Ride Them Like A Pony

Hi Everyone.

Think about these words and see if you cannot identify with the sentiments:

"As for me, my feet had almost strayed; my steps had nearly slipped. For I became envious of the arrogant when I would see the peace of the wicked." Ps. 73:2,3.

"Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence. " Vs. 13.

"But my heart was sour, and deep inside I felt sharp pain." Vs. 21.

Alright...

You've thought about it. Maybe some are thinking..."Oh...not me!" and others, "Yes! They (the unrighteous or dishonest or the just plain wicked) seem to win all the time. Why should I try and be righteous or good?" ... And then maybe others are thinking, "Yes, I felt that way before."

None of these feelings are wrong. Feelings arise inside us sometimes like a bubbling brook, an active volcano, or are deep inside us as a dark well.

However they exist is not important, since we are individuals with our own fingerprint dispositions.

How we act upon them is important.

Controlling our feelings, can be like breaking in a wild bucking horse. They may throw us off their sweaty backs sometimes, but we must hop right back on, crawl onto, or get some help ... whatever way is necessary.  But we must show them who really holds the reigns.

Get the feeling I've been viewing some Ponderosa? ...

Okay, so what is the point of the above verses today?

We have a destination; a particular goal...

"But as for me, drawing near to God is good for me. I have made the Sovereign Lord Jehovah my refuge, to declare all your works." Psalm 73:28.

This is how the author of the above mentioned verses ended his discouragement. With that reminder.

Sounds doable? ... It is :-)

His Awesomeness

Today, I felt a bit overwhelmed with life and all it has to offer. Looking around at creation; amazed at the tiniest of things and their intricacies and I thought, "How will I ever know all that I need to know?"

It was like I walked up to this growing immense mountain and decided that I must gobble it whole. The thought made me weak. I felt immobilized from all activity. 

Then I read this...

"Understanding the Almighty is beyond our reach; He is great in power, and he never violates his justice and abundant righteousness. Therefore, people should fear him. For he does not favor any who think that they are wise." Job 37:23, 24.

I don't need to know everything...just what is important at the moment and for my eternal future. And that is to get to know the Almighty even more, but in small bites.

I feel much better :-)

DECISIONS...

Hi Everyone!

Read a scripture and commentary I thought you may appreciate. Until I am settled, my posts will always try to be uplifting, though a little less of me bursting through....I apologize. 

Hopefully that will be fixed soon. Unless I want it otherwise....Pray about it.

Am I in your prayers? ... You are in mine:-)

Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding.—Prov. 3:5.

Decisions! Decisions! Every day we are faced with many of them. How do you feel about the typical decisions that you face? Some people are eager to decide everything for themselves. They insist on their right to make their own decisions, resenting even the thought of someone else deciding for them.

However, there are those who dread having to make decisions beyond the routine things in life. Some turn to guidebooks or counselors and perhaps spend large sums to get the advice they feel they need.

Many of us are somewhere in-between. We realize that some things are beyond our jurisdiction and we can do nothing about them; yet, we appreciate that in many areas of life, we can make decisions according to our personal preferences. (Gal. 6:5)

Even so, we likely admit that not all the decisions we make are necessarily wise or beneficial. 

Words to Ponder:

"' For this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: "Here I am, and I myself will search for my sheep, and I will care for them. I will care for my sheep like a shepherd who has found his scattered sheep and is feeding them. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered in the day of clouds and thick gloom. I will bring them out from the people's and collect them together from the lands and bring them into their land and feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and by all the dwelling places of the land. They will lie down there in a good grazing land, and they will feed on choice pastures on the mountains of Israel." Ezekiel 34: 11-14

Are these not wonderful words to meditate upon? Jehovah will gather his sheep...from where were they scattered? He wants them in one place...can he not feed them wherever they are?

Are these not days of clouds and thick gloom? Are we gathered where we should be...among like-minded sheep willing to be fed? 

A More Excelling Way

Those of you here because you are waiting for a continuation of our discussion about surviving the oncoming destruction of this system of things, please bear with me. Hopefully you can enjoy the poem offered as appetizer to a more meaty future discussion:-)

A More Excelling Way

by Seah Greenhorn

(Poem with copyright)

Scars,
may snarl,
mar your flesh,
tarnish your outward beauty.

Wear these proudly
as medallions scored
from scaling bobbed wire

fleeing hypocrisy.

Courage
to defend

Truth and Honesty

require
constant strength

depend
upon a
complete heart

from whenever
The Finish

from the time that
You start.

A body
adorned
with ancient armor--
His Word

worn

fend off scathing flames
of caustic words
flung

to reduce you
to
conformity.

Your pressing forth
through
this wicked dark forest,
slaying discomfort

will instill

in some sincere others
confidence

power
to themselves
perform.

You can
stalwartly
proceed.

Succeed
in loving actions,
gracious
deeds.

Be
that light lit and shining
upon a hill.

Though
daily
battles
inward and out
may
mark you,

your righteous works
will herald you--

Victorious.

Beam tirelessly on
through this abrasive storm
of apathy.

Your brilliant
inner smile's
a beacon of hope
spotlighting 
a more excelling

Way,
today
till

Forever--
Love.

© Lucretia Mccloud, an hour ago

No word limit

No novels

Shine for me

Who can touch my heart the most?

If adult Mark as adult. Although I warn you a sex poem will probably not win this one.

No pre-writes

Have fun

Good luck!

This poem is based upon 1 Cor. 13; Eph. 6:10-20.

This Work We Do

Hi All,

I have been sadly deficit here due to family illness and other circumstances.  But I leave you today with a poem written for a contest.  I thought it fitting since we have been discussing "become doers of the word and not hearers only."

Though we all have personal character flaws that we must work on, there is a great work being done globally, prophecied about in Matthew 24:14. This poem describes what it takes to accomplish it. I hope you will enjoy. 

Until later,  my thoughts and prayers are with you!

This Work We Do

by Seah Greenhorn

(Poem with copyright)

Part of a sign of paradise to come
A word spread wide, good news to some.
A reigning king did prophecy
An army eager and willing to die
Would need his spirit and God's word
This message truth to all be heard.

So in the world to all nations proclaimed
A sanctifying of his Father's name.
In prison bonds, through orders banned
As locust plague still cover land.

Though coping with constant distress:
Economy, violence, also, little rest
God's message first proves much success
Since holy spirit he thus will bless
Our efforts shown to do our best.

We need this force to reach your door
For we too humans, imperfect for sure
Would like to please our neighbors too
Silence our work this could ensure.

But love for others as our brothers
makes us thoroughly continue our search
Using methods various and effective
to facilitate a life-saving work.

To make available to honest hearts
a hope for future ills to soon depart.
Also this command for us to adhere
To please our Creator instilled this fear.

To not complete this our Christian duty
With diligence and utmost purity
Would signify a lack of love.

So for holy spirit we petition
fitting us like hand to glove.

© Lucretia Mccloud, 9 days ago

Prompts

Prompt - Write how the Holy Spirit is working in you, the Church, or in this world.

My short poem might give you an idea of what I'm looking for...

  As the wind blows through the trees
  and all the leaves are stirred:
  The Spirit is like that breeze,
  stirring hearts with God's Word.
  Faith feels the call and responds,
  to serve his God in His Kingdom.

Tell me in 32 lines or less, how the Holy Spirit is, or has been working
in you, your Church, or in this world.

RULES

Rhyme or Free verse only
Max of 32 lines.
Rejoice and comment on 1 entry in this contest
Place a scripture ref. in AN notes showing this is
What the Holy Spirit has done in the past, or the promise
of what He would do after He came.
All other AP rules apply.

Peace, Love, and Joy to you all....James
Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20; Luke 11:11-13; Ezekiel 33

Hope • Spiritual • Love • Family

Doers and Not Hearers Only

I'm back! ... My feet were a bit more sore than I realized. You see, when I stopped to think about my loved ones and how they might view me I started hedging. Because...

It is easier to look outward than inward. I have reasons for my treatment of my family. I know what is best for them, right? 

Not really.

There are too many variables. We my have a general idea, but can we actually say we really know how they feel, what they are thinking, what happened to them before that influences their decisions, etc.?

Even if we say 'they told us,' how many of us are really good at knowing what is really bothering us? Something may have tipped the iceberg to cause us to react a certain way, but all that is underneath--background, health, finances, etc. has a bearing on our emotions and thinking ability. So we struggle and ask God to help and forgive us and then turn around and expect our family or friends or others to walk the road perfectly.

So you see why my toes were a little more than sore. They throbbed. I found that I needed to pray more for my loved ones and others to be able to progress and endure just as I needed their prayers.

That is why our Creator called the "Hearer of prayer" wants us to "pray for one another. " Psalm 65:2; James 5:16.

So, we must try a little harder to close the gap between saying and doing. Pray to follow James' counsel at James 1:21, 22:

"Therefore, put away all filthiness and every trace of badness, and accept with mildness the implanting of the word that is able to save you. However, become doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning."

Ouch again! ... See what I mean!? ... Almost makes you want to keep the Bible closed, right? ... Do I really need these kind of reminders when it is enough that I am trying to do all that I can to make it through these turbulent times?

Really...do I need this? ...

Yes. The end result means happiness.

James said this here:

"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, and he goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he is. But the one who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and continues in it has become,  not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; and he will be happy in what he does." James 1:23, 24.

I guess I will be back later. Have a bit more meditating to do :-)