Declan Scripture "THE BLESSING"

This morning I sent a text to Declan about Dave going up to visit him and this was the verse that I got to add on the text 

24“The Lord bless you

    and keep you;

25 the Lord make his face shine on you

    and be gracious to you;

26 the Lord turn his face toward you

    and give you peace.”’

What it means

"Turn your face to God" is a call to seek God's presence and to practice remorse and renewal. It's a way to recognize God's control and to acknowledge that we are undeserving of a connection with God. 

Then a song started to play in my head by Kari Jobe called The Blessing

This We Know ...This We Believe.

February 28 “Do You Now Believe?” 

“ ‘By this we believe . . . .’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe?’ ” John 16:30–31

When i started to read today's Devotional in "My Upmost For His Highest" a song pop into my head. The only lyrics I could think of was "THIS WE KNOW". Well it's from a song called This We Know and the rest of the lyrics i was trying to sing was from the chorus of the song 🎵 

This we know

We will see the enemy run

This we know

We will see the victory come

We hold on to every promise You ever made

Jesus, You are unfailing

https://youtu.be/4suFhWvLR-Q?si=0ExYIfRZMJVEKMfS

When i was looking for a photo for this post this scripture came to me 

We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him

A Hard Task...Love your enemies

FEBRUARY 26 DO NOT REPAY EVIL FOR EVIL See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody. —1 THESSALONIANS 5:15 AMPC It is impossible to be in this world and deal with people and never be treated unjustly. Evil is present in society, but God has given us a secret weapon against it. When it touches us, we can defeat it with kindness rather than lowering ourselves to return evil for evil. We always overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Always be quick to forgive those who offend you, remembering that your prayers cannot be answered if you hold bitterness in your heart against anyone. When Jesus was dying on the cross at Calvary, one of His last acts on earth was to pray that God would forgive those who crucified Him. Stephen did likewise while he was being stoned to death (Acts 7:59–60). The apostle Paul also forgave his friends who deserted him during his first trial (2 Timothy 4:16). When people hurt us, we can respond according to our biblical examples. Doing so puts us in a position of power with God and frees us from the agony of anger and hatred. “Father, I want to always keep my heart clear of anger and resentment, but I need Your grace to do so. Enable me to be kind when others are rude or mean to me, and to trust You to be my vindicator. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

February 26 Our Misgivings About Jesus “The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw [water] with, and the well is deep.’ ” John 4:11 

Have you ever said to yourself, “I am impressed with the wonderful truths of God’s Word, but He can’t really expect me to live up to that and work all those details into my life!” When it comes to confronting Jesus Christ on the basis of His qualities and abilities, our attitudes reflect religious superiority. We think His ideals are lofty and they impress us, but we believe He is not in touch with reality—that what He says cannot actually be done. Each of us thinks this about Jesus in one area of our life or another. These doubts or misgivings about Jesus begin as we consider questions that divert our focus away from God. While we talk of our dealings with Him, others ask us, “Where are you going to get enough money to live? How will you live and who will take care of you?” Or our misgivings begin within ourselves when we tell Jesus that our circumstances are just a little too difficult for Him. We say, “It’s easy to say, ‘Trust in the Lord,’ but a person has to live; and besides, Jesus has nothing with which to draw water—no means to be able to give us these things.” And beware of exhibiting religious deceit by saying, “Oh, I have no misgivings about Jesus, only misgivings about myself.” If we are honest, we will admit that we never have misgivings or doubts about ourselves, because we know exactly what we are capable or incapable of doing. But we do have misgivings about Jesus. And our pride is hurt even at the thought that He can do what we can’t. My misgivings arise from the fact that I search within to find how He will do what He says. My doubts spring from the depths of my own inferiority. If I detect these misgivings in myself, I should bring them into the light and confess them openly—

“Lord, I have had misgivings about You. I have not believed in Your abilities, but only my own. And I have not believed in Your almighty power apart from my finite understanding of it.”

What came to mind was the conversation I had with Tommy yesterday. When we talk about Muslims it gets us angry and we want to cause them harm. This is what these readings are about today...We are to act like Jesus and not hate our enemies we have to pray for them 

It's a great feeling to be like jesus but can we really do it????

Here is a link I found when I picked the photo for the post.

https://www.rhetoricaljesus.com/when-i-told-you-to-love-your-enemies-and-pray-for-those-who-persecute-you-how-can-you-do-that/

Breath Of God Is Peace

This morning I bought these breathless necklaces the the next picture is from the devotion for today in my Bible App...

God's Opinion Not Man's Opinion

February 17 

To be obliged to beg our daily happiness from others bespeaks a more lamentable poverty than that of him who begs his daily bread. Charles Caleb Colton 

Where do I get my self-worth? Do I rely on others to make me feel good? Does my self-esteem go up and down according to what people think of me? Why are other people’s opinions of me worth more than my own? When I find myself looking to another to make me feel worthwhile, I can ask myself why I need someone else’s opinion. I take responsibility for my happiness and self-esteem, knowing that practicing the twelve-step program to the best of my ability each day is all I really need to feel good about myself.

 For today: Practicing the OA principles in all my affairs means giving myself spiritual sustenance.

At times when I see some of Laura's posts im like aye right but she has got the right attitude at times. The only thing wrong with her is she is not humble with it. She is harsh and rude with it. That's not the way God wants us to be. Yes he wants us to be not affected by other people's opinions but not to the extent of being prideful and rude.

 She is still living a sinful life and she still hasn't trully repented for her sins. We have to turn to God and be dependant on Him. We have to follow Jesus ways 

Listen To God.

February 13 

The Devotion of Hearing 

“Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’ ” 1 Samuel 3:10 

Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. If I love my friend, I will instinctively understand what he wants. And Jesus said, “You are My friends” (John 15:14). Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord’s this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not have deliberately disobeyed it. But most of us show incredible disrespect to God because we don’t even hear Him. He might as well never have spoken to us. The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me (see John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. A flower, a tree, or a servant of God may convey God’s message to me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don’t want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions. God may say whatever He wants, but I just don’t hear Him. The attitude of a child of God should always be, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God’s voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things—things which I think I must do. This is not living the life of a child of God. Have you heard God’s voice today?

Let People Be..

February 13 

The wise man, the true friend, the finished character we seek everywhere and only find in fragments. Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Where, oh where, is that perfect person? Surely, I will find someone who is everything I want. Maybe this one. Or that one. How noble the quest for perfection sounds. Why was there always something wrong with people? After all, I wouldn’t do that, tut. Or this, tsk. Today I have climbed down from my “rightness” perch and I enjoy people as they are. I am free to laugh, especially at myself, to join in the storytelling, the kidding, the jokes. I accept and love people as they are because I can accept and love myself.

 For today: As I free myself of self-absorption, I put aside being right and reach out with warmth to another person.

FEBRUARY 13.... HOW TO AVOID BEING DISAPPOINTED BY PEOPLE

 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. —JOHN 2:24–25

 I remember a time when I was hurt and disappointed by someone I love, but it was my own fault. It took me a while to realize that, but now I am actually glad I had the experience because it reminded me of something that is important for each of us. Jesus trusted His disciples, but He did not totally depend on them, nor did He expect them never to let Him down or disappoint Him. He knew they had weaknesses and that it was impossible for them to always be what He needed them to be. Anytime we totally depend on another human being, we put ourselves in a position to be hurt. Only God can be totally depended on. He alone deserves all of our trust, reliance, and dependence. I love my husband and my children very much, and they are all very good to me, but each of them does disappoint me at times, just as I am sure that I disappoint them. Let me ask you: What are you expecting from your family and friends? Today is a good day to make sure that God is the only One you lean on, rely on, and trust completely. Trust people, but don’t expect them to be perfect. We are all flawed human beings. 

“Father, I ask that You would always help me remember to only put all of my trust and confidence in You. You alone are perfect in all of Your ways. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Who Moved...Wasn't God.

It's funny me and James were talking about this the other day...When we feel distant from God.. . 

FEBRUARY 8 DON’T LET GO OF GOD 

He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. —2 KINGS 18:6

 In the Old Testament, a twenty-five-year-old man named Hezekiah became king of Judah. Interestingly, his name means “God has strengthened.” He was known as a righteous ruler who followed God faithfully and experienced God’s favor. Today’s scripture says he “held fast to the Lord.” This means that no matter what happened, he refused to let go of God. Nothing could cause him to loosen his grip on God. God never changes (Hebrews 13:8) or moves away from us. Anytime we feel spiritually dry or distant from the Lord, He is not to blame. We are the ones who have changed. We may have slacked off in our Bible study or our prayer. We may have allowed life’s pressures and busyness to cause us to turn our hearts and minds from God onto the situations that compete for our attention. Remember today that God is always near. To stay spiritually strong, follow Hezekiah’s example and hold fast to God, not allowing anyone or anything to cause you to loosen your grip on Him or to stray from His presence.

 “Father, I pray that I will be like Hezekiah and hold fast to You. May I follow You in all my ways, all the time. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Hurt People Hurt People.

This morning I was still at unease with Declan. After what that Stacey Dillion did to him and me!!! And what she just said about him and he has picked her over the young girl that he was going with before he went into prison. She seemed really nice and she did a lot for Declan. Now he has just dump the lassie and she was in bits. She was texting me and telling me what Stacey was saying and also Declan. Declan said some nasty things about me. So I am really in a dilemma 🙃 

Then today's word in my Bible is about the power of our words....I'm worrying about what I might say and worried incase I hurt people but what about me. Do I let them trash me and not stand up for myself. Or is it me that is being nasty 🤔 then I read This in today's plan 

So if you feel embattled, scared about what the day might bring, or want to run from the conflict rather than towards it, be strong and courageous. God is with you. He comes not as a military power, but as a person who bravely battled the grave and won (1 Corinthians 15:24-26). He has even placed his death-defying Spirit inside you. God is with you more intimately than he ever was with Joshua. Jesus says his Spirit in us is better than standing right beside us (John 16:7). 

So let's see what comes up before tomorrow visit. Because I am not sure if I want to go or not. And really have to think about Declan and the way he treats me. Do I really need him in my life?????

Stoic Meditation...February 7th 

FEAR IS A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY

 “Many are harmed by fear itself, and many may have come to their fate while dreading fate.” —SENECA, OEDIPUS, 992

 “Only the paranoid survive,” Andy Grove, a former CEO of Intel, famously said. It might be true. But we also know that the paranoid often destroy themselves quicker and more spectacularly than any enemy. Seneca, with his access and insight into the most powerful elite in Rome, would have seen this dynamic play out quite vividly. Nero, the student whose excesses Seneca tried to curb, killed not only his own mother and wife but eventually turned on Seneca, his mentor, too. The combination of power, fear, and mania can be deadly. The leader, convinced that he might be betrayed, acts first and betrays others first. Afraid that he’s not well liked, he works so hard to get others to like him that it has the opposite effect. Convinced of mismanagement, he micromanages and becomes the source of the mismanagement. And on and on—the things we fear or dread, we blindly inflict on ourselves. The next time you are afraid of some supposedly disastrous outcome, remember that if you don’t control your impulses, if you lose your self-control, you may be the very source of the disaster you so fear. It has happened to smarter and more powerful and more successful people. It can happen to us too.

FEBRUARY 7 THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH

 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. —HABAKKUK 3:19

 Deer have the ability to bound over rocky, rugged mountain terrain as though it is flat pastureland. Because of this ability that God has placed in them, they can easily maneuver through what looks to be very dangerous territory. The prophet Habakkuk said that he had that same ability, and so do we. The example of the deer bounding over dangerous heights is intended to help us understand that in Christ, we too can easily navigate places that would seem insurmountable and dangerous. With God’s help, we can handle difficult situations while remaining peaceful. I encourage you not to fear new experiences or situations that look difficult. Ask for and receive by faith God’s strength, believing that you too have the spiritual feet of a deer and can leap over difficult terrain in the circumstances of your life. “Father, I love You, and I resist fear in Your name. Because of Your Word, I believe I can do difficult things with ease. I ask for Your help, and I rely on You at all times. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

February 7 

There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without significance. The Bible: I Corinthians 

A man who is maintaining a large weight loss and is abstinent and sober in both OA and AA tells how he came to accept the gift of abstinence. Finding his way to OA after he became sober in AA, he was dismayed at being the only man in a roomful of women. “I didn’t hear what they were saying,” he admits. “I secretly ridiculed them for not understanding what the program is about. “One day, one of the women I was especially critical of got up and shared about the need to detach herself from one of her children, who had a drug problem. That was exactly the situation my wife and I were facing. What that woman said showed me I hadn’t been working my AA program half as well as she’d been working hers. I made my amends to the whole group, took a sponsor and became abstinent.” For today: I listen to all who speak at meetings because I can never know in advance when someone will say just what I need to hear.

Greg Lawrie : Life Is Fleeting

Thursday, February 6, 2025

A Well-Lived Life

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:14 NLT)

It’s been said that inside every old person is a young person wondering what in the world just happened. Life is a fast-moving ride. And if you’re not aware of just how quickly it moves, there’s a lot you might miss.

The Bible makes the same point in much more eloquent terms. In Job 9:25-26, Job says, “My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness. It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey” (NLT).

And David says in Psalm 39:4-7, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you” (NLT).

We’re all rushing headlong to what lies beyond this life. And that’s a scary thought to some. Actor William Shatner, of Star Trek fame, once said, “I’m so not ready to die. It petrifies me. I go alone. I go to a place I don’t know. It might be painful. It might be the end. My thought is that it’s the end. I become nameless, and I spent a lifetime being known.” Someone needs to tell William Shatner that there’s a God in Heaven who loves him, and that he can know where he’s going after he dies. He can go to Heaven if he puts his faith in jesus Christ, and he can live long and prosper.

In the meantime, we must make the most of our brief stay in this world. In the passage above, James asks, “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?” What he’s really asking is, “What kind of life are you living? What are you doing with this precious gift called life right now?”

If you want to get more specific, you could change the question to “What are you doing with the precious gift of your marriage?” Or with your family or other loved ones. Time is passing quickly for them, too.

One of the best strategies for living life well is found in Proverbs 3:6: “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” God knows every possible path that’s laid out before you. He knows where each decision will take you. He knows the routes that will lead to fulfillment, joy, growth, and maturity. And He knows the dead-ends.

If you trust in Him and ask Him to guide you according to His will, He will help you make the most of your brief time in this world.

Life is short. Live it well

Know God’s Goodness

Fill The Void With Good.

          https://abide.com/prayer/c4nfbk

I liked what it said about when we empty ourselves we need to fill up with something good...Its just not good to stop an addiction we need to replace it with something else. If we don't then it will just come back and just set up home again. But if we have filled that void with something else, then it wont be able to come back because there will be no space for it now.....

When I tried to stop drinking at first I was so focused on stopping that i didn't realise I had to replace it with something else. I struggled with it for ages, but then I started to read books and meditate on Gods word. I could see that I needed something or someone to fill that void. I found Jesus and since then I have been on a journey of discovery. Not always good but a lot better than it was when I was in that dark place without Him.

I heard Rick Warren say something the other day which I liked he said "I use to think of life like mountains and valleys but now i see it as railroad tracks good and bad at the same time."

I use to say my life was like a roller coaster with all its ups and downs. But now i know that it is the tracks that takes us on the ride that goes up and down. Now I can see that I needed to accept the bad with the good or I wasn't able to move forward. 

Philippians 4:11-13  11.I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.1. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.13.I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Precepts and Statutes

Psalms 119:45-46 NIV

[45] I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. [46] I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame,

Precepts, can help make people make good decisions and develope their character. They can be passed down to children by parents and teachers,  or religious figures (Jesus)

A good example is far better than a good precept -

Jesus was a good example, He was the only one who followed the precepts of His father to the end

Statutes - Precepts

Preapts are Instructions or commands

Statutes are rules or decreas

Both are used to describe Gods guidance for how peaple shall live

Many of us share this affliction - being driven by something we cant control, Were afaid of being still, so we seek out strife and action as a distraction. We chose to be at war.

February 6th 

DON’T SEEK OUT STRIFE

 “I don’t agree with those who plunge headlong into the middle of the flood and who, accepting a turbulent life, struggle daily in great spirit with difficult circumstances. The wise person will endure that, but won’t choose it—choosing to be at peace, rather than at war.” —SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 28.7 

It has become a cliché to quote Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech, which lionizes “the one whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly …” compared with the critic who sits on the sidelines. Roosevelt gave that speech shortly after he left office, at the height of his popularity. In a few years, he would run against his former protégé in an attempt to retake the White House, losing badly and nearly assassinated in the process. He would also nearly die exploring a river in the Amazon, kill thousands of animals in African safaris, and then beg Woodrow Wilson to allow him to enlist in World War I despite being 59 years old. He would do a lot of things that seem somewhat baffling in retrospect. Theodore Roosevelt was a truly great man. But he was also driven by a compulsion, a work and activity addiction that was seemingly without end. Many of us share this affliction—being driven by something we can’t control. We’re afraid of being still, so we seek out strife and action as a distraction. We choose to be at war—in some cases, literally—when peace is in fact the more honorable and fitting choice. Yes, the man in the arena is admirable. As is the soldier and the politician and the businesswoman and all the other occupations. But, and this is a big but, only if we’re in the arena for the right reasons.

-My Upmost For His Highest....

But you don’t eliminate it, God does. You “bind the sacrifice . . . to the horns of the altar” and see to it that you don’t wallow in self-pity once the fire begins. After you have gone through the fire, there will be nothing that will be able to trouble or depress you. When another crisis arises, you will realize that things cannot touch you as they used to do. What fire lies ahead in your life? Tell God you are ready to be poured out as an offering, and God will prove Himself to be all you ever dreamed He would be.

Loved this from Eyesalve...Since they could not find anything that Jesus did wrong, the chief priests and the scribes had to make up lies about Him so they could have Him arrested. Next time someone falsely accuses you, rejoice that it is not true; rejoice they couldn’t find you doing any wrong.

My God Is Faithful

https://youtu.be/4j9zWQYYCLo?si=bxH2X6RGwunqKdHw

This morning I was feeling a bit agitated still because Broganne no going to court because of Stacey Dillion. I don't know if Declan is still talking to her behind her back or it's Stacey stirring it. But I was not pleased because Broganne just said she spent £400 on trainers and clothes for him. 

So when I choose a Fruit Of The Spirit card is was FAITHFULNESS what a laugh because that's exactly what Declan and Broganne needs. 

The scripture that came to me was Matthew 19:26 New International Version

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

At the moment what i am seeing is man can not be faithful we all fall short of the mark. So I am glad we have a Savior that can be faithful. That's how the video at the beginning came to me because I agree 100% with Ms Clara ...

De Profundis

Psalm 129

Prayer:

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord; Lord hear my voice. Let Thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities, Lord, who shall stand it? For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness, and by reason of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul has relied on His word, my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy; and with Him plentiful redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.