|
Posted on 01/01/2021 6:43:29 AM PST by JustAmy
|
Yes! And that puts me in my happy place.
Me Too! :-)
Looks like one of Moose’s relatives! đś
Happy Squirrel Day! đż
Bible in a Year:
[Jesus] said to his disciples, âWhy are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?â
In a TV commercial I saw recently, a woman casually asks someone in a group watching TV, âWhat are you searching for, Mark?â âA version of myself that doesnât make decisions based on fear,â he responds soberlyânot realizing that she was just asking what he liked to watch on TV!Â
Whoa, I thought. I wasnât expecting a TV commercial to hit me so profoundly! But I related to poor Mark: I too feel embarrassed by the way fear sometimes seems to direct my life.Â
Jesusâ disciples also experienced the profound power of fear. Once, as they headed across the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35), âa furious squall came upâ (v. 37). Terror gripped them, and they suggested that Jesus (whoâd been sleeping!) might not care about them: âTeacher, donât you care if we drown?â (v. 38).Â
Fear distorted the disciplesâ vision, blinding them to Jesusâ good intentions for them. After He rebuked the wind and waves (v. 39), Christ confronted the disciples with two penetrating questions: âWhy are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?â (v. 40).
Storms rage in our lives as well, donât they? But Jesusâ questions can help us put our fears in perspective. His first question invites us to name our fears. The second invites us to entrust those distorted feelings to Himâasking Him for eyes to see how He guides us even through lifeâs most raging storms.
Reflect & Pray
What storms are you facing right now? How can you entrust your fears and emotions to Jesus when the winds blow and the waters rise?
Loving Savior, thank You that Youâre always present in the storm. As I move through lifeâs scary moments, help me each day to talk to You and entrust You with my fears.
Hi there! Hope y’all had a great Sunday. Kinda chilly here but still nice enough to do some outside stuff. A few snow piles still hangin’ in there.
Sounds like you had a lovely day! Which is as it should be. âď¸
|
Aw, an extra cute picture! Have a good night Kitty!
Crazy Cold and Windy last night and today! YIKES!
We are supposed to have snow today, hopefully not much.
Off to work I go, and thanks to the time change, nearly missed my usual get out of bed time....grrrr. The powers that be must laugh at how they make us do such things as change our clocks twice a year.
see ya this evening
Bible in a Year:
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Godâs special possession.
Decades ago, Dr. Jerry Motto discovered the power of a âcaring letter.â His research found that simply sending a letter expressing care to discharged patients who had previously attempted suicide reduced the rate of recurrence by half. Recently, health care providers have rediscovered this power when sending âcaringâ texts, postcards, and even social media memes as follow-up treatment for the severely depressed.Â
Twenty-one âbooksâ in the Bible are actually lettersâepistlesâcaringly written to first-century believers who struggled for a variety of reasons. Paul, James, and John wrote letters to explain the basics of faith and worship, and how to resolve conflict and build unity.Â
The apostle Peter, however, specifically wrote to believers who were being persecuted by the Roman emperor, Nero. Peter reminded them of their intrinsic value to God, describing them this way in 1 Peter 2:9, âYou are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Godâs special possession.â This lifted their gaze to Godâs great purpose for them in their world: âthat you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.âÂ
Our great God Himself wrote a book filled with caring letters to usâinspired Scriptureâthat we might always have a record of the value He assigns us as His own. May we read His letters daily and share them with others who need the hope Jesus offers.
Reflect & Pray
How does reading the Epistles as caring letters help you receive Godâs encouragement? How will you share the hope of Godâs caring letters today?
Loving God, thank You for the caring letters in the Bible!
|
I saw that on a webcam and thought of how unhappy you probably were. I would be too. LOL!
Well...it’s a little warmer now, low 20’s.
LOL! I love Reese’s PB Cups.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
