• We strive to be a place where there can be honest discussion, debate and fellowship. The rules are few so you can speak your mind. We know we are living in tough times and we hope to share answers and help with each other. Please join us.

Thoughts from an old lady

August 17, 2023

Happy Thursday,



Bloom Where You Are Planted





There are times that we live where we did not want to live. This can be our opportunity to do God’s work. We can pray for those who live around us.

We can live in righteousness so that others can see Jesus through us.



Do not get living pridefully mixed up with living in righteousness. Living like we are better than others is sinful. Pray that God will open our eyes to the needs of those around us and pray for our neighbors, regularly.

Betty
 
August 18, 2023

Happy Friday,



God Is With Us

“Daily Prayer for August 18
CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICH BLUMHARDT
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Psalm 73:23–24, NIV
Thank you, great God and Father, for filling our hearts with trust so that we are of good hope, also for those who have not yet found trust. Thank you for giving us courage to face all the questions that arise in human life and for accepting us again and again when we come to you. You know what lies before us. You know the mountains that have to be moved. You know all the things that frustrate us and try to wear us out, and you will take them away. At last your light will shine into all the darkness. This certainty fills us with gladness and thanksgiving. In this faith we are determined to remain steadfast and to press on to victory. Amen.”




We can trust God to always be with us. He will never forsake us. When we put our complete trust in God we will have more peace and joy. We can become discouraged easily. This is why we need to pray and read the Bible regularly.

Betty
 
August 19, 2023

Happy Saturday,



Finish Well



Hebrews 12:1-2

New International Version

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.



As we come to the end of our lives, our desire should be to finish well. We should want to finish the race of our life as well or better than we started. Praying daily that we live in a way that will not embarrass our Heavenly Father.



As we grow older we are often affected by health issues. Health issues can take a toll emotionally as well as physically. We also find that we need more rest as we age. It is okay to get extra rest.



Pray for ourselves and others. Encourage one another with Scripture and words of encouragement. Seek to be a blessing to others. Seek the face of God daily and pray that God will fill us with the Holy Spirit. When we do all this then we will have hope to share with others.

Betty
 
August 20, 2023

Blessed Sunday,



Problems for A Reason



Stephen was killed for his preaching of the Gospel. I often wondered why, God allowed this to happen. Today I read this:



Acts 11:19-24

New King James Version

Barnabas and Saul at Antioch

19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.



It was because of the death of Stephen that Christians fled Jerusalem and went out to other areas for safety. Because they fled they spread the Gospel to other lands.



Sometimes God has to make things get tough for us to move us to where He wants us to go. We can get so comfortable that we resist God’s calling.

There are times when we look back on our lives that we can see why God allowed bad things to happen to us. Other times we will not understand why God allowed things to happen until we get to Heaven. Until then, we have to trust God.

Betty
 
August 21, 2023

Happy Monday,



Thirsty



Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.



Texas like many states is parched. The grass is dying and many of us are praying for rain. Which should make us ponder. How often do we cry to God for help living in righteousness?



Psalm 42:1-3

New King James Version

BOOK TWO

Psalms 42–72

Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses

To the Chief Musician. A [a]Contemplation of the sons of Korah.

42

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.

2

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and [c]appear before God?

3

My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”



In these last days may we hunger and thirst after God. May we seek to live in His divine will. There are so many things around us that seek to distract us from what is important, such as our relationship with Christ.



I pray that God brings us physical rain and blesses us with much-needed spiritual rain, in these times of uncertainty.

Betty
 
August 22, 2023

Happy Tuesday,



Church Is Not Just A Building



Ephesians 2:14-22

New King James Version

Christ Our Peace

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.



Christ Our Cornerstone

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.



We meet together as a Church body to worship God, but the true Church is the people who are born again. Jesus Himself said that one day people would worship in Spirit.



John 4:23

New King James Version

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.



We can worship God anywhere and at any time. We are the Church. We are the body of Christ.

Betty
 
August 23, 2023

Happy Wednesday,



“Bearing Others’ Burdens



Romans 15

New King James Version

Bearing Others’ Burdens

15 We then who are strong ought to bear with the [a]scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the [c]patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.



Let us encourage one another and help each other carry on towards the end of our race. Seeking to please God with our acts of kindness. We are storing up honors and rewards in Heaven with our deeds on earth.



We all have troubles and problems, but we can build each other up with words of encouragement and prayers to God for each other. May God hasten His return for His children to take us all home with Him to Heaven.

Betty
 
August 24, 2023

Happy Thursday,



Take Up Your Cross



“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”- Matthew 16:24 ESV



Salvation is more than saying a prayer and shaking the Pastor’s hand. Not only do we have to turn away from our sins, but we must take up and carry the cross that God assigns to us.



Carrying our own cross is hard and often unpleasant. We want a smooth journey in this life. We want everything to be soft and easy. Truth is life is hard on its own. Serving God in a sinful word can be crushingly hard.



Yet, we have it easy compared to those who live in Countries where Christianity is illegal. Many people are in prisons living in horrid conditions because of their faith in Christ. Do we take the time to pray for these brothers and sisters in Christ? I must admit I forget to do so, often.



Let us take time today, to pray for those in this world who are suffering persecution for their belief in Christ.

Betty
 
August 25, 2023

Happy Friday,



Do Everything With Love



1 Corinthians 13

New King James Version

The Greatest Gift

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.



The Bible makes it clear that works without love are useless. Our works must come from a heart of love and compassion. If we do not have love and compassion for others then there will be no reward in Heaven and possibly little results on earth.



Self-pride kills love and compassion for others. When we see ourselves as better than others we do not have a loving heart. It is easy to judge those around us but too often we do not examine our own lives to see our own faults.



Let us pray that God will fill our hearts with love and compassion for others. Then our motivation for our works will come from love and compassion and not duty.

Betty
 
August 26, 2023

Happy Saturday,



Growing Spiritually



“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness.”
2 Peter 1:5-6



I do not know about you, but I worry that I am not growing spiritually as I ought to be. We get so busy with day-to-day life that we neglect our spirituality. There is no scale to step on to see if we have grown spiritually.



What do we do? We live for God everyday. We do our best. We seek His face daily. We do not need to worry about his much we are growing. We just need to be going forward daily in faith and in our walk with God.

Betty
 
August 28, 2023

Happy Monday,



Walk in Him



“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”



I have talked with Christians who are losing their faith in God. They do not understand why the rapture has not happened. They think that criminals are getting off Scott-free for their crimes.



I keep telling them that unlike God we cannot see the big picture. It is easy to question God, when bad things happen to us and our family. Trusting God is trusting in God even during tragedies.



To survive tragedies we must be established in our faith in God. We must walk with God today to handle what may come tomorrow or next month.

Whatever happens, God has not failed us, but keep looking up for that blessed hope. Jesus is coming back for His Church!

Maranatha,

Betty
 
August 29, 2023

Happy Tuesday,



What Does Righteousness Look Like?



If you had asked the people during the time of Christ they would have said that the Pharisees and Religious leaders were great examples of righteousness. Yet, look at what Jesus said about them!



“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:20



The Religious leaders sought to look righteous, but Jesus saw their hearts. It is what is in the heart that counts. Lest we pick on them, we also can pretend to be more righteous than we are. We can fool those around us, but we cannot fool God.



Good works are great, but we must be aware of our own motives behind our good works. Our desire should be to please God and not man. God wants us to live righteous lives, but it must begin in our hearts and not in our outward appearance.

Maranatha,

Betty
 
August 30, 2023

Happy Wednesday,



God Knows Our Tears



Two of my friends cried, yesterday from emotional pain. We all have times that we go through that we do not understand. God understands our pain and saves our tears.



Psalm 56:8

New Living Translation

8 You keep track of all my sorrows.[a]
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.



There are things we go through on this earth that we do not understand, but we can still trust God. He always will be with us. We may not understand now why God took us down a certain path, but one day everything will be made clear to us.

Betty
 
September 1, 2023

Happy Friday,



Do Not Get Caught Up In Your Past



Daily Prayer for September 1
CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICH BLUMHARDT
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV
Dear Father in heaven, open our hearts to see what is good in our lives. May the light in our hearts shine clearly so that we see, recognize, and live in accordance with what comes from eternity and belongs to our true nature, brought to us through Christ. Keep us from being blinded and deafened by experiences that will pass by. Help us to rise above them even in suffering and to wait patiently for what is becoming new and perfect. Praise to your name that we too can say, "The old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" Amen
The devil likes to remind us of our past and discourages us. God wants us to focus on our future in Heaven. For now, we may struggle through daily troubles but we have a hopeful and glorious future with our Heavenly Father.



Let us not give into depression but praise God daily and trust Him to see us through each day. We are not hopeless for our God is always with us and will never leave us.



Ephesians 6:12-13

King James Version

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.



Victory is ahead!

Maranatha,

Betty
 
September 3, 2023

Blessed Sunday,



Waiting On The Lord





“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” - Psalm 27:14
It seems like life is just one big waiting game. We wait in lines at the grocery store, airport, amusement parks etc., — there is even a room called “waiting” at a doctor’s office. In every instance, the time we wait far outweighs what we are actually waiting for. As a culture that increasingly pushes instant gratification, even Christians cannot escape this subliminal messaging that we receive in our everyday lives.”


We hate waiting. We want what we want now. We must choose to wait patiently. Whether we are waiting in a line or for God to work in a situation, we need to be patient.



We cannot make a line shorter nor can we change God’s timing. We will be more at peace when we choose to wait without giving in to anger. We need to remind ourselves God’s timing is perfect. It is a matter of trusting God’s plans.

Betty
 
September 4, 2023

Happy Labor Day,



Blind Faith



Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)





There are movies where people act on blind faith. Some non-Christians think our faith in God is blind. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, our faith is not blind. God gives us secure assurance the moment that we accept Him as our Savior that He is real.



We can live knowing without a doubt that we have a future home in heaven, when we choose to accept Jesus as our Savior and choose to live for Him.



God fills our hearts with peace and the knowledge that He holds us in His hands. He is with us today, tomorrow, and when we leave this world. We are secure in the arms of God.

Betty
 
September 7, 2023

Happy Thursday,



Do Not Worry About Tomorrow



“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Matthew 6:28-30



Watching and reading the news is enough to make one worry about the future. It seems it is nothing but gloom and fear. Yet, we need not fear tomorrow. God is still in control. He has not abandoned us.



The devil would love to get us to spend today fretting and fussing about what may happen. Let us trust God and not worry about tomorrow.

Betty
 
September 8, 2023

Happy Friday,



“Has God forgotten To Be Merciful”



Daily Prayer for September 8
CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICH BLUMHARDT
“Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds." Psalm 77:9–12, NIV
Lord God, our Father in heaven, we turn to you in these times when we are under so much stress and temptation. Let your light glow in our hearts to give us firmness, patience, and perseverance throughout the time of testing, no matter how long it lasts. Your hand can change everything. Your hand can shorten the time we must wait until your light shines out of the darkness of death and evil, until your light reveals your life to your children and to the whole world. You are our God and Father as you have promised, and remaining at your side, we look to you in faith and trust. You will bring about goodness, justice, and mercy as you have promised, and so fulfill your will. Amen”


God will always be a merciful God. We may go through seasons of drought, but God’s mercies will sustain us. This summer has been extremely hot and dry for Texas. There were those who felt God that God had abandoned us.



We are living in the last days. These days are very hard on everybody. We must not lose hope and trust in God. We will be rewarded for trusting in God during bad times. True trust is when we believe God when we cannot see the answers we want to our prayers.



“Matthew 24:33

New King James Version

33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that [a]it is near—at the doors!”

Betty
 
September 9, 2023

Happy Saturday,



Morocco Earthquake



It seems every week, there is another disaster in the world. The birth pains are getting so much closer together. What can we do? Make sure we are right with God. Share the Gospel with family, friends, and strangers.



We are seeing the signs that the rapture is coming soon. It is hard to hear about disasters. We hurt for those hurting. We can pray for those who are suffering.



Jesus is coming soon. Our redemption is coming. Do not lose hope, Jesus is coming for His children.

Betty
 
September 10, 2023

Blessed Sunday,



A New Creation



“Promise #253:

Your old life has ended and now everything is new in Christ.



2 Corinthians 5:17 (WEB)

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”



Do not let the devil destroy you over your past. When we become a Christian, God forgives us of our past. We no longer have to listen to the devil’s lies.



We must remind ourselves and the devil that we are Christians who have been made new through the blood of Jesus. We march forward seeking to live a holy and righteous life for our Heavenly Father.

Betty
 
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