THE WORLD IN DARKNESS LAY

Posted on June 24, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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His hand reached for the oil lamp in the darkness of night, but remembered that he had not filled it the night before.  He was enveloped in the deepest darkness he had ever experienced. He strained to see even a tiny glimpse of light – just a faint whisper – Nothing. He groped, but still the blindness which had overcome him, left him hanging only to his other senses, and even they were permeated with the sullen blackness.

Usually after a time in a dark place, his eyes would’ve adjusted and eventually some semblance of his surroundings would appear, but not on that night.  It had been a week of impossibilities.

He groped and felt his way around the room, knowing that his family lay asleep there, but here in this pitch black abyss he felt so alone – so lost. Maybe if he could just reach the door and open it, a tiny sliver of light might steal its way into his humble home.

Finally he felt the latch and opened the heavy wooden door. On the other side – more darkness, obliquity – only the stench of the last few days lingered in the dank air which surrounded him.  This continued for three days and nights.  The blackness of night could not be interrupted. Even as morning approach, the sun was hidden from view.  The weight of it was more than anyone could bear.

When would this end? When would his eyes be free to view his surroundings? He didn’t deserve this punishment. Had someone come in the depths of his sleep and plucked his eyes out?  Yet, there was no pain – only helplessness.  Hopelessness encroached his heart.

Exodus 10:22-23 “So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.”

To live for three days in complete darkness must have been unbearable. We panic when the lights go out for a few minutes and our minds shut down after an hour or more, but we rarely experience complete or total darkness.

Can you imagine the fear that would enter your mind? Can you acknowledge your faith faltering – your courage failing – your hope dissolving into the murkiness? We are lost without light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

Posted on June 24, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

'Oh great, this book's in cow.'

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LET IT GO DAY

Posted on June 23, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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There seems to be a holiday for everything, if you go on the internet.  In fact today is “Let It Go Day.  I’m not sure when it originated, but the movie FROZEN certainly took off on it.

We as human beings tend to hang on to things – not only material stuff, but mental baggage that weighs us down much more than anything tangible.  We can become victims of this horrible dilemma, if we continue to dwell on past mistakes, words misspoken or deeds unconsciously done.  I think a more reasonable word for this is called guilt.

Guilt can eat away at us, often more so than the deed itself.  I spent much of my childhood believing that I would never amount to anything.  So many wasted years, because there really was no reason for those feelings. Much of it was self-inflicted.  Some of it was caused by words used by my dad, which cut deeply into my psyche.  However, he had his own demons to deal with.

I grew up in a legalistic church which preached death and damnation (which is all I heard) but the message of the Gospel was clouded by my images of rotting in hell.  With each year of my life, the weight of all that guilt became intolerable.

When the truth of the love of God was finally revealed to me in truth, it was as if all the heaviness vanished.  Much of our guilt is a result of our upbringing, our surroundings, the people we associate with and a warped opinion of God’s anger.

We definitely need to stand in awe of our Creator, but we shouldn’t be afraid of Him.  He welcomes the greatest of sinners into His waiting arms.  Run to Him for comfort.  Let it go!

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WHERE DO YOU PRAY?

Posted on June 23, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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Is it in the quiet, stillness of the morning or when the evening comes?  Is it in a closet full of shoes and boxes that words of solace, supplication, praise and thanksgiving spill from your lips?  Do you pray when you first awake, or when you end your day?  Do you pray when you think about it, or when your heart is full of questions and doubts?  Are your prayers directed to the Creator of the Universe, or merely problems you’re trying to muddle through on your own?

Prayer is a very personal thing, in my opinion.  Asking, searching, quietness, peace, anger, guilt, hopelessness, anxiety are things we face on a daily basis.  These are things we often have no control over and we need help to overcome them.  Jesus spoke a lot about prayer in His ministry, but I love the comparison He gave when he spoke of knocking on the door.

There is a natural wall between us and God.  A wall which we constructed through our original sin as well as our disobedience.  For us to approach the throne of God, the barricade needs someone to tear it down.  Jesus did that when He took the weight of sin upon His own shoulders and carried it to the cross.  Because of that, we have a direct line to the Father.

We can pray while driving our cars, playing with our children, walking with our spouse, in our beds, on the floor.  We don’t need a special place to communicate with God.  He is everywhere and is available 24/7.  Sometimes we need the trappings of a sanctuary – a beautiful church – a small chapel, but God is not confined to those places.  We can go to Him in the beauty of nature, the busyness of daily life, the turmoil of a storm.  He will always be there.

Knock on the door by reaching your hand towards it. God wants us to talk to Him and He can’t wait to hear from us.  He loves us more than we can possibly imagine.  Don’t wait until things are out of control.   Remember too that God can understand even the feeblest of our prayers.  He has the power to translate groans when we don’t know what to say.  Just do it – PRAY!

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

Posted on June 23, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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JULIE’S FRIDAY FUNNY

Posted on June 23, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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REMEMBER WHEN?

Posted on June 22, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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I think every generation considers the “good old days” as their times growing up and as young adults.  George Washington undoubtedly preferred remembering the days when he was cutting down cherry trees more than his time leading a fledgling country out of a revolution and building what is now America.  On the other hand, he would probably be rolling over in his grave (if that’s possible) if he knew what has happened to the country since it’s beginnings.

The older we get, the more we seem to dwell on the past.  We reminisce about how much better things were when we were kids.  We believe that particular juncture in time was perfect, but not so.  For example when I was growing up in the 40s and 50s, we had no clue about global warming or the internet.  Our lives were simpler then.  Kids played in the street – we didn’t lock our doors – we ate dirt – we recycled before it was popular,

BUT it also was a time right after a world war and during the Korean War .  The atomic bomb was a real threat.  Air raid drills were held in our schools.  Many were building bomb shelters in their backyards.  The economy was still in a state of recovery.  We wore second hand clothes and shoes.  Our food was home made and consisted of starchy things like pasta to fill us up. We never knew about the ill effects of gluten. We never thought of paying $50 bucks for a pair of old, torn blue jeans and we were lucky if we got a pair of new shoes when school started –  but. I digress.

The truth is, every decade has its good and bad memories.  One of the blessings God has given me is the ability to forget the bad things that have happened in my life.  I’ve been able to tuck the icky stuff into the back of my brain.  Maybe that’s why I have such weird dreams, but I digress again.

What I’m trying to say is this – Looking back is a good thing, but looking forward is even better.  We, as Christians, have been promised a perfect life in eternity after our death.  How great is that?  We will some day be in the paradise that God originally planned for us.  We will have all our teeth – healthy bodies – no sorrows or tears – our joy will be overflowing.  So without hesitation we can say “Throw every day forward!”

 

Hebrews 10:17 “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

 

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ALONE

Posted on June 22, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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ORIGINAL ART & INSPIRATION BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Gentle waves lap up against the base of this bastion,

It seems to be going nowhere – stalled,

Sun blazes down,

Creating reflections of a past life,

A life filled with good times.

Rain beats against it,

Destroying any semblance of glory,

Cold and snow integrate into its space,

It stands alone,

Steadfastly it has stood the test of time,

Diligently it holds sway again adversity,

It is no longer filled with laughter and joy,

It sleeps alone,

Within the confines of a relentless river,

This old haven of delight,

Now fades into oblivion,

It lives alone,

Never to feel the caress of that raging water,

Never to feel the gentle tug of the current,

Never to dance with the sky and waltz with the wind,

It waits alone,

Never to rush through the torrential waves,

To feel life surging through each ripple,

To be suffocated with laughter,

It dies alone.

 

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

Posted on June 22, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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TRANSITIONS

Posted on June 21, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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I’ve come to the conclusion that part of God’s wrath came down specifically on women in the form of hormonal imbalance.  There are some changes as men age, but women get the brunt of it.

In the teen years, our estrogen has begun to work overtime.  Bodies are developing.  We’re prone to mood swings, acne, weight gain or loss, hair in unwanted places, overactive sweat glands, not wanting to give up childhood and a plethora of new and unknown feelings.  We’re expected to become women overnight when we’d much rather play with Barbies or Legos.

Pregnancy is another time of change.  The body becomes swollen. You often lose recognition of your feet, because the bump in your middle has obliterated them.  When you do get a look at them, they also have grown to twice their original size.  You go through times of nausea, panic, worry and wonder why you ever agreed to this.  You struggle for nine months to learn new ways to pick things up off the floor, walk and embrace your spouse.  Your back aches, your feet hurt, your bloated and uncomfortable.  At least at the end of it, you have something wonderful to show for it.

When we go through menopause, we undergo many changes as well. We become irritated by things we have no control over. We don’t have periods anymore – which is really a blessing in my opinion.  We experience hot flashes and would find great solace sitting inside the freezer on a hot summer day.  Our hair thins, arms become flabby.  Skin loses its elasticity.  Intimacy now means “I’d rather be by myself.”

When we enter old age, there are more things to look forward to.  Teeth have now been replaced with dentures.  Hearing and other senses fail.  You are prone to memory lapses, especially when you move from one room to the other.  Your hands are now arthritic and you never know when one or two fingers are going to cramp up.  Your eyesight dims.  Your hair loss continues.  You have countless ailments and often wonder why God doesn’t simply call you home.

Being a woman is overrated.

Of course men have their share of issues as well, but they seem to muddle through, enough to tease us about our erratic internal thermostat.  They seem to find it funny.  There’s nothing funny about suddenly feeling like you have entered the gates of hell.  Thanks a lot, Adam and Eve.  How different it would’ve been if you had just obeyed one simple rule.

 

 

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

Posted on June 21, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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SET SAIL

Posted on June 20, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Water calmed by the silence and absence of wind,

Glasslike in the brilliant sun,

Quiet, tranquil,

Away from the maddening crowds of interfering life,

For a brief moment, the world stands still,

And you are reminded,

That He alone brings perfect peace,

A peace that transcends all human understanding,

A solitude that will last throughout eternity,

Take the peace freely given with open arms,

Bathe in it, clothe yourself with it,

Delight in each breath of it,

And pass it on to someone,

Who longingly awaits the same.

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WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER

Posted on June 20, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

 

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I’m reminded of Charles Schultz and his character Lucy. Her definition of team work went something like this, “These five fingers, individually they’re nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a force that is terrible to behold.” Lucy usually got her way too. In anything we do, it is better done when we do it together.

God uses this illustration when He refers to the individual parts of a human body. Each part has a function and it gives assistance to the rest of the parts in their operation. When sight fails, another sense takes over to accommodate.  When we lose the use of a limb, another will gain strength. I’m not sure where I fit into the scheme of things here.  I hope I’m not something unnecessary like the appendix.

When we work together as a team we can accomplish great things. Each one of us has something special to contribute to the mix. This can be seen in all areas of our lives, whether it’s a work situation, a sport, any kind of competition, discovery through exploration or science, building things, and the list goes on. God wants us to work as a team. That’s why He created more than one of us.

Lord, When I lose focus and turn inward, allow me to turn my eyes back to you.  I can not accomplish this life alone.  You have promised to be my pilot, my partner and my protector.  There are times when I need the help of others as well.  Help me remember to ask for help when I need it and not to try to accomplish everything  by myself.  I know that were all pieces of the big puzzle.  We all play an important part, so allow me to experience the joy of working together with others to share your wonderful news.  In Jesus name, I pray.  Amen!

 

 

 

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PASSIVITY

Posted on June 20, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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“Technology teaches passivity. Absorbed in our devices – at any age – we are absorbed in someone else’s perspective.”   Julia Cameron

Hiding our heads in the sand when the world is out of control is not the answer. I’ve been trying to avoid any semblance of “news” for the past few weeks, but its unavoidable.

Last week a congressman was the target of an assassin’s wrath and continues to fight for his life, while a newsman claims that this might have been caused by the victim himself.  The claim was astounding to me and obviously many others, yet the news anchor was able to  spew this out to an audience just waiting for something else to pin on the Republican party.

In a time of such tragedy, we owe it to ourselves to rid the air waves of this kind of misrepresentation.  I’ve been trying to bury my head in the sand, but this back and forth bantering is everywhere.  It sickens me to think that our children are learning how to deal with problems in such a negative way.  They are being taught to enrage, attack and demean others.  It’s no wonder there’s an epidemic of bullying in our nation.

After several days of trying to avoid, I was bombarded with negative news on Monday.  A Syrian warplane was shot down by the United States – but little information about why. A local police officer acquitted of all charges in the shooting of a black man – demonstrations followed.  A black man acquitted of all charges in a case which occurred several years ago and not reported until recently.  Children are being murdered because they refuse to become sex slaves.  A continual smearing of our current administration goes on.  Crime in the streets is rampant.  Children are being left to fend for themselves in this crummy environment for the summer.

Whatever happened to the Walter Cronkites of old? The journalists who asked important questions – like who, what, where, when and why?  Who got every piece of information they could muster before even airing a story.  We have become a nation of enquiring minds that want to know right now!

We can’t sit by and do nothing about this.  I don’t have the answers, but it seems to me that we should unsubscribe to the news organizations – boycott their sponsors – refuse to put up with false news and news that incites.  However, we are so much a party to it.  We are feeding on this stuff.  Our people have devoured every negative piece of news they can get their hands on. They then spit it out in the form of rhetoric and hatred and we have become a nation divided.

Do we remain complacent and let others fight over this junk?  Do we stand up for the truth?  We owe it to ourselves to research every piece of news that comes to us.  If we don’t, we’re looking at a short future for our country.

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;  for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” 

James 1:19-20

 

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

Posted on June 20, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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L’CHAIM

Posted on June 19, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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Today I’m blessed to have survived 75 years of life.  As many of you know, I am at an age where many of my friends are already in heaven or are facing the near possibility.  For some reason, God has other things in mind for me.  I’m thankful for this time of grace.  I so grateful that He’s given me chance after chance while I’m here.  He’s spared my life many times – for His purpose.

I pray that during the rest of my days, I will come to know Him better – to share His love with others – that He would keep refining me so that when my final day arrives, I’ll be ready to meet Him face to face.

In the meantime, I thank Him for blessing me with a very good life.

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

Posted on June 19, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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This doesn’t really have anything to do with writing, but I thought it was pretty funny.

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WRITERS’ FUNNIES

Posted on June 18, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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YOU ARE A MASTERPIECE

Posted on June 18, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

If you feel that your role in life isn’t important – if you struggle daily with thoughts of failure – if you believe that whatever you do, it isn’t going to be enough – it’s time to put your confidence in something other than yourself. 

Some turn to self-help books. Others think they can hide their feelings of inferiority by putting on a mask to cover up their shortcomings. Some turn to drugs or alcohol to deaden the pain. Many simply give up. There are also those who do not lack self confidence, but still struggle because they are trying too hard to find the answers all by themselves. That’s precisely the time we need God’s encouragement the most.

We’ll never be able to please all the people in our lives. We won’t always be successful in our work. We may feel left out or lonely at times, but there is One who loves us despite our failures – our brokenness – our insecurities. 

 He’s the One who created us. He also had a plan for our lives mapped out in advance of our birth. He formed each and every intricate part of us before we were ever born. He crafted each cell, each nerve, each drop of blood. I would say that’s a masterpiece.

If you’re feeling insignificant today – read Psalm 139. It not only praises God for His handiwork, it shows the intimate relationship David had with his Creator. This is true for us as well.

You don’t have to take courses in self-improvement or take pride in yourself and your accomplishments. You don’t have to live by the accolades of others. The true secret to success lies in the fact that you’re a unique creation of the God of the Universe. He loves you – and so should you.  

Use the gifts He has given you. When we put the focus on others, we Forget our own problems.  When we focus on Him instead of ourselves, we’ve got it made.

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ARE WE LIVING IN HELL?

Posted on June 17, 2017 by atimetoshare.me

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I am trying my best not to tune into the news.  I feel ignorance can be bliss.  At least I have a temporary respite from the ugliness of our world.  We can’t really escape all the darkness surrounding us by the flip of a switch, but we can seek comfort in the one who never changes.

I tend to lose it when it comes to the state of affairs in or country and the world, but then I realize there is nothing I can personally do to change it.  Even the wonderful knowledge that Jesus came to the world to fulfill the promise of salvation, is not going to change what goes on here – not until the last day.

So what do we do when it seems like evil has invaded planet earth and seems to be gaining momentum?  What do we do when it looks like there’s no hope, no peace, no solace?  How do we overcome the evil of this world?

We need to remember where our hope lies.  God is our refuge in all kinds of adversity – even in the state of our world.  He places his protective wings over us and gives us hope for the future.  Maybe the future is on the other side of eternity, but so what. It’s the truth that life will go on, even after death.  It’s the affirmation that God has forgiven everyone’s sins and when they believe in Him, they will share in paradise.

I had an aunt who used to say that our lives on earth is really our hell, but I believe that it’s really our time of grace.  A time which God has given us to share His love with others, to serve our fellow man and to leave the legacy of God’s holy Word to our children.

The Christian knows that this is not our permanent home.  We can move ahead in confidence, knowing that God has a much better place waiting for us.  Face this life with confidence that God is in control.

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