Gender identity issues even in those days.
SHAKESPEARE FUNNIES
Gender identity issues even in those days.
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WWJD
It breaks my heart to see how so many churches have slowly but steadily turned away from the truths of the Bible. Many are becoming politically correct places for people to feel good about themselves. Without the knowledge of sin there is really no need for a savior. We must be shown our wrongdoing to continue a relationship with Christ.
Jesus associated with all kinds of low-lifes in His ministry. He ate with tax collectors, He ministered to prostitutes, He chastised th…e hierarchy of the church for their sinful behavior. He healed those with contagious diseases, raised some from death, but first and foremost He told sinners there was hope for them. None of us is exempt from the pangs of sin, but through faith in the work Jesus has done for us, we can be confident of forgiveness. We will never really be free from our sinful behavior until we pass into eternity, so we must ask for forgiveness daily and walk away from the sins that torment us.
Lord, you paid the ultimate price for my salvation. Lead me now from evil and into the paths of righteousness. Amen!
Posted in Christian daily devotion, Uncategorized
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CHILL TIME
When we are surrounded by mass media which hammers us with fake news, half truths, scandal, downright lies and simply too much of everything, it’s time to chill out. My granddaughter made note of that the other day as we were out and about. In her fourteen year old wisdom, she stated that we should
stop worrying, being stubborn, cranky and chill.
I’m not quite sure where it came from. Maybe it has to do with the fact that as we age, we tend to grow grumpy with time. We feel we’re entitled to smooth sailing after all the years of storms we’ve faced over time. Maybe it has to do with the stress of having to still work to make ends meet. It might even have to do with aging bodies that ache and tire out so much more quickly.
I remember my own grandparents and some of the difficulties they faced and how they seemed to muddle through, even during times of great adversity. My maternal grandparents attended funerals for five of their eight children. My paternal grandmother was left by her husband to raise four children on her own. Still they managed to survive with a fair amount of hope.
Our troubles have been minor in comparison to them, but somehow we feel short changed as we age. We think the world owes us something, simply for living as long as we have. We tend to forget that we still have things to offer this world in spite of our aging shells.
So for the time being, I have decided to take my granddaughter’s advice and chill. I refuse to let the climate of politics and hatred overtake me. I will not succumb to the media and all its hype. I will do my best to look at the bright side of life and forget about name calling, bullying behavior and the sticks and stones that accompany daily living. I have no intention of becoming a grumpy old woman.
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GIVE THANKS
You may be a victim of domestic violence. You might hold some deep dark secret that would condemn you if the world knew about it. You may be in the throes of addiction. Why on earth would you thank God? Your life isn’t worth a nickel and God wants you to thank Him?
There is so much pain and sorrow in our world. Many are at the ends of their rope because of it. There are times when depression leads to suicide. It may seem easier to just end it all when we can’t cope any longer. Christians are being persecuted on a daily basis – not only in far off lands, but right here in the USA. We are confronted with illness and even death – financial loss – indecision, hopelessness and despair.
God is worthy of our praise no matter what our circumstances. He doesn’t cause our suffering – He is the One who relieves it. He doesn’t kick us when we’re down – He lifts us out of the pit and carries us through adversity. His love is so great that He laid down His life for us and promises perfection in eternity – no more tears or sorrow – no more pain.
Give thanks to Him in all circumstances – not because it is required of us, but because He is worthy of our gratitude. He is our Heavenly Father who has only our best interests in mind. He is the Son who showed us how to live and freely gave us forgiveness of all our sins. He is the Holy Spirit who lives in us and gives us encouragement, faith, peace and zeal for God.
Give thanks to Him today and every day – in good times and in bad.
Posted in Christian daily devotion, thanks, Uncategorized
Tagged encouragement, FAITH, gratitude, Inspiration
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HE LEADETH ME
ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©
Slowly crossing the sands of time – into a pasture green sublime.
I’ll rest my feet and wet my lips, with waters clear and cold that grips.
Through danger I will walk with Him. He guards me from each foolish sin.
He takes my hand and leads me now to comfort me and show me how
To live my life and live it right and when I stray He sets me right.
When my own final hour comes near, I’ll face my death with no more fear.
I’ll trust in His unfailing love – which He bestows from up above.
With Him in paradise I’ll live. He promised me He did forgive
Each one of my transgressions.
Posted in art, Christian daily devotion, Christian Poetry, Uncategorized
Tagged Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher, COMFORT, Good shepherd, Inspiration, Peace
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WHEN DREAMS DELIGHT
“In my dreams and visions, I seemed to see a line, and on the other side of that line were green fields, and lovely flowers, and beautiful white ladies, who stretched out their arms to me over the line, but I couldn’t reach them no-how. I always fell before I got to the line.” Harriet Tubman
I consider myself to be a dreamer. My dreams have been known to scare me, to alert me to danger, to create a new character for a play, decide how to begin a day and totally confuse me. I’ve dreamt about adopting a pet bison and raising him on Purina Bison Chow. I’ve dreamt of a three headed queen, which allowed me to cast three young ladies for a part they were all suited for. When I’ve been worried, I may dream of a solution to what’s troubling me. Dreams have always been very vivid- in brilliant color and often times ridiculous.
Last night I had a dream that caused me to wake in the midst of it and then want to get right back to sleep so I could finish it and find out what happened. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could record some of those dreams? In last night’s dream, the world was in a terrible state of anxiety, much like it really is. Our days seem to be jam packed with things to be concerned about.
As I floated from one ugly thing to another there was a kaleidoscope of broken glass which filled my mind. Slowly the color blue began to fill my imagination. It was a comforting feeling. With each addition of color, the blues became indigo, aqua, turquoise, sky blue and created a feeling of peace. It was if the world was being infiltrated with the saturation of refreshing water.
Our dreams can be an accumulation of the things we struggle with daily. They can lead us to timely decisions. They can confuse or antagonize us, but this dream kept drawing me back in. I didn’t want to leave it. It was in fact, just what I needed. A time to reflect, to imagine a world without turmoil and rage. A time to simply let God bleed His precious, cleansing water over my mind and give me a much needed rest.
Posted in Dreams, Uncategorized
Tagged Anxiety, COMFORT, Depression, dreams, encouragement, Hope, Peace
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CARVE A PUMPKIN
Some days are simply do nothing days, but enjoy the season and the people you’re with. This week is teachers’ convention time in Minnesota, so for the past couple days, we’ve been doing just that. Yesterday our adventure took us to an apple orchard, where Paul and his plein air painting class had set up for the morning. This is why there was no post yesterday. Sometimes you simply need to be in the moment and forget about stuff like that.
Granddaughter, Kaeli and I started the morning with a trip to the local coffee house, prior to joining grandpa and his class. There was an opportunity for hayrides, pumpkin toss, corn maze and a spooky nature hike. The air was filled with freshness and a brilliant blue sky showcased the colors of autumn. A slight chill in the air made it all come alive. Kaeli and I opted for garage sales after taking a quick peek at the orchard and pumpkin patch.
As I looked at the mounds and rows of pumpkins, I started thinking about days when we would carve the orange orbs with our own children. Cutting through the top was the critical thing. Making sure that it would refit again, once all the crud was removed from the insides. Then going through the yucky ordeal of pulling out the squishy part, washing the pumpkin seeds and later roasting them. Being an artistic family, our creations were always pretty amazing.
Our lives are kind of like those pumpkins. There are times when things begin to rot inside of us. We need to get the crud out. We need to empty our innards of the confusion, anxiety, stress and daily responsibilities. We can scrape away at the surface things, but only God can get in there and really clean up the gobbledy gook that stagnates within. He has provided a free cleaning service to us through His Son, Jesus – through His Holy Word – through His everlasting love.
The afternoon topped off our day as we took a drive through a wildlife refuge north of the city. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife, but what a lovely way to spend the day with our granddaughter. Sometimes you just have to ignore the routine of daily life and live it.
Posted in Christian daily devotion, Family, Uncategorized
Tagged encouragement, enjoyment, Inspiration, Peace, time
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AUTUMN PEAK
ORIGINAL ART & INSPIRATION FROM PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©
An early morning stroll leads to a tapestry
Of faded leaves and brittle branches,
Colors have reached the apex,
Reds have turned to burnished crimson,
Greens to chartreuse and golden yellows,
The rusted, bronzed oak leaves endure,
Soon they will fall to their doom,
Yet life will return once more,
What pleasure we have to know that life does go on,
Even after breath is sapped,
Dreams have been realized,
Disappointments overcome,
We will rise with the end of time.
A WRETCH LIKE ME
To say the least, Job had to go through hell in order to find heaven. He was consistent in his faith, but he had his moments – just as we would under less circumstances.
We worry and fret over things which we have no control over. We panic when the word EBOLA is mentioned. We run in fear when we think our country is in the throes of terrorism. We get upset if our internet service is down. We spend a great portion of our lives trying to go it alone and forget whose hand is in every aspect of them.
At the end of Job’s journey, he has been beaten by his losses – in great physical, mental and spiritual need – and has endured the advice of his “friends.” He’s been tested to the limit and finally he cries out to God for answers.
Each time we go through even the slightest difficulty we may confront God in the same way. Why me? What did I do to deserve this? When will my misery end? In the final chapters of this amazingly poetic book, we hear God’s response. If you have a chance to read these chapters, do so. I can’t begin to describe the magnificent language.
God tells Job to stand up like a man. Poor Job! His body was riddled with pain and anguish and God was challenging him again, but was He? He was trying to get Job’s attention, because Job had been wallowing in self pity for some time now and his friends weren’t helping the situation.
We all need to be snapped to attention from time to time – especially when we are at the breaking point. Through God’s power and majesty we will come to see His enduring compassion as well. He saw our useless condition and paid the full price for our redemption. If it weren’t for that, we would have no future in His loving, mighty arms.
Lord, forgive me when I forget that you are Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. Your hand formed the universe and you breathed life into everything. You can do anything – even save a worm like me. Amen!
Posted in Christian daily devotion, hope, Inspiration, Uncategorized
Tagged encouragement, life, motivation, prayer, trials
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GIVE THANKS
ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©
How can I thank you, Lord, for all you’ve done for me?
Your perfect love surrounds me and sets my spirit free.
You’ve taken all my sins away. You cleanse my heart both night and day.
I come without one plea.
Before You I can stand – perfected by your Son.
You’ve molded me like clay. Like gold I have become.
The devil can no more defeat. I face to face will You soon meet.
Through all that You have done.
Posted in art, Christian daily devotion, Christian Poetry, Uncategorized
Tagged Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher, God, Inspiration, praise, Thanks
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IS IT TIME FOR ANOTHER REFORMATION?
Originally posted by atimetoshare.me on 10/31/15
Throughout history the world has managed to corrupt everything that comes from God’s Word, the Bible. This distortion continues today when we hear how many churches have eliminated using the Law of God, because most folks don’t like being told they’re wrong. Some church bodies have become entertainment centers to make you feel good about yourself. Still others no longer believe that the Bible is completely true – they pick and choose what connects with them. Some have become social gathering places only.
During the Renaissance, the leaders of countries and churches were doing much the same thing. The Church of England was partially formed to fit the lifestyle of a king who wanted to divorce his wife. The power of the church had tremendous influence. So much so that they could bring in revenue simply by selling forgiveness of sins through indulgences. Out of that time came the Protestant Reformation.
Are we there today? Do our churches still preach the Word of God? Do we have a right to stand up for the truth or do we simply accept a watered down version of Law and Gospel?
Many are fed up with the corruption in our government. Maybe we should put as much energy into testing our spiritual guides too. If the truth is not being taught with Biblical purity, call them on it or find a church that does.
Dear, Jesus, you are the head of the church. Your Bible is how you communicate with us and I know your words are true. Keep our churches pure. Don’t allow the devil and the world to corrupt them. You alone are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Keep us steadfast in that truth. Amen!
Posted in church, reformation, Uncategorized
Tagged FAITH, refomation, truth, Word of God
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