As Whoopi was passionately letting her beliefs known on The View regarding 4 black teenagers who had live-streamed the kidnapping and abuse of a challenged white student and ABC News interrupted with a Special Report that there had been a shooting at an airport in Florida…and one of my neighbors had chosen to move their fight outside of their home and fill my ears with obscenities…I thought I might want to take a look at the word DISCRIMINATION and share with you what I learned.
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You Know Rejection: Acts 14:1-2
Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the [a] Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and [1] poisoned their [2] minds against the brethren.
Acts 14:1-2
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In God I Trust
When I started writing this I was stuck in a depraved mindset. The original first few sentences were the basis of this whole article…and they are the only ones that didn’t change…
Trust is a two way street. I want to trust that you are not going to hurt me. I want to trust that I am not going to hurt you. I think you want to trust that I am not going to hurt you and I am pretty sure most of you don’t intend to hurt me.
Trust: belief that someone is reliable, good, honest, effective, etc.
Prelude to Everything I Have Said Thus Far…
I was in the bathroom and as I floated in the bubbles in my head…I guess that is how I can describe them; it is like each eyeball has at least 2 vantage points, some here and some somewhere else and it is hard to decide to be where you are, there was a small voice [God] that told me that even though I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, by telling my truths I have.(more…)
Recovery is Messy
>>>Prelude to Everything I Have Said Thus Far
Guilt that doesn’t lead to repentance is wasted. Guilt that is used as a weapon of war is just another mutation that humanity created from a tool God gave us to help build us into His version of us.
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Shalom means peace with justice…
One time I bought a fish. He was a beta and the pet store had put him in a tank full of white fish who had bit off all his fins to keep him submissive. When I bought him, he was almost clear in color. One year after living in his own tank he had the longest, most vibrant colored fins I have ever seen on a fish. I feel like that fish.
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You will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you…
Being chronically ill is like trying to live on a teeter totter by yourself. Dealing with sickness, pain, depression and anger is common. Sometimes it is really hard to stay positive, especially when occasionally it seems like you just got catapulted off the darn thing and you don’t know when and where you will land, or if you will land softly. Sometimes just the fear of what could happen during a flair up catches you off guard.
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If I Could Go Back In Time…
We heard a great message at church this week; one that caused me to consider what I would change if I could go back in time. I have considered this many times. My list has changed through the years, as I grew up in Jesus. It is amazing how different what we think we need during times of great stress is from when we are spending time getting to know Jesus and our identity in Him…
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Blessed are the Peacemakers
Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is refuge for us. Selah Psalm 62:8
Immediacy is not a virtue.
When I am stressed I feel like announcing my feelings and thoughts about everything, right now to everyone, except God; I don’t want to process anything before I react, yet I am so thankful to Jesus who is leading me to spend time praying and in the word to hear what God thinks and how He is teaching me to behave because lately, life has felt like one run on sentence…
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God Bless America
This week I finally moved my recipes from my old beat up recipe box to my new one; one that belonged to my Great-Grandma Drummond. I learned a few things while I organized my recipes into it: She liked recipes with oranges in them and this recipe box was new to her. It came with a few new recipes that she had not organized into their appropriate dividers. There were a few recipes she has tucked inside, but obviously she had not had the chance to completely move into it, herself. I keep thinking about how she had probably had it on a list of things to do while she healed from her surgery; she probably wasn’t thinking she would not get a chance to do that. She still had plans.
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I Want to Like Myself
I want to like myself. I want to love myself. I want to trust my feelings and thoughts. I know I am lovable because Jesus and Karen say I am lovable. My nieces and nephews love me; they like to talk to me, they look excited to see me, they jump to hug and kiss me. They are happy to let me touch them, stroke their hair and look in their eyes. There is freedom with them I don’t feel with most of the people in my life — they like to be loved. They let me encourage them. They trust me. I see in them, things I learned to dislike in myself and it helps me see that I have judged myself too harshly. I love watching them grow. I know God feels this for me. When it is just Him and me, life is easy. But I let “what if’s” collect. Sometimes it is next to impossible to detach from these…but I haven’t purposely been using the tool of detachment for very long; I am sure it will get easier.
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1 Corinthians 3:9-16
1 Corinthians 3:9-16
For we are God’s fellow workers; You are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stray, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire: And the fire will test each ones work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work, which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do you not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Lord I am so blessed and thankful for Your salvation. Thank You that You chose me and pursued me every day of my life. As unworthy as I am; You are diligent to call me Your own.
Lord, considering that Your Word declares that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God, You know this is my “thorn in my side.” With my whole being, I do not want to cut myself off from You and yet even as I married Karen, You continue to beckon to me. You remain faithful to me. You even bless my requests that You help me love and care for Karen and be an honorable wife.
The God I read about in the Old Testament doesn’t seem to be the God that cherishes me and never leaves me; Who always shows me that You are loving me and guiding me and quick to remind me that I am washed, sanctified and justified by Your Spirit. Among many things, I have to file away with the things that are only known by God until You choose to reveal them.
I am truly humbled by You. There are times I want to rejoice, yet I am speechless—like right now.
Psalm 95:1-2OH come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
With all the labels that the world wants to put on me: Female, Caucasian, American, Obese, Chronically Ill, Gay, Independent…and so many others…Beloved Child of God and Wife seem to be the only ones You choose to keep at the forefront of my mind.
In a world that wants to judge me and condemn me and maybe even rightly, according to Your Word, shun me, You are the first to lift me up and call me Yours. Even in my own mind, I understand I am not worthy. But You remind me that I am Yours and You choose to save me and know me.
Psalm 21:6For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
Lord please test with Your fire, my household, now rather than on the Day, so that we may replace the wood, hay and straw with Your presence, which is so much better than gold, silver or precious stones.
Please continue to help me become more like You and love others as You do; not with my heart, mind or body, but with Yours.
Isaiah 12:2-3Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the Lord is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
Amen
The Lord is with you always.
Galatians 1:10
Galatians 1:10
For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Paul had been a Pharisee. He had been taught and he practiced all the laws, given to him by the church – even killing Christians because that is what he knew – Yet Jesus, Himself, came to him and transformed him so much that he became ready to be about God’s real business. If he had told God no, he would have had a frustrated life, pleasing men, but by following Jesus, he helped save men for generations as he is author of much of the New Testament.
Mark 11:17
Mark 11:17
Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?’ But you have made it a den of thieves.”
In the passages before this scripture Jesus is telling people that possessions can have power over us; they can make it impossible for us to follow Christ – I must admit, I like to dream about a future that sparkles with a big house and backyard with children and animals – but what I really want is room to build relationships and love people. I can do that in this little hotel room, I have been blessed to live in for 19 months. I have had loved ones visit, had tiny dinner parties, danced, sang, even worshiped Jesus out loud here. I have forgiven BIG hurts and gotten stronger and more aware of what God made me for, I have blessed people who live here, made are friends, engaged with old friends, been desperate – AND – majorly blessed here. Some of the most life-changing revelations and healing in my spirit, ever, have happened here. Time and time again, Jesus tells me, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
Mark 4:3-9
Mark 4:3-9
“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow, and it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth, but when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced; some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some a hundred. And He said to them, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’”
Walking Shoes
I found my baby book a couple weeks ago and in it was a note from my mom, when I was 6; she said I prayed a lot on my own and spoke of spiritual things. I don’t remember this but I do remember the day I met Jesus. I was and playing alone in my backyard. That was 33 years ago. As of 2 days ago, I have committed myself to more prayer and time with God. I have repented for not living in my gifts and allowing God to use me to His fullest. I will probably have to do this many times. As I have already done this many times in my walk with Jesus; even in the last month. (more…)
Your Anger is Killing You
My heart was aching before I wrote this.
Shootings, accusations, harboring un-forgiveness and hatred, gossiping; all these things bombard us in the news, in the shows we watch for entertainment, Facebook News Feeds (and all the other Social Networking sites), conversations with friends and in our minds.
Learning Forgiveness
I am so glad that I am a child of God. Because He is my Father He is always teaching me something. Some lessons are harder than others. We have been working on forgiveness for a long time….we still are…
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25
There is No Magic Pill
I have decided that there is no magic pill…that was always the answer I just didn’t want to think that. I was taking 2 different meds to help me with living with anxiety disorder and the one meant to help me sleep didn’t always work. I had decided it didn’t work and planned to talk to the dr about it on my next appointment. Meanwhile I have been going to a Living Well with Chronic Illness class and have finally made peace that I must choose to live on a schedule so I can accomplish my personal goals and as I was beginning to see success…it was time to go to the appointment. (more…)
The Isaiah 9:10 Judgement DVD
Recently Karen and I were loaned a copy of The Isaiah 9:10 Judgement DVD by a friend, who has watched lots of times and felt that we really needed to see it. So that is what we did on our day off, actually it played twice through because Karen had fallen asleep at the end and I was inspired to pray and search the bible for a few words about themes that I saw throughout the production. The editing team that created it made sure that it looped and so, in the end it was at least listened to twice in our house.
The Isaiah 9:10 Judgement DVD was written by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn to accompany his books The Harbinger and The Harbinger Companion.
On ChristianBook.com the Publisher’s Description for The Isaiah 9:10 Judgement states:
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The Lord Knows
This morning I woke to sunshine streaming in the window and a song on my heart. The voice sounded like me but it was deep within me. I am used to this and I think I take it for granted sometimes.
“*Draw Me Close to You. Never let me go. I lay it all down again, to hear You say that I’m Your friend…”.
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