Life’s Little Turns

Ever wonder what would happen if you woke up a different person?  In a very real sense that is what I am doing.  I have spent over 30 years keeping a large chunk of myself stuffed into a tiny box, hoping the box holds forever.  It didn’t.  About a year ago the box broke and in December 2016 it shattered far beyond repair.

So who am I?

I am a girl.
I am a creature of the night.

There’s never been any doubt of those facts – at least not for me.  What I have learned is…

I am submissive.  I love letting others make decisions.  I’m usually so easy-going that I rarely need to pick something thing over another.  That’s not to say I can’t decide, only that I have no problem letting others decide for me.

 

Today 05/25/2017

Did justice prevail?

It’s official.  I’m a villain.  I’m the bad guy and need to be stopped.  I mean I was out of the house and not bugging Rebecca when she served me with a restraining order.  I must have done something truly horrible.

Oh, yeah.  I’m transgender.  Her faith dictates that I am a leper and must be excluded.

Rebecca played dirtier than me today.  The result was she got what she wanted.  I sincerely hope it works for her.  I will grant you I did get more right to see James, but it’s still conditional on Rebecca’s agreement.  I can’t imagine the loss she must face.  No more cooking or cleaning or foot rubs or back rubs.  No more help in the back yard.  No more support and love.  No more games.  No more laughs.

No more best friend.

I’ve learned things from my friends that could help her in so many ways.  But lepers are not allowed to mingle with royalty.  We are too dirty.

Oh, well.  We all lose.  I lose a wife, a life style, and much access to my son.  James loses access to his best friend and father.  Who wins?  All in the name of …

 

I can’t stop listening to Red: Of These Chains.

 

P.S. I make it a point to never have enemies.  I don’t want to waste my time and energy on people that don’t deserve my attention.  I don’t know what to make of Rebecca.  She rose to the status of nemesis yet I still love her.  12 years of dedication doesn’t end overnight.

 

 

TG: Matthew 19:10-12

Jesus had just told the disciples that a man who divorces his wife and marries another is committing adultery, except for sexual immorality.

The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.  For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others — and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.  The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Hmmm…

Matthew 3

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'”

John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.  His food was locusts and honey.  People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.  Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’  I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children of Abraham.  The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance.  But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”  Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

 

Conversation with God

I knelt in prayer, cleared my mind and said, “Okay, Lord.”  Inches in front of me a piano was being played loudly for the congregation.  The music played in my ears but there was another voice, silent and gentle.  I could hear it clearly.

Do you hear the music?

Yes.

Do you hear the missed beat, the disharmony in mistakes?

Yes.  I hear it when she hesitates.  I hear a missed chord.

That is your life.  When you are in Me, your harmony is beautiful.  When you stray the music becomes disharmonious.  If you are learning I may correct you in love so that your life sings a beautiful song.

This is why we must trust in God.  He only wants to keep us in tune.  All we need is faith.

 

Sunday Service

Isaiah 31

Hebrews 9:26

Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.  But he has appeared once and for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

What is “Clean”?

1. Physically clean on the outside
2. Spiritually clean
3. Set apart
4. Purification; not tainted by spiritual

Hebrews 9:15

There’s something that Jesus did to create a new covenant

The reason is he was to call people who were his people.  That call goes out to everyone.

What is a ransom?

Ransom is to buy back.  It’s to trade something for something.

Now that he has died as a ransom… that really means he exchanged his life for our lives.

That the nature of his giving.  “I gave my life so you can have a life.”  That’s the point of Easter.

We’re free spiritually, free from sin.

In the case of a will (covenant) it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

This is why even the 1st covenant was not put into effect without blood.

He appeared in heaven once on our behalf.  It was perfect so there was no need to do it more than once.

It is a beautiful image to think God didn’t just create the world and spin it.  He came back and helped us.

We don’t go out to save people we dislike – officials, drug dealers, inner city folk.  We do not save where the danger is high.  So how much more did Jesus give for all the sinners of all types?

He takes away the sins of many people.

He’s coming back to bring salvation for those that are waiting for him.

Saved as in rescued from all pain and suffering.  Saved like taken to heaven.

He’ll give us a hug and welcome us home.

What about the image of him coming with a sword?

I struggle as I wait.  Sometimes I don’t wait very well.  Sometimes I don’t wait at all.  We are all lost in the world we live in.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. (Mat 26:41, Mark 14:38)

Jesus is coming soon.

 

 

Consider This Scenario

Every night a man enters your house, straps you down and drips water on your head for 2 to 4 hours. Within a minute the torture becomes unbearable. But it doesn’t stop.