It is much easier to spot someone else’s errors because your brain will not as easily assume what the author meant to write. I do try to check my posts, but sometimes things will get by me and I do not have a proofreader. So, please show mercy if you see an error. Just make a note in the comments section and I will fix it.
This former copy editor and proofreader thanks you for your understanding.
Joel has a pretty good eye on the situation.
President Obama has just submitted his request for Congress to authorize the use of military force against the Islamic State. Does this mean the President is finally getting serious about waging an all-out war to crush the Radical Islamic force commonly known as “ISIS” or “ISIL”? Does he have a strategy to win.
I wish the answer was yes. Unfortunately, I am not convinced. As with his Iran policy, the President appears to want to look like he is taking serious actions, without actually doing anything decisive to solve the grave problems we face.
Let me explain.
First, some facts:
View original 924 more words
You woke up this morning. All we really have is this one day. The past is over. We have no idea how much future we will have in this life.
When you woke up, you were given another 24 hours (and some of you less than that).
What will you do with these precious hours with which you have been gifted?
Remember, every word you speak just might be your last ones.
Every action you take just might be your last one.
What do you want people to remember about your last interaction with them?
Think about that.
We never know how much time we (or the people in our lives) still have.
Every interaction with another is, potentially, our last one…whether because it is our last day or it is theirs.
What do we want our last interactions with others to be?
What memories do we want to carry?
What memories do we want others to carry?
Think about that.
From Oswald Chambers:
We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises — human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God — but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people — and this is not learned in five minutes.
Abba, please help me to keep turning to YOU, every day, every hour, every minute, that I may live as a saint should live…fully surrendered, a servant, listening for every call, looking for every opportunity to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life.
Avinu – Our Father
Avinu. Our Father. That is what Yeshua told us to say when we pray. We are to call out to Avinu. Avinu shows us what kind of relationship we are to have with G-d.
On the one hand, people are intended to be G-d’s bride, as reflected in the giving of the Torah being done in the fashion of a marriage. The Torah is like a ketubah, or marriage covenant, between G-d and His people.
On the other hand, we are to be like children who trust our heavenly Abba/Father. Abba is a very endearing term, similar to daddy or papa in the English. Many times, when in need of comfort, I have pictured myself as a young child sitting on His lap…or even as an adult! His lap is big enough for a person of any size!
For those of us who have had stern, cold or abusive earthly fathers, the idea of G-d as a father can be a bit disconcerting. We need to remember that He is a perfect father. He is perfect love.
Perfect love leads, guides and directs. It restores us when we go astray. It prompts us when we falter. It disciplines us when we go our own way. It wants an intimate, close relationship of the heart.
I encourage you to look at what kind of relationship you have with your Abba. Do you even have a relationship with Him? If not, please attend to that right away! Through Yeshua (Jesus) we can all have a relationship with Abba.
Our willfulness…our sinfulness…our not following in G-d’s ways have caused a breach in our relationship with G-d. The very nature we are born with is one of separation from Him. Yeshua came to bridge that separation. He showed us what it is like to walk in G-d’s ways. He offered Himself on the cross as a sinless man so that we could have a new nature. When we trust Him for our spiritual well-being, when we accept what He has done and commit to walk in His ways, we are given a new nature. We are restored to our Abba relationship with G-d.
Sin Is Not Only What We Do
Sin is not only what we do, it is what we do not do. How many sins have we committed due to omission? It is not enough to avoid doing wrong. We must also do what is right.
An example from our bodies: It is not enough to avoid eating things that are bad for us. We must also eat things that are good for us. Otherwise, the body starves.
Likewise with our spirits and souls. It is not enough to avoid the things that are bad for our spirits and souls. We must also feed our spirits and souls with what is good and healthy. Otherwise, our souls and spirits starve.
How do we know what is bad and what is good? What is unhealthy and what is healthy? If we had a device, we would turn to the manufacturer and the manual for how to maintain and repair that device. In like manner, we turn to our “manufacturer”…to our Creator…and to the manual given to us in order to understand how to live and how to fix that which is broken within us.
My Calling
My calling is to serve Avinu Shabashamayim wherever I am, starting first with my immediate family.
I am to serve my spouse and my children.
I am to serve those with whom I come in contact.
I am to love them with Avinu’s love and speak His heart to them. I am to serve them physically where needed and possible.
Am I willing to really do this? Or am I simply going through the motions?
Anything done without love counts for nothing for me, even though it may be a good and needful thing and bless the one receiving it. But for me, for my walk in the spirit, it counts for nothing if it is not done out of love for Avinu and for the person.
Avinu does not simply want outward motions. He wants a heart turned toward him. He wants us to do what we do because we are so full of love for Him that we almost cannot help but do it for those He loves because our love for Him compels us to love the ones He loves.
What am I doing in, and with, my life? Am I truly loving Avinu? Am I truly loving His Messiah Yeshua? Am I truly willing to allow His Ruach to love through me and to act on that love?
Am I surrendered? Or am I still doing my own thing?
It never ceases to amaze me how so many little things can really hit the heart…both in a positive way and in a negative way.
A few words can trigger so many emotions. They can uplift us or leave us hurting.
It is so important to remember that the words we speak have an impact on those around us.
It is equally important to remember that we may be misreading or misinterpreting the words of others.
Be slow to take offense and quick to give grace and mercy.
Today, I am thankful for life and for the Giver of Life.
So many things can happen in life, things that change us and/or our situations forever. But life still goes on and the Giver of Life is still there for us. He is faithful. He will never leave us or forsake us. We can count on Him even when we do not understand why He is allowing some of the things He is allowing.
One thing we can know for sure…He wants intimacy with our hearts and He will keep on calling to us and drawing us to Himself.
The real question is…how will we respond to that calling? How will we answer?
Today, I am thankful for Emergency Rooms. Our son had an earache that just would not go away. We finally had to break down and take him in the middle of Sunday night to the ER. He is now on his second day of antibiotics, ear drops and pain pills.
Is he feeling better? Well, not very much…yet. His pain has gone down from a “10” to a “9.5”. We are hoping and praying it will go down more by tomorrow. If not, we may need to take him in to see the doctor.
I am also thankful that the L-rd is my Provider and that we have a dear friend who is going to help me negotiate the bill down once it comes in.
His antibiotic was free at the pharmacy and the pain pills did not cost much. Yay! The ear drops were given to us at the hospital. I don’t know how much they will charge, but I know that last time we could not get them from the pharmacy because they were very, very expensive. This way we can negotiate cost and payment.
I am grateful we have a vehicle and that we had plenty of gas Sunday night.
Another good thing is that there were not many people in the ER.
I could go on and on about our many blessings, but these are the ones I am focusing on today.
For more details about copyright click on the above graphic and go to the "Copyright" page link above...or click here: https://ourbeitshalom.wordpress.com/copyright/.
Friends of Domenic Voice of the Martyrs
Music for the Soul She’s Somebody’s Daughter The Heart of the Rose Joel Rosenberg The Holocaust Kineti L’Tziyon Provender The Pastor’s Study PBN Pat’s Blog (music below)Check out the music of PBN:
Please pray about donating to PBN:
Joel’s Trumpet Jews For Jesus First Fruits of Zion Slam Dunks Harp and Story The Relaxed Homeschooler Quivering Daughters Jan Stanek Pro-Life Pulse Paracletos
Voice of Revolution Battered Sheep
