Two days ago, I received my new spiral bible with tons of blank spaces for notes. In fact, the advertisement is: if you are note taker this bible is for you.  So, I started in the book of Revelation which I have wanted to study through myself and maybe even teach it. In fact, one of the ladies ask me to teach it but I declined since I do have a little fear of that book. Not what is written in it but a fear I will get a part of it wrong due to a lack of understanding. My heart would be to teach it so that anyone can understand it, me first. I have read through it years ago and never did it again. But, I have listened to lots of teaching on it. It is not a light read and takes comparing scriptures to scriptures to get the full scope of it.

So, as I was studying, I came across this in Rev. 22:18_19I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. (Rev. 22:18-19).

Thank God I am covered in the blood of Jesus and cannot lose my salvation. I will see that tree of life in the Holy City.

Thankfully, there was this promise of being blessed for even trying to read it.

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Rev. 1:3

Even though Revelation takes more studying than any other book of the Bible, I think, I am thankful that God loved us enough to let us know what is coming, to for warn us so we would not faint when the prophecy unfolds before us.

The biggest reason I want to study it again and maybe teach it is so I can have a firm grasp on future events. Never before has so many wanted to know the future, it's a scary world out there. I am open to any advice from you who follow me. Blessings.

I LOVE MY NEW SPIRAL STUDY BIBLE...IT WAS WORTH THE COST OF IT.

Past and Present

 I try to write my post on Saturday or Sunday and post Monday, and I usually write what is going on in the present and how it affects me. But once in a while I like to reach back and write from the past. The past definitely affects my present. its part of who I am as a child of God.

Growing up I just figured I would marry and live in my hometown or close by for the rest of my life. I didn't think past the present of getting out of the abusive home I grew up in. At 17 I quit school and got a full-time job washing dishes in a restaurant, real glamor. Several months later I married the guy I fell in love with. He worked in the oil field on a rig but that begin to close down. An uncle of mine got him a job in a warehouse near St. Louis, and the travel started, our world got bigger. We didn't bring much maturity into our marriage except we both knew how to work. But that is another story.

Little did I know from that point on living in my hometown for the rest of my life was not going to happen. Up until I got saved, we had lived in 3 different states already, all following his job. Fast forward to hearing a missionary speak in our home church in Kentucky where our world became bigger. God was going to show us just how big His world is and how exciting following Him can be. All the past came with us as we served 7 years in Bolivia, South America as dorm parents at a missionary boarding school. Then came a few years we stepped out of the mission to help our home church. Mission by then was in our blood so we returned to it and was asked to go a different country, Papua New Guinea. Everything we had learned so far was going to be used even more so. Remember, He waste nothing. What we were at that stage of life was defined by both, past and present still.

We were learning the truth that our past does not have to destroy us; it can be a catalyst to not make the same mistakes and be open to learning God's way of looking at the past and present and the future. The past always lives with us in the recess of our memory. I can unpack my past if it helps someone in the present. The wounds from the past are now scars and no longer hurt to touch on if needed. But the scars are part of who I am, a woman of God with scars. Salvation did not wipe out my past and through the years I have notice again, God waste nothing. It's joy to sit with a woman and have her thank me for sharing my wisdom gained from a past mistake and how God delights in using despite those mistakes. He is the only one without mistakes which is the strongest truth I can share with anyone.

Sometimes something will happen that throws me back into a bad memory and without even trying I react from it. When it does, I remind myself of everything I just wrote about. Those wounds do not own me, they have been paid for by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. And that is where I lay them, at the foot of the cross.

How are you doing with your past and present?  

God has always given me a group of wise hearted women to hang around with. This group of women all know how to work as a team getting thing done for the glory of God. Cleaning together and seeing the end result of team work is perfect for developing relationships.

There is a small camp outside of Blackduck, Minnesota that has served as a place to help kids grow in their walk with God. I have personally seen the results of this camp through our youngest grand daughters who attend it in the summer. And this summer she is old enough to be a camp counselor to the younger girls, plus work a week in the kitchen, and also be one of the campers in her age group. She has remained friends with the girls who were in her cabin last year. Relationship that developed around God can continue to encourage way past the camp week. God can begin to grow wise hearted young women in their teens through camps, church and input from older wise hearted women.

Some of the women from our church met out at this camp yesterday to get a cabin ready for campers. Within two hours it was done, and we all felt better for it. Working for a common goal helps us to be flexible and willing to be involved again. There were no problems yesterday as each woman took on a task. I ironed fresh washed curtains outside on the porch while a few took up brooms and knocked down cobwebs on the outside. Several worked inside cleaning windows and knocking down cobwebs, making beds, hanging curtains, sweeping and mopping floors. We left feeling a job well done and then went to lunch together.

Together is a great word and when you see a group of any age of women working on a project together without problems it a testimony of a shared common goal. They were not cleaning to gain glory for themselves or promote their way of doing things. These are wise hearted women, from the age of 15 to 77, willing to give of themselves for God work. I feel privileged to be a part of them.

Friends

 Friends

I could not wait to meet up with these two while on our trip.  Especially that blond pretty women who was my best friend and still is.  She is such a huge part of my past, the good part.  

Ace and I transferred from Las Vegas to Louisville with his job of ramp service man for TWA. We had left St. Louis where he hired in for Vegas.  So three place we lived in due to his job, each one holds memories.  It was not hard to move really because we did not have children then. Louisville was my favorite place we lived.   In each of those place I had friends, but not a best friend.  

We bought our first house after the birth of our first child that it took us 12 years to have.  That house sit in a neighborhood that buses from an aggressive Baptist church came into to pick children up for church. The little girl who lived next door rode that bus and she wanted our Tara to ride it too.  Four years after our daughter we had a son and God was knocking at our door through this church.  We thought it might be good for our kids to be in church, but we were not putting them on a church bus, not after all the years it took to get them.  

That women lived in that neighborhood too and we were both on a path that would meet at church.   Finally, we went to this church, my husband rededicated his life our first Sunday.  We went back the next week and I got saved.  We grew fast due to living for the world so long, we knew what didn't work.  With the Holy Spirit living in us both we stepped out in faith and became involved.  Ace begin to drive a bus and before long he was one of the ones who went into neighborhoods and invited people to come to church.  I took a children Sunday School class. 

The church had a small Christian school which our kids went too, and that sweet blond lady put her daughter in that school, and we became great friends.  We carpooled to school, hit the thrift stores together, great recipe for developing a friendship.   She had been a Christian longer than me, so I learned a lot from her.  She helped me navigate my walk with God and made it fun.  The man in the picture is her second husband, her first one died and was I was there to help her through that.  Later she met this strong Christian man whose wife had died, and my husband married them. God has kept us close even through the years we lived overseas.  When we meet up with them again, it's like we were never apart. They make us laugh, challenge our walk with God and have been supportive of our journey.  

I hope anyone who read this has a friend they could write about.  I don't think I thought friends could be that important to me until we left Louisville to move to Bolivia, South America.  I would cry because I missed my best friend so much, lay in bed at night and laugh over some of the best memories. 

Blessings 

Home

 

The first week of April my husband and I took off from home for a much-needed trip. Plans had been made and changed until we felt like we had the best itinerary that fit us.

We took it slow, about 400 miles a day was added to our SUV. Hotels were booked ahead of time making it easier. To save a little money we brought our cooler filled with lunch meat and chicken salad I made along with bread, crackers, cheese and of course snacks with some fruit too and drinks.

Texas was our first choice because of the lunar eclipse which we got to enjoy with our son and family. A whole week with our three grandchildren watching them in their sport activities and our youngest, Reedley, age 8 get baptized was just the best. After a week we reloaded our SUV and we headed to our next stop, Kentucky. Lord willing, we will see our son and family again at Christmas of 2024.

But, before I go on to the next stop, I have to back up and tell you about more blessings. Hearing from our son of how God moved in his heart to give up social media to have more time for family. I got to go with my daughter in law to a bible study and meet ladies who were pouring into her life. Hearing all the grandchildren tell of how God was growing them. Icing on the holy cake of family.

Next stop was outside of Louisville, Ky. Both of our kids were born in Ky., and it was our jumping off place to enter into overseas missions. So many memories, so many friends and a week was just not enough time to see them all. The few we did connect with was GREAT, and yes, I meant to capitalize the word. It had been years since we laughed so hard as memories kept flooding us as we set with dear friends. At a couple of our supporting churches and our home church we got to show a great video of a Bible dedication in a remote village in Papua New Guinea. There is nothing we like to do better than talking about what God doing all over the world.

That week passed too fast also, and we headed to southern Illinois to visit our family, the place we grew up in. My husband sister always has a room for us with lots of space to relax and she is a great cook too. We met up with brothers, cousins, nephew and nieces and more supporters. Another week of laughter, tears and so many memories to remember.

All good things come to an end, but we were actually more ready than we knew to get home. Our 77-year-old bodies was showing the effects of almost 4 thousand miles under our belt.

Our last visit was Mayo Clinic in Rodchester, Mn. We had made appointments with our doctors to get a couple things checked out. It was my six months checkup after having stints put into my arteries into my kidneys. I had been feeling so good since then I would have been shocked if they found more blockage. Thank God, all was working well. My husband was having some man things checked and it all was fine. Finally, we were on the last leg of our trip, six hours later we were home. Our daughter and mother-in-law cleaned our place, it smelled and looked wonderful. Another blessing there was no snow on the ground and none in the forecast. It was raining and a little chilly but when we left a month ago the grass was not green, now it is and there are buds on the trees which means leaves are on their way.

I know I have probably lost you on this long post, but I knew I had to pen it down before life moves on. With every place, with every person we were reminded of God's faithfulness through our life. So many have already gone home, and the day is getting closer with each minute for us to join them in the heavenly home. While still on earth we will talk about our Savior Jesus. We are blessed with great family and friends and the greatest God. Blessings. 

Our goal when we planned the trip to tell those who have prayed and supported us for years thank you.  You who read  my posts and comment encouraging words are also a part of those who we would like to  thank.