Tag: bible

Thursday Thoughts…

Wiwohka7 Comments

Flowers come in every color, shape, and size that one can imagine… but, when the weather changes they die, leaving little or no trace of their presence.

The bible speaks on more than one occasion about how, if God takes such care in their details, how much more precious we are to Him. I mean, after all, we are all made in the image of God, by God, and for God’s pleasure.

If God didn’t love us so much, why would the bible say that He is a jealous God, wanting nothing more than for us to believe in Him, follow Him, love Him, and walk in paths of His righteousness?

All those glorious flowers that spring up in such breathtaking arrangements, wilt and die off without a thought to Him that gave them life… and yet, in each new season, God brings them back again, with such loving faithfulness.

Whenever my eyes come to rest upon a delicate and lightly scented flower, it is a constant reminder of how much my Lord values me… me! Why?

I have sinned many times…

Many times have I been sinned against…

Sometimes, forgiveness between humans is there and sometimes it is not…

My childhood was torn from me, violently… I have to lay that down on the alter, each and every day!

I tore my three children’s lives apart, when I divorced their father… I have to lay that down on the alter, each and every day!

Why on earth does He tell me I’m forgiven, loved, and of use to Him… each and every day? And, He does this faithfully, for me… little ole me… the one that I just told you about. The woman who was abused as a child, became a runaway, became a Christian, became a wife and mother… only to become an adulteress! I single handedly destroyed my daughters lives, and I shall bear it all the way to the gates of heaven. Why does He want me?

Why? Because God chose me before the beginning of the world… because He knew what was to come… because He knew I would be abused, knew that I would run, knew the very day I would commit my life to Him, knew of my marriage, children, several affairs, divorce … God knew that I would be an adulteress… He knew!

And, here I sit typing to you this morning, still breathing, still getting up and dusting myself off again, and going back to the one place that answers that why I was just asking… Scripture! God tells me why He chose me, on each and every page that I read… it’s all there!

One just has to look. Reading is fundamental, as they say.

Wait, what?

Wiwohka3 Comments

Happy Monday, everyone! It’s me, Lilly! Now that we’re all home from our summertime travels, I’ve started some online courses to teach me how a true journalist studies and writes. I want to be writer, you see, just like you. If I’m to become a better colonist, I mean columnist, I have to start somewhere. So Mee-maw says I can do my practicing here, on Mondays… well, at least for now.

Thankfully, I love to read, because there’s a great big world of words out there to learn. I do alright for the most part, but sometimes, it gets quite confusing for such a tiny brain. But I’ve been told that it’s not my size that counts, but how well I use my brain. I’m learning the art of reading, one page at a time.

Let me tell you about the morning I’ve had, thus far, in my reading and writing adventures…

Have you ever been reading a thing, and suddenly notice that a particular word you’ve read seems like it might be spelled wrong? You read it once more, and then again. You keep going back to look at the word, because you’re certain they meant something different.

So, what do we do when this occurs? Any reader worth their salt would never presume to know more than the original author. That’s bad form, I think. The right thing to do when encountering a wordage dilemma, is to grab a dictionary, encyclopedia, or thesaurus, if necessary.

Sometime, during this last weekend, I came across the word endued while reading scripture. My brain began arguing that the word should have been embued, imbued, or even endured. Strange, I know. It was like giving a mouse a cookie, that word! Or an ant…

Off to Google, I went, but that was more of a rabbit hole than I was prepared for. Not only couldn’t I find the passage I’d just read it from, but when I asked the computer where to find that word in scripture, it never gave me any verses that were near the place I’d been reading.

Anyways, I ended up spending nearly an hour this morning, just comparing spellings, translations, and the definitions that were attached to them, just so that I could understand which meant what!

Check this out…

Did you mean: embue vs imbue vs endue

AI Overview

Imbue means to saturate, instill, or inspire something with a quality, emotion, or belief, like a sponge soaking up water. Endue (or endued) means to provide or endow someone with a quality or ability, like a person being endowed with rights. Embue is an obsolete and incorrect form of imbue and should not be used. 

Here’s a breakdown of each word:

Imbue

  • Meaning: To deeply affect or permeate something, often with an emotion, quality, or color, as if soaking it throughout. 

Origin: From the Latin imbuere, meaning “to dye, wet, or moisten”. Examples:

  • “A feeling of optimism imbues her works”. 

“The new leader was imbued with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi”. 

Endue (and Endued) 

  • Meaning: To give qualities or abilities to someone or something. The past participle, endued, means to have been provided with these qualities.
  • Origin: Influenced by the Latin induere, meaning “to put on”.
  • Examples:
    • “The workers were endued with the spirit of camaraderie”.
    • “They were endued with the rights of a citizen”.

Embue 

  • Meaning: An obsolete form of imbue.
  • Usage: This word is no longer in common use and should be avoided. Stick to the modern form, imbue.

So, what have I hopefully learned, here?

Well, aside from the cheeky response about not using the spelling embue, I do think I may have learned the difference between endue and imbue. I believe that one means the feeling, and the other means the actual quality, itself. Now, I said that I believe it to mean this, but the jury is still out. If I were you, I wouldn’t put all your money on me.

Besides, I sometimes feel like those literary rabbit holes are more trouble than their words… I mean worth!

Thursday Thoughts…

Wiwohka3 Comments

Thought #1 – Why did we ever stop writing letters to one another?

Thought #2 – Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, during the winter months, families regularly met to read and share stories from when they were young?

Thought #3 – If a bag of chocolate chips spill all over the kitchen floor, but there’s nobody in the room, does it make a sound? I know my kids could hear a candy bar wrapper being opened from the neighbor’s house across the street.

Thought #4 – I hope it doesn’t rain on Saturday. At least, not until after my daughter’s baby shower.

Thought #5 – Whatever happened to that Samaritan woman, after Christ left her village? I wonder how differently her life was, after the fact?

Thought #6 – Then there’s Simon of Cyrene, the man forced to carry Jesus cross. What must his life have become, after encountering the Son of God on the day of his crucifixion?

Thought #7 – I miss watching Little House on the Prairie!

Thought #8 – Well that last thought did it! Now I’m thinking how much I miss shows like Grizzly Adams, Land of the Lost, J.P. Patches, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Leave it to Beaver, Fantasia, the early Sesame Street episodes, The Electric Company, and so many others that filled my childhood with imagination… aaaaahhhhhhhh, the good ole days of television.

Thought #9 – If I were traveling for years, on foot, in the desert, and with nearly a million other tired, frightened, and grumpy fellow walkers… how long would it take before I, myself, began to whine about eating only manna and quail?

Thought #10 – Why can’t my cup of Peppermint tea stay hot longer than 10 minutes?

Thought #11 – If I were given a bag that could only hold 10 items for survival, just before being dumped in the middle of nowhere, what would I choose… and could I survive? When I say nowhere, I mean no cell service, no electricity, and no other people. Ewwww!

Thought #12 – How old is too old for one to skinny dip?

Thought #13 – Why is it that I can sing to the skies when I’m in a church, or alone on a walking path, but the thought of doing it in front of a Karaoke machine fills me with dread? There’s other people in both places, so what’s the difference?

Thought #14 – I used to wish that God would make me smell like cookies, whenever children passed by, but I also really love the smell of Cotton Candy, so now I’m not so sure which I like better.

Thought #15 – 

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Psalm 119:105

Thursday Thoughts…

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Thought #1 – It’s finally happened! Last night, I actually said out loud that I thought a vegan donut sounded good!

Thought #2 – If I’m eating oatmeal with oat milk, do I refer to it as oatmeal with milk, or Oat Oatmeal?

Thought #3 – How many puppies can I fit in a tiny home? Maybe some are built with a puppy pullout. Hey! I thought of it first, here! Maybe I should go on Shark Tank!

Thought #4 – Wouldn’t it be funny to see your local metro bus with flashy lights, loud music, and those suspension lifter’s on the tires? The kind they put on souped up tiny lawnmower cars? I know that we’ve all seen em bouncing through the intersection on a Friday night. If metro tried to do that, the passengers would all be car sick!

Thought #5 – I know babies only see in black and white, at first. But what about their dreams? If I read a story to my unborn granddaughter, will she dream in color?

Thought #6 – I want raisons in my oatmeal, today. Do I want them bad enough to get dressed and walk down to the store and back?

Thought #7 – That’s twice that I’ve ended up on a thought about oatmeal. It’s crazy how much of our brain is always focused on foods!

Thought #8 – My daughter is getting married tomorrow. I wasn’t invited.

Thought #9 – Forgiveness is eternal, but consequences… those are like ripples in a pond. They must play out until they reach the sandy shore’s of one’s life. I shall wear my choices with as much grace as I can. May God be with her and our son-in-law, as they begin their journey as one! I pray that God extend his umbrella of coverage over them and our soon to be born Sugar Plum… not my will, but thy will be done, father! Amen

Thought #10 – Man! I just realized that if I feel depressed… I can’t even binge eat Ice cream, anymore! Not Fair!

Thought #11 – I want to try dry brush painting, again.

Thought #12 – If I ever get a puppy again, I’m gonna take my new baby to one of those groomers that will color and cut the dog’s fur to look like Tigger, from Winnie The Pooh!

Thought #13 – Learning to forgive is a really good way to learn about being unforgiven by another. Walk a mile takes on a whole new meaning, when it comes to the act of forgiveness.

Thought #14 – God wants me… just the way I am, with all my hurts, scars, sins, mistakes, broken dreams, and bridges on fire!

Thought #15 – By the time I get to thought #15, my heart, mind, and spirit have all met upon shores of peace, resting beneath one so much greater than myself! He is the author of my faith, the healer of my heart, and the One who calls me His own! By the grace of God, I shall rise from the ashes of my own failures to walk beneath my king all the way Home, hand in hand!

Desperate…

Wiwohka4 Comments

I was about to do my usual Tuesday Tinkering post this morning, when this song began playing on my headset, stopping me in my tracks!

Only moments earlier, I’d been putting the pretty touches on my prompt response from last year, which speaks on what brings me peace. Then I moved on with my morning, feeling accomplished with my archive theft.

Then this song began to play, and it dawned on me that she was singing my feelings about where I get my peace from. It brought it all home for me, all over again!

We humans are so forgetful of how much we need God on a daily basis, in each moment. I can easily get distracted from things of importance, almost as if I just assume God will cover me, catch me, and/or make a way.

I can fall into the lazy category of entitlement. Oh yes! This quirky little cookie creator can find herself accidentally letting the screen door hit God in the face because I forgot to hold it open for Him! Truthfully, most of us pray the hardest and most humble when the chips are down, or we’re in the depths of our own painful trials. I think the adage “out of sight, out of mind” sort of sums it up! I didn’t say that it happens to folks all the time, it’s merely an easy mindset to fall into, that’s all.

I’ve been struggling, of late, in the whole peace department, if I’m to be fully honest! It’s amazing how much nutrition plays into our mental, and yes, spiritual well being. When I don’t feel well, it takes all my effort to focus on anything else. This is where the lazy entitlement comes into play. My prayers turn inward, and far more whiney than I’d like to admit. I expect God to just take care of all the people on my heart, while I watch Netflix and play on my phone. I let daily distractions draw me from studying the word. It isn’t long before I realize that my peace is gone.

Fortunately, God doesn’t let go of my heart for even a moment! Even when I forget to think of him, He remembers me! And, it’s far better to listen when God whispers than when you can’t hear His voice, at all! If I can’t hear God speaking in the quiet, then it means I haven’t been listening.

This song was His way of reminding me, I think, about how I want to always find myself thinking about God! For Him, I want my heart, mind, and soul to always remain Desperate!

Having water in the desert…

Wiwohka1 Comment
Daily writing prompt
How important is spirituality in your life?
View all responses

Saying that spirituality is important in one’s life seems uncomfortably broad to me, personally. Nowadays, referring to spirituality can go in many different directions. I’ll answer the question from the perspective of a child of God.

In honesty, I live a spirit-filled life every single day! It’s a very deep and intimate relationship with my maker, God himself! He is my comfort when I am sorrowful, my strength when I am weak, and eternally faithful to sustain me, in all things.

It’s kind of like traveling through a desolate and parched land. Know where your water sources are, if you wish to survive the sands! I’m fairly certain that water flows throughout the desert, deep underground. It’s there, but the traveler must know where to find it. After you’ve traveled to to those sources enough times, their location becomes embedded in your muscle memory… you just remember.

As far as my actual spirit-filled life, the bible is one of my water sources. That muscle memory I just mentioned? In this instance, I’m referring to my brain’s ability to recall a thing I’ve read and/or learned… you know, use it or lose it! Then there’s my prayer life, which is my source of sustenance, peace, grace, forgiveness, and so much love… I’m in the presence of my creator!

As for that spirituality part of the prompt, I am filled with the Holy Spirit, which is part of God’s spirit, sent to dwell within this vessel. It says so in the bible,

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14

Anyways, that should answer the prompt in an honest and honorable manner without dragging things out for hours. I could, you know!

Because I love you, I’ll settle for handing out cookies instead…

Who’s asking?

Wiwohka6 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What are the most important things needed to live a good life?
View all responses

I think we’re all grown up enough to admit that our answer could and would change, depending on the one asking this kind of question. Say for instance that you’re in the middle of a job interview when this question pops up… maybe not the moment to share the love of Jesus. Or maybe it is!

Why can’t I say what’s in my heart, whether I’m at church, in an interview, or at a gathering of complete strangers? My desire is to have the boldness of Christ, no matter what my circumstance! No fear, no shame, nor arrogance. I wish to bear only truth and love, which are THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS NEEDED TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE!

I’ve a quick little story to tell you that is both funny, and a great example of both the truth/love part, and the boldness of Christ that I mentioned…

I’ve been having a bit of issue with my health, of late, probably due to the environment we’d been surviving in for so long. Unfortunately, I’m not bouncing back as quickly as I’d hoped. Anyway, I went in for some tests and things the other day. My dutiful and doting husband was by my side, as per usual. The wait wasn’t very long before they called my name and we followed the nurse down the hallway toward the exam room. As they normally do at the beginning of a visit, the nurse asked me to stand on the weigh scale. When I stepped onto the scale it climbed all the way up to 203lbs… no joke! I stood there for a second, just staring at the number… how could that be right? Retaining my peaceful, child of God attitude, I acted as if I’d always weighed that much… but I was totally shocked, and rather dismayed! Had I really gotten that far without realizing it?

Just as I stepped backward off the scale, I hear my husband say to the nurse, “Please don’t write that number down… I had my foot on the scale while you weighed her.” No Joke!

Now, I suppose that I could have gotten angry, but as I’m fully aware of my partners shenanigan’s, I know that he loves me to the moon and back… and, I was so grateful that I wasn’t that heavy, allowed me to burst out laughing at his antics! There are no lies between us, we both have heartaches, hurts, and both share bad memories filled with the lies of others. This is the part to explain my answer about Truth and Love, but the next part brought about my thoughts on the boldness of Christ.

Once my doctor had completed the exam, asked all of her questions, and discussed what we needed to do going forward, she did something quite unexpected. She looked me straight in the face and asked, “Can I pray for you? You may say no, if you aren’t comfortable.”

Oh, My, Goodness! What are the odds of little ole me getting a physician that prays to the Ultimate Healer… Praise God! Hallelujah! Having someone actually take my hand in a doctor’s office, of all places, and pray for my needs?

Wow! I want that sort of boldness, day and night, winter spring summer or fall, and in good times or bad. I’m fairly certain that it was that woman’s faith in God and His love working through her, enabling her to speak out with such boldness. This is all just my impression about things, of course.

Now, maybe this story will help you understand my answer for the prompt, maybe not. But, I do still think it was worth the telling… just sayin!

Here, have a cookie..

Only Three? No fair…

Wiwohka8 Comments
Daily writing prompt
List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?
View all responses

Now, I know you might think that I’m going to say ‘the bible’ for my first choice, here… but you’d be wrong! Ok, not entirely wrong.

When I saw this mornings prompt, I did plan to give that as my first answer, at first! But, here’s the problem I encountered when I sat down to write out my response to the above question… the why part!

First of all, do you realize how many books I’ve read over the last 56 years? I wouldn’t be able to answer that question, myself. Goodness! I’ve read and re-read so many books over the years, whether they be fiction or non-fiction. The sheer number of adventurous stories I collected and filed into my memory banks must be staggering! Where do you think my love of writing was born? Dreaming! What filled my dreams? Those fictional adventures brought my imagination to life, I think.

Unfortunately, life has a tendency to suck all the fun and adventure out of things, so survival called for moving beyond fantasy toward the pursuit of the truth. Endless hours were spent pouring through all manner of Christian and/or Secular volumes of self-help, self-improvement, and self-validation books. Some helped and some didn’t. One particular book did, in fact, help. Yes, this is the place where you can say, “see, we knew you were going to say the Bible.”

But did I? Can we even do that? Well, I suppose we could, but the real question here might be… should we?

Did you know that the Bible, itself, is not really just one single book? Technically, it’s a collection of 66 different books, some quite small and others quite lengthy… but still!

Of all the differing books I’ve read over these many years, those 66 books have been invaluable to me at one time, or another. I’m fairly certain that if you were to ask me this same prompt question at a different time, my answer would be different. Well, ok, I confess that the Psalms will always be in my heart, so I guess that one will always be on the list, though I cannot say whether it would be number 1, 2, or 3. As I said, it would probably depend on when you asked me the question.

Since we know that one of the three books has already been set in stone, so to speak, now what? How can I not go straight to the gospels? But, how am I to decide which of those books impacted me the most? Matthew, Mark, Luke or John… can one actually decide between the four? Well, I couldn’t… I can’t… in truth, I don’t want to!

It didn’t even help trying to pick the Old Testament or the New Testament… way too much valuable stuff in both!

Personally, I look to the entirety of the old testament for our history, as it’s important to remember. We all want to know who we are and where we came from, don’t we? Aren’t there currently a number of DNA mail in organizations out there that make a ton of profit from those wanting to know their family’s genealogy? My point here is that we all find our history important! The old testament has 39 books to choose from, and I’ve already said that Psalms is on my list of three, so there’s still 38 more books to pick and we haven’t even begun to talk about the books in the New Testament. What about Paul’s writings, or Timothy’s, or James, or John? See my problem?

If I were to actually take even one of these books and write an explanation of how it impacted my life, we’d need a lot more time and a lot more cookies!

In answer to the prompt

books one, two, and three

They’re all within scripture

so I can’t choose, you see…

Cookie?

Thursday Thoughts…

Wiwohka12 Comments

Have you ever wanted something so much that you can’t stop thinking about it? It consumes your thoughts, your dreams, and gives you a motivation that you didn’t know you had. You scrimp and save, make numerous sacrifices to afford the time, money, and anything else required to prepare for said thing. It might be anything from a vacation, a new car, or even a baby!

Unless you are very wealthy and/or were born with a big ENTITLED badge sewn on the left cheek your bum… there’s usually a vast distance from start to finish! I think sometimes we watch too much television, where they make it look like a walk in the park to become ALL THAT!

The last time I checked, there weren’t any badges on my bum nor do I carry a purse full of cash, so I’m looking across a vast canyon that’s deep and wide. In our particular situation, it’s somewhat like looking up from a very deep well. There’s a sensation of being slowly pulled upward, while sitting in a bucket that’s still half full of murky water.

Discovering such a great distance between that first rescue bucket and the really solid dry land needed has been a bit of a shock. Truly, it was ignorant of me to assume that we could get from homeless to successful overnight, just because we have keys to an apartment. When they hand you that so-called GOLDEN TICKET… you’re on your own!

When we were circling the drain, all I could think about was getting my books published and quickly leaving all the bad memories behind. Pipe dreams, I know, but it helped. Not only is it NOT so easy, but now that I’m here in this moment, I’m not even sure if it’s in God’s purpose… at least, not right now!

The program we are in does NOT allow for my husband or I to make any money while he is going to school. If any money is made, we stand to lose much or all of our housing money. No one tells you what to do for any actual dollars needed for things, outside of food stamps that only cover food. It makes me wonder how many people fail to ever recover, due to this little flaw in the system. We’ve actually found just about every flaw, crack, or hole in the system to fall into, which is why it took us nearly two years to get housing (the last six months was the homeless, homeless part.

In the end, I don’t care what president holds office… the system just needs to be fixed… for the people! That’s us, the feet on the ground, the workers, the farmers, the builders, the caregivers… the human souls that keep this country afloat with our hard work, our bloody and dirty hands, and our truly beautiful hearts!

This is the very reason that I rely on GOD alone, above any and all government! The only reason we are here, in this very apartment, had God stamped all over it! No government policy or case worker made that one person change their heart and allow us in… that was GOD!

With that being said, I still find myself wondering what now? Why did God put us here, and what is the next step? What if I step out in faith and start throwing manuscripts out there, only to find that I was the only one who believed in their value, you know? Yep! This loudmouthed frog, Chatty Cathy, Wiwohka Wonka, and redeemed woman of faith has doubt, just like everybody else. My journey toward eternity is just that… a journey! It’s how I intend to get there that will count. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to see God as our father. He faithfully carries us through our entire life, teaching and loving us through good, bad, right, wrong, darkness, and light.

It doesn’t matter if my steps go off track, if my faith is weak, or if I simply feel unsure about my next choice…

GOD IS WITH US!

GOD IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, FAITHFUL!

GOD WILL ALWAYS LIGHT THE WAY FOR US!

It’s not about whether our choices are the right ones, the wrong ones, or even the refusal to decide… it’s about looking up, getting up, and continuing forward in faith, hope and love!

If I’m to be fully honest about why any of this is even being written down and shared with others, it’s to remind myself!

Thanks for listening… hugs

Sunday’s Coming…

Wiwohka4 Comments

While I realize that it’s only Friday, it’s not just any Friday, is it? This happens to be Easter weekend, as I’m sure you already knew. I can’t help but get excited, bursting with unashamed words of praise, honor, and worship for my King, my God and Creator. Why? Because I know that Sunday’s coming!

Not just any Sunday, as you well know. It’s Easter Sunday!

*Disclaimer* I will proclaim my belief in a single God, One Son, and an act of such utter love and sacrifice that cannot be denied! Whether you believe in God or not, does not diminish His belief in you, nor lessen His love for you!

Praise be to the King of Kings!

Promises were fulfilled!

Death was defeated!

The temple veil has forever been torn!

We are free to come before God, himself, the very creator of the world, without fear or shame… Because God made it so, by sending Jesus Christ to walk this earth, without a single stain or blemish of sin… utterly perfect! Yet, he willingly sacrificed his own life on the cross, for doing absolutely nothing wrong… nothing! That sacrifice fulfilled prophesy of a covenant, a promise given us, by God.

This sacrifice defeated Satan, broke through all judgement of sin, and opened a bridge between us and our creator… a doorway, if you will.

Now, when I come before the throne of God, I’m washed in the blood of His one and only son, Jesus Christ! All the stain of my sin and shame are erased, and not just erased… replaced! Replaced with God’s very own Holy Spirit, which dwells in me now, today.

I plan on celebrating all weekend, and I pray God’s blessings on each and every soul that visits this lobby. May you also have a truly blessed Easter!

Again, I know that it’s only Friday… but Sunday is coming!