Author: Have You Considered...?

Analytical thinker whose mind never seems to shut off. Putting to use the analytical mind God gave me to inspire others. Considering things that perplex me most everyday.

Bibles in Classrooms?

by M Newberg

The hot topic lately is a new mandate, by our state superintendent, that requires each classroom 5th grade through 12th to keep and teach the bible and Ten Commandments.  Should this be a requirement in public schools? 

Personally, I’m very conservative and rely heavily on my faith in The God of the bible to get through each day.  Of course, I wish everyone felt this way, but that’s my perspective and opinion.  The bible even says that won’t happen.  Do I wish there were bibles all over the public schools, yes!  Let’s break this down a little bit more with more information to make a rational decision about the subject. 

Now, from what I understand our state superintendent is requiring that a bible will be in each classroom, grades 5-12, and that teachers will teach from it, and the Ten Commandments.  Mind you that he has very conservative ideas and hopes for our state public schools.  He’s not blinded by the liberal media and politicians that drive their agendas very hard, not only outside of the classroom but in our public schools as well. 

Those that oppose him seem to be shouting, “you can’t teach or push one religion in public school”!  “We won’t do it”, some schools are relaying.  “Separation of church and state”, they whine.  One gentleman on television exclaimed, “what version of the bible are you requiring, what makes your version right”?  I haven’t heard or seen the superintendent require any one version or translation yet. 

In a local newspaper letter to the editor, one person suggested that if required to use bibles, that the schools should use “The Jefferson Bible”.  I’m not sure if it was with sarcasm she wrote this, since she ended her opinion with the mention of Jefferson owning over 600 slaves.  This bible, she referenced, is a cut and paste bible that Thomas Jefferson, a founding father, assembled which ultimately cut out the divinity of Jesus.  I say, unacceptable! 

They’re not even listening!  What the superintendent is requiring is that the bible be taught as a part of history, not as any religion or church organization.  He’s not requiring that it be taught to convert anyone or to bring people to church.  The opposition doesn’t seem to understand this. 

So, we should ask, is the bible historical fact?  I would beg to say it is.  Archeology, geology, written history, and biology, have all proven the historicity of the bible.  Along with other non-biblical writings and historical accounts such as Flavius Josephus the Jewish historian.  These writings line up with events written in the bible. 

Just a little sidestep to the issue of separation of church and state.  This is not in our constitution.  In short, it is to help us understand that we should not have a government with a state-run church or religion.  Which, check me if I’m wrong, some other countries have a state-run church that in order to fund, requires a portion of taxpayer’s money.  The founding fathers wanted to protect the new country from government control of religion. 

If we had a government-controlled religion or church, then it could be a concern if a citizen were to oppose it in any way, they would be criminalized and prosecuted harshly for doing so; an enemy of the state.  This I would be opposed to.  The liberals have fed the separation of church and state lie to us so long and hard that people have become afraid to discuss religion in public places, especially where they work.  I don’t think that is the real purpose of separation of church and state.  But I digress. 

Let’s look at some other thoughts about the subject that might continue to help us make an informed decision. 

Are there already beliefs, religion, and faiths being taught in our public schools?  Well, yes as a matter of fact there is.  One example is evolution, which is taught as fact in our public schools.  Evolution has never been proven as fact scientifically; it is a very old, outdated theory.  It is not repeatable nor observable, which makes it deniable according to real science.  Since it is not a proven scientific fact, and only a theory and a belief of many scientists, should it be mandatorily taught in public schools?  I conclude that it is merely a form of religion; a belief. 

What about mythology?  Is it being taught and read in our public schools?  I remember learning some about it when I attended public schools (I wasn’t interested in their myths).  There’s no fact behind mythology except the history of societies and cultures that believed in it, and some people still believe in.  Mythological characters are not real people; merely a myth.  Again, they’re teaching a belief system even if it’s taught historically.  Could mythology be considered a religion? 

Parents and teachers, you have no problem with the above-mentioned fictional theories being taught in public school, yet you have a problem with the bible being taught as history.  The events, places, and people in the bible have in many ways been proven as historical fact.  There are numerous archeological finds, and historical writings found, in addition to the bible, that support the historical soundness of biblical text. 

Another suspiciously religious subject being taught in our public schools is Yoga.  Hmm, and let’s see, did I say religious?  Yes, Yoga has Hindu roots.  According to Dictionary.com: 

yoga 

or Yo·ga 

[ yoh-guh ] 

Phonetic (Standard) 

IPA 

noun 

a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle. 

any or all of the methods or disciplines prescribed in the Hindu philosophical school of yoga, especially a series of postures and breathing exercises practiced to achieve tranquility, control of the body and mind, etc. 

union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle. 

No date found. Yoga.  Retrieved from YOGA Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com 

And, yet another religious practice taught even in elementary school classrooms, Tai Chi, (which I know because my son was taught this without our knowledge).  According to Wikipedia: 

In Chinese philosophy, taiji (Chinese: 太極; pinyin: tàijí; Wade–Giles: tʻai chi; trans. “supreme ultimate”) is a cosmological state of the universe and its affairs on all levels, including the mutually reinforcing interactions between the two opposing forces of yin and yang, (a dualistic monism),[1][2] as well as that among the Three Treasures, the four cardinal directions, and the Five Elements—which together ultimately bring about the myriad things, each with their own nature. The taiji concept has reappeared throughout the technological, religious, and philosophical history of the Sinosphere, finding concrete application in techniques developed in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  This page was last edited on 17 July 2024.  Taiji (philosophy).  Retrieved from Taiji (philosophy) – Wikipedia   

The above-mentioned forms of meditation and exercise are taught or guided by teachers nationwide to calm and refocus their selves and their students.  Yet, they have a problem with biblical concepts that can do both and have a positive impact on society.  You’re hypocritical, teachers and educational decision makers, you want peace and order in the classroom without Christian religion, yet you do the very thing you oppose by teaching from other religions. 

There you go, check it out for yourself, don’t take my word for it.  The evidence is overwhelming and too much for me to list in this article.  It really is a spiritual matter.  The world opposes the Creator and embraces anything outside of the proven Word of God.  They’re inclusive and tolerant except towards the Word of God, the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, and those that follow the God of the bible.  So, don’t be fooled by their liberal propaganda and evil brainwashing.  Remember, we’ll always have opposition to the bible especially in public schools.  The truth is that we need it there. 

I personally support the bible being kept and taught in schools as history, science, and reading.  But if you teach it as a religion then lawfully, and worldly you must allow teaching of all religions, which I would oppose. 

Have you considered what you believe regarding bibles in the classroom? 

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” 

(New American Standard Bible, NASB 1995, Colossians 2:8) 

 

Near and Dear to My Heart

           I remember as a young teenager I would hear people talking about abortion.  I asked, “what is that”?  I soon learned it was a “termination of a pregnancy”.

I was brought up in the church, both of my parents were believers and strived to live a life of faith.  I was inspired by them and other family members to pursue a life of faith in the God of the bible.

I received my first bible from my parents approximately at the age of ten or eleven, signed in the front with the date and from Mommy and Daddy.  I treasure that bible even though it is gone now, which is a subject for another blog.   So, when presented with the subject of abortion by friends and fellow students I didn’t know what I should believe about it.  That’s when I decided, on my own, to see what God had to say about it by opening my bible.

It took me a while to find anything; it took me time to find the answer.  Keep in mind that no one coerced me into seeking the answer in the bible, it was all on my own that I sincerely wanted to know the truth.  And then one day while searching scripture it came to me; Psalm 139:13-16!

“For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”  (Psalm 139:13-16 NASB 1995)

After reading this, I knew that it could not be God’s will for a man or woman to take an unborn baby’s life.  So, it was set in my heart that “abortion” was wrong, and that was that.  No more questions in my mind or my heart about the issue.  From there I have continuously championed for the right of the unborn.

Even with that secure, and strong belief, I still thought in the back of my mind the “what if” I was in a predicament when I became pregnant with my own child.  What would I do?  What choice would I make?  What if I was raped, or if my life was in danger, what would I do?  I held to the belief that I would make the right choice when and if that time came.

When I got married and when pregnancy came, I wasn’t threatened with any reason to terminate each pregnancy until my third child.  I was in my early forties.

I soon learned that the older you are the higher risk for down syndrome.  This was constantly in the back of my mind.  I knew and my husband knew exactly what we would do if this diagnosis came.  We quickly let the doctor know that this baby would keep its life, LORD willing, and we would not terminate the pregnancy if this issue came up; I refused the testing for down syndrome.

My first and second pregnancy were unplanned C-sections.  So, with number three we chose to just plan a C-section and avoid going through a risky labor for both mine and the baby’s sake.  The doctor quickly classified me as high risk, I suppose because of my age and history of C-sections.  I was fine with this, but it did mean more ultrasounds than usual, and close monitoring by the doctor.  All was good.

Further along in the pregnancy, the doctor told us he thought he saw some abnormality in the baby on an ultrasound.  Of course, I was anxious and didn’t know what this meant.  He referred us to a specialist.  We prayed and took the doctor’s advice, and off to the specialist we went.  This meant even more ultrasounds but a more specialized one.

The specialist identified some possible abnormality somewhere by the baby’s stomach area.  He wanted to monitor this closely.  I still didn’t know what this meant.  We kept praying.  I went back to the specialist a couple of times and after the last visit I became depressed.  I felt like I was constantly being reminded that I could still terminate the pregnancy.  I insisted no I was having this baby LORD willing and was going to trust in God that all would turn out just fine and if not, we would handle what the LORD had for us together with our faith.  We prayed for a healthy and whole baby and trusted that was what we would have.  I never went back to the specialist.

You see, doctors don’t know everything and most of them only think within the box of a textbook and what they have been told or taught.  They don’t hardly ever think in terms of the supernatural.  God gave us a healthy whole baby boy and he is very healthy to this day almost all grown up!

Was I tempted to terminate the pregnancy?  Yes of course, because that is what happens—temptation.  In the back of my mind was that nagging temptation and thoughts of what ifs.  I am so glad that I resisted because my son is one of the most intelligent, loving, fun loving, carefree, confident, and strong young boy of his age that I know!  Oh, what we would have missed out on if I had given in to that temptation!  Remember, temptation is not a sin.

There are much worse situations out there, I know that.  I haven’t walked in those shoes, however, I did have temptation and felt that pressure.  Each person has the “choice” to choose life or not.  I believe it is a choice, but it is a choice between the individual and the LORD.  It should not ever be a subject or issue for the government to decide for men, women, and babies.

In Roe v. Wade, Jane Roe was a real human being with real concerns, real feelings, and real beliefs.  Her real name was not Jane Roe, it was Norma McCorvey.  Her concerns and experience were real, and her battle was real, but what I don’t think she understood is that she became a political pawn for this country and the social political liberal women’s agenda.  She didn’t understand that those people didn’t really care about her; they only cared about furthering their agenda.

Even as I am writing this, looking up the history of Roe v. Wade, I came to realize that the supreme court at that time, 1973, was primarily made up of old white men (1).  No women were appointed to the supreme court at that time.  Most of these old white men made that 7-2 decision that made history for women!  The president?  None other than republican Richard Nixon.  Hmm, something to think about!

  • Garrett, A. (2022, May 3). Who Are the Supreme Court Justices Who Decided Roe v. Wade?. 

Retrieved from https://marketrealist.com/p/1973-supreme-court-justices/

The devil is to blame.  I’ve heard this phrase a couple times and it’s true, he’s the root of the problem.  You see, the liberal women’s movement is being used by the devil, in fact it is inspired by the devil.  All through world history, biblically and historically, innocent babies have been being sacrificed in some form or fashion.  It’s no secret.  You can find it if you search hard enough, and you really want to know the truth.

My friends, we should all want the truth.  Have you considered the truth?  God’s word is the truth whether you choose to believe it or not.  It has always been the truth and will remain the truth for eternity!  You do have a choice and have always been given the choice by the God of the bible to choose to do His will or choose your own.  The supreme court didn’t give you that freedom, God did! 

Think about it.  I pray the Holy Spirit will give you the ability to see the truth and that you will choose the narrow road, the unpopular road to eternity with the LORD!

Gentle and Quiet

Let me see, what’s going on today?  Winter or should I say fall, but it feels like winter.  Cold, dreary, overcast, and foggy this morning.  Sitting here in my home next to my grand dog.  The children are playing their video games in their rooms.  My husband is preparing lunch for them.  He’s such a good guy; my husband.  He’s been there for me through a lot, other guys would have left a long time ago.

We don’t always get along; in fact, our children would probably say we never get along.  Children don’t see everything that happens between a husband and wife.  They don’t see when at night we turn to each other and say, “I’m sorry.”, they don’t see my thoughts between myself and God when I cry out to Him to help me overcome my anger towards my husband.  I do this often even when I think I’m right.

I might walk outside and cry out to God, “God, help him see what I mean!  I don’t understand why he doesn’t understand!  I just want to leave, (with tears in my eyes), I don’t want to keep doing this over and over!”.  It can be a long conversation.

By the time I’m done with my walk, ranting and raving, God has stepped in and softened my heart towards my husband.  It is an interesting thing to me and continues to prove the existence of the Great I AM! 

In my own fleshly being I don’t see the same outcome.  I would have already convinced myself that I deserve better, or I need to leave this situation, they’ll be better off without me.  Basically, I would be another statistic of divorce.

Don’t take me wrong, my husband is not abusive, not an alcoholic, doesn’t use drugs, etc.  He’s a very hard worker.  He’s highly motivated when something needs to be done.  A man that is zealous for God.  The problem usually starts with a lack of communication, and his “rough around the edges” personality.  No sugar coating from him!  Us women need just a little icing sometimes.

My problem is, it seems, he pushes the right buttons and after so many times I feel cornered emotionally and strike back verbally.  From there it just goes downhill and into a yelling argument.  I’m sure other marriages have had this same problem, with some of them ending in a split.  It’s sad.

I’m determined to do my part to keep the marriage together.  I’m sure he is too; it just doesn’t always look that way in my eyes.  I ponder, why do I have to work so hard, and why does it seem like he’s not working as hard to adjust or compromise to help the situation?

I don’t see myself with anyone else.  We have been married close to thirty years, why start over with a whole different set of problems.  The grass is not always greener on the other side!  You’ll just step into another set of problems.  One thing I say to other people is, my husband is not perfect but he’s perfect for me.  I believe we are together for a reason.

That reason may simply be to accomplish patience and understanding for each other as the LORD would have us do.  A marriage held together through adversity can be a powerful tool for the kingdom of God!

“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”  Acts 20:24 NASB 1995

God, our Heavenly Father, the Creator of all life, gives us, husbands and wives, instruction on this struggle I’m writing about.  Although a lengthy quote, it is worthy of our reflection and commitment to put to action for a successful marriage and relationship.

“Your adornment must not be merely external – braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.  For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.  You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life so that your prayers will not be hindered.  To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”  1 Peter 3:3-9 NASB 1995

As a side note, keep in mind that, I believe, this scripture is not suggesting that you don’t wear pretty clothes and jewelry, just don’t let that be your sole source of beauty; it should be deeper than that.  Also keep in mind that this doesn’t suggest that a man should treat a woman as his slave.  See, in verse 4, scripture shows how, eternally, a gentle and quiet spirit is so valuable.  It gets you further in life and provides peace in your life and in relationships.

If you’re struggling right now in your marriage and the buttons keep getting pushed, don’t give up.  Pray, and cry out to God to help you to hang in there and finish the race you have begun!  Be encouraged that He wants you to succeed in your marriage.  It is the enemy, the devil, that rejoices every time a marriage is broken.  That old enemy of ours rejoices at the pain that divorce induces on the children of broken families.  Don’t give him a foothold!  Resist the devil and he will flee from you!

Consider our Father’s words and take them to heart; you will see blessings in the long run, even into eternity with Him.

Disclaimer, I am in no way advising any woman, or man, to stay in a physically abusive relationship nor a relationship that is a victim of infidelity.  (Although, I do believe that God can and has healed marriages in these predicaments), I am not a marriage counselor nor a licensed counselor of any type.  I am simply writing from my experience and perspective and want to encourage others.

The Fine Print

The Fine Print

By M Newberg

Read the fine print.  The fine print is found in so many places in our lives today.  Sometimes it’s not found because it is so small!  As I see it, the fine print is a way for a company or person to communicate to you without you knowing that they are.

Contracts have it.  Notifications from bill collectors.  TV commercials have it.  It’s unethical in my opinion.  It’s done intentionally to keep most people from reading it.  We don’t want to read it in this fast-paced world.  If I want to buy a house or car, I don’t want to take the time to read the small print, I’m worn out, tired, by the time the paperwork is ready to sign I don’t want to take the time to read it.  That’s what they expect us to do.

            Medications have the small print.  Medication commercials are probably the worst.  A paragraph at the bottom of the screen that to read it you must pause the commercial, go find a magnifying glass, get about an inch from the TV and then maybe you could read it.

            Why?  Why do companies do this?  They do it to protect themselves.  Disclaimers and legal jargon that most of us wouldn’t understand anyway.  For example, if you take a new medication and find yourself harmed from it, you’ll probably lose a lawsuit because they already gave you (in small print) every reason why you shouldn’t take that medication.  

            “Mr. Jones, did you read the pamphlet that came with the medication?  Did you read the warnings on the commercial?  Did you read the small print before taking the medication?”

            “Well, not all of it your honor, my doctor prescribed it, so I took it.”

            “Mr. Jones, you were irresponsible in your duty to read the fine print before taking the medicine, therefore the case is dismissed!”

            The fine print is not going away anytime soon, and I doubt that most of us will begin to read it either.

            There is one place you don’t have to worry about deception and hidden motives, and that’s in God’s word.  He is up front about the risks in following Him.  Count the cost, the scriptures suggest.  Look at how many people were persecuted in the bible and yet they continued to take the risk of following Him.

Luke 14:25-33 NASB

25 Now large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

                The Father in heaven has no hidden agenda.  He is righteous and just and is not out to trick us.  No fine print just the facts written out for us in plain sight; easy to read.  We have a lot to lose and to gain from following Him.  The world around us has counted that cost and has chosen to go their own way.  They want instant gratification here and now.  The sad thing is that they get their worldly reward now and nothing in the life to come.  Their reward pales in comparison to His!

            It’s a struggle for most of us to pay the cost of following Yeshua.  It can be a hard road to take but our reward is waiting for us with Him!

            So, the next time that you see a commercial, buy a car, or take a new medication that has fine print, you may want to read it and then count the cost.  Yahovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is worth the risk.  He’s the honest One who doesn’t hide His motives as opposed to the world around us.

This article is designed to educate, inform, and bring awareness of the King of Kings, Yeshua is LORD, and to help you to consider this for your life…count the cost! Disclaimer:  I am not a medical professional, nor have any legal training.

Welcome Mat

Drive through any neighborhood in America and you will see, scattered throughout, welcome mats laying in front of entryways.  You might also see decorative welcome signs hung on doors, fences, garage doors, in flower beds and on posts. 

          It’s a nice gesture but, are we truly welcome?  These decorative signs give you a nice comfy feeling but are they sincere?  I always wonder what would happen if I walked up to one of these homes and walked in without knocking.  I wouldn’t be very welcomed even though they are saying welcome all over their house!  So, we are not really welcome in their homes.

          Back when I was growing up and generations before me, churches would leave their doors unlocked so that people would feel welcome to go in and pray or reflect.  My mother, when she was a young girl, would go walking around town with her friend.  One day she fell and skinned her knee and was bleeding, her and her friend were close to a church.  The church was unlocked, and they went in and down in the basement was a first aid kit.  They bandaged her knee and put everything back where they found it and left the church.  They were truly welcome.

          Where are you welcome?  Let me tell you.  Yeshua (Jesus), says,

John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me”.

He also says,

Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

          His arms are open wide and welcoming us to Him and His way.  We can be walking away from Him in sin and turn completely around and fall into His arms; He will forgive us and welcome us into His kingdom!

Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

          The world doesn’t really welcome us and comfort us, and our neighbors don’t really welcome us into their homes uninvited.  Celebrities, politicians, kings, queens, and other royalty and elites are untouchable to us common folks, yet Yeshua the true King, is always available and welcoming; He has open arms for all of us.  So, if you’re feeling down and unwelcomed, if the world seems cold and impersonal run to Yeshua!  Read your bible, and talk and pray to Him.  His welcome mat is down, and His door is unlocked; go on in and visit with Him!

A-MAZE-Thing

A-MAZE-Thing

Have you ever walked through a maze?  Have you ever walked into a building that was so big it felt like a maze?  How about the house of mirrors at an amusement park?  I have done all of these, and it can be intimidating!

          The building that I work in is something like a maze to visitors.  Step right in…you got your hallways, your elevators, and your steps…where do you go?  We even have signs and directories in the entryway, yet visitors are still stumped.  It can be overwhelming.

          To the person that works in the building it seems simple.  Go to the right, up the stairs, take elevator one to elevator three then down three stairs, through the long green hallway and you will walk right into it!  Simple as that, right?

          Life can be that maze or giant building you feel lost and confused in.  It can be overwhelming, confusing, and anxiety inducing.  Which direction do I go, right, or left, up, or down?  How about I just quit because it is too overwhelming?  I just won’t do life right now, because if I do, I might go in the wrong direction or get stuck.  I don’t want to get to the top of life and find out I’m really on the bottom.  I don’t want to do it wrong!

          Wait!  There’s help available!  And that is letting the Designer of life guide

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is pexels-photo-271667.jpeg

you.  He knows all the ups and downs.  He’s got the blueprints…He made the blueprints!  We need to ask Him for directions.

          I believe that King David experienced these feelings.  King Saul was hunting him down.  God wanted David to be King.  If David wouldn’t have been seeking God, the whole time he might have given up.  With all the adversity he might have wondered if he was even supposed to be king.  He may have thought, I keep running into obstacles, does God really want me to be king?

          David became king because he put God first, he trusted God with his life, and he was confident in God’s direction for his life.  He had obstacles, opposition, trials, tribulations, anxiety, and depression; yet he stayed connected with God.  He knew to keep on the path he was on, and he would reach his destination.

          So, don’t give up.  Consider whether you’ve been staying connected to God.  The God of the bible.  The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Stay connected with Him; pray, and read your bible, so when you feel like you’re on the wrong path, you can ask Him.  Obey Him, and He’ll direct your steps.  He is amazing!  Read about David and see.  “Name it and claim it” isn’t going to get you there.  Pretending that life is easy isn’t going to get you there.  You must ask the Tour Guide and follow His directions.

You can read about David in 1st & 2nd Samuel.  The Psalms can provide a good look at David’s emotional struggles.

Psalm 119:105-112

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and I will confirm it,
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am exceedingly afflicted;
Revive me, Lord, according to Your word.
108 Be pleased to accept the voluntary offerings of my mouth, Lord,
And teach me Your judgments.
109 My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your Law.
110 The wicked have set a trap for me,
Yet I have not wandered from Your precepts.
111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever,
For they are the joy of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, even to the end.

John 16:13

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 14:15-17

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

A-MAZE-Thing

What Do Cows Have to do with it?

by: M Newberg

So, I try so hard to drive to work each day and each day my stomach hurts to even think about the drive.  I do not automatically get up and think oh goody I get to drive to work today!  Nope.  Not any day that I can think of since we moved. 

So today April 27, 2021 I start to leave for work, get about 3-4 miles into it and I just cannot do it today.  Stomach hurts and anxiety at a low slightly elevated level.  My brain is thinking too much and so I turn around and go home.

I have spent most of the day looking for a good bible study online.  I know that I must get into God’s word to find healing.  Found a lot of good websites and blogs, but no good bible study for a woman on the edge.

I still feel that emptiness.  I feel unsettled.  Lazy.  Unmotivated.  Overwhelmed.  What is wrong with me?

Why do I need a bible study?  Can I not study the bible for myself; just open it up and read and search for God’s truth?

I really want to blog and share.  I have not found a good thing to write about.  Writer’s block I suppose.

Then there’s the depression that returns again and again.  Worry, fret, guilt, and the feeling of not belonging.  I know this must be affecting my family.

I know my husband is trying to be supportive and encouraging.

I am of no use to anyone being stuck like this.  Hence, the enemy seems to be winning but I don’t serve him, I serve the True Living God!  The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!  The Messiah Yeshua!  He wins!  He can use me as a tool to help and encourage others.  How or what must I do to let Him do this?

There is such a strong spirit of doubt today and in our times.  A last-ditch effort by the enemy to get as many people as he can to jump ship before our Savior returns to take us home.  I must not succumb to these doubts.  Yes, they may come but I must resist.  I must stand with my faith in Yahovah.  Yeshua died for me to live.

We had recently bought a side of beef, a half of a cow.  I keep thinking about that cow.  It lost its life so that people could eat, and life could be sustained.  It makes me sad and tempts me to be a vegetarian, but it also makes me think about Yeshua being innocent, and His life He gave up to save us; to sustain our lives. 

I know Yahovah must have brought the cow to my mind.  I have been sad about animals losing their lives but have not really thought about how it benefits me.  The cow was innocent, did no wrong that I know of, yet he was killed for my sake.  (The cow is not a savior because his life was taken, Yeshua gave His life, it was not taken).

Have you ever driven in the country and looked out your window at cows in the field?  I do, and I think about how they graze peacefully with no worries, no concern that any day their life will be required of them.  They will be slaughtered so that people can eat.  For some reason that causes me anxiety, but it’s the truth, next time I drive down the same road, will that cow still be there or will it be gone.

And…what do cows have to do with the issue of anxiety and depression?  Nothing really except that it makes me meditate on the fact that Yeshua gave His life so that I can be healed.  I can have peace, and if not in this life but when I am with my Savior, I will be free from the burden of this world! 

Have you considered what Yeshua did for you?  Think about it the next time you eat beef or see a cow grazing.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'” John 1:29 NKJV

“The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

‘He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.'” Acts 8:32 NKJV

“There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;” Rev 22:3 NASB

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 NASB

The Lonely Sign

            There it stands, the lonely sign on the side of the highway or at an intersection.  Alone, solo, single. When the sun shines the sign will shine and glow.  At night when headlights fall upon the sign, it beams and sparkles.  When a car has passed, the sign is left behind alone in the dark.

            By itself at night, when the traffic slows, it stands lonely again.  Dark and cold, only an occasional critter scurrying around; the sign stands alone.  No warm covering, and no intended visitors.  It has no way to move from the place it stands.

            When I pass a sign, I get this lonely feeling that I cannot quite describe.  It is a feeling of an empty or lonely place, like walking down the highway by yourself.  Cars come and go but when they are gone there you are alone.  The same feeling that you might feel standing next to a giant forest by yourself at night!  The loneliness falls on you like a blanket.

                        “May the flood of water not overflow me nor the deep swallow me up nor the pit shut its mouth on me.” 

Psalm 69:15

            Are you that lonely sign?  Stuck in loneliness and fear?  Do you have that lonely feeling in the pit of your stomach?  A feeling you cannot quite describe.  Does the darkness envelop you leaving you cold, lonely, and empty?  Do the critters that visit you occasionally, come and go, not offering any real light and warmth; they only visit out of necessity?

“I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.”  Psalm 102:7 

            Being alone is not always a bad thing.  It can be a nice quiet peaceful time to reflect or relax.  It is the deep-down lonely feeling that is dangerous and debilitating.  In this place we do not want to stay for a long time.  How do we get out of this place and escape these feelings?

            I remember, when I was younger, my mom described a feeling like going in a hole and hiding there, and not being able to get out.  She would say that she felt like crawling in a hole and dying.  Now I realize, at those times, she was probably in a deep depression.  Mom found ways to get out of the hole.  If she were here today, she would tell you that any progress forward in her life was God working in her life.  She would testify that God sent literal angels her way, at just the right time, to bring her light.  She dug out of that hole many times.  I wonder if she thought about the lonely road signs like I do.

            Each one of our lives have different challenges, with many ups and downs.  We have many options for getting through each day.  God has a plan for each one of our lives and it is up to us whether we are going to give our life over to Him to accomplish this.  As recorded in the Psalms, King David suffered horrible lows emotionally, but our Heavenly Father always made a way out of the darkness for him.

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God;

And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.

2 Give heed to me and answer me;

I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,

3Because of the voice of the enemy,

Because of the pressure of the wicked;

For they bring down trouble upon me

And in anger they bear a grudge against me.

4 My heart is in anguish within me,

And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5 Fear and trembling come upon me,

And horror has overwhelmed me.

6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

Psalm 55:1-6

16 As for me, I shall call upon God,

And the LORD will save me.

17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur,

And He will hear my voice.

18 He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me,

For they are many who strive with me.

19 God will hear and answer them—

Psalm 55:16-19

            The above scripture is an example of David crying out to God and how God will answer him.  (I cut out some of the chapter to make the point but encourage you to read the whole chapter.)  I have read much of the book of Psalms which continues to minister to me.  I feel that David experienced the same emotional struggles that I do.

            Our Heavenly Father can be that sunshine that lights up your day.  He can be the “headlights” that make you stand up tall and shine.  He will visit you with His Holy Spirit to counsel you.  He will send His angels to minister to you. 

            Each day is not going to be perfect for us, but God will be there with us through it.

*All scripture is from the NASB unless otherwise noted.

ROY MARCUS COHN (1927-1986) My synopsis of the documentary “Where’s My Roy Cohn?”

A man who lived on the edge, daring, private, and successful.  Both loved and hated.  Was he really loved, in the end who was there?  Who really loved him?

I had not heard of Mr. Cohn before I watched a documentary about Donald Trump.  I became interested in this intriguing young handsome charismatic attorney.

I watched the documentary Where’s My Roy Cohn? about this famous American attorney.  I was left with an eerie feeling of sadness and dread.  His goal in life was to die poor and in debt to the IRS.  He was successful in doing so.

Maybe his mother, who was said to be ugly, thought he was the most beautiful thing.  He was spoiled by her and seemingly he was her whole life.  So, what went wrong?

Where did he get his ruthless and evil presence?  What drove him in his pursuit of power?

From what I saw in the documentary my perception is that it wasn’t about the money.  If a man’s goal is to die poor and in debt it can’t be about the money.  It seems that it was about control, power, and success.

At the pinnacle of his success, the rich, powerful, elite, and criminal sought him out to represent them.  He hobnobbed with the very top of the political, industrial, and criminal society.  Riding on the wings of deception, denial, and influential connections he became successful.  Seen as an intellectual genius, even when he lost, he considered himself a winner.

His influence and seemingly successful law career appeared to help those that he represented to rise even higher in power.  He was able to convince them of his credo:  even when you lose you have won!

This man, Mr. Cohn, seemed to have an evil, charismatic presence and brought fear to those that opposed him.

Sadly, Mr. Cohn died sick, lonely, poor, and in debt.  He was disbarred, stripped of what had made him so powerful.  His trip through this world was a short and disastrous one.  In the end I picture him in a cold, antiseptic white hospital room, alone, not knowing who he was.  Sick, confused, weak yet, still fighting to live a lie.

Where were all those that purportedly loved him?  Where were those rich and powerful people that he had invested so much energy into?  Where were they to help lift him out of his bed of death and poverty?  Nowhere.

 

1 Corinthians 1:19-21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

 

The Odd Thing.

One cold day I was driving through the campus area in our town.  As I was tied up in traffic, I started to people watch.   I saw a person all bundled up for the cold weather.  The person was faced away from me, but the style of coat they wore, I perceived that it was a woman.  The hood of her coat was drawn up over her head and she was wearing what looked like warm gloves and comfortable shoes.  She was appropriately dressed for the cold weather.

I wondered, where is she from, does she attend college, and is she from another country?  I thought about how she walked and what that could tell me about her, such as age, race, etc.  Why though?  Why did I need to know those things about her?  The truth is, I didn’t need to know anything about this person.  My mind automatically tried to analyze more than what was on the surface.  Why?  I don’t know, accept that I’ve been taught, or programmed by society to do so.  Yet, I don’t want to do that!

I thought, “what if we all wore coats all of the time“?  If we all wore something that covered our skin, or hid anything that would show that we are different.  We could wear any style, color or combination of colors and designs.  How would we treat each other then?  We wouldn’t be able to tell the color of each other’s skin.  Everyone’s “skin” would be different.  There would be thousands of combinations and designs.  There wouldn’t be just black and white.  How would we treat each other under those conditions?

Somehow, we must stop profiling and categorizing people based on skin color, ethnicity, or anything that makes us different.

The lady in the coat was never identifiable, to me, as any color, ethnicity, age, or gender.  I never saw her face or skin.  This frustrated me because I couldn’t put her in a category.  Do we all try to categorize people?  I admit this is wrong but how do I get past this?  How do I change the way my brain has been programmed?

God, our Heavenly Father, has the answer to this problem.

Romans 12:2 (NASB)
” And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

 

A person who is black or white cannot change their color.  A person with big ears, short fingers, blue, or brown eyes cannot change those features.  People are born the way they are, they did not ask to be a certain color, height, or nationality.  A person who has hundreds of tattoos most likely are not going to get them all removed even if they come to a point of hating them.  Why hate a person for something that they can’t change?  Why hate a person at all for any reason?  I wonder if these differences scare us therefore, we try to find people who are similar so that we don’t feel odd.

Acts 17:24-28 (NKJV)
“24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”

 

Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

I realize that you can’t ignore the differences in people or pretend that they’re not different.  Make the differences matter.  Enjoy each person that is different from you; it would be a boring world if we were all just like you or me!

Have you considered what’s deep in your mind and heart regarding people being different?  Let God change your heart and mind; let Him renew your mind with His word and the Holy Spirit!  Pray and ask God to change your heart and mind to see people as He sees them.