My Reflections

Keep Mercy and Truth Around Your Neck

Take UP Your Cross

Prompt:
Proverbs 3:3-4
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

How do you bind mercy and truth around your neck and write them on the table of thine heart?

Answer:
Everything you do should be done in mercy, truth, and love. If you will notice, these are fruits of the Spirit. So if you live in the Spirit of Christ, you will be able to wear these traits like a garment.

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PROMPT May 19th

Write about the most historic world events of your lifetime. How are they (or will they be) remembered? What will the history books focus on?

I have lived through several historical events. I was born in December 1976, so anything that has happened from 1977 and beyond, I been around for it. 😊 The first major thing I remember, and very vaguely, is when Elvis died. I didn't understand what was going on at the time. I just new it was all over the news and a lot of people were upset by it.

The next thing I remember is when the space shuttle exploded in the 80s. I was in 3rd grade. The teacher brought a tv into the classroom where we all watched the reports as it was happening for at least a couple of hours.

The next thing I remember very well was Operation Desert Storm. I was in junior high and there was a tv placed outside the classrooms so we could all catch up with what was happening between classes.

The next very rememerable thing was the Murrah Federal Building bombing. This overshadowed my graduation from high school in 1995 as it occurred just 1 month and 1 day before my graduation. I was living close enough to where it occurred that it made me almost fall off my feet from the ground shaking so hard.

You see? I was homeschooling my last year of high school. At 9:02 am on April 19th, I was taking a shower. The ground shook hard. I grabbed the bathroom sink to keep from falling out of the shower. It sounded like a huge roar of thunder. I couldn't imagine what that was about, but I had a strange gut feeling that something had changed.

I finished up my shower, got dressed, went to my bedroom intending to begin working on schoolwork, and then I turned on the radio. This is when I discovered what had happened. So I rushed into the living room to turn on the news channel. I was in shock I think about what I saw on the tv. Pictures of the building blown half to bits flashed before my eyes with pictures of rubble and people and children covered in blood. They were still try to recover people and bodies, and body parts from the pile of debris. It was a very heartbreaking day. Needless to say, I did not get much schoolwork done as me and my family sat watching and praying for the victims.

For days afterward we continued to follow the news coverage. We watched news reports as people who were injured or lost loved ones told their stories. We heard from a friend who was an undertaker tell of the nightmare stories of holding the funerals for some of the children and people killed. We heard so many stories.

A man I went to church with was requesting prayer for his grieving son who had been late for work that morning and now was dealing with survivor’s guilt. He worked at the building, and had co-workers killed.

A girl I graduated with lost her father. He had also worked there.

I had a cousin who worked right across the street in the journal records building which was also damaged. Thankfully, she was not in her office at the time because it had been damaged. The windows were blown out. She happened to be at the courthouse, 5 blocks away when it happened.

You may ask, where was God? God was right there in the middle of the action. It did not take him by surprise. I don't know why he chose to take the people he did and save others. I just know he did save others. They still had a purpose on this earth because he kept them from being where they would have been hurt. All I know is everything happens for a purpose, and He does work out everything for good for those who are called according to his purpose. I have seen it with my own eyes.

One thing I hope we learn from this is be kind and understanding. One issue was that everyone was turning on their headlights in honor of those killed. The problem with that was this is how people also know a funeral procession is in progress. So with everyone having their headlights on, no one knew who was part of the funeral and who wasn’t. This created even more chaos for the greiving families.

I had the privilege of answering some of the letters from other junior high and high school students that poured in from around the country. One of the ladies I went to church with asked me to help her respond to these letters. She worked for the city and was involved in getting the letters answered. She had said she had so many, she didn't know what to do with all of them. So my mother and I helped her reply to several. I am grateful for that experience.

Wow! This is about to turn into a book itself. Maybe I should write a static item about it. To make a long story short, I guess this is the event that affected me personally the most until last year and the pandemic. I was working in a mall when the twin towers were struck. That's another interesting story. 😊 I have lived through several major events in my lifetime. I am going to stop here because this is getting very long.
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FORUM

Feasting On The Word of God   (E) This is for a Bible study group. #2245217 by Marvelous Friend

This week's study is "Armor of God - Spiritual Teamwork " .

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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

I have created a forum to go with this group. I am still working on it some. If you know of any Christian group, forum, contest, or activity, let me know so I can add it to the list on the forum page. Check it out and tell me what you think.

FORUM

Open Door to Grace Forum  (E) This goes with the group and prayer survey. Place for comments and discussion. #2248869 by Marvelous Friend

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FORUM

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's time to get those May entries in. You can write about Mother's Day, Military Appreciation, and Mental Health Awareness! Come write about all three awesome topics!
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Gratitude List

1. Food in my tummy
2. A bed to sleep in
3. A roof over my head
4. Water to drink and bathe in
5. A vehicle for transportation
6. Shoes on my feet
7. Clothes to wear
8. Blankets to cover up with
9. Air conditioning /heat
10. Fans to cool down by

I am truly blessed by the Lord!

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Prompt: If you had the chance, would you spend the day at the zoo with baby pandas?

Definitely! Can I take pictures too? I think that would be awesome!

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Prompt: I was cruising the galaxy with Buck Rogers and found this planet: Thaddeus Buxton Winthrop (136)
Read this item:

Beneath Emerald Rainbows  (E) Hoping to find riches at the end of a rainbow #1278682 by Thaddeus Buxton Winthrop

Write about this item in your Blog entry today.

So many people hope to get rich quick. If you can not manage your money well now, what makes you think winning the lottery, finding gold at the end of a rainbow, or inheriting a large sum would change things forever? The reality is that it would be a temporary fix. Money will eventually run out. If you don't manage it well, it certainly won't last very long. With more belongings and money come more responsibility, but a lot of people fail to realize this.

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Day 2106: May 19, 2021

Prompt: World Plant a Vegetable Garden Day. If you were going to plant a vegetable garden, what vegetables would you plant. If you do plant a vegetable garden do you have any tips on taking care of it.

FORUM

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

I would plant squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers at least. Cucumbers grow on a vine so they will need something to attach to or they will end up everywhere. I learned this the hard way. Lol If you plant carrots or potatoes, root plants, you will want to make sure you remove all the rocks from your soil. Make sure you pay attention to how much sun each type of plant needs and place it strategically. Some plants need more sun than others. For example, cucumbers like some sun and some shade. They will burn with too much sun. Sometimes you learn by just doing it. Don't be afraid to try and fail. We can learn from our failures and do it better next time.