Monday, five of my friends and I reviewed part of Hebrews.  We had finished highlighting the words “The Kingdom of God” in the book of Luke, so we picked the next topic.

It’s the word “rest” in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4.  It was an interesting discussion.  Sally, who now lives in Mississippi, joined us.  We did our discussion by phones.  I never knew you could do that until we did our classes that way last year.  I-phones are something else.  I remember using the big wood box phone on the wall that if I recall correctly you had to crank.

I’m not very observant, so I had never noticed the + button.  But then, I wasn’t looking for it.  I do well to text.

Anyway, next week on Monday at 10:30, we will do the word “Angel” in bright pink and circle it like a halo.

I like to use color to remind me of a topic.  We’ll do “Faith” in purple.  It is fun to do something (besides teach) with a group of women.  Gives me a chance to not have to be in charge of something.  

My son Scott wants to know what has happened to the book “The Letter.”  I don’t know.  The publisher said it was ready to print, then I never heard from her again.  I’ve called, emailed, texted--over and over.  No reply.

I’m at a loss.  She spent hours and hours on this book with me on the phone editing, came to my house twice, sent me four revised printed copies of corrections we had made together, and then.......nothing.

I wonder if they went bankrupt during the pandemic.  I guess it’s time for me to get a lawyer to get the contract broken and get my book back.  I’m in La-La land at this point.  It is very very strange.

At this point I am discouraged.

I wish I hadn’t told anyone that I had a book that had a publishing contract on it.  But I was so excited.

I just finished the book I’ve been writing on my brother’s life.  It needs an editor.  I’m printing a copy because I like to see the corrections on paper.  Yes, I know writers aren’t doing it that way out there, you use a computer, but I want to touch it.

Rome made a treaty with Israel.  They would not invade if Israel came under Roman rule of law and kept the peace.  Israel agreed with one stipulation: they would not bow to Caesar or acknowledge him as god.  That condition was agreed upon and war was averted.  The Israel nation could continue to worship their God.

The Pharisees were put in charge of law and order and keeping the peace in Israel--with one exception: they could not condemn anyone to death.

And Jesus threatened their position.  The people followed Jesus--and the religious rulers saw Jesus as a danger to their power agreement with Rome.  So...they plotted from the beginning to get rid of him.  Problem solved.  Things would continue in Israel with the Pharisees at the helm.  Rome would stay out of their business.  The people would once again look to the religious leaders instead of this upstart called Jesus.

But when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on a colt, with hoards and throngs of people laying down palms and praising him as their King, the religious order realized that they had to convince Rome to act--Rome reserved the power to eradicate someone.  Thus, the plan to take Jesus when the crowd had gone home, bring him before the Roman magistrate and end the problem of who was going to remain in charge of the Jewish people--the Pharisees, or this man Jesus that the crowd called their King. They made a plan to nab him and convinced the Roman authorities to crucify him. 

But He wouldn’t go away, he would’t stay dead.   His power grew and the world was changed forever.  He rose from the grave and lives.  And is coming soon.  Soon.  Get ready.  Rome won’t be in charge next time.

 

Today is my birthday.  Officially eighty three and counting.  Once you hit forty five you know that you’ve most probably topped the hill.  Once you hit sixty, you’re picking up speed.  Seventy, you start checking the obituaries to see how old the people are  and if they are hopefully older than you are--which means the odds are good. (Ha).

After that, you’re just thankful you are okay and able to take care of yourself.  That’s where I am.  Thankful.  Becky’s husband Craig takes care of my legal and financial concerns, Tony takes care of my house and any repairs, Ron takes care of the trimming and flower beds, Ruiz takes care of the lawn, and the house cleaners do the inside.  At 83 you are pretty well useless.  But Happy! And so very thankful for the people who help me.

Someone said, “That is a lot of money to pay out for service people.”  I told them assisted care apartments were now running six thousand a month and I’m no where near spending that much.  I want to stay home and pay my own assisters.

Just glad, thankful, happy and full of joy.  Ann is taking me to breakfast to get strawberry crepes with whipping cream this morning and Becky said that they will take me to dinner tonight unless she has to work.

Squig is celebrating with me.  He is thirteen today.  Just a kid, but in dog years I think that is ninety one.  

 

I wrote this a few years ago:

 I have a snake that lives in my back yard.  A good four foot long garden snake.  I've seen him twice now.  He comes to the Koi pond to drink water.  He eats bugs, and keeps mice away.  Although there aren't many mice around--maybe because I have snake who is a "pest controller" in the yard?

He has a yellow stripe down his back, but is otherwise dark in color.  My daughter has a six foot black snake that lives in her back yard.  He crawls into the hen house and eats her eggs.  I asked her what she was going to do about that, and she said that an egg or two every week was a small price to pay for keeping the mice away from her hen house.

Every one seems to be afraid of snakes.  I think they are interesting.  I like frogs and earthworms and such.  One of my friends had a son that used to bring me earthworms from time to time for my garden.  He would knock at the door and hand me a coffee can full of dirt and wigglers.  I would rather have a can of earthworms than a dozen roses any day of the week.

I think the fear of snakes comes from a mistaken idea of the serpent in the garden of Eden.  The serpent was a beautiful winged creature.  Said to be the most beautiful of all creatures.  There is no way that Eve would have been tempted by something ugly.  Certainly she wouldn't have been tempted by a snake.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, God cast them out of the garden and condemned the beautiful serpent to forever more slink around on his belly in the dust: hence the name "serpent" was wrongly attached to a snake.  Genesis 3:14-15  Evil was disguised by the serpent, beautiful, and above all other creatures.  You yourself will never be tempted by something ugly and repugnant.  The devil tempts us with things that are alluring to us.  And the alluring things of the world lead to our downfall.

That serpent knows you well.  He knows your weak spots.  That's where he will tempt you.  "Be sober, be vigilant...your adversary, the devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

Wednesday is bean day.  My next door neighbors that moved have kept up with our weekly share a meal.  They live a mile away now, but I still make the cornbread and Linda still makes the fried okra.  We trade off week to week on who makes the beans.

Yesterday, I wrote that I spill things.  Last time I made the beans, I took them to their house and upended them in my car.  Lost all the juice.  What a mess. I’m not transporting juicy beans any more---I can’t be trusted.  They will come and get them when it’s my day to make the beans. 

You just get clumsy as you age--probably because your balance goes south.  You get slow and tottery.  It happens gradually and you don’t notice it so much until one day you realize, “Oh, no!! I’m old.”

I don’t recommend it unless you have a good sense of humor and don’t fall apart every time you drop something, spill something, or misplace something.  It is not unusual to open a drawer and find something strange inside that doesn’t go there.  Or start looking for something that you know you put back in the drawer and find it in the refrigerator.

Some things don’t turn up at all.  Like I said, you have to have a sense of humor.  You need to get ready to laugh at yourself.  It’s coming...

 I know when spring has sprung.  I have a window on the east--a really huge one--that in the winter, doesn’t let the sun shine through in the morning and blind me where I have placed my recliner--until spring.

I don’t move my chair during the winter... but as the days get longer, the sun moves until it clears the edge of the window, and I am blinded every morning.  I could close the blinds, but the cleaning ladies broke them.  So I can’t get away from the sunlight in my face unless I move the chair.

My solution would be to stay in bed until 9:00 and the sun clears the window?  But I wake up every morning really early so....

I’ve ordered new blinds.

There is a price for hiring people when you can’t do your own work any more, and it isn’t just the price  of their salary.  They break things.  But I broke things when I did it myself.

And I am thankful for the help.  Otherwise I would be living in a pig pen--I spill things.  When you get to be my age, you can’t do a lot of things you used to do and have to pay people to do them.  However, I don’t buy clothes--I don’t need them.  I don’t buy things for the house--I’m giving stuff away.  I’m not going anywhere on vacation.  People to help me are my new entertainment.

Jeanette got interested in “The Kingdom of God” in the book of Luke, so she and Sally and I got on the phone this morning and read through all the parts where that is said.  Jeanette had marked 24 and found 2 more this morning. 

There was one passage I didn’t understand, so Sally is going to dig into that and report back next Monday.  We are going to do other “stand out” words when we finish this--in other books.  

Hebrews has four phrases.  Of course we all remember the “Faith” chapter in Hebrews.  Where it reminds us that all of the old testament people were not saved by keeping the law.  

They were saved exactly like we are: by faith.  They looked forward to the coming of the Messiah.  We look back.  But it was always by the promise of God to send a savior.  A lamb, to be sacrificed for sin.”

Jesus is the Lamb of God.  The King of the “kingdom.”  The bright and morning star.  The light to our path...and on and on.

Jesus is the answer...for the world today.  Beside him is no other, Jesus is the way.  Do you remember that song?

My cousin Will, Ann’s son, has been deathly ill.  He had surgery two days ago and they could not wake him up after the anesthetic.  He completely shut down.  They put him on a respirator as they tried to figure it out.

He finally began to breath on his own and spoke a word or two after 48 hours.  They still don’t know what happened or why he was so ill.  It is going to be something rare...that kind of reaction just doesn’t happen.

Everyone in the world was praying for him.  He is still in the ICU and not over it yet, he keeps going in and out of deep sleep.  Please pray for Will.

But the interesting thing is, he said he went to heaven and his grandparents Mimi and Papa, they were there--Ann’s parents.  And  Papa was working a crossword puzzle.  He said that God hugged him and told Will that he loved him.  He told Ann that there were flowers were everywhere and it was really pretty.  “You are going to love it, mama,” he told her.

He was still pretty much out of it when he told her what he saw, but he went on and on about the people who were there that he knew. 

Near death experiences happen all the time my brother (doctor) told me.  They are unique to the person and reassure us that God is waiting for us to come home.  Will said, “I knew I was dying when I was asleep.”

Why would I want to underline, or color, the words “The kingdom of God?”  Because I was curious.  Is it now?  Or is it later?  What is Luke telling us?

Obviously the Kingdom is made up of the citizens of the Kingdom--the children of God--Christians.  Obviously it has a King--King Jesus.  Those points are clear.  But whether it is now----or later, well, that is the question.  I finally arrived at the conclusion that it is both.  

Arguing for it being now, some verses note that the Kingdom will be seen, 9:27. Or is nigh to you, 10:9.  11:20 says it is come upon you.`  And we are told to pray for it, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”

But it is also referred to as a place we will exist later as well.  After the return of Christ.  It is an interesting phrase to trace in the book of Luke. 

And why does Luke labor on the phrase and the other writers don’t?  Maybe it is because Luke wants everyone to know that it doesn’t matter if you ever saw Jesus, were never an apostle or were not living at the time Christ lived.  You can be a member of the community.  Luke was not an apostle and never met Jesus.  But he knew that he was a citizen of the Kingdom of God. He was included. Jesus, is your ticket to get in the door.  God says, “Come on in.  You are family. Your price is paid.”

 My friend Jeanette, who is a member of my Sunday class, asked me to help her mark her Bible from the book we are finishing.  Luke.

There isn’t enough time on Sunday to do it right, so we went to Mardel’s and got those pens that don’t bleed through the page and started marking each place where Luke had recorded “The Kingdom of God.”  No other writer makes so many notations of that phrase.

Doing it in yellow was what I had done in the past to remind me of gold, the crown of a king.  I like to remember what the color means--so I do different colors for different things.  I had found the phrase 23 times and she found one I had missed.  See if you can find more in King James?

It’s a good way to remind yourself of special things that are written.  I circled the word “angel” to look like a halo in the first chapters of Hebrews.  In red, because angels are spectacular.  I use green for verses I have memorized because green stands for new growth. 

When a writer repeatedly uses a word in one of the books, I like to be able to see it when I thumb through.  It’s nice to be able to have a scholar in my class who wants to learn more.  It makes teaching a challenge.

I have eaten a crispy chicken sandwich at Brahms ever since Becky Bacon got me hooked.  I had always eaten their deluxe hamburgers.  It helps that they are less than half a mile away from my house.

But being an equal opportunity consumer, I tried a crispy chicken sandwich at Kentucky Fried--ugh.  McDonalds, simi-ugh.  Chick Filet--no, no, no.  I do not like the stuff they soak the chicken in or grill it with and literally can’t eat it.  Their tenders don’t have the same sauce and are okay--not fantastic, but okay.  

And since Popeye’s won the national Chicken sandwich contest in America, I drove a few miles to try one.  Nope!!!  Don’t bother.  

Tony’s son Austyn told me to try Arby’s chicken sandwich.  He says it’s his favorite--however, he likes Chick Filet so maybe we have different taste buds.  Ken always loved their beef sandwich.  

So I’m going to give it a go, I’ll try Arby’s next week--and after all these trials, I’m sure I’ll go back to Brahms.  I can’t splurge on calories with fried chicken more than once a week or I’ll end up weighing a ton.

Whoever invented fried chicken should have a special place in heaven.

Today, I’m going to get rid of a flashing light.  An oil light on my car that has been bugging me for over a month.   

I didn’t get worried very much, because I had three thousand miles to go before the sticker said I had to change the oil, but....

When the oil light is flashing, the gas indicator doesn’t.  And I always depend on the flashing gas reminder light.

When I finally looked at the arrow indicator, it was bottomed out! I barely made it to the station to get gas.  Tank holds 18 gallons, I bought 17.7 gallons.

So the oil light has to go because I really, really, really need to be able to see the flashing gas light!!

I’m taking it in today.  Ken always did this kind of stuff...I forget about it.  You don’t notice what you don’t notice until you have to notice it or get stuck on the side of the road with an empty gas tank.

Yesterday, I said the only things that last are the experiences that we have.  And yesterday, Joe and Becky came for the afternoon and evening and took Jeanette and me to dinner--which was lovely.

The thing I love about seeing Joe are his stories. He has a million.  He and Ken were best friends--and I always hear something I didn’t know.  

Joe told us, “Ken gave me the best advice; he said that if I got into an argument with Becky that I should simply say, “Yes dear, you may be right.  That way you don’t give in and she thinks she won.”

Becky said, “Every time we get into a fight, Joe uses that line and I never really win.”  I told Becky that Ken never said that to me...ever!

Joe got tickled...”You’re kidding me!!  I thought he was serious.”  I told Joe, “No.  Ken never had an argument with me.  He always just let me do whatever I was doing whatever way I wanted to do it.”

Which is true.  He had already fought in two wars and didn’t want to fight another one.  And to be fair, I had run everything at home for years and years.  He had two 13 month tours overseas while we were married and multiple others.  He just turned most things over to me.  Becky said, “Joe, I’m buying a clear glass frameless shower door.  I didn’t hear him answer but I bet he said, “Yes dear, you may be right.”  He told dozens of funny airplane stories as well.  Jeanette and I were throughly entertained.

 I have no idea why so many people never ask were we are.  What is space? Where did space come from?  Why isn’t there “nothing?”  Why do things exist?

If they did, they would come to the conclusion that there is something beyond earth, stars, suns and planets floating around in this think called space.  There is a source.

And if they look for the source, they will ultimately realize there is a creator, a beginner, a first thing.  We call it God.  And this God says, “If you seek me, you will find me.” But most people don’t look.

They just run around buying stuff.  Filling their lives with the stuff they buy.  And stuff doesn’t satisfy, because there is always the newer version, newer model, newer style.  New, new, new.

The only thing that lasts are experiences we have with the ones we love.  Friends and family.  Yesterday, Jeanette and I went to eat out.  What an experience after the last year.  We didn’t have to cook it and someone brought it to us and kept us filled with salad, bread and food.

Becky Bacon and Joe Mike are coming today to stay awhile.  Being around Joe is definitely and experience.  And Becky! My dear friend.

When we talk about the expert in Mosaic law that tried to back Jesus into a corner, there are two main points made that we should remember...

The first is that he asked what must “I do.”  And we know from our exploration of Scripture that we can’t do anything to obtain eternal life.  Jesus did it all.  It comes down to our faith in Him.

Some people want to weigh the good they have done to outweigh the bad.  I just doesn’t work that way.  We are guilty.  We did it--no matter what it was.  “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

And like the Mosaic scholar, we try and justify what we have done.  “I was young.”  Or, “I was running with the wrong  crowd.”  Or, “I came from a family that didn’t teach me what I needed to know.”  And on and on...

The scripture says that “...he, willing to justify himself...”  He asked who his neighbor was.  Evasive question.  Getting around the issue question.  Avoid the problem with his attitude question.

I tell my class that we all meet different people; we all have different encounters with people.  Those are your neighbors.  They aren’t mine.  I have a different group of neighbors.  Those are the ones I am responsible for.  You are responsible for yours.

The expert in Mosaic Law (wanting to trap Jesus into answering a question incorrectly) asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life.” Jesus said, “love the Lord and love your neighbor.”  The expert, willing to justify himself, said, “Who is my neighbor”  Two wrong approaches.

Jesus didn’t answer questions, he told stories. And he replied with the story of three men who encountered a person who had been badly beaten and left to die.  A priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan.  The first two were religiously affiliated.  The third was a hated half-breed Jew-Babalonian. The Priest and Levite passed by the wounded man.  

The Samaritan did eleven things. 1. He had compassion. 2. He approached the man. 3. He poured oil and wine on his wounds. 4. He wrapped the wounds. 5. He put him on an animal to transport him. 6. He took him to an inn. 7. He took care of him. 8. He opened his pocketbook. 9. He paid the innkeeper to take care of the man. 10.  He told the innkeeper to spend whatever it took and he would repay him.  11.  He came back.

Jesus asked which of the three men was a good neighbor to the wounded man.   The expert in Mosaic law admitted it was the Samaritan.  He probably gritted his teeth and wished he had never asked the question.  Our neighbors are those we come in contact with.  Have compassion.  

Well, they did something to my back...what it was, I don’t know.  I thought it was a one shot procedure.  But no,  there is more.

But at least I can stand up straight today without pain.  Hallelujah.

It’s no wonder the cost of health care has skyrocketed.  There was one surgeon in the operating room and eight other nurses--each doing something different.

I thought computers were going to make everything quicker, simpler, more organized.  But...no.  They asked me for any changes I had in medications twice, I told them the changes twice and when I checked out...no changes were recorded.  Why ask???

And there were over ten printed pages of check out notes.  I threw eight in the trash immediately because they were useless.  The other two were mostly empty--what a waste of paper and ink. 

I am over the hill.  It’s a fact.  The waste due to government regulations drives me nuts.  They checked my name five times.  They asked me the same things at the check in desk, the entry nurse, the room nurse and one other time. Over and over again. Eventually you would think they would pass the information on. Nope, that’s not what they do.  Redundancy rules. 

Today I am going to have a procedure done on my back.  

All is well.

 I think the idea of the “branch on the vine” being trimmed off being considered as “You have to get out there and win people to Christ” is an interesting subject to discuss is because...back in 1954, the Baptist churches across America adopted a motto.

The motto was, “A million more in ‘54.”  They printed up tracts and members went door to door trying to tell people about Jesus.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, but the chance of someone you don’t know listening to you is slim.  Baptists reached their goal--as I remember.  But that growth spurt didn’t stick.

The way we reach people is better done by living the life in front of the world, making friends, and having discussions about our faith with people we meet or know when we get an opportunity.

I’m not saying I’m against door knocking, but better to do it with an invitation to dinner or a Bible study at someone’s home where you can get to know each other.

Either way, be bold.  I’ve always said, “Make a fool of yourself for Jesus.  What do you have to lose!”  And think about what might be gained by someone you tell.

In John15:1-2, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman...every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit he takes away...” Which scares some people because they think the fruit is winning a soul for Christ.  But that is not what fruit is referred to in the Bible.

Paul says it this way in Galations 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness temperance...”  In other words, a Christian produces those nine attributes.  And those traits of your life is what draws people.  

But the life is inside the fruit.  And it falls in four different places.  Along the path, in the weeds, on rocky soil, or on good ground.  Some grows, some doesn’t.  And if it grows, it needs to be tended.

The Psalmist said it this way in Psalms 1.  “And he (the Christian) shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in his season...”  Here, the Christian is the tree, but whether Christ is the “vine,” or the Christian is the “tree,” both have branches that bear fruit.

And the fruit is not another soul.  The fruit simply holds the seed for producing another child of God...but it doesn't always do that.  Your nine attributes of Godliness are the fruit that holds the seed for doing that. You don’t need to bang someone over the head with a Bible.  Just be Godly. And ready to share the gospel.  Truly care about people.  And their soul.

 I must be falling apart!! I forgot to post Friday, and here it is late afternoon and I still haven’t got it done today.  But you friends who are still trying to encourage me to keep on keeping on...thank you.

You read my frustration about my Ken-ken puzzles----well,  Connie Carman and Jeanette Harder both presented me with books of those puzzles.  True friends.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Carolyn Brown had kept me supplied with cut outs from her news paper which she cut out one each day, but having books with hundreds of puzzles is heaven on earth!!  Carolyn can take a break.

Jeanette gave me 5 by 5 puzzles, which are a challenge, and Connie gave me 6 by 6 which will stretch me.  I once tried a 7 by 7  and that was way over my head.  I am now happy.  When I get bored, I will have something to keep me busy.

My Bible class have all gotten their first shot and all but two have their second shot.  So week after next, we are going back to the classroom if everything goes well.  I am soooooo....ready.  We’ve been doing it by phone group, and it is really hard to teach looking at the face of a rectangular black phone.  I need some faces!!