive regime they lived under and give them power to govern and take care of themselves.

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2. Wealth - Material wealth. Everything that comes with the spoils of victory. They were looking to prosper and grow in material wealth.

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3. Fame - Renown. To be made known and to be recognized as a force of God.

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Jesus understood that the Jews were looking for this Warrior King. He also understood that their entire lives were wrapped up in the Law and the works of "righteousness." These people were not morally perverse people. If they sinned, they were sacrificing an animal. If they didn't sin they were sacrificing an animal. Their entire lives were tied to and wrapped up in observance and obedience to the Law. So what did they have to repent of?

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For these religious Jews to receive a revelation of the Kingdom of God and His Savior, they were going to have to receive a radical adjustment in their thinking.

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Is it possible that the message of the gospel that I share is not the same as the gospel Jesus shared?

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REPENT... In the Greek, the word "metanoeo" is translated "to think differently, afterwards..." KJV - Repent. The word Repent is actually made up of two Greek words, "meta" which means change and "noeo" which means "to exercise the mind (observe), i.e. (figuratively) to comprehend, heed:" (Ref. 3340 and 3539, 3536. Biblesoft's Exhaustive naryStrong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

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Biblically, the term repent carries stronger exhortation than simply "Make a different decision." It carries this idea, "Repent: Consider, perceive, think, understand, change your mind, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."

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The first time I heard this teaching, the pastor instructed us to extend our arms and hands in front of us. She had us carefully observe how far away our hand was from us. Then she said, "How far away is the Kingdom of God?"

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"It is at hand."

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How far away is your hand?

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It's right here. The Kingdom of God is right here. It is not some far off, distant type of Fairy Tale place. It is right here. It is represented in The Lord's Prayer:

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Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

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Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)

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Jesus taught the Kingdom: Truth, Life, Restoration, Deliverance (Healing). Was Jesus saying, "Straighten up and Do right because the Kingdom of God is at Hand?"

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Jesus Preached the Kingdom of God. All of His parables are a revelation of the Kingdom of God. So, is entry into the Kingdom about a transition from this existence into an eternal one? OR, is entry into the Kingdom about a change in my perception?

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Is my perception of the Kingdom based on my knowledge of good and evil? OR, is my perception of the Kingdom based on the works of the Kingdom that Jesus did while He was on earth? Am I only concerned with getting people saved, cleaned up and in church? Correcting their behavior and making better decisions? Am I inteterested in seeing people learning the Biblical Truth of God, repenting and being born again into the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, and seeing their lives restored and healed from the wounds, traumas and spiritual attacks in their lives?

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Which lines up with the gospel Jesus preached?

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Matthew 13:44 is the parable of the Treasure in the Field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." (NKJV)

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What is the revelation of the Kingdom in this verse? Who is the man? Who is the field? What is the treasure hidden within it? What did the man give to gain the field and its treasure?

I'll leave my response in the comments. I hope you will as well.

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My final question is this: Are we living by a Kingdom Agenda? When I define myself as a conservative, Republican, Evangelical, Pro-Life, Pro-Marraige... American - am I representing a Kingdom Agenda or a "good, moral" political perspective?

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When we get down to it... Did God giving us free will make Him pro-choice? Did He ever intend for us to forcefully advocate our beliefs and values on others (by Law)? Could he have intended to make a people for His Name who would lead them to Him because the lives we live are set apart and not of this world?

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Is our verbose rhetoric in the name of God Gospel/Kingdom focused or "good vs. evil" and action (righteous works) focused? Is my concern more for following the rules, or is my concern for the condition of the people I encounter everyday in this life and helping them discover the truth that sets them free?

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These are just questions. Questions I have had to ask myself. Am I willing to take a moral stand without ever taking a Kingdom one? These are good questions.

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I desire to live by a Kingdom Agenda...

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Most of the material contained in this post is taken from the notes I took during "The Kingdom of God"~ Freedom Ministry Class. Gateway Church. 4/13/09.

Please Pray

May I ask you to pray for my friend Bev Brandon. She left word about her health this week on my post about my mom's birthday. I'm praying Bev... LOVE YOU... Healing Rooms are open at Gateway every weekend.

love ya'll.

Happy Birthday, Momma!

Taylor and Momma making funny faces last July... in Orange Beach, AL

(Given the green shirt and pop eyes... We call this her Froggy face!)

Momma with Brittany ....Also in Orange Beach, AL.
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She's a good sport... The original Chef, chief cook and bottle washer, custodian of the family records, accountant and financial wizard, chauffer or cab driver (whichever is required), laundress, housekeeper, teacher, spiritual advisor, counselor, first-aid provider, referee, negotiator, guardian, boy repellant, lover, wife, mother, aunt, sister, daughter, friend, volunteer, and Child of God. (My father actually wrote this on a loan application once to describe the various duties of a SAHM... :O)))

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When my father retired from his more than three decades of service to the FAA, his co-workers honored not only my father, but also my mother with a rocking chair for their golden years... Why? Well, because my mother was literally "the wind beneath my father's wings."

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She assisted him in a home-building project that took the better part of my childhood and is still not quite complete. She fell eleven years ago and suffered an injury that would have permanently crippled a lesser woman... But, not my momma... She is a trooper and then some. She spends every Saturday with her sisters, makes special trips to see her grandchildren and cried as she expressed unconditional support for my Brittany who moves out on her own in AUGUST. OH MY! I drove her and my aunts to TJ Maxx one afternoon and my momma bought me everything I looked at with an admiring eye just because she wanted to say, "I Love You." All of this and she kept up the Laundry, took care of three children, hauled around any number of strange men who were my dad's hired hands. Said, "Ted, you're going to kill yourself doing that..." As my father did some herculean task while building the house - very nearly by himself a million times over in the six years it took for us to move in.

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I gave her flowers for her birthday last night... And, she showed up tonight, for dinner at Red Lobster, with her flowers in tow! When I cleaned her house at Christmas she refused to take a seat and enjoy the luxury of being served! She had to join right in saying, "I can do this myself... It just takes me longer."

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I responded, "I'm not doing this because I think you can't... I'm doing this because I think you shouldn't!"

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To which she said, "Okay." And sat down playing Christmas music and visiting with me while I worked. She can cook for an army of many and it is the tastiest comfort food around. Everything I learned about being a mom I owe to her. Everything I have ever known about God started with songs she sang to me as a child. She reads her Bible everyday and has read it through many times over. The other day she told me, "I was reading James the other day. You should read James... That's it. It's all in there. Just read it."

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OKAY, MOMMA! I think when I finish reading John I'm going to read James... Why? Because Momma said so. :o)

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She was with me when my babies came into this world and helped me take care of them most of their young lives. She wept for her own loss when Justin died, but cried harder when she considered mine. We have laughed together, cried together, gone to "war" together, prayed together, hoped together, shared life together... She is my momma and I love her so much. Happy Birthday Momma from your little girl.
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She is 64 years young today... She loves. She laughs. She lives. She shines. She smiles. She hopes. She dreams. She graces. She gives. She goes. She supports. She encourages. She exhorts. She never gives up. She prays. She blesses us all.

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Her children rise up

and call her blessed

(happy, fortunate,

and to be envied);

and her husband boasts

of and praises her,

[saying], many daughters

have done virtuously,

nobly, and well

[with the strength

of character

that is steadfast in goodness],

but you excel them all.

Charm and grace are deceptive,

and beauty is vain

[because it is not lasting],

but a woman who reverently

and worshipfully fears the Lord,

she shall be praised!

Give her of the fruit of her hands,

and let her own works praise her

in the gates [of the city]!
Proverbs 31:28-31 (AMP)

The Empty Tomb

Imagine... You've left your home early one Sunday morning to get a visit into the cemetery where you buried your beloved just days before. You ease your way up to the curb next to where your loved one is to spend eternity at rest.

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Suddenly you realize the big mound of dirt has been moved. There is a gaping hole where your beloved's grave should be.

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Panic stricken you pull out your cell phone. No signal. How could someone just...just steal a...a...body like that? You see a gardener walking through the trees just ahead. You hurry up to him in your hysterical state. You grab his shoulder and say, "If you would only tell me where you have taken him... I will go and get him."

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The tears are stinging your eyes as you feel the morning mist settling down all around you. The sun is shining brightly over the gardener's shoulder and you cannot make out his face.

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"Woman, who is it you seek?"

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"They've taken him from that grave over there. Can you tell me where he is?"

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"Beloved."

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The word stops you cold. His voice so strong and deep. How could you have missed that before? It's him. He's alive. You tremble as you fall to your knees.

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"How can this be? You...you died."

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"Go back my love.

Tell the others...

I'm ALIVE."

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You feel so torn. Not wanting to leave... Not wanting to delay the message. "He's Alive! He's Alive! He's Alive!"

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You run screaming from the cemetery. Scarcely aware you left your car behind.

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That is the message of Easter for all of us. He's Alive! Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is alive. He is risen and because He lives... We, too, Will Rise!

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What joy that brings to me this Easter Sunday as I consider all that God has done to bring a fallen world unto Himself. He's Alive!

Have you been to the Upper Room?

I remember when Justin had been in the hospital those eight long awful days. We were exhausted, looking for a miracle and praying for mercy. We simply wanted to wake up and find ourselves free of the nightmare that engulfed our lives. But, on that Tuesday morning, we awoke instead to the reality that my son was indeed slipping into eternity and leaving this world behind.

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I sat with him until they came to take him down for the final tests. The radioactive dye was injected into his veins. I walked over to his bedside and kissed his forehead, "When you get back you'll glow in the dark."
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I sat in that room for a while hoping he would come back very soon. Then I ventured out to the waiting area where friends and family were solemnly sitting. Some worked crossword puzzles while others stared out the window. We could not speak any words. We waited. Then, a little after noon, the desk clerk called our name. We went to her and she reported the doctors were prepared to speak with us. We all assembled in that little room just outside the ICU. The room marked "Family." We had hoped for a miracle. We expected a death sentence. We received the news we expected. Justin was gone. His body continued to live with the vitality of medicine and machines, but his soul and his spirit had made the ascent. Devestated.

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We went to his room and gathered around his bed. My father asked to pray. "Dear Lord, We are asking, if You will,... To use Your mighty power... To bring Justin back to us. In Jesus Name... AMEN."

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I knelt with my hands splayed across Justin's broad chest. Weeping. My heart ached as my father's quivering and broken voice echoed through the room. I could not believe we were living this nightmare. Then, like an answer to my father's prayer, the doctor walks into the room and says, "I'm sorry. We have to take him for another test. The radiologist saw something on the last test that he wants to confirm before we can go any further."

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They wheeled him out again. Another two hours. I made the trek from his room to the waiting area every fifteen to twenty minutes looking to spend just a little more time with him. Just to be close to him. That last walk felt like miles. I came around the corner and saw his bed and his body lying there as he had been for eight days.

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I walked up and checked his monitor screen. His brain pressure had been over 100 most of the day and now read 16. I had just a moment to look at the warm, tanned face of my oldest child and think... Could it be true? "God, either a miracle has happened here or he is really gone. Would you show me, please, what has happened?"

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I turned to go back and retrieve my family from the waiting area when his nurse walked in with the hospital chaplain. "We believe his brain hemmoraghed some time after we concluded the last test and when we got him back up here. I'm so sorry."

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"So, he really is gone."

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There was only a silent nod from the nurse as she fought back tears. My heart burst as much in relief as in pain. The waiting over. I did go out and gather my family. We returned to the room one last time. The machines were turned off. We watched his face turn blue. His mouth went slack within seconds. He was gone. Not a trace of life was left in him. I walked around and lay my head upon his chest listening for him to take one more breath. I had hoped to feel that faint heartbeat that promised life and a mistaken diagnosis.

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Nothing.

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He was gone. I continued to weep. The gutwrenching, pain-filled sobs of death erupted from deep within my being. They filled the room as the exhaustion of eight days of waiting, hoping and praying spilled forth from my heart and an overflow of sorrow washed out of my soul. He was gone.

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The next few days were difficult. News broke and we got calls inquiring if we had read the latest. The funeral plans had to be made. We sat around and talked about his life, how unreal our situation seemed and then we just cried. We did all these things together. We rarely slept. We just sat together and waited until we could bid him our final goodbye.

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We visited his body on the third day after his death. I remember walking in at five o'clock in the afternoon and seeing his lifeless body in that casket. I held his hand a moment and a chill ran through my body. He was cold. So cold.

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I slipped the small metal case that held his Bible beneath his hand. Patted it one time for good measure and stared long and hard at every inch of him.

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I sat down on the small couch in his state room and began to write. I wrote out his eulogy. I would deliver it to a room full of friends and family at the funeral. I sat there for what seemed like forever. The next day was more of the same. Sitting with his body, waiting and praying.

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As I read the account of Jesus' death, my mind ventures and my imagination paints a picture of the scene. The disciples are wondering what happened to Judas. They wonder why he betrayed Jesus. They're angry and unsettled about the events of the last 24 hours.

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Can you hear John telling his account of what he saw? "I followed them to the house of the high priest. I knew the guard at the door. Peter came with me. He and I ran after them. My eyes never left him. I thought I saw Judas in the crowd... I think he had been crying..."

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Can you see Peter sulking in the corner? He has been reviewing his behavior. His disbelief in the death of his savior and friend must have been palpable. He had been the one who believed from the first moment. The one who walked in faith with Christ the entire time. Peter was willing to kill and die for the Messiah, for Jesus. He had been willing to follow Jesus to death just hours before... But, in town with all those people who had watched Jesus being drug into the high Jewish court in chains... He choked. He ran. He denied.

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Can you see Mary? She is laying on the cot in the back of the room. She is exhausted as she revisits those scenes on the cross over and over again. There are no more tears. She has cried and wept bitterly over her firstborn. Mary Magdalene sits on the floor beside her cot weeping and stroking His mother's back. She murmurs words of comfort and sympathy. She buries her head and cries. Mary remembers her firstborn. He didn't even get a proper burial or funeral. He died a criminal. Her good, patient and loving son. God's Son.

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The other disciples begin to talk and the questions begin to float around the room. An argument breaks out in one conversation over who saw and did what... and when. Someone says, "Do you think he was really the Messiah now?"

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Have you been to the upper room? The hours of waiting, wondering what would come next. The waiting for the tap on the door and the soldiers to come and take them all to be tried. Their Savior was dead.

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Have you been to the Upper Room?

Good Friday: Amazing Grace

**GRAPHIC IMAGES OF THE CRUCIFIXION INCLUDED.**

This is what today is all about...

My heart aches knowing He did it for me... And that given the choice - He'd do it again. O Jesus, thank you for the price you paid, the pain you suffered, the death you defeated that I may truly be free! I am humbled by your sacrifice, My Savior.

Writing Prompts... Mama's Losin' It

I found this blog meme at "Mama's Losin' It." To be honest, I don't really know Mama or why she's losin' it, but I found her writing prompts interesting and decided to expound on a few. If you, too, are inspired by these prompts then visit Mama, choose a prompt to write about and leave a link in the Mr. Linky box. That's all there is too it.

Z

The Prompts:
1.) Describe a moment when you realized you and your spouse were SO different.

2.) What is your role in the household?

3.) Write about how you felt when you discovered you were lied to.(creativewritingprompts.com)

4.) Describe a hard time you gave a teacher...what would you say to them today?

5.) What is an unpleasant experience you had eating? Write a poem, paragraph, or something else about the experience.(writingfix.com)


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I am choosing a couple of them...

1.) Describe a moment when you realized you and your spouse were SO different.
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The first time I told an old dance partner that my husband and I were going to get married. Before I met my husband I was pretty good at three-steppin' in the local honky-tonk. I had a few dance partners who remain friends. After I agreed to marry Scott, I ran into an old partner and told him I was getting married... Here is what followed:
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Old Dance Partner: [looks at me out of the corner of his eye] "So you're really happy?"
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Me: [big smile, :oD] "YES."
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Old Dance Partner: "Does he dance?"
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Me: [wondering what that has to do with anything?] "No, well not really. He'll dance with me, but he doesn't like to dance. But I love him."
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Old Dance Partner: [Eyes widen, mouth goes slack] "YOU are going to marry a guy who doesn't like to dance?"
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Me: [confidently] "Yes."
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Old Dance Partner: [shaking his head] "It must really be love."
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2.) What is your role in the household?
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One Word: Everything.
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Chef, chief cook and bottle washer, custodian of the family records, accountant and financial wizard, chauffer or cab driver (whichever is required), laundress, housekeeper, teacher, spiritual advisor, counselor, first-aid provider, referee, negotiator, guardian, boy repellant, lover, wife, mother, aunt, sister, daughter, friend, volunteer, lay minister and Child of God.
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Enough said?
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Blessings... For a wonderful Good Friday!