Christianity

Pentecost, and all Things Richly to Enjoy

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

 

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Taking a walk in the cool not-quite-summer breezes the other morning an old question popped into my mind:  Which of the senses would you miss the most, were you to lose it?

Loss of sight would mean no more color, no more iridescent, translucent, sparkling, proof-of- God color.  No more looking into the eyes of my beloveds, no more laughing at a child’s guileless smile.

Not good.

Loss of smell would mean I couldn’t smell this sage I’m crushing in my fingers and thereby being lifted, transported.  Same for the juniper, pine, spruce, fir and cedar on the heavenly breeze.

Loss of smell would mean roast beef and vegetables and gravy and hot buttered homemade bread would be irrelevant.  Also not good.

Loss of smell would mean I wouldn’t notice the clove on John’s breath when he kissed me.

A kiss.  A touch.  Not being able to feel the kissing face, or hugged neck, or the touch of a hand of another of God’s children.

marmot

Hearing.  A marmot is sounding the alarm because the dogs are busy sniffing out his rock pile, and the spring snowmelt has made the creek practically roar as it rushes out of its banks, but not above my favorite creekside blessing rock.

And I couldn’t hear His praises sung from the depths of the hearts of His children in church this morning, on Pentecost Sunday.  This thought makes me catch my breath from the sudden glitch of alarm, the actual physical ache, in my spirit.  But, on this day of all days, I am choosing not to think about “what ifs” and possible losses.  I am thinking of my utter inability to even begin to grasp the magnitude of the Love of God.  This is the sense I want to exercise, increase, develop.  This is the realm into which I want to delve more deeply.  More richly.

He has given us all things richly to enjoy.  I call the dogs off and they happily dash off to the next thrill, all senses alert.  He has given us all things richly to enjoy.  This thought again wafts into my mind and I think of how all the senses will be alive and blessing me at once if I simply take this walk with a loved one, sit by the creek eating roast beef on homemade bread with also homemade mayo, and watch steam swirl up out of a thermos of tea as we sip and smile at each other.  And as we see on each others’ faces peace.  How beautiful, how marvelous.  Oh, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth.

In all the earth.  He has given us so much to enjoy.  Let us not, in pursuits of manmade enjoyments and entertainments, forgo, forget, become blind to, the wonderful world He has made.  In all of our seeking, with all of our senses, let us tune into Him.  Let us daily live a life of Pentecost.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

10 Ways to Build Faith Plus Purple Cadillacs and Forgiveness Vroom!

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

Pink Cadillac

Tomorrow, Friday June 2 at 2:00 Mountain time!  Make a Note and tune in:

Go to 1360am.co

Wait for it, and

Click on the “Live Radio” button.

I’ll have a special guest, purple Cadillac thoughts, nuclear-powered forgiveness, ten ways to build your faith – things that just plain build everything, so that life is an ADVENTURE – and more, much more!

It’s a non-stop hour of information and inspiration and just plain good stuff.

Thanks for listening!

 

Casting Cares from thestream.org

~ Bev Parker ~ 2 Comments

stream pic.jpg

I am amazed at myself that I even EVER listen to mainstream news sources.  Why the lament about what they say and don’t say, the bias, the slant, the lies, the DIVISION?  Why give them the time of day, supporting them?  Why not, I ask, just go elsewhere?

I have discovered thestream.org, not where I agree with everything therein, but where I have access to thought-provoking, well-researched articles.  But I am looking for more than research, which is often little more than an effort to prop up a faulty premise with the words of someone else also operating under faulty premises.  In fact, the more well-known the writer, the more prestigious the publication cited, the more I question what is written.

Cases in point:  articles from The National Review and from a minister I know and love.  Both, I found a little lacking (a bit unscriptural).  But that’s not the point.

The point is making sense of all this information, knowing what to do with it, what to ignore, what to pay heed to, and most of all, what to pray about.  I have taken to spending a limited amount of time at thestream.org, clicking on the articles that speak to me (more on this), reading them, and then praying.

Perhaps an article fills me with grief (doctors prescribing pain meds to pregnant moms), or with consternation (Gorsuch’s words about Trump), or makes me rejoice (speeches at the March for Life).  Always, there is an appropriate response, and it is not a rant, a whine, or a lament.

The appropriate response is to seek the Holy Spirit’s leading on how and what to pray, to say, to decree and declare, and on any further action to take.

It’s high time we forsook fake news (establishment) spouted on TV by plastic people who can barely keep the sneers and smiles off their faces as they indignantly protest whatever they’re told to protest.

It’s high time we, as Christian Americans, take dominion over our hearts and minds and refuse to fill them with pollution and propaganda.

It’s high time we cast our cares on Jesus and ask Him what He wants us to be thinking and doing. 

Media-controlled puppets no more!

 

 

 

Lifting Burdens via Intercessory Prayer

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

 

praying-young-man

I was asked to pray for someone last night and I just couldn’t do it, not with any faith and fervor.  I awoke at 2:00 a.m. burdened for this person, but not in a good way.  It might be more accurate to say I was aggravated with them.

As I prayed about it I realized that intercessory prayer is not to be undertaken before there is personal heart maintenance.  Otherwise, the intercessor simply takes on the burden of the other person, rather than assisting them in giving that burden to Jesus, who can not only take it, but do away with it!

So, practically what does that mean?  It means seeing what the Word says about love, and about every single person.  It means asking God for His take, how He sees it, what He wants done in this person’s life.

Then come the revelations, the prayers of faith that build more faith, and the return to where we start:  apart from Him, I can do (pray) nothing, and with Him all things (prayers) are possible.

He’s the only Way to go.

Vision Board Success!

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

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I heard about making a vision board, and how the Word of God tells us in Habbakuk 2: 2 to “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it,” and that, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

I began looking through magazines for something.  For what?  Should I make a health and fitness board?  Perhaps a writing board would be the very thing, replete with pictures of great books, typewriters, quill pens, exotic locales (no doubt for research on sequels to my international bestsellers) and cash!

I began perusing magazines of all sorts, but nothing seemed right until I began cutting out those things that meant something to me, pictures and words from Christian magazines, and it become apparent to me what was in my heart, my heart’s desire.

As you look at the picture above you will see it is a board to encourage me and remind me of the love and the power and the promises of God, and how He has anointed me to share what He wants shared.

Every time I look at it, hanging above my computer, I am exhorted, motivated, and made glad.  And the vision that has been swirling in and out of my consciousness has been brought to the fore, becoming focused.

A vision board singing the truth of God’s Word helps me to run, because it helps me to remember God’s laws of love – the New Testament victories and blessings that were bought for me at Calvary.  It helps me to see.