44 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 1-29-18”

  2. Good morning everyone! I like the header. It reminds me of a scene I saw in Indiana many years ago. I once came upon a mare giving birth on the hillside. I stopped the car and watched as the long spindly legs emerged and then the whole thing just slid right out on the ground. It only took a few minutes for the foal to stumble to wobbly feet and begin to nurse. The amazing miracle of birth happens every single day all around us. And each of us has participated intimately in it in one way or another. Have a great day all. :–)

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  3. Deb, have you ever wondered how a foal knew how to nurse.
    A human mother puts the nipple into it’s mouth. A foal is on it’s on.

    I did something I’ve never done before.
    I ran out of something to eat for breakfast.
    We didn’t have enough milk for cereal.
    I didn’t have any frozen waffles.
    I have some oatmeal, but Elvera didn’t want that.
    So?
    We went to Chick-fil-a.
    You don’t have to be a Christian to eat at Chick-fil-a, but I notice more heads bowed before a meal than anywhere else.

    I stopped by Harris Teeter on the way home.

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  4. Good Morning Everyone. It is the start of a busy week. Two friends will have their mother’s funerals today. One is never too old to lose a parent. I cannot attend either funeral. There are probably 3 I should attend today and won’t.
    My friend Les is back in the hospital with complications from the chemo. Going through this reminds me of meeting with my father’s doctor and discussing whether he would get chemo or not. My stepmother asked me if I wanted my father to get up every morning, throw up, and say “At least I am alive”. I made the decision for him not to receive chemo.

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  5. Kim – It really depends on the kind of chemo. With the more targeted chemo, and meds to help with nausea, some people practically sail through it. My mom had some uncomfortable issues with her chemo, but not enough to make her life miserable. It gave her another couple years, living to a week before youngest granddaughter turning 18, and knowing that a great-grandchild was on the way. She was so excited for me to become a grandmother and experiences the joys that brings.

    Having said that, I don’t blame you for the decision you made, as you know what the particular circumstances were. And I’m sure your dad had something to say about it, too, right?

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  6. Wise decision.

    Elvera and I have noticed the advancement of age on the events we attend.
    First it was friend’s weddings.
    Then Elvera went to baby showers,
    Then graduations,
    Now, it’s funerals.
    You can determine your position in life by the events you attend.
    We attended more funerals in Hendersonville during the 15 years we were there than the 39 in Virginia. We’ve attended two since we’ve been here.

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  7. We attended a funeral on Saturday. Cousin of Miguel. He and Trey left this morning to AZ as his uncle is on his deathbed, asking for him. He went to visit after Christmas and knew it would not be too long.

    We go to lots of funerals, living in our small community. Anyone who passes, is known and loved by the entire everyone, so everyone attends.

    The fact that both of these men loved the Lord, make it easier to let them go.

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  8. Birth and death on this Monday thread. Beautiful header. Made me think of “Home on the Range,” which was heard a lot as I was growing up for some reason.

    Friend from down the street and I went out for a quick diner-style dinner at the Grinder, across from the USS Iowa, late yesterday afternoon. And here it is Monday already again.

    Looking ahed to another week of stress, wondering when they’ll commence with the layoffs in our department since we’re “up” next after photo and sports were decimated. Honestly, I have reached a point where I’d rather go than stay now.

    And I’m maybe coming down with a head cold (unless it’s an allergy of some kind, but I generally am not bothered by those). Lots of sneezing and watery eyes in the past 24 hours.

    Dog park guy is coming by today later, after I’m gone, to get to work on the pavers on the side of the driveway and putting in a front handrail.

    Progress, but only a little bit at a time right now.

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  10. Yesterday before Sunday school, I stopped to talk with our next to newest widow–the one who also has been dealing with both her 50-ish daughter’s aneurysm and her own. She said her doctor told her to “go and live your life,” and enjoy it. Which she is doing.

    While we chatted, another recent widow joined us–both women are in their late 70’s-80’s and were married to elders–and I asked both how they were doing with their grieving, three and one month into it. They’re encouraging each other.

    Meanwhile the most recent widow–two weeks ago–was there with her daughter and looking good, though she’s also dealing with the after-effects of the October events.Her new windows come this week and then I think the house is back to normal. But she doesn’t want to sleep there, alone in a field of empty houses, by herself for now. (Another widow in my Bible study is housing her and they love being together).

    Another former member of my Bible study died on Thursday. That’s three in two months.

    Grief is always an interesting animal. I’m learning from watching women I admire, but so often I just want to put down my head and weep–as I often feel for Kizzie.

    No more sorrow. No more pain. It’s coming. Thanks be to God.

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  11. And if all that wasn’t enough, in my personal devotions I’m in both Job and Jeremiah at the same time.

    There should be a rule about that . . .

    Except, both are so pertinent to today. Even My Utmost this morning speaks to political events in our country. It’s almost bewildering how I can see the applications–though there’s nothing I can do except see them and pray.

    What’s the prayer, though?

    I like “that God would reveal truth.” That can never hurt.

    I have a question about Job, however, just to move us to another cheerful topic.

    In Chapter 22, where I am, Eliphaz is being ridiculous, but it begged the question for me–do you think God still allows Satan to persecute people He specifically loves?

    It made me think about a time in my life where things were not going well and I used ask myself, “What would my life look like if I was outside the will of God? Am I?”

    That period came to mind this morning. I was not faultless–my natural inclination is to assume I’ve sinned somewhere. In which case, I would be like Job’s “comforters.” I would never dare tell God I am without fault.

    But is it possible He sometimes takes His beloveds through difficulties like Job?

    I don’t know. Maybe you do. 🙂

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  12. Last week, there was a brief discussion of musicians/actors who were committed Christians.
    I watched Hee Haw Rerun last night and Googled the cast this morning. I found this, just for your perusal. Many on you never heard onf Lulu. She was b before your time. But interesting.

    A retired go-go dancer, Lulu Roman was born in Dallas, Texas. Roman blossomed up to nearly 300 pounds during her time on country comedy weekly TV series, Hee Haw (1969). She was dropped from the series in 1970 after several drug arrests. While off the show, she became a devout Christian, and returned to the show. After she became a Christian & was not a drug abuser anymore, she said she would not return to the show, unless one Christian song would be sang, each program afterwards. Then, a “Christian Barber Shop” was created. Vocalists & musicians were Grandpa Jones, Roy Clark, Archie Campbell & one other “Hee-Haw” member. She now tours as a Christian singer. She has also been on some Bill Gaither concerts.

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  14. Ah I remember Lulu Roman…she had the hardiest laugh. HeeHaw was watched in our home as well as a local country show Midwestern Hayride…. 😊 I thought I heard Lulu was connected with Compassion International somehow…they are headquartered in the Springs and we know many who work there….maybe that’s where I heard such….

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  16. Michelle – Do you mean besides taking us through the various trials we all go through? Or something more catastrophic? Isn’t anything we go through, run-of-the-mill trials or catastrophic trials, from God’s hand?

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  17. There is a degree of edibility among insects. Locusts were considered clean in the Mosaic law, but cockroaches are scavengers and would be among the unclean creeping things. I’m allergic to cockroaches, so they may have contributed to my asthma attack in West Africa, as they were certainly present in my house.

    Michelle, don’t forget, that although Job’s three friends were told in no uncertain terms that they had not spoken rightly about God, that Job is the one spoken to by God in the last chapters of Job, and Job is brought to admit that he has no case to plead. When Hebrews 12 talks about the chastening of the Lord, it says that we will all receive such correction. The process of disciplining one’s children does not only consist in corporal discipline after deliberate disobedience. It also consists in setting rules to follow, limits to be observed, task to be completed, lessons to be learned. I often, in my circumstances, think of that verse in Hebrews in a different light than just punishment for sin. As you say, we are not perfect; but God is not always ‘spanking’ us for our faults, rather He is setting those boundaries, limiting our freedom of movement in some way, instructing us through our life circumstances. To use another metaphor, He is pruning our branches, so that we will grow into the image of His Son. Discipline does not equal punishment. Job was being disciplined, but not punished.

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  20. It’s just an idle thought that occured to me this morning and really is meaningless, because we won’t know until we get to heaven. Roscuro’s passage is in Hebrews 12, which we discussed yesterday in conjunction with King David being confronted by Nathan.

    The discipline is for our good, nothing more.

    It’s been astonishing to me how pertinent the Utmosts have been the last couple days to my Job and Jeremiah readings. What a coincidence? Ha!

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  21. We continue to have 3 enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil.

    Determining the source of troubles often reveals an overlapping of the three and we cannot, ultimately, see beyond that curtain to the secret things of God.

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  22. http://www.reformation21.org/confession/2013/05/chapter-173.php

    ________________________________________

    In the first two sections of the seventeenth chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith, we have seen the promise and the grounds of perseverance. The third section of WCF 17 cautions us to maintain the watchfulness of perseverance. Believers must fight a war on three fronts: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Soldiers on the frontline must always be alert, and how much more soldiers with invisible enemies!

    The Confession warns believers against “the neglect of the means of their preservation.” God works through means, and failing to use the means will have serious consequences. Disdaining the means of grace over the long term reveals an unconverted heart. Hebrews 3:12 warns, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” As for the true saints of God, they will repent and persevere, but careless walking may lead them into sad and horrible sins that will cost them dearly before they reach heaven. Therefore, the Scriptures call us to watch and pray (Matt. 26:41; Eph. 6:18)….
    ______________________________________

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  24. Crazy day in the office. Just crazy.

    On the ballot at church were eleven names including mine. I was among the five who were not top choices for the At-Large Leadership Team. That works well for me. It was an honor to be on the ballot.

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  26. Michelle your blog posts have been ministering to me in a profound manner…some mornings I sit reading and actually catch my breath at the revelation…. ❤️ Deliberate Grace has been such a confirmation in what He has been speaking to me in recent days….
    In the matter of what our Creator allows or does not, I am continually taken back to Psalm 139….and when I am perplexed over something, I come to the end whispering “Thou knowest”….resting in the knowing of it all….in His Hands…..

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  28. On the topic, for once: this last Sunday, our sermon, given by a guy way out of his comfort zone but who loves the Lord and wants to serve where called, was on 1 Peter 1: 1-12. Specifically verses 6 and 7 apply, I think.

    In this you greatly rejoice, even though now, for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

    He commented that the “if necessary” was important because God, who disciplines His children, knows what is necessary to our pruning. He does it so that the proof of our faith will result in glorifying God. It is fine tuned to fit just us at exactly that time. Amazing.

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  35. You’re funny Mumsee. The pizza sounds good, but it needs onions. Husband and I both really like them. I once caught him eating an onion like you would eat an apple—but that was a long time ago. I don’t think he could eat a whole onion like that any more. Now garlic is another story…. :–)

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  37. Miguel’s cousin who died was from the Apostolic tradition. While visiting afterward, they were having a theological discussion with one of the cousins. He was saying it was a privilege to be called to suffer. “Many are called but few are chosen”.

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  38. rkessler, I have thought that it takes a lot of commitment and character and grace to suffer well. Being around people who believe in the value of suffering well is sobering, and also strangely encouraging.

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  39. Kizzie. No. My father wasn’t aware of that conversation. I made the decision with loving guidance from my stepmother. Daddy wasn’t a candidate for surgery and chemo would have at most given him 3 days. Without it was half that time. He had from Friday until the following Wednesday. His funeral was on the same day as his oncologist appointment. My only request was that he not be in pain. As much as I miss him, I would make the same decision.

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  41. Canned chili. Oh well. Some nights are like that. I did have a salad and yogurt for lunch.

    And I got to go to the beach today for our (hot) weather story. It was a nice little break.

    Grim and dark mood in the newsroom these days.

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  42. I will have a taco for dinner.
    I am a happy camper as my California girl is visiting her sister in Colorado and they just sent me 20 or so photos of them all together with five of my grandchildren, plus the one on the way of course.
    My eyes are not doing too well. Don’t even want to go outside as the wind is so bad. I did find some visine though.

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  43. Hi, Jo. I hope your taco was good. I made a new to us lunch today of chopped onions, celery, and cauliflower cooked with slices of round steak and low sodium soy sauce. I cooked it for six minutes in the microwave. I am never sure how long to cook things, but I guessed right on it.

    It is windy here tonight. I need to get back to sleep to get rested before going back in to the craziness of the tax office.

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