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Created by the talented [Link To User poulynoe]")  }   "Prompt: Proverbs 10:22 "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."How do we know a blessing is from the Lord?" I think the first thing we need to understand is that everything is from the Lord. That means the good, the bad, and the ugly. God uses all things to bless those who serve Him. Trials are God's greatest gifts to His people because trials build character. Peter discusses this in 1 Peter 4:12 and following. Peter tells us that like gold we become better when we are tried by fire. God allows Satan to throw things our way because God knows it will make us more dependent on Him and it will make us better people. Some of the most humble people I know are those who have been through hell. If they do not become bitter as a result of their trial, but embrace it as the precious gift it is, they will grow from it. I know I have grown as the result of many trials. At one time I was as mean as a rattlesnake and had the personality of a crocodile. I fought, manipulated, intimidated, and bullied my way through life. God changed all that, but the change was slow and gradual. I was actually kicked out of a church for being so manipulative and not taking responsibility. God changed me, not overnight as He does some, but over a course of years. I went through a 12-step program, which taught me how to forgive myself and others. It also taught me self-honesty and to hold myself accountable. I went through trial after trial but change and maturity came...slowly. I matured though and today my friends don't believe I was ever like that. A police car went by here the other day with siren wailing. I told one of the men here they were coming to get me. He said "If they ever arrest you for anything, the world would stop turning. You are the holiest man I know!" I do not know that I am holy, but I am perceived that way. What a change from the drug-addicted, manipulative, combative person I use to be! All that change came through the blessing of trials and suffering.  had my exploratory surgery today and am fine. The colonoscopy was negative. The other scope revealed that I have a hiatal hernia which has resulted in an infection of the stomach lining (gastritis) and an infection of the lining of my esophagus (esophagitis). I have to make some habit changes but will be fine.On the way back to the ship I ran into a friend. Dave   has had a rough few months and could use some love. Read
This poem describes a harmonious relationship between two people. This is the type of relationship we are meant to have with all people. God created man to be servants and to have the servant attitude. The servant attitude is that "my needs do not count. All that matters is the needs of others." Servants set aside their own needs to become 100% focused on others. The Latin word "perichoresis" describes this intertwined relationship. It means that one person is so concerned with the needs of others that they totally forget their own needs and serve the needs of others. They do what is in the best interest of others no matter what and never place a single thought on themselves. Dave describes such a relationship. It is beautiful. Prompt: "What did you do last weekend? Did it turn out better or worse than you had planned?"Last weekend was Resurrection Sunday. I had a big Chapel service with over 50 PowerPoint slides and video presentations. I wanted to show the people here at the WV Veterans Home that the resurrection of Christ wasn't just a story in the Bible. It is discussed by Roman historians and Roman records prove it happened. Nero who hated Christians and often poured olive oil over their heads and lit them on fire, did research into the resurrection and determined that the people he was killing believed what they claimed enough to die rather than recant their stories. Josephus, a Roman historian of the time, says there were dozens of eyewitnesses he had interviewed who had seen the resurrected Christ. I wanted the people here to see that the Roman's supported the belief in the resurrection. Howver, as usual, the attendance at Chapel was meager. I even offered food and a fifteen dollar cash door prize to get them out. It was useless. At the end of the day, I had the same few that we always have. The good news is that the PowerPoint presentation is being requested by people on the Internet. I have sent it to several with good results. Prompt: "Have you ever experienced something that just could not be logically explained?"Yes. Joe Biden winning the presidency.        |
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