My Reflections

Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness

Take UP Your Cross

Prompt:
Deuteronomy 23:12-14
12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:
13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:
14 For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

God cares about cleanliness and sanitation. Write about a time you experienced an unsanitary situation and what you did about it. What are your thoughts on verse 14? How can we apply it to our lives today?

Answer:
Unfortunately, I have found myself in a lot of positions I did not want to be in. I could tell of several. 🤢 In one situation, I had to go help a person I know move out of their condemned house. Since I didn't own a hazmat suit, I used what I had. I put on jeans, a long sleeve shirt, shoes, and socks. I wore a baseball cap, and put on a facemask and work gloves. When I was finished, I immediately changed clothes, kept those items in a trash bag until they come be washed, and took a shower. This house was disgusting. It had bugs; ant, roaches, spiders, bed bugs, and water bugs. The toilet was not able to be flushed so you know what was there. There were dirty dishes in the bath tub since the kitchen sink was stopped up. There was trash and cobwebs in the bedrooms. There was raw sewage and water standing in the garage. Dog pee and feces were all over the floor and walls. Yeah, it was bad. I don't think I need to discuss the smell. This is probably one of the worse unsanitary situations I have ever been in. Let's just say, whatever you do, you don't think about what you are standing in or near. You keep focused on the task at hand which was getting all the salvageable personal belongings out.

They say cleanliness is next to godliness. My thoughts on applying this to our lives is that God can not stand filth. If you want to draw closer to God, be clean. Bathe regularly. Keep your surroundings neat and clean. This is pleasing to God. He does care about our personal hygiene.

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PROMPT May 17th

“Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known.” — Chuck Palahniuk

Read this article and share your thoughts about how the people in your life have had an impact on you.

“They’ve all helped me grow, become more resilient, and many supporting me when I most needed it. I’ve learned, matured, and became wiser thanks to my interactions with them.”

https://medium.com/change-your-mind/we-are-a-mosaic-of-everyone-weve-ever-loved-...

Well, I couldn't get the article to come up for me so I guess I will just write about what I can see. This is kind of an open-ended topic. Some of us could write a book on it, but I don't have time to write a book today.

I could talk of my mom and dad since they raised me. I could talk of my grandmothers who each had their own special influence. I could speak of aunts, uncles, and cousins. I could share stories of friends and acquaintances.
I could tell about many teachers that I have crossed paths with. I could go on and on telling about preachers, church song leaders, deacons, elders, Sunday school teachers, camp sponsors, cops, soldiers, and boyfriends.

There have been many people who have influenced my life, some in good ways, and some in bad ways. It is a common theory for people to believe you are a product of your environment. In some ways you are. On the other hand, while we don't get to choose what happens to us in our circumstances, we do get to choose how we respond. We can let it make us or break us.

I choose to let it make me stronger. I choose to be a better person in spite of the bad things that have happened to me. I refuse to live my life as a victim, a victim of my circumstances, of abuse, etc... Have I been a victim? Yes, very much so, but I do not have to live as a victim every day of my life. I do not have to live in that mindset. I choose to fight back and live on.

I appreciate the good in my life. I have also had many wonderful and good influences. Some of these people have passed away and some are still living. I am very grateful for all the good experiences in my life. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the good experiences. It is so easy to get hung up on the negative.
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Feasting On The Word of God   (E) This is for a Bible study group. #2245217 by Marvelous Friend

Today's Bible study has been posted. "Armor of God - Spiritual Teamwork "  I hope you enjoy it. It is like saying dinner is ready! Come join me! 🍽🍶😊
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Are you in the need for prayer? Let us know here and we will pray for you.

SURVEY

Open Door To Grace Prayer Hot Line  (E) Do you want prayer? Ask for it here! All requests are confidential. #1372909 by Marvelous Friend

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Poetry Topic of the Month Contest  (13+) Win Exclusive MBs. It ends at midnight at the end of each month. Suggest the topic. #2216416 by Sharmelle'sThankfulExpressions

It is not too late to write about mothers! 👩‍🦰

It is National Military Appreciation Month. This is a great time to pay tribute to those in the military. 🇺🇸

Do you or someone you know suffer with mental health issues? This is also National Mental Health Awareness Month. Write about it to raise awareness. 🤪 Well, some of us enjoy every second of it, but that's besides the point. 😂

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Gratitude List

1. Vision
2. Fingers
3. Toes
4. Baths
5. Ointments
6. Water droplets on plants
7. Beauty
8. Help from others
9. prayer
10. Faith

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“What is that you express in your eyes? It seems to me more than all the print I have read in my life.”
Walt Whitman
Can the eyes be that expressive? What do you think?

I think some people have more expressive eyes than others. A lot can be seen in the eye if you look close enough. The Bible calls the eye the windows to the soul. Eyes are interesting. Some people are uncomfortable when you look into their eyes. I love to look at peoples eyes.

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Prompt: Chewbecca and I were cruising the galaxy and found this planet: Fyn (883)
Read this item:

Poet Tree  (E) Limb-ering Up #2237526 by Fyn

Write about the poet tree in your Blog entry today.

I can not say I have ever had a special tree or place. I have several places I am comfortable. I have learned to write wherever I am.

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Day 3104: May 17, 2021

Prompt: A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. Phyllis Diller
Write about a smile.

I think a smile is a universal language. Everyone understands a smile.

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Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum  (E) This is the forum where blog prompts will be posted for the Blogging Circle of Friends. #1901904 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman