Encouragement for the new year

I've been wanting to say something to you to comfort you or inspire you, but the words just haven't been flowing recently. With this being the last day of 2018, I feel like it's important to leave this very difficult year behind and face the new year with words of encouragement and hope. I'm thinking of you, lifting you up in prayer, and holding you in my heart. I empathize with your pain and suffering and understand the depression and anxiety that results from everything you've been through. I also know that it seems like your suffering is compounded daily by many smaller problems, problems that at any other time would be manageable but are now too overwhelming to deal with. Know that you will get through this, that tomorrow will be a little bit easier, and the following day a little easier still. Once you stare down one problem, the next one will be a little more manageable. You will heal. You'll find a new normal.

The above note is addressed to you, my family, friends, acquaintances:
To you who lost a spouse, a parent, a child, a friend.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4 NIV

To you who are facing divorce.
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18 NIV

To you who no longer have a place to call home.
“And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Matthew 8:20
“O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear.” Psalm 10:17

To you who live in poverty, including the working poor, the retired, or the disabled.
“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me” Phil 2:12-13
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19

To you who know someone in jail.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

To you who have been abused physically, sexually, verbally, or emotionally.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. Isaiah 42:3-4
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:5

To you who cannot speak up for yourself, seek advocacy. Advocates:
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9

To you who live in a dysfunctional family.
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20

To you who suffer from physical or mental pain/disease.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

To anyone and everyone in need of encouragement.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

Chronological Reading Plan Week 10

Chronological Reading Plan

Week 10
64. Numbers 23-25
65. Numbers 26-27
66. Numbers 28-30
67. Numbers 31-32
68. Numbers 33-34
69. Numbers 35-36
70. Deuteronomy 1-2

Let your light shine

Let your light shine

Let your light so shine before men, 

that they may see your good works 

and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 NKJV

Chronological Reading Plan Week 9

I'm running at least 4 days behind on the reading plan. I hope it doesn't mess you up, but you could probably guess that we're continuing through the book of Numbers. Life has gotten very messy for me lately and hopefully, I'll be able to blog about it all soon and everyone will come back to follow along with all of the different things we have going on here. I'm behind in posting the daily bible verses, the chronological Bible reading plan, the "seven degrees of me", and the 7th Hour Prayer Power. The prayer group has been continuing on facebook, but I haven't been able to post to my blog here, because Blogger doesn't have an app that is reliable and I haven't been able to get on my laptop most of the time. Hopefully, my new normal will allow me time to incorporate blogging because I really miss it. Please hang in there with me until I get back on track.
And a belated Merry Christmas to all.

Week 9
57. Numbers 7
58. Numbers 8-10
59. Numbers 11-13
60. Numbers 14-15; Psalm 90
61. Numbers 16-17
62. Numbers 18-20
63. Numbers 21-22

Christmas

Luke 2:1-14 KJV
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Obedience by Faith

If someone says, “I love God,” 

and hates his brother, he is a liar; 

for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, 

how can he love God whom he has not seen?

1 John 4:20 NKJV

Ask seek find

This week we will be praying for ourselves. With our stress-filled, fast-paced lives, it's easy to get caught up on the circumstances without delving into the big picture, like treating the symptoms instead of the disease.

The symptoms may be that my living situation changed, or that I'm too busy or tired to get everything done, or that I'm angry with someone. My prayer might be to remedy the situation or give me more energy, or the ability to forgive this person. None of that was working, and in fact, it seemed to make things worse. Finally, I prayed for what I really needed in this situation: a day of rest and guidance. It's made a world of difference.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; 

seek, and you will find; 

knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

Our Father is there to help us and He wants us to come to him with our needs. If you remember to share your needs and burdens with Him, it will lighten your load and make you an even brighter light for Christ.

Chronological Reading Plan Week 8

Chronological Reading Plan

Week 8
50. Leviticus 19-21
51. Leviticus 22-23
52. Leviticus 24-25
53. Leviticus 26-27
54. Numbers 1-2
55. Numbers 3-4
56. Numbers 5-6

Follow Me

When He had called the people to Himself, 

with His disciples also, He said to them, 

“Whoever desires to come after Me, 

let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Mark 8:34

Children are a heritage from God

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, 

the fruit of the womb a reward. 

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior 

are the children of one's youth. 

Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! 

Psalm 127:3-5 ESV

Seek God

And you will seek Me and find Me, 

when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV

Love does no wrong

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:10 NKJV

Think first

Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, 

and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

Proverbs 11:29 ESV

Think before you act; the results of your actions impact more than just your own life.

Update and love for the children

I'm going through a lot of personal "stuff" with my family right now and so it's been difficult to blog and keep up with posts, so please stick with me while I try to work out my schedule. I would hate to lose everyone at this point. I so love being able to pray together and share Bible verses and reading plans and exchange inspiration and testimony. May God bless you and keep you.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

Children's rules of divorce

I found a really good article that I feel is worth a read.

The article and photo can be found at the Huffington Post blog by Kara Bishop 12/29/2011 updated 12/6/2017 "If Your Kids Could Make the Rules of Divorce". This is just one article of an 8-week series entitled "Children of Divorce and Changing Families".

These are excellent rules and go back to what I was saying in Monday's post that the kids need to have a voice. They don't need to be a part of the messiness or be told your every thought and feeling about their other parent.  I hope you find the article helpful. You may want to google: children of divorce Christian. There are so many great resources available. My stepson is getting help by turning to Focus on the Family.

With all humility and gentleness, 

with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Ephesians 4:2

Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for the children of divorce. Please ask God for guidance as to how to make a difference in their lives and how to help them through a difficult transition. Listen for God's direction. He answers all prayers.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Instructions for families

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Colossians 3:20 ESV

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, 

but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4 ESV

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Colossians 3:21 ESV

Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for the children of divorce. Please ask God for guidance as to how to make a difference in their lives and how to help them through a difficult transition. Listen for God's direction. He answers all prayers.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

God sees all

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,

And He ponders all his paths.

Proverbs 5:21 (NKJV)

This Bible verse is being translated into French via google translator.

Car les voies de l'homme sont devant les yeux du Seigneur,
Et il réfléchit sur tous ses chemins.

Pray for the children of divorce

This week we will be praying for the children of divorce. I can't speak from direct experience on this, only as an aunt, sister-in-law, grandmother, etc. The effects I've seen on the kids are these: they can appear completely fine with the whole situation and then years later show signs of depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Some have attempted suicide.
What I believe is this: our children see and hear too much. In our efforts to be open and honest with them, we sometimes forget their mental, emotional, and physical age. I don't think it's a good idea to vent in front of them, or to them about their other parent. I think it does a lot of harm when we speak badly about their other parent. Obviously, there are negative feelings and tension, but keep in mind that they love both parents. They need to know that they can talk openly with someone about their feelings. Family members should reinforce that.
Divorce happens and the kids will live through it, but beyond the initial shock of it, we need to continue to nurture the children and remind them that it wasn't anything that they did or didn't do.
Spend quality time with them and ask them if there's anything they want to talk about. Most of all, love them and pray for them and teach them the gospel.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins

1 Peter 4:8 ESV

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for the children of divorce. Please ask God for guidance as to how to make a difference in their lives and how to help them through a difficult transition. Listen for God's direction. He answers all prayers.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

My daughter's birthday

Saturday was my oldest daughter's birthday and we had a full day of fun! First, we went back to Handmade Holiday at the Yellow Cab Company and finished our shopping. 

Then, we went to Sky Asian Cuisine and ate some amazing sushi (California roll, Shrimp Tempura, and American Dream rolls shown).  My only regret is that I didn't have enough room for dessert.

Finally, we finished out the day at the Proto Buildbar in downtown Dayton. They have 3D printers and workbenches where you can make some amazing stuff. They also have the Guinness book's largest claw game (I can't believe I didn't take a picture of it) with a joystick about as tall as me. 

What a great day!

Got my first Ebates check

I got my first Ebates check!!! (I tried to blur the info but kind of made a mess of things)

I was really hesitant to sign up for this but I figured, what the heck?! I'm shopping at these websites anyway, why not get a bit of that money back? I can't even imagine how much money I've missed out on because I waited. If you've ever considered signing up, please use my link so I get a referral bonus and you'll get $10 after you spend $25 through them. It's super easy to do. If you have any questions, just let me know.

Here's my referral link. Thank you in advance!

Righteousness guards our path

Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,

But wickedness overthrows the sinner.

Proverbs 13:6 NKJV

This Bible verse is being translated into Indonesian via google translator:
Kebenaran menjaga dia yang tidak bersalah,
Tetapi kejahatan menumbangkan orang berdosa.

Chronological Reading Plan Week 7

Chronological Reading Plan

Week 7

43. Exodus 39-40

44. Leviticus 1-4

45. Leviticus 5-7

46. Leviticus 8-10

47. Leviticus 11-13

48. Leviticus 14-15

49. Leviticus 16-18

Honor the face of an old man

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, 

younger men as brothers, 

older women as mothers, 

younger women as sisters, 

in all purity. 

1 Timothy 5:1-2 ESV

“You shall stand up before the gray head 

and honor the face of an old man, 

and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. 

Leviticus 19:32 ESV

The next life

Therefore we do not lose heart. 

Though outwardly we are wasting away, 

yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV

Handmade Holiday

I just got home from Handmade Holiday at the Yellow Cab Company in downtown Dayton, and I plan on going back tomorrow!

First stop was Smokin' Bee-Bee-Q Food Truck. I got the brisket pieces which they advertise as "meat candy" and they didn't disappoint! For dessert, I had a soft pretzel covered in cinnamon and sugar and it was so delish that I'm getting another one tomorrow. Lauren (GirlAboutDayton) got their macaroni and cheese with special sauces to spice it up just right.
Then it was time to check out all of the great vendors inside. It was difficult not to buy something from each one (but since I'm going back tomorrow...) There is so much to choose from and make wonderful, unique gifts. Check out all the info on their facebook page.
Tomorrow, December 8th is the last day. See you there.

Just going through the motions

Therefore the Lord said:

“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths

And honor Me with their lips,

But have removed their hearts far from Me,

And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,

Isaiah 29:13 (NKJV)


This Bible verse is being translated into Spanish via google translator. I have no way of knowing if it translates accurately.
Por eso el Señor dijo: "En la medida en que estas personas se acercan con la boca Y honrame con sus labios, Pero han quitado sus corazones lejos de mí. Y su temor hacia Mí es enseñado por el mandamiento de los hombres,

Retirement age

I've been told by nearly everyone I know who has retired, that it isn't what it's cracked up to be. People get bored quickly and miss the comradery of co-workers and clients. They miss having somewhere to go every day, and they miss being needed. So many people identify with their job that when that job is gone, they lose their identity and essentially, they lose themselves.

Here, in the U.S., it seems like there is no time or patience to deal with the older generations. Fifty years old is considered (even if it's just jokingly) "over the hill." When sixty-five was set as the official age of retirement, it seemed to set a standard by which to gauge a person's abilities. Once you're sixty-five, it's your time to retire, whether you want to or not; you're no longer useful in the workplace. I think it's influenced how society looks at the capabilities of anyone over sixty-five. Is it really the best fit for our seniors to be greeters at Walmart?

My parents are eighty-years-old and their faculties are still pretty sharp. It's funny (kind of)...if I'm talking to my dad, he'll tell me something that my mom said that makes him worry about her mind. If I'm talking to my mom, she'll confide in me that Dad forgot something she supposedly told him repeatedly. As far as I can see, their minds are at least as good as mine.

My final sentiment is this. Treasure the older members of your family, friends, and neighbors. Somehow find the time to visit, or call, or at least drop them a card so they know that someone is thinking about them. What I hate more than anything is people who are disrespectful, even angry, who don't help when asked all because the senior in their life is having trouble remembering things and it's frustrating. These same people will then cry and mourn and grieve when that person passes away. Don't wait until then to show you loved someone. It's meaningless after the fact.

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.

Psalm 71:9 ESV

Final Exhortations

Watch, stand fast in the faith, 

be brave, 

be strong. 

Let all that you do be done with love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NKJV

This Bible verse is being translated into French via google translator. I have no way of knowing if it translates accurately.

Veillez, restez ferme dans la foi, soyez courageux, soyez forts. Laissez tout ce que vous faites se faire avec amour.

A literal green light from God

Yesterday morning there was snow on the grass and icy slush on the roads. Normally, I would just stay home until the roads were clear, but yesterday I needed to get to the City building when they opened to pay my water bill because they shut me off. (That's a whole other story).

The roads between here and there weren't bad at all, so I decided to go on to work. Country roads are a challenge in bad weather because they don't get cleared off right away, and those that do often get covered with drifting snow, but as I was heading to the more traveled roads I decided the country roads were clear enough for me to continue on, plus it's faster and less traffic than going through the towns. 

At the first four-way stop I came to after making this stupid decision, I picked up an SUV who rode my bumper for several miles. I went the speed limit, 55 mph, but I wasn't comfortable driving that fast, and he obviously wanted me to go faster, so it was a lose-lose situation. There was a stop sign ahead anyway, so I took my foot off the accelerator, and he thankfully turned off before we got to the four-way stop. I tapped my brakes gingerly but didn't feel like I was slowing down fast enough so I tapped them a little harder.

My car

I should mention that I drive a Cobalt. It was the cheapest new car we could find in 2006 and the car lots were packed full of them. One of the ways to make a cheaper car is to leave off important features, like anti-lock brakes (grrrr). Personally, I would have paid the extra $100 to have them installed but my husband at the time said we didn't need them. Ha! The car is super lightweight so it slides around even on the smallest amount of snow and ice, especially when stopping and starting.

All it took was that little bit of extra pressure to the brake. I did a 180. Fortunately, there was no one on that stretch of road, and I didn't go off into a ditch. I did scream a curse word over and over. When I came to a complete stop, I took a deep breath and drove at a crawl to the nearest parking lot, where I was able to calm myself down. I had to decide whether to go home or continue on to work. I was equal distance from both. I said a prayer and headed to the office.

No one was coming as I approached that same stop sign, so I just drove very slowly through it instead of trying to stop. Next, there was a stop light at a fairly busy intersection and the left turn lane didn't look clear at all. I wasn't driving very fast anyway, so I was hoping the car would just lose momentum and stop by itself when I got to the light. I was praying, "Please make it turn green!", and it did! I blurted out, "Thank you, Lord." I was now on a heavily traveled road, and it was a straight shot all the way to work. Sadly, the condition of said road was pretty bad. It looked more like no one had been on it, and definitely, no salt truck or plow had been through there. Stupid mistake number two.  Plus, what I didn't think of was that there were 14 traffic lights on that messy street giving me at the very least, 14 opportunities to spin-out again. Stupid mistake times infinity.

My view and focus as I drove

I drove white-knuckled to the first red light, took my foot off the accelerator, started to tap my brake, but the light changed before I had to completely brake! As I drove under it, I again said: "Thank you, Lord." The next light just ahead turned red, and I figured, well, here I go again, but as I slowed down, a white Kia Sorento pulled out ahead of me. He was going pretty slow (even for me) but there was no way I was going to pass him. By the time we crawled up to the light, it changed to green! "Thank you, Lord!" This happened through 9 consecutive stop lights. That has never happened in my life. When we (the driver of the Kia and myself) got downtown, the roads were completely clear, and he turned off, and I stopped without incident at the next two lights, and then the remaining lights were all green.

I have no doubt that God was with me through all of that! When we call on Him, He is there. He's there even when we don't call, but it's just so miraculous when He shows Himself in response to our prayers.

God is good! All the time!

Give secretly

But when you do a charitable deed, 

do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 

that your charitable deed may be in secret; 

and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Matthew 6:3-4 NKJV

I want to try something different, at least for a few days. Since my audience here is worldwide (hallelujah!) I'm going to use google translator to translate the daily bible verse into a different language each day. (I have no way of knowing if it translates accurately.) Today is Portuguese:

Mas quando você faz uma ação de caridade, não deixe sua mão esquerda saber o que sua mão direita está fazendo, que sua ação de caridade pode estar em segredo; e o teu Pai, que vê em secreto, recompensará-te abertamente.

Honor and care for your family

“Honor your father and your mother, 

that your days may be long in the land 

that the Lord your God is giving you.

Exodus 20:12 ESV
 

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, 

and especially for members of his household, 

he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:8 ESV

Compassion and tolerance

* * * * *

Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for the elderly. Please ask God for guidance as to how to make a difference in the lives of those older than ourselves. Listen for God's direction. He answers all prayers. I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

I am nothing without love

And though I have the gift of prophecy, 

and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, 

and though I have all faith, 

so that I could remove mountains, 

but have not love, 

I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:2 (NKJV)

* * *

I want to try something different, at least for a few days. Since my audience here is worldwide (hallelujah!) I'm going to use google translator to translate the daily bible verse into a different language each day. (I have no way of knowing if it translates accurately.) Today is Ukrainian:

Я нічого без любові
І хоч у мене є дар пророцтва, і я розумію всі таємниці та всі знання, і хоч у мене є всяка віра, щоб я міг усунути гори, але не мав любові, я ніщо.

Encouragement for the aging

Even to your old age and gray hairs

    I am He, I am He who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you;

    I will sustain you and I will rescue you. 

Isaiah 46:4 NIV

The Lord is good

Hallejuah!

The Lord is good,

A stronghold in the day of trouble;

And He knows those who trust in Him.

Nahum 1:7 (NKJV)

Pray for the elderly

     Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.

Proverbs 16:31 ESV

The "elderly" is probably defined differently for each person. When I was younger, the elderly were easily defined (by me) as anyone over 50, but as I've aged, my perception of "old" has changed. Now, I'm thinking anyone over 85 is "older" but I'm really not comfortable assigning a chronological age to it anymore.
     My parents are both 80 years old chronologically, but physically they are years apart. Mentally, they are both much younger. My dad, whose physical body is failing him still sees himself as a much younger person, which I can completely relate to because I still feel like I'm 16 (okay, maybe 20).
Over the past couple of years, I kept buying my dad things to make his life easier, or to make him more comfortable, or help him get around easier. Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer and said that I was giving him gifts as if he were an old person and that he's not ready to give into that notion.
     I'm reminded of the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", and how he started life as an old person and ended life as a newborn. There is an amazing similarity between being born and dying, between being an infant and being old. but as others have said, it's the "in between" that matters. What we do with the space in between birth and death, our life in this life determines our eternal destiny in the afterlife.
     Dad told my mom that he figures he has about 2 months to live. On one hand, it's difficult for me to believe because he's been telling me that he doesn't have long to live for as long as I can remember (he suffers from depression). Additionally, he doesn't act anything like my late husband did right before he died. But I have heard of people knowing it was nearing the end and so that's always in the back of my mind. I talked to him last night and he said he's at peace with it.
     Maybe I'm just rambling here and not making any sense, but my dad is on my mind constantly because I know that he's not much longer for this world, whether it be 2 months or 2 days or 2 years. We have so many prayers for the older people in our lives. We pray for their health: mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We pray for their comfort and care. We pray for their salvation. I want to be able to see him again in the next life, but he is so set in his ways and doesn't want to talk about religion. He used to not allow any political or religious discussion but he's been more open to both topics the past couple of years. Still, I can't get through to him.
     Please think of at least one elderly person and pray for them this week. During the holidays it can be an especially difficult time for them. Offer to help them with their Christmas shopping, decorating their home, addressing Christmas cards, and running errands. Send a card or note. Drop in for an unexpected visit. Remember especially those who are housebound and isolated; those without family. You have the power to make a big difference in someone's life before the year ends. Are you up to the challenge?

Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for the elderly. Please ask God for guidance as to how to make a difference in the lives of those older than ourselves. Listen for God's direction. He answers all prayers.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

The hard truth

This is one those hard truths that I spoke of earlier...{{{deep breath}}}
The only way to get to Heaven is to declare Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior.
Repent your sins, ask for His divine grace and mercy.

That's it. It's that simple.

Paul states it clearly and simply here (me paraphrasing Ephesians 2:8-9):

It is through God's grace you are saved because of your faith in Jesus. It is absolutely nothing that you do or have done. It is a gift from God. You can't take credit for it. No matter what good works you do, or how good of a person you are, if you do not accept this gift from God, you will not see Him in Heaven.

Jesus tells us that we need to “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able." Luke 13:24
This is also found in Matthew: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus also tells us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

This biblical truth is hard because we as humans like to have control. We like to think that we can make the Bible say what we want it to say, that it means something different to each person, that things have changed since it was written and that we somehow have the privilege of tweaking it so that "sins" back then are "okay" nowadays as long as we're basically "good". But no. That's not how it works. I've struggled with a lot of misinformation that I was taught as a child. Discovering what the Bible really is saying has been a difficult road for me, but it's all finally sinking in and coming together and I've also had to accept that there are some things that I just am not meant to understand; that I can't possibly comprehend some of this stuff with my earthly knowledge and experiences. Some things we just have to accept by faith, knowing that God is sovereign.

If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, please reach out to your Pastor or an Elder in your church. If you don't attend church, find a believer and/or let me know. (Same if you just have questions.)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, 

and that not of yourselves; 

it is the gift of God, not of works, 

lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV

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Chronological Reading Plan Week 6

Chronological Reading Plan

Week 6
36. Exodus 19-21
37. Exodus 22-24
38. Exodus 25-27
39. Exodus 28-29
40. Exodus 30-32
41. Exodus 33-35
42. Exodus 36-38

We are the Church

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22 ESV

We are conquerors

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Romans 8:37 (NKJV)

Grow the Church

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, 

baptizing them in the name of 

the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 ESV