His message rings true
of grace's gift freely given,
yet, honors free will.
Our eternal destination is our own to decide. The gift has been freely offered. We choose to accept or deny.
fmf April 7, 2023
The Troubadour's Song
Overcome by fear
despairing loss, hope gone
Peter denies Him,
Judas walks beside
the true Messiah, daily
impervious to truth,
ignorance succeeds,
Pharisees deny their Messiah,
Jerusalem cries,
overwhelmed by grief,
John couldn't contain his tears,
his Messiah dies,
dementia cries out,
darkness envelops the cross
death's grip shakes the earth,
heartbreaking loneliness,
despair descends to hell's depth,
where is my hope?
We walk every day beside
the true Messiah,
impervious to truth,
YET>
a single voice sings, illuminating darkness with salvation's song,
the morning light hums, the eternal wrapped in clay, has set Terra free.
His message rings true of grace's gift freely given, honoring free will.
The song of the church is the gospel story of God's eternal plan.
The harvest complete, the church caught up, Israel will once again have a hand in redeeming Man.
Hebrew 4:1 For the word of God is living and active, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Matthew 13: 18-32, Parable of the Sower, Tares among the Wheat and the Mustard Seed, denial and faith to overcome.
Denial or Acceptance come from the heart, here is an excerpt from:
https://crossref-it.info/articles/52/seed-sowing
Parable of the Sower/ and the Mustard Seed Parable Excerpt
"Jesus uses the idea of seed metaphorically in a parable to explain how different people receive the word of God. Christ, who sows the word of God in human hearts, scatters the seed, but some falls on stony ground or is choked by weeds. However, those who receive and understand the word of God are like the good soil which nurtures the seed (Matthew 13:3-9). In another parable he compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard-seed, which is ‘the smallest of all seeds' but which, as it grows, develops into a well-established tree (Matthew 13:31-32). (See also Big ideas: Parables.)
Jesus also used the image of a seed to explain how his death and resurrection (see Big ideas: Death and resurrection) would have a significant impact on the world, resulting in the redemption of humankind (see Big ideas: Redemption, salvation). He explained that, just as a seed would not grow unless it was buried, so he had to die and be buried before his word could be spread: ‘unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds' (John 12:24).
Sowing and judgement
The product of a seed is also used symbolically to stand for the natural consequences of one's actions, both positive as well as negative. Paul warned that ‘people reap what they sow. Those who sow to please their sinful nature … will reap destruction; those who sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life' (Galatians 6:8).
Coffee (or tea) can mean something different to each person. For some people, it is the aroma that wakens the morning senses; for others, it is downing the first cup that kick starts the day. For others, coffee is the elixir necessary for clarity of vision. without it, the newspaper would be useless. With all its sensual clues, one still has to acclimate to coffee’s bitter taste. But once you find the right blend, coffee is your friend.
Morning coffee is a bit like life with all the sweet, savory, bitter, sour bits, and yet when blended with the perfect pairing, satisfying. (Coffee and a donut)
Time to tie that morning coffee with awakening to God. Life is full of flavor, emotion, sight, sound, and meaning. Walking with God in the light of His Word brings a perfect pairing to healing old wounds, finding a grateful attitude, a sense of worth, and blessings during trials. Bitterness, saucy tongues, doubt, and more will be a part of this life but God’s Word is the perfect pairing to counter life’s bitterness.
Trouvaille Review, March 23, 2022 PublicationThe Hummingbird
Swiftest things that run the world,
Hums and beats, their wings unfurled.
Hummingbirds need constant fuel.
Brilliant blooms attract this jewel.
Forward, backward, upside down.
These dashing (feisty) fliers zip around.
Golden flowers brilliant blooms
Entice birds with shiny plumes.
Blazing Star to Geranium,
Coral Bells to Delphinium.
Flower meadows, patchwork plots,
Scattered seeds in local lots.
The pulse is weak, a vanishing vapor, Thanatos grins when breathing ceased. Death's grim triumph- of the Afghan thirteen, fallen, betrayed, left behind.
A country's demise by the hands of a few won't be forgotten. America's heart bleeds.
Hope hurts and hope heals, shattering the grip of hate- past and present repeat. (1776)
Tears flow deep,
watered by roots of despair.
Let them grow no more.
Breathe the sunlit air.
Uproot weeds watered by tears.
Heart stirs, plant anew.
(Senryu)
We plant roots deep in His Word,
our faith in Jesus, and
hearts attuned to the Holy Spirit
then let God carry our burdens.
Tears flow deep within
nourished by roots of despair.
Breathe the sunlit air
uproots weeds watered by tears
As your soul stirs, plant anew.
(Tanka)
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not [a]fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Time for my morning stretch and run, now walk, oh, it’s too cold today.
Time for my morning quiet time, how about some music today, I forgot too…
Time, oh I have lots of time as an empty-nester- time to clean out those closets, the garage, procrastination…
How do I stretch my time, I used to get more done…My heart is just not in it anymore.
Yard work, now my shoulder is hurting again, should’ve kept up those PT exercises.
When we let things go for other things, sometimes we lose our flexibility, our stretchability. It is not lost, just needs our attention. Faith is the song that calms the restlessness inside of me. (From a song but I changed the words a bit.) Sometimes we get restless, the loss of time with our church family, not as much time with friends and family, the constant bombardment of news, both fake and real.
God is there and ready to stretch me (us) in new ways. It is time to stretch and yet, not forget or let go of God’s foundational Truth.
As I work to maintain my strength and daily walk, God continues to stretch me in new ways. I’ve been writing stories and poems, and every day I see His blessing, his walking beside me as I struggle. I am not a natural writer. I have to work at it. I read the word for today, and as usual, start with a blank slate.
There are things God wants to be said through me, so I stretch my reach into the world of words, meditate, contemplate, scratch out, rewrite, double-check for grammar, (always, hate putting a comma before and. It’s like saying and-and). Then I post.
For me, I need to keep my old faith muscles stretched and active. At the same time, stretch new ones.
Commitment comes in all shapes and sizes. Some promises are short-term, some last for a season, and some are life-long. Long before God established the church, He formed the family as the basic unit of society-big or small. Our society grows, values develop, and traditions are passed on from the family.
Author unknown
Commitment does mean everything is perfect. The work to keeping a relationship begins on your wedding day. It is the day you said, I do, to a life-long commitment. Marriage is filled with life and all the happiness and sadness in this world. It is working to keep it alive and going and protect and shield it from the negative impacts of this world.
I can remember switching letters and numbers all my life. I even wrote a poem, Why do Letters Move? I am working on a short story about a child, Rex, who hates to read out loud.
Trials come, no matter what trail you take. Each road has its own set of troubles. Some trials pierce the heart, leaving you desolate and some trials are faced with the determination of the fiercest warrior.
Hiking in AR
Trials produce endurance which brings about the perfection of your faith. James 1:2-3 and Romans 5: 1-11. Romans 5 is the full progress of being justified by faith-peace with God-our introduction-hope-perseverance-reliance on God through the Holy Spirit-saved from wrath- we are reconciled.
[Excerpt: In today’s world one’s voice can get caught up in many types of whirlwinds, instead of the stillness of God’s spirit. I am guilty of being politically stirred, seething over general and personal attacks over my Christian beliefs, and taking offense at the vitriol of people who have a great disdain for the gospel. Jesus did say they hated him first. ] This type of trial is of my own making.
But some trials I face along my path are not of my own making and are beyond me. Facing trials is not the same as temptation, and do we do face consequences because of our choices. Some hurts go deep and your faith is greatly shaken. Faith hope and love work together to heal the heart. I don’t have answers just a bit of hope.
Many people have used scriptures to push their will on others. God is and will be their judge.
Husband love your wives, wives respect, trust and rely on him to care for you and your children. Marriage is a relationship between two imperfect people. God created you as a person first to have a relationship with him. Then you are defined as male or female, with many roles, gifts, and talents. It is easy to blame God, the church, and ourselves for not truly understanding His Word or the correct application. My husband can wash a dish just as well as I can. That is not what makes me put my trust in him, rely on him, get mad at him too.
I have learned life consequences can take you beyond your emotional ability to handle, especially if it involves family and their decisions that cost so much. Grief and sadness are natural and break the heart in two. Tears well up, and loss overwhelms and hopes dashed. These emotions are overwhelming and indisputable, know that. But also know that God’s heart for you is real.
The truth is she (Anna Duggar) has experienced real trauma from betrayal, and disappointment from the one person who was supposed to be there for her. She doesn’t need our judgment…let us shut our mouth and not be so quick to judge. We do not possess the clarity of vision in their lives.
She needs our heartfelt prayer. She needs to know that she can heal from the trauma. She is worthy of having a true partner, she is worthy of true love, she is worthy of having her heart held safely by her partner, she is worthy to be cherished, she is worthy. Not because of all the mistakes made, not that it is earned or bargained for; it is that God created each of us to love and be loved, cared for, valued. The family is where this is learned first, not the church. The family was established long before the church. Let us not be quick to judge her or the church but let us look to each other and be determined and wise in how we raise our kids. Today, we must be as innocent as doves, (run from evil) and wise as serpents, (know what evil looks like even when disguised).
Photo by RL Brown
In Job, God rebukes Job’s counselors by saying, “Who is this that darkens counsel by word without knowledge (of ME)? (Job 38:2) Have you ever in your life commanded the morning and caused the dawn to know its place? (v.12)
I stop here thinking the science behind that statement is immense. God set boundaries for the sea and made a cloud its garment. He binds the chains of Pleiades and loose the cords of Orion (v. 31). Is it by my understanding that a hawk soars or nature fulfills its course? Of course not.
Then God asks Job (paraphrase) Do you condemn me to prove yourself right?
Job’s reply: (paraphrase): Whoa, I shut my mouth!
The book of Job is a lesson in perspective from heaven to earth, earth to heaven. God’s Presence is everywhere.
How many people do we shut down, disown just to prove ourselves right?
brontebrown2 