Thursday, 19 October 2017

Yes, I did find some great words to share with you from the book I was reading until this morning... 21 Unbreakable Laws of Life, from Max Anders.  Here are the two passages I felt most important to share...

On page 193, the chapter on Truth...
"Our society is sick because we are drinking from a polluted water supply of truth.  Into that water supply has been dumped lies, inaccuracies, misconceptions, runaway individualism, the demand of rights without responsibilities, selfishness, sensuality, and a conviction that my happiness is more important than yours.  And, as we drink from this polluted water supply, we are becoming morally ill, just as we would become physically ill if we were drinking real water from a reservoir containing filth, waste, and disease.

"I am persuuaded that the reason many people do not believe in absolute truth is because they are free from moral obligations imposed by society and don't want God putting any back on them.  They like their freedom.  But they are like a dog who has broken his chain and thinks he is free, only to run out into the street and get hit by a car."

Both of these paragraphs are really important to think about... our source of information, and are we really free without God.  I am especially impacted by the sentence about the dog who thinks he is free.

On another page, in another chapter, I found another important passage I wanted to share.  This is from the chapter on faith, page 202.
"This is a crucial thing to understand.  We do what we do because we BELIEVE it will make us happy.  We may be dead wrong, and often are, but we do it nevertheless because of what we believe.  When a Christian deliberately and knowingly sins, it is a breakdown of faith.   He believes that the sin will make him happier than God will.  The opposite of obedience, then, is not disobedience.  THE OPPOSITE OF OBEDIENCE IS UNBELIEF!"

Interesting thought, isn't it!

We tell ourselves that the things of the world are going to bring us happiness, and then we give ourselves permission to walk away from what we know is right.

Now I can begin the next book, Battlefield of the Mind.

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Well, I wanted to get this done, so I will be going for now.  I may add to this later, or may not share again until next week... I'm trying to decide how much time and effort to devote to this blog journal.  :-)

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May God help us all to find the path we need to take... and to keep ourselves focused on what we need to be doing, not what everyone else is doing.
May God provide what we need to accomplish His Will in this life, and to save as many as we can to eternity in heaven.
Amen.

Monday, 9 October 2017

Today is Columbus Day, a federal holiday... no mail today.  I think the banks close, too.  I'm not sure what else gets closed, my main concern is the mail service.  :-)

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I have been reading more chapters in my book called "21 Unbreakable Laws of Life" by Max Anders.  I came across so many great quotes, but I didn't get them down anywhere.  I did find the following one, the best so far...

pg. 77, Chapter 8, Take the Garbage Out
"Unlike compputers, however, the mind can create its own worthless, inaccurate, or faulty information.  It doesn't have to be put in from the outside.  Someone can tell us as a child that we are stupid, and we will water, fertilize, and nurture that seedling into a forest of negative thoughts and emotions.
"That is why it is so critical that we exercise great care in what we allow into our mind and what we allow our mind to dwell on."

The chapter was comparing the term I heard years ago, "Garbage in, garbage out."  It has always been used in terms of computers and our minds.  One of the reasons we are encouraged to memorize the Bible is because it will rise to the surface when we are facing the trials that come.  We plant it into our minds, our memories, our meditations, and it is harvested when life brings a need for it.  Instead of putting garbage into our minds, which will also rise up and remind us of itself, we focus on good things to help us overcome the problems we face.

I read chapters 5-10 this past weekend and this morning.  There is a lot of good stuff to remember.  I am sure you will like this book if you find it for yourself.

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I didn't reach my goal of making and listing 2 pairs of earrings and 1 artwork, but I am still working on it today.

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My supply of caramels are undoing my best efforts to keep my calories down.  I think I have two left... at least one might be gone by the end of the day.   :-(   They should sell well, after I provide a sample!   haha

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I was able to watch TV over the weekend... I decided to watch ROGUE ONE.  It was pretty good.  I also watched a documentary called, A NEW ECONOMY.  I loved the urban farm they shared.  I don't recall what city it was in, but my sadness comes at the temporary status of efforts like this.  Urban areas are beginning to take advantage of roof gardens, but I am fond of U-PICK options.  One of the city farms was on a property slated for high rises... a parking lot that was about an acre and a half, according to the person affiliated with it.  With so many food deserts in poor areas, and especially downtown, finding room for growing large food gardens is critical.  Schools often have the space available, but the yield would be smaller, and not a community option.  Each city has its own design, and everyone wants tax money... a larger need in critical times is food.  How do you value survival?  No food, no water, no air equals no survival.

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Well, I better get going... and get busy with art or jewelry.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD help us to set the right priorities, to balance profit with our human necessities, and to care for those who cannot do what they need to for their own survival.
May we see the suffering as our responsibility... not the governments.
May the church rise up to solve these problems, meet people where they are, see needs as God's vehicle to reach them, and become the hands of heaven.
May our needs be less than we think they are so we will be able to share and help those with nothing.
May the weak be strong enough to reach out, and the strong be strong enough to let go of the things that God may have provided for others.

May the suffering be comforted as recovery takes so long to happen... let their hearts find blessings they never expected, a touch of GOD they can remember forever.  Amen.