Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

5.19- Matthew 10. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [y]cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. One of the nice families I have gotten to know at the North Richland Hills Centre is the Wisdom family. Jack, Rita, English teacher, and Jon. Wednesday 7PM I read this note on my FB, “Jack Wisdom was the best man I ever met in my life, and I know almost everything about him: his unending kindness, his infectious joy, his steadfast love, his crazy humor, his passionate loyalty. What a life we’ve had! We were celebrating our our 50th anniversary this month, and every day of our marriage he told me he loved me and that I was beautiful. He loved me, his 5 kids, 4 sons-in-love, 13 grandkids, 4 grandsons-in-love, and 3 great-grandchildren extravagantly, nothing held back, with all his heart. He loved his mom and entire family the same way. In fact, he loved everybody he met because he really enjoyed people. On his last morning on earth, h...

5.19- Imitate God. Treat others the way that God has treated you. Ephesians 4. 17  So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18  being darkened in their understanding, [ m ] excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19  and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality [ n ] for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20  But you did not learn [ o ] Christ in this way, 21  if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22  that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old [ p ] self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23  and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24  and put on the new [ q ] self, which [ r ] in the likeness of God has...

5.19 High achieving individuals are good at placing their priorities very carefully. God. Self-care. Family. Friends. Fitness. Work. Rest. Here is Louis who is teaching me Spanish as we walk in the river.  Then we go to the hot tub.  The river is in the background. Ephesians 5. 25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26  so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27  that He might present to Himself the church [ ao ] in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28  So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29  for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30  because we are members of His body. 31  For this reason a man shall leave his fath...

5.18- To me intimate with God through Jesus is to walk by the Spirit Galations 5. 16  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17  For the flesh [ g ] sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you [ h ] please. 18  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: [ i ] immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20  idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, [ j ] factions, 21  envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-contro...

5.18 Moving from domestic violence to domestic bliss. 1.        Do not let crowds crowd out your most important relationships.   Children and their mother and father. 2.        Make sacrifices for the mercy of people, not just for sacrifice sake.   Life is meant to be pursued as a search for happiness and joy.   Humans are built this way.   There will be times of tests and challenges to help us to develop strength. 3.        Get yourself and those you want to help into a peaceful, healthy relationship with God. 4.        Know that God knows where you are and what you need and cares for you and loves individually. 5.        Ask for and receive forgiveness and extend it to those who have hurt you and move forward. 6.        Move out and carry your pallet for future times o...

5.17- We had rather change our religious pots and pans traditions and rituals or keep them than to allow God to truly change our hearts. Mark 7. 7  The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 2  and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. 3  (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they [ a ] carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 4  and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they [ b ] cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the [ c ] washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) 5  The Pharisees and the scribes *asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” 6  And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites...

5.17 I had a good conversation with my workout buddy whose name is the same as mine. I refer to him as Big Larry because he is about 6’2”. Most of the time he comes into the locker room with something funny or silly or encouraging to make the thankful I got up and went to workout. Yesterday’s conversation was especially instructive. “Hey Larry.” “Hey Larry.” “How was your workout” he asked, “Good. It was helpful, but glad it’s over.” “I wish you would do my workouts for me.” He said. “It wouldn’t be as thorough as you need.” “It probably would be better than mine.” “I doubt it.” Today as I reflect on this I remember this reality. No one can prepare you for the future but you. If I am to be flexible and strong in my future I cannot borrow the discipline or the workout and preparation for the next year in my life from anyone. So thankful I can start over every day and refuse to be victim, but take responsibility for my stuff.    Matthew 25. 2...

5.16- Matthew 15.1-20 15  Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2  “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3  And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4  For God said, ‘ Honor your father and mother ,’ and, ‘ He who speaks evil of father or mother is to [ a ] be put to death .’ 5  But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been [ b ] given to God ,” 6  he is not to honor his father or his mother [ c ] .’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7  You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8  ‘ This people honors Me with their lips , But their heart is far away from Me . 9  ‘ But in vain do they worship Me , Teaching as doctrines the pr...