Jesus

Day 137: PRIVILEGE

Posted on by sightlesswalk

The definition of privilege is a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.

I cannot help but be perplexed by what some are calling WHITE privilege. As a person living in the USA, it is clear that today, idea of WHITE privilege is not what it was. Sure, this country has a lot to be accountable for. For one, we needed the Civil Rights Movement to happen and thank God it did. Social injustice is still taking a place in this fallen world. Abortion to name one, Sex-trafficking, another. But racial injustice doesn’t seem as prevalent in this day and age.

Yet, the division is being made in 2022 AGAIN. Only this time, the emphasis is on creating a new recipient of the privilege. And herein lies my difficulty with this idea.

I still believe that we live in a land that is free. If we weren’t free, we would not be able to have an opinion at all without terrible consequences being doled out. Unless you agree with the powers that be, you may be imprisoned by decree. Honestly, privilege comes with power and affluence. People of privilege come in all races and genders in the land of the free. When freedom is gone……we all suffer.

Do we as the human race really need to be so divided? Have we become so deluded to believe that we can somehow make a difference in this world by perpetuating lies and false ideologies? Do we really believe that we aren’t privileged?

I know that I am privileged and it is not because of my race, gender or social economic status. I, like you, was born into a world the way that I am. And that’s the truth. I didn’t have a choice. Just like you. I won’t apologize for how God made me or didn’t make me. He knew what He was doing. But I digress. I am privileged not by my first birth, but by my second. And for this, we all have a choice.

“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

John 3:4

Here is some truth. And for some reading this, you may find it to be nonsense. I perfectly understand.

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14

The only true privilege in this life is for a man or woman to be called sons and daughters of the Most High God.

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

John 3:19

Before you put me in a box, get yourself a Bible and read it. Read the book of John. I can tell you that I am not the same person I was. I had blinders on and I really didn’t want to see the truth either. Honestly, the things of God are truly mysterious. And I probably would have agreed with much of what is going on in this world. But as the song states, “I once was blind but now I see”. There is TRUTH. May my heart and yours be open to receive all God has for us. May the power of the Holy Spirit along with the kindness of God bring you, me and all of us to repentance, that not one may perish but all have everlasting life. (see Matthew 18)

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Day 136: Where Are You?

Posted on by sightlesswalk

Where are you, right now, at this very moment?

You could be anywhere.

I could be anywhere.

Are you where you want to be? How did you get there? Are you in the right place? How do you know? What is it like where you are? How are you feeling about your surroundings? Do you enjoy where you are?

Where would you be if you could be anywhere?

WHERE WOULD I BE?

Define what WHERE is for you.

Right now, I am somewhere I never even imagined I would be. Physically and professionally.

I am in a place I have to be, today, at this point in my life.

It is not a place I chose for myself. Being here has isolated me from all that I had known for over 20 years.

Yet, here I am.

And it was unpleasant….at first.

That was just two days ago.

I needed help. I was downward spiraling after day one. My husband reached out to our church family and their powerful and life changing prayers were being lifted up for me. Needless to say, day two was markedly different. Better. INTENTIONAL.

I came in prepared. For what? For anything!!!

Now I view my current lot in life as a gift. It is peaceful here. I am alone, which was definitely not the case where I was.

I thought that if I could be where I wanted to be, I would be more productive. I would be FREE.

It turns out that I am more free than I thought I was. It seems that where I was needed to change to where I am now and who knows where I will be when this too comes to a close. But it is good and it is timely and it has changed me. And it has only just begun.

I am GRATEFUL. I am PEACEFUL. I am WHERE I BELONG, RIGHT NOW.

I believe that God has used this circumstance that brought me here to simply, bring me HERE.

Could it be that we think we know where we want to be, but God knows better where we NEED to be? (duh!)

Psalm 37:23-24: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Oh how true! I know because that scripture verse describes my current state and how the LORD is holding my hand. He is. He sure is.

May my heart and yours understand how much our LORD and SAVIOR delights in us. May we be grateful for where we are, right now. May my heart and yours delight in the amazing love exhibited through the Body of Christ. May we trust the path the LORD has put us on. In Jesus’ amazing name!!!

Day 123: The Sweet Scent of Spring

Posted on by sightlesswalk

Today is a windy, Spring day.  The air is sweet. I breathe it in and every fiber of my being is filled with delight.

It is INCREDIBLE!

LIFE. LIFE. LIFE.

My nose takes in the sweet air.

My lungs open up to receive this truly life giving experience.

My brain has somehow translated the process and has determined how sweet the scent actually is.

WHAT A GIFT!

PSALM 103

Today, may my heart and yours take delight in the ONE who has created the SWEET SCENT OF SPRING. May we marvel at the work of HIS HANDS. May you and I seek to discover the richness of the love of Jesus, who took such great care in creating us to experience joy. JOY!!! And LIFE everlasting!!!!

 

 

Day 120: He Is The WINNER

Posted on by sightlesswalk

Jesus Christ has won it all. He has won back our relationship with GOD ALMIGHTY. He won it all for you and He won it all for me. More than the choice you make during this election, the greater choice is this: Will you choose Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? He is the lover of Your soul and He knocks on the door of your heart hoping that you will answer the call. In a time of so much uncertainty, one thing remains. Jesus has victory over sin and over death. All other ground that you may choose to stand on is sinking. Jesus Christ is the winner of the battle over death. What will you choose? Life or Death. I choose LIFE. LIFE. LIFE. He is a sure thing. He is not a man that He would lie. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is and always was and always will be. Where will your hope lie? In a world that is passing away or in the ONE that can give you eternal life? Choosing Jesus will be the best thing and the MOST IMPORTANT thing you will ever choose. Do it. Don’t wait. The time is here and the time is now. Simply invite Him in. He’s been waiting. You will never again be the same. Lord Jesus, we ask You to take hold of us. We surrender our lives to you. We proclaim that we have sinned against You and we receive Your forgiveness. Come into our hearts. Make Your home in us. We choose You. We love You because YOU FIRST LOVED US!!!  Thank You Jesus!!! Ah, now that is the ticket! All of heaven rejoices!!! LIFE. LIFE. LIFE.

 

 

Day 116: Depression and Despair

Posted on by sightlesswalk

As I title this post, I realize it should be written as a letter, so here it goes.

 

Dear Depression and Despair,

It’s really quite sad that I am writing to either one of you. How can you even be in my mind? Why are you both here? Is it because of my diet? My thought life? I suspect both of these.

I think the real reason I’m writing to you both is because of fear. Fear that I won’t lose weight. Fear that my brother will never see TRUTH. Fear that I will never overcome the obstacles in front of me. Fear of MYSELF.  Ugh, and then you both come to me and it solidifies the FEAR. I feel HORRIBLE and HOPELESS.

That’s why you are here, isn’t it?  To make me feel this way.

So now I am letting you both know, with the mustard seed of faith in the LORD JESUS CHRIST and HIS finished work on the CROSS, that I am not afraid. Well, I am afraid, but God commands me not to be. So in His Word I take my stance.

But WHY? WHY shouldn’t I be afraid. The feelings and circumstances are frightening. And you know that, don’t you. Of course you also probably know that these things that I fear have not happened and may not EVER happen. And yet, you know that I want to hide out under the covers and there you are waiting for me until I am worried and stressed beyond measure.  Am I using you or are you using me???

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

I want you to both know that I am going to walk away, no, run away from you and into the arms of my SAVIOR and cling to HIS Promises.

Jesus is FOR me. Jesus DIED for me. Jesus LIVES in me. Jesus LOVES me despite myself!

He get’s it. He understands.

Why would I spend my time with the two of you when I could be spending my time with JESUS?

Depression and Despair, I am leaving you. You have been with me long enough. It is time for me to let go and trust someone other than myself. It is time to stop believing that you will take care of me. It is time to stop being ruled by fear and instead to be ruled by LOVE.

Good bye.

Sincerely,

The Long Island Yak

 

Day 115: Psalm 145

Posted on by sightlesswalk

Psalm 145a (from Biblehub)

A psalm of praise. Of David.

1I will exalt you, my God the King;

I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2Every day I will praise you

and extol your name for ever and ever.

3Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

his greatness no one can fathom.

4One generation commends your works to another;

they tell of your mighty acts.

5They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.b

6They tell of the power of your awesome works—

and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7They celebrate your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

9The Lord is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

10All your works praise you, Lord;

your faithful people extol you.

11They tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might,

12so that all people may know of your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises

and faithful in all he does.c

14The Lord upholds all who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

16You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and faithful in all he does.

18The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

19He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

20The Lord watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

21My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

Let every creature praise his holy name

for ever and ever.

May you and I exalt the name of JESUS forever. May we ascribe to  Him the worth He deserves. May we lift up our minds, our hearts, our voices, and our deeds to Him. May we lay down our weakness, our pain, our worry, our struggles as we trust Him with all things. With the knowledge of His love and mercy! YOU ARE GREAT BEYOND MEASURE!!!  IN JESUS’ NAME, we ask!  Thank You Father God.

 

Day 96: such a lonely word

Posted on by sightlesswalk

Billy Joel sang about it years ago. “Honesty is such a lonely word. Everyone is so untrue.” Now you may have stopped dead in your tracks and thought about how many people you know have been dishonest with you or with someone else. Perhaps politicians and lawyers stereo-typically came to mind. How about someone you will never forgive because of their hurtful lies?  Parents, close friends, colleagues…..spouses?

 

There is plenty of TRUTH to all of that, but do you consider yourself  part of the EVERYONE in that phrase?  

I know I hadn’t thought of myself that way for the longest time. And since I’m still very much in process, uh, on this earth, I’m sure God will reveal more and more of the how dishonest I can be. I would say mostly with God and myself.

Do we really know who we are and what we are capable of or do we simply look at others as BAD and ourselves as GOOD?

How are you and I doing in respect to HONESTY?

Have we been an honest friend, sibling, child, parent, co-worker, neighbor, loved one?

If  we stop to think about it and begin to get honest with ourselves, we will see how dishonest we can be with ourselves. Make sense?

Father God, we ask You to reveal to us the TRUTH about ourselves. Help us to be honest with You, ourselves and others. Give us wisdom and grace to receive the TRUTH and trust how much You know everything about us and LOVE US ANYWAY. Thank You for loving us enough to send Jesus to die for us that Your Holy Spirit could come and reveal such things to us. Bless YOU JESUS!!!

Day 90: It’s getting colder…brrrrrrr

Posted on by sightlesswalk

Fall is here and after some beautiful weather, it is now getting colder. There isn’t anything we can do about it. If you live in a place with dramatic seasonal changes, well, you live in a place with dramatic seasonal changes. PERIOD.

We certainly can’t control the weather.  However, we can prepare for it. If we know ahead of time what is coming our way, it is wise to get ready.

Where and how do we get our information?

http://news.yahoo.com/farmers-almanac-predicts-another-nasty-winter-154326000.html

 

What are our needs?

How much time do we have?

Can we afford what we need?

How can we help others?

We simply HAVE to get ready or risk being taken over by the extreme weather.

ISN’T PREPARING FOR THE COLD WEATHER ALOT LIKE PREPARING OUR  HEARTS??????

 

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:12

If we take a hard look at what else is brewing around us, it is safe to say that LAWLESSNESS HAS INCREASED. The bible has told us it would. Are we ready? Will the love in my heart and yours grow cold?

Where and how do we get our information?

What are our needs?

How much time do we have?

Can we afford what we need?

How can we help others?

cozy fire

May our Father in Heaven continue to point your heart and mine to His Holy Fire, that our love would not grow cold. May we keep watch and prepare for the well-being of our hearts. May your heart and mine continually seek our Lord Jesus Christ and be informed by the Holy Spirit in conjunction with the Body of Christ. All in Your Name Jesus.

 

Day 86: great

Posted on by sightlesswalk

Jesus is GREAT yet when He walked the earth, He did not consider himself to be GREAT. He instead was humbly great. We are talking about Jesus here. He is the King of all kings! He is the Lord of all lords. God has given Him GREAT AUTHORITY. HE IS THE VERY IMAGE OF GOD THE FATHER. Yet He was humbly great.

 

Kinda puts who we are in perspective……..

 

GREAT IS THE LORD AND WORTHY TO BE PRAISED!!!!!

 

May my heart and yours bow to the ONE TRUE KING. May we seek to be more like HIM rather than the GREAT the world tempts us with. May we seek to be humble like Jesus Christ that we truly may be great.

Day 85: S T U F F E D

Posted on by sightlesswalk

Ugh! Chili and a frosty and boy oh boy am I STUFFED!!!! I consumed much more than I actually needed. It was simply too much. I enjoyed it until I went TOO FAR. Now I am left with a belly ache. I can barely breathe. What started out as a need (because I was hungry and had not eaten yet…skipped breakfast) and a want (because it was delicious) left me SO SO SORRY as my body simply could not handle being OVER-STUFFED.

How could I allow this to happen? (seriously, I still can’t breathe comfortably!!!).

I simply dropped the ball by skipping breakfast, choosing fast food and stuffing my face when I KNEW my belly was full.

What does this have to do with LIFE.LIFE.LIFE.?
Poor planning, poor choices and, uh, GREED/GLUTTONY leave us breathless in a bad way. This, of course, is a pretty harmless example. What about when this kind of “life-style” leave us very FULL of STUFF, but spiritually empty?

Father, may we PLAN to be with You and not skip any “meals”. May we choose to EAT Your WORD. May we stop and sit in Your presence and breathe You freely in. Only You satisfy us the way we NEED!!