Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 1.1- My hopes for the New Year are that we who believe that the design of the universe speaks of a designer. Our designer has built human beings with eternity their hearts. The human imagination includes a place for belief that the cirlce of life continues each year. Last year a number of my friends moved from this old earth, but also this year some of my family and friends welcomed new babies into their families. There were people who got married and started families. There were people who were engaged to be married and start a family in the future. I had people close to me who started new jobs and new companies and began new books and screenplays. The new year contains that longing in the human heart to expand the joy and love that is possible on this planet. When the love of God is spread in the family day after day great things can happen. Yes, my hope is living and placed in God being a good God. I plan to look for good things happening every day and spread the message i...

 12.31- 1947 first on old earth. 1952 first back to school, many still with me on social media 1965 first as high school grad. 1967 first with Sheila on old earth with me. 1968 first with my 100% belief in Jesus promise of new earth someday. 1968 first married to Sheila. 1969 first as a teacher and coach and college grad. 1970 first as a "minister" Dodd City, Greenville, Waxachie, Mesquite, Abilene, North Richland Hills Texas. Denver, Colorado. 1970 first as a dad. 1994 first home computer. 1999 first as grandad. 2012 first with all four of our parents taken from old earth. 2012 first with daily positive post online. 2021 first with meetings conducted by Zoom. 2023 first with Sheila taken from old earth. 2024 first with mobility scooter as main way to move about.my home. All my new years I have been surrounded by and supported by the love of family and friends. Loved to laugh, play, work, learn, teach, counsel and encourages. Of online social media supporters and encouragers....

 12.30- Have you noticed that some of the hardest and most painful things are the best things for you long term? As we get older it is not uncommon to go to a dermatologist to have a biopsy and later skin surgery. Very good for long term health but a bit painful. I have roller with knobs that I sit on as a part my daily flex routine. This morning I said to myself, "Thank you God for good pain." One doctor wrote a book calling pain the gift that nobody wants. When our nerves break and don't send proper signals we don't get the warnings we need to get to stay out of deadly danger. I have family and friends say words that pain me but warn me. Lord help me to respond with appreciation. Proverbs 9. 8  Do not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you; Rebuke a wise person and he will love you. 9  Give  instruction  to a wise person and he will become still wiser; Teach a righteous person and he will increas

 12.29- Blinky milk is bad. Fresh milk is good. I was having trouble keeping milk for my coffee. I bought coffee creamer. I thought it had a much longer expiration date. The first day it didn't taste right. The date said it was OK. The taste said it was bad. I poured it out. Here is a list of five things that taste bad to God's children and one that tastes good. Malice. Deceit. Hypocrisy. Envy. Slander of every kind. "You have tasted that the Lord is good." 1 Peter 5. 6  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time,   7  having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.   8  Be of sober  spirit , be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.   9  [ h ] So resist him, firm in  your  faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your...

 12.28- When younger people ask me questions I hope this next year to do a better job answering them. Especially if they see me on the way to and from doctors offices. If I am truly hopeful in my heart and they see it and ask why or how I am hopeful. I want to answer with the reminder that I am not confident any more in my strength but in God's willingness to help weak people. I will reply with gentleness toward them and myself. Respect for their question and appreciation for their interest. My hope is based on the character of my Father in heaven who is full of mercy and compassion. I see it in nature. After winter comes spring. After failure is a comeback. After the end of this life is eternal life. After this earth is a new earth. So I am hopeful.With God's love in my heart each stage of life has its blessings. 1 Peter 3 15  but  [ i ] sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always  being  ready to make a  [ j ] defense to everyone who asks you...

 12.27- One little button. We were trying to get ready for the day yesterday and we found out our bathroom was not working right. There is need to brush teeth and prepare hair and shave that requires bathroom electricity. No power. There is that one little button. It is very small. Less than one inch wide and half an inch tall. But it is a critical button. Little words can be so important. Please. Thank you. I’m sorry. I love you. When we feel these words and say them at the right time they can open up the power flow of great healing energy. I told my daughter to check the little reset button in the kitchen. She did. It didn’t work. Maybe a need to get an electrician and check the house wiring. Oh wait, there is one more little button. It is the reset button in the garage. A little difficult to find and get to and reset, but let’s try it. Yes, the electricity came on. We can have electric tooth brushes to work and hair dryers and hair curlers and such to make us healthy ...

 12.26- This is Christmas Eve. We Mark time by this date. B.C. and A.D. Before Christ. B. C. 2023. On this night the world before Christ ended. B. C. Was over. With Christ we have God able to understand and sympathize with our weakness. If we have a birth of a child into hard circumstances he understands. If your family has been rejected by those in places of power it is for sure God knows how you feel. He is our wonderful counselor and prince of peace. This year has been a blessing from my family and friends who have encouraged me in this space this year. For each of our own lives there was a B. C. And A.D. if we know him we know the change he has made for us personally. Luke 2. 2  Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all  [ a ] the inhabited earth.   2  [ b ] This was the first census taken while  [ c ] Quirinius was governor of Syria.   3  And all  the people  were on thei...

 12.25- I'm sitting here in my recliner on this beautiful Christmas morning. The trees are swaying with the winds. I don't see the wind but see its effects. Like some other things in my life. I'm watching out my back windows as the cool front and breezes are making the squirrel jumps and chases a little more interesting. About 2023 years ago Jesus, Savior of his people from their sins was born. He came to camp out with us on the life which seems like a morning mist compared to eternity. Immanuel, God with us is so comforting. Merry Christmas. His coming and experiencing it all with us has changed our prayer life because when we talk to God he can say. "I understand." Hope you all have a great Christmas Day 2023. Matthew 1 18  Now the birth of Jesus the  [ p ] Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been  [ q ] betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.   19  And her husband Joseph, si...

 12/25- It is not events that change our souls but our responses to events. Humans are created with free will choice. They choose to rebel and resist.  God responds by sending Jesus to be born in Bethlehem and to die on the cross to rescue human from their guilt, shame and sin.   Romans 5. 5  Therefore, having been justified by faith,  [ a ] we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   2  through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and  [ b ] we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.   3  And not only  this , but  [ c ] we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;   4  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;   5  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who wa...

 12.24- It is helpful to be open and transparent. This does not mean we need to blab about all our opinions all the time. Much of our private lives are no one else's business. Meddlers should stop meddling and we should not encourage them. What I am wanting to encourage is that we ask Father for what we want. Like a trusting child we accept that this thing is a desire and knowing it we ask God for it in prayer. Prayer does not tell God something he does not know as much as it tells us what we don't know. Once this desire is made clear to us then it can received sooner or later or the desire for it might go away because we want something else that seems better to us. With honesty we can know we have freely opened our heart to our friend Jesus. We know him. He knows us. A secure feeling. John 15.   5  I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him  [ f ] bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.   6  If anyone does ...

 12.23- There is a balance between truth and grace. Strong people are willing to defer to others, but they are not doormats to wipe your feet on. Where we have family reunions there are times when people start demanding we follow their directions rather than do what we believe is best. This season is a time to pray for wisdom and guidance. Sometimes it best to say nothing and walk away. Later, without anger we may be able to explain our point of view without bitterness. A heart of love speaks words of grace and truth. Ephesians 4. 25  Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood,  speak truth each one  of you  with his neighbor , because we are parts of one another.   26  Be angry, and  yet  do not sin ; do not let the sun go down on your anger,   27  and do not give the devil  [ t ] an opportunity.   28  The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own...

 12.22- There is a short list of things we are promised to recieve if we ask for them in prayer. Wisdom is one of these. The neat thing about finding our shelter in wisdom instead of in wealth is that wisdom preserves the lives of those who take shelter in it. Trusting wealth may not preserve one's life. Ecclesiastes 7. 12  For wisdom is  [ k ] protection  just as  money is  [ l ] protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom keeps its possessors alive.