Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 12.22- Sometimes we want to help people and yet they know they need to do it for themselves. There are other times that we need help to do something we cannot do for ourselves. The butterfly comes out by pushing his new wings against the cocoon. You can take a knife and rip it open for him ajd it will not live. It needs the push to gain strength. Each stage of life requires pushing forward. To learn to walk To learn to not be able to walk. To learn to tie your shoes To learn to use velcro. To learn to button your shirt. To learn to let someone else button your shirt. These are stages of life and transformations of some sort. They require us to do all we are supposed to do and not be slothful. Tuesday a lady asked me how did I handle my cooking. I told her it was a process of learning what I like and what has an easy cook and clean up cycle. After my 78th birthday I started to reflect on this current stage of my life. I have learned to adjust to the new stage by pushing myself...

 12.21- The teacher was only asked to teach one subject. "Can you teach us to _________." They had seen him heal the sick. Heal the blind, even raise the dead." What would they ask him to teach them? "Teach us to pray." Maybe the nature of the one we speak to in prayer is most important. "Our father in heaven" The one who can name all the stars and who is over the entire universe. He is our father. All of us who are children of God have open, constant access. Ask for guidance, comfort, help or wisdom and our Father will answer our cries. We just pray, wait listen and obey what he says. There's the rub, But I, for one, want to have my timing and my way. Next phrase, "Your will be done on earth as in heaven." "Forgive our sins as we forgive others." "Lead us,,, "Deliver us.,, What a life plan! Matthew 6 11  It happened that while  [ a ] Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples sai...

 12.20- The best presents of Christmas Is the Presence Of Christ. 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 their way to register for the census, each to his own city.   4  Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,   5  in order to register along with Mary, who was  [ d ] betrothed to him, and was pregnant.   6  While they were there, the  [ e ] time came for her to give birth.   7  And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a  [ f ] manger, because there was no  [ g ] room for t...

 12.19- Lawyer and writer, Bob Goff, was explaining how he had kept so many good friends over the years. "When it seems one of my close friendships or business partnerships is ending, I give both of us a generous explanation if possible, a realistic explanation, an optimistic explanation. a generous explanation if possible, one or both of us didn't understand the situation. a realistic explanation, It was us good for.both of us at the time . an optimistic explanation. Who knows but that with some time and space and growth we may come back to be able to work together effectively." Dad and mom taught us "don't burn bridges". Sheila's dad, Ralph, Jared, Jeff and I enjoyed the times of work, play and watching football together. 1 Cor. 13 13  If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.   2  If I have  the gift of  prophecy and know all mysteries and all know...

 12.18- Holding people in prayer while the great healer heals them. Since 1974 I have noticed there is a stirring in human hearts to get unstuck from our ruts that don't get us toward the best version of ourselves that we can be. I would be with these men in close growth relationships at least an hour per week but usually more. Some friends were given to me who extended grace and mercy. Some are in heaven now and some are still working on earth. These men held me in prayer and encouraged me to quote, "be a man and grow up." These men finished their work and went home. This morning, some of these come to mind. Joe Millican, Wayne Power, Howell Gibbs Tinker Rich, Chuck Hess, Dennis Crawford, Jeff Palmer, Felix Stalls, Doyle Thomas, Fred Adam's, Bob Hines, John Petree, Max Sommer, Irv Eggert, Joe Lemmons, Richard Petitte, Tom Petitte and Verner Ulrich and more. These men and others have teamed up with God to hold me accountable in close partnership and God and challenged...

 12.17- Humans who are asked by God to do big, even impossible tasks like, marriage. Parenting, teaching or building an ethical business surrounded by unethical businesses. These require walking by faith not by sight. In the midst of the project we can go through different stages. 100% belief stage. O % belief stage. An admixtures of belief and unbelief stage. My project is helping Sheila and myself to finish all the stages of our life on earth with a walk closely with God. There are stages of getting closer to the finish that you are not sure you have the strength to drink the final cups of suffering. I think that is where honest conversation with God and ourselves is so critical. They go like this sometimes: Me: God I'd like to skip this part because I don't have the strength and courage. God: You are promised that i will be with you and my wisdom will guide you and I will give you everything you need at the moment you need it and often not before. Me: I have some belief and...