Over the last several months, in my ongoing search of Church and myself, I have free roamed for all my studying and delving on the above-mentioned topics. While it has been enjoyable and enlightening, the spirit within desires more full disclosure.
As I pursue truths, it is my God given responsibility to ensure that not only do I fully understand what I am reading, but also own it! If I cannot Truly Walk the walk, then I have no business Talking the talk!
I have asked myself what the logical course of action for this soul should be, and the answer that I received back was…
Go to the source!
If I believe with certainty that I carry the Holy Spirit for guidance, I am led to only one book, the Bible. I do not concern myself with what version is before me, because I carry wisdom from One much greater than I. I have been assured by my Father, that if I read the word, He will open my eyes and heart to what is the Truth, for me! This answer makes logical sense to me, and therefore, I challenge myself to go back to the beginning and reread every word, slowly, and with peace that paseth all understanding.
I am not giving myself any schedule, nor am I assigning myself some unattainable goal for completion… Why should I? I have not met, nor have I heard of anyone ever completely finishing and figuring out the Bible, before they died, so why should I be in an all fired hurry. I will simply read as much as I feel at each reading, and go from there… I am a fly by the seat of her pants kind of girl, anyways, so this works perfect!
As for my insights on church, well, several things have been circling around in my mind. One thing I have come to believe pretty clearly is that I think I am the church… I mean, not just me, but you or us! I am thinking that the bible has a great amount to say about us being vessels, to be used and sent forth. I think it talks about it so much because the lost are most likely not inside the big buildings with a cross on the door, they are still out there in the dark, lost and unable to find what they are looking for…
The second thing I am pretty sure of is this… Some parts of the body of Christ or The Church, if you will, should most certainly be in those buildings to guide others along their journey. But others are called to go out into the dark to shine light along the paths of others journeys.
I am beginning to think that traveling through the darkness, while striving to reflect His light, is my purpose…
But for now, I shall delve deeper into the scriptures, and yes, I do believe fully that the Bible is God Breathed, no matter what version it is! I have faith in the One who breathed the words, I will ride that horse all the way to the Bank!
I came upon an interesting idea for a business, when I saw this prompt question… it’s actually kind of silly, though.
The thought of peace being brought to me, like an order from a fast food drive thru, made me wonder what if? What if there were drive thru stops all over town, where you could simply pull up, roll your window down, and ask for an order of peace… Super Sized of course, since the day will be long. The employee at the window might even offer a peace flavored Pup Cone for your furry passenger. Instead of napkins and flavor packets in your condiments bag, if they remember to give it to you, there would be daily affirmation notes and chocolate.
We could even go as far as to say, there could be an order board with pictures of specials offered. All you have to do is tell them you want the #3 with extra Grace on the side. The drinks that are served, will be Vitamin flavored healing waters from one of our deepest wells.
Now, since I happen to already have a restaurant here (My Lobby), and I already leave sweets at the end of my blogs, I am beginning to imagine you driving up each day for a pick you up! I happen to already have a fountain in here, fully piped from deep within the earth, and whatever you wish to label the water as, I think it tastes amazing!
Here is the difference between myself and other fast food drive thru’s… My lobby is free! I serve unlimited portions, as I am supplied by the Owner of my heart… err… I mean the lobby. This fountain is fully capable of providing, what I consider to be, the best quality peace on the market! I feel fairly confident in saying that… He told me I could, so if you do not agree, argue with Him!
I told you this idea might be silly, but it still makes me chuckle when I think on it… like peace is something you have to go get, or have to get it brought to you… how absurd, right? When I looked up the definition of the word, Oxford Dictionary just says, “Freedom from disturbance”. If someone has to give it to you, or you feel the need to go chasing after it, peace does not seem very free at all… more like a lot of working and waiting, if you ask me. I know, you didn’t ask, WordPress did so blame them.
There is only one kind of peace for me… the kind that paseth all understanding… ya, so there is that…
So, I’ve got a funny memory to share, but for goodness’ sake let’s not get a Tude, when the word pot comes into the picture. Back when I was completing my degree, was around the time IBS became my new tenant. My friend and I had been having a conversation about natural solutions to some of my symptoms, as IBS treatments did not come with a realistic food plan my system wouldn’t reject.
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In our best naturopathic mode, we took it upon ourselves to test out a good ole Brownie. Well, all the prescription drugs that I had tried did nothing but turn me into a Zombie, so I was going to do a test… I admit that it had been a very long time since high school! We were grown adults now, we knew what we were doing… somebody let us have and raise kids without breaking them, so there is that. We Got This! And with that, we began…
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Eight hours later…
My friends’ husband walks in the door from work, to find his wife laying on the couch with her eyes closed, not moving… and me… CHATTY KATHY… having a full-on conversation with his puddle of a wife. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we absolutely did do this for 8 whole hours. In alarmed concern, my friends husband says, “Are you girls ok? Have you even moved or … eaten anything?” Suddenly, time stood still!
Like a phoenix rising, my chica’s eyes opened!!!
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I think her refrigerator felt violated, after we heard the word “Eaten”. It never looked at me the same after that, always making me pull a bit harder just to open the silly door.
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And by the way… not one bit of that food bothered me that night, and I slept like baby.
I will leave you with this lesson… reading is fundamental!
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When they tell you on the package to eat ¼ of the brownie… If you are looking down the barrel of a brownie from your high school memory, you might want to consider it 1/8th of said goodie… Just sayin…
All I can say about professions I admire, is that I am much more impressed by actions that reflect a kindness for others… rather than expecting pats on the back, or higher approval ratings. It applies as far up as the White House, and all the way to your bagger at the local grocery store.
I could not write my appreciation of a certain profession without alienating another important and valuable one. I guess that I am trying to say that I believe any profession can be admirable if the persons heart is pure.
This is one of those soap box stands that I have no desire to stand on, so I am going to end with what I began with… If you are more concerned with reflecting good in what you do, and less distracted with others approval, then you have my admiration, Truly!
I know this is not my normal treat, but it is already nearly 80 degrees and it is not even 10 am yet. It’s gonna be a hot one today, so I hope everyone stays cool…
Duh! If I had the money and were given an opportunity to open a shop, it would be a Flurrby Store… not only could you have your very own baby, but I would sell em for .99 cents!
Yup. For under a dollar, you could start building your own Flurrby Farm. Start with one…
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and then come back for more. They come in all shapes and sizes…
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They come in different styles and colors…
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Big or small…
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All the supplies and vet care would be provided from within our store, for a membership fee of 99 cents a month!
And once a month we hold a drawing for a free baby… tickets are … you guessed it, 99 cents!
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You can’t judge or blame me for this answer, because they said, “If you were going to open up a shop”, and there was nothing in there saying it had to be legit! Besides, I really would do this if I had money to burn, minus the baby give away.
I left snacks that I think Flurrbies also might like, so they should be safe for you to share with others…
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To ensure you take me serious about the 99 cent idea, I have donated our morning snacks without even asking for money… it’s how I roll.
Does anyone remember me talking about a Lobby? What about the fountain that just got installed?
Well, when this prompt showed up, I decided to do a recap of a few different articles I posted in the not too distant past…
Do you remember this little bit?
Imagine if you will, a hostess. Preferably, you will imagine an elegant southern bell type, charming and delicately demure… but I will settle for the lady with the baseball cap and walking shoes. When your mind enters said Church, this hostess(me) belongs inside the lobby in order to greet you and perhaps assist in directions to where you wish to go… she does not need her own office for private sessions of deep inspired directions, no! She desires to remain in the lobby, ensuring that you get to where you were headed.
This hostess takes great joy in her role within the lobby, looking forward to seeing what life blossoms there, from day to day. She takes pleasure in the cleaning and maintenance of her environment, happily refilling the bowl of refreshments, resting upon a small nightstand within the lobby. There is a lantern resting atop the tables surface, casting a warm and gentle glow throughout the room. This light is always on and never requires anything in order to burn… it simply remains on, and in fact never even flickers! If this light is always on, then my mind says that the bowl of refreshments does the same, right? I will believe that this is true, and go further to say that it is possible then, that her presence within the lobby is not necessary for the One who placed her there, but for the visitors that she encounters in His service…
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How about this one?
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When my studies began opening up a picture of what I thought church might look like, this lobby is the part of the body that I feel equipped for serving others in, considering myself a hostess. Whether you believe, whether you feel a bit lost, or maybe you’re just a bit weary on your journey and need a quiet respite to regain your strength for the journey… come on in! I am guessing that this is what the new fountain has been installed for… you, me, your friends, my friends, and all of our families. Aren’t we all supposed to be considering each other as brothers and sisters? I am not capable of dragging souls in off the highway, nor should it be my job.
I simply believe that I am being led to stand fast in said Lobby, to be readily available to you, for prayer, encouragement, hope, and to point you to the table of refreshments, and now to the fountain of life-giving hope…
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If this blog might bring about any change in the world, I would hope that souls in need of respite, might take refreshment and comfort within the walls of my Lobby… I genuinely love you guys, and just want to offer some joy, laughter, and light to a world with much darkness.
Yay! It’s Friday… PIZZA… nothin like dinner for breakfast, right?!
Good morning sleepy heads. I thought you were going to sleep the morning away, but by the sounds of all your snores, I guessed everyone needed the rest. What should I have expected after all of the fun from yesterday? I’ve set the water to boil for coffee or cocoa… I brought out both. I am guessing that it was the smell of the bacon, though, that got you all moving in this direction. I don’t blame you… it does smell wonderful! In the event you were worried about it, I made sure to bring the non-caloric version of all our goodies, so help yourself… guilt free.
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I know we should get moving soon, but just like you guys, I am exhausted from all the festivities and my back is still sore from the relay race… honestly, I didn’t think an otter weighed that much, or I would have thought better of carrying Milka on my back. It shows how out of shape I must be, since he is barely older than a pup…only half the size of his parents.
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winner of the fish eating contest
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So, for the sake of this back of mine, and in consideration of the enormity of all that you guys did yesterday, let’s enjoy a lazy breakfast before we head out. Is it just me, or does it seem like forever ago, we were all back at the broken cart trying to figure out what we should do about the otter folk village?
Crocket, quite simply, your repair to the wagon wheel was ingenious! Once we got the cart put back together, we covered it with a brightly colored canvas… compliments of Cate and Willow… again, thank you ladies. Can you imagine how we would have ever gotten that heavy thing to the village, if it hadn’t been for Cia thinking of grabbing carrots out of her bag? There is no way that horse would have come back and let us halter it again.
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It was the most hilarious and impromptu practice, trying to put our comical troupe together, shortly before we entered the village. The otter folk probably heard our laughter all the way down the trail.
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Bubbles, I’m not sure what was funnier, you trying to get yourself stuffed into the supply crate, or when you jumped up and nearly fell out, when attempting to surprise everyone with your Exploding Bubble Bag trick! The crowd of otter babes went wild with laughter, so it was an instant success! You were basically the pied piper for the rest of the day, with giggling little ones following you wherever you went, begging for more bubbles.
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James, I can’t prove it, but I think you were a magician earlier in life… I still can’t figure out how that clam ended up behind the abbot’s ear. The look of surprise on Father Humblton’s face was enough for Crocket to choke on his food. I only know this, because I saw Beetroot soup shoot out of Crockets left nostril. I cannot say which I thought was funnier!
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Jokes and laughter aside, I am so incredibly blessed by the day we shared with those folks. You all worked so hard assisting in the repairs and rebuilding of the village. I am so encouraged to see each of you, utilizing your bags with such ease, and without one bit of hesitation.
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All I know is… you guys outdid yourselves, from all of the supplies we were able to replace, to the bountiful gifts of food and materials you donated all on your own.
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Christine did you notice, when you and I were talking over the evening’s music planned, we were being watched?
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Just under the back wheel of the cart, I spied two tiny hands, occasionally popping out to strategically grab food, being dropped by the grown ups unpacking the supplies. That was Milka, the otter babe with the raspberry stained lips… the one that fell asleep in the folds of your cloak while you sang lullabies to the little ones. I found out from his mother, that Milka was in the cottage when vermin set it afire, barely escaping with his life. While his wounds have begun to heal, the tiny fellow has been very standoffish ever since… until last night. The more your voice drifted across the village, it was like a healing balm settled upon the otter folk. We are so fortunate that you were with us… Thank You!
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For as much as I want to get to our destination, to deliver what is needed, I am beginning to see the value in the getting there part. While I had been so excited and gung-ho to finish our mission, it was not until last night, after the fish fry, that I understood.
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Well, I understood a bit better than the day before, and really, I am not sure I fully get it still. But you can decide and then tell me what you think. As there is a sizeable number in our gang, I am guessing you might have gained your own insights.
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As for myself, I was in the middle of washing the dishes from the festivities, when I saw the old Abbot resting under a tree, snoring softly. I felt an overwhelming need to reach into my bag, not even knowing what I was looking to find. When I withdrew my hand from my bag, I held what looked like a small cloth package, held together with twine. There was a note attached, held in place with a yellow ribbon.
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Before your curiosity takes flight, I did not see what was in the package, since I wanted to give the old man privacy while he read the letter. Upon reading what was in the message, the old abbot gently bowed his head and held the small box to his lips, letting just a single tear spill onto the package… he never did open the gift. It was almost as if he already knew what was within the box. When he looked up and saw that I was observing him, he gently smiled at me, and then drifted off to sleep again, the package safely tucked into his robes. It was as if I had dreamt the whole thing. As he drifted off, I thought I heard the old man whisper something about reading Luke 12: 32-34.
While you all were sleeping, I looked up the verses that the old abbot spoke of, and have been sitting here all morning pondering. Let me share with you the words I read…
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
What do you think it might mean… I mean was it literal, or figurative? Was the old man referring to himself or me? I need more time to ponder all the questions flying around in my head, but we are overdue as it is. Perhaps we can toss ideas back and forth with one another while on the path…
Journey With Me! 