His hands are like rods of gold set with [nails of] beryl or topaz. Song of Solomon 5:14a AMP.
The rod can and was used for offensive purposes - When going after a wolf or lion that snatches a sheep - Moses for example in Egypt.
Here they represent the very opposite of that. They are the hands of a tenacious defender. Nehemiah comes to mind.
Their enemies had sunk so low that they hired a false prophet to come and pronounce judgement on Nehemiah. They trumped up a totally bogus proclamation in order to frighten Nehemiah and the builders into giving up.
Nehemiah prayed, "Lord strengthen our hands!"
Think of a soccer match. The only player on the field that gets to use his/her hands is the goalie. If the ball gets past the goalie it's a point for the opposing team.
But as Shulamite is saying here, "His hands are not just any old hands. His hands are like rods of gold."
The defenders have their work cut out for them. It's going to be a long night and shots will be fired before it's all said and done but, "Hold on, help has been dispatched."
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Attitude Adjustment
So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exodus 15:22-26.
I love going to a Spirit Filled church and hearing God. That's why I like going to a church that's populated with believers young and old. Who doesn't need an attitude adjustment once in a while?
When you realize that Israel's hope could have been over three days from the Red Sea you realize that if you were in Moses' shoes you had to do something. Instead of ending their hope endured. Yes only Joshua and Caleb made it into the promised land but what a glorious day that must have been. When the priests carrying the ark dipped their toes into the Jordan River and God stopped the water. All those years living in hope deferred and then suddenly the promise was fulfilled.
As Pastor Steven Furtick writes in Sun Stand Still, "Maybe the greatest Sun Stand Still prayer God will answer over the course of your life will be the audacious prayer of faith you pray for others. Maybe no one will know you prayed them. Maybe you'll never see the connection between what you prayed for somebody else and what God does in the other persons's life years down the road."
By Grace,
Travis
Desire
Go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Matthew 9:13.
In this verse Jesus makes it clear what He desires. Compassion. Other translations put it mercy. When I can find it in the Hebrew I'll let you know a little bit more.
Sin left a broken road. If we're not walking with Jesus we are wandering aimlessly. When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman,"Go, call your husband and come here. "The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I have no husband', ' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly." John 4:16-18. Knowing everything about the woman before hand Jesus reached out and had compassion on this woman. What's even more amazing is it sprang from the depths of his soul. There wasn't even a crowd of followers so it wasn't a public miracle. He just felt the depth of her need and offered to satisfy it.
That's compassion.
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
In this verse Jesus makes it clear what He desires. Compassion. Other translations put it mercy. When I can find it in the Hebrew I'll let you know a little bit more.
Sin left a broken road. If we're not walking with Jesus we are wandering aimlessly. When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman,"Go, call your husband and come here. "The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I have no husband', ' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly." John 4:16-18. Knowing everything about the woman before hand Jesus reached out and had compassion on this woman. What's even more amazing is it sprang from the depths of his soul. There wasn't even a crowd of followers so it wasn't a public miracle. He just felt the depth of her need and offered to satisfy it.
That's compassion.
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Heavenly Bodies
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman , and embrace the bosom of a stranger? Proverbs 5:20.
The word ravished is Shahgah in Hebrew. "And why wilt thou, my son, be Shahgah?"
Shagah has several meanings:
1) to go astray, stray, to err. A perfect example is Samson. Samson was a Judge (Judges 13-16) who should have been at home delivering his people from the hands of their enemies. Instead he went astray 'Shagah' chasing after Philistine women.
2) to swerve, meander, reel, roll, be intoxicate, err (in drunkenness). This is the case in the Rod Stewart song Infatuation that I talked about yesterday. Listen to the lyrics:
Early in the morning I can't sleep
I can't work and I can't eat
I've been drunk all day, can't concentrate
Maybe I'm making a big mistake
3) to lead astray. This is the act of purposefully leading someone down the wrong path.
Taken together it means that there's more than way to go astray. We can stray after something or someone. Another way it can happen is when we fix our gaze on the wrong object and we start to deviate. We may think we have it under control but if we keep going in that direction we're going to have an accident. And sometimes the enemy sets a trap for us according to the third definition.
One way we can be ravished is to indulge in pornography which is readily available at the touch of a mouse button:
The U.S. Customs Service estimates that there are more than 100,000 websites offering child pornography (which are illegal) worldwide.
Red Herring Magazine, 1/18/02
See you again!
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
The word ravished is Shahgah in Hebrew. "And why wilt thou, my son, be Shahgah?"
Shagah has several meanings:
1) to go astray, stray, to err. A perfect example is Samson. Samson was a Judge (Judges 13-16) who should have been at home delivering his people from the hands of their enemies. Instead he went astray 'Shagah' chasing after Philistine women.
2) to swerve, meander, reel, roll, be intoxicate, err (in drunkenness). This is the case in the Rod Stewart song Infatuation that I talked about yesterday. Listen to the lyrics:
Early in the morning I can't sleep
I can't work and I can't eat
I've been drunk all day, can't concentrate
Maybe I'm making a big mistake
3) to lead astray. This is the act of purposefully leading someone down the wrong path.
Taken together it means that there's more than way to go astray. We can stray after something or someone. Another way it can happen is when we fix our gaze on the wrong object and we start to deviate. We may think we have it under control but if we keep going in that direction we're going to have an accident. And sometimes the enemy sets a trap for us according to the third definition.
One way we can be ravished is to indulge in pornography which is readily available at the touch of a mouse button:
The U.S. Customs Service estimates that there are more than 100,000 websites offering child pornography (which are illegal) worldwide.
Red Herring Magazine, 1/18/02
See you again!
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
Infatuation
Why should you, my son, be infatuated with a loose woman, embrace the bosom of an outsider, and go astray? Proverbs 5:20.
Back in the early days of MTV Rod Stewart released a video of his song, "Infatuation." Back then it was considered over the top and almost too racy for TV. Nowadays it probably wouldn't even get our attention.
I don't remember the whole video. I'm sure it's on the internet somewhere. The part I do remember is a guy in his upstairs bedroom using a telescope to spy on the woman sunbathing next door. Perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Ring a bell? King David and Bathsheba? Samson and Delilah?
Rod Stewart probably sold more telescopes than Copernicus.
Actually I made that up but here's a real statistic.
42% of songs on ten top-selling CDs in 1999 contained sexual content, 41% of which were "very explicit" or "pretty explicit."
Family News in Focus, July 2005
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing. Proverbs 25:2.
Next time...Heavenly Bodies
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
Back in the early days of MTV Rod Stewart released a video of his song, "Infatuation." Back then it was considered over the top and almost too racy for TV. Nowadays it probably wouldn't even get our attention.
I don't remember the whole video. I'm sure it's on the internet somewhere. The part I do remember is a guy in his upstairs bedroom using a telescope to spy on the woman sunbathing next door. Perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Ring a bell? King David and Bathsheba? Samson and Delilah?
Rod Stewart probably sold more telescopes than Copernicus.
Actually I made that up but here's a real statistic.
42% of songs on ten top-selling CDs in 1999 contained sexual content, 41% of which were "very explicit" or "pretty explicit."
Family News in Focus, July 2005
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing. Proverbs 25:2.
Next time...Heavenly Bodies
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
Friday, May 25, 2012
One Glance
In a sex saturated society how is it that a young person can keep him or herself from promiscuity.
I asked myself that today. Taking my Bible and a Sarah Arthur devotional to the park to be alone this is what I saw.
Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. Proverbs 5:19.
I watched as a mother deer and her fawn came down from the heights where they were playing with the other deer. They came down right in front of me, passing within a few feet.
At that point it was just an ordinary scene. My curiosity wasn't even aroused. There was no sport involved.
I waited and they wandered down to the stream. I pretended not to be curious but I could no longer focus on my reading.
After awhile they crossed over the stream and made their way along the opposite bank. My peaceful retreat was now something out of a nature show.
Finally I got up and continued on my journey. Very slowly. Taking slow deep breaths and letting my heart settle into a steady rhythm.
Then she crossed over in front of me. As she did I spoke three words. "Hunting for mangoes?"
She looked stunned. "Huh?"
"Hunting for mangoes?" I repeated.
She shot me a sideways glance that I never will forget. It is immortalized in the Song of Solomon. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. Solomon's Song 4:9.
To be continued...
By Grace,
Travis
I asked myself that today. Taking my Bible and a Sarah Arthur devotional to the park to be alone this is what I saw.
Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. Proverbs 5:19.
I watched as a mother deer and her fawn came down from the heights where they were playing with the other deer. They came down right in front of me, passing within a few feet.
At that point it was just an ordinary scene. My curiosity wasn't even aroused. There was no sport involved.
I waited and they wandered down to the stream. I pretended not to be curious but I could no longer focus on my reading.
After awhile they crossed over the stream and made their way along the opposite bank. My peaceful retreat was now something out of a nature show.
Finally I got up and continued on my journey. Very slowly. Taking slow deep breaths and letting my heart settle into a steady rhythm.
Then she crossed over in front of me. As she did I spoke three words. "Hunting for mangoes?"
She looked stunned. "Huh?"
"Hunting for mangoes?" I repeated.
She shot me a sideways glance that I never will forget. It is immortalized in the Song of Solomon. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. Solomon's Song 4:9.
To be continued...
By Grace,
Travis
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Unfaithful
And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked
herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the
LORD. Hosea 2:13.
The first reference to incense is in the offering to be taken up by Moses in Exodus 25:6. This was a very
delicate matter: Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. Exodus
25:2.
Baalim was a Canaanite God who we read about over in Judges. And the children of Israel did evil in
the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: Judges 2:11. Baalim worship was very prevalent in those
days.
Baal was the god of rain and storm. Worship of Baal was ritualized. One of it's manifestations was in the
form of sacred prostitution.
In the passage we see a snapshot of Gomer (wife of Hosea) going out for a night of Baal worship. And we
see a picture of the jealousy aroused in her husband. We don't know her motivation. Maybe she was a sex
addict. Maybe she had an abusive childhood. Or perhaps she was caught in a spiritual tug of war between
the forces of light and the forces of darkness.
What we do know is that there are millions and millions of people today who are caught up in the world of
pornography. According to a survey 47% percent of families said pornography is a problem in their
home. Focus on the Family Poll, October 1, 2003.
That is a robust figure if catch my drift.
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the
LORD. Hosea 2:13.
The first reference to incense is in the offering to be taken up by Moses in Exodus 25:6. This was a very
delicate matter: Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. Exodus
25:2.
Baalim was a Canaanite God who we read about over in Judges. And the children of Israel did evil in
the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: Judges 2:11. Baalim worship was very prevalent in those
days.
Baal was the god of rain and storm. Worship of Baal was ritualized. One of it's manifestations was in the
form of sacred prostitution.
In the passage we see a snapshot of Gomer (wife of Hosea) going out for a night of Baal worship. And we
see a picture of the jealousy aroused in her husband. We don't know her motivation. Maybe she was a sex
addict. Maybe she had an abusive childhood. Or perhaps she was caught in a spiritual tug of war between
the forces of light and the forces of darkness.
What we do know is that there are millions and millions of people today who are caught up in the world of
pornography. According to a survey 47% percent of families said pornography is a problem in their
home. Focus on the Family Poll, October 1, 2003.
That is a robust figure if catch my drift.
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
Peer Pressure
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14.
I had a chance to go to Lucky Clay Farms. But I could not go there and honor my commitment to God.
The pressure was really on me to conform once I had spoken out against it.
God didn't remove the pressure. He allowed me to experience it. But one thing He did for me was He gave me a promise.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13.
If I told you that I wasn't at all tempted to go, I would be lying to myself. The pressure to please man rather than God was strong. Resisting was pretty scary and somehow it cost me a dear friend.
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25.
Not only did I walk away with all of my limbs intact, I learned the potential benefits of incense. Thanks be to God!
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
I had a chance to go to Lucky Clay Farms. But I could not go there and honor my commitment to God.
The pressure was really on me to conform once I had spoken out against it.
God didn't remove the pressure. He allowed me to experience it. But one thing He did for me was He gave me a promise.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13.
If I told you that I wasn't at all tempted to go, I would be lying to myself. The pressure to please man rather than God was strong. Resisting was pretty scary and somehow it cost me a dear friend.
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25.
Not only did I walk away with all of my limbs intact, I learned the potential benefits of incense. Thanks be to God!
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
So Far
“A gazelle lies slain on your heights, Israel. How the mighty have fallen! 2 Samuel 1:19.
Today's passage from pages 99-100 is full of meaning. The nasty orcs appear to have bitten off more than they could chew. The trap they had sprung on Gandalf and the dwarves proved to be their own undoing.
Gandalf proved his worth during both the rescue and escape as well as in the retelling of the story to Bilbo. The backdoor which was the goblins' secret weapon was the very escape route used by the party.
Of course Tolkien aficionados aren't as surprised as latecomers. This happens to be the same Gandalf who stands toe to toe with a balrog in the Fellowship of the ring mind you. But if you are new to the epic I won't be a spoiler.
But almost overlooked at the end of this passage is one really important key. It's easy to skip over this part. In the celebration of the hard won victory there is also a tragic tale.
All the others laughed too. After all they had lost a good deal, but they had killed the Great Goblin and a great many others besides, and they had all escaped, so they might be said to have had the best of it so far.
I like how he tacks on those last two words. So far.
As Sarah Arthur writes in Walking With Frodo "Satan hasn't surrendered. He's still waging battles and skirmishes."
David had every reason to rejoice over the death of Saul. Yet he mourned the passing of a great man. A fallen man, yes, but a king. Last year when we studied 1 and 2 Samuel I thought I would identify with David. Instead God showed me how much I resembled Saul.
A bitter pill to swallow perhaps, but good medicine if it keeps me from becoming prideful. But for the grace of God, there go I.
One more bit of wisdom I have picked up, "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth." Proverbs 25:17 KJV.
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
Today's passage from pages 99-100 is full of meaning. The nasty orcs appear to have bitten off more than they could chew. The trap they had sprung on Gandalf and the dwarves proved to be their own undoing.
Gandalf proved his worth during both the rescue and escape as well as in the retelling of the story to Bilbo. The backdoor which was the goblins' secret weapon was the very escape route used by the party.
Of course Tolkien aficionados aren't as surprised as latecomers. This happens to be the same Gandalf who stands toe to toe with a balrog in the Fellowship of the ring mind you. But if you are new to the epic I won't be a spoiler.
But almost overlooked at the end of this passage is one really important key. It's easy to skip over this part. In the celebration of the hard won victory there is also a tragic tale.
All the others laughed too. After all they had lost a good deal, but they had killed the Great Goblin and a great many others besides, and they had all escaped, so they might be said to have had the best of it so far.
I like how he tacks on those last two words. So far.
As Sarah Arthur writes in Walking With Frodo "Satan hasn't surrendered. He's still waging battles and skirmishes."
David had every reason to rejoice over the death of Saul. Yet he mourned the passing of a great man. A fallen man, yes, but a king. Last year when we studied 1 and 2 Samuel I thought I would identify with David. Instead God showed me how much I resembled Saul.
A bitter pill to swallow perhaps, but good medicine if it keeps me from becoming prideful. But for the grace of God, there go I.
One more bit of wisdom I have picked up, "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth." Proverbs 25:17 KJV.
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
Monday, May 14, 2012
Weird Friend
Mark is an extremely intellectual guy. He has cultivated his personality and it has made him very successful in business. He loves people. He has a great sense of humor.
Being around Mark is never dull. If things are dull Mark usually does something to get them stirred up.
He's extremely creative.
Mark is definitely not a fair weather friend!
Mark is sort of weird.
Dressing
Good Morning,
This morning I was passing through the kitchen just as my mom was putting some fresh baked banana muffins in the freezer. I took one and it was gone in about four bites.
She makes them at least once a week.
Yesterday she brought home a large pepperoni pizza for $5. I didn't even know there was a Little Caesar's nearby. Not to mention she brought home a bag of Crazy Bread sticks.
Ms. Thomas posted a recipe on her blog a couple of months ago. I told mom we should try it this Sunday. I don't want to snatch and borrow so I'll post the link. http://thekitchykitchen.blogspot.com/search?q=gnudi
Remember to thank her profusely!! :)
By Grace,
Travis
This morning I was passing through the kitchen just as my mom was putting some fresh baked banana muffins in the freezer. I took one and it was gone in about four bites.
She makes them at least once a week.
Yesterday she brought home a large pepperoni pizza for $5. I didn't even know there was a Little Caesar's nearby. Not to mention she brought home a bag of Crazy Bread sticks.
Ms. Thomas posted a recipe on her blog a couple of months ago. I told mom we should try it this Sunday. I don't want to snatch and borrow so I'll post the link. http://thekitchykitchen.blogspot.com/search?q=gnudi
Remember to thank her profusely!! :)
By Grace,
Travis
Thursday, May 10, 2012
David's Love
Now he's wrapped himself
in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.
But his cloud-brightness bursts through,
spraying hailstones and fireballs. Psalm 18 (The Message)
Warfare, battle, conquest. That's what this Psalm is all about. Yet notice verse one.
I love You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength. Psalm 18:1 (AMP)
Not only that. Check out the ending.
and He shows mercy and steadfast love to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever. Psalm 18:50.
Sandwiched between the first and last verses of a love story is this raw and powerful war story. That's how David worshiped God.
Is it a love song? Or is it a war anthem?
Think about it.
By Grace,
Travis
in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.
But his cloud-brightness bursts through,
spraying hailstones and fireballs. Psalm 18 (The Message)
Warfare, battle, conquest. That's what this Psalm is all about. Yet notice verse one.
I love You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength. Psalm 18:1 (AMP)
Not only that. Check out the ending.
and He shows mercy and steadfast love to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever. Psalm 18:50.
Sandwiched between the first and last verses of a love story is this raw and powerful war story. That's how David worshiped God.
Is it a love song? Or is it a war anthem?
Think about it.
By Grace,
Travis
The Notorious Mr. Bilbo
It is a fact that Bilbo's reputation went up a very great deal with the dwarves after this.
Bilbo must have been quite dismayed to hear the argument going on between the dwarves and Gandalf. Gandalf tried to persuade them of the need to go back and find Bilbo. And the dwarves argued about why he was even brought along in the first place. Although Tolkien doesn't mention Bilbo's reaction, as the scene plays out there are signs of the effect is has had on him.
As he steps into the circle and removes the ring something happens. The dwarves are impressed by his stealthy entry and start to praise his burglary skills. His notoriety goes up in the eyes of his companions. This has the effect of encouraging Bilbo to continue his deception. He mentions nothing of the ring.
Isn't it fascinating how the deceptive power of the ring begins to exert it's influence not only on the ring bearer but on those around the ring bearer? Such is the power of corruption. It should be noted also that bad company corrupts also. Just a few minutes before they were talking about him behind his back and now they are exalting him? I'm not suggesting they are shifty.
Nevertheless despite the temptation to claim that it was the ring's fault the temptation is not too much to bear. In our case, those who are followers of the Lord, we know the truth. Truth with a capital T is a person. Jesus Christ. And we know that God always leaves us an escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Bilbo, alas, like many of us succumbs to one of the enemy's oldest tricks. The sin of pride. "How do you like me now?"
Bilbo must have been quite dismayed to hear the argument going on between the dwarves and Gandalf. Gandalf tried to persuade them of the need to go back and find Bilbo. And the dwarves argued about why he was even brought along in the first place. Although Tolkien doesn't mention Bilbo's reaction, as the scene plays out there are signs of the effect is has had on him.
As he steps into the circle and removes the ring something happens. The dwarves are impressed by his stealthy entry and start to praise his burglary skills. His notoriety goes up in the eyes of his companions. This has the effect of encouraging Bilbo to continue his deception. He mentions nothing of the ring.
Isn't it fascinating how the deceptive power of the ring begins to exert it's influence not only on the ring bearer but on those around the ring bearer? Such is the power of corruption. It should be noted also that bad company corrupts also. Just a few minutes before they were talking about him behind his back and now they are exalting him? I'm not suggesting they are shifty.
Nevertheless despite the temptation to claim that it was the ring's fault the temptation is not too much to bear. In our case, those who are followers of the Lord, we know the truth. Truth with a capital T is a person. Jesus Christ. And we know that God always leaves us an escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Bilbo, alas, like many of us succumbs to one of the enemy's oldest tricks. The sin of pride. "How do you like me now?"
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Gluten Free Spice Bars
This recipe calls for using regular flour but we decided to make them gluten free and they really turned out nice!
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups garbonzo bean flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
add raisins
Combine all ingredients a mixing bowl. Mix evenly. Press dough into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.
Enjoy.
For gluten free hush puppies check these out! http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breads/gluten-free-hush-puppies/
For gluten free hush puppies check these out! http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breads/gluten-free-hush-puppies/
By Grace,
Travis
Love vs. Fear Pt 1
My Beloved. I really do love You and You really know how to lead me. You are the master, and I am the disciple. At Your feet do I come, to sit and be still.
When Mr. Bilbo finds himself in a harsh wilderness setting he does what any of us do when we find ourselves lost. He musters up his survival instinct and does his best to strive with his surroundings. He soon finds that he is no match for the challenge. Ridges and slopes falling great distances.
In the spiritual life I have often come to this place. There is a sense of vertigo and a feeling of aloneness. What if I fall? Who will be there to pick me up? He will give His angels charge over me.
Disoriented by his new surroundings he wanders around for a bit. The sun starts to descend. Not only is it getting dark but the mountains are behind him and cast their shadows upon his path. He is in a dark and scary place. Darkness and shadows.
Familiar things are stripped away (hood, cloak, food, buttons). The unknown becomes a canvas for our innermost feelings. Search me and know my anxious thoughts.
A spark of courage flares up in Mr. Bilbo. He will return and find his traveling companions. The thought of them a the mercy of the goblins is stronger than his survival instinct.
Darkness, shadows and fears cannot extinguish hope. Real hope comes from relationship. There is no fear in love, but full-grown complete perfect love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror.
When Mr. Bilbo finds himself in a harsh wilderness setting he does what any of us do when we find ourselves lost. He musters up his survival instinct and does his best to strive with his surroundings. He soon finds that he is no match for the challenge. Ridges and slopes falling great distances.
In the spiritual life I have often come to this place. There is a sense of vertigo and a feeling of aloneness. What if I fall? Who will be there to pick me up? He will give His angels charge over me.
Disoriented by his new surroundings he wanders around for a bit. The sun starts to descend. Not only is it getting dark but the mountains are behind him and cast their shadows upon his path. He is in a dark and scary place. Darkness and shadows.
Familiar things are stripped away (hood, cloak, food, buttons). The unknown becomes a canvas for our innermost feelings. Search me and know my anxious thoughts.
A spark of courage flares up in Mr. Bilbo. He will return and find his traveling companions. The thought of them a the mercy of the goblins is stronger than his survival instinct.
Darkness, shadows and fears cannot extinguish hope. Real hope comes from relationship. There is no fear in love, but full-grown complete perfect love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror.
Monday, May 7, 2012
He Persuaded Me - His Banner Over Me Is Love
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love [for love waved as a
protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near him]. Song of Solomon 2:4.
For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities,
nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,
Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
About Midnight Part 11 Joy Which Surpasses Understanding
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. Philippians 1:18.
I'm sure you have heard of the peace which passes understanding.
Paul must be talking about the joy that passes understanding in this verse. I have tasted and seen. The Lord is good.
That is why I can say I am fully persuaded...
By Grace,
Travis
I'm sure you have heard of the peace which passes understanding.
Paul must be talking about the joy that passes understanding in this verse. I have tasted and seen. The Lord is good.
That is why I can say I am fully persuaded...
By Grace,
Travis
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
About Midnight Pt 10 Welcome Home Gracie
My mom is weird. She is weird in a God way.
This morning I woke up out of bed and I didn't really feel like getting up and praising God. But an ordinary encounter with mom in the breakfast room turned into a spontaneous praisefest.
I am fully persuaded...
By Grace,
Travis P. Dickerson
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