Work While you Wait upon the Lord

Goodness, where does the time go!!  The days have sped by and here it is the middle of November!

Our resident squirrel works constantly, finding seeds and acorns to store for the winter,  and when I throw him a peanut, he usually buries it-ha!  Here he or she is resting in one of the bird houses that he took over by chewing the opening to accommodate his size.  He needs to work so he can make it through the winter.


  When the early Christians heard of the Second Coming of Christ, some of the people felt no need to work, that they would just remain idle until Christ came.  Paul in his second letter to Thessalonians, admonishes the idleness. 

2 Thessalonians: 6-15


  "Now we command you, brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition you have received from us.  For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, we did not eat any one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you.  It was not because we have not that right but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate.  For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat.


  For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work.  Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living.  Brethren, do not be weary in well-doing."


  So what should we do?  We need to be ever faithful in our wait for the Lord, doing good whenever and wherever we can.  If you do not work outside the home, you are working taking care of your family just the same.  Volunteering is a great way to serve the Lord while waiting.  Hospitals need both men and women to volunteer and could not do without volunteers.  You can also volunteer at Hospices.  Visit the sick and home bound.  There is always work for you do do.  Pray to be enlightened as to where you may be of service best for God.  I do alterations for others in our neighborhood.  I earn a little pin money and I charge a small amount for my work, much less than it would cost at a dry cleaners.  I like seeing people as I am pretty much home bound in the care of my hubby.  And people appreciate any little extra I do for them.  It is a great feeling.


  God Bless and be productive while you are waiting on the Lord.

My Christian Heart to yours...

Honesty, friends, kindness

Proverbs 11:16  Honor goes to kind and gracious women, mere money to cruel men. 17: Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel."

Proverbs 10:27-32  "Reverence for God adds hours to each day; so how can the wicked expect a long, good life?  The hope of good men is eternal happiness; the hopes of evil men are all in vain.  God protects the upright but destroys the wicked.  The good shall never lose God's blessings, but the wicked shall lose everything.  The good man gives wise advice, but the liar's counsel is shunned.  The upright speak what is helpful; the wicked speak rebellion."

Many people are mistaken in the belief that Nuns and clergy are ignorant to real life happenings because they lead a sheltered life.  Not so.  They deal with people of all walks of life, just as we do in our journey.  The photo above is of Sister Teresina, my father's sister who went into the convent at age 16.  She knew early on that she wanted to devote her life to God, Jesus and being a humble servant of the Lord.  (Next to her is a teen younger sister, Anne.

Sister Teresina ( given name Helen, nick-named "Nellie") was a very wise and very kind woman.  She taught at the Holy Family Church in our hometown for over 60 yrs!  She helped the poor, could advise on all domestic problems and the beautiful shining light in her eyes and on her face, came not from a sheltered monastic life but rather from God dwelling within.  She died in the Mother House in Rochester NY in her Eighties.  She had a wonderful sense of humor and I loved her very much.  My husband and I used to visit her near the end of her life and attended her service when she passed.

How can you lead a selfless life, How can you have God shining from your own face?  I have prayed from the moment I became a born again Christian in the early eighties: "Lord, let the joy of my salvation be in my heart and on my lips."  When I worked, I prayed every day before I got to the place of employment, "Lord let me not compromise my faith at work today."  Workplaces are full of temptations, foul language and down right sinfulness in today's world.  Pray for yourself to have strengths to get you through a day without compromising your faith.  If something offends you, speak up.  Friends will not be offended, only those that are lost to sin.

Be kind to everyone because it sets you free from caustic remarks, the stresses of our world.  If I am thinking about Jesus and Lord, I have no room to dwell on any unhappiness.

Proverbs 11:24, 25  "It is possible to give away and become richer!  It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything.  Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself."

♫♫Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below.  Praise him above ye heavenly host, Praise Father, son and Holy Ghost.  Amen♫♫

My Joyful Hear to Yours...

Present day Site of the Ascension of our Lord

Hello dear Christian hearts!  I watched a journey to the Holy Land on television Sunday about all the sites in the Holy Land.  In my ignorance, having never been there, I did not realize that all the places of the Bible are preserved to this day.  That in itself is a miracle.  With all the wars going on in that part of the world, God must truly be present to protect these shrines that document in a tangible way, the life and miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It was like a revelation to me.  So I am sharing just ONE of the sites.  Thanking God and modern technology that though I may never see these sites in person, I can visit vicariously through the media.  Enjoy!

Location of the Ascension (source: Wikipedia believe it or not)

 

The place of the Ascension is not distinctly mentioned in the Gospel of Mark. Luke 24:50 states that the event took place in Bethany while it appears from Acts that it took place on the Mount Olivet (the "Mount of Olives"). After the

The Ascension edicule

 Ascension the apostles are described as returning to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, within a Sabbath day's journey. Tradition has consecrated this site as the Mount of Ascension.
Before the conversion of Constantine in 312 AD, early Christians honored the Ascension of Christ in a cave on the Mount of Olives. By 384, the place of the Ascension was venerated on the present open site, uphill from the cave.
The Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem today is a Christian and Muslim holy site now believed to mark the place where Jesus ascended into heaven. In the small round church/mosque is a stone imprinted with what some claim to be the very footprints of Jesus.

The Ascension rock, inside the edicule, is said to bear the imprint of Jesus' right foot.

St. Helena erected over the site a basilica called "Eleona Basilica" (elaion in Greek means "olive garden", from elaia "olive tree," and has an oft-mentioned similarity to eleos meaning "mercy") in 392, which was destroyed by the Sassanid Persians in 614. It was rebuilt in the 8th century, destroyed again, but rebuilt a second time by the Crusaders. This final church was also destroyed by Muslims, leaving only the octagonal structure (called a martyrium—"memorial"—or "Edicule") that remains to this day.
The site was ultimately acquired by two emissaries of Saladin in the year 1198 and has remained in the possession of the Islamic Waqf of Jerusalem ever since. The martyrium, though now only bare stone, enshrines the rock said to bear the imprint of the right foot of Christ as he ascended, and is venerated by Catholic Christians as the last point on earth touched by the incarnate Christ. The Crusader building was converted to a mosque but was never used by Muslims since the overwhelming majority of visitors were Christian. As a gesture of compromise and goodwill, Saladin ordered the construction of a second mosque and mihrab two years later next door to the chapel for Muslim worship while Christians continued to visit the main chapel. Though still under the control of the Muslims, this Chapel of the Ascension is currently opened to visitors for a nominal fee.
The Russian Orthodox Church also maintains a Convent of the Ascension on the top of the Mount of Olives.

I hope I have peaked your interest for visiting other pertinent sites from the Bible on line.  Many videos are available containing trips to the Holy Land also, all you need to do is put it in your search line.

Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you are blessed today and every day.  Pray often, take time for quiet reflection with the Lord, He loves spending time with you!

 

God is watching us from a distance...

SOMETIMES, an entertainer reaches up to the Lord and creates a song that is felt deep within their hearts.  Bette Midler wrote this song in 1985 and storms of war still rage on today with our young men and women who are serving in Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.  War will always be with us in this area of the world as the warring factions were active as far back as biblical history has been recorded.  This song served as an inspiration to the troops of the United States Army, earning the "Minute Man Award" along with the "Seven Seals Award" from the U.S. Department of Defence

I find the words so touching and reverent and hope you will agree.

FROM A DISTANCE written by Bette Midler

From a distance the world looks blue and green,
and the snow-capped mountains white.
From a distance the ocean meets the stream,
and the eagle takes to flight.

From a distance, there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace,
it's the voice of every man.
From a distance we all have enough,
and no one is in need.
And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease,
no hungry mouths to feed.

From a distance we are instruments
marching in a common band.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.
They're the songs of every man.
God is watching us. God is watching us.God is watching us from a distance.

From a distance you look like my friend,
even though we are at war.
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
what all this fighting is for.

From a distance there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
And it's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves,
it's the heart of every man.

It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves.
This is the song of every man.
And God is watching us, God is watching us,
God is watching us from a distance.
Oh, God is watching us, God is watching.
God is watching us from a distance.

God can use anyone for his instrument, no matter who they are.
Are you not worthy of letting the Lord work through you?  You dormant talent is lying within each of you.  Be bold for the Lord and spread His word in your own unique way, you will find it...

Thank you so much for visiting today and come back soon.

Autumn Christian celebrations

CHRISTIANITY: The Christian Church replaced earlier Pagan solstices and equinox celebrations during Medieval times, with Christianized observances. Replacing the fall equinox is Michaelmas, the feast of the Archangel Michael, on SEP-29. "His feast was celebrated with a traditional well-fattened goose which had fed well on the stubble of the fields after the harvest. In many places, a there was also a tradition of special large loaves of bread made only for that day. By Michaelmas the harvest had to be completed and the new cycle of farming would begin. It was a time for beginning new leases, rendering accounts and paying the annual dues."

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world -- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

-- Revelation 12:7-9 [RSV

   St. Michael is patron of knights, policemen, soldiers, paramedics, ambulance drivers, etc., and also danger at sea, for the sick, and of a holy death. He is usually depicted in art carrying a sword and/or shield, battling Satan.

  I am a few days late with this post but found it most interesting to research the Christian observance of Michaelmas.  In Europe, it was the time to take care of accounts and pay what was owed.  Also a celebration of the harvest and the new planting to come.  I hope you enjoyed learning more about the fall solstice.

It is beautiful here today, a nice cool 63 degrees and sunny, my kind of day.  Have a most blessed Sunday!

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours...



What must I do to have Eternal Life...

MATTHEW 19:16-25

The Rich Young Ruler
16   And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17  And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18  Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; 19  HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

 20  The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21  Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22  But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

23  And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24  “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25  When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26  And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

I was surprised that I could find no graphic for this!  But the needle that Jesus is referring to is not a sewing needle.  He is referring to a pass between too hills or rocks that is so narrow that a camel would not be able to pass through the space.  These tight passages were referred to as "Needles".  There is much confusion about this teaching but once you know the true meaning, it all makes sense.

I hope you learned something new today on your visit, have a blessed week as we move into the shorter days of Autumn.

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours...

I HAVE ADDED A NEW BLOG THAT FEATURES MY ORIGINAL POETRY.
THE POETRY OF KERRIE O'HEARN MARQUART  I hope you will enjoy both the spiritual Christian poetry as well as other subjects.  The site includes photos by both hubby and myself.  Thank you!  If you visit, do leave a comment