Good grapes - Bad grapes?

Isaiah 5: 1-2

...My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. He plowed the land, cleared the stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter.

He did everything possible to have a wonderful harvest! He did everything!

God prepared Israel and expected a good yield from the harvest, but instead he got sour grapes! Sour grapes only good for dumping...other countries were able to invade her, desolation was across the country and sin was rampant...God did His part, but the people failed!

Do you think we are producing sweet grapes or sour grapes? Are we having a good harvest or not?

Often times, I wonder are we any different? Not much...time doesn't change much because we are humans, but we have Christ that died for our sins! Praise the LORD!

Are we producing good grapes or bad grapes? Ponder that today...

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Yearnings of the Heart

Sometimes we must return to the wilderness of our life to accept grace; in Hosea 2: I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.

How often do we find hope in the wilderness? God's people found wonderful promises in the desert when they left Egypt. God chose these people for His own in the wilderness and made covenants and promises with them... Sometimes we need to return to move forward...God pursues us! He woos us! In order, for us to find hope! Is this not cool? God wants us to have hope, so to remind us we return to the beginning to remember!

Remember today the glorious promises that God gave each of us! Treasure the promises and the fact that God pursues us!

The light rises in the desert and in our hearts!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Betrayed by the one you love

The pain of betrayal by the one you love - have you ever been close to a betrayal like this? Do you remember the pain exhibited by the hurting party? Well, imagine the pain of Hosea knowing that God is instructing him to marry a woman that will betray him just like Israel has done God!

Do you feel the broken heart of the man in the photo? God cries like this when we turn to something or someone other than Him to feel that hole in our being...

God instructed Hosea to name his children the following and watch the progression of pain...Jezreel which indicates the venegeance on the dynasty of Jehu, to which King Jeroboam belonged. Do you want your first child named with talk of avenging something? Next, is the daughter names Lo-ruhamah-"not loved" for I will no longer show love to the people. God is rejecting the people and he is naming a young girl not loved to live with daily! Next, we have Lo-ammi- "not my people" total rejection of the people for I am not their God. Hosea was so obedient. You know how much he loved his children, but he followed God's instructions and named his children these names to walk through life with because he was told to name them these names.

Yet, he had to be encouraged when in verse 10 - he was reminded that the people will be like the sands of the seashore-too many to count! He knows someday they will be returned to where they belong! He knows in his heart that God loves them and now is just a time for the betrayal to be shown to them. He wants them to know his pain and Hosea is how this is done. Unfaithfulness hurts!

Yes God forgives, but the pain is real! Hosea's pain is so real and so is God's...don't you feel it in verse When she runs to other lovers, she won't catch the. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, I might as well return to my husband...Might as well because nothing better comes along I'll return to what I know! Oh the pain...

Betrayal hurts and only time and God's love heals so what happens when it is God that is betrayed? He still forgives, but it doesn't mean that we haven't broken His heart!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

You find hope where?

Isaiah 8:16-17 ~ Preserve the teaching of God; entrust his instructions to those who follow me. I will wait for the LORD, who has turned away from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my hope in him.

Hope in the darkness. Where do you find hope? Do you find it in the world? Do you find it in the newest gadget or toy? Do you find it in another person? I pray that is not a yes, because darkness will surround this choice; because all of these will fall so short to filling the hole that needs to be filled deep inside of you!

In Isaiah, we are told that the LORD gave Isaiah a strong warning about being fearful and not to think like everyone else! Be your own person, HIS! Believe HIS Word...Don't listen to the wicked people and allow them to raise the alarm in your heart trust in God's Word! Always, you are able to be in God's presence by being in His Word, His Home, with His People hold HIS teachings close to your heart and truly believe His Promises and HOPE will build in your surroundings!

The picture speaks so to how we may feel at times; the surroundings are crumbling, but through the window the sun and light is shining! Look to the Light; don't look to the dark for answers! Always look to God for hope and the answer to the difficult time or place you find yourself and then believe! Always talk to God; He is living! Why would you go to a dark source for an answer? Look to the light with each step you take. Feeling in your soul the hope and love growing with each step!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Mercy

Today, I wasn't sure what to write about and I came to the story of Oded. The story of this prophet who was in Samaria when the army returned home after defeating the land of Judah. I fell upon this story and the reminders of always have mercy. God shows mercy even in times when we don't deserve it, but this story shows how much He loves in spite of how angry He is with the people.

I pondered this story and looked for the right photo and do you know that I looked on the site I purchase photos to use and for mercy that on about the first five pages it was almost entirely pictures of other idols? Not many pictures relating to God, but a lot of wooden statues of one sort of another and thought still when you type in mercy other Gods come up, before the ONE TRUE GOD! How? Even now? Are we like the people who went to defeat the people of Judah and they killed without mercy and all of heaven was disturbed? Heaven must be disturbed looking around at all of us...are we showing mercy to the people surrounding us that are suffering? Are we showing mercy to those that made a bad choice, who are laying in their own suffering? Where is the mercy?

Do you know this story Oded is only found in 2 Chronicles? Isn't it amazing that even when God was delivering judgment to His people, He wanted mercy shown? Should we not feel the same way? The leaders heard Oded in the story and released the prisoners and turned over the plunder and gave clothes to the naked, put the weak on donkeys and sent them back to their own people of Samaria. How do we judge and forget our own sins? How do we not show mercy when we know that we need mercy just as much as the next person?

Today remember a man that is found once in God's Word reminding people to always show mercy! Remember Oded and mercy in your walk today!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Ripe and ready

Words of warning from Amos are found today in Amos 7 and 8. The king tells Amos to get out. To go back to the land of Judah and earn your living. Amos replied, I'm not a professional. I wasn't trained to give prophesy. I just take care of sycamore-fig trees and God called me to warn the people. Have you been there? Oh not warning the people, but God called you to do something and you keep telling everybody that will listen I'm not trained for this? Me too!

He knows! He knows we aren't trained and He still calls all of us to share about HIM! He takes the each and everyone, if we are willing to be obedient to share about Him. Sometimes it is easier to share what He ask than others.

Amos had a tough job. He had to share that Israel was ready for judgment! No the fruit wasn't a symbol of the joyful picking time - this time! NOPE it was a sign for the time for ripe for judgment! Words no one would want to hear and yet this simple shepherd, that cares for sycamore-fig trees shared these difficult words with the people. He was obedient!

Are we obedient today? Are we listening to what God is calling us to do for Him? Are we ready to share even a difficult word with others? The task will not always be easy or simple, but it is what God might be calling you to do...

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Only God

Amos 5: Come back to me and live!

The main minor prophet is the way one commentary refered to Amos. The main smaller prophet with some pretty major words for the people to hear. God was unhappy and he wanted Amos to share the words with the people.

When I got to chapter 5, I felt Amos in his grief. I felt the words like they were being spoken at a funeral. Amos felt it was a funeral. We are no longer what we once were and you must repent. The LORD tells the people very plainly return to me and not places that were once known for worship. I am what matters. Do you value the LORD or the places? Spend time with the LORD. He is begging the people to return to HIM that He is what matters. He reminds them did I not create the stars? Did I not turn darkness to light? Did I not draw up water for the ocean?

God then reminded the people I can destroy what you think is secure! We are all dependent on Him and do not be fooled to think otherwise! God goes on to share about the unfair way things are being done. God talks about trampling on the poor to reach wealth. God shares through Amos just out of control the people were and wow it sounds similiar to now - doesn't it?

God wants us to act right! The whole chapter goes on about how things are not being done right. People are not being obedient, they offer sacrifice, but...it is all about show. It is all about appearances of making sacrifices, but nothing real behind the action.

Be real...no pretend games! Spend time with God and be obedient. Come back to me and live!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

We are not puppets!

The story of Jonah always brings up mixed reactions in a group of people. People want to debate whether the story could happen or not, how could a fish swallow a human and the list goes on and on, but what it brings to my mind is God allows us to choose Him. He may ask something of us, but He doesn't demand we pick it. In the long run when we do He will use our choices in the meantime to show His glory!

Jonah was told In Jonah 1: 2 - Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.

What does Jonah do? Run the opposite direction and gets on a ship headed to Tarnish. All the time thinking he was escaping from the LORD!

How slow we are sometimes! God could have caused Jonah to slip and fall on the escape to hurt himself, the ship could have already left, the ship could have been full so many things, but God allowed Jonah's foolish plan to happen only to be in a terrible storm at sea. To get tossed over the side into the sea and then into the belly of a fish!

When do you think Jonah began to get the whole picture? Do you think it was when the storm stopped immediately or after three days in the junk of the belly of a fish? The smells inside of that fish had to be awful and the darkness - place yourself in the belly of a fish! Nasty...

Why do you think Jonah ran? Did he dislike the people of Nineveh that much that he would rather die than do what God requested? Was he afraid? Why did he run?

How quickly do you think he realized the power of God? Was it during the storm? In the belly of the fish? When did he accept the power of God? Did he learn how uncomfortable and unhappy it was to be disobedient to God during the storm or in the fish? I think perhaps when he was in the air being tossed over the side of that ship, before he hit the water. After all, he was facing the unknown the same as he would have just followed God's instructions and God was with Him instructing him to go to Nineveh!

Why do we not get it? Instead we run and get tossed about by life, but at least God is able to use our disobedience to allow HIS glory to shine through the stuff that happens along the way! Imagine, the people on that ship that believed in Jonah's God the moment that storm stopped! The same is true of us! Imagine, the people that believe when they see God work in our life!!!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Lack of faith...

Adorable little fellow, isn't he?

Do you think he believes he can shoot that arrow from that bow? How much do you think he believes it? I mean truly believes it?

Today, when I got to 2 Kings 13:14-23 and found the story of Elisha's last prophecy I was struck with the King's willingness to settle for less as long as it meant victory in the immediate future.

Elisha gave instructions to strike the ground with the arrows. The king did, but only 3 times and if he had done it with all the arrows he would have victory enough to destroy Aram and now it would only be three times. Why do we settle for less?

Lack of faith. Three words. Three small words that pack big meaning behind them and three words that we must never own! We must believe with every fiber of our being to be all that God wants us to be and will make sure we are as long as we trust and take the steps! So step out in faith ~ shoot the arrows and believe with all you are - after all REMEMBER WHOSE SON OR DAUGHTER YOU ARE! THE ALMIGHTY!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Yet even...

Why should we be any different? Why?

I read the Word this morning and when I got to the portion from 2 King 12: 1-16; I was struck with why should we be surprised. You ask surprised about what? Well, read it for yourself. Seriously, how many times do we all have to realize that God is the one and only GOD? Once again, we read that Joash began to rule over Jerusalem and that he did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Yet, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, so people still went to these places.

Several things hit me...First, it tells us that Joash did what was pleasing because of the priest. He didn't do it because of his own belief, no it was the priest! Huge thought - if we believe for someone else it isn't believing...We must make this choice for ourselve! No one else decides for us; even though that might be good if they could! If you continue to read in 2 Kings you will learn that once the priest died, Joash turned away from the LORD! How often have you known someone that attended church, did all the right things, but once they lost a loved one perhaps that took them to church they no longer returned? We must decide for little old selves!!!!

Do you know that the name of "Joash" means "The Lord gave"? The Lord did give as long as he was making the choice of rebuilding the temple and trying, but the moment the priest died things changed. Why didn't he tear all of this down in the beginning? Why didn't the priest instruct him to? Why don't we tear down all the evil things surrounding us right now? Why don't we turn off the tv? Why don't we put down something that we might not ought to be reading? Why? Why? Because we don't want to - NOT REALLY! Think about it, don't you do what you want to? Don't you get rid of something you don't want any longer? Well, I guess we aren't any different than Joash!

Another thing that hit me was why weren't the repairs being made like Joash instructed? Was the money not being given to make the repairs or were the priests not funding the repairs? Why the delay in repairing the temple? Could this have been another problem with not getting rid of the pagan business? Were they still not truly following the LORD? They were better and we are told that he did what was pleasing to the LORD...The story raises questions in my mind about allowing the smallest evil to hang around near and how it slowly eats away at the good.

Did these stories bother you? Joash tried, but did he try hard enough? Why did the priest that had his ear and he trusted not instruct him to rid the land of the pagan stuff? Why? Later on in the story we read that once the priest dies and Joash no longer follows the LORD. We are told he abandoned the God of their ancestors, and worshiped poles and idols instead...The son of the priest that spent much time and love teaching Joash from a young man on shared words from God with Joash and he ordered the death of his dear teacher's son!

Evil will take over quickly. Allow a small part in and watch it grow. Look around America right now and it's happening! I love our country, but so much evil is growing and growing. When will we take a stand? When will we recognize the evil and rid our land of it? How can we make a difference? Read God's Word, Practice what we read and share it with our friends! Prayer! Allow God to work and He will do the rest!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

I want it anyway...right or wrong!

It doesn't matter what it cost you - you want something and you are going to get it!
Ever been there?

2 Kings 5: 20-27 tells the story of Elisha's servant who overheard the offer of great reward for the healing that Naaman received. Elisha tells had told the man no. Not Gehazi he ran after him told him that his master changed his mind and took back twice as much as originally offered. Elisha knew where Gehazi had been and told him so. He replied that he hadn't been anywhere. Elisha then told Gehazi that he took silver from Naaman, so he would get what Naaman had left behind as well - the leprosy! He went to take, but he received as well!

What does our greed cost us? What disease might be eating away at us, because we just had to have something? We just had to do something? Are we not like Gehazi at times? We work a scene to fit our thoughts and we okay everything in our minds and off we go. Convinced it's all okay! NOT!

Elisha knew that God did the healing, he was the messenger. The praise was all God's, but Gehazi allowed himself to be deceived that it would be okay to lie and take was offered to Elisha anyway. What a price to pay for 150 pounds of silver; forever white as snow. Shunned forever everyone knowing that you picked a lie and forever you carried the scars and the sores - no healing because you lacked the faith to know that God would always provide everything you needed!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

God Protects His Plans...

2 Kings 2: 19-25 ~ Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.

Does this not strike you as pretty rough punishment for making fun of someone? Did you read the verses right before this one? Elisha was walking along and a group of young men in their late teens to early twenties approached Elisha and began to taunt him. They were shouting Baldy! Baldy! Doesn't sound bad enough to be mauled by bears does it?

Well, I had to research a little bit to try and understand a little bit more about the punishment that God sent for these young men. First off I learned they were older than the word boys implied to me, so they should have known better. Second, the word baldy in this day and age was very, very offensive. Baldness was regarded as a disgrace. We don't know if Elisha was really bald or perhaps he was shaved because he was a prophet or or it was merely a way to show contempt to God's prophet Elisha.

The cursing was done because these young men were actually showing contempt to God. So God was showing all around that Elisha was his guy. It was a warning to all around to leave Elisha alone, so that he could perform his duties of serving Him. To get out of God's way because He will protect His plans. Are you standing in the way of something God might be trying to do? Are you sharing seeds of doubt perhaps to hinder something He is doing?

To close please look at 2 Kings 4 and the stories of miracles performed during the famine with food. Begin in verse 42, a man brought a sack of grain and twenty loaves of barley bread to Elisha. He told them to give it to the people to eat and the man replied, "How will we feed a hundred people with this?"...Elisha replied, "the LORD says, Everyone will eat and there will even be some left over." God provides all we need and more! Over and over we hear this, but do we claim it? God provides so very much that we will even have leftovers! WOW! Praise God!

Sweet Blessings,
Debbie

Fire from Heaven

Is there no God in Israel? Powerful words spoken in 1 Kings to man being sent by the king to consult with the god of Ekron...who is the god of Ekron? I ask the same question and found that some said it was storm god who controlled diseases brought by flies. Yes, sounds like someone you would want to consult on a life or death matter - NOT! How stupid were these kings? Well, sometimes how stupid are we?

Stupid isn't a word that parents like for children to use and probably not one that I should use today, but what other word fits this king or us at times? God proves His love over and over and yet ...when the king fell through a lattice type of work that allowed the breezes to flow through, but not the sunlight he consulted with a god from the Baal family.

An angel of the LORD appeared to Elijah with mighty words and he shared them with the folks headed to consult the fly god. Have you heard of fly by night? Wonder if this is where that expression came from? Just a thought...anyway. They took the words back to the king that he would die in his bed because of who he consulted. The king wanted a description of the man immediately. Immediately knowing it was Elijah.

He wanted Elijah arrested for telling him truth. Two different groups of men went to arrest Elijah because they demanded he come down without realizing that he was a prophet that God sent to share these words with, so God sent down fire to kill these men all 100 of them...The last group sent realized and he approached with respect and honor kneeling before Elijah pleading for his life and the men's! The angel of the LORD then told Elijah to not be afraid to go with them and they were all spared, but the king!

Do we realize who God sends? Do we realize who we consult with for major decisions in our life? Is it God? Does God send you answers through your friends, family, pastor? Do you hear from God? If not, pick up His Word. Be still and listen and wait. You will receive answers. Oh, maybe not the one you want, but you will know!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Victory before the battle!

2 Chronicles 20: 17 ~ But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory.

What situation are you facing today? Do you think you are going to win the battle? Are you sure that you have done what you need to do to win?

Read 2 Chronicles 20: 1-30, before heading out to the battle that you might face today! We learn a great deal from reading this portion of scripture.

Jehoshaphat stood after receiving word that troops were sneaking up on them to fight. He became terrified, but he stood before the whole community and prayed to God. He knew who who win the battle, who would fight the battle and ultimately give them the victory! The women, children and men all stood before the LORD praying and having fasted knowing in their hearts who would fight the battle!

Early the next morning the king and the army went out to the wilderness to meet the incoming troops. On the way the king stopped and shared these words ~ Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets and you will succeed." Then he did the most amazing thing...he placed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing praises to the LORD! He was so confident of the LORD'S promises that before the battle was even fought they sang praises! WOW!!! What a lesson for all of us to take today...Sing God's praises long before the battles, be confident in HIM and He will confuse your enemies before you even get to them!

I love this story. I love this lesson! Imagine the people arriving on the scene and the warriors having already turned on themselves and slaughtered each other without you lifting a finger! How did they return home? The same way they entered! Singing God's praises! Don't forget who really fought the battle and won!!!

Sing praises, if you don't have a voice to sing ~ Shout them, Speak them and Claim them!!!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Make a choice!

Odd photo, isn't it?

A woman with two different faces and ways that she appears. A woman that can't decide who she wants to be and what or whom she wants to represent. How many of us are like this woman?

Today, when I got to 1 Kings 18 the words jumped off the page at me that Elijah told the people of Israel ~ How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! If Baal is God, then follow him! But the people were completely silent. How many of us are like this? How many of us tag along following God and then waver at the slightest show of something you think might be a little better or a quick fix?

God wants us to pick Him! The God of the universe allows us to pick Him ~ this free will thing blows my mind everyday. God is sooooooo big that He didn't have to allow us to choose, but He wants us to pick HIM! He loves us sooooooo much, that He wants us to make the choice that He is the only way and that we love Him beyond measure! The exact same way He feels about us ~ beyond measure!

Do you know that literally in the word that the original meaning for this passage was "limp along on or between two twigs." Are we limping along or standing tall? Are we making the choice of who we are because of God or someone or something else? Who created the world? Who can start a fire from heaven? Who can whip the oceans with a sigh? Who can blow and make the winds turn the world upside down? Who can set the rainbow in the sky? Who can create a new life? Who will have victory in the end? It is my prayer that we all choose God and Jesus and that we stand firmly on their side not limply in the middle because that is not a choice that will stand in eternity!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

God Always Plans!

Today, when I got to the portion of reading from 1 Kings 17: 1-7; it really hit me how God truly makes provisions for our every need! We know this in our heads, but do we believe it like Elijah did?

Elijah had prayed according to James 5:17 for the rain to stop. Why? So that the people would realize that Baal would not provide the rain that was needed for their crops, their survival and the people would turn to the one real God! Imagine, Elijah praying such a prayer that would hurt those around him for a short time, but for the long term they would be so much better off! Do we pray like this for our loved ones or do we just pray for the pain to be removed? Do we sometimes need the difficult to realize the love of God truly? Ponder this thought today! It hit me that perhaps sometimes this is what our prayer should be...just a thought.

Elijah's name means "the Lord is God" and truly he knew who God was! Israel had to have the autumn and spring rains and the summer dews for the crops. Elijah prayed the Lord heard and the rains stopped for 3 years and 6 months. Definitely, proof that Baal the god of rain and fertility wasn't too good or real!

I love the fact that Elijah went to the brook that was probably seasonal and he drank from the brook and the ravens brought him food. Yes, much like the manna and quail that God provided for the early grumblers and mumblers...God provides!

Remember, ponder do we need the difficult sometimes to truly realize that God is the Way? Do we need to pray perhaps for the rain to stop for someone close to us, so that they will look to God? It is so hard to ask such a question, much less to pray for it...What are your thoughts?

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Out of the ordinary!

I love the appearance of lions! I watch Chronicles of Narnia and think I just want to hug that lion. I mean they just look lovable except when they are eating! Look at the photo that accompanies today's blog. Doesn't he look sweet? Look between his legs and notice the leftovers from the meal...

When I was reading the words today from 1 King 13 and the story of the prophet that went to warn Bethel against the pagan shrines and worship at the altar with such acts I was amazed. Please read the whole story for yourself it is 1 Kings 13: 1-34. The prophet followed his instructions with warnings and the king offered for him to return and eat with him, but he refused. He refused telling him that God instructed him to leave without drinking or eating anything from Bethel. So he left.

Another prophet followed him and offered for him to come back to his house and eat and drink. He refused at first. The prophet then did something odd to me ~ he lied to another prophet. Several commentaries stated perhaps he had sons that were close to the center of the things being done with the shrines and pagan worship or that he himself was close to the center of all of this. Another thought was he was trying to show up this man of God as false because perhaps he had spoken contrary to what this man had stated. Anyway he lied and convinced the true prophet to return and eat.

As they were eating at this man's table the Lord came to him and he cried out that the other man had defied the Word of God and disobeyed by eating with him. They finished eating the prophet rode the other man's donkey and left. A lion came out of no where and killed the man because he had returned and eaten in Bethel. Now here is the really odd part to me. The lion stood beside the body without devouring it and he was leaving the donkey alone. The donkey stayed by the man and the lion did as well leaving the body laying there.

How weird is this? We all know that under normal circumstances that body would have been eaten and devoured quickly by the lion. The donkey would have been dessert! Unlike humans the animals are showing obedience to God ~ they are bending to God's will. You know that was not their will! God was making this scene happen!

The old prophet came and took the other prophet back to be buried in his tomb with instructions that one day he was to lay beside this man's bones. Indicating that the man was right in the words he stated about Bethel and the acts taking place there were wrong!

Have you given any thought to something being out of the ordinary? Is God trying to do something special or different with your life? Are you looking at something and something doesn't appear to be right? Well, talk to God and see where He might be leading you!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Headed south

2 Chronicles 11: 5-17

Jeroboam thought he had it all together. He consulted the older advisers and his younger advisers and took the word of men that had never been tested and tried over the more experienced men. Huge mistake!

The people revolted in Jerusalem and he fled to rule from the north. Not long before he is worshipping golden calves. How do people worship a statue? How? Anyway, he built his kingdom around the city of Shechem and Peniel. He decided to keep the people from going to worship in Jerusalem, he would build these calves and the people would stay to offer their sacrifices close to home.

He even appointed his own priests! The Levites abandoned their property and moved to Judah to serve the LORD! It hit me that sometimes we must also abandon and move to serve where God is calling us. We must leave behind people we love, places we love and move south to obey God's plans for our journeys! Is it easy? No! Imagine, these men giving up their homeland, their places of worship because no longer were they allowed to follow the LORD that called them "His Own" a part of the Royal Priesthood. No choice, but to pack their bags and head south!

Sometimes we might be called to pack our bags and move south! Are you ready? Well, you might gather a few things to prepare for a journey because God seems to always move us out of our comfort zones! So be prepared to move and serve!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Always discovering

Today, Solomon stated in Ecclesiastes 8:17 something I love ~ I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.

I love this verse! We serve a God so big, so beyond our wildest imagination that never ever will anybody figure it all out! I love this fact! I cling to this fact!

God is so beyond my simple thinking or the smartest person in the world's thinking that we just will never get it and that comforts me! I believe and trust in God and I don't have to understand it all and I treasure this fact! I sleep very well at night knowing that My Savior, My God, My LORD knows it all ~ absolutely no one else does! Including the evil one!!!!

Claim this for own self! You will find peace knowing that God alone knows ALL! I also love that we are allowed to discover something new as much as we desire and never will it be all....Keep discovering and growing, trusting God with ALL the Knowledge!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Like chasing the wind~

Like chasing the wind such wise words about all the things we are able to actually put our hands on and touch in life. Anything that we might grasp between our hands will only make us happy for a brief moment, if that.

Solomon the wise king had absolutely everything a human could desire. He had wisdom, He had stuff, He had women beyond numbers, He had wealth, He had a palace, but he lost his relationship with God. So nothing was right. He lost his view of eternity. He had no knowledge of Jesus yet and he lost his view of eternity through scripture. After all, he was pursuing everything else...

Adventure is like chasing the wind, but it's fun! How long does actually holding a piece of jewelry make you happy? How long before a new relationship is stale because you begin to see the flaws of another human being? The only way that anything makes sense is with God.

Think of all the things that truly make you happy. Are you able to touch them? Yes you are able to touch your child's face or your husband's, but the moments you have together are you able to freeze them or do they become a memory that passes through your mind? A day you shared with someone are you able to hold it? Laughter? The wind is real, just like God! Our moments are an adventure that He allows to stay in our minds not in our hands. Our life cannot be held in our hands, but it can in our memory and other people's memory! Just because we might desire something in our life, doesn't mean that it is something we should want...Solomon tried it all and look at his words...nothing matters!

How sad is it that a man that requested wisdom was given this gift and yet he came to the conclusion that nothing mattered, because he lost God. He pursued everything and had nothing!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Turn his heart away from the Lord

Did you see it coming?

When you read that Solomon had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines, did you ask will they help Solomon loose some of his wisdom? After all, what man could manage 5 women much less 1000??? Really? What happened to the wisdom of Solomon? Such a waste!

Solomon got in his own way. Why? Solomon listened to someone other than God! OOPS!

How often is this us? We listen to everyone and don't even ask God...

I imagine Solomon walking around his palace with 1000 women spread around all over and unless it was sooooooooo big he would be crossing a lot of these women's path all the time...Sooner or later they are going to bring their way of thinking into his little brain and some of these not so good thoughts are going to take hold.

Sure enough in his old age we are told Solomon turned to other gods. What? We are suppose to grow wiser with age, Solomon went the opposite??? What's happening here? The devil never stops trying to win us to his way of thinking....Solomon accepted Gods that believed in sacrificing of children which is Chemosh, the god of the Moabites and they think they practiced it on perhaps the Mt. of Olives!The god of Molech was also a sacrifice of children...what happened?

Solomon wanted to appear all powerful even in having more women than anyone else! He did! He was ruined, but he had more women. Wonder if he felt it was worth it, when he realized that God was angry and He raised up another? Did he regret his choice in his lifetime or only at the end perhaps? God appeared to him twice and warned him and yet he still worshipped other gods...How?

We get tooooo big for our own britches! Isn't that the old expression? We think we got it all under control and boy do we ...

Forgive us Father, when we think it is about us! When pride gets involved we all fail!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

"A Reluctant Queen" by Joan Wolf ~ Wonderful Read

Do you need a book filled with romance, mystery, and danger? Well, this is the book for you! A book about Queen Esther.

The author, Joan Wolf captures your imagination and intrigues you with the way she weaves the story of Queen Esther and the way that queen Esther captures not only the King's eye, but his love! Women will love this story and are excited with every page turn, to see where it will lead.

A beautiful story from that Bible that shares one woman standing up for the One True God and Joan just gives a new glimpse of how the story might have happened with more details. Joan is a beautiful storyteller with beautiful details intertwined to capture a woman's heart! WE all love a good love story!

I found it so enlightening about the first days that Esther found herself in the King's harem. The terror that was in her heart and mind with all the new and strange surroundings.

A wonderful book to add to your summer reading list. Order it through amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Queen-Love-Story-Esther/dp/1595548769/ref=sprightly-20
You will be glad you did sitting by the pool, relaxing with your book about Queen Esther and the beauty that surrounded her in the palace!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

I did receive the book to read and review it! So glad I agreed to be a part of this blog tour and review this fabulous read!!!

What's your house built with?

Proverbs 24:3 -6

A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. So don't go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.

Wisdom to share with our friends and family. What kind of wisdom are you filling your home with? Are we well rounded? Are we learning a little bit about everything? Are we listening for God's instructions? Are we listening for the things that God wants each of us to be obedient about and to grow and learn from these things?

To win this battle of life we must have the wise guidance of the Holy Spirit that we listen to and respond to. Christ left us with the Holy Spirit so that we would have a guide. A guide that knows the directions and path we need to follow, but do we pay any attention?

Indeed, we grow much stronger with God's Hand leading us along the path. We grow much stronger when we open His Word and read and wait for His guidance! It's easy to go to the gym (maybe not for those of us allergic to sweat - anyway another problem) to pick up weights and get stronger, but to allow God to lead our choices takes real courage and faith! But it is awesome to watch Him Work, when you know without a doubt this isn't something you would ever do on your own - it's only God!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

"Fool"

Do you know in Proverbs that the word "fool" is written about 84 times and it never is about a person with a diminished or lower mental capacity? It is always something that we humans could change, but don't!

The word "keseel" is one that makes wrong choices a lot. (Hebrew) "Nawbale" refers to a borish man with a mean disposition. Do you remember Abagail's husband? His name was Nabal and he was definitely a man with a mean, foolish disposition that lost everything including his life! Read the story of Abagail a beautiful story of God's love.

How many "keseel's" do you know? How many would you like to give a swift kick at times? Or the same is true of a nawbale???

Are we at times all considered foolish when we could just as easily shut our mouths and walk along? In Proverbs 20:3 we are told ~ Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. How often does a fight of words happen because someone just wants the last word? How often would we look rather wise if we just remained silent rather than shouting the last word and looking like a fool?

Then in Proverbs 21: 20 it says ~ The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get. Oops, Solomon really likes stepping on toes. How many people like this do you know?

Indeed, Solomon was a wise man. We must all at times look like fools for this word to be talked about 84 times in the Proverbs. Read them for yourself and see if any of them apply to you. I am sorry to say that I was guilty of some of them. Bad choices that I could have changed, but perhaps I wanted that last word!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Take your meds

Proverbs 17:22 ~ A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.

Today, have a cheerful heart and help someone else feel better. Advice for the day from Proverbs. Isn't it so true?

Think about the last time you spotted that person that always takes every ounce of energy away from you ~ how did you feel? Probably sapped or zapped. Spent. Tired. Not sure if you might be able to put one foot in front of the other.

Now think about the cheerful person that with the smile alone you felt better! Which do you want to offer today to a friend or stranger in need? Hopefully good meds!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie