42 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 4-3-23

  1. Good Monday to you!

    I didn’t get on here yesterday, but then you probably went to church and sang/heard good songs for the Resurrection.

    That said, since I missed yesterday, how about two to get your Monday going? The first isn’t so much about his rising, as our redemption on the cross.

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  2. Very nice juxtaposition on those two hymns, Peter! From the lows where we always deserve to be to the highs because of His grace and mercy.

    Does your house church sing these or do you listen to recordings? Do you have muscians in your gatherings?

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Is the header subject a fluffed up bluebird? It’s a cool morning here with rain to begin in the next hour or so. That picture fits the mood.

    I saw a squirrel in the birthday tree already goung after the pear peelings I tossed under the tree. Breakfast time!

    I have a tax return to deliver to clients today. Precious couple I know from Art’s church (my former church).

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Morning birdie!! is that a bluebird?
    I saw our first bluebirds on Saturday and how delightful to have them back! Their blue being so deep in color it appears almost purple as they fly in the sunshine. They have found their nesting boxes and we will be heading off the magpies for their defense…

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Our hymns yesterday were:

    Mighty To Save
    All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
    Jesus I Come
    It is Well With My Soul; and
    Thank You (Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan)

    _________________

    Happy Monday, everyone.

    Liked by 3 people

  6. NJ – Last night you said that tea gives you heartburn, but you drink coffee. I have always heard (and found myself) that the acid in coffee is worse for heartburn than in tea, so it surprised me that can drink coffee.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. What a great reminder in these uncertain and rocky times:

    ~ Oftentimes, when our external world begins to crack, creak, and crumble, so does our internal world. For many of us Christians, we begin to doubt God’s goodness and His sovereignty. Anxiety, fear, and anger can weaken the confidence of many believers in God, especially their trust in God’s sovereignty. Disturbing questions haunt many of us: “Is God still in control? If He is, does He know what He’s doing?” “Is He as good as He says He is?” Where do we turn to strengthen ourselves and banish such terrifying questions?

    God’s Awesome Greatness
    Isaiah the prophet turns us to the sovereignty of God in chapter 40 of his prophecy. In similar circumstances of national disaster, Isaiah prepared God’s people for the imminent national catastrophe of exile by multiplying comforting pictures of God’s sovereignty. Let’s watch as he strengthens the inner world of God’s people with the external world of God’s sovereign power.

    God’s hand: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?” asks Isaiah in verse 12. It’s one of a series of rhetorical questions that expect the answer, “Our sovereign God.” There are an estimated 332,519,000 cubic miles of water on the planet, yet our sovereign God holds them in the palm of His hand.

    God’s ruler: “Who has . . . marked off the heavens with a span?” (v. 12). A large human handspan is about 8–9 inches. That can’t measure much, can it? But God can measure the heavens with just His handspan. The nearest star is four light years away. In other words, it would take four years to get there traveling at 186,000 miles per hour. But God can measure to the farthest star with just His thumb and little finger.

    God’s cup: “Who has . . . enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure?” (v. 12). Can you measure how much sand there is on a beach? Of course not. We couldn’t find a container big enough or strong enough. Yet God’s kitchen has a measuring cup that can hold the sand from every beach and every desert in the world.

    When our external and internal worlds are crumbling, we must look to another world for confidence.
    God’s scales: “Who has . . . weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” (v. 12). Ever tried lifting a large boulder? Yet God can lift the Alps, the Himalayas, the Andes, and the Rockies and not trouble His scales.

    God’s teacher: “What man shows him his counsel?” (v. 13). A series of questions reminds us that God doesn’t have or need a teacher. God never sits down with His creatures and asks, “So what do you think I should do?”

    God’s bucket: “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket” (v. 15). We look at the population of China, the military might of Russia, and the threat of North Korea as these nations jostle with the superpower of the USA. But none of them are superpowers to God; they aren’t even superdrips.

    God’s calculator: “All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness” (v. 17). Although we look at GDP (Gross Domestic Product) numbers in the world economic tables, when God adds up all these trillions, His calculator returns the answer “less than zero.”

    God’s mirror: “To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?” (v. 18). The God who made man looks at all the man-made gods, then looks at Himself and says, “Really? That’s the best you’ve got?” There’s no competition and there’s no comparison.

    God’s seat “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth” (v. 22). The horizon seems to stretch from infinity to infinity. But it’s just a little stool for God.

    God’s grasshoppers: “And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers” (v. 22). We look at presidents, prime ministers, kings, and tech titans as monstrously powerful. God looks at them all and says, “Just grasshoppers.”

    God’s curtains: “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain” (v. 22). Each night God easily pulls down the blinds and sends the world to sleep.

    God’s telescope: “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing” (v. 26). God created, numbered, names, and supports all the stars. At the last human count there were ten trillion galaxies, each containing one hundred billion stars. But that’s just an estimate. God has the exact number and knows all their names.

    Remember your questions? “Is God still in control? If He is, does He know what He’s doing?” Has Isaiah answered them with his graphic pictures of God’s awesome sovereignty? Instead of chaos, are you seeing and feeling control, calm, comfort, and courage? Does the future look less scary now? When our external and internal worlds are crumbling, we must look to another world for confidence.

    God’s Awesome Gentleness

    But Isaiah hasn’t finished yet. He’s painted awesome pictures of God’s greatness, but he introduces them all with an awesome picture of God’s gentleness. “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young” (v. 11). He’s an awesome Sovereign and an awesome Shepherd. He’s awesomely great and awesomely gentle. Indeed, He puts His awesome greatness in the service of His awesome gentleness. Our Shepherd is sovereign, and our Sovereign is a shepherd. He’s raising and removing leaders, and He’s lifting and leading lambs. Behold your God and experience new comfort and courage for whatever is ahead. ~

    Liked by 2 people

  8. Good morning, all. I see I have some reading to do. A beautiful day in the neighborhood with snow falling. Husband is not feeling well in Boise. Brother is coming up from Boise. Dad is eating a cookie next to me. Daughter and son are doing schoolwork. Another day.

    Liked by 3 people

  9. Abby’s had her morning biscuits.

    I’m having my morning coffee.

    And God’s in his heaven, all’s right in God’s world. 🙂 … (No matter what things look like)

    Liked by 3 people

  10. Our text from yesterday’s message at church:

    I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
    2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
    3 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
    4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
    5 The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
    6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
    7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
    8 The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

    In reading this juxtaposed with the text of David Murray’s post I pause at just how someone following our Lord in all their ways could possibly question His sovereignty….His control…His very character and how He loves his own.
    Let your roots grow deep and deeper still, never questioning His great love for you. He alone is our hope and our salvation.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Tea is quite popular in the Brittish Isles. I suppose that is the background of how the English Dept. at Baylor used to host afternoon teatime including scones with cream and such before Covid hit. Glad I had introduced tea drinking as well as coffee drinking to son so he had a taste for it. I am sure he prefrrs coffee, but fo ar grad student studying long hours, a combo of coffee and tea kept him going on caffiene.

    I am drinking Oolong and Green mostly these days along with herbal. One summer I cut out coffee and drank only Green tea and I lost 5 lbs which was my objective. I had heard that worked for some.

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  12. Did I mention that someone bought me a recliner for my bedroom? Not sure when it was delivered but I found it outside my garage. So heavy! I slid it into the garage. Later I came back and cut open the box. I was able to carry the back upstairs. I got the rest loaded into the back of my car to drive up. Please pray as it was so heavy that I know I hurt my back

    Now I need to go out and see if I can drag it in on a blanket.

    Liked by 3 people

  13. Something that I have not shared with you all here is that I have been struggling with some depression and discouragement, sometimes feeling overwhelmed. Much of it is over the living situation and delusion that my Chickadee is in, and the situation with things that need to be dealt with here, as well as other matters.

    Mostly, though, it is over my daughters’ and grandson’s unbelief, and their embrace of some very ungodly views, and how things seem to keep getting worse. My heart aches for them to come to Jesus and be saved.

    This morning, through many tears, I was praying about all of this, as well as praying more for my personal situation than I usually do – surrendering it all to God.

    A little later, checking out my Facebook Memories, a post came up that Hubby had shared on my page ten years ago today. It says, “Sometimes, when things seem to be falling apart. . .it’s actually God putting them into place.” That made me smile, and bring happy tears to my eyes. I sure hope that that is what is going on with these situations in my life.

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  14. Three stories today, but they’re all just “hanging,” waiting for call backs.

    Income taxes folks called in their bill, $415 which brought a bit of a “gulp” on my end. But they won’t process my taxes (and refunds) until I pay them.

    I do miss my old neighbor who always gave you 30 days, realizing some folks could then use their refunds to pay the bill.

    I may wind up going to H&R Block at some point if they’re cheaper. We’ll see. … Seemed high to me this time (last year’s was $300+ something). But I know everything goes up.

    Saw a SF couple interviewed last night on the news for a story about how our state will require the switch from gas to electric in homes by (I think?) 2027. They have an older house — panel (like mine) would not support all-electric appliances. So they had to upgrade their panel.

    Ah, but the panel (like mine) is located near the gas meter — done by the companies ages ago so it would make it all easier to read.

    That costs a whole lot more.

    They’re facing a $10,000 bill for all of that.

    Some folks can afford it, but many others can’t.

    Something about this seems wrong.

    Liked by 3 people

  15. PS for clarification The electric panel had to be moved to the other side of the house to be away from the gas meter, which will add a whole lot more to the entire process.

    Liked by 2 people

  16. I think that’s how I understood it, but haven’t followed up checking it further. This was a rather brief local TV news spot I caught last night.

    Like

  17. Seriously, I almost thought, well, I hope I’m not around to have to pay that kind of money! ‘Cause I really am not gonna have it. lol

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  18. That is so expensive Dj, on the tax prep, unless the person is a CPA. I’d be inclined to look for a reputable company in a lower rent area like where Art is located. If he had to pay rent in the area whete we live he’d have to charge prices like that.

    Like

  19. Didn’t hear what Dj did, but I am glad that I got a propane wood stove and a cooking stove that is propane.

    Got the chair in by walking it from corner to corner and then dragging it once it was inside. Then I threw away the blanket as it was coming apart.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Ok, looks like new homes 2026, but old homes:

    existing homes, 80% of appliance sales should be electric by 2030 and 100% by 2035. (Air Resources Board?)

    ~ New homes and buildings that are constructed in 2023 will have to have electric supply panels and circuitry to support all-electric appliances and heating under a building code update approved two years ago by the California Energy Commission.

    The new building code doesn’t ban the sale of natural gas appliances outright — that will come in 2030, in a mandate from the California Air Resources Board that is designed to lower the “carbonization” of structures and improve indoor air quality. … Existing homes and buildings won’t be entirely off the electrical hook under the new building code. Those that undergo substantial upgrades also will be required to meet the new mandate. ~

    https://gvwire.com/2022/12/16/california-ban-on-gas-appliances-starts-with-jan-1-all-electric-rule/

    Whew. 2030. Three extra years of life that gives me. lol

    Liked by 1 person

  21. I don’t really eat (or buy) pork, other than a rare package of bacon.

    And yes, the whole electric car and truck binge I suspect won’t have much lasting power. Takes forever to charge, costly, vehicles are very heavy and hard on roads and tires …

    I suspect we’ll have to go toward cleaner fuels as the real answer.

    But meanwhile, everyone’s spending money on electric (which isn’t even really clean, after all).

    Like

  22. No one ever talks going to smaller vehicles to save on gas costs. I suppose if home heating gets too expensive maybe people can afford to heat and live in their cars/SUVs as an alternative. People need big vehicles for their tiny homes! I see a market for car curtains in the future.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. I remember the “small is beautiful” (?) ads for VW beetles in the ’70s.

    I had 2 of them, they really were tiny! But cute, and fun.

    Like

  24. My dad used to drive a VW beetle out in the woods as a logger. I remember getting stuck coming out of the woods in a snow storm. But he never had a truck.

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