Jesus ~ Bread

Bread of Life:

"I am the bread of life."

~John 6:48

My bread bred a greedy,

passionately gluttonous,

voraciously insatiable

desire to be full.

My bread bred a needy,

ravenously wantonness,

maliciously unmerciful

inquiry to rule.

His bread bred nourishing

sustenance for every day;

life support proposed to be

eternally ingested.

His bread bred flourishing

blessedness in every way;

the Bread of Life drew close for me

to learn and to be tested.

My bread said, I am strife,

I am but youth, I’ve often strayed,

my habits cried, my mind believed

my hanker for obsessive flings.

His Bread said, I am Life,

I am the Truth, I am the Way;

I will provide; don’t be deceived

by hunger pangs for lesser things.

 “Then the Lord said to Moses,

‘Behold,

I will rain

bread from heaven for you;

and the people shall go out

and gather a day’s portion every day,

that I may test them,

whether or not

they will walk in My instruction.’”

  ~Exodus 16:4

Jesus ~ Author

Author and Pefecter of Faith:

“…fixing our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of faith,

who for the joy set before Him

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and has sat down

at the right hand of the throne of God.”

~Hebrews 12:2

Author of Salvation:

“For it was fitting for Him,

for whom are all things,

and through whom are all things,

in bringing many sons to glory,

to perfect

the author of their salvation

through sufferings.”

~Hebrews 2:10

au·thor/ˈôTHər/

Noun:  One that originates or creates; source.

pla·gia·rism/ˈplājəˌrizəm/

Noun:

The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.

to recognize the highest authority

is to acknowledge the author,

the source,

the creator

…there is no one with more clout,

no weightier influence,

no greater power

…for until the author forms what is,

there is nothing.

 “The centurion said,

‘Lord, I am not worthy

for You to come under my roof,

but just say the word,

and my servant will be healed. 

For I also am a man under authority’…

“Now when Jesus heard this,

He marveled

and said to those who were following,

‘Truly I say to you,

I have not found such great faith

with anyone in Israel.’”

~Matthew 8:8-10

To Whom?

Thankfulness means giving thanks.
If someone gives thanks,
to whom is it given?


It is important to be thankful.
It is more important
to know the recipient of your thanks.

"Praise the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

Praise Him for His mighty deeds;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

"Praise Him with trumpet sound;

Praise Him with harp and lyre.

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

~Psalm 150

Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe

Hardware stores are curious places.

2x4s are actually 1 ½" X 3 ½".

A nail's measurement, or penny, refers to the price per 100
in 15th century England;
although nails are still measured by the penny,

they cost a lot more.

Cans of magnetic spray paint don’t cling to each other,

or to the shelf,

or to anything else metallic.

It is important to allow OSB boards to gas off,

but not propane refills.

Hardware stores contain many items which sport unnecessary letters;

joist, truss, auger, wrench, duct, caulk;

apparently they’re more impressive that way.

Pex are flexible

but elbows are not.

Bolts and screws only function properly

with nuts of exactly the same thread,

which never match with any of the ones

stored in numerous peanut cans in the garage.

Lightweight compound is very heavy

and heavy duty spackle is lightweight.

The marketing on power tool boxes have more to do with

the power one feels when operating the tool

than the fact that it must be plugged in.

But the foremost curiosity for me

is the tender warmth of emotion I feel

each time I step foot into a hardware store.

When I was a little girl,

my dad insisted that I go with him to buy lumber

and various other items on the list

which he always recorded on a tiny note pad in his shirt pocket.

I complained that it was boring;

there were no toys or other kids there, just plain old tools.

Sometimes we rode in his big, green dump truck

and I got to sit in the middle of the seat over the drive shaft hump.

As the truck bounced along over rough roads,

my head would bump against the hard metal roof of the cab.

When we arrived, the man at the hardware store would pat my curly, blonde head

as he muttered a gruff but awkwardly tender greeting,

then wink and slip me a nickel for the gumball machine.

Dad and the hardware store man would always talk for a long time

about tools and parts, weather and years gone by,

politics and elections, inflation and used truck trade-in prices.

On the bumpy ride home again, Dad let me count the nuts and bolts he bought.

We would talk about bicycles and rain storms,

knock-knock jokes and kids at school,

Bible stories and memory verses.

Dad has been gone for four months, now,

and I find myself longing for

just one more trip to the hardware store with him.

“Papa, can we go to the hardware store?”

“Yep.  Put your shoes on and let’s get in the truck.”

“We’ll get popcorn there, right, Papa?”

“Wite, Papa?  Ha-wayh sto?!!”

Hand in hand, my husband heads out the door with our grandchildren.

It warms my heart right down to my toes.

Sweet Aroma

At the birth of each new child,

the parents gaze in wonder at their tiny new infant,

a miraculous expression of their love.

Somehow, this wee babe,

all wrinkled and ruddy and curled up,

lacking muscular control

and with limited ability to focus,

seems to carry a family resemblance.

The parents have been mulling over possible names

for weeks, even months.

Suddenly, the time has come to choose.

Our Family…

A Rock  /  A Substitute

A Pledge  /  Joyous

A Substitute  /  Who is Like God

House of Mercy  /  Gift of God’s Favor

God of Salvation  /  Servant

Faithful, Trust  /  Mercy

Valiant Protector  /  A Substitute

A Substitute  /  A Rock

Wealthy One  /  Bright

Rich and Powerful Ruler  /  Little One

Divine, Perfect  /  Heavenly Star

Graceful, A Blessing  /  Music from Heaven

Who is Like God  /  Beloved

The meanings of our names were established

long before we were born.

How is it that the nuances of each description

are demonstrated in the person who bears that name?

God recognizes the power of a name,

for as He lives in and through His children,

His presence pervades every corner of our being.

What’s in a name? … He is.

 “Thanks be to God,

who always leads us in triumph in Christ,

and manifests through us the sweet aroma

of the knowledge of Him

in every place.”

~II Corinthians 2:14

A Lion Has Roared!

Warm fuzzy socks and wintery jammies…  check.

Snuggled up in comfy chairs near the fireplace…  check.

Armed with bowls of munchies and remote control…  check.

             …ready?

*click*

Skipping ahead past the theme song and initial formalities (blah, blah, blah)

we launched directly into…  *dun-dun-dunnnnn*

the scary bad guy suspenseful part!

The eerie bluish glow of darkness prevailed over the innocent townsfolk;

ominous music infiltrated the very core of our imaginary souls

until we shivered deliciously under our cozy lap blankets.

Throughout the one hour and fifty-three minute action-packed blockbuster,

the ultimate weapons in the grasp of villainous hands demanded a call to action. 

There was only one man powerful enough to avenge, to conquer, to prevail…

Suddenly,

bright lights streamed and triumphant music resounded

as the superhero appeared out of nowhere,

knocked the thugs into a lifeless heap,

stopped the contraption of destruction,

foiled the evil plot, kissed the girl and saved the universe!

Hurray!!!

*click*

Ah, such feelings of exuberance…

We both talked at once amid buoyant laughter,

recounting the “best parts” and imitating our favorite quotes.

We finally survived the emotive roller coaster ride

through fear, elation, intrigue, laughter, suspense, sadness,

confusion, victory, jubilation, satisfaction, relief…

Of course, we were on the superhero’s side all along;

after all, he represented all that is good and wholesome

and helpful for society and the universe.

Now, we can hardly wait to watch it all over again

with friends who haven’t seen it yet; it will be so fun to see them squirm.

We will try with all of our might to not reveal the “good parts”,

all the while smug in our knowledge of the triumphant ending.

O.k.  That was fun,

and (you guessed it) that was only a pretend superhero.

The next ones are real.

They were not incredibly masculine

or injected with empowering liquid from another planet,

nor were they armed with indestructible weaponry….

God gave them words to speak

…divine words…

and they obeyed.

Isaiah prophesied during the tumultuous rising of the Assyrian empire

and the waning influence of Israel.

He spoke boldly of the rescue of God’s people (Isa. 35:9; 41:14),

the rise and fall of reigning kings (41:2)

and of the redemption and deliverance of God’s people (52:7)

both for then and for eternity.

Although quite timid by nature (Jer. 1:6),

the Lord assured Jeremiah that he would be given

strength and courage (1:18; 6:27; 15:20) to make him fearless as he served God.

In anguish, he obediently spoke God’s truth.

Ezekiel faithfully imparted the truth of Jerusalem’s impending destruction  (Ezek. ch1-24)

to the Jews, urging them to live at peace with God throughout their exile,

and that God’s promise of restoration and a future was filled with hope (ch33-48).

Daniel’s visions revealed God triumphant,

the Most High God, Ruler of mankind (Dan. 5:21).

He and his close friends refused to bow before anyone but God alone.

He stood, unharmed, among hungry lions.

His friends returned, unsinged, from the fiery furnace.

Hosea declared God’s judgment on Israel through the mighty Assyria (7:11; 8:9; 10:6; 11:11).

For 38 years, Hosea relentlessly prophesied to an obstinate people.

He obediently married an adulterous wife in order to represent God’s relationship with Israel,

called to attention the failure of his people to acknowledge God in their idol worship,

and proclaimed God’s compassionate hope.

Joel identified the drought and devastating plague of locust

as an indication of the eminent and awesome day of the Lord (Joel 2:31).

Repeating his ominous message of judgment to the angry faces of rebellious people (1:2-13),

he, nevertheless, called them to repentance.

Amos vigorously relayed God’s message of justice and righteousness (Amos 5:24)

to a check-the-ritual-box-then-do-what-we-want people,

calling them to God’s grace (5:4-6:14)

and reminding them of their commitment to God’s covenant .

Obadiah proclaimed God’s wrath on Edom’s hostility (vs10) and pride (vs12),

 the deliverance of Israel and the triumph of God’s kingdom (vs17).

There are others, also, to whom God gave super strength and super courage

for the purpose of relaying the prophetic messages of

His Truth

to the enemies, to the rebellious, to the unworthy.

“A lion has roared! 

Who will not fear? 

The Lord God has spoken! 

Who can but prophesy?”

~Amos 3:8

My strength and courage are also sourced

in the same All-Knowing, Ever-Present Almighty God.

“Whoever speaks is to do so

as one who is speaking the utterances of God;

whoever serves is to do so

as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies;

so that in all things

God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,

to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.” 

~1 Peter 4:11

Fitting

One gear turning

alone

is not a functioning part 

of the whole machine.

“Older men are to be

temperate,

dignified,

sensible,

sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

“Older women likewise are to be

reverent in their behavior,

not malicious gossips

nor enslaved to much wine,

teaching what is good,

Why?

“so that they may encourage the young women

to love their husbands,

to love their children,

to be sensible,

pure,

workers at home,

kind,

being subject to their own husbands,

so that the word of God will not be dishonored.  

“Likewise urge the young men to be

sensible;

in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds,

with purity in doctrine,

dignified,

sound in speech which is beyond reproach,

so that the opponent will be put to shame,

having nothing bad to say about us.”

~Titus 2:2-8

The Heavens Declare

Fingering my wedding ring,

my heart reminisced with joy

through the happy years we have enjoyed together,

my husband and I.

Praying for other couples,

my heart delighted in treasured relationships

and yearned for healing

where promises have been broken.

Listening on Sunday morning,

my heart was stirred

as the pastor relayed what God’s Word

has to offer regarding

this most tender topic.

“Marriage is to be held in honor among all…”

~Hebrews 13:4

Gazing into the night sky,

my heart was electrified

by a rare and marvelous sight…

Refraction,

moonlight,

positioning,

temperature,

hexagon ice crystals,

atmospheric conditions…

A Moon Ring!

Where the immeasurably vast

meets the delicately intricate

in precise, simultaneous conditions,

a heavenly masterpiece

lingers silently…

…Marriage.

“The ring around the Moon is caused by the refraction of Moonlight (which, of course, is reflected sunlight) from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. The shape of the ice crystals results in a focusing of the light into a ring. Since the ice crystals typically have the same shape, namely a hexagonal shape, the Moon ring is almost always the same size.”

http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonring/

Furry Bear, by A.A. Milne

One of my favorite poems of all time...

If I were a bear, and a big bear too,

I shouldn't much care if it froze or snew;

I shouldn't much mind if it snowed or friz--

I'd be all fur-lined with a coat like his!

For I'd have fur boots and a brown fur wrap,

and brown fur knickers and a big fur cap.

I'd have a fur muffle-ruff to cover my jaws,

and brown fur mittens on my big brown paws.

With a big brown furry-down up to my head,

I'd sleep all winter in a big fur bed.

~by A.A. Milne

for more poetry by A.A. Milne, author of Winnie the Pooh, go to...

http://www.winniethepooh.co.uk/storiesandpoems.html

Broken

“In the latter period of their rule

when the transgressors have run their course,

a king will arise,

insolent and skilled in intrigue.

“He will be mighty,

but not by his own power,

and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree

and prosper and perform his will;

he will destroy mighty men and the holy people.

“And through his shrewdness

he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence;

and he will magnify himself in his heart,

and he will destroy many while they are at ease.

“He will even oppose the Prince of princes,

but he will be broken without human agency.”

~Daniel 8:23-25

This passage from God’s Word describes Antiochus IV

who rose to power by intrigue and deceit,

but the throne was not rightfully his to occupy.

I can’t help but wonder

what training this Antiochus IV had as a child.

Imagine with me for a moment...

Pretend that little Antiochus IV was buckled into the cart of a modern day grocery store.

Was he allowed to grab and eat all the candy he could reach?

Did everyone jump to soothe his every screech and squawk and hissy fit?

Didn’t anyone ever spend any time teaching him to use tools?

Did anyone care enough to monitor how much time he spent on the internet,

or oversee what music he listened to or what books he read?

Did he ever experience having his mouth washed out with soap for swearing

or for speaking God’s name in vain?

Did he ever receive loving discipline for hitting his sister

or breaking grandma’s teacup on purpose,

or for sassing back to someone in authority?

Did he bully other kids or treat girls with shameful behavior?

Did his daddy buy his tires?

This is all simple speculation, of course.

Yet, if his will had been broken in his childhood,

would he have acquired a heart of compassion,

an awareness of the needs of others,

an ability to give and receive love?

…which seems to infer that his parents or society bore the responsibility

of his righteousness, his goodness, his acceptability.

Is it God’s will that some remain in evil?

If someone is not broken as a child,

will he be broken in the end, as was Antiochus IV?

 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.

And His disciples asked Him,

‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,

that he would be born blind?’

Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned,

nor his parents,

but it was so that the works of God

might be displayed in him…

…I am the Light of the world.”

~John 9:1-4

Matters of the mind may be trained in many skills, good or evil,

the ability of the body is, at best, incapable,

and the heart, in its naivety, is easily deceived.

Each one, mind, body, heart,

may be molded, transformed, remade by the hands of God,

for each one is His creation.

But matters of the soul belong to God alone.

There is no act of will, no physical alteration,

no heartfelt sincerity within my power

to command my soul to be whole;

just so, every soul is at His mercy.

It is not for us to know how or why;

it is enough for me to know that God is loving

and that He is just.

Perhaps the better question is…

How is it that the Almighty God of mercy chose 
to care for me,

when the core of my heart was evil,

... to cleanse me from all unrighteousness,
to occupy my soul,

and to make me His own child?

“…but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in (me)”