Hope in Truth

Guest Post

Rebekah Lyn

Reblogged 4/26/24

This week, Jews around the world are celebrating Passover. This is a celebration in remembrance of the final plague God poured out on the Egyptians when Pharaoh refused to set the Israelites free from captivity. The Israelites were told to take a lamb into their household and care for it for four days. On that fourth day, at twilight, the lambs were to be killed and their blood used to paint the sides and tops of their door frames. God then detailed the meal they were to eat that night, including the meat of the sacrificed lamb. During the night, while the Israelites slept, protected by the blood on their doorways, all the firstborns in Egypt were killed.

This is a story that many use to question God’s loving nature. It’s hard to understand how God can not only allow, but bring, death to a nation when all we focus on is His loving nature. God is also a God of justice, and those who do not follow His way will face judgment. During their years in Egypt, the Israelites went from a welcomed family, to an expanding population, to slaves, and even a threat to the Egyptian way of life. Forty years before this first Passover, Pharaoh had commanded that all Israelite baby boys be killed in order to squash the growing population. It’s no coincidence that Moses, the man sent to seek freedom from Pharaoh, was one of those babies that should have been killed, but God had a plan for him and made a way for Moses to be protected.

There is so much false information, misinformation, and disinformation, floating around in the world. Depending on what side of politics you fall on, which religion you follow, what country you live in, and what celebrity you follow, that is how many people decide what they believe is the truth. That becomes confusing, though, if you follow a particular celebrity who says one thing but acts out another. Or if you believe in the campaign speeches of your party, but when they are in office, they do the exact opposite of what they said.

How, then, can we find truth? “Jesus answered, “‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” ~ John 14:6

After the first sin in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve hid from God because they were ashamed of their nakedness. The very first blood sacrifice came through God killing animals to make clothes for His children. From that time on, blood sacrifices were required to cleanse our souls from sin. The more this was done, though, I have to believe it had less meaning to the people. As with religious traditions today, many do them because it is habit or obligation more than from a deep sense of understanding, reverence, and repentance.

God chose to send His Son, Jesus, to Earth, specifically for the purpose of becoming our sacrificial lamb. He bore the humiliation and pain of death on a cross so that those who believe in Him and call Him Savior can be set free from the curse of sin.

“‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate. Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’” ~John 18:37

It may have become customary to buy a lamb for sacrifice, but for a man to lay down his life saying, “God lay all the blame on me. Take away their punishment and place it on me.” That isn’t something that can be taken for granted. Jesus was fully human, even as He was fully God. He struggled in the Garden of Gethsemane with what He knew lay ahead of Him. He prayed for another way, but He accepted and submitted to the will of God, His Father.

Not only did Jesus accept that death, He followed through on the promises He had spoken on several times, both in private with His disciples and in public. He promised the temple would be torn down but then rebuilt in three days. He told them He would die, but would rise again in three days. He did this and now, those who follow Him are the temple. We carry His Spirit inside our hearts. He is no longer contained to the Holy of Holy of the old Jewish Temple.

That is the example of truth I choose to live my life by.

My True Treasure

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Psalm 119:65-68

Your extravagant kindness makes me want to follow your words even more!

Teach me how to make good decisions,

And give me revelation light, for I believe in your commands.

Before I was humbled, I always used to wander astray,

But now I see the wisdom of your words.

Everything you do is beautiful, flowing from your goodness;

Teach me the power of your wonderful words.

Photo Credit:Pixaba

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

 

Minute Meditations-2

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

Credit Google Search

What is happiness?  Or better yet…..what is your IDEA of what happiness is?  Is it just a state of mind?  Is our happiness determined by our circumstances?                          

A pastor said once, that when we are God’s child, happiness is what resides in our hearts and minds always, and that joy or sorrow can’t really touch it; that the circumstances where we find ourselves do NOT determine whether we are happy or not….we have God’s abiding happiness within us.

Joy

Sorrow

Filling our hearts with God’s love gives us permanent happiness, that allows us to be happy, or content, in whatever situations we find ourselves.

My brother, Bill, wrote about this very thing.  These are his thoughts:

Can we see just how God wants us to look to Him for our happiness?  No matter what happens, with God in our hearts, we can depend upon Him to give us the answers we seek to ALL our earthly problems.  He is true and faithful to His word.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Hope in Friendship

Guest Post

Rebekah Lyn

Reblogged

Earlier this month, I took a trip to visit my best friend. We spent a couple of days in Nashville, exploring the Cheekwood Estate and the Frist Museum, probably not the first places that come to mind when you hear Nashville. That’s the great thing about our relationship. We both enjoy off-the-beaten-path, unsung gems in the places we visit. Yes, we wandered down South Broadway past all the popular bars and restaurants. I even convinced her to tour the Ryman Auditorium (which she loved despite her hesitancy).

We’ve known each other for over 30 years, but for most of that time, we’ve had anywhere from 200 to 3,000 miles between us. Despite the distance, we always pick up where we left off when we get together. She is my polar opposite – outgoing, quirky, a magnet for meeting people. The thing I love about her most, though, is we can share things with each other without judgment. We support each other through the tough times and meltdowns. Even though we don’t talk every day, I would be lost without her.

There isn’t much in the Bible specifically about friendship. Two of the most well-known stories are about David and Jonathan (King Saul’s son), and Job’s three friends. These stories are complete opposites. Despite King Saul wanting to kill David, Jonathan stands by his friend (1 Samuel 20). Meanwhile, Job’s friends came to his side following all the calamities that befell him and sat in silence for seven days. When they did speak, they became increasingly accusatory.

No friendship is without pitfalls. We are all flawed and will let each other down at some point. In the book of Acts, we learn about a young man named John Mark, who Barnabas and Paul took with them on one of their missionary journeys. Unfortunately, Mark was young and didn’t complete the trip, which Paul took great offense with. When Barnabas wanted to take Mark on a second journey, Paul was against this because of Mark’s previous breach of trust. This caused a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas to the point that they went on separate journeys (Acts 12-15).

This seems like a rift that cannot be repaired, yet in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we learn Mark is with him once again, and later in 2 Timothy, Paul is asking for Mark to be sent to him “because he is helpful to me in ministry”. Mark had matured and become a good friend to Paul. We can learn from this relationship that even in the face of shattered relationships, there is always a glimmer of hope for reconciliation and healing.

So, to anyone out there struggling with a broken friendship, hold on to the hope that reconciliation is possible. With time, effort, and a genuine commitment to growth, you too can mend the fractures and restore what was once lost.

Don’t forget to check out the resources page I’m developing with content I have found encouraging, has taken me deeper in my walk with God, and generally builds my hope.

To Thrift or Not to Thrift

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I have mixed feelings about thrifting. I would go so far as to say that I am very conflicted. In case you aren’t familiar with the term, I found this definition online.

“Thrifting refers to the act of purchasing secondhand goods, such as clothing, from thrift shops or other sources. It’s a fantastic way to save money while also promoting sustainable fashion.”

What is Thrifting? What’s the Purpose of it?

Thrift stores have long been a valuable tool in managing living expenses, but over the last few years, it has become a popular pastime. Thrifters tend to proudly wear their “finds.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. I have enjoyed discovering some finds myself. My favorite find is pieces of vintage Princess House dishes at a Goodwill Store. I was shocked they were priced at only $1.00 per piece. Princess House was very popular in Florida and was sold at home parties like Pampered Chef and Tupperware. I found this example of the plates below on Etsy.

Photo Credit: Etsy MichelesAttic

Thrifting is fun especially when sharing the experience with a friend. The conflict for me comes in thinking that if I am buying out of want, am I depriving someone in need?

Yet, thrift stores have expenses similar to any business: rent, payroll, utilities, etc. By thrifting, one is contributing to the cost of providing inexpensive clothing as well as household goods.

I have recently read comments condemning thrift stores for selling clothing etc that were given to the thrift store. I can’t follow that thinking because as I wrote above, thrift stores have expenses.

A church in my community has a heart for serving our homeless. They accept donations of clothing and provide them free to those in need. To raise money to help fund their ministry, they began selling the excess clothing and household items at a local indoor flea market. At the moment they have so many donations they have had to limit the type of clothing they accept. There is always a need for men’s pants size 28-34. I was shocked to read a scathing comment about the selling of the excess items.

My church has a wonderful clothes closet that is open twice per month. I love watching families come in with young children. The children are so excited to be able to choose whatever they want.

So, regarding the controversy over selling donated clothes versus giving them away, I think one should choose where they donate based on their preference.

There are thrift shops that fund many worthwhile helping organizations. My favorite shop uses the money to run a food bank.

From my experience, these are frequently needed clothing and items.

• Men’s clothing-small sizes if donations to homeless
• Children and infant clothing
• Clean underwear especially for homeless
• Personal care products
• In winter, coats
• Items specific to the organization, ie..pet needs

To thrift or not to thrift, that is the question…that only you can decide. I am still feeling conflicted.

He Came to my Rescue

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Psalm 116:4-7

I’ve learned from my experience.

That God protects the childlike and

Humble ones.

For I was broken and brought low,

But he answered me and came to my rescue!

Now, I can say to myself and all,

Relax and rest; be confident and serene.

The Lord fully rewards those who trust in him.

God has rescued my soul from death’s fear

And dried my eyes of human tears.

Photo Credit:Pixabay

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

Minute Meditations-1

SUNDAY MEMORIES 

Judy Wills

Reblog

Back in 2015, my brother Bill, gave me permission to publish some of his “Minute Meditations” he had written following the Challenger disaster. I would like to re-blog them for the next few weeks.  They are as appropriate today as they were when he wrote them, and I submitted them in 2015.

I would like to do something a little different for a few weeks.  Hope you like my musings.

As I have mentioned before – and he has posted – my brother worked in the space industry all of his career.  He has shared so many interesting stories of his work.  Recently, one that has impressed me the most is that, whenever one of our space shuttles docked with the International Space Station, it would “nudge” the ISS back into its orbit.  

Credit:  wallpaper.com

If that didn’t happen, then eventually the ISS would fall into the earth’s atmosphere and burn up.  Did you know that?  I didn’t.  And it seems like such a waste to have spent all that time and money to make the ISS, and then stop the space program.  Oh well.

In any case, if you are old enough to remember the Challenger disaster,

Credit newsweek.com

Credit mansfieldnewsjournal

Bill wrote a “Minute Meditation” about it, and I would like to quote it here:

So, even in tragedy, as Bill stated, we can know that God is there, is in control, and we can trust Him in all our ways.  That is such a hopeful and reassuring thought for me.  For you, as well, I pray.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Forgiveness

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

FORGIVENESS…what a word…what a concept.  And such a difficult thing to wrap our minds around, let alone our actions.

Do you have a difficult time forgiving someone?  Something someone does?  I think it comes with human nature – and after all, we have our pride, right?

One of my very favorite books is called Cafenova, written by S. Jane Scheyder.

It is the first book in the Clairmont Series.  If you are a reader and haven’t yet read any of Ms. Scheyder’s books, I encourage you to do so.  Wonderful Christian author and book series.  In it, Ms. Scheyder has an older gentleman (Otis – 80 years old), giving his neighbor (Maddy – 29 year old B&B owner) his excellent definition of forgiveness.  I have Ms. Scheyder’s and her publishers permission (Andres&Blanton) to quote from Cafenova here.  And you’ll just have to find the book to read “the rest of the story.”  It’s well-worth your time.

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            “I don’t know,” she said as they finished their sandwiches.  “It sounds easy, the way you talk about it, but it’s really…hard,” she finished, for lack of a better argument.

            “Forgiveness came at quite a price.  I figure God has the right to tell us how to do it.”

            “I can’t argue with that,” Maddy said softly.  She hadn’t forgotten everything she’d learned in Sunday School.  “But what if you feel like part of your issue is with God?  I mean,” she hesitated, struggling to express herself.  “Sometimes I feel angry with Him for letting this whole thing happen.”

            She knew she wasn’t alone.  Many of her friends were disillusioned, and had abandoned any religious practices that they’d grown up with, and God along with them.  Some of them, if they were honest, didn’t actually reject the concept of God, they were angry with Him.

            “The trouble is,” Otis replied slowly, “people have this idea that God owes them something, as though creating them, redeeming them and promising them a perfect eternity weren’t enough.”  He shook his head.  “Jesus never said that life on this Earth would be easy.  In fact, He assured us that it would be hard.  Most of us have it so good that we can’t comprehend suffering, and when it happens, we’re shocked and angry with God.”  He stopped and looked out over the water.

            “Somehow we’ve come to believe in this image of God as a sort of genie figure who grants our wishes when we pray.  That’s fine, as long as everything goes our way.  But as soon as something goes wrong we get angry, because that doesn’t fit our image of how we think God should behave.

            “People don’t take the time to get to know God the way He chose to reveal Himself, and that’s through this,” Otis put his hand gently on his Bible.  “The truth is all in here, and everything we need for sorting it out when life hurts,” Otis sighed.  “I guess people don’t want to work that hard.”

            “….He [Otis] turned earnestly to Maddy.  “I know that you feel like something was taken away from you.  I don’t know what you went through with that boy in Seattle.  What was his name?”

            “Phil.”

            “I don’t know what that Phil put you through, but it must have been pretty bad…..”

            “But as long as we’re talking about God giving and taking, did it ever occur to you that God took you away from Phil, and for good reason?”

            “….Again, I don’t know the fellow,” Otis pressed, “but knowing what you know about him now, can’t you at least acknowledge that maybe God did you a favor by taking him out of your life?  Maybe it didn’t happen in a very nice way, I don’t know, but did you ever think that God allowed that, so when you finally healed up inside you would never second-guess whether that boy, that Phil, was really the right man for you?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God wants us to forgive any and all wrongs done to us.  It’s not to help the one who did the wrong – it is to free US from that weight of grief and sorrow.  After all…look what Jesus did to forgive us – He hung on that cross and died, and asked God the Father to forgive them – and that means you and me!

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times

Matthew 18:21

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

He Will Not Leave You

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Isaiah 42:16

I lead you blind one

By the way, you do not know.

I guide you and make darkness.

Into light and

Rugged places into plains.

These things I 

Do for you.

I will not, will not leave you or forsake you.

Photo Credit:Pixabay

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

Easter Sunday 2024

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

(Reposted from 2014)

I really love Christmas!  All the brisk weather (in the colder climes), the Christmas trees and wreaths.  The decorations.  But especially the music.  It’s so much fun to hear and sing – both sacred and secular.  It’s such a special time of year.

But for me – and all of Christianity – Easter is the very, VERY best!  Of course, Christmas had to come first – to bring the Christ Child into this world.  But Easter brings us eternal life…and that beats the socks off a fun, cute song any day!

The songs associated with Easter are so exciting – and uplifting – and inspiring – and so full of hope and promise (and by-the-way – hope in scripture means absolute assurance!).  They tell of Christ’s death, yes, but also of that glorious moment when HE AROSE!  Can you imagine it?  God’s power is so tremendously great that He actually raised Jesus from death back into life!  Amazing!!  It’s so easy to just say…He arose.  But just think of it – He actually rose FROM THE DEAD BACK TO LIFE!  That never happened to anyone else, that didn’t physically die again.  Our Savior lives again and still, and forever.

There’s a lot of anti-Christian stuff going on right now, that borders on persecution.  Yes, I know – I really haven’t a clue what true persecution is like.  But this is the most anti-Christian attitude in this country that I’ve ever felt.  And it doesn’t feel good.

Seems like every Easter there is something that happens to a church here or there that actually backfires on the perpetrators.  For instance, when we lived in Panama City, Florida back in the 1970’s, there was a Lutheran church who put up a “tomb/cave” on their front lawn every Easter.  They would have a “stone” rolled across the front, that on Easter morning was “rolled away” to reveal the open/empty tomb.  One year, the whole thing disappeared!  Turns out, some teenagers, on a dare, took it away.  So, instead of harming the message – the newspaper got a hold of the story – took pictures and all – and it made the front page news!  Backfire, see?  And God’s Word was spread throughout the city from all the news reports!

Photo credit – Judy Wills

And then when we lived in a small town in Virginia, our church had put up some sort of display on our front lawn – and some of the “soldiers” disappeared.  Same thing – the city newspaper (and possibly the TV stations in town) got wind of the disappearance, and interviewed the Pastor about it.  Again, it made the headlines and news stories.  The culprits were found and the soldiers returned.  Another backfire.  And again, God’s Word was spread far and wide!

All that to say that I am convinced that there is still a remnant of believers in this country, and that God will honor those who still trust Him.  What is done in the dark will be brought to light – and God’s name will be glorified.

HE IS RISEN!   HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

Happy Easter!

Credit ChurchArt

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.