Our Omniscient God

Do you love Fall colors?

I sure do.  🙂

With that in mind, I couldn’t wait to take a vacation to visit friends and see their beautiful home in New England.

can God's plans be thwarted?

Couldn’t you just stare at those beautiful trees changing color forever?

Our omniscient God created those spectacular displays of brilliant color because it pleases Him.

New England, this time of year, is just breathtaking.

Fall in New England

I have to admit; it was hard to leave. I lost myself in the beauty of the landscapes, the changing colors of the trees, the scenery rich in history, and the delicious seafood.

It was such a great time and, I’m particularly in love with birch trees.

can God's plans be thwarted

I’d love to have a birch tree here in Texas, but I’m afraid the heat would kill it, the tree would fall, and then bonk somebody on the head.

Guess we’ll have to go back to Boston again!

Power of God: A Lesson To Remember

When we were in Boston, we attended a church service at a delightful country church as well visiting our friends’ Sunday school class.

One of the questions posed during class time: Can God’s plans be thwarted?

What does the word “thwart” mean?

And why does that word look so funny? 😉

Thwart means, among other things, to prevent something from happening.

In our hearts, and also as Christians, we know the answer to that question is a resounding “No.”

God’s plans never fail.

Ever, Ever, Ever!

So we have what our hearts tell us, but what does the Bible say?

Does Scripture back it up, so we have an answer when skeptics come calling?

Yes, it does!

Right here, in the Book of Job:

*2I know that You can do all things,

And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. – Job 42:2. (NASB.)

Our most powerful God answers to no one.

**13 “Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?” – Isaiah 43:13. (NASB).

God’s providence is never thwarted.

Not by any earthly king, ruler, dictator, political leader, religious leader, foreign council, government, or agenda.

Here are some additional supporting verses of God’s sovereignty from Scripture.

Isaiah 14:27

Isaiah 40:22-23

Daniel 4:35

No one can thwart God, block God, frustrate God, surprise God, stop God, trip Him up, confuse Him, tie His hands, trample over God, dethrone Him, double-cross Him, outwit him, or restrain Him.

No matter how dark this world will get, God is in charge.

Our Omniscient God Provides An Escape Plan

Scripture tells us the world will fall under a massive deception. God will allow it to happen, but there’s an eternal escape plan. As Christians, we know what it is.

We must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and put aside the deceptions and apostasies created by man.

We are living in a world desperately in need of His saving grace.

 

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*Scripture quotation is taken from The New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

**Scripture quotation is taken from The New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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Movie Ratings – Do They Matter Anymore?

Movie Ratings

parent movie reviews

I don’t want to tell parents how they should raise their kids.

You know there’s a “but” coming, right?

But, for goodness sake, I’m asking for parents to please take the time to scrutinize the content of the movie they’re about to allow their young child to see.

Important question: Does the movie contain nudity, gore, and/or violence?

Do you think your kid should see that kind of movie, with or without your supervision?

Keeping Kids In Mind

kids in mind

My husband and I rarely go to the movies anymore because many of them are not even close to what we would want to see.

We did make an exception recently and went to see a movie that was rated PG-13.

There was an unmistakable sex scene in the movie. Sitting behind us in the theater were three young girls. They looked to be between 7-10 years old.

There was no parent in sight during the entire film.

PG-13 means parents are urged to be “cautious,” and that some of the film’s content may be “inappropriate” for pre-teens.

The young girls in the back of us giggled throughout the scene.

Where were their parents?

I know that the movie’s PG-13 rating, per the MPAA, doesn’t require parental presence, but come on!

Disturbing References

Christians have been silent far too long.

Sadly, saying anything negative about what’s popular now could get you called a name.

“Prude!”

“Hater!”

If those name-callers only knew what Hollywood has in store. I could post an article I recently read about that, but it’s sickening.

Here’s the CliffsNotes version of it:

Hollywood will continue to push the envelope

Think that’s too harsh?

Bear with me.

Did you ever think you would see references to incest/pedophilia in a comedy?

How Low Can They Go?

SNL has done it, and that’s not all.

In “The Middle” recently, a character mentioned the possibility of a sexual relationship between a school janitor and a young student.

We don’t need to be laughing about that.

Monday night, we tuned into UPtv, the channel marketed with the “We Get Family” label.

“Whose Line Is It Anyway” was playing. We started watching an episode. Unfortunately, two of the comedians portrayed an incestuous scene between a father and a son. I don’t need to go into the surprisingly graphic details, but it was gross. We couldn’t turn it off fast enough. The audience, unfortunately, roared with laughter.

So that’s supposed to be funny now?

Yes, I can turn off the television and we do. But, IMHO, these themes are not okay to laugh at.

As a former reporter, I’ve been in a courtroom covering a trial where a child was molested. This young boy had to take the witness stand and reveal all the awful details. It was tragic and heartbreaking.

Parents and guardians of young children – is it your responsibility to supervise the content of the television shows, online websites, and the movies your young kids are watching.

Movie Ratings For Parents

It’s okay to tell your kids “no” if they want to see a movie that’s inappropriate for their age group.

They’ll get over it.

Here are three websites where you can view the ratings and contents of movies BEFORE you drop off your kids at the theater door.

In no particular order:

>Dove.org – This website is pretty thorough. Click on the movie your child wants to see, and you’ll get accurate descriptions of the movie’s content.

>Another website I’ve found is kids-in-mind.com. You can become a member of the kids-in-mind site, but it’s not required.

>A third site, movieguide.org, is billed as a “Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment.”

Be A Parent

Young children desperately need parental guidance and healthy boundaries.

*According to former attorney general John Ashcroft, nine out of ten teens have been exposed to pornographic images. Those who stumble across this wretched stuff on the Web or in other media are highly susceptible to what they see. Boys as young as thirteen are easily trapped in addictive and progressive behavior that will plague them for a lifetime. Girls are directly affected because their boyfriends expect them to imitate what is depicted in obscene products. – James Dobson, [Newsletter, February 2011].

Mr. Dobson is correct. I’ve talked to several friends/parents about what their kids run into at many high school parties (sex and drug sharing games). It’s all very, very sad.

Let me add a disturbing post from Franklin Graham about a sex education class in an Oklahoma public high school. The link will tell you what you need to know.

In conclusion, I wanted to share this link to the website for One Million Moms To Help Fight Indecency.

This organization does good work, and you don’t have to be a mom to participate in their campaigns against trash in the media.

We have the right to speak up and out for the protection of children.

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*Former Attorney General John Ashcroft’s quotation. [Newsletter]. Retrieved from http://www.drjamesdobson.org/news/commentaries/protecting-your-children /February 2011, para.32).  

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Where Can I Listen To The Bible Online

Listen To The Bible Online

Oh, the times they are a-changin’.

Many people would rather read or listen to the Bible online, than carrying the book itself.

Look around you during church and chances are many people are looking at their phones. Hopefully, it’s because they’re reading from a Bible app and not checking Facebook!

I get it.

We are living in a rapidly changing, mobile-driven world. Using a phone or iPad is fine if that’s what you need or want to do. The end goal is immersing ourselves in God’s truth.

Options For Studying God’s Word

When I hurt my back recently, I had trouble carrying a lot of things in my arms while heading into church.

As a result, I’ve temporarily switched to looking at the online Bible that I downloaded on my phone. Honestly, it’s more convenient.

I prefer the book though. A bible book I wouldn’t trade my book Bible for anything. It has my notes, several handouts, and encouraging words in the margin.

I miss carrying my Bible in my arms.
listen to the Bible online

Read Or Listen To The Bible Online

If you prefer an online version, please allow me to offer you a couple of suggestions, in no particular order:

The YouVersion Bible app

You can download the free YouVersion Bible directly from your phone or their website.

The Bible is God’s message to the world. With YouVersion, you can download their app in over 900 languages! Look here, right towards the bottom of the page, where it says “YouVersion is Global.”

You can also listen to the Bible online through their app by clicking here.  Choose the Bible passages you want to read and the translation (NASB, ESV, etc.), and you can listen to your heart’s content.  from Bible Gateway One of my favorite resources, the Bible Gateway website, also offers a written and audio version.

Click into the website here and pick the Bible book and the translation you’re searching.

For the audio version, look for the “audio” icon towards the top right.  

 

 

These are just a few examples, and I hope they’re helpful when you’re looking for an alternative to a book Bible.

Be Encouraged

One crucial way to delight yourself in the Lord is to read what it says in His Word.

I know you know that, but please don’t lose heart as the world turns increasingly dark.

Christians, be encouraged!

We have the truth on our side.

In Second Peter, the Apostle issued a lot of warnings about false teachers in his day. We have no less of a problem with heretical teachings cropping up like weeds in the 21st century.

Discernment is key.

Christianity is not a myth, and the Bible is not a bunch of meaningless stories.

*16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. – 2 Peter 1:16. (ESV.)

“Eyewitnesses of His majesty.”

Praise the Lord!

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*Scripture quotation is from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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God’s Not Finished With Me Yet

God’s Not Finished With Me Yet

In our house, we’re big fans of all the cooking competitions on television.

Have you ever watched the show, “Chopped?”

It’s a fun show. 🙂

The competitors receive a secret basket of ingredients and, once they’re revealed, the challengers have a limited amount of time to cook something creative and delicious.

My husband and I like to figure out what we would cook if we were competing.

Some of the basket ingredients on the show are a little odd. If you’ve ever seen any episodes, you know what I mean.

How cool is it that these talented chefs can take a bunch of mismatched, and sometimes ugly, ingredients and create something fantastic?

Let’s see, what can you make with a *geoduck?

By the way, it’s pronounced “goo-ee” duck.

If you’ve ever seen a geoduck, it sure ain’t pretty.

Dear Grammar police – I said “ain’t” on purpose. Love you.

God’s Not Finished With Me Yet

How humbling is it that God, the Creator of all, formed every one of us in the womb?

God's not finished with me yet

From the Psalm of David:

**I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.– Psalm 139:14 (ESV).

The focus of this psalm is not to produce feelings of grandeur about ourselves; instead, it should summon both reverence and awe of our Heavenly Father.

We are His creation indeed, but He loves us too much to want us to stay that way (sinners in need of grace) for eternity.

Simply put, God’s not through with me yet.

You either!

God Is Working On Me

We must have confidence in God, even when life hurts.

The right thing to do in prayer is to trust His will, no matter what. That’s what reverence and awe are all about.

Unlike the philosophy of humanism and the lies that it teaches, Christianity is about faith and reverence for the One who gave us life.

We are His “works in progress.” Will we accept His role as Master or reject it like those who embraced evil and sentenced His Son to the cross?

I choose to accept what God has in store. I may not like it when something doesn’t go my way. In fact, I may be devastated about an outcome, but God knows the reasons why and that settles it.

God Will Finish What He Started

God knows what He is doing.

We say that, but do we truly believe it?

God is perfect and makes no mistakes, even when a situation is beyond our human comprehension.

I am grateful for His wisdom and not my own.

Christian vocalist/musician and Dove Award winner, Tauren Wells, has a great song about this. I was already a fan of his song, “Hills and Valleys.”

Here’s “God’s Not Done With You.” I hope you enjoy and God bless.

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*“Geoduck” by Lydia Chow is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

**Scripture quotation is from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Delighting In God

Delighting In God When It Hurts

Delighting in God when the world appears to be falling apart seems almost impossible.

People who are unsaved might say something like this:

We’re supposed to what?

I can never praise God as long as there is evil in the world.

As the remarks demonstrate, these folks are deeply hurt, and we need to pray for them.  I understand their anguish as they desperately search for answers.

So, how can we delight in anything when people are murdered, like what happened during the mass shootings in Las Vegas recently?

Las Vegas tragedy 2017

Gaining Perspective

As Christians, we know that we are all sinners in the sight of God. We also know in our hearts that evil people do evil things.

The breaking news is devastating. It isn’t easy to wrap our finite minds around evil in its brutal form.

We see it, we hear about it on the news, and our tears are flowing.

Political parties, the media, even late-night talk show hosts want to pass blame – it’s gotta be the guns themselves, they say, or they blame who is in the White House.

I’m not buying into that, and I hope you don’t either.

Ultimately, this is a sin problem.

What does the Bible say?

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. – 1 John 1:8-10. NASB.

Our life vest in every storm is the saving grace offered by Jesus Christ. Jesus, as the only Way, is the light at the end of a very dark tunnel. In that, we can rejoice.

In the meantime, we have to contend with sin and its ramifications. Unfortunately, some misguided people don’t even want to talk about it.

Ignoring Sin

Some Christians, sometimes churches, won’t talk about sin anymore because they’re afraid nonbelievers might get offended.

But, what they don’t seem to get is that not talking about sin and forgiveness takes away from the beauty of God’s gift of grace.

Please watch this short video highlighting one of the many problems with the Emergent Church.

Hurricanes and Fires

What about the recent storms?

How can we delight in anything when people from south Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico are still suffering after the devastating hurricanes?

We also can’t forget about those awful fires that quickly spread in the western United States.

Wildfires in the West

Why, God, why?

It’s natural to cry out to God in our distress.

We hurt for these victims.

Some people will look at tragedies and foolishly claim that God doesn’t care.

But, He does care.

We can’t even imagine the entire depth of how much He cares for us.

God has nothing to prove, including His love.

The Bible tells us the ending. As Christians, we can delight in the future return of our Lord and Savior and an end to our suffering. He is our only hope.

Seek Truth in Scripture

There are difficult times up ahead, much like what we’ve already seen the world. Scripture tells us that it will get worse.

Sugar-coating what happens in the end times helps no one.

There’s an urgent need for the preaching of the gospel.

People need the Lord.

Have you heard the Casting Crowns song called, “Just Be Held”?

I wanted to post it here.

Our prayers for peace may seem unanswered, but there is only One who offers true peace. Our peace comes only from Jesus Christ.

The world is not falling apart. It is “falling into place.”

Delighting In God When We Hurt

rose for the fallen

Most Heavenly Father, we love You.

Thank You for Your infinite grace.

We pray for the victims of these horrible tragedies.

We also lift up their friends and families and ask for Your peace

and comfort for them during this sad time.

Thank You, Father, for handling these spiritual battles

that we can’t fight on our own.

We don’t completely understand the reason for every trial,

but we know that You do.

The enemy wants to confuse us

and stir us up to reject Your promise of salvation

through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Help us, Lord, to continue to trust You

when the world seems like it’s falling apart.

Amen.

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*Scripture quotation is from New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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