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| August 14 Hello. I hope to return soon. I noticed a prompt about my best friend the Holy Spirit and His anointing. If you have never experienced the baptism of the sprit it is the most mind blowing experience you will ever have! |
![Created by the talented [Link To User poulynoe]](https://www.writing.com/main/images/action/display/ver/1595184782/item_id/2227275.gif "Take up your Cross Image 4 [#2227275]
Created by the talented [Link To User poulynoe]")  I don't have much time. I am part of the honor guard at three funerals today and I have to get ready to go. However, I wanted to check in. "Prompt: Proverbs 3:13-1813 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. Write about the value of wisdom. What is it worth to you?" Wisdom is a tricky thing. It can be quite elusive and most people do not understand what true wisdom is. They believe wisdom is being able to sit around and spout off wonderful sayings. It is not. Wisdom is actually experience and it only comes with time. I value wisdom because I know the wisdom I have was gained through experience. Solomon was the exception to the rule. God gave Solomon wisdom without the experience. Most of us gain it through the college of hard knocks. I did and thus I value it.  |
I am only partially back from my extended hiatus. I am trying to transition back into writing my blog. Part of the problem has been sleep disorder. I have narcolepsy which really puts me down. I get extremely sleepy and cannot think. For a long time it was fine. I'd wake up in the morning, take my narcolepsy medication, then 20 minutes later I could think straight. Then the effects of the medication began to wear off so I'd take it and sleep an additional three hours. I am starting a new medication so we will see how it goes. I have also been working throughout my waking hours. I am the full time chaplain here at the WV Veterans Home. I have four scheduled activities each week as well as the background prep for those activities. So I average 50-60 hours per week full tilt when you add in graduate school online and other activities. So I have little time for blogging. I am also selling my book Teatime and working to market it. Yesterday alone I scheduled a book signing and a reading event. Many authors believe the publishing company sells the books for them and publishing companies do advertise books and list them with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, etc. However, the author is required to do the bulk of the publicity and marketing. Therefore, on top of my chaplain activities I am running my own company and doing other writing work. Can anybody say "Busy, busy, busy?" "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.What do you think these 2 verses are saying?" I believe these verses are saying exactly what Jesus says in the New Testament. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Luke 6:31. Man was not created to put himself first. We were created to put others first. I believe that in the beginning Adam did not even eat to sustain himself. I believe he ate to sustain Eve. Then the fall came and muddled things all up. We are meant to do right by each other. "Carol St.Ann   writes about a meditation called a so-Humm inMeditative Ohm (E)
Meditation is different things to different people. To me, it is listening to God. |
I am partially back from my extended vacation. I have been swamped with work as my book "Teatime" is now published and begins to blossom. I also run various activities for my work and I serve as honor guard at Donel C. Kimmel State Cemetery in Dunbar WV. In fact, I have three funerals there next week that I will likely be participating in. The long and short of it is that I am very busy. I will be here when I can be. |
| "Prompt: Write your thoughts about St. Patrick's Day and about Saint's feast days in general." Don't get me started on holidays. I believe that holidays including Christmas and Easter are compromises between the church and paganism. I'll let it go at that. "Prompt: I was cruising the galaxy with Nancy Drew and found this planet: LunaMoon  Sitting by the Sakura tree (E)
I agree with this author. I believe everything was created for us to enjoy and take advantage of. |
| "Prompt: How do you think we can go about eating for God's glory? Is it possible?" This is one area I could use some improvement in. I am extremely overweight. I think God wants us to practice self-control in all areas. I sit down to eat and self-control goes for a walk. I always eat way more than I intend to. Our stomachs do not tell our brain they are full until 20 minutes after they are full. We usually eat until we feel full, which means we eat until after we are full. "Prompt: I was cruising the galaxy with Buck Rogers and found this planet: Beacon's Anchor  writes Beacon is a light of hope (13+)
Write about this item in your Blog entry today." Hope is found in Jesus Christ. I was hopeless before I began walking with Him. He is hope. |
| "Prompt: Do you believe you have any spiritual gifts? If so, write about them. If not, why do you think that is?" Yes. I believe every Christian has spiritual gifts. However, I do not believe the gifts operate at our will but at God's will. We do not turn them on and off as is often portrayed, nor do we choose our gifting. Today I may operate in the gift of faith and tomorrow the gift of healings may be present with me. I do not choose when, where, or what gift operates through me or when they operate. Hey CrewI had a meeting last night that ran until late. So the prompt is this morning. jonblair  writes "Love, Money, or Companionship ?" A Brief Observation About Marriage
The first time I married was lust, the second time companionship, and I won't marry a third time. I buried the first two to natural causes. I hope to avoid that though it is unavoidable. |
| "Prompt: What has God done for you or in your life lately? Write a testimony of God's goodness in your life recently." God allowed me to wake up this morning. That was a big plus in my book. It's not that I've been sick. I just believe God sustains all life. Another thing God has done in my life is allowed Himself to experience death in my behalf. He knew that I was helpless and had sympathy on me. He sacrificed Himself to prevent my eternal separation from Him. "Today we were cruising through the WDC galaxy with Tom and Jerry. It was difficult to keep them from killing each other, but when we weren't separating them we saw a star. 🎄pwheeler joy to the world  writes Summer Moments (E)
Staying out of the heat is my favorite summer activity. I love summer. I really do. The heat and the sun always get me though. The sun triggers my skin cancer and my skin conditions. So I have to avoid the sun. |
| "Prompt: Do you have an opinion about what kind of music should be played and sung in Church?" I don't have an opinion about what type of music should be played. I believe a valid argument about music could be made if one wanted to split hairs. However, I will say that I prefer traditional hymns. I know them and grew up with them. This contemporary stuff usually has no doctrine because the musicians want to reach as wide of an audience as they can. Therefore they avoid doctrine from which some would turn. The old hymns were full of doctrine. Prompt: I was cruising the galaxy with Victor Newman of The Young And The Restless and found this planet: paulzisback writes FOOTPRINTS (E)
Write about this in your Blog entry today. I find myself looking through the rear window of life as well. We all get old. Things begin to fall apart and we die. |
| Image #2235354 over display limit. -?- Image #2249882 over display limit. -?- "Prompt Do you have a go to scripture(a) when you are feeling discouraged? Write about how you handle discouragement." I seldom feel discouraged any more. When I do, I realize that life is going to have discouraging moments. It has its up and downs because we live in a fallen world. Even David had moments of discouragement as is shown by Psalms such as Psalm 22. The key with discouragement is to remember that it's only temporary. Anything on earth is temporary. God has it all under control. The scripture that usually comes to mind is Luke 18:1-8 known as both the Parable of the Unjust Judge and the Parable of the Persistent Widow. This parable teaches us that God will win in the end and we should never give up. Discouragement will come. Friends and family will make us angry or hurt our feelings. Death will come to family, friends, and us. All of these things are temporary. Image #2235152 over display limit. -?- Prompt: I was cruising the galaxy with Garfield and found this planet: Tim Chiu  writes "The Almighty’s Grace - Sweetest Mercy (E)"
write about this in your Blog entry today." The one thing I never did understand about the Atheist is "why?" Why would one want to be an atheist? I never could place a finger on that. My faith gives me purpose and hope. I know I am nowhere near perfect. I sin on a daily basis. In spite of my sin Jesus is always at my side. How can He go anywhere? He is omnipresent meaning He is everywhere so if He goes away He is still there. There are times I do not feel His presence but by faith I know He is always there for my faith is not based on what I feel. It is based on the reality of an ever-present, ever-loving God who loved me enough to become a human being like me and die in my place. The thing is that while His physical manifestation in the Person of Jesus could be killed because that presence was human, the spiritual presence and the eternal soul could not be killed. So He resurrected the physical, guaranteeing me that I would also someday be resurrected. Then 50 days after His resurrection, He entered the souls of men and has dwelled in fellowship with believers ever since. Can I prove conclusively that God even exists? No. I cannot prove that God exists. If I could do so there would be no room for faith because faith is the "Substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen," Hebrews 11:1. Faith is also the only way man can please God, Hebrews 11:6 and Romans 10:13. If man could prove that God exists, man would lose the ability to be saved because those who seek God must believe He exists without proof of that existence. Physical, empirical proof would eliminate the need for faith. I believe because God has proven Himself in countless, intangible ways. I was a drug addict for 25 years, during which time I took countless lethal overdoses. In spite of those God kept me alive. I have survived numerous other things that should have killed me. The list of reasons to believe is endless just like God. The main reason I believe is because I choose to believe. To be honest with you, atheism has many convincing arguments. Logically and rationally it goes against reason to believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead or performed any miracles. So logically and rationally I too am an atheist. However, I choose not to follow logic but rather follow the irrational, hope and life filled belief that Jesus Christ is exactly who He says He is. He is my Creator who wants a relationship with me. By following that belief I have a perkiness that defies all explanation. Nothing gets me down for very long. The depression and drug addiction of yesterday are gone forever. Sure, I have bad days. My wife died on life-support after I was saved. God was there for me. He comforted me and I believe He grieved with me. Death was not part of the original plan. Death entered the picture when man rebelled against God and failed to trust God. Death is separation. In physical death it is separation of the soul or personality from the body. In spiritual death it is separation of the soul (personality) from God. Many walk in spiritual death even now. The Lake of Fire will be their end if they fail to repent. God is my fortress and my Living Hope. Back to my thesis statement, I do not know why anybody would want to be an atheist. It is a hopeless, pointless way to live. The logical, rational mind says that atheism makes sense and more than likely we are all going to die and become part of nature again. My heart on the other hand loves being a Christian. It gives me purpose and direction. Most of all, it gives me Hope and a relationship with my Creator. I choose to believe. Image #2251074 over display limit. -?- Image #2187503 over display limit. -?- |
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