Seeking to Live Within God's Boundaries of Blessing

The early bleeding heart, we planted into a container so we could
bring it in during the cold nights. In the still gloomy winter, it was such a blessing to tend.

The number 2 is the spiritual, biblical number of blessing. In the spring it is a number that rises high in my thinking. It is the number of doubling something. The number of growth and renewal. It is the number of pairing, of marriage, of reproduction, and in a way, the number of love.  And scripture gives example after example of ways that we can be blessed.

The earliest stories in the Bible indicate that the people realized this truth and built goals in their lives around foundations of this truth. They often focused on how they might double livestock for instance, to gain wealth. They considered having large families to be a blessing. They planted and celebrated great feast days around the harvest. They built systems of investing in one another.

 So many times "religions", including Christian, will take the stance that we must have less to be in line with God's approval, or religious leadership approval. Entire nationalities have adopted "a religion" and misused it to suppress it's populace and take from them their blessings. It has happened many times down through history. These are the opposite of God's blessing. And it was understood by early American leadership, many of whom, had family or ancestors who had fled such nations, religions and posessive kingdoms.  Satan, who is the prince and power of this world, is the author of life that takes away blessings, and when America's early founders wrote freedom into our documents, they intended to protect us from a system that would do as many others have, and suppress the ability of people to seek those blessings. Sadly, I fear, we are quickly on our way to giving over to Satan our great nation which was based on principles of blessing.

The bible tells us that the one true God does not want us to live a life always seeking to live with less, in order to please him. Living with less material things can help us focus on living a life for Christ sometimes. But when Christ condemned the fig tree, it was because it didn't bear fruit. The whole of the uniqueness of earth itself, is that it is able to reproduce, to be fruitful and multiply.

It is the desire of God's heart to bless us, and he does that in a miriad of ways more than just with material things.  But according to scripture, it pleased him to bless those who served him, and he set up from the beginning of the creation of this world a system of things that were intended to bless.

Incorporated within the ability of any system to be fruitful and multiply, there is a pruning, dying off, and resting process. Seeking blessing at a pace that doesn't incorporate pauses, that doesn't allow for rest and renewal to take place, causes a collapse in the blessing and renewal process. The nutrients and vital resources for anything living will become depleted when greed and excess begin to rule. The God given laws of blessing are therefore ruled by boundaries, within which they properly function. Being a lover of more goes in the opposite direction of seeking blessing.  It is important to understand the difference.  We can love the process and the joy it brings, can find sustenance and growth within it's boundaries, and flourish even to a point of wealth. But when we do things that take us out side the boundaries, and focus only on the wealth, we begin to fail. It is no longer blessing. And working for even our daily food takes on a nature of burden, and we loose the joy of seeking to be blessed.

In God's hand, is the key to being fruitful, but both man and Satan seek to be greedy and possessive. Sorting that out on a daily basis, is not the easiest thing. And often we find ourselves at the mercy of the greedy.  Many times we are in a rest period, awaiting the renewal, or Spring of a cycle of things in our life. We grow impatient waiting on the Lord. We see death as something other than a time of blessing and renewal. And we don't see God's big picture.

At my last job, I even said to someone, that the only reason I worked was for the money to pay the bills. Problem was, my bills were tied up on credit cards. A reverse of blessing for sure.  I am at present so glad that God threw a wrench in the cogs of that wheel. I finally, don't feel I am on the treadmill of working to pay the credit card.  It was definitely not leading to blessing in my life.

This morning as I think on these things, I am more focused on how God will bless the things in my life. And to do that, he will take what he has given me, and will double it somehow. Even when I learn to reuse something, or give it away to be reused, I am blessed. And no place on earth reminds me of that than in my garden. Even my compost pile, which Jimmy and I are really focusing on this year, is a part of the cycle of blessing.  The parts that fall away and die, are reorganized biologically to provide the nutrition and foundation for something new to go through the cycle.  And as surely as the sun rises and sets, there will be cycles on this earth that can lead to blessing....or the lack of it. It just depends on which cycle you put your daily energy into nourishing. Give away your blessings, or nurture them.

Father, I see myself in your garden, and listen for you Spirit to show me the proper path to the blessings you have in store. Not out of greed and a desire to have, but a desire to be..a part of your blessing.  Make the elements of my last years on earth be ones of fruitfulness and blessing. Double everything according to your timing and grace. Grant me the joy of being within the boundaries of that special place. Knowing you are a God of Blessing.  In Christ's name, AMEN

Jesus hears our prayers!

I can hardly contain my joy for the blessings the Lord blessed my self and Jimmy with yesterday. He answered some of my prayer requests outright, and gave me one of the desires of my heart to boot. What was even better, is we had money to help someone at the end of their difficult couple of days. We shared friendship through out the day, and were able to be blessed with love of family and friends in very special ways.  We believe that God is able, and that he is willing.  We see his hand of blessing on our lives, and know that no co incidence could ever be so great as to make the details of God's answers fit the prayer requests so well. I know my God is real, and interaction from Him on our neighborhood, strengthens that belief in more than just us. 
I was awakened this morning with distant loved ones on my mind.  May God have as mighty a hand in their situation, for which I was led to pray, by God alone, as He bestowed on us yesterday. It is supposed to storm today. Praying now that God will keep us all safe, through whatever the storms bring. May the rain be just what our new garden plantings need. Praying for my daughter, who will travel today. Looking forward to seeing at least one of my grandsons today. Still healing from the poison ivy attack.  Thank you Lord for healing.
Can't beleive it is snowing still in places like Minesota. I really hope they get a taste of this lovely warm weather soon.
We need to be able to finish a number of things that are in process. I ask God's special intervention to bring a few things to completion. So we may move forward, and not become too disjointed. We sometimes feel we can out plan our finances on any given day. But we certainly can out plan our physical abilities.  We are so thankful to recieve the aid of our wonderful grandson, who is working toward taking his lovely girlfriend to prom.  Praying even now for blessing on that day, and on their time together. May they make good memories. Be safe, and remain holy.
Praying for my grandson's ability to do well at his new job, his first. Lord walk before him and prepare his way, and also his heart and mind. May he go there with joy, but also a sense of responsibility.  May he be a good addition to their work force.
Well, Jimmy is awake, and breakfast is not made. We have begun to appreciate the time we spend together at breakfast. Give us this day our daily bread...for our bodies and our souls.
Much love and praise to an amazing God. AMEN

Just prayer...

One of the verses which blessed me this week,
from my facebook page Prinked Ink ~ Inspiration

I come to the garden this morning as the sun gets just high enough to cast a stream of light into my bedroom window. But I come to simply pray. Since Jimmy has retired, we sleep in and stay up late.  He has worked quite hard lately on a number of projects that needed doing so badly. We have had the help of our beloved grandson, on the yardwork, and I am so thankful he is not alergic to poison ivy and oak as I am, because he has avoided the doctor visits etc that I have incurred. But I am so delighted to use this post to rejoice in a mile marker for him, because he got his first real job. Something he has been working on for sometime. 

I pray for him at his new job.  He likes to do things his own way, Lord. Help him to work at the necessary pace and still be cool headed, and wise in his choices. Help him handle money appropriately, and accurately. Give him the instincts he will need to stay focused and care about the profits for his company. Help him enjoy the customers without becoming overly involved with them that  it distracts him from necessary work.  Help him be cleanliness minded since he is handling food. And above all, may he have a testimony for you.  May he be kind to the children, and respectful of their parents.  Help him be a good employee at all times.
Thank you dear Lord for the new sink fixtures. Having to buy them has cut into our budget for bills. So we need money from an unexpected source.  About $200 for them and weekly food and gas until pay day.  You are our source, more now than ever. Lead us to make wise choices as we depend upon you in this new stage of our lives.  I am trying not to let threats of government's lack of wisdom to cause me to fear. 

Guide our leadership into a more responsible path. Help them figure out this train wreck of too much credit we extended ourselves all across the world. Lord bring balance to our nation, and financial blessing that will help us to repay our bills to other nations. We have forgiven other nations their debt sometimes. But they depend so deeply on us to help them in some nations, that our failure hurts people.

Thank you for the trillium and other wildflowers. Please help them live in my yard for many years to come. Long after I am gone.  They are such a blessing.  If I might ask for one more blessing from the wild, help us find a pitcher plant that can be happy here. Or a couple so they might multiply.
I pray for our neighbors who need thee.  One arriving home from the hospital with stents in his legs, and one due to the ambulance yesterday...what ever their need. 
I pray for myself, for healing from whatever caused the rash and swelling. Help me to remember to take the time to avoid exposure from now on.  I must wear gloves and wash in bleach water like the doctor said. Renew our strength Lord to enjoy our remaining days on this earth, and to do what will be a blessing while we are here. We need to have our physical home painted and dressed in newness. There is old wood, old peeling paint, old carpet and flooring that are in desparate need. Please provide just as you did for the roof.  I am accepting your blessing even before it arrives.
Lord thank you for peace of mind. Peace for our country at this time. Peace in my marriage. Help me to keep peace precious in my life.

Bless the marriages of my children and step grand children. Help Carley get well soon. I pray for the babies on the way. Help those families with their needs, and to take on wise and Godly attitudes for life's ups and downs. You have brought one to a better place, now Lord give the other a heart for your grace.  Give their wives strength and blessings.

Thank you for the flowers.  Help us be able to fill the planters we bought last year with beauty.  It would be such a shame to not be able to use them.  I prefer plants that will come back year after year, and multiply. But according to thy will I look forward to your bounty.
I accept your blessings on me, and pray that someone looking in might also be willing to surrender the out come of something in their life to you, and simply accept your bounty. May they see the love you have for us, as a great plan to truly bless us.  And may great things come their way as well, from the blessed hand of God.

You are worthy of praise, you are a wonder and a friend. You are my strength. My anchor. I love your still small voice. I love the peace you bring. I love walking with you, in assurance and love. I praise you for your mighty hand of protection and security. For your promises, and that you keep them. For the future you have planned for me and my family. For food and necessities which I did not always have. I praise you for good health and restoration from the tole life takes on our bodies.  I ask you for life that is well lived according to your desires for us on this earth.  Thank you for rest, and also for activity. Give us strength to exercise properly. Thank you for a our present state of stability. I needed a rest from life's chaos.

Help Jimmy to adjust to daytime life, and find an ability to sleep well at night. It might be a new thing that he sleep well at all. Please bring healing to that area of his life. We have looked into almost everything the doctors can do. But in their inability is the greater blessing that you are the great physician, and have no lack of ability to act upon his life with the miracle he needs.

"I come to the Garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear...."   Thank you for being there Lord.

May I hear your voice, clearly. Lead me now Lord as I stand silently before you. AMEN


Later in this day -------------THANK YOU so much Jesus for your mighty answer to prayer. ANd so fast!!!

Remembering the Crown of Thorns and the One who Wore It

It's Easter morning and I wanted to post a blessing. As we were on an excursion this week,  we first went to check out an area a friend told us about, to see it the first warblers had made it to the high places yet. It had lots of forrest service roads and no foliage on the trees, so we got to see some amazing looks into distant mountains that we don't normally get to see. Pine warblers were everywhere, and putting on their Sunday best.  Bright shiney yellow fluff balls hanging in lots of trees along the hillside parking lots and overlooks.  We had one worm eating warbler, a chippy or two, but everything else was a local regular...sparrows, and robins, woodpeckers, and jays, chickadees and titmouse. There was one odd call, similar to a peacock that we couldn't figure out. Grouse maybe? But what captured our attention was the bright white mountain top, we could barely see behind the distant mountains. It barely peeked over the tops of the others, until we got to the highest spot.  It was just a sliver of sparkling jewel, which without binoculars and scope, seemed more like clouds than snow.  Where, we wondered, was so much  snow?

As we drove to lower altitudes, the day was early yet, and I caught on right away that my husband was not finished prowling yet. We took a road toward the Hiwassee River, and came across the most amazing old country church.

 

It had a historical marker, that shared some of it's history, and it was obviously in need of stablizing, for many of the rocks that were it's support had fallen from the foundation. But you could still climb the steps and look inside the window. The glass had been removed, and I could stick my camera through the window frames, and take picts of the bare bones interior. Only a few pews suggested it was a small congregation, a few families at most who attended, but I could almost hear the love and imagine the hours spent fellowshipping there. The walls had been yellow, but most of the paint and stain had weathered away from the pews and pulpit. But the windows, 3 on either side, opened the whole area to views of the river outside. I could see myself day-dreaming while the pastor tried to keep my attention away from that view, if I had been a child on one of those pews. What must it have been like in the fall!

There was a platform for the choir, backed by a door that went upstairs. the pulpit was far left and was small. The setting sun cast a shadow across the front of it, and made it the center of attention in the now sadly unattended room.

I took a number of pictures of the architectural elements inside and out. I noticed that outside there appeared to be old blue buttermilk paint under the paint that was wearing away from the porch ceiling, and the double doors were large enough to bring a piano through.

 

 

 My husband called me to come see the gardens, which had white crocus just finishing their bloom.  It was easy to see there had been love in this place. The banks of a spring had been lined with old bridge iron. Along the bank of the river, under a tree, the flower garden showed signs of daffodils ready to bloom, and many more flowers to come with the spring. There were large flat rocks placed here and there on each level as you walked down. It was obvious that they had been sat upon often. I imagined Sunday School classes being held there in Summer under the shade of that tree, and in the cool breeze coming off of the flowing waters. 

Just above, near the spring, was a sprawling leafless bush. And I was hugged by God's spirit, when I came close and saw what it was. Taking sustenance from the waters was a Crown Of Thorns tree.  How appropriate for a church to have this as a centerpeice to its gardens. The thorns looked treacherous. I had to pause and just stare as I thought of the crown that was woven from thorns just like these. And they placed it on the head of the one I adore. Since this was Easter week, I knew this was my Easter present from God. To be blessed by this old church, to find this garden, and to feel one with saints of another time, who worshipped and loved the same Christ.  To know they loved my savoir, and planted this bush by the waters that flowed to the river.

 Their garden was like a journey, through the Easter Story. Beginning with the crown of thorns to the place where the river of life flowed.  I imagined that children were able to see with their own eyes what that crown might have looked like. That thorny old crown, meant to mock the KING of our hearts. Interestingly, I recalled that the real name of the bush, I beleive, is "Mock Orange," because of its blooms and its fragrance.

How many prayers may have been prayed there.  By the river, where it only seems right that the members of this church were baptised.  I wondered if it was shallow enough.  The old pictures out front, showed a store and a nice large home had been nearby. It had been a community built around their church, with wagon roads, and farms and barns.

Here on the river, I am sure they caught fish, and surely there had been at least one fish supper. And it was clear to me, the pastor and people who built this church were celebrating the life of Christ, and being true to his call to be fishers of men.

I was so blessed by this lovely gift from the Lord.  I hope you can sense the joy that was in this place they way I could. If I were to have a church that inspired me, I would choose it to be just like this one.

Happy Easter Morning!

 

The Feast of Atonement 7 days + 3

Revelation 1:8

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

In my last post, I discussed the number 8. How it means new beginning, and that the second Sabbath, came about because God ended his own work week with rest on the seventh day, but asked man to start his week there, resting in God's finished work and from that day forward man's new beginning would be on the 8th day, or the second Sabbath. We looked at scripture in Leviticus which gave feast days for celebrating these truths, and which celebrated grace, and blessing and how God was the beginning of their productivity and the end of it, and that the six days in between the two Sabbaths was the number of man, of his work.

In that post I tried to stay strictly on track with the subject of how that new beginning theme began, but I want to day to make an exclaimation mark upon the subject as further proof that I am not reading something into the numbers that isn't there.

God himself established this pattern. As a cycle of hope for a future. And the verse at the top of the page re-interates it. So much so that God repeated the verse and emphasized it through the writer of the book of Revelation.

May I note that we look closely at the chapter and verse for this statement.  I believe that it is no accident that even the registration of the verses, enforces the number system of God. Chapter 1, verse 8.

• The two days that represent the Sabbaths that sandwich mans week.
• The number one represents beginning, the number 8 - new beginning
• The math equation: 1 + 6 + 1 = 8  ~  God -man- God = new beginning
• And expanding it to the words in Revelation,  God is the beggining and the end, and it"s our lives he has sandwiched in between.

And he is present on all the days in between.

Once again, God sets down his Holy sequence. Begin with him and end with him, and count on him on all the days in between. Start in his rest, end in his rest, and labor completely bracketed by his finished work. Every time we reach a seven, a day when something is complete, we always have a new beginning..
and it is a cycle of rest in him, and in his finished work. His day of rest is our day of new beginnings.

I am so blessed by this message.  God built this message into the very creation. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But I want this post to recognize a second set of numbers as well.

TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST

In the feasts of the atonement there are two separate days celebrated.
On the surface they seem redundant. God gave one feast that was represented by the 7th month and 10th day and one was the 7th month and 15th day,(which I discussed last post).  Both are called the feasts of redemption. Also they are described in conjuction with atonement.

In the first one, the Israelites were to have a solemn feast, not a celebrating feast. It was a time for seeking God for the forgiveness of sins or consideration of God's work in their lives. This feast was 7 days plus 3 days. Seven represented taking a complete or whole week to take part in the feast, but the extra 3 days were to represent God. The triune God. 

The Day of Atonement

²⁶ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²⁷ “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. ²⁸ And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. ²⁹ For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. ³⁰ And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. ³¹ You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³² It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” Bible Gateway.

(Notice the Sabbath again begins in the evening, even as Jesus died before the soldiers came to break their legs because it was about to be the Sabbath. Just as in our last post, we saw the foreshadowing.)

In this feast, we find the foreshadowing of the Crucifixion. But because of the 3 days following the week of affliction, there is given an expected time to follow this Sabbath even,t before the end of the affliction of their souls would be complete.It is clear that we are being told it would be a very sad time.
 Christ rebuked the Scribes and Pharasees because they didn't see him when they read the verses. He was saying, if we search the scriputures we will find him there. >

John 5:39

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

 

Some saints were said to be more willing to test the things they were being taught by searching the scriptures. Something the Thessalonicans failed to do. The disciples taught that Jesus fulfilled the scriptures and was the final sacrifice, the completion of the years of foreshadowing.

 

 Acts 17:11

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

 

One of the places they were looking was at the numbers and what they had been taught their whole lives those numbers stood for. Why keeping the feasts was on certain dates, and were observed for a certain number of days or weeks. They knew there was a significance.

Why the 10th day of the seventh month? The 10th day was 7 days (God's completed work) plus 3 days, which may be obvious that they indicate 3 unusual days.  The number of 3 is significant for a couple of reasons. 3 represents the trinity of God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Even the Israelites understood that God had 3 forms of revealing himself to them. When the old scriputures say: the angel of the Lord, they knew this being was from God, but they couldn't understand who he was. Even in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve knew him. This was Jesus.  Many knew the interaction with the Spirit of God, and he was present often with representations of being in the fire, wind or water.  Not the figure or image of a man, but totally unseen except for the element that showed his power and presence. But they also knew God as a disciplinarian and guide, a loving attribute who provided. Jesus called Him specifically, the Heavenly Father.  One God, but a triune being.

 

The 3 days represent the trinity. But they also forshadow that upon completion of his work, and beginning with the day of rest, God the Son would be resurrected on the 3rd day. 

 

I am blessed to be able to observe the first day of that 3 days today. And on Easter Morning I Will rejoice in the 3rd day.

 

Thank you Dear Jesus for Dying for me and for the promise of ages that you would bring new life to all mankind in only 3 days! AMEN