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Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Choice

(Each week I try to bring a message that will cause thought and something to meditate on. If there is something you would like me to comment on, please feel free to ask.)
There can be no greater mission in life than to love God and those around us. (Mark 12:28-34) If we do this all we do will fall into place. Our very thinking process will change from self to others. Our lifestyle will change and become fuller. Our problems will become less debilitating and important. We become aware of what life is really all about. 
Surely our problems are important but are they all there is? The world is in turmoil. Entitlement, greed and hate are on the rise. Crime follows close on their heels. Call all of this what you may, it is not love of God or of those around us. Love does not produce hate but subdues it. Love does not produce entitlement or greed but a giving heart. We have the choice of living a life that makes others our focus or ourselves the focus. Making ourselves our focus makes for an unhappy existence. Focusing on others may not make us rich or famous but it will result in a satisfaction that mirrors itself in the happiness of others. The key to this is not just family or friends but those outside of family and friends. Some of the best and most profound reactions are from those who were strangers. It is these "others" that need to see that Christ is alive and well on earth. It might just be that it is what they need to begin to love God and those around them. If the world is to change it has to begin with you and I. Mother Teresa was a prime example of this.
Today another of the Moontear images.

The Copic colors used are:

That is it for this week. May The good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Instinct

Instinct is defined as an innate urge, rooted in natural conditioning rather than reason. The above quote is true if the heart is scripture based. Scripture likens sinners to creatures of instinct. (Jeremiah 17:7-10,Proverbs 1:17, Jeremiah 8:7) It seems the bible considers instinct to be an animal trait more than a human trait when God is not present. The key here is the natural conditioning. This speaks to the survival instinct. There are times when the survival instinct kicks in with situations we encounter in our lives. This is not always with God present. Our lives must be deeply rooted in the belief that God exists and Jesus is our savior. Jesus set aside all instincts and became totally dependant on God for everything. (Luke 42:22) That goes against all natural instincts we follow. (Psalms 51:17) It takes the sacrifice of a broken spirit to follow as Christ did. (Matthew 20:17-28) That is the opposite of what the world teaches. Read the passages given here to understand what that means. Instinct can be a moral safety net if Christian based or a pit for the sinner when it is totally human based. Where you go in life determines the instincts you will follow.
This week another Moontear image.
The copic colors used are:

That is it for this week. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Vision

The human spirit within us sees with eyes shaped by the life we live. That vision is based on the earthly life and the human experience. When we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives we begin the journey that changes our lives and our vision from earthly to spiritual. (John 14:16-20) The person living in the world sees the world but not as God sees it. When the spirit of God enters our lives our vision begins to change as well. Indeed the colors of the Spirit become more vivid and alive. (John 14:26) The vision becomes clearer and we are reminded of our place and direction. The loneliness and hopeless feelings become less burdensome or even nonexistent. It is how we are transformed and and find a closeness to our Lord that we never expected to experience. Our spirit becomes closer to the Holy spirit so that there is an inner vision unlike any our human spirit alone can experience. The world cannot know God our father without the paraclete. The Lord speaks of the paraclete coming to the apostles and manifesting in them, teaching them of YHWH Sabaoth (Sabaoth means Lord of hosts). (John 14:16-20, 26) This is the spirit of God come to provide the vision and guidance we need in our walk with Christ. The color of the world is not the same because the Holy Spirit vision is much different than the eyes we see the world with. I have referenced the scripture twice in which Christ has promised us an advocate. It is as true today as it was then. (John 14:20)
Today another Moontear Image. This is my dear wife' favorite of the Moontear images.

The Copic colors are;
It is hoped that you also read what was in my post and not just to view the artwork and coloring. These are gifts from our Lord that are shared with you every week. If you are able please comment. I appreciate your thoughts.
May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love the Details."

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Betrayal

Note: if you were having trouble following please try again. I have reset the "follow" and "email" gadgets.
This is a subject that has deep meaning to me. Growing up there was not much meaning to this word for me. I never had many friends or "buddies" to hang out with. I was shy, wary and unsure of those around me. I was poor, skinny and standoffish. I was teased a lot and made fun of by most of my peers in not so flattering ways. It was hard to find things to do when no-one wanted anything to do with you. Those that did have time to hang out were the troublemakers. They were only temporarily in my life. As I grew older and began to find the Lord things began to change and I did find a few that were to become my best friends. I also met a couple that accepted me as a friend. They helped me open up and I begin to trust people more. During that time I had a cousin that became a close friend as well. We enjoyed one another's company and did many things together. That all changed when My cousin was in need of a place to stay and the couple offered him a bed and place to stay which the couple inquired if I thought it was OK and I thought it was OK. I trusted him and I trusted them. The very first night he and the wife of the couple slept together. Her husband left her the next day and would not speak to me or have anything to do with me. The wife later offered to help me with "my problem" since she was a trained counselor. That was mostly to make her feel better about herself and place blame elsewhere. My life was in turmoil and trust was no longer something I had for anyone after what happened. Her husband was one of the very few that ever spoke up for me when others ignored me. That was destroyed with this incident. I have forgiven the people involved over time. My only wrong was trusting people and not the Lord in this case. The first trust should always be in the Lord. He is the decision maker in our relationship. The human heart will betray trust if it is not first in the Lord. (Mark 7:14-23) Life is neither fair nor unfair until people become involved. At this point, rest assured, we are tested and refined. Anyone who believes in the Lord will experience this. Love conquers all and forgiveness becomes a way of life. 
Today another Moontear image.

The Copic colors used are:

That is it for this week. May the good Lord bless and Keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Answers

 Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

This was my way of thinking for many years growing up. Thinking for many is a source for headaches of major proportions. For many finding answers means finding short, compact explanations for everything in their lives. If only life was that simple! I for one do not ascribe to the short simple answer being the only correct answer. I want to know why that is the answer. The bible contains a guide book to living life in the sight and presence of God. It is a history book and a book that rivals any novel ever written. It has all of the features and situations ever conceived within its pages. It is a guide to our moral direction in life. The hard part is that it requires us to think about its message in its entirety. It also brings questions to mind that require some thought requiring solutions. For instance, what were the living conditions in biblical times or what influenced the thinking of the biblical men and women? What were the teachings of those times and eras? What influenced the  Christian in biblical times? What was their teaching and the sources of the information? What other writings from times before Jesus were used to create what we call the bible? This and many other questions are what I try to study to better understand what God is, who God is, so I can be what He wants me to be. The answers are not simple nor are they hard to understand once explained. For me, understanding the times and conditions in biblical times is important to better understanding the people living in those times. We don't really live as they lived nor do we understand and believe as they believed. For instance, they believed in spirits (what we might call ghosts).(Ephesians 6:12, 2 Macc 3:12) Something is lost in the translation without that. I am retired and have the time to dig deeper into the lives of the Israeli, Jewish, Christian connections. I find we are missing much of what Christianity is about. Most modern day believers stop short of the full understanding of the roots of our belief. Do you have questions about the lives and times of Christ, the New and Old testament? I could write a book  on the things I have found about Christianity back then but I would be repeating what is already in print. It is more fun to do the research. (Much of my research is done through a program called LOGOS. There are several versions and the libraries are huge. I get no compensation from them but I think anyone that wants to study the bible would benefit from this resource.)

This week another of the Moontear images.


The Copic colors used are:


The pens used are ; Micron Blue 0.01 mm, Multiliner Wine & Olive.

That is it for this week. May the good Lord Bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."